A photographers show tonight at the Commonwealth Store in Norfolk
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April 22, 2005
Aloha everyone... sorry for the lack of posting, but I'm in Florida right now. I'd been preparing for this mini-vacation for the past few weeks. I would put up some pictures and stuff, but I've been having problems uploading pictures from my camera to my laptop.
I'll put them up next week when I get back home to VA.
For now, my version of an e-postcard...
I'm having a good time here...
wish you were here...
March 31, 2005
So, what's been going on with me since the last time I've posted (I know it's been a while)
The 8K Race...
I finished it. I didn't collapse, it was rough, but I finished it. There are pictures posted somewhere on the internet, but I'm not showing it off here. You can see me struggling to finish, not something I want everyone to see. If you really want to see them, find them yourself. But I'm just happy to have finished it.
In preparation for the run, I had started to eat less "bad" foods. And since lent was going on in conjunction with me watching what I eat, I decided to make alcohol, donuts, and potato chips part of my lenten sacrifice, killing two birds with one stone (okay, maybe not the best saying when talking about lent). I was feeling okay after the run, but a few hours afterwards was a different story. Every hour, it was something different that was hurting. And I won't even mention the pain after waking up the next morning.
Easter/Lent...
The problem with giving up the food and alcohol for the race and lent is that the race ended a week before lent. As soon as the race was over, I just wanted to pig out on everything. In fact at the end of the race, they gave away free potato chips and free beer to all the finishers. But I held out for that extra week and I was good about it. I did eat a lot of other foods after the race, I really mean a lot. I had two lunches.
Easter was okay, I spent it with the family. I spent a good part of the day eating and then spending another good part sleeping. Catching up on sleep was good, but I ended up sleeping through some of the best NCAA tournament games ever.
The NCAA Tournament...
What started off as a mess of a bracket sheet for me turned out to be alright. We're now down to the final four and I picked 3 of them correctly - UNC, Illinois, & Louisville. The only one I missed was Michigan St., who I had losing in the first round to ODU. So if ODU had done what they were capable of doing and beating Michigan St. like they were supposed to, I may have picked all four teams correctly. I have Illinois and UNC picked to play in the Championship game with UNC winning it all (they are my favorite team).
Other sports...
Manny Pacquiao lost. Oh well, he fought a good fight.
The Lakers are out of the playoffs and on an 8 game losing streak. They suck. That's what they get for trading away the most dominant player in the NBA. I was against the trade when it occurred and now Miami is in first place in the East. Oh well, go bullets, i mean wizards.
So March is about over with and I've got a busy April month ahead of me.
March 17, 2005
Happy St. Patrick's Day to all of my Irish friends... hold up... I don't think I have any. Well Happy Wear Green Day to everybody anyways as we celebrate our Irish culture.
I took off of work tonight and tomorrow night. Why? Because I'm running an 8K race (my second race) on Saturday, and it's easier when I run well-rested rather than in the half-awake state that I'm normally in on a Saturday morning, after a week of nickel and dimeing sleep when I can. I hope a couple of nights rest helps because right now I can't run more than 3 miles without having to suck in oxygen through every hole in my body. And it's been hard to get ready for this run as it's been really cold outside lately. So I've been running on a treadmill lately, but it's just not the same. Oh well, I've got nothing to prove this time and I won't feel bad if I have to walk for some of it.
Also on saturday night, Manny Pacquiao is fighting on Pay-per-view. Hit me up if you want to watch it (or if you're getting it).
But taking the next few nights off has worked to my favor because I get to watch my favorite sporting event of the year, the NCAA tournament. For the past few years, I've had to miss out on some of the later games as I had to drive into work at that time, but now I get to enjoy every minute. It especially helps on Friday night, as ODU (finally getting in after years of frustrating me) plays in the late 9:40pm game, which will probably end around midnight. I hope they win.
ODU's inclusion this year does create a dillema for me though. As many of you know, I'm a genius when it comes to filling out my brackets (I'm not bragging, just stating facts). But it is so hard to pick against ODU. I've seen them play so many times this year, and I've seen the flashes of brilliance in their play, that I believe they can beat anybody. So in my first draft when filling in the brackets, I end up with ODU winning it all, but for some reason logic tells me that it's not going to happen. So in my second draft, I have my second favorite team winning it all, UNC, and that probably has a better chance of happenning. So while I am spending more time keeping my eye one ODU and UNC, I haven't really done the kind of research I usually do for the tournament. But that's alright, I'm not doing any big time gambling with it this year.
Oddly enough, I won the NCAA pool at work 2 years ago. They didn't do one last year and it doesn't seem as if they are doing one this year either. Or maybe they are just keeping me out of the loop and keeping it a secret from me. That's okay, I know they fear the genius.
March 9, 2005
It's my favorite time of the sporting year... March Madness. It's even sweeter this year with ODU playing as good as they are and winning the CAA conference tournament. I'm a die-hard fan that goes to just about every home game every year (even the losing seasons) and so it feels good to see them make it into the big dance, even if they keep making their games closer than they should be, i'm gonna have a heart attack one of these days because of them.
Tournament selection is this sunday, and now I don't have to sweat it out to see if they are going to make it as they've locked up their automatic berth. Now we just have to see who we draw. It does make it harder for me to fill out my brackets, as it's really hard for me to pick against ODU, even if I know they probably won't win it all. It looks like I'm going to be up the wazoo with college basketball for the next few weeks, and I love it.
My other favorite team, UNC, beat Duke and they are heading into the ACC tournament this weekend in good shape. I don't have to worry about them though. They're doing just fine without the help of my special "if i concentrate hard enough they will win" powers.
March 3, 2005
My nephew/godson turned 1 yesterday... this first year just went by so quickly.
I got my new 60Gig Ipod early Monday morning. I'm loving it, but there is one problem that I've encountered. I want to put every CD I own into it (a few hundred) plus all of the other music that I've "acquired" (a few thousand songs). The problem is that a lot of the songs that I've already stored on my computers have odd or screwed up file names. Not much of a problem when I play the songs on my computer because I can usually look at the name and figure out the artist and song title easily. But when I put it into the Ipod, it gets sorted out in different ways, and I'd like the song, artist, and album title to be all correct, so that it gets organized correctly. If I just threw all the songs in there, I would never be able to find a lot of it (and 60gigs is a lot to go through). So I've been spending a lot of time going through each song and making sure the title, artist, album, and even album art are correct. So far I've done about 1000 songs, and I've got a long way to go. At least I'll get it all organized now before it gets to be a big mess.
I've got 16 days until I run in my next race. This one is an 8k, 5-miles. I've been trying to get out and run to get ready for it but it's just too darn cold out there. Right now, I can only get 2.5 miles out of me, so I'm sort of behind where I want to be. I've got to gain 2+ more miles in 2 weeks (probably not going to happen) but I'll see what I can do. I just hope the weather gets better than these 30 degree temps that we've had the past few weeks. Oh well, I guess that's why my gold's gym membership is handy. In fact, I think I'm heading there right now...
February 23, 2005
I finally did it.
After a year of trying to save up money and trying to decide what I want, I finally just bit the bullet and got it. Yes, I just bought an ipod.
I've been known to be anti-ipod, as there are other products out there the I feel are superior and cheaper. The two biggest complaints that I have had against the Ipod are the short battery life and the price. The battery life of the other companies (iriver, dell dj, creative zen, etc.) are almost all double the life of ipods. And they are substatially cheaper. But Ipods have become the standard due to the monstrous advertising campaign. I'm also not a fan of itunes. The iriver has a color display that allows the viewing of photos and , along with the creative zen, allows voice recording.
The technology has kept changing from month to month and better products keep getting released. Just as I was ready to buy something, a better line of products get announced and I find myself back to trying to decide what to buy. But throughout the last year, the ipod has not been an option. And besides, I've never been one to follow the mainstream crowd. If everyone has an ipod, then I want the other thing.
But it feels like a losing battle. It's like trying to convince everybody that Beta is better than VHS. It's like trying to prove that the sega Dreamcast is a better value than the PS2. It's an Apple Ipod world and everyone is catering to it. So this week I starting checking out Ipod deals. People were saying that apple was ready to introduce a new line of ipods and so I figured that I'd start thinking about buying one. Just yesterday, I went to apple.com and put a 40gig ipod into my cart, just to see how I'd feel.
But then this morning, Apple did announce the new generation of Ipod. And they seem to have been listening to me (yes, it was me they are trying to win over). My two biggest complaints - price and battery life - are what they have improved. I can go into details about it all, but you guys can read about that yourselves.
An even more attractive lure is that because I work at a higher education institution I can qualify for the educational discount (you need to show proof at the apple store, but online... that's another story... but I do qualify). And with the new lower price and the discount, I was able to look at something better than what I was thinking about getting. So I bought one. I even got free laser engraving by ordering online (might be a bad thing if I decide to sell it later on... unless I can sell it to someone else named elbert). I had been eyeing the 40gig ipod, but I ended getting the 60gig Ipod Photo, and it was cheaper that what I was ready to spend. And the 60 gig should help me, as many of you know, I can load up a good number of the hundreds upon hundreds of cd's I own and the hundreds of mp3s that just seem to have appeared on my computer.
I don't know if I'm happy because I've got something I've been spending a year trying to buy, or if I'm sad that I'm now BROKE. I'll just be sad for now as I chew on my bologna sandwich (yes, I am really eating a bologna sandwich) as I know that this is what I'll be eating for the next few weeks, but I'll be happy next week when I receive a delivery from apple.
February 18, 2005
I am still trying to get some kind of a normal schedule going in this crazy routine of mine. I can't sleep when I want to sleep, and I am tired as sh!t when I've got stuff to do.
Ebay has this treasure hunt game thing going on this week. I figure that I've got a good chance winning some money because I like to consider myself an ebay pro. I can find anything on ebay (and I won't get into the skill of bidding and winning at a low price). But the clues that ebay has been giving are so "out there" that it's just not fun. After wasting two days on this, I'm giving up. At least I was able to do this while I was at work at 2 & 3am when most of the country decides to go to sleep. And I still can't win.
It's an All-Star game weekend in the NBA (sorry NHL fans). It has seem to have lost some of it's luster, but it's still a weekend I like to enjoy. The Slam Dunk competition is no longer what it used to be, but I'll still be watching.
It's also a huge weekend for the shoe companies. The NBA players are required to wear black or white shoes during the games, but during the All-Star game, they get to show off what they want to wear. Lebron will probably be wearing his Gray & Blue Nike Zoom LBJ2's. Kobe is expected to wear the yet-to-be-released Nike huarache 2k5s. And this weekend stores are releasing the new Retro Nike Air Force 180's (Barkley's... out today) and the much anticipated Air Jordan XX's, with a Jordan 20 year historical graphic right on the shoe. 20 Years of Jordans, and the shoe game has never been the same. And my wallet is emptier because of it.
