High end systems yeah another tech blog

I have been building, upgrading, and troubleshooting my various computer systems for over 20 years. One thing I am starting to get annoyed at hearing is the term "high end".  This implies that a device that has a top-of-the-line CPU (i7 in the past i9 or i10 today) becomes obsolete very quickly. So many then feel that they need to upgrade every 3 or 4 years. THIS IS DEAD WRONG. The only thing you really need to change to keep your gaming rig in tip-top shape is a GPU with enough ram, and power to run your games. Also, pay attention to the bit rate of the memory bus. Uh ok, that sounds confusing. Basically, this number gives you an idea of how much data can flow into and out of your GPU. So if you have two cards that are similar but one has a bus rate of 128 bits, and the other has a bus rate of 192...get the 192. The best GPU for gaming today is still the GTX 1060 6gb card. It is not so pricey, and plenty of power for full HD gaming at 1080p. If you want 2k, and above then this card will struggle with more demanding games.

If you are not into video editing, gaming, encoding then you can ignore people who tell you to get a more powerful GPU. You can run Netflix, social media websites, and more on an integrated graphics card. Uh..inter what?! You see you can save a lot money today if you understand the tech products you want to buy more clearly. Some modern CPUs actually have a GPU on the same chip. In these compters or laptops there is no need to buy a GPU for it. It will allow for smooth surfing of the web, watching videos, typing papers, listening to music, video chatting, I think you get the idea. 

If you want to buy a pc and you are not a "power user" buy the cheapest machine from last year and upgrade the ram, and make sure you have a large SSD in it. Heck the cheapest model from 2018 would do it just as well. 16 gigabytes of ram is needed if you like having multiple windows open, and it helps future proof a work computer. Our office PC at my work is ok, it has an SSD, it just needs more ram. That rig could run for 5 of 6 more years with regular cleaning.

Gamers don't fall for the frames per second nonsense. The human eye is thought to be able to process images at 60-75 frames per second. If your rig can produce numbers like that in your game, and there is no system lag, you are golden.

My rig has a i7 4930k (6 cores, 12 with hyperthreading) CPU

GPU is a GTX 1060 6gb

64 gigs of DDR3 RAM

1 terabtye SSD (2 drives)

My system can run 90% of all games at full HD 1080p. You can get those components second hand for super cheap! There so many configurations that can allow a gamer to build a cheap but VERY capable system! Another thing that can not be ignore is your internet set up and lag. But that is another post for another day!

Yesterday we walked 4.6 kms, hope to do more this three day weekend. 

/tata

Drinking...

 Living in East Asia drinking alcohol is something that is more open than in the west. It annoys me when I hear westerners say "Oh I only drink so so, and I never drink too much". Usually, this is a flat-out lie. Most westerners that I have met told one story that seems universal in the world of drinking in the west. That is underage drinking. When I was a teen I NEVER drank. Plain and simple. I NEVER touched drugs. I am not a saint. I wanted to try weed. I still would like to try it. It seems like a naturally growing plant that has many medicinal and erm "fun" side effects. 

In the human body during the teenage years, the organs of the body are still developing. One core amazing organ is the liver. It can replace its mass (stem cells are amazing in this organ). I think that when people drink at a young age. I do not mean taking a sip here and there. I mean blackout-style binge drinking reduces the livers "self-healing" abilities. Teens tend to slam drinks down in quick succession. I can only imagine what it is doing to the liver. 

Fast forward. I enjoy whiskey.  I can drink it enjoy it and here is a shocker...I get NO HANGOVER. I do however suffer if I drink beyond my limit. I will not mention it here but it has surprised everyone I know.

EVERYONE mentions it. I read a study that stated about 23% of people might have what could be called a "super liver" or they simply do not get hangovers like other people.

In South Korea, a common sight is drunk people (mostly men) stumbling home. In most places in America if the police saw you in that state they would take you to jail for the night. You will likely end up getting charged as well. 

Underage drinking in South Korea is prevalent too. I also think that it results in weaker livers when these teens hit adulthood. 

A common situation for me: Wow, Jemal you do not look drunk! Me: Uh yeah I feel fine. The next day: my boss (also a friend) looking terrible...Ugh Jemal...are you ok? Wait, you look normal?! Me: Huh? Oh yeah, we had a few drinks yesterday, yeah I'm fine.

Interactions like the above have happened throughout my time in Korea.

My advice if one of your friends has a "super liver" do not judge them and assume they are alcoholics.

Very likely they may have started drinking at a later time than you did. Or they just have good genes in that department. We all have strengths and weaknesses. One thing I tell those I drink with...do not try to match me, it is NOT A COMPETITION. Our health is one of the few things we have some influence over. 

