When I just feel like not doing anything at the office, and would rather rant on and on about the most useless things, I go here....
Work Related Reads
consumer product safety commission
duty rates
toy industry association
toys of the year
the toy guy
american society for testing and materials
No, sir...This is work related.
Saturday, January 31, 2004
I need more pushpins
Think it's a safe bet that if someone who didnt know anything about me saw this, they'd be able to tell i've only lived in the southern half of the United States my whole life?
create your own visited states map
Got a ways to go to fill in this map though....
create your own visited country map
Thursday, January 29, 2004
I am a beast unlike no other!!!
To all those who thought my amazingly-wicked-kicked-me-out-of-school-one-semester-before-i-graduated-but-my-academic-advisor-actually-did-her-job-for-once-and-got-me-back-in-barely-graduating 2.01 GPA wouldn't amount to anything, I wholeheartedly say "eat it". See those pointy-tipped wheel things over there? Those are called gears. By oneself, it just sits there. When put on an axle, it spins. But when you put a bunch together it's called a gear train. Go on, say it out loud. Gear train. Good job!
And I made one....along with grinding wheels, a clutch, and a springloaded offset axle. It took me working all day the past few days, but I reinvented the pencil sharpener. Except my thing is a grinder. Kids don't like to play with sharp pointy things. Well, I take that back. We all know they do. But they shouldn't, they'll poke their eye out. I can say that now. I'd probably get fired if some kid did, in fact, poke their eye out. But it's my design. If you're in Target in 4 months and see an Imagic Plastic Regrinder, buy it. I made it. See if you can hurt yourself. I got a 5 Washingtons that says you can't.
Monday, January 26, 2004
holy head spinning batman!
one of the coolest things i've ever heard in my life. i'm surprised he didn't have a heart attack.
some things fade away over the years
....but you know a friendship is worth something when you discover something new about a person even after 10 years
Saturday, January 24, 2004
it's a saturday morning and i'm watching cartoons
big surprise, huh? i think since i've left college, i've watched more cartoons in these past 7 months than i did in my first 23 years. maybe it's a Peter Pan syndrome and i just don't want to grow up, or it's an escape to when times were better and i didnt have responsibilities.
i love my lucky charms and wouldn't trade them in for anything, but my last venture down aisle 9 of my local Ralphs has left me a little disheartened to say the least. it used to be that you could close your eyes, reach out for any given box of sugar coated, fruity, frosted, marshmallowy blend of granola, pebbles, or flakes, tear the sucker open, thrust your little paw into the box and pull out a quality piece of plastic notsomuch bent on entertaining, but rather the reason you bought the cereal in the first place. take a look around now and you'll find that everything is about better tasting/lower calories/fewer carbs/higher fiber...and the toys suck (if they're even there). seems more often than not you have to collect, like, 18 proofs of purchase and mail away for trading cards, or CDs or something else that's really dumb that Kellogs and General Mills should have shoved in the box in the first place. The reason people buy non-name brand cereals is because they're less expensive. they don't even include toys. surely the marketing braintrusts behind these big name labels realize that the only thing that can justify their higher price is an insignificant piece of colored molded plastic. but alas, it isn't meant to be.
the only reason Kellogs hasn't followed General Mills into the bowels of the stock world, only to find itself climbing its way back to even money, is because of this huge eat healthy trend the soccer moms of america have begun. the betty johnson's across the country are ponying up at least $4 for a half the regular size box of Special K Red Berries, not to mention the addition of new Eggo french toast sticks which i absolutely love but hate to admit. so if Kellogs would only put more effort into their marketing tricks to hypnotize the children of the great United States of America into buying their cereal, they wouldn't have to bastardize the only good thing the french ever gave us besides the Statue of Liberty.