February 12, 2005
Today... ODU vs. VCU. This is BIG for ODU. To us, this is our UNC vs. Duke (i'm not going to get into UNC's lackluster 1pt loss this week). But ODU is en route to their best record ever and they are on the cusp of getting ranked in the top 25. But they've lost to VCU 10 times in a row. This is probably the biggest conference game for ODU in decades.
I'll be there alongside the group of 18 that I've gathered together for this. I go to the ODU-VCU game every year, and every year we fall just short, and it's heartbreaking almost every time. This time I've gathered a lot of people to work their magical MoJos. A lot of other people have the same idea because the game has been sold out for over a week, an oddity for a conference game. The game will be on ESPN 2 at 4pm for those of you who want to help us with your mojo's through the TV screen.
I love my Job!!! (even though I had to drive through a crime scene with about 10 cop cars last night that involved a shooting, assault, and attempted robbery... and a Trick Daddy concert. Gotta love late night norfolk.)
It's my older sister's birthday tomorrow, and I have no idea what to get her.
February 4, 2005
Isn't there something worthy of watching on TV this weekend??? Hmmm... anybody have plans on Sunday???
My lack of a daily update here is partly due to the fact that my daily routine has changed up a bit. I've also stayed busier at work. I used to either mess with the internet as I'm usually finished with my work and I'm waiting for the clock to say it's time to go home. Or I would mess around with the page as I get home right after work, but that hasn't been the case lately. Because I've kept busy at work, I get to the point that I just want to go to sleep as soon as I get home. And if I'm not tired, I usually go somewhere before going home, and then I go to sleep as soon as I get home. Maybe it's just that I've hit that age that gets my body to say "hey fool, you need to sleep".
So while I try to get a new daily routine going, things may get shifted around again. Last month I entered a raffle where there were 2 grand prizes, an ipod and a 6-month membership to Gold's Gym. Because an mp3 player has become the next item on my "must buy" list, I decide to buy a load of raffle tickets, knowing I've got a good chance to win an Ipod. Low and behold, my name gets drawn for the grand prize, the grand prize that wasn't an Ipod.
So I redeemed my 6 month membership and get persuaded to add on another 6 months to round out a whole year. Oddly enough, the week before I won the raffle, I drove by gold's gym thinking about joining up. Why? There are 2 reasons:
Reason #1:
m back in training. I've signed up to run the Shamrock 8K on March 19. It's a 5-mile race and I went out to run 2 weeks ago and I couldn't get past 2 miles. It's too cold to run outside everyday, so I figured a gym would help out. My membership to the rec center has just expired and they bumped up the membership price, making me think about other options.
Reason #2:
I keep hearing about all these girls that have joined up and are hanging out there all the time. It's now the place to be. And it's now where I be at.
So I'm going to try to take advantage of this as much as I can. It helps that I can go when everyone else is at work, but I'll probably just end up going back when I can accidently bump into some hot,sweaty female friends. When in need, I can be a good spotter.
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Anybody need a gmail account? I now have FIFTY (50) invites to give away. Let me know and I'll send an invite your way. Gmail for everyone!!!
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I still have a couple of free CDs (they ended up getting called "Elemental Listening") for anybody who wants one. I've listed the tracklisting below. There were a couple of songs that I wanted to get on there but I couldn't get a good copy. A couple of songs were:
"Corners" by common
"Candy shop" by 50 cent
"Thing" by Amerie ..... (this song is HOT!!!)
"Bring It" by skillz
"Party Hard" by The Perceptionists
So if you want to make your own copy, you can add these on there yourself. Or maybe I'll just make volume 2 soon.
Elemental Listening – January 2005
1. Drop It Like It’s Hot................Snoop Dogg ft. Pharrell
2. Want You to Know................Vanessa Marquez ft. Justin Timberlake
3. Good Foot................Justin Timberlake ft. Timbaland
4. 1, 2 Step................Ciarra ft. Missy Elliot
5. Mr. Brightside................The Killers
6. Nothing Better................The Postal Service
7. Slow Hands................Interpol
8. They ................Jem
9. Breakdown (w/Jack Johnson)................Handsome Boy Modeling School
10. Fair ................Remy Zero
11. Sari ................Nellie McKay
12. Number One ................John Legend ft. Kanye West
13. Sunshine ................Mos Def
14. Sincere ................Foreign Exchange
15. How We Do ................The Game ft. 50 Cent
16. Get Back ................Ludacris
17. Trevor an’ them ................Murs
18. Figaro ................Madvillain
19. Teef’s Theme................Talib Kweli
20. Like This ................Hangar 18
21. The Ride of Your Life................Gift Of Gab
22. Exotic Talk ................RJD2
January 28, 2005 - wait! what's this?! a new update?!
I know, I know... I've been away from here lately. I've been BUSY both at work and at home. And when I'm not busy, I'm sleeping... but I'm back so you guys can keep up with the wonderful world of Elbert...
I won't get into details now about what's been going on with me, but I'll be seeing a bunch of you guys this weekend. I'm dj'ing a baptism, so if you're going to a baptism tomorrow you can catch up with me there.
And for being faithfull readers here, I've got free mix CDs to give out tomorrow if you want one. Just go up to the DJ (that'd be me), but you've got to say the the secret password/ phrase. In order to get a free mix CD, you've got to say:
"My camel's toe is enormous"
And I'll reply:
"That's because it's got big feet!!"
Then we make the secret exchange...
And if I won't see you this weekend, just email me, and I'll get one out to you. Out of town folks too. I'll mail it out for free... unless I don't know you, then it's $3. Just email me with the subject line: "I use a spork because I'm a dork!!!" i'm not trying to dis you spork lovers though. Yet the spork may be the most useless utensil of all time - prongs are too short to pick anything up, and the slots just let any kind of soup drip through. And I always find myself getting poked by those tiny blades. Damn you Spork, damn you!!!
So what's on this CD? It's basically just what I'm listening to right now. An eclectic variety of music that I like at the moment. 22 songs (it was supposed to be 30, but I could only fit 22). This is my version of "NOW... that's what I call music", and I was going to call it "That's the SH!T right there", but since I'll be giving these out at a church tomorrow, I figure I'll change the name to something else. I don't know what yet. It's got rock, pop, hip hop, some of which have yet been released to the public (cuz i gots the hook up). Some of these songs aren't for everybody's tastes, but it's what I likel, and I made it so I put what I want, and it's free, so there's no reason to complain. I'll try to put up a track listing sometimes this weekend.
January 7, 2005
Happy New Year everybody. I know we're a week into the new year, but when does it stop being new?
I slacked off a bit this past week, but I promise you all that I'll be posting a lot about a lot next week. Luan comes into town today and will be here until Sunday, and he always provokes a posting or two out of me.
I've been slacking off, but not because i've been busy, but rather because I've been running a crazy Freecell winning streak that has just consumed all of my time. But my winning streak just ended and I'm sick of the game now. I was sick of it 50 wins into the streak, but i couldn't stop until I lost. Now I can live my life again.
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December 31, 2004
It's the final day of 2004. I've been taking a little vacation from adding any updates here during the holidays, even though I've been working a regular schedule. I hope everyone had a good christmas.
Anybody have plans for any new years parties. I don't have anything planned, but there is a party at the Radisson Hotel in Downtown Norfolk (see the flyer above). I've got word from a lot of people that it's going to be the place to be. It's $30 though, but you get a free dinner buffet. I've also got word that it's being hosted by a couple of talented va beach musicians... but shhh!! you didn't hear that from me.
I may or may not go though. $30 is a lot for me, and I'm not sure if i want to be out that way tonight. I'm up for anything though, so if anybody wants to do anything, give me a call...
December 23, 2004
Break out those poles everyone! Happy Festivus!!!
A Festivus for the rest of us!!!
December 22, 2004
For those of you on the Circuit City email list, they sent out a coupon for 20% video games and accessories. It's easy to miss as it's imbedded within the newsletter. For those of you not on the email list, somebody posted theirs up (I don't know how long it'll be up before it gets shout down...):
20% Video Games & Accessories at Circuit City.
more later when I get home... around 10am - ok, so i fell asleep when i got home, like knocked out, but it's all good since I really needed it.
December 17, 2004
I guess this weekend is the last shopping weekend before Christmas. I've got to finish up some shopping today, i've got a christmas party tomorrow, and sunday i'll be helping out at the naabl basketball games and it's also somebody's birthday too.
I don't know what next week is like for everybody, but I figure it'll be a short work week for most of you (not me though - darn that essential personnel tag). Hopefully, I'll catch up with most of you that are coming back home from afar.
December 16, 2004
It was inevitable, but this week I've reached Sanjuro status.
I've spent a better part of this week out shopping. I haven't really bought much, or rather I haven't bought much in terms of christmas shopping, but I did pretty good for myself. But the stores have been insane with people this week. I usually enjoy going out after work and shopping at 8:30am before most people head out of their houses. I'm used to empty parking lots and short lines. But that's all different this week, even at 8:30am. It's a good thing that I've done most of my shopping already, but I've still got a couple of important people to shop for. I do get a bit of a kick from the hustle and bustle of the season, and I can handle it as long as it's just once a year.
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For some of you who are still looking for that perfect gift - lap pillows.
December 10, 2004
I'm a sucker for a meatball sub. I don't know why, but I luvs them and I'm usually really particular about where I get one. I like Quizno's sub, but there are only like 2 Quizno's in the area, and I've got to drive pretty far to get to one. Blimpies - ehh, it's okay. Zero's is probably the best. But I probably go to subways the most for my meatball sub because there are subways everywhere and they are usually cheapest there (for those who don't know - I'm a cheap bastard, being broke most of the time contributes to that).
What sets the Zero's & Quizno's subs apart from the others is the toasted bread. But the other day, I noticed, to my delight, that subways now has toasted subs. So I ordered one and they made it the usual way (it's not exactly a culinary secret to make one - meatballs in marinara sauce, cheese, and bread) but to get it toasted they threw it into a big microwave oven-looking thingy (I'm sure that's the proper name for it). Usually at the other sub shops, I wait at least 5 minutes for it to pass through the little heating oven to get toasted, but at subway they only had it in there for about 20 seconds and I couldn't believe that it was done when the guy handed it to me. No way could it get toasty that fast, but behold, not only was it toasted, but it was nearly burnt. Wow, that's some science-voodoo machine there. Pizza shops should be taking notes. I was impressed.
So I sit down with my toasty meatball sub and zone out into my happy place. As I bite into the sandwich and expect a mouthfull of gleefull bliss but DAMN... that isht was HOT as a mugg. Not only was the bread hot and toasty, but the cheese and sauce had somehow melted into the meatballs and it was hotter than fire. Gleefull bliss turned into blistering pain. As my eyes watered from the pain, I tried to wait for the sandwich to cool down, but that voodoo machine thingy seemed to inject that heat into the meatball and it just didn't seem to want to cool down, it may have even been getting hotter. But I was hungry and I endured the pain by drinking after every bite. It was still some good ish, just really hot, and I'll probably go back again soon, just so I can see the magical voodoo toasting machine at work again. I luvs me them meatball subs.
