Geeking out!

With the end of basketball that I regularly follow - not too big into the NBA - I can now turn my attention to more nerdy things in my life (well, I will keep up with Mizzou and Cardinal baseball and MU spring football and the NFL draft).

Since college a childhood friend of mine have been batting around the idea of creating a graphic novel. We came up with rudimentary plot lines and ideas in college but after graduation, life kinda happened and we put the comic on the back burner. So, at the risk of become an even bigger nerd than I already am, we've picked up where we left off and started this thing in earnest. With the web and new animation tools, it should actually prove easier this time around.

Since I'm a huge nerd, I'm half expecting Johnny Lawrence and Biff to come to my house to harass me.

That's me trying to get away on my "Can't buy me love" lawn mower!

Well, with my new student lifestyle and since he is currently "between jobs" we are able to put a little more effort back into our little pet project. Like many young lads growing up, I shared a fascination with comic books. I didn't really have a favorite comic or particular superhero that I followed, but I was always a huge fan of the art. I'm not a great artist so I would just admire the comic art work.

My friend however, is a great artist, I'll post some of his initial stuff below. However, like many artists I think he sometimes loses steam and motivation. Its my job to push him so we can get this thing done then sell it for millions of dollars. If anyone out there is interested in staring in our soon to be released live action sequel, please email me an 8 x 10 glossy.

Here are some initial character concepts he is working on. Sweet!

In general news, it was a great day today. Temperature was in the high 40's but it was a cloudless day and there was a nice crispness in the air. I went downtown to study and relax at the local Lollicup. Its funny to me that there are actually 2 Lollicups and other places that sell boba drinks here in the middle of Missouri. I guess we're not that backward.

Let me dweeb out a little more by posting lyrics to a girly song that I'm listening too.

SLTSFMM

So I sneak out to the garden to see you
We keep quiet 'cause we're dead if they knew
So close your eyes
Escape this town for a little while

"Love Story" by Taylor Swift

Klondike be cheatin!

I have recently discovered that I have a few games on my iPod, as I'm sure most of you were already aware. This has allowed me to further enjoy my time whilst I sit on my royal throne and speak with the subjects of my vast kingdom.

I only use 20 Euro bills to wipe my... (the dollar has really depreciated!)

I just have the basic games. There is a cool trivia game that covers music, movies and TV. I'm pretty good at the movie one, OK on the TV quiz and relatively lousy on the music quiz. There is also an interesting new version based off of the old game Breakout. The games are pretty fun and enjoyable except one...Klondike.

KLONDIKE, I HATE YOU!

Klondike is simply a game of solitaire. But I swear it is cheating. I've played roughly 60 games and I've only cleared the board 2 times! I'm pretty sure I know the rules and all of the nuances to playing solitaire so I'm relatively sure its poor programing rather than me being an imbecile. I've even gone as far as Googling to try and find out if it is possible to win each game of Solitaire (I'm guessing this is not possible).

I have a 0.03% winning percentage...I should be an investment banker!

Oddly, for some reason I've been listening to a lot of older electronica lately. As I blog right now, I am listening to Superstylin, Castles in the Sky, Sandstorm and Rapture. Harkens me back to the raving days. Good times!

School is going well. I got my grades from 1st quarter and, as expected, I got A's for Biology. I think had I not gotten A's in what amounts to Freshman Bio I probably would have rethought the whole nursing thing. =)

Well folks, get hype for tonight! Game time is in about 6 hours and I'm excited. I just have to breeze through an anatomy quiz later over the structure of the ear (it will be cake) and get back home to watch Mizzou BEAT Memphis!




STLSFMM

You leave me when I'm at my worst
Feeling as if I've been cursed
Bitter cold within

"Days Go By" by Dirty Vegas

MIZ.......ZOU!

Ok ok, I know I should finish proof reading my physiology paper that's due tomorrow, but I'm still pretty amped about Mizzou's win over Marquette earlier this evening. Sweet sixteen baby!

Yes, yes, I know this is the completely wrong logo, but at least now the logo is being used for something productive instead of a mind numbing, rage enducing, stooopid show.

MU is in for a very, very tough match up against Memphis, but a victory is not out of the cards. In facts many pundits are calling it. Should be a wild one. I think our "bigs" will negate their superior guard play and if we can get their big men in foul trouble, we win a tight one.

Good thing it doesn't start till 8:30 CST as well, this means I don't have to mysteriously get sick during Anatomy and go home. I should be able to make it home in plenty of time.

I'm still trying to figure out my summer schedule. I have received the free money from Mizzou to apply towards my classes, but they currently have it allocated for this summer when I requested for the fall. I'm waiting to hear back if they will apply it for the fall semester. IF they do I'll definitely plan to be a squatter for a few weeks in California and will also become a vagrant in New York for a while...ooh, maybe a trip to the Carolina's would work. I think someone I know bought a house there and I have yet to "bless" it, SWEET!

