NCconnection

Profound and Beautiful

2008-04-26T11:59:00.001-07:00

Hey all.
Don't know how many of you have heard of Shane Claiborne.
He was featured on a program on NPR not too long ago, so I was perusing through the web and came across this video that has the most beautiful and profound image of love and compassion. It's posted on my blog-- click on the link to your left when you have some time.

Peace!

Why?!!!

2008-04-25T13:45:00.000-07:00

Why can't this man just leave school and start his NBA career already? His draft stock only drops with each year he stays, and the chances of winning a national championship are so small every year. There's too much luck and tons of variables involved.

Of course, if he was at Duke, I'd be thrilled, but unfortunately, he's at that other school. I thought we were the school that got the unathletic white boys that just worked really hard and stayed for 4 years. Isn't UNC supposed to have all the super-athletes that stay 1-2 years and then get picked in the 1st round of the draft?

Well, at least I can hope that Lawson and Ellington go pro, although I can't quite see that happening with their questionable draft forecasts.

At the zoo

2008-04-22T20:22:00.000-07:00

Random Thoughts

2008-04-16T19:00:00.000-07:00

Brian is so great about keeping us posted about ncconnection posts that I wanted to contribute to give him a shout out and to say thanks for being so earnest in keeping us connected. I admit that I have absolutely no interest in the basketball posts since NC State is never a part of the conversation although even if they were, I would probably still show little or no interest. The days when I enjoyed watching the same sports center multiple times with you guys on ESPN is alas a thing of the past---Still enjoy watching games from time to time, but more b/c I’m jumping on the bandwagon and rooting for the Lakers or the Angels, so won’t post about that. However, I can make comments about American Idol and Dancing with the Stars. I’ll save Dancing with the Stars for another time, but a brief rundown of my opinions re:Idol. Last night Mariah Carey guided them—so funny to see her try to make nice comments about the contestants whom she clearly felt were mediocre or even bad---“ they are making this song their own, singing from their heart”….what does that mean? The judges ended up saying that this night was all about the boys, but I totally disagree.

David Archuleta: Okay, I adored his rendition of John Lennon’s “Imagine”, even if Paula’s comments and hysterical crying almost ruined it, but am I alone in thinking that every song he sings sounds almost exactly the same? I think he’s a cutie, but clearly too young to handle the pizzazz of being a polished performer. He is starting to bore me.

Carly: Gotta love that Ihy-rish accent, and her voice reminds me of Hart—definitely a great singer with great potential—the camera seems to love showing shots of her husband with his nose-ring and many tattoos---they scare me a little, but I can deal with it.

Syesha: Syesha, Syesha…I actually thought her “Vanishing” was really, really good, though she only changes her version from Mariah’s by stretching out the “vaaaaaaaannnnnnishing” instead of the “yoooooooouuuuuuu'rrrrrrrrrreee” which is in the original. Have to admit that I got suckered into buying Mariah’s first CD off Itunes after the show and listening again to the original definitely makes Syesha’s look “ehhhh.”

David Cook: O dude, I know he is everyone’s favorite, but while the judges’ opinion was that his interpretation of the song was so original and “haunting”, I just thought it was weird. Maybe I am too much of a pop queen to appreciate his “artistry.” Whatever, I so don’t believe that.

Brooke White: I felt bad she had to miss her sister’s wedding, but I bet she felt worse that she missed it for that performance. Why does she always have to have those sad, pleading puppy dog eyes when she sings? Is she really that unhappy or is she convinced that this is what saves her each week?

Kristy Lee Cook: This girl in my opinion should have been booted a long time ago, don’t even let me get started on Micahel Johns leaving last week when it should have been her. Lucky (or clever) girl—b/c she appeals to the mass of squealing little girls (whom I think are so cute, but what do they know? They love Miley Cyrus and have made her a superstar). I know, her voice isn’t that bad, but come on, I could sound better on Karaoke.

Jason Castro: Ahhh, I save the best for last. The judges love him. I don’t get it. The dreadlocks. I don’t get it. Doesn’t he realize that this works for black hair which doesn’t need to be washed, but once a week? As far as I know, white people’s hair don’t work that way. I find his appeal so odd.

So I confess that when American Idol first aired, I had a dream that I was in the final six. No joke. I remember being backstage, with the lights glaring, I got on stage, sang, and got voted off that day. It was terrifying and heartbreaking, so maybe I should ease up and be more sensitive… :)

Oh and another big “thank you” to Sandra for putting the slideshow for the NCKPC together. It was great and I know it took a lot of time and effort to pull it all together. It looked great, though seeing some of those old photos of me gave me a little bit of the shivahs…made me very thankful to have grown older. ….enjoy the day folks and peace.

Clueless but incensed over matching yellow t-shirts......

2008-04-13T17:56:00.000-07:00

Hey all. I am posting to hopefully get all of your insights regarding a topic that is sort of fuzzy to me: the US economy. I have to begin by confessing that I don’t know a lot (probably the main reason for writing to you guys). I tend to leave financial “issues” (like where to invest our money) to my husband, and my part is basically just to make sure the bills get paid on time.
Although I like to think of myself as a fairly well educated woman, I confess that I lack good knowledge about economics, and what sort of things drive the market to go up and down. But I CAN say, that I am feeling the pinch at the grocery store, which of course is concerning. And all this news regarding the state of affairs of the housing market was sort of background noise to me for a while, but as I paid more and more attention to it, I found myself feeling strangely angry about it all. That festering sort of came to a peak after the Bear-Stearns fallout. I was watching the news one afternoon and they were showing a bunch of people in matching yellow t-shirts picketing inside the Bear-Stearns building. The picketers were angry that the government had bailed out Bear-Stearns instead of bailing them out…….these were individuals who were knee deep in the mortgage crisis, and wanted to be bailed out.
Now I may not know much, and again, I underscore that I REALLY don’t understand a lot about money and finances, but I was really upset at these picketers! Putting aside the government’s $30 billion bail-out of Bear-Stearns……my thought was, if these people have the time to get matching t-shirts made and make signs and plan to put together that sort of “rally,” don’t they have the time to go out and WORK to try to help themselves out of their situation somehow?
And of course, in the midst of this all, it is an election year. There is a good chance that Senator Obama may be the next president. Hearing his plans for what he would do about the housing crisis upsets me too! Is it selfish and mean-spirited that I don’t want my (or rather, my husband’s) hard earned dollars (tax money) to go toward bailing out those yellow-t-shirted picketers and others who chose to live beyond their means?
Anyway, I’d really like to hear all of your opinions, especially since I’ve probably over simplified the whole situation based the little knowledge I have. Maybe I don’t know enough, so I shouldn’t be upset? Maybe all of these thoughts are so obvious and you all are sort of thinking, “so what?” I don’t know. What have you all been thinking or asking or questioning about the state of economics these days? Please comment, or write a new post so I can learn more!

season recap

2008-03-24T11:26:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm still getting over our 2nd round exit from the tournament, but at least I was more emotionally prepared for it this year. After last year's debacle and our showing against Belmont, I wasn't surprised that we fell to W. Virginia. Plus, finding out that half our team had the flu made it easier to accept.

Coming into the season, we all knew that we had no real post presence and would struggle at times. Still, we had a remarkable run through the first 2/3 of our schedule, knocking off some really good teams like Wisconsin, Marquette, and Davidson. Not only that, we split with UNC in a year that they were vastly superior to us, talent-wise.

Of course, it's hard to end the season like we did - losing at home on senior night to the Heels, then leaving both the ACC and NCAA tourneys early. But overall, it was still a fun team to watch. I think we probably got the most out of our roster this year, and we were clearly better than last year. Once the NCAA starts, anything can happen to anyone. We weren't the only 2 seed that struggled - Georgetown lost to a 10 seed and Tennessee could have easily lost their game. Even UCLA could have lost in the 2nd round. Only UNC seems to be truly dominating, a bit of a sore spot for Duke fans, I know.

For me, I can accept the season we had. The hard part is looking to the future of the program. I don't see us getting much better next year barring some unforeseen events. Losing only one player and returning a lot of good players will help. And our 2 recruits seem solid, but I don't know if we have the really special player(s) that we need to return to the glory days. Where are the Grant Hills and Jason Williams and Carlos Boozers? I know we won't get most of the Mayos and Beasleys out there, but we used to be able to find those rare guys that were good students and also very smart and athletic ballers. I don't know. Maybe Singler or Gerald will develop into special players, but most of our guys seem to have fatal flaws in their game. Demarcus was a great Dukie - committed, athletic, well-mannered, but he never developed a consistent stroke, a must for a 6-4 guard. And Scheyer and Paulus are McDonald's AAs and good players, but they'll never be the superior athletes that they have to guard all the time.

Maybe it's just all a cycle and we have to be patient. We have certainly been spoiled over the years as Duke fans, but I can't help wonder when and if we'll ever return to being a perennial powerhouse. UNC's doing a good job of it right now. How the heck do you get a guy like Psycho-T who wants to play for 4 years? He's the kind of guy we need to start finding again.

Sorry this is so long, y'all. I just needed to get it all of my chest.
Go UCLA! Go Davidson! Go Texas!

A Good Read for DUKE Fans

2008-03-23T20:09:00.001-07:00

I'm ashamed to admit it, but this article was written for me. Yes, I have been complaining bitterly all month about our team. I needed this slap in the face.

http://www.dukebasketballreport.com/articles/?p=24637

NCAA Chatter

2008-03-17T09:32:00.000-07:00

Overall, I'm pretty pleased with the way the bracket shook out. Duke actually has a decent chance to reach the Elite 8, where beating UCLA would be quite the feat, although it's possible. I know UCLA has a great big man in Love, but they really struggle to score at times, esp. from the perimeter.

And since our Devils probably won't win the whole thing, I'm glad that UNC has a pretty tough road to the title. Getting through Indiana, ND/Wazzu, then Louisville/TN will be a challenge.

As for how our team actually looks right now, I'd say that we're in much better shape than last year. We're fairly healthy, most of our players have improved considerably from a year ago, and we're pretty deep. Of course, the biggest key will be our 3-point shooting. We can't really afford to have a cold night once we start seeing the better teams.

Personnel-wise, Zoubek has definitely improved, but he still hurts us more than he helps. He has hands of stone and can't move his feet for the life of him. The best thing he does for us is gives us a few minutes and fouls to protect Singler from all the banging down low. And as I've said all year long, we're better off with Mcclure playing as an undersized big. At least he's active and quick and smart.

I'm not too worried about Singler. I think he'll get his legs back under him with a few days off and perform well. I do wish we had worked Nolan Smith into a bigger role, though. We're going to really need him to stop quick point guards like Lavender and Collison. Paulus is tough-minded and a competitor, but he can't stop people.

Well, hope everyone enjoys the tournament. It's probably my favorite 3 weeks of the sports year. And by the way, if anyone wants to join a pool, I'm running one for $5/entry on espn.com under group name brianpaik, password duke, and Eric is running his free one under NC Connection, password bracket.