On the subject of food, I sometimes bring them microwave meals with me to work, the one's you can get for $1 at the grocery stores. They come with 2 pieces of chicken, mashed potatoes and corn. They aren't exactly the best tasting foods nor are they healthy for you but they are only $1 (again... cheap bastard here). But as I went to heat one up at work last night, I opened it up and to my surprise, I had 3 pieces of chicken. Gleefull bliss. My stomach seems to disagree though.
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December 8, 2004
This past weekend, I went to an engagement party. The next day, I found out that another friend has just gotten engaged on Saturday. This was after I just talked to a couple to see how their wedding plans were coming along. I guess getting married is the current trend. I've got to get with the program, or wait until being single is the thing to be again.
It's going to be a warm day today. We're having summer-like weather in the middle of December. I walked out of the house yesterday with a sweater on and I was just hot all day long. So today, I'm going to try to do something outdoors, like clean and fix up my car, because I'm sure the cold weather is about to hit soon. But it just doesn't feel right doing my Christmas shopping in short sleeve shirts with the car windows rolled down.
For those that aren't already checking it out every sunday, The Norfolk Asian American Basketball League (NAABL) is already halfway through the season. The teams I've been rooting for haven't been doing too well, but it's all been fun, and that's what the league's all about anyways. Lake Taylor Middle School Gym in Norfolk - you'll find me there just about every sunday.
December 2, 2004
It's the last month of 2004. I'm being lazy this week. I'm catching up on my sleep and my "movie-watching".
2 notable movies that I liked a lot:
Finding Neverland - nice story... it shows the story of Peter Pan in a whole new light and still appeals to adults...sweet but doesn't cross over to sappy... touching and magical if you can "believe" it...it's tugging for the tears towards the end.
Sideways - funny, depressing, romantic, dramatical and so much more but overall it feels very "real"... a lot of discussions about wine and uses it as a metaphor for life and relationships... makes me want to become a wine expert... this is the kind of movie that gets better the more you think about it after... it may be slow for the younger crowd... some oscar worthy performances here... the mood of the film is restrained and sober, odd for a movie about an alcoholic.
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TOP 10 WORDS OF 2004
The top 10 words of the year based on searches of Merriam-Webster Web sites.
1. blog
2. incumbent
3. electoral
4. insurgent
5. hurricane
6. cicada
7. peloton
8. partisan
9. sovereignty
10. defenestration
hmmm...what's a blog? . sarcasm intended
November 25, 2004 - Happy Thanksgiving
those of you traveling this weekend - drive safe...
Movie pick of the day: Pieces of April
A little feel good thankgiving day movie with Katie Holmes.
--------- How The Turkey Got It's Name - from some turkey website
There are a number of possibilities on why turkeys are called turkeys. Some say Columbus thought the land he discovered was connected to India which had a large population of peacocks. Columbus thought turkeys were part of the peacock family. He decided to call them tuka, which is the word for peacock in the language of India.
Others say that the name turkey came from Native Americans who called the birds firkee, which sounds like turkey.
Some say that turkey name came from the sound turkeys make when they are afraid - "turk, turk, turk."
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"Thanks"
Cantonese (Hong Kong)
(DOE jeh)
English
thank you, thanks, thank you very much
French
merci (mehr SEE)
German
danke schoen (DAHNG ke shen)
Italian
grazie (GROTS yeh)
Japanese
arigato (ah ree GAH toe), domo arigato
Korean
gomapsunmida (go mahp SOON mee dah), (kom SAHN mee dah)
Mandarin (China)
(shyeh shyeh)
Portuguese
obrigado (awb ri GAH doe)
Spanish
gracias (GRAH syahs), muchas gracias (MOO chahs)
Tagalog (Philippines)
salamat (sah LAH maht)
Thai (Thailand)
korp kuhn ka(females)/klap(males)
Taiwanese
do sha (doe SHYAH)
Visaya (Philippines)
gracia (GRAH see ahs)
November 23, 2004
It's a short, short work week for a lot of you guys out there this week. But it's a normal work week for me. yup, i'm working my normal 5-day schedule this week. I get paid extra, and that'll be good with Christmas coming around added to my new car payments, but I'll be eating my thanksgiving dinner, then heading to work afterwards. I might be able to take friday night off, but i may as well work it to close the week out.
Doesn't it suck when someone with B.O. gets out of an elevator and you get in it. It's actually not the smell that bugs me (I can hold my breath for a minute), but rather the fact that when the doors open and someone else gets in, I don't want to be perceived as the one that smells. Just something that was on my mind this morning as a pretty girl got on the elevator as I stepped out.
November 20, 2004
And I thought 50cent and the G-unit were gully for beating down a guy who stepped up to Dr. Dre, but the Indiana Pacers just got the award for baddest crew for taking on the city of Detroit. Stephen Jackson just went from a nobody to the guy that stole on 10 Detroit fans by himself.
Pistons vs. Detroit fans - Story. And for those of you who have no idea what channel ESPN is on - Video
I've got to find me a Jermaine O'neal Jersey. He's suddenly become my favorite ball player. Not because of his dominance in the paint, but rather the way he clocked that fan on the court in the jaw. Best moment of the night. I'm going to practice the JO secret sliding punch technique.
November 17, 2004
Nothing happenning right now. It's a "chill" week for me. I guess it's the calm before the holidays.
For those of you looking forward to the day after thanksgiving (Black Friday) sales... here's a sneak peek at the sales for several stores (Best Buy, Target, ToysRUs, Compusa, etc).
And for those of you who are doing some early shopping:
40% off coupon for Reebok outlets.
20% off at Borders bookstores.
November 12, 2004
I'm not going to front. I had a really good time at the Wiggles concert. Not only was it a festive environment, but the actual show was entertaining. It was more comedic than I expected, with the comedy aimed at all ages. What made the show fun was the ad-libbing that they were doing. A lot of times they would improvise their conversations, making up songs off the top of their heads, and just cracking each other up with some witty jokes. Now I'm not saying that you should check out the show without a 3 year old kid, but I didn't regret going. I've got a free coloring book too (they didn't have adult size tour shirts though).
There is no easy way to segue from the Wiggles to Eric B. & Rakim...
Entertainment Weekly has chosen Eric B. & Rakim's "Paid in Full" to be their choice of the greatest hip hop album of all time. Not a bad choice, but I pick Public Enemy's "It takes a nation of millions..." as what I believe to be the best and most important and influential album of all time. I can write a thesis on that album.
My other honorable mentions:
Nas "Illmatic"
Wu-tang "Enter the 36 Chambers"
Jay-z "reasonable doubt"
De La Soul "DeLaSoul is Dead"
Outkast "Aquemini"
more in an hour...im getting off of work
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Okay, so that was more than an hour, but I couldn't turn down a brunch invitation. Now I'm stuffed and sleepy. I'll do a top 10 hip hop album list next week.
Elektra trailer has just been released. Looks hot...
November 11, 2004
Today is a big day. I'm going to a concert. Not just any old concert. I'm going to see a world renown group that has been selling out arenas everywhere. These guys can't walk down the street without getting mobbed. Don't get jealous yall. Today I get to see the Wiggle Live.
It's my nephews birthday today, so I'm taking him to watch the Wiggles with about 5000 other preschool aged kids. It should be crazy. For some reason, I think I may stand out. At least I'll feel tall.
November 10, 2004
I've been driving my new Mitsubishi Lancer for over a week and I'm happy with it. I've had no problems with it and it runs nice and smooth. It's just a little underpowered when it's on the highway. I did pass an old lady on my way home today... I'm sure I showed her who was the man.
But I'm going to take care of the power issue with a few modifications. I'm not sure when though. I had put aside some of the insurance money for fixing up the car, but I hadn't decided what to start on. It's a new car and there is so much I want to do to it, but I wasn't sure what to do first. It's like I'm an artist with a blank slate.
My plan of work with the car consists of 3 parts: Performance, appearance, and the sound system. For performance, I'm not planning to do much to the car. I just plan to do the basics - change the intake and the exhaust (and maybe the headers). You racers out there know about the basic i/e/h conversions. I don't plan to do much more that that. The good thing about Lancers is that there a world of possibilities for the car with performance. This all takes the most money, so I've decided that this may have to wait until after Christmas.
As for the appearance, I want to add a spoiler. The biggest difference between the higher end Lancer models and my basic car is the addition of a spoiler. It makes all the difference for this car. I'm just going to get the regular factory spoiler for this car, no need for anything flashy or noticable. I eventually want to change the brake lights and maybe the front grill, but I don't think I'll be doing the body kit or lowering it any (it would be nice to drop it like its hot...). There are a few minor cosmetic things I'll just nickel and dime whenever I feel like it. I've already got an air freshener... watch out now.
Now the audio system... I thought that I would maybe hold off on this until the holdiday season kicks in, but listening to the stock set up for a week wasn't doing it for me. It is better than the average stock stereo, but it wasn't up to my standards, so this is where I began. I've already bought a new stereo, nothing fancy or expensive, just something adequate. I would have liked to wait for a sale (like the day after Thanksgiving) for a stereo, but I couldn't wait. I already have a powerful amp (salvaged from the Accord, may it rest in peace) and I've got a choice of subwoofers just lying around in my room. I've got a some more speakers arriving today and I may start putting those in later on.
So that's basically what I'm doing now. If I'm not in the car, I'm looking on the internet for stuff to buy for the car. And when I'm not doing that, I'm playing grand theft auto (no time for halo 2 for me).
November 5, 2004
Episode 3
enuff said...
November 4, 2004
I've stayed fairly busy the past few days. There was some election thing going on (I went to vote after work and saw a line wrapping around the building. I went back later at noon and saw only 20 people). Halloween fell in there somewhere (I took my nephew trick-or-treating, but he was tired and content after 5 houses and 5 minutes of walking). The weather has been unusually warm, so i've been trying to stay out a little more before it gets too cold.
But what's been keeping me busy the past week is my new car. Yep, I went and got a car on saturday. After beeing holed up without a car after my accident, I took my insurance check and put a down payment on a used 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer.
I now own a Lancer ES, the most basic of the Lancer line. It's not to be confused with the Lancer Evo, which a lot of import racers rave about. It's also not to be confused with the Lancer OZ Rally, again, a sporty race car that's got a lot to brag about. No, I just have the basic 4 cylinder Lancer that barely has enough horsepower to get me up a hill. The good thing is that virginia beach is flat and the only time I'll need any kind of power is when I drive up a driveway. And I can brag about my 30+ mpg.
I went out looking for a Honda Accord (I loved the one I had, I believe it's the best car ever for the quality and price), but there weren't too many available in my price range. I also looked for Acura Integras, and there weren't too many available that were up too my standards. And so I checked online and find that a lot of people were giving good reviews on the Mitsubishi Lancer. It was in my price range and it was sporty enough for my likings. And nobody else I know owns a lancer, so I figured that people can now see my car driving down the street and they'll say "here comes el". A change from the Honda Accord, where they said "oh el, I didn't see you pull up".
