This past Saturday, May 4th, 2024, I went hiking again.Not only did I go hiking again, I also went back to the Phoenix Mountain Preserve. This time, however, I did not make a return visit to Dreamy Draw. Instead, I went back to the beginning: the 40th Street Trailhead. Back on March 25th, I attended a nighttime hike at the 40th Street Trailhead given by REI. It was my first ever visit to the Phoenix Mountain Preserve. The idea of the hike was to complete a short hike in the dark after sunset with a small group of people. As a result, the hike aroused an interest making a return visit to the Phoenix Mountain Trail. Since that first visit, I have returned to the Phoenix Mountain Preserve for three additional visits. Since the Phoenix Mountain Preserve is criss-crossed by trails, I will probably keep going back for the foreseeable future.
L.V. Yates Trail (#8)
After hiking two nearly identical trails at the Dreamy Draw Trailhead, the Perl A. Charles Trail and the Voaz MTB Loop Trail, I decided to hike the L.V. Yates Trail (#8). As you can see from the topographic map from the All Trails website, the L.V. Yates Trail (#8) is a roughly 5 mile "out-and-back" hiking trail.
L.V. Yates Trail (#8), (Source: All Trails)
My initial goal for the hike was to simply follow the L.V. Yates Trail out to the end and then come back.
L.V. Yates Trail Marker
The L.V. Yates Trail consisted of a gradual rise in slope to two saddle points that are neatly placed 1.2 miles between each other. The first saddle point has an elevation of roughly 1,822 feet. The second saddle point is at a lower elevation at 1,770 feet. The trail also goes through a dry stream bed that lies between both saddle points. The L.V. Yates Trail is also largely rocky. There were several instances on the trail where one foot slipped on a rock as I hiked. Like most of the trails at the Phoenix Mountain Preserve, the L.V. Yates Trail connects with several other hiking trails. Therefore, you can combine the L.V. Yates Trail with another trail for a longer hike. However, with the daytime temperatures starting to rise in the Phoenix metropolitan area, you are going to have to start hiking early in the morning if you want to hike six or seven miles.
My Hiking Route on the L.V. Yates Trail
#304/Ocotillo Trailhead
It just so happens that the L.V. Yates Trail meets up with the Piestewa Peak Nature Trail at the second saddle point. From where the two trails met, I followed the Piestewa Peak Nature Trail to the #304 Trailhead.
End of the L.V. Yates Trail
From the saddle point, the Piestewa Peak Nature Trail appeared to be a short hike to the Ocotillo Trailhead. The view was deceptive as I had to hike down from the saddle point to a narrow dried-out river bed and then back up an incline. The detour to the Ocotillo Trailhead added another half mile to my hike.
At the Ocotillo Trailhead
At the #304 Trailhead, also known as the Ocotillo Trailhead, there are bathrooms, drinking fountains, and a place to sit down underneath overhead cover, which is known locally as a ramada. Since the #304 Trailhead/Ocotillo Trailhead is located at the Piestewa Peak Park area, parking is also available. The facilities are rather similar to what you would find at the Dreamy Draw Trailhead. Just a note about parking during my hike. When I arrived at the 40th Street Trailhead at around 9:15 AM, I was lucky to park my car in one of the few remaining available parking spaces. When I arrived at the #304-Ocotillo Trailhead at around 11:30 AM, the parking lot for that part of Piestewa Peak Park was pretty much empty. The reason why the parking lot was empty was the RISING temperature.