Seattle Trip

2008-03-14T16:00:00.000-07:00

Joyce and I enjoyed a wonderful weekend alone in Seattle. We figured it would be our last chance to go anywhere alone for a while. So Josh stayed with grandma while we ate our way through Seattle.
I seriously think Joyce stopped at every bakery we saw. At least she's eating for two. :)

This was one of only 2 pics I got to take because we broke our camera. At least we have a funny story to go along with it. While Joyce was posing near the fresh fish stand at Pike Market, one of the workers moved a monkfish that had been tied to a string. Joyce jumped, screamed, and grabbed me so hard that our camera went flying. Never had a chance.

By the way, Gary is alive and well as you can see. It seems the Pacific Northwest agrees with their family. Thanks for breakfast, Gary!

Madness!

2008-03-11T13:20:00.001-07:00

I wasn't really surprised by our loss to the Heels last Saturday. At full-strength, it's hard to argue that we're better than UNC. But I am encouraged by our play in the 2nd half. I came away thinking that we can play with anyone, even teams with strong post players. Zoubek is even starting to look like a decent player.

Were it not for a horrendous shooting display in the 1st half and Demarcus's worst game of the year, I think we would have won the game. I hope we get another crack at UNC in the ACC tourney, not just because I know we can beat them, but because it makes us better/more prepared for the NCAA.

As for seeding and regions, I don't really think it matters too much anymore. I don't even know who would be easier or harder to beat. We just have to play our best game every game in the tourney. We can beat anyone. Almost anyone can beat us. But at least, we have the potential to make a run. We'll see how it all unfolds.

Thoughts on NCAA seeding

2008-02-23T21:21:00.000-08:00

As the tourney approaches, I'm beginning to think that it's really not that important to get a #1 seed. There's probably 6-7 teams in the running for #1 seeds - Duke, UNC, UCLA, Kansas, TX, TN, and Memphis. I think what's really important for us is getting favorable matchups. We really don't want to face athletic teams with a low-post scoring threat. The worst matchup for us would probably be UCLA, then Kansas. We can't face UNC in the regionals, thanks God. Even if we were a 1-seed, it would be tough if we had to face teams like this.
On the other hand, being a 2-seed wouldn't be so bad if we drew a team like TN or TX. I think we can match up with certain teams that look and play like us, more guard-oriented teams.
Of course being a 1-seed, staying in NC, and drawing a really weak 2-seed would be ideal. But the 1-seed with a bad draw might be worse than a 2-seed in a easier region. Besides, we've failed to take advantage of 1-seeds plenty of times lately.

Is that confusing enough for everyone?

Josh has started his training to earn an athletic scholarship to Duke. I don't see how he can go there otherwise. :)

Hopes and Expectations

2008-02-19T11:51:00.001-08:00

The loss to Wake shouldn't be too much of a surprise to anyone. It's been obvious for a while that we have certain glaring weaknesses on this year's team. Unfortunately, they all seemed to merge in this particular game. An off-shooting night, esp. from the free throw line by DeMarcus, lack of interior size, and inability to stop quick, athletic guards are the Achilles' heel of this team. And I also think Zoubek is a huge liability. Who cares if he's 7 ft? He can't play.

Of course, sooner or later, we'll have to play a team similar to Wake in the tournament, and we'll likely struggle. While I still think we have a chance to beat anyone on a given night, it's highly unlikely that we'll be able to reel off 6 in a row and claim the title.

Having admitted as much, I think my hopes for the season are now to just beat Carolina at home and win the ACC regular season crown. Anything more would be gravy. If we do manage to beat UNC at home, it'll probably give us the #1 East seed and the best possible road to the Final Four. And it will give UNC a pretty tough road in the NCAAs. And then we'll just see what happens.

Last thoughts - keep Zoubek planted on the bench and play Smith more. He's clearly our best PG. Paulus is basically a SG now.

Prayer

2008-02-08T20:26:00.000-08:00

I couldn't help but notice what Betty said about prayer and its impact on her life in her blog. That was really encouraging, Betty.

I just happened to finish reading this book on the subject of prayer. It didn't necessarily answer all my questions about prayer, but it was a pretty good discussion about the topic.

One of the main points I took from the book was how prayer can really change us, not necessarily our circumstances. I won't give away the whole book, but check it out if you're looking for a good book on prayer.

Duke-Carolina!!!

2008-02-03T22:15:00.000-08:00

I never thought we would be up on UNC in the ACC standings or national rankings coming into this game, but what a pleasant surprise this team has been so far.
I did anticipate better overall team play than last year. And I knew our freshmen could all play. But I've been surprised by our ability to fight bigger, athletic teams. And Paulus has been really locked in the past few games.
Our depth and balance have been key as well. In the games when we've lost DeMarcus or Singler's in foul trouble, we don't seem to lose much going to our bench. We're legitimately 9 deep.
I am concerned about a few things, however. DeMarcus and Gerald are bricking too many free throws, and considering how often they get to the line, this could come back to haunt us. And I still don't know if we can handle a legit post man like Kevin Love or Hibbert or even Psycho-T. I guess we'll find out this Wednesday. I don't know how bad his ankle is, but I sure wouldn't mind if Lawson missed this game. I would love nothing more than to grab the 1 seed in the East and send UNC to another region to deal with UCLA or Kansas.
Game on!!!

more b-ball thoughts

2008-01-21T15:05:00.000-08:00

Saturday was one of those rare, precious days when my 2 favorite teams both won - Duke and whoever's playing Carolina. :) And I know it doesn't really matter much right now, but it sure is nice to see Duke ranked higher than UNC for a change. I readily admit that we aren't as talented as UNC or about 10 other schools for that matter. And I know we shouldn't even be considered a favorite for the final 4.

But we sure are playing well as a team. Obviously, we're getting killed on the boards by bigger, physical teams. But we seem to make up for it with defense, hustle, and smart play. Coach K is really getting the most out of his roster this year. I do think that our best lineup has McClure playing center, allowing Singler to play PF. And Singler reminds of Laettner in some ways. Smart, well-rounded, nice shot. He presents a difficult matchup for a lot of teams. Plus, he's gaining confidence.

As for UNC, what's up?! This team seems to have all the pieces - a great PG, a great SG, a great C, depth, athletes, etc. Is it the coaching? I know Roy won a title a few years ago, but is he really a great coach? Shouldn't he have won at least one title at Kansas? At the least, he's a great recruiter. UNC seems to be signing players left and right lately.

What do y'all think?

Cruise Review

2008-01-10T20:44:00.001-08:00

Hey everyone!
I just wanted to recap our little 3-day cruise that we went on. We rode the Carnival Paradise out of Long Beach to Ensenada(Mexico) and back. Unfortunately, we picked the stormiest weekend of the past year to go. The first couple days out at sea were pretty rocky. Joyce got really seasick. I could feel it, but never got sick.

Well, as you would expect, there was non-stop eating. As soon as we boarded the ship(around 2PM) there was a buffet waiting for us. There was a 24 hour pizzeria, fancy restaurants, buffets, grills, anything you can imagine. And despite hitting the gym each day on board, I'm sure we both put on a few pounds.
There were jacuzzis, pools, mini-golf, a casino, shopping, live shows, and several nightclubs. Poor Josh wanted to jump into every pool and jacuzzi he saw, but it was too cold. I did try the slide once, but had to run straight into the jacuzzi after hitting the water.

I also played poker one night, winning enough money to cover all our tips. :)

Josh loved seeing the ocean and the birds. We pretty much had a great view whenever we ate. Josh was always pressing up against the windows or trying to run for the doors. :)

Our room was small but had everything we needed. Our stewards were so nice and even helped tape up a bedsheet so that Josh couldn't see us from his crib. We're used to sleeping in our own rooms at home, so we figured we had to create the illusion of separate spaces. At night, we would basically put him down, wait outside the room until he was asleep, and then go eat a nice dinner in the formal restaurant. Are we horrible parents for leaving him alone in the room?
We got the idea from other parents who also did the same thing. We figured once he's asleep, he's pretty much out until the morning.

The dinners were amazing, lobster, steaks, fancy appetizers that I couldn't even spell. For $200/person the food alone was worth the price of the trip. The buffet food was hit and miss, but I did enjoy the frozen yogurt about 5 times a day. And Joyce couldn't stay away from the hot pizza for more than a couple hours.

All in all, it was a fun time. I have to scratch my travel itch every once in a while and it was Joyce and Josh's first cruise. We'll probably go again with our parents in a couple years. It'll really be sweet once the kids are old enough for kids' club(starts at 2yo).
Well, sorry it ran a little long. Just thought it might be helpful for anyone else thinking about a family cruise.

X-mas in Northern Virginia

2007-12-30T10:51:00.000-08:00

Here are some Christmas pics of the Parks - Rachel is 6 now and Samuel is 2 1/2. (Sorry, although I am Asian, I've messed up the whole text/picure layout.)

You can see that little Samuel is quite the stylish fellow sporting his sweater/turtleneck combo. 80's in December?Brian, you should know better than to tease the rest of us suffering through a cold winter! Man, I miss Southern California!

Joyce, you look fabulous! You should model for Fit Pregnancy magazine, or something. I think Joyce looks more fit pregnant than me! Again, congrats to Baby Girl Paik - it'll be nice for Josh to have a little sister to protect.

It's nice seeing all these nice postings with all these pics of some good-looking kids - thank God that they don't look like their parents!

Although I realize that most bloggers are Dukies, let's try to keep the B-ball postings to less than 10 paragraphs - please, the ACC regular season hasn't even started yet - let's not get too excited too fast. I know last season was pretty miserable for the Dukies, and the team does look good - BUT come on, wait until Feb/March or so before we all get too wound up.

X-mas in SoCal

2007-12-26T22:08:00.001-08:00

Well, the Paiks got ourselves bikes for X-mas this year. And thanks to the nice weather, we were able to ride this week. It must have gotten up to 80 degrees.
Plenty of homes for sale in our neighborhod, y'all. :)

Josh likes to put his feet up. Might be time for a mini-lazyboy.

bloodying tyler's nose...