I'm now spending my time finding ways to make my cheap little car look like one of the fast racers. I don't need the speed, I just want to look fast. I'm checking on spoilers, intakes, rims, etc. Look out now, I bought an air freshener yesterday.
Yes, I'm going to be a poser, but who cares, it's all for the girls anyways.
October 29, 2004
Daylight savings time ends this weekend. We get an extra hour to party up on saturday night (or an extra hour of sleep). Oh joy. Holla!! Bad side - it's going to get dark really early now.
It's also Halloween on Sunday. I'll be at a costume party on saturday. I'm debating between 2 costumes, one of which I don't have but would be a lot of fun, and the other was what I was at a party last weekend - Greg Wiggle.
The Norfolk Asian American Basketball League starts up on Sunday at Lake Taylor High School. It's always a lot of fun and this year should be no different. A couple of friends of mine put the league together every year and they put a lot of work into it, making it an event I look forward to every year.
October 28, 2004 - My race experience
This past saturday I did the 5K run that I had been getting ready for and I'm proud to say that I ran the whole 3+ miles. I wouldn't say it was easy, but it was easier than I expected. I had plenty of juice left after I crossed the finish line. It did start feeling rough after the 2.5 mile mark, but knowing that the end was near made the last half mile easy (i did forget where the finish line was, so I was expecting to run a bit more when I realized that I crossed the finish line.)
I ran my own slow pace but it wasn't as slow as I expected. I finished in about 38 minutes. I was worried at the start though. I began towards the front of the crowd of 4000 people. And when the race began, everybody just starting passing me. I ran a little faster because everybody was just flying by me, so I was starting a lot faster than I wanted to, but I slowed it down after the first half mile because I was afraid that I wouldn't have enough left at the end. It is intimidating when you start near the front of a big crowd of 4000 people, but 3000 of them pass you in that first mile. I figured that a lot of them were just running fast due to the adrenaline rush of the start of a race and eventually some of them would fade. Old people were passing me. Young kids were passing me. People with strollers started to pass me. And a guy in a wheelchair just flew by me. I just wanted to make sure I stayed in front of the people who were walking the whole thing.
But after a while, the only people around me were the people going at my pace. There were a lot of people who were running by me, but then walking and I would run by them. Then they would run by me again and then walk as I passed them again. Most of the way, I stayed behind these three women, they were probably in their 40's. They were going exactly the same pace as me. The difference is that they were on a leisurely run and they were talking, laughing, sharing gossip, etc. while I was concentrating on my running, serious and sweating. I wanted to pass them, but I just didn't have the energy to run right by them.
One thing I didn't expect was how cold it was that morning. I knew it was going to be a little chilly, but it just turned out to be downright cold. And the race was at the Oceanfront, where it was more windy than usual. It was a blustering wind. There were portions of the race that went in between buildings on the boardwalk, and the wind there was just crazy. I was running as hard as I could against the wind, yet I was going nowhere. I thought about running in my warm up sweatpants, but the last time I ran in pants it just bothered me. So I just stayed in my short sleeve shirt and short shorts. It was cold at the start and at the end, but I was alright when i was running.
And at the end of the race, I stocked up on all of the free food they were handing out. Donuts, cereals, muffins, fruits, drinks, etc. I brought a bagfull of the stuff home. I got a bunch of free shirts too.
Overall, it was a really good time. The team I was on, Team Conchita, came in third place for largest team and that right there was something to be proud of. It would have been nice to come in first with the biggest team, but we were a new team, comprised of a bunch of non-athletic party-goers. But to come together in honor of a friends mother was really the best part of it all.
Some say a lifetime can be divided into experiences and accomplishments. This was definitely a big accomplishment for me. A little over a month ago, I wasn't able to run around my block without feeling like passing out. Now I finished a 5K, and I finished it strong. I will probably do more races now that I know I can do it. I may even try a 10k sometime. But this was my first race, my first try at something I wasn't sure that I could do. It was something I made myself work at accomplishing something that seemed monumental at first. It probably wasn't as big an event to everyone else, but to me, it was my first race, and it's an experience I am very proud of and I will remember for a long time.
October 27, 2004
Yesterday was Luan's Birthday. He's getting old. Make sure you all remind him about them if you speak to him.
I'm still in the market for a new car. I've got to return my rental tomorrow, and at the pace I'm going, it looks like I'll be without a car this weekend. The problem is that I'm not the kind of person that can just buy a car in a day. I've got to research it, price match it, research it some more, find some kind of deal, and so on. I'm the kind of guy that's not happy unless I can get the best product at the best price possible. And it becomes even harder when it comes to cars as there is so much to take into account.
I've been looking at some cars on the internet, but I get very weary when thinking about getting a car I haven't even seen in person. I came close to getting a pathfinder on ebay though. The auction had 2 hours left to go and I was getting ready to get into a bidding war in the waning seconds, but there was an absurdly high "buy-it-now" price and someone just went ahead and bought it before I could start. Oh well... the search continues.
October 22, 2004
My 1994 Honda Accord has been officially pronounced DEAD. The insurance claim adjuster went to look at the car and the estimate yesterday and proclaimed the car to be unrepairable (or rather, it costs too much to fix). I am really sad because it was a really good car. It was only in my posession for 6 months, but it was good to me for those 6 months. It was in such good shape before its death. The previous owners were so anal with the car that it had very little problems. They bragged that it never broke down and was never in an accident (except for a little mishap where they accidentally backed their SUV into it themselves). I see them quite frequently also, and I feel as I have let them down.
What sucks is that I just spent $400 last month on some brand new tires. Two weeks ago, I changed the oil and put in some expensive oil and new oil filter. And I just filled it up with a full tank of gas. None of that money goes into account when the insurance company cuts me a check for the car.
So today, I'm going to the body shop to clean my stuff out of it. I've got to remove the amp and subwoofer too. Do you think they'll notice if a spare tire and jack is gone too?
The insurance company is giving me a check for the car on Monday, so now I'm in the market for another car. I'm looking for something reliable and I've got about $4000 to spend. Maybe I'll try to find a similar Accord since it was such a good car. So if anybody knows of any good car deals, I'm listening.
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Tomorrow is the BIG DAY for me. I'm running in the Komen 5K Race for the Cure at the Oceanfront. Everyone is welcome to come watch me do this. Here's the info for those who would like to make the journey out tomorrow morning. My start time is 8:50am. I hope to finish by 9:30am (I'm not trying to win the thing). I think I'm ready. It's all for a good cause though, and that's what's really important. And it make me feel good to be part of a team (Team Conchita) with some friends who are doing this in honor of their mother, who died earlier this year of breast cancer. We are in the running (no pun intended) for biggest team.
I'll let you all know how I do.
I'm set for a busy day after the race too. Another weekend with several parties to attend.
October 19, 2004
I know I haven't been updating this lately, but I've been a bit busy ever since my accident last week. I've been dealing with insurance issues, and body shop issues, and I just haven't been out doing anything else. Except for Saturday's poker game and wedding (congrats on a beautiful wedding Alvin & Vanessa) I've basically been staying secluded and living like a hermit.
And it looks like I may continue this hermit style life for another 2 weeks as I am all of a sudden BROKE. I had been saving up a bit, just in case I had to spend some money on my car for some reason, but this morning I think I went and bought a laptop (I'm still waiting on the final confirmation). I had been planning to buy a laptop before Christmas, and then this really good, today-only deal pops up this morning. I figure that I probably won't see anything better for a while, so I sucked it up a bought a laptop. (there may be a problem with a cred-it card because the verification number on the back is illegible, so I guessed the number).
I will peek out into the outside world this saturday as I've got a busy day lined up. And it all starts with my big 5K run at the Oceanfront. Yup, it's come down to this final week for my preparation in this 3.1 mile run. I'm a little worried because I took some time off of the running last week and then I ran 2 miles the other day and it was a struggle. Hopefully, I'll be able to pull out another mile saturday. Everyone's welcome to watch me trudge through this race. It's all for a good cause. Just be a good samaritan, if you see me past out on the ground, pick me up first before you start laughing.
October 13, 2004
Okay, vacations over. I didn't really do anything while I was off. I just basically stayed home and slept. I tried not to go out to much. I tried to get a lot of rest, but I kept waking up at 3 or 4am.
Now that the vacations done, I was on my way to work last night and I get into a FREAKIN' CAR ACCIDENT!!! An 18 year old girl (I first thought she was a boy, she was a bit butch and she works at autozone) ran a light and nailed me pretty good on the front drivers side, right where the tire is at. I'm okay, but it really was a hard hit. It was like one of those blindside football tackles that make the highlight reels. After I checked to see if everything was working and in one piece, I just shook it off.
I didn't see it coming until a split second before it happened. I was approaching the intersection (Brambleton & Colley in Norfolk - most of you should know it, and I almost made it to work) and I was going at exactly the speed limit since I know that it's an intersection that lots of cops like to nab people at. An SUV is in the next lane on my left and he's going faster than me. He pulls out a little bit in front of me and I'm a half a car length beside him. We reach the intersection and he SLAMS on his brakes and in the split second it takes for me to see him stop, I hear his horn and see this old, ugly ass brown pontiac right as it hits me. "OOOOHH FUUUUUU..."
broken glass, everywhere...
After the impact, my car is still working, so I roll it to the side as I check myself and my car. Then I turn and see that her car if fked up. The whole front of her car was totalled. The front bumper basically smashed all the way back to near the cabin. Compared to her car, I just got a dent. Gotta love these Hondas.
I try to get out and noticed that the door is jammed, so I had to bang it with my shoulder to open it. I walk over to see if the other driver is okay, because by the look of her car, she got the worst of it. But her airbag went off and she was okay, but really shaken. I also noticed that there are 2 cops working the scene already. This is about 15 seconds after the accident. I'm thinking "damn, you guys are quick". It turns out, the driver of the SUV that slammed on his brakes was a cop. And on the other side of the intersection, stopped like he was supposed to be when you have a red light, was another off duty cop. They all saw the whole thing and were already on the radio calling in for help. The cop driving the SUV said that there was nothing I could have done as he acknowledged that I couldn't see the car running the light because he blinding me from it. Everyone's consoling the girl as she is just crying her eyes out.
As I see that she's alright and being taken care of, my concern turns into just straight being pissed off. The cops get our information and the girl apologizes to me. So what do I say? "It's okay, it's just an accident?" HELL NAW!!! I'm already like "What the fk were you thinking!!" But as she keeps apologizing, I just look at her and give her my "shut up beeyatch" look. I didn't say a word to her at any time at all. She understood the look and walked to the other side of the intersection and stayed away from me.
Her tow truck came first and she was gone. A cop stayed with me until my tow truck came. I could have tried to drive it, but I was worried about the steering and I didn't want stuff falling out on the highway, so I got it towed back to my house.
What sucks is that I was unusually going to be a few minutes early to work if I made it there. Most nights, I'm rushing and I would have been on the far left "fast" lane as I'm hurrying to work, and I probably would have seen it coming. That's what I get for trying to be early to work.