/tata

Get Up And Walk

Want enough time to talk

To look around and gawk
Then walk around the block

Oh the things you will see and hear
Will definitely make your worries disappear
And the moments you will have
Will undoubtedly be the best

So get up and walk tonight
It's never too late to fight
Those few extra pounds you gained
Need to be tamed and framed

No one's to be blamed
There's no shame
To claim
That walking is not lame.

Should African Americans get reparations?

 It is hard to understand why some things keep coming up. One thing it does do is promote a them and us feeling. I will not answer the question of reparations. I will say that it makes me feel even more alien in America. I mean there are so many ethnic groups that have suffered in America. 

I am not saying that we should just move on. However, we need to acknowledge that we are not united at all. We all seem to identify with whatever ethnic group, skin color we deem ourselves to belong to. This is indoctrinated into us when we are young, and throughout our education. 

American has serious issues with racism, classism, sexism, the list could go on and on. A black man was arrested for doing what? Walking down the street in a blizzard. We hear more about issues relating to people of color because it is so sensationally ugly. It generates clicks, and that means ad revenue goes up. I am not saying Americans of African descent are not having serious disproportionate issues (was a victim of this). However, the ugly story of police brutality is much larger than just darker Americans. 

Should African Americans receive reparations? How about we stop it with the stupid labeling by color or genetic lineage. We are Americans period. Should descendants of slaves get a cash payout? Let the American people decide. Do not use this as another way to create more guilt and anger. We should use the past as an education for the future. A way to combat fear which leads to hate. 

/tata

The grass isn't greener it is the same shade..

We, humans, are constantly looking at each other and with envy, we look down on ourselves. We often feel that we are lacking something. One man lives in a large house so we should be like that man, or one-up him, and get an even larger house.

You see the guy who has the large house might be in debt up to his neck. Or, he doesn't really enjoy it, he is going to flip that property to try to make a profit with the current housing bubble. Both of those situations are STRESSFUL. 

We envy others at our own loss. We do not know the background to the "greener side". I remember one teacher getting annoyed that I a black teacher was making 20 percent more than he a white teacher earned. What he didn't know was that I was paid late. I would have to go after my salary every other month or so. I actually earned more than I told him. The background on that was I only saw my baby son for 30 minutes a day. Stressful. 

One of Yogita's students from a family that has a lot of money. Yet the child is always overhearing his parents fighting about ... money. They also must spend a lot of time keep that money-making ability running. The grass is not greener, it is just another shade of the same color. 

That happy couple might be happy for reasons that might bore you. Sometimes we need to chill out and figure out what makes us happy and feel fulfilled. 

/tata

Walked almost 3kms yesterday hoping to do more today!

How can you let someone know....

 I am in an odd situation. Usually, when I work at private schools I am one of those giving guidance how to best teach or use materials. Often times Yogi and I come up with our own curriculum which we then share with other less experienced teachers. 

I am in a situation where I am getting two differing "instructions". One is simply the same stuff I had to get rid of many years ago. Robotic system of memorizing phrases, words and sentences. But if you ask them a question related to a topic they are lost. The other system is what I want to do which is to teach proper fluency, along with public speaking skills, and writing. 

UGH. I think the best course of action is to remain silent and just follow the one that is around the most. 

At the end of the day I have to do what I am told. I can not dictate. Wow. I think I solved my little problem. Funny how writing is a helpful tool in so many ways. 

Our walking is still going strong walked nearly 6kms yesterday. In Archeage we successfully defended our castle, it was so exciting! It was amusing listening to our Italian raid leader urging us to victory at the top of his lungs. 

/tata

A bit of snow today!

We are experiencing a cold front that could last for a few days. The students were excited to see snow falling. Days like this make me so happy I am not in Gunsan now. The snowfall there is nuts. Snowstorms can drop up to a meter of snow on Gunsan yet Iksan and Jeonju get only a few inches at the most. 

Driving in this city is a breeze. It is so small and compact. So even in snowy weather is not that bad. Gunsan?? There are areas of the city that should be avoided unless you know how to drive on snow. Every year you see accidents at the same locations. 

We will be renewing our visas for another year. Likely this will be our last but never say never. Either way, I am actually looking forward to 2022. This year is more of a hold-on and keep steady year. It will be nice to see more of our friends this Saturday. Among them, there are some nice stories and some that are very sad. Some of them are moving on, while others are actually staying in Korea a bit longer due to this pandemic. 

