If you don't know...

Now you know!

Its approximately 4:00 am and I'm about to reveal 3 random things about me that probably won't surprise you. Why? Because its early Monday morning and I'm home...and I'm not drunk. Also, I noticed that I hadn't blogged much in April, so I'll squeeze one in tonight.

So lets start...

#1

I'm up at 4:00 am and haven't even yawned yet. I had "fixed" my sleep cycle but it looks like its jacked up again. I've always been a night owl. I suppose this will be helpful as I really want to take the night shift when I start nursing. More money and usually less hassles so I'm very much up for that.

You're probably saying: "Hey dummy, don't you have class in the morning?". The answer is: Yes, yes I do. But, its just a physiology lecture. I had asked my professor, Dr. Patton, what my grade was after I took an exam on Friday. He looked at me quizzically and said, "I think you can pretty much skip the final and still get an A".

Well, that's cool, but not all together correct. I have to get at least a 40% on the Final in three weeks to keep my A. Hence, I'm somewhat lackadaisical about lecture. Don't get me wrong, I will roll out of bed and take notes like a zombie in 4 hours. I've actually been studying for a Microbiology test I have tomorrow night as well (it doesn't seem too bad).

#2

I once started a Chess Club in 6th grade (yes, that siren you hear is in fact the DORK ALARM). Again, probably not much of surprise. I recently decided that I wanted to hone my poor chess skills again. I haven't really played much in the past few decades, but I logged into Chess.com and just started playing against the computer. I've been doing OK so far, we'll see if I can get any better.

I've been playing online for a couple hours and decided to take a bit of a break. Here's a snapshot of the current game I'm playing. Granted, the difficulty is only set to medium. I tried to go advanced and got worked pretty bad.

As you can tell, I countered the computer's Reti Opening by trying to employ the Rauzer Formation. I will follow this up with Gamboa's Dumbass Gambit (FYI, the first two are actual chess terms, the 3rd...well, I'll leave that up to you to decide).

#3

I'm also currently watching a somewhat obscure movie, Miracle Match. Techincally, its just playing on my other monitior so I have some white noise. It also came in my Netflix cue so I'm trying to send it off tomorrow.

Its pretty good so far. Its about the US National Soccer team that upset a heavily favored and World Cup favorite back in the 1950's. I like these underdog movies. Its got an interesting cast. There's a pre-300 Gerard Butler (who tries really hard to mask his accent); Patrick Stewart of Captain Picard/Professor X fame for the nerds; Wes Bentley from American Beauty/Four Feathers; Jimmy Jean-Louis who plays the Haitian on Heroes; and Zachery Ty Bryan who was the oldest Taylor boy on Home Improvement.

Not a big soccer fan...too much goddamn running! I did score a goal or two back in peewee soccer way back in the day (my favorite part was the half-time orange slices!). But that ensemble does make a pretty good futbol squad.

Oh well, that's all from me right now. I have two tests this week, then Finals in mid-May. After that...its summer vacation baby! Hahahaha...who knew I could have my summer vacations again. Granted, I will most likely be taking Pharmacology in the summer.

Uh oh, I hear thunder...time to unplug the computer and get some Z's.

The First Big Decision of 2009

Well folks, we've come to the crux of the matter. I've put it off long enough. In a few days I will have to finalize my decision. No regrets. No hesitation. It must be done. We all may look back upon this day, and remember it as the turning point of the year...or blame it as the day it all went very, very wrong.

What is this HUGE decision that I must make?

That's a drumroll...get it? It also comes with eel if you want.

I need to figure out...WHAT HAIR STYLE SHOULD I ADOPT?

I know, I'm sure you all thought I was about to weigh in on the federal economic stimulus and bailout plans. Don't worry, I have Barack on speed dial and I'll give him my 2 cents as soon as I mediate my personal coiffure crisis.

As many of you may know, I've had the relatively the same hair cut for the past, oh...3 decades. It has just pretty much just changed in length. So, don't expect anything too crazy...like a beehive or for me to suddenly get extensions.

Thus, here is my dilemma. What the F should I do with my hair now? There seem to be an abundance of weddings approaching in May...so I don't really want to shave my head yet. I do plan to escape the summer heat and humidity by sheering off all my lovely locks by mid June.