The accident happenned about 10 minutes before midnight, and the tow truck guy gets me home at around 2am (he even comments about how slow the work was for him last night, just my luck, I get involved in the only accident of the night). But to prove my dedication to my job, I borrow my sisters car and I still go to work.
Today looks like a long day of dealing with insurance companies and getting my car fixed. There is a bright side though. Some of you may have seen the ugly dent that was on the front driver side of the car when I bought it. Guess what I get to have fixed at the expense of an ignorant, butch 18 year old girl. Maybe I can get some new rims out of it too.
(but for real everyone... i'm okay. i've got a little headache and my shoulders are starting to feel stiff, but i'm alright).
October 6, 2004
Did you know that October is Filipino American History month?
Hampton Roads peoples --- tonight at 10:30pm on PBS/WHRO (channel 15) is the broadcast premiere of the local documentary "In Our Aunties' Words". It's a documentary made by several local filipinos in which they speak to 16 filipina women of the community and get their story of their immigration and integration in the United States. You can get more information and view the trailer at PinoyProductions.com. I believe it airs again tomorrow at 1:30pm. A lot of people put a lot of work into this and the book that it came from.
It's a short work week for me. Starting at 8am this morning, I will be on a little vacation. Where am I going? Probably nowhere, but I'm not working for the rest of the week. I have some leave time that I'm going to lose if I don't take it, so I'm taking it. This should give me some time to get some things that I've been putting off done. I can also catch up on my sleep. I've been a little sick the past few days, and I sure could use the sleep. But the best part of this is that I get to sleep at night, when normal people sleep. And I'll be awake during the day.
Check out one of the best music videos of the year... (it's a quicktime video).
October 1, 2004
October already!!!
Tomorrow is the annual Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel Walk/Bike Event in Virginia Beach. I've walked in this event every year for the past 4 years and it's pretty fun. I'll decide how I feel tomorrow if I'm going to do it after I get off of work at 8am. But if anybody else is doing it, give me a call and I'll be there.
Note: The Voter Registration deadline in Virginia is October 4.
Here is Somebody for those of you feeling lonely this weekend (i wouldn't call it work friendly, and some of you probably wouldn't call it home friendly either).
September 29, 2004
This past weekend, there was a story in the paper about the grand opening of the building I work in at ODU. It's supposedly a state of the art building that conserves water, electricity, heat, etc. It's funny to read about all of the praise that this building is getting, because after working in here for about 6 months, I can tell you all that is wrong with the building. I won't go into that right now because I can go on and on, but for the past week, there has been a lot of fixing up because the governor came by to tour the building on Sunday. He was to be impressed by the relatively simple job that I do.
The "Entertainment" section of my life can be divided into a couple of categories: sports, movies, music, video games'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">video games'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">video games'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">video games'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">video games. And it's a busy time for me.
Sports: The Redskins are killing me with the way that they are playing. Screw the Mets. Go Ichiro!!!
Movies: My favorite movie of the year, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, came out on DVD yesterday. I can't say enough about this movie. Also, in theatres right now, Shaun of the Dead - hilarious & scary, great movie. (I have a legit DVD of it if any of you want to watch it at home.)
Music: On the hip hop side - Talib Kweli released his new album yesterday. On the rock side - Interpol released a new album yesterday. And don't front on Regis Philbin.
Video Games: ESPN NBA 2k5 has been released a week early. It's only $20 and worth it. I'm holding off on that for now because I'm getting the new Dance Dance Revolution'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">Dance Dance Revolution'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">Dance Dance Revolution'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">Dance Dance Revolution'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">Dance Dance Revolution this week (it'll go along with my 5k race training - for those rainy days). And I'm still deciding if i should get the new Tiger Woods golf'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">Tiger Woods golf'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">Tiger Woods golf'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">Tiger Woods golf'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">Tiger Woods golf because the last one just consumed so much of my time. I love the game, just too much.
September 24, 2004
It's another fairly busy weekend for me. Tomorrow night, I think I'm gonna get fked up drunk. Why? Cuz it's been a while.
I've got another week under my belt with operation "I think I can". In preperation for a 5K race in 1 month, I am now running a mile regularly. I'm finishing stronger too. I don't keel over anymore at the end of it. I'm bumping that up to 1.5 - 2 miles next week. I'm ahead of schedule with my training. I thought that I was doing it pretty fast, until I was running the other day and some woman twice my age flew by me. Not only was she leaving me in her dust, she went a lot farther than I did. She was on some kind of forrest gump agenda.
speaking of tom hanks...something that I was just thinking about last night...
Movies with titles that describe my manhood:
Big
The Big Lebowski
The Whole Ten Yards
What Women Want
The Rock
As Good As it Gets
Napolean Dynamite
Legend
My Giant
September 22, 2004
You can go here 4 more previews of this... who cares if she looks nothing like sue storm. First yahoo.com'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">yahoo.com'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">yahoo.com'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">yahoo.com'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">yahoo.com/shop?d=hv&id=1808560210&cf=pg&photoid=538505&intl=us" target="new">sin city, and now this - i just became a bigger fan of comic book movies. And fantastic 4 can end up being a load of crap, but I'm sure to watch it now. Hey, I saw the crappy movie Honey...twice.
This morning I was stopped at a light and I noticed on another road two women doing sign language to each other. Now if I was behind them and the light turned green and they don't see it, do I honk? Are they deaf and will honking be pointless? Should I throw something at them? Or are they just doing sign language because they don't want to roll down the windows and yell at each other like what I do. I'd probably still throw something at them.
This reminds me of a time that I was walking through a mall food court and there was a large group of deaf people, on some kind of field trip to the mall. I then walk outside and notice two more deaf people, and one was mad. He was yelling with his sign language and the other was calming him down. I don't know any sign language outside of some letters and the middle finger, but I could tell that this guy was yelling. Now, did these two people have to go outside because they were causing a commotion with the loud sign language and they didn't want to cause a scene? Or maybe they didn't want anyone to eavesdrop on their sign language conversation. Hmm...
September 18, 2004
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speaking of tuesday...
It's Star Wars Trilogy'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">Star Wars Trilogy'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">Star Wars Trilogy'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">Star Wars Trilogy'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">Star Wars Trilogy on DVD week. The Star Wars'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">Star Wars'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">Star Wars'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">Star Wars'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">Star Wars DVD comes out this tuesday amid much bruhaha. One of the biggest gripes about the DVDs is that George Lucas is not releasing the original theatrical version. It bothered me at first also, but I saw the documentary about the movie "empire of the sun" (which will be included as a special feature on the DVD) on tv last week and I sort of understand that he was limited when making the movies and he wants to show it as he intended, but an original version option wouldn't have been too hard to do. But even still, these movies aren't exactly the special editions he reissued to theatres a couple of years ago, he has made more changes.
Here are some of the CHANGES he made to the movie for the DVDs. Some of the changes don't bother me, others I'll let pass, but he goes and changes out actors, and that is something I can't overlook. We no longer have the emperor with the bugged out eye, and that should be a crime. And I'm not going to go into the change in the ghost scene. It is like a really important scene. ok... so maybe I'm showing off a little Star wars nerdiness... but it star wars darnit!!!
I'm going to go back and remake that clay dish thingy I made for my mom in my 4th grade art class. It was limited by my skills and it didn't turn out as I intended. And after, I'm going to smash the original dish, to never be seen again.
September 17, 2004
Yesterday I spent $400 on new tires. And that was for the cheap generic kind. There goes the money I saved up for the mp3 player'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">mp3 player'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">mp3 player'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">mp3 player'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">mp3 player I wanted. It sure would have helped my jogging. But i guess tires are a little more important.
While I was waiting for my tires, I walked over to a shopping center near the tire store. I noticed a filipino owned barbershop there, new to me. I regularly go to another filipino owned barbershop, but i figured that I had some time to kill and i needed a haircut anyways. And it's always good to support some of the peeps.
I walk into the shop and there is one barber working on someone, another barber having his lunch, and one customer waiting. As soon as I pick up a magazine, the barber working finishes up the haircut and calls on the next guy. He passes and says he's waiting on the one that's eating his lunch. Hmmm... makes me think that the one eating is the better one, but they're both new to me so it didn't matter to me. So I sit in the seat and the barber starts asking me the usual questions: "how do you want it cut?" "how short?" etc. Then he just keeps asking questions, about 20+ questions. Then he starts cutting then keeps asking me if what he did was okay? He just kept asking like he was not sure what he was doing.
At this time, a lot of people start trickling in and the other barber finishes his food and starts on the guy that was waiting and he went off. It was like he was posessed by edward scissorhands or something. He was quick and finished that guy in about 5 minutes. My guy still seemed unconfident with what he was doing. He also kept standing really far away to see if what he was doing was straight. He kept doing a bunch of little things that just kept me wondering about him. Meanwhile, barber #2 -edward s.- is finishing up his second customer. He starts on his third customer, then he stops walks over to me, takes the clippers from my barber and he begins teaching him how to cut my hair. He just goes ahead and finishes me up in less than 5 minutes, while everyone in the shop watches his magic, and then he hands the clippers back to my original guy. This guy just hands me a mirror and then asks if it's good and I say "yup" (although it was a little more shorter than I wanted) and i get up to pay. I usually tip, but I was wondering, should I tip edward s. also (i think his real name was edwin)? but I just tip my guy and leave. Next time I know who to go to, even if I have to wait for him to finish his lunch.
September 16, 2004
I'm one week into operation "what the fk did I get myself into". My quest to run in a 5k race next month is a bit tougher than i expected. The first time I went out to run last week, I was struggling. I only ran 1/2 a mile and I was in pain. I just wanted to give up on this, but I figured that I'll stick it out for a little bit more. So I've gone out a few more times sinced then and my stamina is getting better. I'm now running up to a mile and it seems to be getting easier (but not exactly easy yet). But I've got a month to work on it. I figure I'll add 1/2 mile every week to my run and I should be able to run 3 miles by the time of the race. Running it in a certain amount of time is a different story though.
It's payday today. I'm getting tires for my car. Hopefully, I'll have something left over for the weekend.
September 14, 2004 Yesterday I'm watching Oprah (I didn't mean to watch it, but it was on in the background) and she decides to surprise everyone in her audience with a new car'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">new car'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">new car'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">new car'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">new car. Damn... now I've gotta find a way to get onto her "my favorite things" episode. Where was Oprah when my old Sentra was falling apart on me? I could have been screaming and yelling crazily like everyone else there. I think I'm going to become a professional audience member and eventually I'm gonna hit it big. Or at least get a free sweatshirt or something. The 700 Club films down the street from me, now if Pat Robertson were to give away cars, I'd be there everyday. You hear me pat? Free cars!!! And I'll be clubmember 701.
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Just rambling here... You ever take a shower and have like a piece of soap the size of a quarter left. So you've got to be decisive on what parts of the body that you use it on. And then when it's gone, try to maximize what you already put on by getting a lot of lather and trying to spread it to the rest of the body. Then you shampoo your hair and use some of that to get the shampoo to finish up whatever you couldn't get soap on. Anybody, or is it just me? oh well, At least my armpits are well conditioned and dandruff free...