2007-12-26T06:42:00.000-08:00

yes... if i was a duke fan and had to endure many many images such as this, since tyler's freshman year, i too would be bitter... :)

BTW... the pic of the asian kid in the OSU uniform is pascal rhee. as you know rich and i have the unique relationship of being rivals of college football and basketball... the "bet" we had on football was that winner would the loser's kids clothing. the loser would have to dress their kid up and take a digital pic of them.... hence........ the picture of pascal in an ohio state uniform.. :)

needless to say, it has been good 7 yrs to be a buckeye......... :)

i'll post more later... :)

Duke bball: thoughts on non-conf play

2007-12-22T17:07:00.000-08:00

I entered the college basketball season with fairly high hopes and our team so far has not disapppointed me. There's a lot to like, in particular, the shooting, the depth, and the defense. I think Gerald Henderson and Kyle Singler can become big time players, and even our fifth, sixth, and seventh best players are huge offensive weapons. I absolutely love the depth on this team as we can go ten deep. Significant injuires, which almost always must be dealt with mid-season, should not affect this team too much. If Paulus goes down, we don't lose much (if anything) with Nolan Smith. If Gerald or DeMarcus goes down, we don't lose much with Scheyer. The only real injury possibility that worries me is Singler as he is probably irreplaceable. With so much depth, I am disappointed that Coach K has not committed to going ten deep (like he did earlier in the season) and play everyone between 15-25 minutes. I think with our second team so talented (in effect, not losing that much offensively), we should be applying full court pressure and really wear down teams that only use seven or eight players. Coach K has a tendency to fall in love with a seven man rotation and give it huge minutes. I think with this team, that is a mistake.

Our non-conference play so far has been pretty strong. In addition to the cupcakes we usually play early, we have quality wins over New Mexico St., Illinois, Marquette, Davidson, Wisconsin, and Albany (all were NCAA qualifying teams last year). I thought Pitt would be not only a huge test for us, but would reveal a lot in terms of how good we are or can be this year. Overall, I would say our first half play was good (though probably it was more that Pitt's offense was just horrible) and that the second half exposed our weaknesses and in the end, we could not secure the win. I'm not overly upset as Pitt is a very, very good team and I'd rather have a loss early than go 15-0 and foster some unrealistic expectations for a team that is very good but not quite in the top tier.

The biggest shortcomings of this team are: size/rebounding, poor free throw shooting, and the tendencies of both DeMarcus and Gerald to play too much 1-on-1 down the stretch in close games and to hoist up some very low % shots. Granted they were both able to make a few, including Gerald's fadeaway turnaround jumper from the corner at the end of regulation (I think Eric Lim would agree with me that that shot was very Kobe-esque) or DeMarcus' reverse lay-up in OT that fouled out Blair. But honestly, were those good shots? How often do they fall? I'm thinking maybe 30-40%. Definitely not the type of shot I want deciding the game. Down the stretch and in OT, it seemed like both Gerald and DeMarcus were playing a bit too much like individuals, a tendency that we had seen glimpses of in earlier games. Don't get me wrong, I like the ball in their hands, and I absolutely love it when they slash and penetrate to get easy dunks or lay-ups. But when they penetrate and there is nothing there, I would rather they not force a low % shot. Usually when they penetrate, they draw a double team and someone should be open. If they kick it back out and we're able to move the ball around quickly to find an open perimeter shooter, I would much rather have Scheyer or Paulus or Singler squaring up for a wide open three. But overall, I think our inablitiy to keep Pitt off the offensive glass and our continuing struggles from the charity stripe cost us the game. Pitt out-rebounded us by 15 and we continue to shoot just over 50% from the line. Scheyer uncharacteristically missed one late, Singler missed one late in OT, and DeMarcus missed his usual handful from the line. If any one of those drops, we escape with a win. Rebounding, there's not a whole lot we can do to compensate for our lack of size. Against a big Wisconsin team, the size differential didn't really matter because we were shootingg so well. And I imagine that the size differential really wouldn't have mattered against Pitt if we had shot better in the second half. But in close ACC games or in the post-season against better teams, our lack of size and poor free-throw shooting may ultimately cost us.

Despite the loss at Pitt, I really like our team. They are fun to watch, they put up points, and they are team players (with the occasional tendencies of DeMarcus and Gerald to go solo). I love that Singler can finish the Albany game with only eight points but be happy on the bench at the end of the game, joking around and congratulating Scheyer on his performance. I love that Taylor King can not play at all against Marquette but be our most vocal cheerleader from the bench. I love how we have so many offensive weapons and that we also play tough D and usually keep opponents to a pretty low FG shooting %. My only wishes are that Coach K go deeper on the bench, that Taylor King loses some weight and plays better defense so he can be on the floor more (is it just me, or is that kid built like a middle linebacker and not an off-guard?), and that Brian Zoubek would develop more as a low-post presence. I think he is reasonably skilled for a 7 footer and I think developing him would be a huge asset for the stretch run and for his final two years. I also wish Coach K would focus more on recruiting big, physical post players. I would love to have Pitt's DeJuan Blair starting for us instead of Lance Thomas. We lost Patrick Patterson, a similar type player to Kentucky at the end of recruiting season in May and we already lost prized high school senior Greg Monroe, a 6-10 monster to Georgetown. We were finalists for both those guys but weren't able to close the deal. I can't really complain about recruiting as I think Coach K is the best in the biz in that dept, but I think we stockpile too many Hendersons, Scheyers, Nelsons, Kings, and Smiths who all play essentially the same position, and don't do enough to recruit the obviously more scarce skilled big men.

Anywayz, should be an exciting season. I think about 28 wins and an elite eight type of year is reasonable. And hopefully one (or more) sweet, sweet victory against Tyler Hansbrough and Carolina. I say we retire Henderson's number if he can bloody Tyler's nose one more time. Just kidding! Happy holidays everyone.

Intern

2007-12-22T10:21:00.000-08:00

Hey guys,

one of my colleagues just wrote a book about life as a medical intern. It is our modern day version of House of God.

It should be a good read.

Check out his website sandeepjauhar.com

Hope all is well,

Joe

Thoughts on Duke-Pitt

2007-12-21T21:57:00.000-08:00

Even though we lost the game, I was encouraged by several things I saw. We missed too many free throws, layups, and open 3s, but we were still leading for most of the game, and it took a fadeaway 3 to put us away. There were also too many silly freshman turnovers and very little interior defense/rebounding.

But I liked how we dominated the first half. I liked the big shots by Henderson, Singler, and DeMarcus near the end. Those guys didn't look timid at all.

There won't be too many nights when we miss as many free throws or threes as last night. And our freshman will get better. At least they're all talented and fairly basketball-savvy. Obviously, we need to get tougher inside, but I still like our chances against most teams, esp. come March.

X-mas '07

2007-12-19T21:21:00.001-08:00

Happy Holidays, everyone!

Let's see those x-mas pics, y'all. :)

Visit with Sunny

2007-12-19T21:18:00.001-08:00

Sunny's back! Yeah!!!
So, when are the rest of you going to move out here?

it's a girl!

2007-12-19T21:13:00.000-08:00

We just found out we're having a girl, everyone. I keep hearing it's good to have a girl b/c they're more likely to take care of you when you're older. We'll see. :)
At least we'll have one of each now.

Early Season Thoughts

2007-11-28T16:26:00.000-08:00

Not to toot my own horn, but I think my preseason predictions were pretty close. We're clearly deeper, more athletic, and have better flow as a team than last year. Singler is a polished, complete player. We don't miss McRoberts much, although rebounding can be an issue at times.
And unfortunately, I was right about Zoubek so far, too. Although he'll get some rebounds and blocks, I just cringe every time he tries to make any kind of move. I'd much rather see the team play small and run.

And while I don't think we have as much size or pure talent as a UCLA or UNC, I think we can hang with anyone and win on a given night. Team play, defense, hustle, and decision-making are so important in college sports. Plus, 3-point shooting is a great equalizer. All of these factors will play to our strengths this year.

It's been fun watching the Devils so far this year. Let's hope they keep building and improving, then peaking at the right time. Go Duke!

Any UNC thoughts out there?

Yoos and Ahns Visit

2007-11-07T21:34:00.000-08:00

So I finally got my own little reunion out on the West coast.

From left to right are Joyce, me, Josh(15 mo), Joe, Kailar(16 mo), Ramee, Dave, Alex (4 mo), and Julie.

Kailar actually cried when Josh went to bed. He cries just like his daddy. :)

Poker, Faith, and Randomness in Life

2007-11-07T00:06:00.000-08:00

Brian recently encouraged me to contribute to the nc-op blog, which by the way, is very fun to follow when people write. Initially, I was hesitant as I am pretty much a private person and I didn't really think there was anything worth sharing. But several weeks ago, I was watching ESPN as I usually do for a handful of hours a day and came across the World Series of Poker Main Event final table.

The WSOP Main Event is one of the greatest inventions of mankind. In my opinion, it is up there with electricity, cars, airplanes, mapquest, youtube, tivo, fantasy football... you get the point. Poker tournaments are run pretty much everyday in probably all fifty states and unless a deal is made, only one person emerges victorious. That's the beauty of tournament poker: whether it's a ten person home game tournament, a decent sized tournament in a local casino with several hundred entrants, or a major World Series of Poker or WPT tournament with a field of 500-600 of the toughest poker pros in the world, only one person emerges victorious. For everyone else, whether you are the first one out, or the dreaded bubble boy, or runner-up, when you are eliminated with that fateful river card, all your hopes and dreams are cruelly vanished. But until that time, if you are alive with even one chip, there is a certain sense of hope, that maybe this will be the tournament when all the stars align, the cards will break your way, and you will be the last entrant standing. Tournament poker has flourished in the last four years (since Chris Moneymaker splashed onto the scene) because it fosters a dream that maybe, just maybe, YOU might be the last player standing.

I've played in the Main Event the past two years and I don't think I'm overselling it when I say that there is nothing like it in the world. It is the Super Bowl of poker and ANYONE can enter. Immediately before the cards go in the air on the first day, there is tangible electricity in the air. As players are knocked out and you see the field shrink, that fantasy or dream that tournament poker fosters begins to grow. Perhaps I could be the next world champion of poker. And if you can in fact navigate your way through the largest poker field of the year, then you can try to figure out how to spend a sick amount of money. It's not quite as much as the Powerball, but it's certainly enough to live comfortably for the rest of your life. In 2006, I was able to last four days in the Main Event before busting out 286th out of a field of almost 9000. Unfortunately, Jamie Gold took home the first place prize of $12 million, not yours truly. This year, I barely lasted one level as I got all my chips into the middle with a set of jacks against a guy who had unimproved pocket aces and the winner of the massive pot who held a ten high flush. Tough beat.

The winner this year was a social worker from Temecula, California by the name of Jerry Yang. The Main Event final table was televised several weeks ago and Yang utterly ran over the table. I believe he eliminated all but one of the final table players and unlike last year, when Jamie Gold held a dizzying number of hands, I think Yang actually outplayed his opponents for the most part. Granted, if you look at Yang's poker resume, you'll see that he is a relative novice, and he did commit a number of big mistakes (though fortunately for him, his opponents made even bigger mistakes on the hands he played poorly), but all in all, he absolutely steamrolled the final table.

What I wanted to discuss was something that I saw repeatedly during the final table. It was pretty clear that Yang is a devout Christian and his convictions came across on television. I actually saw the final table live on pay-per-view back in July and Yang not only prayed during hands but it seemed like he was speaking tongues while waiting for the turn and river cards in key pots. Now, I don't have a problem with faith and hoping for the best possible outcome, but Yang's convictions were unique and thought-provoking. He actually thought that it was God's will for him to win the main event. In the middle of an all-in hand, he even said something along the lines of, "Lord, I know that you have a purpose for me in this tournament; so please, let me win this one."