In case you were wondering, during the Midwestern summer humidity, my hair acts like a motorcycle helmet. Check that, it acts like a Buckingham Palace Grenadier Guard Helmet, over a a motorcylce helmet, with fuscia ear muffs.

Not a pretty picture. Not to mention a very sweaty head!

Right now its somewhat in the intermediate stage. It hasn't gotten to the point, as Joyce called it, where my hair is "eating my face", but it may get there soon. Thus, I've pretty much narrowed it down to two possible hairstyles.
OPTION 1: I can continue to grow it out and rock the BAMA BANGS (here to fore named after numerous Southern boys who rock this cut, aka Alabama Bangs).

Granted, my hair would be black...unless I get a vat of peroxide. But, I just wanted to have contrast for EMPHASIS.

I'm not quite sure if my hair will actually lay down like that. Its been cooperative so far.

OPTION 2: I can pretty much do what I've been doing, just BIGGER! How about a really tall DRAGONBALL Z SPIKY FRO?

Wait...this actually looks more like Edward Scissorhands

Crap, its 2:30 am so I probably won't be able to make up my mind tonight. More than likely I'll end up cutting my hair shorter cuz it will get muggy outside. I guess my steelo will have to be a work in progress. Stay tuned for my future follicle follies.

Oh, real quick recommendation. Check out In Bruges if you can. Its a fun, but sickly dark comedy. Definitely put a ring on it.

I put a Class Ring on it in honor of all the 2009 graduates!

SLTFMM

You are sweet on the tip of my tounge
You are warm like the rays of the sun

"Sweet Like Chocolate" by Shanks & Bigfoot

I'm too old for this shi...

As I ambled back into the house around noon this morning with a mild headache, a stomach growling from hunger and the intense desire to take a shower I began thinking about my Murtaugh List. While it may not have been completely originated there, I stole the idea from watching a hilarious episode of How I met your mother (which is one of the best shows on TV by the way). I tried to find the episode to link for ya'll but its no longer on the CBS website so you'll just have to find it covertly yourself. =)

Essentially, the Murtaugh List, I believe is a summary of activities that a person has either out grown, matured out of, or can no longer do as well nor should do at all, as they did when they were younger.

I propose, that though I still feel young and look relatively spry, I will add a few items onto my own personal list.

Primarily, as a direct reflection of last night, I will no longer imbibe alcoholic beverages for 7 straight hours. I'm too old that that sh!t...


Last night I attended a bachelors party for the fiance of a childhood friend. It was quite a large gathering, I counted probably 30 fellas. So, using the quantitative multiplication properties of peer pressure combined with the microscopic bar room prices here in the Midwest; I'm sure you can deduct for yourself that the alcohol was a free flowing river of throat burning, poor decision enducing, general merriment and weapon of debauchery.

I have just woken up from a six hour nap and thankfully, I don't have a headache and I'm not really worse-for-wear (which I attribute to trying to minimize the varieties of alcohol I drank). The only thing is that I have no idea what happened to my Sunday.

If this were the movies, I would have a fantastical story to regale you with regarding my awesome nighttime adventures that culminated with me waking up in the bed of a random woman then having to find my pants, escape from a window and steal a bicycle to get home. Alas, we all know that that's not the way I roll...unfortunately.

After a great dinner, our troupe of soon to be drunken troubadours (due to the fact that there were way too many bad singers singing last night), just walked around the downtown area hopping from bar to bar. If there's one great thing about living in a big college town, its that there are numerous bars that one can stumble into in a relatively confined area.

After last call, I forsake the option to follow the groom to the customary exotic dancing establishment and headed over to a buddy's house for some beer pong and video games (these two items will NOT be placed on the bucket list). I ended up staying coherent till around 7 am trying to figure out why I suddenly really sucked at a video game I'm normally decent at - it didn't really dawn on me until later that my motor skills MAY have been impaired. I ended up crashing out at my friends house trying to get comfortable on a couch with about 6 others strewn out all over the living room.

Its pretty amazing how guys can sleep in very uncomfortable looking positions - like sitting upright on some stairs - but I guess given sufficient knockout juice (ie. lower quality, high proof tequilla) a man can sleep like a baby anywhere.