I'm out, and off to the store to buy some soap.
September 9, 2004 ...I want to be made.
Ok, I've made a decision to run in a race. On October 23, I will be running in the KOMEN RACE FOR THE CURE at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront. It's a race that benefits breast cancer research. A friend of mine has recently lost her mother to breast cancer and is putting a team together to run this race in her memory. So it's for a good cause. It's open to anyone, so i would be grateful if some of you wanted to join me in this. I can get the registration info out to anyone interested. I could use the company, someone to help push me along, or at least help me block everyone from passing us so we don't come in last place.
Now it's only a 5k race, but you've got to understand that I'm not a runner. I can't remember the last time I did any kind of running, outside of being late for something. Right now, I don't think I can run half a mile without nearly passing out and feeling that I'm going to need paramedics nearby to supply oxygen. And 5k = a little over 3 miles, so I've got some work to do. And to top it off, I've got a pain in my heel from some kind of injury I sustained from, no lie, Dance Dance Revolution **as I hang my head in shame**. I don't know if it some kind of stress fracture or what, but I just suck it up and walk it off (and how do I tell a doctor about a ddr injury?)
So now I've got 40+ days to go from a video game'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">video game'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">video game'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">video game'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">video game playing, movie watching, computer user into some guy that can run this 5k race without looking like a p*ssy. And I've got to look good at the end of the race because they take your picture, and i don't want to have snot coming out of my nose, tears running down my face, or that ugly face that marathon runners have around the 20th mile. I want to be able to show that picture to people to prove that I finished it. And I've got to look good because I want to look impressive for the females at the finish line. And if this goes well, maybe I'll aim at a 10k sometime.
So today is day 1 of operation "run 5k without dying". After work I plan to take a little jog to see where I stand and how much I need to work (it's raining right now though... and i've got some nice shoes on, but i'm not trying to make excuses). But if any of you all see me passed out and laying on the the side of the street, don't just leave me there, be nice enough to at least splash some water on me before laughing and taking a picture to be posted on the internet.
September 3, 2004
It's labor day weekend, the end of the summer... I've got nothing planned. Any cookouts? Parties? Football games'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">Football games'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">Football games'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">Football games'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">Football games? supermodel strip poker games'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">poker games'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">poker games'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">poker games'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">poker games? Jackson 5 reunions? I've got to work tonight (no way for me to get out of it) but I'll be free after 8am tomorrow.
Here are some pictures from the Va Tech vs. USC football game. (I hope they come up for you all). It may look like I took a lot of pictures of the backs of the heads of people on the sidelines, but they just kept getting in the way. I wanted to yell at them and say "hey fools, sit down before I lay the smack down" but they were all bigger than me so I said it silently. Actually, I didn't say it at all, but I thought about it and tried to relay it via ESP and in return I received a "shut the fk up before i take away your front row seat and drop kick you into the upper tiers." I gave them the evil eye for that and I think I put them in their place.
I've got an invitation for a Big Block Party being thrown by Dave Chappelle in New York'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">New York'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">New York'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">New York'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">New York on September 18. It's sort of a secret event (they are bussing everyone to the secret location) but it's free. It's going to be a big time concert that will be filmed (so they don't want people wearing white). I don't think I'll be making it up there (but the expected musical lineup is making me think a lot about going) but if anybody else wants the info, I can get it to you. It's supposedly a momentus occassion.
September 1, 2004
I don't have much time as it's a busy day at work. I do want to let everyone know that I had the best time this past weekend at the Va Tech vs. USC football game at FedEx Field - home of the Redskins. And sitting in the front row made it even better. 92,000 people and I've got better seats than about 91,900 of them. That was a lot of people. I'll try to let you guys know more about it when I've got the time... but right now these darn syllabi need to get done.
I do want to give a quick holla to those who made this weekend hospitable. Acey, Chris & Naarni, and all of the tailgaters who hooked it up with the food...Thanks a bunch.
August 26, 2004
Go see "Garden State". Both deeply poignant and hilariously funny, but yet so honest and so real. It's giving "Eternal sunshine..." a run for my favorite movie of the year (non-asian). Great date flick too. I know it's an indie flick, but that's no reason to miss it. Zach Braff - from "Scrubs", one of my favorite shows - wrote, directed, and stars in it. I just smile everytime I think about this movie. And I'm not biased towards the scenes of a wet Natalie Portman. Definitely has the best amazon.com'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">amazon.com'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">amazon.com'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">amazon.com'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0002J58LK/qid=1093514751/sr=ka-1/ref=pd_ka_1/102-4729520-6173709" target="new">soundtrack of the year. I don't want to say anymore. I could go on and on. Just go see this movie!! After seeing it, go to the website and read Zach Braff's blog... he's one funny dude.
My favorite asian movie so far this year? Probably the Korean movie "Old Boy", the movie that was runner up to "farenheit 911" at cannes. It just gets in your head and doesn't leave. Then again it could be my most hated movie of this year, i haven't decided yet. The thing is that this movie is just so fk'ed up. I don't know what the filmmakers were thinking other than, "hey lets' make this movie, it'll fk people up!". I need to find someone else that has seen it so that I can discuss it with them. It deserves discussion, but not to break down certain aspects or go over certain scenes, but rather for therapy as I feel rather dirty for having watched it. Now I'm going to curl up into a ball and cry in a corner as I reminisce over this movie.
August 25, 2004
It's a busy week at work. With school starting up next week, I've been doing a lot, hence the lack in daily updates. But luckily for me, I made it a short work week. I work tonight, but then I took the rest of the week off. So those of you who sometimes expect to reach me in the middle of the night won't find me at work. I'll get to catch up on some sleep. And the weather has been nice too.
And this weekend I'll be in Northern VA, checking out Virginia Tech's opening football game against #1 ranked USC at FedEx Field, home of the Redskins. The game will be nationally televised so look out for me. But the game is sold out and is expected to break attendance records with an anticipated crowd of 92,000... so how can you find me? Because I'll be in the front row!!!! It's my reward for being a redskins fan, they gave me front row seats on the 10 yard line. I don't know which side I'll be on yet, but I'll try to find a way to be seen, even if it means running onto the field to block a USC game winning field goal. I'm fast like that.
August 19, 2004
Doug & Cindy had their baby yesterday. Let me be among the first to welcome James Cole Clarke to the world. Congratulations guys.
What have I been up to the past few days? I've been addicted to ESPN 2k5 football on the playstation. I've been playing it every free chance that I get. I've built up a Redskins squad that's went undefeated in it's first season. I am becoming unstoppable. Hot Shots Golf'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">Hot Shots Golf'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">Hot Shots Golf'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">Hot Shots Golf'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">Hot Shots Golf Fore comes out today and I'm trying to decide if I should buy it or not because I'm just playing so much of this football game that I don't see myself playing anything else at the moment. But the Hot Shots Golf franchise has been one of my favorite lines of games to play. I guess I'll buy it if I find it on sale, but then again, I haven't been going out because I've been indoors playing this football game.
And when I'm not playing on the playstation. I'm watching the Olympics on tv. It's only once every four years that I get to watch fencing or rowing on tv. And'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">tv. And'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">tv. And'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">tv. And'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">tv. And if swimming is such a big event for the olympics, why don't they show it more often on tv the rest of the year. I do have to give it up to NBC for their coverage this year of the Olympics. They were terrible 4 years ago in Australia (the Pay-per-view triplecast? what a disaster). I hated that they showed a 30 minute sentimental piece on almost every U.S. athlete, making the NBC broadcast drag, and they featured almost none of the other non-major sports. But they've done a good job this year by spreading the broadcasts among the other NBC channels - CNBC, MSNBC, Bravo - and allowing the USA network to show some of the other events. So now there is basically 24 hour coverage of the games and now I can get my 7am badminton fix. The sentimental pieces are still there, but not as frequent, and I can always change it to one of the other channels as NBC is the only channel that seems to show them. I just want to watch the games. I can rant on more about the olympics, but I'll save that for another day, there is still a week and a half of games left.
Tonight I'm going to see Norah Jones in concert. At least I get to chill and relax this time. Somehow I ended up with seats dead center, near the front row.
August 14, 2004
So another tropical storm/hurricane is headed here today. So am I preparing for it and seeking shelter? Nope. Instead, Nestor is having a party. It just happens to be his birthday today also.
So Nestor is having what he calls a "little" get-together, but "little" just happens to be a few hundred people. It's a good guess that most of you already know about this party as he's just about invited everybody. And we are all supposed to fit in his little townhouse that fits about 20 people. And with the storm, people won't be able to filter outside as expected. Oh well... hopefully all the cute girls show up, and if we're all packed in pretty close together, you'll know where to find me - between two of them. It's all about jockeying for position. And don't forget to put on the deoderant today. remenisces back to the days of the Edge.
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Barongs on sale... i've actually corresponded with the guy that runs this store - Corky. He's a good guy'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">good guy'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">good guy'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">good guy'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">good guy.
August 10, 2004
It's tuesday...
i'm tired from a busy weekend...
i don't have much to say today...
the redskins won an ugly preseason game
my hearing is starting to just come back...
i'm going to another concert tomorrow
August 7, 2004
A busy saturday for me today. First, my nephew has his christening today. I'm the ninong. Then I head over to celebrate Rachel's 30th b-day, with an 80's theme. I'll probably be the resident dj (i'll be late though) and I'll have all my 80's music spinning, at least the stuff I could get transferred onto CD. I realized this week how much 80's music I've got on tape, it might just be easier if I brought a boom box'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">boom box'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">boom box'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">boom box'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">boom box. Now where did I put that that darn cover girls cd...
August 6, 2004
Last week was so incredibly hectic and stressfull, that I decided to relax this week and basically do nothing except for catching up on sleep. I've also been spending ALOT of time playing this darn ESPN football game on the Playstation. I can't stop. The deluge of rain all week has kept me indoors though (i've never heard of a "surprise" hurricane before). But it's shaping up to be a nice weekend in VB.
If you've had problems checking out the Black Eyed Peas video "The APL song" online due to bandwidth issues, you can try it again as they now have unlimited bandwidth. View it online at either one of the following
websites:
http://www.xylophonefilms.com/bep.html
http://www.kidheroes.net/aplsong.htm
It is also available at Launch.com. (Yahoo users - that the yahoo music site also).
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An oldie, but goodie for the guys... the Urinal Test.
July 30, 2004
I must reiterate... the Roots are the greatest band in the world. They were great last night as usual. I can't say enough. 311 was alright too, they do put on a good show. I left in the middle of their set though, so that I could go to work. But I was okay with that because the guys around me were going crazy and dancing in ways that if they didn't hurt me, they were going to hurt themselves. I couldn't help but laugh at them. Think Mark Madson celebration dance. I can't be mad though, they were really into it and enjoying it in their own way.