Now, I may be over-stating this a bit, but it was clear throughout the final table that Yang sincerely believed that God was on his side. Watching all this unfold, I was intrigued. I thought, man, this guy Yang really believes that God is on his side and conversely that God is not on the other nine players' side. While his play was certainly aggressive right from the start and he benefited by making his opponents uncomfortably play huge pots against him, I thought that if Kravchenko or Lam or Watkinson got ahold of some chips, he wouldn't be able to overcome their experience and superior play. But in the end, Yang emerged as the victor. Without a doubt in my mind, he believed that God had anointed him to win the 2007 WSOP Main Event. While this is certainly possible, I am of the opinion that the Main Event developed totally randomly, just like I believe that the Boston Red Sox won the World Series randomly (meaning without God's intervention). It is possible that God interacts in a more hands-on way (I'm referring specifically to sporting events and other competitions), but I am skeptical. I think that it is much more likely that every hand that was dealt in the Main Event was totally random and that every player in the hand had decisions to make and that the results developed without God's intervention. Decisions were made, outcomes dealt with, and most players tried to learn from their experiences. Yang obviously felt very differently about his experience.

This exploration of God's interaction with human activity is something that I think about often. I know that a lot of people, Christians especially, believe that everything happens for a reason. I don't necessarily share this sentiment. I am a big believer in the randomness of life: the recent fires in Southern California, Hurricane Katrina, the fatal earthquakes in India (2001), the outcome of Super Bowls, World Series, Final Fours, and the Main Event of the World Series of Poker are totally random. I believe that it's a part of the human experience to actively participate in life's events and to learn from them. I think that trying to discern God's specific will in human activity is sort of over-reaching.

I hope you don't think I have a negative opinion of Jerry Yang. I'm actually happy that he won as he seems to be a very, very genuine and humble person. He has pledged 10% of his winnings to three charities and I think he will do a lot of good with the Main Event winnings and title. I thought he was very, very lucky to win the Main Event (but no more so than previous winners like Varkonyi, Moneymaker, Raymer, and Gold) but most significantly, I thought his perspective on God's will regarding Yang and the outcome of the Main Event was very, very interesting and thought-provoking.

Sequioa trip

2007-11-05T21:30:00.000-08:00

Hey guys,

Here are a few pics from our trip to Sequoia Nat'l Park this past weekend. It was really fun and relaxing, exactly what we needed.

And an extra pic from Halloween. :)

Beachwalk Recap

2007-11-05T21:27:00.000-08:00

Hey y'all. We just wanted to thank everyone who contributed to the Beachwalk. Your generosity helped us surpass our personal goal of $1500, and the clinic as a whole raised 82K. It was a beautiful day, a great event, and a fun time!

If anyone still wants to contribute, you can do so at http://www.tccbeachwalk.kintera.org

Thanks again!

Duke Basketball Preview

2007-10-26T20:51:00.000-07:00

http://www.dukebasketballreport.com/articles/?p=23661

This is a nice season preview, but I wanted to add my own thoughts and start the discussion. :)

First off, although it pains me to admit that Carolina is probably better than Duke starting off this season, there is a silver lining to being ranked #11 while UNC is #1. It'll be that much sweeter if and when UNC falters somewhere in the NCAA tournament and also if we can knock them off the #1 ranking during the season. There's something more fun about being a relative underdog. Let UNC and their fans deal with the pressure and weight of expectation.

As for our team, I think we'll actually be quite a bit better than last year, maybe even capable of a final 4 run. Paulus is healthier starting off the season and showed some flashes last year. I still think he's going to end up being an excellent point guard. He has good vision, a nice stroke, and toughness. Henderson and Scheyer will only improve. And our freshmen are all nice additions. We'll miss McRoberts rebounding and size, but I think our offensive flow will improve without him. Too often, we would look to him to score or create in the half-court sets, and it was just awkward.
I don't Zoubek is really the answer at center, but I think we can go with 3 guards and 2 big forwards most of the time. Besides, how many really good centers are there in college basketball? Singler and King can play on the perimeter but still help on the boards. I think Singler in particular will be a star. He has a much better feel for the game and all-around skills than McRoberts.
One thing that will be fun to watch will be more running and better transition. We've got a lot of guys who can pressure the ball and a lot of good shooters. I'm predicting runner-up in the ACC, beating UNC at least once, and at least an Elite 8 appearance.
What do y'all think? Is anyone else excited to get this season started?

Funny picture.

2007-10-23T12:49:00.000-07:00

It's even funnier if you think of John Malkovich's character from Rounders saying the caption.

Vote Ron Paul. If anyone wants a Ron Paul button, I'll mail you one. Brian and Joe, yours are coming with us to LA.

great read

2007-10-17T15:44:00.000-07:00

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=rayofhope&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab6pos1

This is a great read about the former Carolina mascot who died last year.

Beachwalk 2007

2007-10-03T14:57:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone.
As some of you know, I work at a non-profit clinic serving uninsured and underinsured patients in LA County. Every year, we have a 5K fundraiser to raise money for the clinic. If anyone would like to donate to the cause, go to the website below and you can find my webpage.
Joyce and Josh will be walking with me this year(at least as much as Josh can walk). :)

Thanks for the support.

http://www.tccbeachwalk.kintera.org/

I'm like a virus. . .

2007-09-27T22:32:00.000-07:00

The contagious aspect, not the whole parasite thing.

Leaving for LA

2007-09-24T20:36:00.000-07:00

(How many photos like this since college? heehee) Sandra & Dave Sohn, thank you so much for your hospitality in organizing and hosting the NC potluck! It was so nice to reconnect with familiar (and new) faces and a great way to conclude my time here in NC as I prepare to begin life again in LA. To all you parents out there, you guys are great and are raising sweet & adorable children.

I'm leaving for LA (Long Beach) on Wednesday to begin a new ministry and would appreciate your prayers. I'll be joining a group of pastors at an established Presbyterian church who have the vision and desire to reach out to displaced and unchurched 2nd generation Korean/Asian Americans. Our hope is that we will build, strengthen and transform a community of individuals, families and marriages in the love and wholeness of Christ. It's an exciting prospect because this church is a Japanese American & Anglo American church that merged 5 years ago--a congregation that is intentionally multi-ethnic and multi-generational (from babies to grandparents). And though the new ministry means taking a risk and facing uncertainty, I can't help but look forward to the experience, knowing God is faithful and good. So if you are ever in the area, please stop by (Grace 1st Presbyterian church, Lakewood (Long Beach) CA or just give me a "hollah" and I'll take you out for some tasty Mexican and Korean grub. Brian, a potluck in LA????

More photos from NC POTLUCK

2007-09-24T20:00:00.000-07:00

(Emily saying hello to Alex) Dave Yoo--put up some photos of you since you are often behind that awesome camera of yours that makes us look so good. What's the model number on that camera again? ;)

PP3?

2007-09-24T19:56:00.001-07:00

PP2!

2007-09-24T19:50:00.001-07:00

Potluck pics

2007-09-24T19:49:00.000-07:00

#2 on the way!

2007-09-20T10:17:00.000-07:00

As some of you already know, we're expecting again, probably sometime next May. We're not as worried about the pregnancy like the first time. Just a bit scared about handling 2 little ones at the same time. :)

This pic was from a swim class we took Josh to. He loves the pool, but as soon as I dunked his head underwater, he started crying and wanted out. Maybe I'll just take him straight to the surfboard.

It aint over 'till it's over!

2007-09-19T19:09:00.000-07:00

Is anyone else excited about October (or as Dane Cook has been calling it, "Actober")? I just watched Mariano Rivera save Andy Pettitte's 200th career win, and I am totally pumped. I could ALMOST say I would be OK if the season ended today, with the standings the way they are since the Yanks have made such an incredible comeback the second half of this season, but I just can't! How are we only 1.5 games behind the Redsox?????? For all of you out there who think baseball is boring and can't stand to watch it (i.e. Ed), NOW is the time. The east coast is buzzing right now with the Yankees' surge and also much to my delight, the downward spiral that the Mets are on. Adam still refuses to believe in his Phillies (typical Philadelphia fan) after too many seasons of winding up just a game short, but I'm cheering them on. Every season there is so much to keep up with; baseball is always full of compelling stories and exciting drama. Like the Cubs and Lou Piniella, with their dramatic comeback this season, the exciting young talent of the Brewers, not to mention of course, the historic season that A-Rod has had, and all the rookies that the Yankees have showcased this season (if you haven't heard the name Joba Chamberlain yet, you will!). I could go on and on. Although all the "scandals" of steroids and other performance enhancing drugs may turn off a lot of you potential fans, I say there is still a lot of "good" baseball to get excited about. Get into it if you're not already! Go Yankees!

Potluck

2007-09-12T18:10:00.000-07:00

This is an open invitation to anyone who is in the Triangle area to a potluck BBQ on Sunday the 23rd. If you are interested, email me (sandra.dave@gmail.com) and I'll send you the evite. These are the people I know who are around:
Dave & Julie Yoo
Ed & Linda Suh
John and Jen Jo
Hongeun Kim (don't know married name)
Esther Hahm
Daniel and Elaine Lee

Jen, I also invited Essie and Steve.

Am I missing anyone? Anyone going to be passing through that weekend? Come join us!

Today was a good day. Video of Nifong going to jail.

2007-09-07T15:56:00.000-07:00

http://videos.newsobserver.com/vmix_hosted_apps/p/media?id=1506175

If I wasn't on call this week, I would have been at the jail with my camcorder. I think a few more people should be joining him. (Keep hope alive!) Hopefully, the threat of the civil lawsuits that are poised to bankrupt the city will shake a few more of these criminal 'tards out of the Durham public sector and police department. I'm just glad we don't live in Durham because taxes are definitely going up to pay for everything. Maybe next time, the people of Durham will think twice before electing a race-baiting scumbag as district attorney. But I think that might be asking too much.

Frickin' Ron Paul for President!

2007-09-07T08:13:00.000-07:00

I've already donated my vegas winnings to his campaign at ronpaul2008.com. Anyone that can make the weasels at foxnews like sean hannity and chris wallace upset has my utmost admiration.

1st debate

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Hfa7vT02lA&mode=related&search=

3rd debate
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkWSo5CRu2k&mode=related&search=

4th debate

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5ZXM3h4jig

The Cure for Diaper Rash

2007-08-28T21:23:00.001-07:00

For all those new parents out there, Butt Paste and an antifungal cream are good, but there's nothing quite like a good old-fashioned air-drying. Poor Josh was in quite a bit of pain for a couple days, but he's all better now. :)

Post bath time at the Yoo House

2007-08-26T21:28:00.000-07:00

everyone's coming back

2007-08-26T19:52:00.000-07:00

The Yoo brood saw Hong-Eun from UNC today after church. We're pushing Alex in his stroller past this HUGE white Escalade when I see Hong-Eun poking her head out from the passenger side and said, "Dave? Is that you?"