Let me just say that in a group of Filipino and white guys, its probably not wise to be the first one asleep.

OK, its nearly 7:30 pm...time to go have breakfast!

60% of the time, it works everytime!

We started the cat dissection portion in my anatomy class today and I think I gave away some hints about my advanced age compared to most of the students in my class. I think, thanks to my Asian genetics, I've pretty much been able to blend into the "college" crowd. I've yet to reveal my age since no one has asked me outright what my age is (I'm pretty sure I won't lie...hahaha). So I usually just let people come to their own conclusions, I do volunteer some information by saying "I'm old".

However, "old" to a 19-22 year old person is typically 25-28. So, I'm pretty sure most think I'm 25ish. I could be deluded in this thinking, but since there aren't too many Filipinos around for comparison's sake, I'm sure I'm safe. There are enough instances that do prove my point.

I remember when a few of us went out to the local night club after I had recently moved here. I ended up speaking with a waitress - who by odd coincidence was actually from Temecula CA - and told her I just moved to Missouri for school. She immediately told me: "You'll have fun here. Everyone is pretty much our age!". So I asked her how old she was and she advised that she was 21. Of course I nodded and quickly ordered a drink before she could reciprocate the inquiry. I guess you could say I'm "pretty much" her age. Lets roll with it.

Ok, enough of that and back to the cat skinning. I eluded to early that I may have inadvertantly "aged" myself infront of my classmates. In anatomy we are allowed to name our cat specimens, for fun and for identification later. My group, which included another young guy, was thinking about using the name Sex Panther. You know, as an ode to Anchorman.

Our professor, while she said she was a fan of the movie, didn't think it would be particullary appropriate. I suggested Simba, ala the Lion King, but a group of girls next to us who happened to have a tan cat, asked to use that name. Thus, being a gentleman I let them use the name.

Oddly, the next name that popped into my head was Billy Dee Williams. I just remember thinking about old Colt 45 commercials and thinking, "That's one smooooth cat". Oddly, I was the only one who got a chuckle out of this. My classmates asked who he was, so I brought up Lando Calrissian, from Star Wars. I still got blank looks. Then I realized, when I mentioned Star Wars, most of my peers reference the 3 new prequel movies (I, II, III) and not the ones I grew up and loved.

If I didn't know better, I swear this could be an ad promoting date rape. "Don't have roofies? Colt 45 works just as good!"

Lando: The man with the snazy blue lined cape and the funky dance step.

Since my Billy Dee suggestion went down in flames, my other lab partner - and soon to be turkey hunting buddy (more on that later) - wanted to name our specimen Crouching Tiger. I suppose he's probably has a mild Asian fetish (being a white guy in the Midwest), so I agreed and thus our Wu-Shu Kung Fu Cat came to be. Then we promplty opened up its chest and dissected its heart.

Regarding classes, I think I bombed my Microbiology test on Monday. I didn't study as much as I should have, and the stuff I studied didn't end up being on the test. Fantastic.

Oh, before I forget: KLONDIKE UPDATE

Games Played: 359
Games Won: 37
Winning Percentage: 10.3%

So, I've definitely up'd my winning percentage...

I'll leave you with a couple links to cool videos that my brother recommended to me and I pass along to you.

This is the literal version of the Aha's Take on me. They sing the song describing everything that is actually going on in the video. Pretty funny take on a great 80's song (dang, did I just age myself again?)

Apocalyse Meow is an computer animated series for grown ups. Its based off an old Japanese comic/manga about the Vietnam war (read it here). The cartoon is a play off the Japanese word for rabbit, which is USAGI. It is broken down to "USA - GI" or a US solider. So, the little bunnies totting sniper rifles and machineguns are an alegory for US troops. Each country is represented by a different animal. In the updated animal version it looks like it is taking place in Afghanistan so the other combatants are camels. In the original comic, the Vietnamese are Cats, Austrailians are Kangaroos, Chinese are Pandas, Russians are Bears, etc. etc. Its pretty funny to see cute little furry creatures launching RPGS.

SLTSFMM

It was the height I grew, the weight,
The shell was crushing you,
I've been around a few

"Gold Lion" by Yeah Yeah Yeahs

(I'll start trying to link the song that I'm referencing so you can hear what I'm thinking)

Is Netflix judging me?