I had a really good time myself at that concert last night. But I was up against the stage for most of it and this had to be the loudest concert I have ever been to. And it didn't help that the first act was an extra loud, screaming rock band. It was so loud that I felt my balance get weird on me at times. The result - the loss of hearing in my right ear and some extremely loud ringing coming, not from my ears, but the back of my head. I'm not exagerrating about the loss of hearing, it didn't come back until early this morning, and it still hasn't come back completely. And the loud ringing has somehow turned into lots of loud ringings. And everything sounds muddled to me right now, like I'm underwater. When people talk to me, I have to pay close attention and look at them as not everything is coming through. And I think I've got the TV volume louder than normal but it sounds soft to me. So you see, I had a good time (i gotta remember to buy earplugs before the next concert).
I think I was cursed before the concert though. True story here. On my way to the amphitheatre, I made one quick stop to get some gas. While I was filling up, I could see from the corner of my eye, someone coming my way with some flyers that he was passing out. I'm an expert flyer taker and I've got my procedure down pat.
Elbert's Flyer grabbing technique:
-I don't make eye contact with the person.
-I grab the flyer, not in a rude way, but in a quick way to let him know that he's bothering me.
-I don't look at the flyer immediately to show him that whatever it is, I probably don't care, but I plan to look at it after he walks away.
-I find a trash can'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">trash can'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">trash can'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">trash can'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">trash can where I would throw it away when I get it.
So this guy hands me a small flyer and I notice that there is a flag pin on it, but I follow procedure grab it and wait till he goes away before I look at it. But he doesn't go away, he just stands there looking at me. So I'm standing there, aware of him, but ignoring him as I pump gas with a flyer in my hand. Then he starts waving his hand in my face. I look at him and he points at his eyes, then he points at the flyer. So I look down and read the flyer. It says "I am deaf. Please donate money. Here is a flag pin for your generosity". Now I feel a little bad but I didn't have any money for him, I was paying for my gas with a credit card'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">credit card'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">credit card'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">credit card (I did have a $20 bill, but I wasn't going to give him that, and I wasn't going to ask for change either). So I give him what I believe is sign language for "i've got nothing for ya" - the shoulder shrug. He grabs the flyer from my hand and walks away towards the next guy. Then I'm thinking, "I can't believe he's hanging out at a gas station asking for money". After thinking about it a bit, I didn't care that he was deaf, he was bugging me for money. Here was a well groomed, 20-something white guy asking my broke @ss for money. I didn't feel bad for him anymore.
Now I'm half-deaf and I make stupid faces when people talk to me because I can't hear everything they say.
Don't forget this weekend - the first annual Philippine-American Festival.
July 29, 2004
If you guys are in Virginia Beach this weekend and are looking for something to do, you'll find me at the Oceanfront helping out with the first annual Philippine-American Festival. I'll be volunteering from 4pm - 8pm on Saturday and Sunday. There will be a bunch of performers (local and national) and other things to depict filipino culture. And it's all free.
Paypal users... did you get an email today about a class action settlement. This reminds me of the CD settlement from a couple of months ago. I signed up for that just for kicks and got a free $13 out of it . This paypal litigation seems a little more complicated, but it supposedly may end up with a $50 settlement check. I'm still not sure if I qualify and I'll hold out for a little bit before I get into something I'm not supposed to, but I could use another $50. I've used paypal enough times to have possibly been screwed by them.
Today!!! A free piece of ice cream'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">ice cream'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">ice cream'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">ice cream'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">ice cream cake at Cold Stone Creamery from 5pm to 8pm. I just happened to have had some cold stone ice cream cake earlier this week. It's different from other ice cream cakes because it actually has cake layered with ice cream.
I may not be able to make it to a Cold Stone today because I'm headed to see 311 in concert. "Why?" you may ask, knowing that I'm not a big 311 fan. It's because the Roots are opening for them. And if you know anything about me, it's that the Roots are my bestest, most favorite band in the whole wide world. I have to check them out every chance I get. I used to like 311 when they first came out, but I believe they changed to a softer, more serious style. I enjoyed the young, fun, brash 311 of the early 90's. I almost didn't go to this, but then I'm such a big Roots fan that I realized that I did want to go. Even though this is about my 6th time seeing them live. And anyways, I was getting a refund for my overpriced and cancelled Britney Spears'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">Britney Spears'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">Britney Spears'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">Britney Spears'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">Britney Spears tickets and this show was pretty cheap, so it was an easy decision.
And in 2 weeks, I get to see Linkin Park, Snoop Dogg, and Korn - and those tickets cost me even less than this show. In fact, I got it for the same price as a piece of cake at cold stone today. Hmmm... I gotta love them connections. Wow, first Dave Matthews, then 311, then Linkin Park. There's 3 concerts I didn't expect to be seeing or be seen at. Typically, not my kind of crowds and a different experience from the shows I usually go to. You can say that I'm broadening my cultural horizons.
d
July 23, 2004
I'll be checking out N.E.R.D. and the Dave Matthews Band later on tonight. I took the rest of the night off too, my first night off in a while. If anyone still wants to go to this sold out show, get in touch with me, i might still have a ticket or two left.
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here is an album to the pictures I took at the supertuner car show this past weekend. Warning Not exactly work safe, but that probably just makes more of you guys interested in clicking the link.
Club Photo would make the 6th online album site I've tried. I have yet to find a free picture host site that has most of what I like in an online album.
What I'm looking for:
- visitors do not have to log in to see the pictures (imagestation's problem)
- visitors can download the original pictures, not a resized and compressed version (club photo's and dotphoto's problem)
- a nice, professional looking interface
- some basic editing tools
- unlimited space for an unlimited time (fotki's problem)
- easy uploading
A lot of these can do it all if I ponied up a couple of dollars, but I'm a cheap bastard. Free is the internet's favorite word. giva us free!!
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Okay, I get this email about 5 times everyday about the Black Eyed Peas "Apl Song", so I'm thinking that many of you already know about it. I've already hyped up the video here, so hopefully you guys have been able to get through and check it out. But monday is the day that people are setting off this campaign thing and I think it's worth a try. It promotes a worthy cause.
Attention "APL SONG" Lovers worldwide,
It is time to get up, unite, and show your pride. The APL SONG music video crew is starting an e-mail campaign like no other and it all begins with YOU! Although the music video has been well-received in the Philippines with countless airplay, it has yet to debut in the country it was created in, the U.S. Since the song's chorus is sung in Tagalog the native Philippine language, the chances of the video hitting American TV sets are slim. Our job is TO CHANGE THAT!
On Monday, July 26, the number one video on MTV's Total Request Live will be "The Apl Song". Impossible? Only if you don't do YOUR part. Here's what you have to do:
STEP ONE: WATCH THE MUSIC VIDEO
Log online to either one of the following
websites:
http://www.xylophonefilms.com/bep.html
http://www.kidheroes.net/aplsong.htm
Starting FRIDAY, JULY 9, both websites will carry "The Apl Song" music video online. Mirror sites will also be established. The video boasts a who's who of Filipino-American celebrities in the movie and music industry. Playing the grandson in the video is Chad Hugo, one half of the mega-producing team the Neptunes. Actors Dante Basco (THE DEBUT, HOOK) and Joy Bisco (Port Charles, Not Another Teen Movie) also make cameos, alongside DJ Rhettmatic of the Beat Junkies. Playing the son in the video is Abe Pagtama, (The Flipside, the guy on the Pepsi Commercial with the Bears, and soon with Keanu Reeves on Constantine, coming out on Feb 2004)
Catch it and let us know you what you think on our message board.
STEP TWO: SPREAD THE WORD
We all got two weeks to spread the message.
Forward this email. Forward the link to the
music video. Create and personalize your own
email and make sure all your friends get the
message. Go to online forums, message boards,
chat rooms, and let them know about the video.
Be creative! Tell all of your family, friends,
and THEIR family and friends and let them know
why this is important. Who's down? Gather as
many of them as possible to join our exclusive
mailing list at:
http://www.coollist.com/subscribe/subto.cgi?
l=the_apl_song&C=95312
We'll remind them with
all our "Apl Song" updates and latest
developments!
STEP THREE: VOTE ON JULY 26!
If you love the video, here's your chance to
join thousands in requesting the video
altogether and sharing it with the masses. To
get the video aired on Monday, July 26, visit
the following web site:
http://www.mtv.com/onair/trl/vote/
Go there anytime during the day of July 26
before 4pm eastern/1pm pacific. Black Eyed
Peas "THE APL SONG" will NOT be listed on the
website. You must scroll below and
under "OTHER", manually input "The Black Eyed
Peas" under Artist Name and "The Apl Song" under
Video Title. Fill out section 2 and submit.
WALA! You just did all of us proud. So why not
go back and VOTE AGAIN?! While you're at it,
vote 3 times, even 5. The more the merrier! Keep
in mind, "THE APL SONG" is not scheduled to play
on MTV on July 26 UNLESS WE VOTE FOR IT!
STEP FOUR: WATCH THE RESULTS Was our campaign big enough to dent TRL? Did any of your friends listen to you? Find out by tuning into MTV at 5 p.m. ET/PT, 4 p.m. CT to see if our pick made it on the countdown. Hit us up on the messageboard at XylophoneFilms.com and share with us your thoughts!
CALLING ALL NEW YORKERS! We're also organizing a group of enthusiastic APL SONG lovers to volunteer, wave signs, and represent
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July 22, 2004
Is anybody interested in seeing Dave Matthews tomorrow in Va Beach? I may have an extra ticket or two. The show is sold out, so if you really want to go, let me know how bad you want it or what exactly will you do for me (my car is getting a little dirty, my laundry is piling up, and I could use a pedicure).
I was watching tv this morning and I saw some guy break the record for scooping the most ice cream cones'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">ice cream cones'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">ice cream cones'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">ice cream cones'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">ice cream cones in a minute. The guy made 18 cones and it didn't seem like anything special. I think, with some practice, I could break that record. Dude looked a little slow to me. It's such an unusual skill that I don't think many people have tried to break it. So I'm thinking that I could find something that nobody else tries to break. I searched the guiness world record site and I think I've found it. I think my new goal in life is to be the world record holder in coin spinning. The record right now is 19.37 seconds by some british guy. I think I've spun quarters longer than that before. I've been doing it my whole life. Once I break the record, I'm gonna get up in British dudes face and say "you've been coin-spinning served, beeeyatch!!!"
If that doesn't work out, I'm going for the most socks worn on 1 foot (the record is 41).
I'm off to a tent sale'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">tent sale'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">tent sale'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">tent sale'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">tent sale at the golf store'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">golf store'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">golf store'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">golf store'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">golf store. My golf game has sucked as of late, so obviously my equipment is inferior. I'm the best golfer around, I just haven't found the equipment to match my talent yet.
July 21, 2004
After a week of fighting spyware/adware, I've got my computer close to normal. There are still a couple boogers hiding around somewhere that I still can't clean out, but at least my resources aren't getting sucked away and I can now get on the internet with minimal distractions. It took four spyware/adware programs, one of which I actually had to buy (and I hate buying software when there is freeware). After updating these 4 programs to the latest versions, they all caught different things, but I still haven't gotten everything. That just sucks for real. All this because I accidently clicked a "yes" button when trying to click the "no" button. Die spyware programmers...DIE!!!