Slow Going on the Return
Once at the Ocotillo Trailhead, I went to the bathroom, washed my hands, and then looked for a shady place to sit. After eating my peanut butter Clif bar and drinking some water from my Gregory hydration pack (no leaks on this day BTW), I started to notice just how hot it was. Relatively speaking. One thing that I did not notice was my feet being in extreme pain at my half-way point. My new size 11W Zamberlan hiking boots were doing their job. Once my watch indicated that it was 12:00 PM, I got back up and headed back to the Piestewa Peak Nature Trail. Since I was hiking uphill again, it was extremely slow going. My heart rate was going crazy. My breath was short and raspy. Still struggling with allergies, my lungs were struggling. Then there was the heat. It was starting to get quite noticeable. I had to hike step-by-step up the ridge to get back to the saddle point. It was slow going, but it was my only option. Once I got to the saddle point, I sat down on the bench made out of rocks and drank some water. With the terrain of the L.V. Yates Trail now declining, my pace quickened. After hiking through the dried-out riverbed, I reached another rest area. I sat down for a couple of minutes and drank some more water. I then began the ascent to the first saddle point on the L.V. Yates Trail. Again, my pace on the trail to the saddle point was extremely slow with the sun beating down on my head. Once at the saddle point, I sat down once again on the bench made out of rocks and drank more water. I then began my descent back to the parking lot at the L.V. Yates Trailhead. As the temperatures rose, my pace on the trail began to slow and almost become laborious. Everytime I reached a signpost on the trail, I stopped to drink a couple of sips of water. As far as I could tell, I was the only person in my immediate area of the Phoenix Mountain Preserve. Occasionally, I would see a mountain biker or a pair of trail runners off in the distance. The parking lot was starting to get closer and closer. I saw the trail map at the edge of the parking lot. I had finally made it back. Apart from my car and two or three other cars, the parking lot was empty. I found a bench at a ramada to sit at. I took a look at my hydration pack and noticed that I had A LOT more water to drink that I had thought.
Once I got back to my car and took off my hiking boots, I could already picture in my mind drinking a large, frosty mug of Scottsdale Blonde Koelsch by Huss Brewing waiting for me.
Scottsdale Blonde by Huss Brewing
Here is the first batch of the photographs that I took.
With everything else that I have been doing, I have also been neglecting to study Module 2: The Data-Link Layer in the "Network Addressing and Basic Troubleshooting" online course over at the Cisco Networking Academy.
I will have to rectify that issue ASAP.
It's easy to get distracted with posting to my blog, posting to my Twitter/X account, and posting to my LinkedIn account.
Plus, I haven't updated my Bullet Journal or created new charts for the month of May either.
As you can read, there is a very long To Do List to work on.
I wil start first thing in the morning.
It's too late to do anything meaningful right now.
This post will be the first of a three part series about movies that I saw at the Cine Core movie theatre in Seoul, South Korea, between Februay 2002 and July 2006.
Once upon a time here on my blog, I posted a mind map that I had created about the three movies that I had seen at the Cine Core movie theatre in the Jogno-Sam(3)-Ga area of Seoul.
Location of the Cine Core Movie Theatre in Seoul, South Korea
Then, as per usual, I got R-E-A-L-L-Y busy with working at the Tier 1 IT help desk at the Social Security Administration in Woodlawn, MD.
As a result, the posts were never written.
Well, it's way past time to change that.
PCS to Korea
From March 1999 to July 2008, I was in the U.S. Army. I was an Intelligence Analyst who entered the Army with Specialist rank due to having a college degree. After spending two years at Fort Hood, Texas (January 2000 to January 2002), I received orders to go to Korea with a report date in February 2002. In the U.S. Army, when you change locations where you are stationed, it is referred to as a Permanent Change of Station (PCS).
Like many people before me, I took the MAC flight from Seattle International Airport to Osan Air Base. From there, I rode a bus to the Reception Battalion at Yongsan Garrison in the heart of Seoul, South Korea. The whole point of the Reception Battalion was to spend a couple of days in-processing with USFK and get assigned to my new unit. During that time, newcomers to Korea got to stay at the Dragon Hill Lodge on Yongsan Garrison. I suppose that the Dragon Hill Lodge would be the U.S. military's equivalent to a four-star hotel. The idea was that once the Reception Battalion determined your new assignment, you then checked out of the Dragon Hill Lodge before moving on to your new unit, wherever it was located in Korea. Some people got sent up north to Camp Casey near the DMZ. Other people were sent back down to Osan Air Base or to nearby Camp Humphreys. Others got sent to down to units located in Taegu or Pusan. The Reception Battalion informed me that I got assigned to HHD 94th MP BN located at Yongsan Garrison. I would be staying in Seoul. I wasn't going to Camp Red Cloud, Camp Hovey, or Camp Casey in the 2nd Infantry Division area of operations near the DMZ like I had been led to believe when I first received orders to Korea.