Her "husband" (her quotes, not mine) is in the Duke MBA program and an obvious metrosexual.

FYI, I spoke with Kyu on the phone today as well. He is hanging out with Lebron and the rest of Team USA in Vegas. I wish I had known about the nude beaches in the VIP sections of the casinos.

Peter Rho is the man

2007-08-17T23:37:00.000-07:00

While in Las Vegas, I got to meet up with PR a couple times. We played a little golf on Thursday morning with my dad and cousin David Lee. My dad hit into every sand bunker, twice. It was the usual round for me - drive: 290-320 yds; irons: not so close; chipping: i'm still away; putting: not so bad with my new Odyssey Marxman. Peter putts like Natalie Gulbis (his own words).

Friday night, I met up with Peter at the Venetian poker room. I was grinding out my rent money, up $73 in 3 hours at the 4-8 limit table. There were two crazy asian guys playing "LA-gansta" style, capping the bets pre-flop with garbage, that kept things interesting. Peter actually saw me drag one of my few pots, 2 pair with Q7os in the big blind. So I walk over to the no limit table where he's been playing for an hour, and he's up $2500.00. He was playing with chips the denominations of which I was not familiar. Truly, one day, we will be seeing Peter on ESPN.

BTW, Cali-folk. The Yoo's are heading west end of October for the annual ASTRO (radonc thing) convention in LA. Afterwards, we're heading to newport beach for a week, leaving Nov 11th. I think that's in your neck of the woods, Brian.

I am not a republican. I am not a democrat.

2007-08-17T22:45:00.000-07:00

There was a question as to my political leanings these days. Yes, I was a bleeding heart, behavioral apologist liberal democrat in my younger days. Hell, I thought shaking Jesse Jackson's hand in the Chapel basement after his speech was one of the highlights of my Duke experience. This is why seeing idealistic college students is so amusing and annoying to me these days. I'm thinking, "Hey you, moron. Stop preaching, wait a couple years and buy a freakin' clue with what's left of your paycheck." Oh wait, that was me back then . . . boo hoo hoo.

As for the republicans, yeeesh. When Julie and I were flying back to DC one day, we were on the same flight with Karl Rove. Honestly, I told myself that I wouldn't mind if our plane crashed because I would die knowing KR was going back to hell.

From here on out, I want the government to stay out of my wallet AND my bedroom.

Need sleep training advice........

2007-08-14T12:34:00.000-07:00

Hey all-
Adam and I have approached a time in Sam's life that we have been sort of dreading, but also kind of looking forward to: sleep training. Now that he is 6-months old, I am writing to seek advice from those of you who have tried it and what your experiences have been. Sam never really did well with naps, and still doesn't do well with sleeping during the day, but he used to be a super night sleeper up until about his 4-month mark......since then he has been waking up almost every hour to every two hours throughout the night. I've tried different things like changing his bedtime to earlier or later, establishing a good bedtime routine (i.e. bath, book, etc.). He just can't seem to get chilled out; constantly moving around, reaching for his feet, rolling over, and then eventually waking himself up. I'm sure that I contributed some to his bad sleeping habits (i.e. letting him fall asleep while nursing, picking him up a lot when he wakes up, bringing him into bed with us when I just can't take it anymore, etc., etc.) but I am hoping we can overcome those past mistakes and move forward to some restful nights. I am being realistic, understanding that not all babies can be effectively "sleep-trained" but still I'd like to know what you all think! I'm doing some reading as well (i.e. Ferber, Weissbluth), but I think anecdotal advice is more helpful, especially since I know all of you are very thoughtful and responsible parents. Anything you guys could share would be great!
--Stacey

Top 10 father quotes

2007-08-02T15:48:00.000-07:00

I think I like #6 and 7 the best.

1. "It is admirable for a man to take his son fishing, but there is a special place in heaven for the father who takes his daughter shopping." -John Sinor
2. "They don't grade fathers, but if your daughter's a stripper, you f—ked up!" -Chris Rock
3. "Sherman made the terrible discovery that men make about their fathers sooner or later... that the man before him was not an aging father but a boy, a boy much like himself, a boy who grew up and had a child of his own and, as best he could... adopted a role called 'Being a Father' so that his child would have something mythical and infinitely important: a Protector, who would keep a lid on all the chaotic and catastrophic possibilities of life." -Tom Wolfe, The Bonfire of the Vanities
4. "Whatever you are, be a good one." -Abraham Lincoln
5. "My mother protected me from the world, and my father threatened me with it." -Quentin Crisp
6. "There must be many fathers around the country who have experienced the cruelest, most crushing rejection of all: Their children have ended up supporting the wrong team." -Nick Hornby
7. "My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard. Mother would come out and say, 'You're tearing up the grass.' 'We're not raising grass,' Dad would reply. 'We're raising boys.' " -Harmon Killebrew
8. "You don't put kids under surveillance: It might frighten you. Parents should sit tall in the saddle and look upon their troops with a noble and benevolent and extremely nearsighted gaze." -Garrison Keillor
9. "A man that doesn't spend time with his family can never be a real man." -Marlon Brando as Don Corleone in The Godfather
10. "When I was a boy of 14 my father was so ignorant that I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in only 7 years." -Mark Twain
11. "Certain is it that there is no kind of affection so purely angelic as of a father to a daughter. In love to our wives there is desire; to our sons, ambition; but to our daughters there is something which there are no words to express." -Joseph Addison

Why I sometimes wish I really was a wedding photographer.

2007-08-01T21:59:00.000-07:00

This nice pdf found its way into my mailbox today.

http://www.nmpinsurance.com/case_study/NMP_case_study_07-25-07.pdf

So basically, even if I do everything correctly AND someone that would have died otherwise ends up being cured, I still might end up paying for John Edwards' haircuts?

(Exhibit A, Jackass)

Reminds me of a lawsuit we talked about in conference. Young child from third world nation with medullo. Treated pro-bono at US academic medical center. All side effects discussed and documented and consent signed. Kid is cured of his cancer and lives long enough to experience said side effects. Parents sue. Settled out of court for multi-millions.

By definition, medical malpractice requires DEVIATION from accepted standards of practice and said deviation causes injury to the patient. I get the lawsuits when you cut the wrong leg off, but what the hell are you supposed to do when you do what you're supposed to do, and what you do works.

Hey, how about the next time when the fire department comes to save your house, why don't you sue them for water damage afterwards? Some people are scumbags.

sohn family pics

2007-07-31T22:42:00.000-07:00

more pics

2007-07-31T22:34:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, Joshy!

2007-07-30T22:14:00.000-07:00

So we didn't really do a traditional dol, but we did dress Josh up in the Korean man-dress. I can't believe how happy this makes Korean grandparents.

On his actual birthday, we took Josh to the county fair. I think he really dug it, except for the loud roosters and huge cow that made him cry.

This woman gets around.

2007-07-29T20:52:00.000-07:00

Mini-NC reunion today at the Yoo household. Jen, Sunny, Dave and Sandra, Elizabeth, Emily. Jen also brought her friends Steve and ?Esse? and their two daughters. There are a lot more pics . . . on facebook. Actually, none yet until I get permission from Sandra - as per Betty, there are lots of pervs lurking these days.

summer visits

2007-07-25T22:22:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple pics of recent visits by Jen and Mike. Casa de la Paiks is still taking reservations for the rest of the year. :)

I need more friends . . .

2007-07-19T14:27:00.000-07:00

on facebook.com. Please join up so that I can put more people on my friend list. Except for you, dave seo.

Our friend, the poker pro

2007-07-16T11:08:00.000-07:00

Hey y'all.
Just wanted to let everyone know that our very own Duke alum Peter Rho has been playing poker professionally for the past few years. He was in SoCal for awhile, but recently moved out to Vegas to get closer to the action. He checks in on our blog once in a while and gave me a link to a site that he blogs on once in a while.
So, for all you poker addicts(myself included), here's the link: www.thepokerresource.net
Go to the rounder's blog section and have fun reading. Peter's blogs are under the name PR. He's been playing some big events and rubbing elbows with all the big names. It's just a matter of time until we see him on TV, putting on a gold bracelet. :)

Kailar's Dol

2007-07-16T05:29:00.000-07:00

Hey Guys,

I had to get in on the picture parade.

Kailar just turned One on July 8th.

Do you think I could wear his hat to work?

Joe

5-months down!

2007-07-16T05:09:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone.....This past Saturday my little Sam passed his 5-month mark, which means
I have now been a mom for 5 whole months. Whew! At times it has seemed to have flown by, especially when I look back on photos like these. But then at other times I feel like time has stopped and it seems like he will be an infant forever. Someone gave us this idea of taking a photo of him on a regular basis next to the same teddy bear to watch his progression........As you can see, Sam is quite little, which I guess I should have expected, since my husband Adam and I a both pretty short, but I have to confess that it's still difficult for me to accept that he lives in the 10% range........is that silly? I don't know..........motherhood has been filled with such "concerns" that I have no control over. Apparently becoming a mom hasn't really started to change me quite yet. :) But other than my occasional (OK, more than "occasional") meltdowns due to his lack of sleeping at night, or the fact hat he refuses the bottle or some other battle, having Sam in our lives has been incredible. When he flashes his smile at me and shows me his dimples I feel my heart melt and be filled with a kind of love that I never knew before. We still look at him disbelief that he is our son, and I hope that feeling never ends. I know we've only tasted a tiny bit of all that is to come, whether it be good or not so good. It continues to be exciting and scary at the same time. In the meantime, I hope all of you continue to post your experiences, even the challenging ones, so that I won't feel like the only parent who isn't Supermom. :) --Stacey

Hot or not?

2007-07-15T22:07:00.000-07:00

I can't decide if these are hotter as knee pads or leggings. What do y'all think?

Joyce's sister insists Josh needs these to protect his knees while crawling.

Someone's got to keep the blog going . . .

2007-07-14T22:56:00.000-07:00

No more alex pics, for now. The lack of sleep does wonders for the soul.

Just wanted to encourage everyone to give back to our beloved alma mater. I gave my first ever donation to the annual fund this year - 88 cents. One cent for every retard that signed the lacrosse ad. I really can't believe the kind of crap that's tolerated at a supposed institution of higher learning. Here is my transaction:

Dear XXXXX XXX:
On behalf of Duke University we would like to thank you for your contribution. We will apply this towards your card immediately. Upon receiving bank authorization, we will mail an IRS-acceptable receipt to you.
If your employer has a matching gifts program, and this contribution qualifies, please forward your matching gift form to: Fran Altman, Duke University, Alumni & Development Records, Box 90581, Durham, NC 27708.
Please feel free to contact our office by email (gifts2duke@duke.edu), should you have any questions regarding your contribution.
We appreciate your support and loyalty to Duke University!