Not much else new to report on this end. March is winding down and the weather is starting to heat up. I'm really not looking forward to any humidity. Hmm, I really need to get FINE IN 09 into high gear so I can start saying: "Man, its so hot in here" and just take off my shirt. I'm still cheating with the carbs and slacking on the cardio.

Because, If you're buff enough, this "shirt-off-technique" can be applied anywhere:

During Catholic Mass at Notre Dame Cathedral...

"Man, Padre, it's so hot in here."

During a life saving Panda operation...

"Man, Ling Ling, it's so hot in here."

And of course as a shout out to our dying economy, during C-SPAN's coverage of some Congressional hearing...

And the distinguished gentleman from Studsville would like to say "Man, Mr. Chairman, it's so hot in here".

Oh, last quick note. 3 Strictorheads for Watchmen.

A great production and very atypical "superhero" movie. You don't need to have read or understood any of the graphic novels. A fun time indeed!

Germs germs everywhere!

Well, I was able to add Microbiology today. I didn't get (or maybe didn't check) my school email until after the lecture started at 5 pm so I just headed over to the lab portion at 7:30. I only missed 2 lectures and the 1st lab, but from what classmate told me, I didn't miss much.

I can already tell that the material may be tricky, because while the professor is pretty relaxed and chill, she doesn't give much in terms of direction. The lab should have taken maybe 20 minutes max...but it ran 2.5 hours cause the teacher wasn't very organized and we weren't given much guidance early on. However, once she told us what to do, everyone finished pretty quickly.

She kinda has me worried a bit, she kept saying that she is not liable if anyone of us gets sick and that we are all responsible to keep contamination to a minimum. What the F kinda instructions are those! I think there was a greater danger of contamination from whatever bacteria culture we were playing with since now people were shaking trying to be extra careful.

I did enjoy playing with the Bacti-cinerator. Its like a flame-thrower to kill bacteria!

Ok, its nothing like a flame-thrower (it looks more like a space heater shaped like a hair dryer), but I really thought the name was manly.

Fire shoots out of the hole you see to the left! And of course when I say "shoots out" I mean that the tube gets hot and you stick the needle in there. No real shooting fire.

Food related note: I think I have to pull the ring off of Chipotle. I had it the other day (first time in probably 4 months or so) and I wasn't impressed. Mind you, I wasn't necessarily disappointed, but the rice didn't do it for me as much as I remember. No, you may wonder what type of rice can "do it for me", but if you like a hint of lime, I'm sure you'd surely appreciate the lime/cilantro favoring of Chiptole rice. I don't know, this time it didn't bring it. Maybe the formula is different here in the Midwest. The lime and cilantro may be toned down out here. It would make sense...shoot, I don't believe I really tasted cilantro until I moved out west.

With another radical temperature drop today...I was outside working on my tan in the 80 degree sun yesterday to the rainy 40 degree day today...I decided to take a drive up Mulholland and amend the HOLLYWOOD sign.

Just in case anyone was wondering...



SLTSFMM

(Hilarious video...please check it out here. Its a funny take on an Indian Music video, it makes absolutely no sense but is entertaining. My brother showed it too me a while back and was laughing again at it today)


Who put a goat in there
The yellow goat I ate
My loony bun is fine Benny Lava
Minor bun engine made Benny Lava

"Benny Lava" by Buffalax (Not a real song or real musical artist/group)

Spring UNBROKEN?

Wow, I feel like an old man. I woke up on this morning at 7:12 am, grabbed a bowl of cereal (a tasty mix of Cracklin Oat Bran and Cheerio's) and a glass of OJ, then I read the newspaper. All this on a Saturday morning...really need to get a life!

Oh well...

This post is in response to an earlier post where I was lamenting the possible lack of a spring break. Well, it looks like karma is a b!tch because while it looks like I will now have a spring break, I may have this week vacation while sacrificing any long summer vacation plans I may have been hatching (ala spending 3 weeks in California).

So, you're all probably waiting, with rapt attention (wait, did I use that correctly? I know atleast one person who will grammar police me) to find out where I'll be spending my spring break. Since I get a free week, I've decided to follow the Girls Gone Wild bus.

I'll be "breakin" at Mi Padre Island! Its close to South Padre Island. Just slightly a few miles to the North and West. And of course, by a few miles, I mean 1091.



A few interesting tidbits about Mi Padre Island and some small differences between the two locales.