It turned out that another soldier at the Reception Battalion had also been assigned to HHD 94th MP BN. Unlike me, he was an MP from Fort Bragg, NC. He was an Sergeant First Class (E-7); I was a Sergeant (E-5). As a result, we kind of hung out together as we in-processed HHD 94th MP BN together. After a day spent in-processing, he asked me if I would go see the first Harry Potter film with him at the AAFES movie theatre on-post. He said that he had read the book and was interested in seeing the movie. Being in a new country and not knowing anyone, I went ahead and saw the movie. The AFFES movie theatre was located near the 8th Army/USFK headquarters area in the main post area of Yongsan Garrison. Like many USFK facilities in South Korea at the time, the AAFES movie theatre was in horrible shape. The building housing the movie theatre was rundown. Dilapidated might be a better word. The lobby area desperately needed to be remodeled. The movie theatre seats were in horrible condition. Some seats couldn't be pulled down to sit on. Other seats would touch the floor when opened. My best guess is that the seats dated back to the 1960s. Probably when the building was originally constructed. There were places on the floor that had permanent cinemamuck stains. The sound and picture quality were just OK. Nothing too special or memorable. I watched the Harry Potter film, but I don't remember too much about it.
Despite the horrible conditions of the AAFES movie theatre, I would see two more movies there. I saw Tom Cruise's "Vanilla Sky" (2001), a film that I really liked. I also saw an instantly forgettable Sandra Bullock murder mystery movie. It was in one eyeball and then out the other. Literally. I guess I had a crush on Sandra Bullock at the time. That would quickly change once I was exposed to South Korean films.
Seeing Movies in Seoul
After my experiences watching movies at the old AAFES movie theatre at Yongsan Garrison, I started to wonder how Korean movie theatres were like.
Once I got quickly bored hanging out at the PX area at Yongsan Garrison on the weekends, I became INSANELY CURIOUS about exploring Seoul. Believe me, it got old quickly listening to fellow Army people wax nostalgic about how good things were at, say, Fort Campbell or Fort Bragg and how much they HATED being in Korea while drinking beer at the Navy Club or at the bar at the Dragon Hill Lodge.
Once I decided to go off post on the weekends to explore Seoul, there was no looking back.
In the four and a half years of being stationed at Yongsan Garrison, I saw movies all over Seoul. I saw several movies at the movie theatre at the Yongsan Electronics Market ("Underworld", "The Matrix 2", "The Matrix 3"). I saw movies at the movie theatre in Myeongdong ("I, Robot", "Master and Commander"). I saw several movies at the movie theatre in the COEX Mall. I even saw a couple of movies at a movie theatre in Apgujeong ("The War of the Worlds"). I remember seeing "Gangs of New York" at a movie theatre in Gangnam. I think I even saw a couple of movies at Lotte World ("Spider Man", "Resident Evil"). I even remember seeing "The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers" at a small Korean movie theatre right down the street from where I worked at HHD 94th MP BN. It was a cold, snowy winter's day in Seoul. I ate kalbi for the first time at a small Korean restaurant that was right next door to the theatre.
I quickly discovered that you could watch the latest Hollywood blockbusters in Seoul with Korean subtitles. I also discovered that Korean movie theatres would let you reserve your seat when you bought your movie ticket. Most importantly, I also acquired a taste for eating shredded buttered squid with a medium popcorn and a large soft drink for 2,500 won.
The Cine Core Movie Theatre
I first became aware of the Cine Core movie theatre was after visiting the Korean Folk Village in downtown Seoul with a friend from HHD 94th MP BN who worked in the Personnel Department (S-1) on a cold, grey Saturday afternoon in March 2002. After spending a couple of hours at the Korean Folk Village, we started walking around what was known as the Jogno-Sam(3)-Ga area. We somehow stumbled upon the Cine Core movie theatre. We took a look at what movies were playing and bought tickets. However, I don't remember what we saw. After the movie, I do remember having dinner at an Outback Steakhouse that was located nearby.