Friday, January 23, 2004
don't kid yourself
it's been a slow day. highly uneventful. and the only thing a slow, highly uneventful day does is bring me down. way down. i've been depressed from the moment i woke up this morning and it's carried on throughout the day. and i'm supposed to go get my california driver's license today. my picture's gonna look like a mugshot, i just know it. not to mention the fact that i severely dislike posing for pictures. just makes it a great day overall, huh? notsomuch.
one thing that slightly raised the corners of my mouth into a pseudosmile and momentarily chased away these dark clouds that hang over my head was when i was checking out random things online during lunch and i saw this. and it's not so much the topic, but the picture in the top left that associates itself with the topic...i've heard reports that life is tougher on kids now than when i was a kid, but this is ridiculous.
but as it is, i'm just counting down the minutes until i get to leave work to go stand in line for hours at the DMV. actually, i got an appointment. supposedly it cuts down on the time you'll have to wait and stand in line. personally, i think it's just upperclassism pointed directly at the lowerclasses who don't have computers or access to the internet to set up such an appointment. facist pigs. but maybe i'm wrong and you can call in for an appointment. that'd make it ok. no...still bad. what about people who don't have phones? it's still elitism. can you walk in and make an appointment for another day? cuz that'd work. but then you hafta think about people who can't walk or are bedridden or something. but then i think about it, and those people probably shouldn't be driving anyway, so it's ok.Thursday, January 22, 2004
coming back for seconds, and thirds, and fourths....
more questions...reposted with my answers...sure, some of them may double up, but there's only so many questions you can ask a person before you start repeating yourself...
- best birthday present you've ever had? $2000 cash. yay! to start an IRA. boo!
- what do you eat for breakfast? when i wake up in time to have some, cereal -- usually lucky charms. otherwise there's a mcdonald's right next to the office.
- what's your favorite piece of jewelry? i got a kickass pocketwatch for xmas
- what gadget couldnt' you do without? my cell phone. otherwise, i'd only be able to talk to atlanta people while i'm at work.
- which website can you recommend to me? http://overall16.blogspot.com it's a GT football player, and friend of one of my old roommates.
- do you have any allergies? no
- how many piercings do you have? if i said one, i think you'd be upset that you didnt know. but since i don't, that point's irrelevant.
- what's your favorite artist/painting? Dali...Christ of St. John on the Cross
- what was the last thing you ate? stick of juicy fruit gum. if that doesn't count, a Big Mac n fries.
- where in the world would you be right now if you could pick? a bungalow on the beaches of Bora Bora
- do you collect anything? yeah, anything that looks fun. but not in an anal, can't bend the corners kinda way.
- do you get a daily newspaper? no, i look online for news
- do you use tissues? no. i'm a sniffler. and that's what sleeves are for.
- what's your oldest possession? the thing i have currently that i've had the longest is my car i think. yeah. the rest of my stuff is in marietta.
- do you have any phobias? i really hate swimming in the ocean cuz you can't see underwater and don't know what's swimming with you
- Should people expect to be able to spend more time on things they need and want to do than things that other people need or want them to do? i think people are selfish enough that they do spend more time on things they need and want than things that other people need or want them to do.
- your name spelled backwards? evets...or nehpets.
- where your parents were born? dad was born in NYC, mom in Little Rock, Arkansas
- the last thing you downloaded on your computer? software for my digital camera
- favorite restaurant? in ATL -- Ru San's. in LA -- i go to subway the most
- last time you swam in a pool? sometime last summer
- ever been in a school play? when i was little i was a sheep in a xmas pageant. in high school, i was in the parade band for Hello Dolly, and then i did stage crew for Sound of Music and um, whatever the one before it was.
- how many kids do you want? i like five
- type of music you dislike the most? german polka
- are you registered to vote? i am in georgia. but not yet in california.
- have you ever ridden on a moped? no. and from the people i've seen riding them around LA, i don't want to.
- ever get a parking ticket? pantloads at tech. i think i went my last year without getting any though...tickets that is.
- would you rather bungee jump or skydive? skydive
- furthest place you've ever traveled? australia
- favorite comic strip? calvin and hobbes. hands down.
- do you really know all the words ot the national anthem? o-oh say can you seeeeee...recognize!