1) Instead of the Gulf of Mexico, an ocean of farmland surrounds Mi Padre Island

2) The alcohol served at Mi Padre Island isn't the cheapest beer available (Nat Lite = used toilet water) its usually fine red wines with a rating of 90 points and above

3) The only "wet t-shirt" on Mi Padre Island is the one I'm wearing when I fall asleep in front of the TV and drool onto my own chest

and most importantly and most saddening...

4) Instead of flocks of highly intoxicated and morally "flexible" young women, Mi Padre Island is solely populated by an older, cerebral Filipino neurologist (my mom is in the Bay Area to help my sister with her upcoming move...more on that later)

Anyone up for a riveting game of Scrabble? 4 letter minimum required.

Well, at least the News Media has finally caught on.

Mid terms finished up this past week and I'm pretty sure I bombed my Anatomy lab practical. It seems that almost everyone in the class felt uncertain about their grade and thought it was the toughest test yet.

I would have to agree, I'm thinking I got a C on it. Hopefully I'm wrong, but it will definitely put a dent in my 101% in the class so far. Oh well, I only need 90% for an A so I have a few points to give.

Now, the reason I now have my spring break back is because I was unable to add Microbiology for this next quarter. I'm currently second on the wait list and have to hope that at least 2 people find the class too challenging and drop it before the quarter progresses too much further. Shoot, its only an 8 week course so even if I only miss 3 or 4 lectures, that's already a 1/4 of the class.

I'll be catching a lot of basketball now that Mizzou is making noise again in the post season. That is really one great thing about being back in the Midwest. I'll be able to catch a lot of MU sports. Also, I'll be able to see some Cardinals (baseball) and Chiefs (football) games over the next couple years.

So, my sister's move that I alluded to. My brother-in-law was offered and accepted a job a Bungie. This is the video game company that makes the HALO games (Yeah, fraking awesome!) so they will be moving their little family up to Seattle. Things are really moving and shaking I tell ya!

Ok, I've got a few movies to watch before the Mizzou game later today. I know, I know, its tough when you're such an International Playboy like I am...not enough hours in the day I tell ya!

Oh, the SLTSFMM today goes out to the person who actually sat through and watched ALL of the Karate Kid movies in one afternoon...sad situation.

SLTSFMM

I was a superhero, king of 1985
I showed no mercy, I was always Cobra Kai
But I caught a crane kick to the face, uh huh
I guess he sealed my fate, when he said
Sweep the leg, Johnny

"Sweep the Leg" by No More Kings

Whats on Strictor's boobtube?

I'm watching The Kite Runner as I blog. Its tough at times since I do have to look up and read some subtitles. Its very good so far...though it makes you want to beat the sh!t out of the lead character in the first act. I guess that's a sign of a good actor, if they can get you to feel different emotions about them.

I've been watching a lot of movies and catching up on TV shows to kill the time. Since we're able to "borrow" a lot of new movies from the internet and with Netflix, I'm getting in a lot of films. I've also been able to watch a lot of TV shows as well, the internet is fantastic, since I don't watch them when they originally air I just look for them streaming somewhere.

Since I would probably make as bad a movie critic as I would a food critic, I'll set up a handy chart to break down how I felt about the movie. Yes, I know I'm notoriously forgiving when it comes to rating movies. Many of you have heard my infamous words: "If you take it for what its worth". I'll try to be a little more critical when recommending movies or shows. But, it should be noted that I am a big escapist when watching movies, so take my recommendations with that in mind.

Reset Button's Rating Scale:


3 Strictor Heads: Watch it or we can't be friends anymore!



2 Strictor Heads: Definitely try watching if you have time.




1 Strictor Head: Eh, if you take it for what its worth.



Well, here are a few movies I watched lately with my rating. Do enjoy!


I'd forgotten what a crazy and violent movie this was. Very fun movie to watch. Also a great "six degrees" movie trivia game for all the actors in it (That means you F.A.!).



I really wanted to like this movie more, but it just felt lacking. As many of you know I'm a big history and World War II buff, so maybe my expectations were too high.


A very good story and well acted. I should probably have read the book first, but the movie was very good and emotional. I think I may go buy a kite get into some kite flying duels, haven't done that in decades.


This is an awesome Showtime series. I just finished watching season 3. I would highly recommend this show. Its funny, violent and the plot twists are pretty neat. In case you were wondering, its about a
serial killer named Dexter who only preys on murderers. Good stuff!

Sadly, on the TV front, BSG only has 2 more episodes to go...so yes, I'm crying on the inside and outside.

Don't like the weather...

...Just wait 5 minutes.

That is the standard Midwestern saying regarding the weather: "Don't like the weather, just wait 5 minutes." After living in Southern California where there is really just one long season, broken up by a few weeks of rain/wind/fire/extreme heat/race riots, I'm now fully immersed back into the Midwestern way of things. To help illustrate the point further...it snowed a few days ago and it was around 20 degrees on Tuesday. Today...