What surprised me about the Cine Core movie theatre was that it was housed in a single, multi-story building unlike movie theatres I had been to in the United States. The box office was just outside the building. The lobby was on the ground floor of the multi-story building. As we discovered, each floor had its own movie theatre, so you either had to take the stairs or take the crowded elevator to the appropriate floor. The place was packed!!!
As it would turn out, I would end up seeing three notable movies at the Cine Core movie theatre.
Just as a side note, the Jogno-Sam(3)-Ga area of Seoul quickly became one of my favorite areas of Seoul to visit. In fact, the old downtown area of Seoul (Namdaemun, Seoul Station, Myeongdong, City Hall, Insadong, Dongdaemun, etc.) was probably my favorite area to visit of the city. Yes, I also spent A LOT of time in places like Itaewon, Gangnam, and Hangang Park, among others.
The First Notable Movie at Cine Core
The first notable movie that I saw at that the Cine Core movie theatre was Mamoru Oshii's classic animated film "Ghost in the Shell" (1995).
Film Director Mamoru Oshii
I don't remember exactly, but the day I saw "Ghost in the Shell" had to have been on a partly cloudy Saturday afternoon in April 2002.
"Ghost in the Shell" Manga Video Cover
I was by myself. After several weekends traveling around Seoul with my friend from work, I was comfortable going off-post. It was a breeze using the subway to get around the city. In a pinch, I could use either the bus or get a taxi, but my preferred mode of transport around Seoul was the subway.
Besides, my friend from HHS 94th MP BN must have had duty at the barracks that day, so he couldn't go anywhere.
After making my obligatory visit to the Bandi and Lundi Bookstore near the Jogno-Sam(3)-Ga subway station, I made my way over to the Cine Core movie theatre to see what movies were playing.
I noticed that "Ghost in the Shell" was playing. With my already well-worn copy of the Lonely Planet Korean Phrase Book open, I went to the box office to buy a ticket. The woman at the box office tried her best to tell me that the movie would be shown in Japanese with Korean subtitles (it was). She wanted to know if that was a problem (it wasn't). After purchasing my ticket, I received a complimentary "Ghost in the Shell" movie poster for the Korean release that was autographed by Mamoru Oshii. (Boy, was it difficult keeping that rolled up poster in good condition for the rest of the day.) I then went into the lobby to buy my medium popcorn, large Coke, and, of course, warmed (in the microwave) shredded and buttered squid.
Bag of Shredded Squid
After finding the screen and locating my seat, I sat down.
Korean movie poster for "GitS"
Watching "Ghost in the Shell" in a movie theatre in the Japanese language with Korean subtitles didn't bother me. In fact, it KNOCKED MY SOCKS OFF!!!
For those who don't know, the film "Ghost in the Shell" takes place in New Port City, Japan, at some point in the mid-21st century after a world war. The main character, Major Motoko Kusanagi, is a cyborg (half-human, half-machine) assassin, working for a Top Secret Japanese government agency known as Public Security Section 9. Major Kusanagi leads her cybernetically-enhanced assault team against a dangerous hacker known only as The Puppet Master. As Major Kusanagi and her team discover, The Puppet Master is more than just a hacker. It's an artificial intelligence that is self-aware.
Those are the broad strokes of the plot. The film packs A LOT of plot and details into its 80-minute runtime. Here is a link to the Wikipedia article about the animated version of "GitS".
If the film has a flaw, I have always felt that it is too short.
It should be noted that Masamune Shirow's original manga, which is known as "攻殻機動隊" ("Kōkaku Kidōtai", literally "Mobile Armored Riot Police"), has a complex and lengthy plot of which "The Puppet Master" is one of many subplots. For simplicity, Oshii adapted The Puppet Master subplot from the manga. The other subplots from the manga are ignored for simplicity.
Cover for "Ghost in the Shell".
Here is the classic trailer for "Ghost in the Shell" from Manga Video when the film was released on videotape circa 1996 in the United States.
Although fans of the animated film adaptation of Katsuhiro Otomo's "Akira" may have a different opinion, in my opinion, "Ghost in the Shell" is the animated equivalent to "Blade Runner" (1982).
Like "Blade Runner", I always seem to notice a new detail whenever I watch the "Ghost in the Shell".