Sincerely,

The Office of Alumni and Development Records

We strongly suggest you print a copy of this page for your records.
* Please do not use your browsers back button at this time as it may result in duplicate orders.

Here is the information you submitted: This gift was submitted on 07/01/2007 at 12:33 AM

Order Number: xxxx
First Name: xxxxxx
Last Name: xxxxxx
Address 1: xxxx
City: Chapel Hill
State: NC
Country: us
Postal Code: 27514
E-Mail: xxx@duke.edu
Verify E-Mail: xxx@duke.edu
Home Phone #: xxxxx
Class Year: 1993
Company:
Gift Type: New Gift
My Gift Amount: 0.88
Business Card: No
This Gift is on Behalf of: Mike Pressler
Payment Method: Credit Card
House Staff Annual Fund: Departmental Support Option for House Staff Alumni
Designations: House Staff Annual Fund-Radiation Oncology
Designation Comments: For the sake of our beloved university, get rid of the Group of 88.
Comments: This is my first donation to my beloved alma mater. Until Brodhead and the last faculty member on the group of 88 is gone, it will also be my last.
Bill To: xxxx
Billing Address 1: xxxxx
Billing City: Chapel Hill
Billing State: NC
Billing Postal Code: 27514
Billing Country: us
Billing E-Mail: x
Billing Phone Number: x
Card Type: x
Card Number: x
Expiration Month: x
Expiration Year: x

More Alex pics

2007-07-09T20:52:00.000-07:00

Wearing the Yoo name proudly.

Flashing the winning smile for the ladies.

Looking for the kiss now.

He likes his sleep, just like his daddy.

Cruising

2007-07-05T22:20:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm glad to see some life on the blog. I was debating whether or not to pull the plug or try to get it going again.

Anyways, Josh will turn one year old at the end of the month. He's totally active and curious, such a boy. Here's a recent pic of him cruising around the neighborhood.

Take care, everyone.

Back in Carolina

2007-07-05T02:04:00.001-07:00

We're back in the Triangle, ya'll. Flew in end of June and staying at my parents' while waiting for Dave to take his board exam back in the Midwest and trying to unpack/clean our new home in Chapel Hill. Would love to see any of you in the area once we're settled in. Would also love any suggestions for cable, phone, internet for this area. Is Time Warner the best, or is there a better deal to be found elsewhere?

Also, we visited good ole NCKPC, which surprisingly Dave and Elisabeth both really liked. It was good to see a packed sanctuary, even for a summer Sunday. The college group is still thriving. There is also a growing young adults group - lots of recent grads still working in the area, a few older ones (but not as old as us), a few married couples and families. I was a little heartbroken to see how old everything looked and in need of some elbow grease the physical structure of the church was, but heartened that the spirit of the church seems to be the same. We are going to check out a few other churches - Chapel Hill Bible Church (right across the street from us), Kings Park, Good Shepherd, Blacknall (little sis Debbie's church). Any other suggestions? I'm a little surprised that there isn't a larger community of Korean-American/Asian families and singles our age in the area.

Hope everyone is enjoying their summer and that the new moms in particular (Julie, Stacey, Mrs. Simon, Joyce...hope I didn't leave anyone out) are all well.

sandra

Meet Alexander Jung-In Yoo

2007-07-04T08:03:00.000-07:00

hello all. here's alex. he came on 7/2 at 7:39 pm by c-section due to breech presentation. big surprise to everyone. 8 pounds. 19.5 inches, and he's got more hair than me now, boo hoo. Both mom and baby are doing great. more pics to come.

Another prayer request

2007-06-14T15:15:00.000-07:00

Hey guys,
While you're praying, could you also pray for Joyce? She's been suffering from sciatica since her delivery(10+ months!!). It waxes and wanes, but is always present. She's scared it won't ever go away, and lately it's been flaring up. She's seen multiple neurologists, physical therapists, and chiropractors with little improvement.
Thanks.

A Silent Scandal in America?

2007-03-29T11:35:00.000-07:00

I’m sure there may be many that I am yet unaware of—but this is one that I’m still trying to process and maybe you will have some thoughts on it too. There are 9 MILLION Children in America who are uninsured and not getting the medical/dental/mental health care they so desperately need… due not to the neglect of their parents, but to a government that seems hopelessly out of touch with the bureaucratic nightmare of Medicaid and to the general public’s naïve assumption that things that happen in 3rd world countries are not an issue in America, especially when it comes to our children!

I’m currently living in DC with my sister who works for the Children’s Defense Fund (a non profit for children’s advocacy and policy) and 2 nights ago I attended a meeting of faith leaders who were meeting with families from across the country who had suffered so much because their children have been unable to get the medical attention that they need. It was heartbreaking to hear the stories of these hardworking parents: a parent who lost a son to an infection in his tooth, something that could have been treated in a routine checkup (it was extremely difficult to secure a dentist to see him—attested by a social worker who also tried to find one for him and by the time they did, the infection had spread to his brain which ultimately killed him) There was another boy who had cancer and couldn’t receive treatment while he waited for his Medicaid to be renewed. His mother had applied for renewal, months before the deadline, but his paperwork had been lost and his tumors grew as he depended on clinical trials for care. By the time a state representative intervened, it was too late and he died from the complications of his cancer.

My first response to all this: What do you mean? What about all those clinics (thinking of many of you whom I know selflessly give your time and energy)? Why doesn’t Medicaid cover it? The sad facts: there aren’t enough clinics and the ones that exist are not always in a location that is accessible to many of these families; no cars and public transportation requires money, plus many of these parents are working 2 jobs or more. In addition, it actually costs a lot of money to run these clinics and funding is hard to come by. Those of you who are in the health profession may have better insight on this. As for Medicaid, the rules vary state by state and to sum it up, it’s a MESS. One of the mothers who had been relocated to Houston after Katrina said that she has been waiting for 16 months to get Medicaid for her son b/c they can’t trace the paperwork from New Orleans. How ridiculous is that?????? O, you mean there is no paperwork after the winds and water blew it away? (forgive my sarcasm) There were 2 pediatricians at that meeting who have been traveling on a bus through the streets of New Orleans to provide healthcare to the children in the area…they said that it’s possible to do this because of generous private donations, but it's not enough and that something has to be done on a national policy level to make a significant difference. They, the families and faith leaders went to Capitol Hill yesterday to testify and try to sway people in congress to implement a plan that envisions a universal healthcare for children so that it’s easier for families to apply, and yet still takes into account family income (If you want more details, let me know and I’ll forward you my sister’s info.).

I’ve traveled to different parts of Mexico and most recently Indonesia and have been involved with Compassion International, so I’m aware that children suffer all over the world. Children are the most cherished and yet the most neglected and abused. My latest question has been, if all children are so precious, why focus on American children to benefit from a universal healthcare plan? The answer that stares me in the face: because we can give it to them. We live in a country whose wealth could wipe out poverty if we wanted. Do we not want it enough?

Sometimes, I get so overwhelmed by the brokenness I see in the world. I wonder how it's possible for the bible to describe God as a God full of joy even within all this mess. My less than profound theological conclusion: Must be one of the many things that make God, God. But I also think it means we have a lot of hope to hold on to, and a lot of hope to give. In moments like this, I wish I had more skills, and more money (OKAY, I often wish this for different, and for more selfish reasons too, hee hee)---In all seriousness, it led me to ask what I can do, to be a voice, which leads me to why I'm sharing all of this with you.

Just look at our NC connection group-- You are such wonderfully smart, funny and warm hearted friends, friends who care and I know don’t or won’t sit idly by with the talents and gifts you have. I know that some of you have been on overseas medical missions, but that family and work make it tough to continue to do that…maybe you and some colleagues could do something locally? (Even if things happen on a government level b/c of better policy implemented by passionate people who care, it’ll take years for it to take effect) Or maybe you’re not in the medical profession at all, but have skills that can help in a myriad of other ways, and best of all, perhaps some of you are working at home, teaching and taking care of your children and home---your choice, you voice, your cares, carry great power---who do you think Oprah thinks about when planning her shows?--- she knows =) I’m just throwing things out there---God gives each of us such unique dreams and visions. Whatever is said, this has got to be an ongoing conversation.

They say that Washington is the seat of power. When my sister first began her job at CDF, one of the first things she was told was that if you really wanted to get anything done here, you can’t care who gets credit for it. I’m starting to see why that is true and I’m trying very hard not to become cynical about it. But I find comfort and strength in prayer as God reminds me that in Christ, we have a God who cares about injustice and the broken--A God who loves deeply and compassionately and shows us the definition of a power that is just, true, even unexpected….. “Who has the believed what we have heard? And to whom has the arm of the Lord revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him, despised and rejected by others; a man of suffering and acquainted with infirmity…. who bore our infirmities, carried our diseases…who was wounded for our transgressions, crushed for our iniquities, and took upon himself the punishment that makes us whole.” (Isaiah 53)

A Man of the Outdoors

2007-03-25T11:35:00.000-07:00

So far, it seems like Josh likes being outdoors. He goes jogging with mommy almost everyday and then we try to take him hiking on the weekends. Thank God he's become more portable lately. We were going stir crazy in the house the past 8 months. :)

We're moving!

2007-03-22T15:00:00.001-07:00

Although we had to overreach our budget to do it, we'll be moving into our dream home next month. The new house is a detached, 3BR house in a great neighborhood. It should be big enough to hold us for as long as we need, even if more little ones come along. And did y'all notice the hoop? I was sold before we even stepped inside. :)

And we have to praise God for this b/c so many things had to fall into place to make this possible. We actually sold and bought on the same day! My head's been spinning trying to navigate 2 escrows at once.

We'll still be in Irvine, only 1/2 mile from our current home. So, if any of you are passing through, you're more than welcome to crash with us.

Duke in Review

2007-03-16T21:32:00.000-07:00

So I'm sure noone was too surprised that we lost to VCU. The game was a microcosm of the whole season. Flashes of potential marred by turnovers and inconsistency. To be honest, I'm not sure if we over or underachieved. No one on the team really has a complete game. Everyone does 1 or 2 things well, but then has 1 or 2 glaring holes, also. Hopefully, the new recruits will help. Singler sounds very solid, and King and Smith should help.

Another big question I have is would we be better off without Josh McRoberts? I think he'll be a benchwarmer in the NBA, but he might still be a first round pick. I'm thinking Singler can probably do most things Josh does, plus shoot a lot better.

I'm making an early prediction for '07-'08. We'll probably finish 2nd or 3rd in the ACC, earn a 3 or 4 seed in the NCAA and then bow out in the round of 8. At least it would be a big improvement.

Not so fast Lakisha...