Can't beat that with a bat! 75 degrees!

I even clicked the "Columbia Live Webcams" again and it looks like Cow is really enjoying the weather as well.

And the cow says: "Moo-moo-mizzou...and can I get sun tan lotion bro?"

Notice that Cow is rocking his Mizzou hat after a great Tiger basketball win over #5 Oklahoma last night. I wish I could have gone to the game last night but I had a Final and Lab Practical.

Speaking of which, I've finished one midterm (with another midterm in about an hour), a final and the final lab practical. My first Quarterly class, Biology, is finished now. I'm pretty sure I got A's in lecture and the lab. Barring any catastrophe (like if I didn't put my name on the test sheet, or if I accidentally started on #2 on the SCANTRON sheet) I should have started my college-redux in style.

I'm currently on a wait list to get into Microbiology. This has severe implications for my summer. If, I cannot get into the class for this upcoming quarter, I will take it here over the summer (along with Diet & Nutrition at Mizzou). This means any summer plans I may have been formulating may evaporate.

More news on this as it happens...

As I mentioned earlier I still have one midterm to go then my weekend can begin! I have a physiology lab Friday mornings but these are pretty brain dead, mostly busy work. All I have to do is muddle through my anatomy mid-term about the nervous system.

Unfortunately, I am the least confident going into this test. Admittedly, with the Bio finals and my Physiology midterm, I haven't devoted as much time to Anatomy. I think knowing that I have over 100% in the class and that we get to drop our worst test (midterm included), I've been lax on my desire to ace this test.

I'm hopefully and I'm pretty sure I'll get at least a B. With my pops being a Neurologist, we were introduced to brain terms relatively early on. My parents used to own a lot of Parakeets and Cockatiels (tho many of them are now flying around on a big farm in heaven). My dad decided to name many of them after various parts of the brain and spinal column. And you wonder where we get our "nerdiness" from.

I recall that Amigdala was one of the favorites, as he was very comfortable around people. He would often climb up your arm and sit on your shoulder while you went about your day. Haha, I remember my dad looking like a pirate as he did the dishes with a parakeet on his shoulder.

Alas, I should cram in some last minute memorization attempts. Right now I don't know Acoustic Vestibulocochlear Nerve from my Glossopharyngeal Nerve. And, thats like not knowing your ass from your elbow, people.

Oh, big weekend coming up. My grandma's 80th birthday and we're having a relatively big family reunion. Time to see all my younger cousins who are getting taller than me...those rat bastards!


SLTSFMM:

I wish I was like six foot nine
So I can get with Leoshi
Cause she don't know me, but yo she's really fine
Yo I see her all the time
Everywhere I go, and even in my dreams
I can scheme a way to make her mine

"I wish" by Skee-Lo

I'm HUGE over in Japan!

I was planning to blog tonight about how I hate being saddled with influenza. I've been fighting off the flu for the past week, and think I've finally righted the ship and should be back to 100% by midweek (I hope!).

I do feel a little deflated since I haven't been able to work out all week...the longest workout absence since FINE IN 09 began. Oh well, I'll hit it hard once I can breathe properly and don't have a fever.

When I logged on I saw something pretty cool on Ran's site. Its a funny way to create an album cover for yourself. Since I'm always doing the "finger-pointing-album-cover-pose" for photographs, I wanted to give it a try.

Definitely check out his cover and also another friend's here. They have classy looking covers. Tho Ran does admit his band would probably be touring at Lilith Fair. Hehe...

Here are the basic "rules", as it is supposed to be random (I stole this from his blog):

1. The first article you get from Wikipedia is the name of your artist/band.
   
   
2. The last four or five words of the very last quote on this site is the title of your album.
   
   
3. The third picture from Flickr's Explore page, no matter what it is, will be your album cover art.
   
   
4. Use Photoshop or similar to put it all together.

This is what my album cover looks like:


In case you were wondering, I headline a J-Pop boyband called HPI : Happy Planet Index. This is the cover from our upcoming 3rd record "Not to prepare for life..."; dropping in May! So peep this at your local international music store!

Here are the links I got for the quote and the Wikipedia, in case you were wondering what HPI really is.

And finally, before I go to bed I wanted to share something I saw on a message board today. It may have circulated around for a while, but this was the first I had seen it. I really, really, really want to believe that this is real...



That is a man with a tattoo of Wolverine riding a My Little Pony under a starry sky! FANTASTIC!

SLTSFMM:

Now I'm lost in you
Like I always do
And I die to win
Cause I'm born to lose

"Firefly" by Breaking Benjamin