Okay, it's time for you all to start thinking about my christmas present. It seems that Apple is here to help you out. I've been trying to buy an mp3 jukebox for months but that money just keeps getting spent on other things. Ipods are the overwhelming favorites, but I'm not exactly one that likes to follow the crowd. Ipods are nice but they have always been WAY too expensive compared to the other brands, and based on some forums I've read, the battery life has been sh!tty compared to the other brands. But Apple just Apple_iPod__20GB'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">Apple_iPod__20GB'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">Apple_iPod__20GB'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">Apple_iPod__20GB'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">Apple_iPod__20GB__4th_generation_/4505-6490_7-30978806.html" target="new">fixed all that by lowering the price and introducing a longer life battery, and that just put them back in the running for me. You can also expect huge price drops on the older versions soon.
I'll try to have some pictures of the car show I went to this past weekend up somewhere later today. Funny how I didn't take any pictures of cars.
ESPN NFL 2K5 out now!! And just $20!!! That just can't be beat. Even if you don't play football games on your PS2 or XBox, you still need to buy this to have ready in case some friends come over, like someone named Elbert, and you feel like getting schooled. I should be getting mine in today or tomorrow... so you better start practicing before you suckas get served!!
July 16, 2004
One thing that really irks me is spyware and adware. Well yesterday, as I was just casually surfing the web at home, I accidently let some through my bulletproof protection. I'm usually very good at identifying and preventing the stuff, I've got the necessary protection programs, but the one that got by me seemed to be the effing motherload. I won't go into details about all the stuff that just suddenly exploded onto my computer (or the language I was using) but I spent the next few hors trying to get rid of it. Spybot & Adaware got rid of most of it, but there are a few lingering ones that I just can't find or get rid of. I would normally just download more protection software, but the lingering ones just lock up my browser everytime I open it up. So now I'm going to be working on that untill I get tired and give up. And if that happens, I'll be sans the internet for probably most of the weekend. I would go into it a little more , but most of what I've got to say is just frustration and anger. I hate this thing called the computer.
July 14, 2004
Tomorrow night, there will be a DVD premiere of a project that several Filipino Americans have been working on in Hampton Roads. It's an attempt to
record the history of filipinos in Hampton Roads and their journeys to get here. Here is the info taken from their website.
Please come out to the book shower and DVD premiere of
"In My Auntie's Words: The Filipino Spirit of Hampton Roads"
Thursday, July 15, 2004
Philippine Cultural Center
Virginia Beach Virginia
Heavy Hor D'oeuvres: 6:00-7:00 PM
Program: 7:15 PM
Semi-Formal Attire
Donations Requested
------------
Also coming up on saturday, a friend of mine (and maestro of the singkil sticks) is holding a car show at the Virginia Beach pavillion. Expect lots of freebies, lots of sexy models, lots of demonstrations, more sexy models, loud music, and even more sexy import car'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">import car'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">import car'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">import car'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">import car chics. Oh yeah, there may be some tricked out cars too. More info at the Super Tuner Show website.
--------------
For those of you following this guy, or rather freak of a genius, on Jeopardy...
I guess the rumor I read off the internet was wrong. Not only did he win last night, but he broke the million dollar mark. And he destroyed the other two contestants. So now I don't know if I should believe any of the other rumors either. Some say that the show went into hiatus and he was still champ, and now has to wait until the next season to continue his streak. Some others say that the streak ends this week. I thought that made sense because he is now doing the media circuit thing, sort of like when a reality show persons run ends on a show, they do all the talk shows. I saw he was scheduled for all these shows, so it was a worthy presumption. It's starting to get a little tiresome though, as he's already broken or matched everything possible. The only thing left is to see how long this guy can last and how rich will he get. And this guy is about my age too.
July 10, 2004
NOW ONLINE!!!
The Black Eyed Peas video for "The Apl Song" (also known as the tagalog song on the album). It's preceded by a video by an filipino underground hip hop group from Chicago, the Pacifics, one of my favorites (and not just because of their race). I know most people aren't into undergroup hip hop, but it's only about 3 minutes long, and I think the Pacifics are really good, so you might as well sit through it. I met the Pacifics about 4 years ago at a conference, they are really nice, intelligent guys with a lot to say. They were working with the now defunct asian spoken word crew "Two Tongues".
Back to the BEP video - Lots of cameos from prominent filipinos in the entertainment industry, but more importantly it brings up the issue of filipino WWII veterans who have yet to receive the benefits that were promised to them. This was an issue I was involved in a few years ago and it saddens me that it is still an unresolved issue. I'll probably mention more about this cause later on this month.
The video also displays plenty of images that symbolize the spirit of the Philippines and that alone makes it a "must see".
It's a well-done video, very worthy of viewing. Big Props to the Production Manager of the video, Nina Bautista!!! Doing big things in hollywood. Nina - when are you coming back to visit VA? You're missed by everyone... especially me!
-----------------------------
It's going to be a hot weekend here, but to help chill out, 7-11 is giving out free slurpees tomorrow July 11 (or rather 7/11). They are kind of small, but enough to give you a brain freeze.
------------------------------
This coming tuesday, the Roots, my #1 favorite group, have a new CD coming out. I've given up on trying to convert the masses into listening to them, but I know there are some of you who appreciate them just as much as I do. We can enjoy this stuff now, and maybe 20 years down the line others will come to realize, "hey, they were actually pretty good at the time".
More of you may be interested to know that also coming out this tuesday is Karaoke Revolution V2. After my mastery of the first one, get ready as I take it to the next level with this one. Y'all ain't ready.
July 9, 2004
I hope everyone enjoyed their short work week. It's the weekend again. It's the first weekend in a month that I haven't had an event to attend.
So without much going on this weekend, how about some shopping.
Coupons:
Buy one Get one free - Frappucino at Starbucks inside of Barnes & Nobles bookstores. Another one - same deal, different code. Good until July 22.
Borders - 20% off most everything. 15% off DVDs (I'm a fan of their selection - they've movies I can't find anywhere else).
25 Free digital prints from Target. expires July 10. (this was on the Target website, but was removed due to the popularity of the coupon, and some stores have decided to stop taking it, but it's worth a shot, it's free)
Reebok & Rockport Outlet stores'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">Outlet stores'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">Outlet stores'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">Outlet stores'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">Outlet stores - 40% off. Starts next Wednesday, July 14 until July 18.
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Anybody in Chicago? Tomorrow, saturday july 10, some movie crew is casting for extras to be in some film that will be released next year. It's supposedly some big time production that is expected to be quite popular. It's a movie about some guy that likes to run around town dressed in a bat suit starring Christian Bale and Michael Caine. They call it "the intimidation game" but for some reason, I don't think that's the real name of the movie. It's some kind of secretive film shoot. For more information... read this.
July 7, 2004
I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable long weekend.
On Saturday, I went to Arnold & Esther Lapid's baby shower'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">baby shower'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">baby shower'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">baby shower'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">baby shower. There were two notable people missing, namely Arnold & Esther. So what would cause them to miss their own baby shower? Well they were at the hospital and Esther gave birth to a healthy baby boy, so I guess they are excused. They actually had the baby the evening before the party, so those going to the baby shower were welcomed with the surprise. Congrats to them!!
So this guy on Jeopardy is still running things. I've heard a rumor about when the streak ends. If you want to read about it and possibly spoil the excitement, just highlight the "spoilered" text below:
| He supposedly wins 29 in a row and then loses on some technicality, a misspronounced word or misspelling in Final Jeopardy. |
And congrats to a special couple that got engaged on Independence Day'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">Independence Day'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">Independence Day'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">Independence Day'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">Independence Day. It's about time guys.
July 3, 2004
Free comic books'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">comic books'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">comic books'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">comic books'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">comic books today at local comic shops.
So I'm going to a baby shower today...I have the strangest feeling that there may be something odd about this party!?! There may be a surprise...or lack of surprise... or an unexpected twist...or even expected...Hmmm... more about that after the holiday weekend.
It's supposed to be a hot weekend here in Va Beach. And I'm planning to spend most of the holiday tomorrow outside. And as for watching fireworks, I don't have any plans right now, but I do have to go into work at midnight. I works hard for the money.
July 2, 2004
It's friday and the start of long weekend for many of you. For me, however, it's a short weekend as I am working on Sunday night as it's my turn to work a holiday. So I get a 1 day weekend. It sucks, but it's overtime for me in addition to the holiday pay. And I needs the money.
After two weekends of weddings, I'm taking on two baby showers'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">baby showers'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">baby showers'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">baby showers'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">baby showers this weekend. In fact, the next few months will be an onslaught of newborns for me as I know of 5 pregnant women who are in their final stages. Congrats to Rey & April, who beat every else out, by giving birth to a new child two weeks ago. And also, congrats to Joel & Marissa, who are to be wed tomorrow. one more 'gen Joel!! one more 'gen
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I haven't been watching Jeopardy in years, but this guy that's been on this crazy streak has gotten me interested since he won 9 in a row. He's now up to 21 wins and he's been killing most everyone. I read a possible spoiler somewhere and if it's true, he's not losing anytime soon. I remember people who seemed just as dominating in the past, but they were limited by the 5 day rule, so I don't see him as the greatest Jeopardy champ of all time. He is, however, a blessing for the old show as the ratings have lately been through the roof because of him.
July 1, 2004
Happy New Year! to everyone who works on the business side of things. It's the new fiscal year, which leads to a lot of work for me as ODU closes out the books for the year.
New Laws go into effect today also. Ones to highlight:
- Mandatory jail sentence for all DUI offenders, even first timers. Extremely high fines also.
- ABC stores will now be open on Sundays in VA.
- Civil unions and other legal partnerships between same-sex couples are banned.
- Washington D.C. peeps: No more talking on cell phones'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">cell phones'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">cell phones'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">cell phones'; return true;" onmouseout="window.status=''; return true;">cell phones without a hands-free device while driving. $100 fine and 1 pt penalty.
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Today only, a sale at the Virginia Beach Amphitheatre: $10 for lawn seats for 11 upcoming concerts. (John Mayer, Kiss, 311 w/ the Roots, Chicago w/ Earth Wind & Fire, Hall & Oats, etc.) I'm picky about my seating at concerts though (I like to actually see the artists), so I'm probably not going to get in on this. I'm not a lawn guy either.
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Yesterday I went crabbing for the first time this season and I made a killing. Every few seconds, I was pulling in the crabs, usually 2 or 3 at a time. It was non-stop action as if the crabs saw me as the pied piper. Problem is that it is still a little early in the season so about half of them were too small to keep, but we still came home, after only about 2 hours, with a couple buckets even after throwing back about 2 buckets of crabs (I told them that I'd be back, they need to bulk up and come back with their friends and come looking for me). Just give it about 2 more weeks and most all of them should be big enough to keep. Hopefully they'll just be as plentiful. But of course, I've got the crabbing skills .
(that goes out to you dj's also).