For me, a key highlight of the film is Oshii's celebrated montage of scenes that occurs during the film. The montage is informally known as "Ghost City", which is the name of the piece of music composed by Kenji Kawai for the film. For the film's score, Kawai brilliantly utilizes synthesizers, traditional Japanese instruments, and traditional Japanese singing.
In fact, here is the celebrated "Ghost City" montage from "Ghost in the Shell". Click the link to watch it in full screen.
Everyone assumes that Tokyo was the model for New Port City. According to an interview I remember reading on the internet somewhere several years ago, Mamoru Oshii stated that the inspiration for the city in "Ghost in the Shell" wasn't Tokyo. He told the interviewer that he happened to be visiting Hong Kong to promote another project ("Patlabor 2: The Movie") when it rained. He saw the harbor area of Hong Kong in the rain and was instantly inspired for the look of "Ghost in the Shell". When I read that comment and then "GitS" watched again, the city made COMPLETE sense. The real life model for New Port City was Hong Kong. Just like Hong Kong, New Port City has narrow waterways, fishing junks, and double-decker buses. Plus, people drive on the left side of the road. Still, it's not unreasonable to have a mental picture of Seoul while watching "GitS". Perhaps better Korean cities to visualize for "GitS" would be, say, Incheon or Pusan, two large port cities where it rains A LOT.
Cultural Boycott
But why was "Ghost in the Shell" playing in a movie theatre in Seoul, South Korea in 2002?
After all, the film had a worldwide release back in 1995. I can remember watching "Ghost in the Shell" on videotape at a friend's house in the mid 1990s.
Well, you might remember that way back in the year 2002, the soccer (or football, if you prefer) World Cup was being co-hosted by both South Korea and Japan. The opening match played between France and Ghana was played in Seoul. I know. I was was outside the Seoul World Cup Stadium, watching the match on a rather large TV screen. The final between Germany and Brazil was played in Yokohama.
There is a deeper explanation as to why "Ghost in the Shell" was playing in South Korean movie theatres in 2002, however.
The main reason "Ghost in the Shell" was playing at a movie theatre in Seoul in 2002 appears to have to do with the South Korean government's removal of the boycott against Japanese popular culture (books, music, comic books, TV programs, movies, etc.) that had been in place since the end of the Second World War when the Korean Peninsula became independent from Imperial Japan.
There are various reasons as to why the South Korean government implemented such a cultural ban. However, it's beyond the scope of this post. At the time, anything having to do with Imperial Japan was an emotional issue in South Korea. I will write that there are other blogs out on the internet that do a good job covering that issue.
Just know that the President of South Korea at the time, Kim Dae Jung, the politician behind the controversial "Sunshine Policy" with North Korea, removed the boycott on Japanese popular culture as a gesture in order to improve often HEATED relations between the two countries as a prelude to the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
I can remember one day going into my favorite CD/DVD shop at the Yongsan Electronics Market (sorry, I don't remember the name of the store) and noticing that the store suddenly had a brand new section for J-Pop CDs and then a brand new section for Japanese DVDs. In fact, the store sold the "Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex" animated TV series on DVD. You couldn't get that at the PX. Also, suddenly, toy stores at COEX Mall started selling Japanese anime-inspired toys, such as "Macross" and "Gundam".
Conclusion
After the film concluded and I deposited my trash into the trashcan, I quickly realized that it was difficult to look at the Seoul skyline as I had before prior to watching the film at the Cine Core movie theatre.
No matter where I was in Seoul, if it rained, I instantly heard Kenji Kawai's "Ghost City" play in my head.
It was AUTOMATIC.
Rainy night in Seoul, South Korea
I have yet to see the live action film version of "GitS" with Scarlett Johansson from 2017. Considering all of the bad reviews the film received, I doubt I will ever get around to watching it.
Now, there is a "GitS" animated series known as "Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex". Based upon the episodes that I watched, the animated TV series is very similar to the "GitS" manga in tone and style, which is completely different from Oshii's film version.
Next Entry
The next entry in my series of posts about movies that I saw at the Cine Core movie theatre in Seoul will be Korean War EPIC "Taegukgi" from 2004.