2007-03-13T19:31:00.000-07:00

I thought Lakisha was the runaway leader for Idol, BUT Chris Richardson was pretty cool. As Eddie Murphy said in "Coming To America", "That boy can sing!"

Addendum - Add Jordin Sparks to the short list.

Make it or bracket!

2007-03-11T12:41:00.000-07:00

That's right, folks. Time to fill out your bracket for our annual tournament challenge. Some of you already received an email, but for those who haven't, if you want to join our bracket pool, we'd love to have you join us. Our resident missing person, Kyu, won it last year.

There is no prize, and it's free to play.

Here are directions if you want to join:

1. Log onto the following website: http://games.espn.go.com/tcmen/frontpage or go to www.espn.com and go to the college men's basketball link and look for the Tournament Challenge.
2. If you played last year, just enter your member name and password at the top of the page. If you're new at this or forgot your info from last year, just click onto "sign up here for free". MAKE SURE TO UNCHECK ALL THE BOXES ON STEPS 4, 5, AND 6 SO YOU DON'T GET A BUNCH OF JUNKMAIL!!!

3. Click onto "create entry" and then "create or join a group". In the search box, enter "NC Connection". The password to join is "bracket".

Like last year, please limit your entries to only one. If you want to enter multiple entries to increase your chances to win some prizes for the general challenge, let me know. I'll set up a separate league just for those entries.

Eric

Welcome, Haley Yenah Kim (little girl Simon)

2007-03-06T21:15:00.000-08:00

Since Simon has his hands full with his new baby girl, he said I could post this for him. Haley was born on 2/2/07, weighing in at 7 lbs 4 oz. She's healthy and looks a lot like daddy. Simon says he always thought he would be more attractive as a girl. I have to agree. :)

Hmmm......

2007-03-04T19:35:00.000-08:00

A few observations:
1) Although Billy Packer thought there was no intent, how does one block with an elbow?
2) If Henderson's contact was incidental, he did very little to make any effort to apologize (as one would if the contact really was an accident). He looked quite defiant walking off the court.
3) I understand that may be the Dukies wanted to make a statement. I'm not quite sure why Hansbrough was still in the game - the key starters should have been out of the game by then. Check Coach K's comments - it seems that they may have not liked having the starters still in the game.
4) The Duke-UNC rivalry is a great one with great moments and great games - that Henderson elbow is one of the lowest moments I can remember.

Two weeks down

2007-03-01T13:07:00.000-08:00

Hey all: Adam and I welcomed our son, Samuel Jaehyun Lisi on February 14th. Ten days late, he insisted on being born on Valentine's Day (at 11:57pm to be exact). Laboring was tough and ultimately ended in a c-section because he just wouldn't engage and come down. Turns out it head was tilted (asynclitic is the term the doctor used). 6 lbs, 12 oz, and 19 inches long. He eats really well and sleeps well too; can't really say that I am truly sleep deprived yet, which is great, although I am definitely walking around in a sort of fog. The world seems so different now, as Adam and I adjust and pinch ourselves at God's little miracle. At times I feel terrified and overwhelmed at all that is to come, and then other times I feel excited about the unknown. What a crazy feeling. Referring to myself as Samuel's "mom" is completely strange and exhilarating. I'm sure all you parents out there can remember this newborn period; any tidbits of advice? ----Stacey & Adam

First Trip Diary

2007-02-28T20:25:00.000-08:00

So, we went on our first overnight trip with Josh this past weekend. OK, it was only for 2 nights to San Diego, but it was still quite the endeavor for us rookie parents.

We could barely fit everything we needed into our Highlander. I don't know how some of you managed to fly with infants.

We had a great suite at a hotel right on Mission Bay. Having a full kitchen and a separate bedroom was definitely a huge plus. And the fact that Josh is happy in his new booster seat and loves to watch Baby Einstein videos was also key. The hotel provided us with a crib, which Josh didn't seem to mind. He pretty much napped, ate, slept, etc. on his usual schedule. We even managed to time the travel with his naps, and he slept pretty much the whole time in the car.

By the way, I was actually supposed to be attending a medical conference, but I probably ended up attending 25% of it. Sounds like college, huh? :) All in all, it was a great trip, a much-needed break for me and Joyce. I was worried that it would be more draining than refreshing, but it turned out to be just what we needed. I'm still a bit hesitant to fly with Josh at this age, but we're definitely planning more road trips. Anyone want to go to Yosemite this summer?

Thoughts on March Madness

2007-02-26T21:02:00.000-08:00

So, yesterday was a pretty good day for Duke Nation. Our men continued their recent run of success, our women finished off a perfect season, and both Carolina teams lost, the Lady Heels to our Lady Devils.
Since the end of this men's season may not be so memorable, we should revel in the good days, right?

Despite our obvious weaknesses, ie. inconsistent offense, inability to close out games, turnovers, etc., March Madness can bring about unexpected results. If George Mason can make it to the Final Four, who's to say that we can't make a run? Of course, a favorable draw in the brackets and some timely upsets would definitely help the cause.

Looking ahead, it looks like we'll end up anywhere from a 3-6 seed. Of course, a 3 seed would be incredible considering we looked like we might miss the tourney altogether at one point in the season. But if we can't rise to a 3, I think I'd rather be a 6 than a 4 or 5, and here's why. Even though our 2nd round game might be a bit easier, the 4/5 seed potentially faces a 1 seed in the sweet 16. A 3/6 seed would face a 2 seed, who might even get a tough game in the 2nd round.

Anyways, this is all pointless conjecture until the brackets come out and we start playing the games. But I, for one, will hold out the hope that somehow, someway, our young team can make a deep run through the madness. And I actually think it's more fun being an underdog than a favorite. Less pressure, less expectation, and more elation if we actually pull off the upset.

What do y'all think? And what about the Carolina fans? The Heels aren't looking as dominant as I thought they would be. I would love to steal one at Carolina and send UNC down to a 2 seed, maybe to face Florida in a regional final. Who knows what might happen? :)

Introducing...

2007-02-22T11:46:00.000-08:00

You may be wondering why there is a photo of a middle aged man on our NC connection blog. Allow me to introduce to you NT Wright (a.k.a. Tom) Wright. NT Wright is Bishop of Durham, in the Church of England who is also one of the most respected biblical scholars and theologians across denominational lines. He has an impressive resume (I’ll spare you the details) and he meditates daily on the Old Testament/New Testament in the original language of Hebrew & Greek. And though his writings and speech reflect his deep understanding and knowledge of history and theology, it also resonates with a humility and respect for those who may think differently from him. I give you all this background information to recommend some of his books.

The man has a long list of publications, so the following may not be the “best of the best”, but the first one is entitled Simply Christian: Why Christianity Makes Sense and may be good for those of you who want an introduction or reintroduction to the significance of the Christian message. The 2nd entitled The Challenge of Jesus has been personally profound for me. It’s lucid and brings together the Old & New Testament in a way that may alter your vision of the “good” in the good news. The last recommendation is a series known as the “For Everyone” bible commentary. (There is a Luke for Everyone, Mark for Everyone, Romans, etc. under his less formal name, Tom Wright). It is one of the more accessible bible commentaries out there for well, everyone. I know that some of you are leaders, teachers in your church and this series may be a good resource for you. His tone and language is very down to earth and he tries to avoid heavy theological jargon, but adds a glossary in the back just in case. Even if you aren’t leading a bible study, it may help you to go deeper in your personal reading time. He’s a N. Testament scholar so the series is limited to the NT, but on that note, I have to mention a reference for Genesis by Walter Brueggemann in the Interpretation Commentary series. It is a RICH and fascinating commentary that is very readable.

I was just reminded by a friend that yesterday was Ash Wednesday which marks the beginning of Lent. I sheepishly confess that I totally forgot b/c I was so focused on watching American Idol last night. (Lakisha’s rendition of “And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going” gave me goose bumps--that girl is so fly). In any case, all the books mentioned above are available though Amazon for a great price and if you are interested in finding out more about NT Wright, there are quite a few websites dedicated to him through Google’s search engine. If you have any questions or want more recommendations for resource, feel free to send me an email(enkeris@gmail.com). It's been good to hear how you are all doing and to reconnect this way. Wishes for peace, joy and good reflection in the Lenten season; looking forward to Easter. Happy reading!

IMPORTANT READ - Irene Cho update

2007-02-13T16:12:00.000-08:00

Hey guys, I have some important news regarding our dear friend, Irene Cho. I've recently gotten back in touch with her and found out that she had a stroke last July. She had clot in her MCA(one of the primary arteries feeding the brain), presumably from some sort of autoimmune vasculitis.

She has been undergoing chemotherapy at the University of Utah Stroke Center and has been doing very well. She has been going to physical therapy and has recovered almost all of her function. Initially, she took a 6 month leave of absence from work because part of the out patient treatment was 6 sessions of chemothreapy once a month. The chemo was for her auto-immune system which was attacking the vessels in her brain and to make sure the vasculitis doesn't act up again and cause another stroke. Unfortunately, the most recent angiogram 2 weeks ago revealed that the clot has returned, and she needs to seek further opinions regarding the next course of action.

Of course, I've discussed posting this with Irene, and she was all for it. The reasons for spreading the word are 2-fold. First, we need everyone to encourage and pray for Irene. It's for situations like these that we have community. Let's rally around her!

Secondly, if any of you in the health profession personally know of any good neurologists, stroke specialists or stroke centers, please pass along that information to Irene. She's already planning on going to the Cleveland Clinic and NIH in Baltimore and is looking for contacts at UCLA, Cedars Sinai and the Mayo Clinic. If you want to contact Irene directly, her email is cho_on_this@hotmail.com, her telephone number is 310-710-4421.

Thanks.

You can't make this sh*t up

2007-02-13T14:56:00.000-08:00

Thought I'd post this for y'all, since I didn't see this on CNN or ESPN or MSNBC or Headline News or the Big Three Networks . . .

White Duke college student accuses black male at party hosted by black fraternity with rape.

http://media.www.dukechronicle.com/media/storage/paper884/news/2007/02/13/News/OffEast.Rape.Investigation.Continues-2716034.shtml?sourcedomain=www.dukechronicle.com&MIIHost=media.collegepublisher.com

Somehow, I doubt we're going to see the Group of 88 banging pots in front of this house and taking out full page ads in the Chronicle. Is Paula Zahn going to come back to Durham and make an ass out of herself again about racism? When is Jesse Jackson coming back to offer to pay for this girl's tuition? If she changes her story 10 times or has DNA from 5 other males on her person, will the NC NAACP still support her right to accuse her assailant in court?

If Duke rolls over to the left again, I'm officially done with my alma mater.

giving "K" his props

2007-02-12T12:10:00.000-08:00

hey you got to give "props" when "props" are due... i personally commend K for sticking with his team during this hard "time"... at least his back didn't start to "hurt" this year...

now... if his "rear end" started to hurt... i could understand... going through the ACC tourney has been sorta like that spanking machine that we made kids go through in kindergarten...

