Brian's 340 Blog

I have recently been trying to find a new driver for my golf set. There are many good options on the market, but based on some preliminary research, the following were the only ones worth looking at: Callaway's Mavrik, Taylormade's SIM, and Ping's G series. Here's a breakdown of the new technologies in each driver. Mavrik: Callaway's new driver face is 6 grams lighter than the previous generation, decreasing the overall weight of the club (6 grams seems small, but is significant for a driver). They also redesigned the club head by flattening the crown to improve aerodynamics. Most importantly, however, they have incorporated two lightweight metal bars behind the club face in order to increase ball speed and distance.  SIM: Taylormade has introduced a "twist-face" in which the 3-D plane of the club face has been twisted in order to straighten shots no matter where the ball and club face make contact. Additionally, the SIM driver has a more aerodynamic sole ...

I'll start by saying this: All people are more alike than they think. Reading each story in American Like Me has revealed a common thread between all immigrant stories. That is, the authors all begin by feeling some form of admiration towards the US, but eventually become alienated and pushed to a corner because of some realization or experience during their upbringing. Ultimately however, most stories end with the author overcoming their challenges in assimilation and eventually accept themselves for who they are and find comfort in their roots. Indeed, every story has its own nuances due to their differences in cultural backgrounds. But despite each author's unique experiences, I began to see and appreciate all immigrant parents for their perseverance through hardships to provide for their families and also every child of immigrant resiliency and determination to remain rooted in their background and cultures.  The parts of the book which I felt were most relatable, unsurpris...

American Like Me Blog 1 After reading blog posts from classmates, I decided to read American Like Me, hoping to be able to relate and connect to the book like they had. Fortunately, I was able to find a one that really left an impression with me, and this story had strikingly similar descriptions to my own experiences growing up.  This was Jeremy Lin’s story. I was so excited to see that he was part of this book because he was my childhood hero. To me, Jeremy Lin was more than just a basketball player; he was evidence that Asians can also play in the NBA without having to be seven feet tall like Yao Ming. More importantly, he was a living example of someone succeeding despite being a minority in his profession and overcoming so much adversity along the way.  Unlike his parents, mine were not very supportive of my dreams of becoming a professional basketball player. In hindsight, I'm glad they stopped me because I would have gotten destroyed by my friends who continued growing ...