- bath or shower? morning or night? shower in the morning if i have time. usually at night tho
- best movie you've seen in the past month? cheaper by the dozen
- favorite pizza topping? i like a good white pizza...i know it's a type and not a topping. but that's my vote.
- chips or popcorn? chips n salsa.
- orange or apple juice? apple juice. always have. always will.
- favorite type of chocolate bar? snickers
- last time you ate a homegrown tomato? people grow those at home?
- ever won a trophy? bunches for boy scouts, little league, soccer, swimming, and water polo
- are you a good cook? i boil a mean egg. i tried to start cooking a real meal once a week a couple years ago. i did pretty good. but i think food other people make taste better
- ever order anything from an infomercial? nope
- sprite or 7up? usually sprite...when i'm sick:7up
- ever had to wear a uniform to work? yup...lifeguarding, housekeeping during the Olympics, Mountasia, Kroger
- last thing you bought at a pharmacy? red bull
- ever throw up in public? more than i care to mention
- would you rathe be a millionaire or find true love? find true love
- ever call a 1-900 number? no
- who was the last person you visited in a hospital? i've never had someone i know go to a hospital except for me.
- what message is on your answering machine/voicemail? hi, this is steve. i'm not here right now, so leave a message.
- what's your all time favorite SNL character? operaman
- what's in your wallet/purse? in my wallet is my license and credit, blockbuster, parents' business, insurance, and macy's/best buy gift cards.
- favorite thing to do before bedtime? watch tv
- what's one thing you are grateful for today? got paid
- favorite ice cream flavor? mint chocolate chip
- ever brush your teeth while taking a shower? yes
- do you like to sleep with socks on? can't stand it
- list 5 things you'd like to accomplish by the end of the year. 1) i think the most important thing to me right now is to feel like i belong here, cuz i don't feel that yet. 2) i think the next thing would be to find/make a tight group of friends out here...and that would really help with the first thing i hope to acoomplish. these aren't supposed to be in order are they? 3) having my own place would be excellent. even if it was a run down piece of shit. i could go out and buy actual furniture and decorate, and everything would be the way i want it. 4) hopefully i'll be able to get a new car by the end of the year. yeah, that'd be nice. 'cept i want a nice car. i don't know exactly what kind, but it wouldn't be like an accord or a benz or something. it'd hafta be a little, i dunno...different(?) like my ugly green escort. 5) the 5th thing i'd want to accomplish is that i stay in touch with most of the atl folk.
- list 5 people you've lost contact with that you'd like to hear from again. 1) high school people that no many who read this thing will know. it's been 6 years since i last talked to woody's sister and mom. and it might seem kinda weird to put their names here, but i really liked Carla, and i was always really comfortable talking to Jane. 2) Marcus Washington. you know he's probably even more hilarious than he was in high school. where'd he go? Xavier? Howard? i don't remember. but it'd be cool to see him again. 3) i wonder what the Poz is up to also. i hear her name mentioned every now and then, i think she sincerely disliked me all through college, but i remember we talked the whole way back from the europe trip on the plane. i don't remember what we talked about, but i remember that we talked...for seven hours. 4)Heather. we've talked less and less since graduation. maybe it's cuz she's got a boyfriend she's pretty serious about. is there a rule somewhere that says anytime a girl has a pseudorelationship with a guy, she can't talk to him anymore once she starts seeing someone else? i only ask cuz it's happened more often than i'd like. 5) since i listed 2 people in the first spot, does that count? no, you're probably right. no sense in taking the easy way out. just making the list, in at number 5, michael burns. and i don't know why. sometimes you justwonder what people have been doing for the past few years. maybe that's why they have reunions.