My Netflix movie queue is currently over 230 movies. I know I'll never watch all of them, Netflix knows I'll never watch all of them...we just choose not to talk about it and I'll keep paying the monthly fee.

Its a wild mix of foreign films, dramas, amine, action films, comedies, and 80's movies that I haven't seen in a while. Interestingly, I've decided not to watch too many of these old 80's films because I don't want to ruin my memory of them.

There are movies that still hold up through the decades (yikes, its been decades?) ala Starwars, Can't buy me love, Top Gun, Ladyhawke, etc etc. But there are some more obscure ones that I remember loving as a kid and now didn't like so much.

A couple that come to mind that I rewatched recently were Space Camp, Cloak & Dagger and War Games. I remember loving these movies as a kid, but upon rewatching I think I ruined my memory of them. Oh well, I'll probably keep them in the queue so I can reminiscence about my childhood...

The poor kid was actually schizophrenic and imagined he was being helped by some super spy he created in his mind. I think he grows up to become the main character in Fight Club.

Lance Bass has it all wrong, you don't need $20 million to have the Russians take you to space. You just need to befriend a good intentioned robot to send you accidentally into space.

What the hell? Some kid hacked into NORAD's nuclear missile control using a dial-up modem and an Apple IIe. Shoot, all I was ever allowed do was play Oregon Trail.

I swear, if thieves come and steal one more Ox. I'm burning this whole muthafucking trail to the ground!

The funny thing was when I logged onto Netflix to see what movies I had coming, their suggestion categories were pretty hilarious. Also, I think the categories for movies these day's is pretty F'ing specific. Its no longer just "Action" or "Comedy". I suppose there are so many movies out that extremely specific movie categories are required.

Here are three movie categories that were suggested to me by the omniscient Netflix computer:

Gritty Crime Thriller - Ok, I'm cool with that. I liked Usual Suspects and Heat.

Romantic Drama Featuring Strong Female Lead - WTF? Really? My cousin wanted me to get P.S. I love you (which I thought was ok) and now I'm a butch lesbian?

Visually Striking Mind-Bending Movies from the 1970's - HUH? What the hell kinda category is that? I guess I should never selected Clockwork Orange.

I'm off to Kansas City again this weekend. My dad's birthday is next week and he's actually flying out to Seattle (to visit my sister) so we'll hang out this weekend.

Oh, for any Catholic readers out there...only a few more day's till Lent is over. Then you can resume your debauchery...you freakin heathens! =P

So this is spring?

The places I go make me so Intranational. The people I meet make me so Intranational. That is my mini-ode to B-Legit. This marks my first intranational blog. I'm not international since I'm blogging from one state over to the west. But, it looks like Reset Button is now intranational baby!

Its cold here. Its windy here. Did I mention its windy and cold here? When my brother woke me up to get ready for Palm Sunday mass, I got my shirt ready and pulled on my short socks. It was in the high 60's on Saturday so I was expecting it to be somewhat warm. He then informed me to bundle up because it had SNOWED this morning. Yes, snow in April...FANTASTIC!

We both went to Hays this weekend to visit with my pops and to get our blood work done. Here's hoping I got my cholesterol and trigycerides down to where they are supposed to be.

We'll be heading out to make the 4 hour drive to Kansas City in an hour or so. Then after dropping my brother off I'll have another 2 hours to make it back to Columbia. Which will put me in around 9 or 10, giving me a few hours to finish cramming for my Physiology test on Monday morning.

Oh, speaking of tests, my first Microbiology test went well. 98.5%. That'll do pig, that'll do.

One thing I did forget about my dad, he likes his Orange Juice with a LOT of pulp. While I don't mind a little bit of pulp, I usually buy the "low pulp" or "no pulp" varieties at the store. My dad buys the orange juice labeled "Pulp Extravaganza"!

When I went to pour myself a cup yesterday there was so much pulp it was like drinking orange stew!

Have you had your bowl of orange juice today?

Ok, time to pack up and road trip it back to Missouri. See ya'll across the river!

Foreclosure blues...

SLTSFMM

You cant write if you cant relate,
Trade the cash for the beef for the body for the hate,
And my time is a piece of wax falling on a termite,
That's choking on the splinters.

"Loser" by Beck