This Saturday I want to walk to Shin-dong and stop by a couple of pc shops. We will eat at a restaurant there (haven't sat in a restaurant for over 5 months!). So I am looking forward to this weekend. Today though we have a mid-week event in Archeage so we are gearing up for that. Dinner time!!!

/tata

Walked 40kms last week!

 Since November we have made a change to our life style. It was not that hard because we used to walk everywhere in Gunsan, and even in Alaska we would walk for miles and miles. Last week was a holiday week. Usually, years ago this meant that we would be walking more anyway. We walked to the large open markets. Also we walked to what we called "old Gunsan" took pictures, ate and small off the beaten path restaurants. 

So last week we simply set a mission and we would to compete it. For example we were supposed to get supplies from the South Asia shop which is 5 kms from our house. So we walked there but decided to have Chinese food instead. We took a detour visiting some of our favorite places. 

We did this everyday except Sunday. The result? We feel great! Of course we walked yesterday, but it just feels great. Mentally, it is so beneficial. The main aim to be active together. Not many people around us understand how we feel about each other. 

I was reading a news article about how many couples felt strained in their relationships because they had to spend more time together due to lockdowns. For us we had more rest, enjoyed our hobbies more, not to mention our boys loved it as well. Mom and Dad were always there. Our house is a very peaceful one. I make the most noise shouting to Yogita and I will not pause the documentary, drama, or movie that we are watching. We enjoyed ordering food A LOT. 

Pair all of this with daily walks, we felt and feel great!

The social distancing level has been lowered one level to 1.5. FINALLY. So MAYBE we will go out this weekend to a restaurant. It will nice walking in areas of the city we avoided for weeks!

Yesterday we clocked almost 6kms, a nice start to the week.

/tata

 The Eagle And The Peacock

The eagle was bold and strong,

The peacock was pretty,

And they got along.

The eagle was free,

It wanted to fly high,

The peacock was fine,

To just stare at the sky.

Time flies,

The eagle and the peacock,

were tied together,

forever tethered.

The eagle rose to the skies,

The peacock looked up and cried.

It tried to fly,

But its wings were tied.

They were beautiful,

But meant for the ground,

The peacock couldn't fly,

Even if it tried.

The eagle, however, was unbound

So it soared high, and high.

And the peacock cried.

The eagle heard and replied,

Don't cry,

I'm by your side.

I'll stay here forever,

And Try!

Holiday week around the corner

 We are still in covid times. Even though there is a holiday a pretty major on in Korea the mood here is "meh". The local government has decided to extend the current social distancing level of 2 for another 2 weeks. I think they fear people traveling during this holiday. There have been reports of people actually reporting on each other if they see a large gathering of people. 

Usually, my students are super excited about Lunar New Year. This week...some of them didn't even know that there was a holiday next week. 

For us we will relax as usual. I plan on getting some nice walks in the morning (about 5km), then a shorter walk of around 2-3 Km in the evening.  We will do some cleaning. Basically, we will get rid of the stuff the previous teachers left in the apartment. They left a broken exercise bike, and some other things. The process of throwing them away is not a simple one. Yogita and I have forgotten to go down and get it sorted. Basically, you need to buy a "Tax" sticker and place it on the item and then put in a special area for disposal. So next Saturday we will get those stickers and toss the junk out the legal way. 

/tata

Missing Monday....

 Yesterday was really nice! First we went on a nice walk after work, a 5km walk. Then we ate a wonderful dinner prepared by Yogi and the boys. It was excellent! I hope Yogi took a picture of it. Eggplant is amazing! After the boys went to bed Yogi and I watched some nice documentaries. 

All in all it was a nice day. However, we did come to a sobering conclusion. In this world, in this system of things we are always in danger of loosing what stability we have. 

The monetary system really only benefits those at the very top. With interest rates at nearly zero around the world we are all at great risk. Banks do not even care if you have deposits with them or not. They want debt. New money is made from debt. It is nuts. In South Korea the interest rate is .50%!! So saving thousands of dollars won't work if you place it in a bank (savings account). Now this is not the case with other countries because their markets are still emerging. India's rate is between 6.5 to 7%. I am so sure that the worlds 1% have a sizable portion of their portfolio earning from this. 

However, once India follows the same path of everyone else, they will also lower interest rates as well. Of course this is done to stimulate growth. But we can see the other side of this. It will do as it is doing here create a massive divide between the haves and the have nots. 

To make a reasonable amount of money you need to be on the stock market. Or rather if you want your savings to grow. Real estate markets are in a bubble all over the world right now. So that is a risky investment if it pops while you are investing. 

ok time to go!

/tata