- list five things you'd like to learn how to do. 1) i kinda already started learning chinese. ya never know, i might get to go to hong kong for work sometime this year. anyway, i got these cd's that teach you everything. reminds me of learning the alphabet in srta. acosta's class minus the screaming orgasm at the end. 2) being sandwiched between the beach and the marina, i think it'd be cool to learn how to sail. it'd be fun to be able to take a boat out for a day all by myself. or another person. secretly, i think i just want to be like pacey. 3) i never was very good at drawing people or live objects. actually, i just suck at drawing in any sense. i'm real good at boxes though. i should get better. 4) and i'd like to learn how to cook. really cook. like braised things. or anything "a l'orange". if you ever go in a pier 1 or even OTP, the kitchen always has the coolest gadgets. 5) i'd also like to learn a whole lot more about the stock market. like daytrading. i think it's kinda like craps where there's so much going on all at once, but if you learn the basics and don't pay attention to all the flash and dazzle, you can still come out well ahead in a short time.
- list five things you'd do if you won the lottery. 1) i'd still go to work everyday. even if i won such a ridiculous amount that i never had to worry about money ever again. 2) i'd build a house. on a hill. above the cloudline. and it would have it's own planetarium with a massive telescope, bowling lanes, and a padded room kinda like those inflatable castle things little kids jump around in. it would be the only real luxury thing i'd buy. 3) i'd start a scholarship program for .... something. maybe trumpet playing water polo goalies who try to see everything from a different angle. 4) i'd try my damndest not to become the biggest asshole in the world just because i had money === if that doesn't count, then i'd buy a new car. whatever kind i wrote about before. 5) i'd probably give a lot of it away
- list five things you do that help you relax 1) get in my car and drive in one direction until i'm relaxed, then i turn around and drive back. 2) walk somewhere in one direction until i'm relaxed, then i turn around and walk back 3) sleep. if something really stresses me out, i go to sleep. when i wake up, it doesn't seem to bother me near as much. 4) go to the gym and work out. i think they actually have scientific studies about stuff like that....endorphines and whatnot. 5) painting. it only seldomly happens. usually i'll drive, walk or sleep.
- what's the last place you traveled to, outside GA..and the US? the last place outside GA would have to be tennessee, then arkansas, then texas, oklahoma, new mexico, arizona, then california. that really was a fun drive. if i ever have 8 or 9 days i can get out of here, it'd be an awesome 6000 mile drive roundtrip. the last place outside the US i've been to was Australia. i never thought water polo would be so berry berry good to me.
- what's the most bizarre/unusual thing that's ever happened to you while traveling? unusual? me? never. i think it was the summer between freshman and sophomore year at tech that i went to water polo camp at the naval academy with bronco. i think we might have been in virginia or somewhere along the way to annapolis, and we passed a sign for nutbush creek. needless to say, i wanted a picture. i think we looped around 4 or 5 times. i don't remember why, i think we saw a car full of girls or something, but i never got the picture.
- if you could take off to anywhere, money and time being no object, where would you go? i'd go on the 30,000 mile road trip around the states i was working on with Vanilla Coke before i got my toy job. it'll definitely be something i do when i'm old and retired.
- do you prefer traveling by plane, train, or car? i love driving in my car more than anything. i think being on a train is too much like being grounded when you're little: you have a few things in your room to keep you busy, but you can't leave. planes aren't so bad. i always fall asleep. and that's mighty relaxing.
- what's the next place on your list to visit and what do you plan to do while you're there? next place on my list to vist is vegas for a friend's bachelor party. as far as what we're going to do while we're there, i have absolutely no idea. well, i have some idea i suppose...drinking and gambling and thinking that we're studs with the ladies but in all actuality having no real chance of impressing anyone...but other than that....
- what time do you wake up on weekday mornings? i'm supposed to be at work at 830 during the week. if i wake up at 7 so i can take a shower and eat my lucky charms and drive to work at 8, i'll get there between 845 and 9 cuz of traffic. if i wake up at 8, take a quick shower, skip breakfast, and leave my apartment at 825, i still get to work between 845 and 9. so what time do you think i wake up?
- do you sleep in on the weekends? How late? i don't set my alarm on weekends. i wake up whenever i wake up. i think it's usually around 930. today i woke up at 9 and watched saturday morning cartoons. we make mucha lucha toys, and i had never seen the show. it's awesome. yay for animated masked mexican wrestlers!