Creating a Table for depicting the Different Types of Ethernet Cables
For this post, I am going to make an attempt at creating a table about the different types of Ethernet cables using HTML.
I am going to base the my table on "Table 2-2 Examples of Types of Ethernet" found on page 37 of the CCNA 200-301 Official Cert Guide Volume 1 by Wendell Odom.
It wasn't too difficult to create a basic table using HTML.
Yes, the end result is a little plain to look at.
I tried to add a grid around each cell. According to Blogger, in order to do that, I have to enable CSS on my blog. Apparently, it is easy to do so.
By enabling CSS on my blog, I can add further enhancements to the table to make it more visually appealing, such as making each alternating row a different color.
Therefore, I will enable CSS in the very near future.
Anything to make my blog better.
Meanwhile, I will add hyperlinks for each cell under the Formal IEEE Standard Name column.
Tonight, I started section "1.5 Fiber-Optic Cabling" in the "Network Addressing and Basic Troubleshooting" online course over at the Cisco Networking Academy.
Types of Fiber-Optic Media
According to Cisco, fiber-optic cables are broadly classified into two types:
Single-mode Fiber (SMF)
Multi-mode Fiber (MMF)
Single-Mode Fiber
Here are some details about single mode fiber-optic cable:
Consists of a very small core made of glass.
Uses expensive laser technology to send a single ray of light through the glass core.
Produces a single straight path for light.
Popular in long-distance situations that span hundreds of kilometers.
Long-haul telephony
Cable TV applications
Technical specifications include:
Glass Core diameter: 9 micrometers
Glass Cladding diameter: 125 micrometers
Polymeric Coating
Single Mode Fiber-Optic Cable
Multimode Fiber
Here are some details about multi-mode fiber-optic cable:
Consists of a larger core and uses LED emitters to send light pulses.
Allows for multiple paths for light to travel through the glass core.
Light from an LED enters the MMF at different angles.
Popular in LANs because they can be powered by low-cost LEDs.
Provides bandwidth up to 10Gbps over link lengths of up to 550 meters.
Technical specifications include:
Glass Core diameter: 50-62.5 micrometers
Glass Cladding diameter: 125 micrometers
Polymeric Coating
Multi-Mode Fiber-Optic Cable
Fiber-Optic Cabling Usage
Fiber-optic cabling is now being used in four types of industry:
Enterprise Networks - This is used for backbone cabling applications and interconnecting infrastructure devices.
Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) - This is used to provide always-on broadband services to homes and small businesses.
Long-Haul Networks - This is used by service providers to connect countries and cities.
Submarine Cable Networks - This is used to provide reliable high-speed, high-capacity solutions capable of surviving in harsh undersea environments at up to transoceanic distances.
Fiber-Optic Connectors
A fiber-optic connector terminates the end of an optical fiber.
A variety of fiber-optic connectors are available.
The main differences among the types of connectors are dimensions and methods of coupling.
Businesses decide on the types of connectors that will be used, based on their equipment.
There are four types of fiber-optic connectors.
Straight-Tip (ST) Connectors
One of the first connector types used.
The connector locks securely with a "twist-on/twist-off" bayonet-style mechanism.
Subscriber Connector (SC) Connectors
Sometimes referred to as "square connectors" or "standard connectors".
Widely-adopted LAN and WAN connector that uses a push-pull mechanism to ensure positive insertion.
Used with MMF and SMF.
Lucent Connector (LC) Simplex Connectors
Smaller version of the SC connector.
Sometimes called "little" or "local" connectors.
Quickly growing in popularity due to their smaller size.
Duplex Multimode LC Connectors
Similar to an LC simplex connector, but uses a duplex connector.
Straight-Tip (ST) Connectors
Subscriber Connector (SC) Connectors
Lucent Connector (LC) Simplex Connectors
Duplex Multimode LC Connectors
Fiber-Optic Patch Cords
Fiber-optic patch cords are required for interconnecting infrastructure devices.
The use of color distinguishes between single-mode and multi-mode patch cords.
A yellow jacket is for single-mode fiber cables and orange (or aqua) for multi-mode fiber cables.
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