"thank you sir, may i have another!!!"

ed

Desperation...

2007-02-12T08:00:00.000-08:00

uh.......... congrats on maryland...... oh shoot... never mind... :)

ed

Greetings from VA

2007-02-10T14:31:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Brian for setting this up. Glad to see everyone's doing well!

I guess it's my turn to post an update. Quick recap from Duke: I went to Michigan for grad school and spent 8 long winters in Ann Arbor (great town) and finally got my doctorate in Biomedical Engineering in 2003. My original plan was to become a professor but after 8 years in grad school, I was ready for a change. So I went from developing intravascular ultrasound to find vulnerable plaques to finding torpedoes for the U.S. Navy as a defense contractor. Logical transition, right? :-)

I moved back to VA after grad school, and I'm attending Open Door Presbyterean Church (formerly KOPC). Found a good community here and co-leading a small group this year which has been great.

As for my personal life, I'm still single and hoping that changes in 2007. :-) Meanwhile, here's 2 photos to share. The first is a photo of me in front of the Sydney Opera House from a business trip last August and the 2nd is with my brother, John (Duke '97) from our recent family vacation in December. We won the stuffed animals at one of the basketball shooting games at Sea World.

Other than that I'm still a huge Duke fan but it's been a tough few weeks and I dare say we may be on the "bubble" for the NCAAs at 5-5 in the ACC. Gotta beat the Terps tomorrow night. At least the women's team looks great. GO DUKE!

PS - My email is cdchoi2003@yahoo.com and I'd love to hear from you.

Duke-UNC II

2007-02-07T21:19:00.000-08:00

OK, who cares about the men's game, anyways? The real battle is tomorrow when #1 Duke takes on #2 UNC, women's that is. :)

I know I sound desperate, but if we lose both the guys and girls games, I'll really have to go into hibernation.

GO DUKE!!

John "the weasel" Edwards is my neighbor

2007-02-05T23:01:00.000-08:00

Greetings from Chapel Hell, home of my favorite tort lawyer's ginormous new 28,000 square foot house. He's a true man of the people.

Anyhoo. Haven't spoken to most of you all for a while now. To confirm, Julie is with fetus. It is a boy. We're due last week of June. Clearly, by the lack of chin, he's my boy.

While we are ecstatic, this will most likely make the other baby already in the house extreeemely upset - coco bean yoo.

Radiation oncology is great, although the hours aren't as cushy as some of you may think. Julie works part time now for her various government disaster consulting firms, making ridiculous amounts of money writing up reports for local officials who don't know how to use computers. Now I know why our federal deficit is so high. At least we're seeing some kickback.

On the side, she does her wedding/event photography. She's quite good. I've been tagging along and working as the 2nd shooter/grip boy. Her business website is

http://www.parkerimaging.com.

Here's us with Coach K after we shot the Duke Children's Classic. Look at how cozy Julie is with him. It's like I'm not even there.

It's getting late, so I'll stop here. Much to discuss regarding dear old Duke, the lacrosse case, and how we seem to be infested with knee-jerk liberal weasels. My frickin' UWC teacher was one of the Group of 88 signees. Below is how I felt reading about that damn Nifong everyday. I still get my daily fix of righteous indignation at http://durhamwonderland.blogspot.com.

Take care,

Hula dancer

2007-01-31T19:48:00.000-08:00

Hey guys,

Some of you may remember Joyce doing a hula dance at our wedding. Here are some fun pics of her at a wedding in Hawaii last year. She was about 7 mos pregnant at the time.

I swear she was Hawaiian in another life. :)

Whew! McClure OK

2007-01-31T19:40:00.000-08:00

I have to admit I was pretty worried when Dave McClure went down in the game against BC. Although he's just a role player, he's become one of my favorites on this team. He's one of those guys that doesn't get much attention, but it pivotal to our success, esp. this year with such a young team. He defends multiple positions, rebounds, hustles, and can even hit the open jumper.

McRoberts seems to getting more comfortable as a go-to guy. He's been more aggressive of late, esp. down low.

Paulus has also looked much better. He may not be that quick or big or strong, but he's a competitor, and he's got a good stroke. I actually think that a lot of his skills are further developed than Bobby Hurley's were at this stage. Physically, they're basically the same, aren't they?

kroean videos

2007-01-29T11:12:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKzioKL4k_s

thought that you guys might enjoy this you tube video...

many of you guys remember ken... or at least remember sarah, his sister...

anyway... iim sure that many of you have seen ken on BET... i've seen him probably 3-4 times...

number 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81CtnGNCXhk

number 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uzANrO0Wl0

these two movies are from bobby lee (MAD TV)... very funny... its pretty funny for those who dont' understand korean... but especially funny when you listen to his korean and the translation...

enjoy... :)

agape,
ed

Golf Courses in Vegas

2007-01-27T12:28:00.000-08:00

Anyone know of a good golf course to play in Las Vegas? I'll be there from February 23-25 for my brother's bachelor's party and wanted to see if any of you guys have played there before. Obviously, if any of you have played with me, I'm not looking for the most challenging course, but one that is nice and not too far from the Strip. Would appreciate any suggestions.

Remember this?

UNC admissions error

2007-01-26T15:48:00.000-08:00

Here's a funny take on the UNC admission snafu. For those of you who haven't heard, there was an email mistakenly sent to a bunch of UNC applicants saying there were admitted.
http://www.dukebasketballreport.com/articles/?p=21797

I guess it's not too funny if you're from UNC. Sorry, Tar Heels, I couldn't help myself. :)

By the way, if any of you (inc. Stacey) need some baby clothes, Josh will soon outgrow his Duke outfits. Let me know if you're interested. Or, if any of you have Duke clothes that no longer fit, send them our way. We love anything second-hand!

Did I miss something?

2007-01-26T15:26:00.000-08:00

In reviewing some of the prior posts, I've come across 2 phrases "Dave" & "pending parenthood". Am I the last to know? Yoo, is there a Dave, Jr. on the way? Congrats!

Crazy Finish

2007-01-26T10:59:00.000-08:00

As you can tell from the look on Josh's face, he couldn't believe it, either. How do you give up 5 points in 2 seconds and then get a layup at the other end with 4.4 seconds left? For those of you who missed it or don't have cable, you can see the highlights on espn.com

Keep posting, everyone. We've got lots of authors signed up, but only a few regular bloggers. I'm thinking about starting to antagonize Tar Heels, Wolverines, maybe even Blue Devils and Buckeyes to get more traffic on the blog. Don't make me do it!

From the armpit of America........

2007-01-24T19:36:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone-
I've really enjoyed reading everyone's updates and photos; all of your kids are so ADORABLE!!!

As for me, you can see from this photo that I went outside of the Asian pool and married a (gasp!) white boy.......his name is Adam (and with his last name of Lisi, my name now RHYMES), and we were married in September of 2005 (I was honored to have Linda Suh stand with me as my matron of honor). I do feel a bit sheepish about posting a "couples" photo rather than a photo of cute kids like many of you have, but I wanted to show you guys my adorable husband (yes, I am still pretty much a newlywed), and we won't have any "baby" photos to post for about another 2 weeks..........we are eagerly awaiting the arrival of our son (due date of 2/4).........

We currently live right in the middle of the state of NJ, about half way between Rutgers and Princeton. Adam grew up in south Jersey, rooting for Philadelphia teams his whole life (Phillies, Eagles), and attended Rutgers (who until this past football season hadn’t had much to root for), so he has been through quite a learning curve, watching and cheering for teams that actually WIN, like the Heels and the NY Yankees. It's been fun to watch him convert.........

Life isn’t always easy, but Adam definitely makes things as easy as possible; never sweats the small stuff, and is a lot better than I am about discerning what is “small” stuff versus “big” stuff. Talk about low-maintenance vs high-maintenance: we pretty much define the extremes. We are still pretty much babies when it comes to being a married couple, and now we’re about to raise one……..very freaky.

One major decision we recently made is for me to not work once the baby is born, at least for the first year…….again, very freaky for me, but seemingly not so much for Adam; I worry, he reassures, I still worry, we pray, God reassures, I worry a little less…...that’s pretty much the story of our marriage in a nutshell. :)

For now I’m just concentrating on getting through the next 10 days or so, getting “ready” (although I have NO idea what that means); it’s all kinds of scary and exciting at the same time.

In the meantime, keep the photos and updates coming……..

--Stacey (& Adam)

Poop

2007-01-24T14:47:00.000-08:00

I recently visited with a friend and found that her daughter of 15 months has had diarrhea for 9 days! More amazingly, it has been diagnosed as c. diff and she was just started on flagyl. (It's a bacteria in the stool usu. after taking antibiotics but usu. in adults, I think). Have any of you heard of such a thing in kids? I guess with daycare, you can have just about anything happen. If you guys have any advice as to what to feed her child or what to do with the horrible, raw, rash, it would be appreciated.

I will eventually give a more thorough update on all the wonderful things going on in my life, but I need some time to think of a good story. For now, at least you know that I occupy my time by worrying about poop. Kids can break your heart sometimes. ....

Rich Dad, Poor Dad

2007-01-19T22:13:00.000-08:00

So I'm sure many have you read this book or at least are familiar with the basic concept. For those who are unfamiliar, the basic premise is that you need to generate sources of passive income, ie through owning real estate, a business, patents, etc, in order to become wealthier faster and more easily. As opposed to what most of us do, work harder, longer in order to pay off more and more debt.

Although I understand what the book is driving at, I find myself even more frustrated b/c I feel powerless to escape the life of the poor dad. I feel like I missed the window with the real estate boom, I don't have any original ideas to patent, and I don't have the slightest idea how to begin my own business, which would seem like more work, anyways. Have any of you actually successfully implemented this rich dad concept?

I guess I bring this up now b/c we're planning on moving and it's stressing me out. I feel like we won't be able to afford the size home we want/need. And in a few years, either I'll be forced to change jobs or Joyce will be forced to return to work. I don't want to whine. I realize we are ridiculously wealthy compared to rest of the world. I'm just curious if any of you have been able to figure out how to work less and still make more. Sounds nice, doesn't it?

this is for the ohio state comments...

2007-01-16T12:15:00.000-08:00

brian, i was thinking about your recommendation of placing eric in the pic... but i figured that this pic of ryan would add a bit more seasoning... it always hurts more when your own kids are involved... :)

and yes... i know it isn't very realistic... any offspring of eric would never be able to jump even that high... hehehehe :)

future of all duke children...

2007-01-15T14:25:00.000-08:00

just wanted to give a preview of all you duke fans... this will be the sight your kids will have to behold when they are playing on b-ball court with my kids...

i have them screaming, "this is MY house!!!!"... as they are hanging there... jake can stay there for a LONG time... sorta funny... but also sorta scary... know what i mean?... :)

yeah, yeah, yeah... i probably need counseling... :)

ed