- aside from waking up, what is the first thing you do in the morning? usually turn off the alarm. but aside from that, i generally stretch too. another reason why i hate footboards. they're too limiting. a lot of times i'll stretch really hard(?) that my leg will shake uncontrollably. it's really weird. but it feels good at the same time.
- how long does it take to get ready for your day? i already kinda went over this, but i'm a 20 minute guy. stretch, shower, (i always shave at night), throw on clothes, and i'm out...
- what was your most memorable moment so far this week? after finding out that another guy at work who does a crappy job is starting to work on the mucha lucha product line, one i really wanted to work on, i went into my boss' office and more or less asked why i wasn't the one selected to work on it. i think he was impressed that i was asking for more work, cuz the next day he wanted to know if i was interested in Toymax items. toymax makes cool toys like laser tag stuff and remote control cars. needless to say, i was pumped. it's not official yet, but i'll find out if it's for real monday.
- what one person touched your life this week? it's hard to think of someone who did something of such great importance for you. maybe we look so hard to find faults in other people, that's what makes it harder to find something good about someone. or something like that.
- how have you helped someone this week? i think when i bought my bed, i paid more than i should. there WERE cheaper beds in the place, and i DID buy the first (and only i might mention) bed he showed me. so i helped the mattress salesman by giving him a higher commission. but when you've been sleeping on the floor for the past few months, that extra hundred bucks is worth it.
- what one thing do you need to get done by this time next week? i need to at least paint over the brown in my bathroom. i still can't figure out why someone would paint their bathroom a nasty crap brown color. i also need to get my smog check done for my car. it's required when i get it registered. and i think i go in to get my california license on friday. is that the 23rd or is that in another week? i think it's this week.
- what one thing will you do over the next seven days to make your world a better place? this is actually a question i have an answer to. at work i've been learning about safety of designs and components. and that for any item that is for kids younger than 4, ribbon length has to be less than 11 inches. it has to do with strangling hazards. oh, and we have this cool little tester that determines whether or not components count as "small parts." if you check some of the toys in your store, you'll see the "small parts" label. designers don't really like to put that on their packaging. part of my job is determining the necessity of warning labels.
- do you like talking on the phone? why or why not? i'd prefer to talk to someone in person. but phone is second. one thing that bothers me about talking on a phone is that you don't know if the other person is rolling their eyes at whatever it is you're saying. cuz i really hate when that happens. oh, and lately whenever i talk to my parents on the phone, i really tend to ramble. waaaaay more than usual. whatever i'm talking about becomes incoherent babbling. i think it's just cuz i'm excited to talk to them now that i don't do it all the time, so i start to talk faster, and eventually it all just mushes together.
- who is the last person you talked to on the phone? my parents. that's where the incoherent rambling thing came up. damn, i should read ahead and make sure i'm not answering questions premature.
- how many telephones do you have at home? i have my new cellphone. and my old cellphone. and that's it. when i lived in malibu for the first month, i signed up for a landline even though i didnt have a phone to plug in. i never bought one, so i cancelled that number.
- have you encountered anyone who has really bad phone manners? what happened? i think my roommate judy has bad phone manners just because she's always on it and she talks so loud and the doors are thin and the walls are thin and the windows are thin and her room is like my room in that it kinda looks over the parking area so all the sounds bounce around, and she talks so damn loud it carries everywhere. i just want to tell her to shut the fuck up sometimes.
- would you rather pick up the phone and call someone or write them an email or a letter? why or why not? i think people really like getting things in the mail. i wish i spent more time writing letters. all the important things are still done by snail mail: taxes, college acceptances, wedding invitations. i think email is used best when you need a detailed response, and phones are best if you want to hear someone's voice. and sometimes you do. cuz it's almost like being there. i guess videophones are the second best thing to being there. whatever.
- what is the last song you heard? it's a song one of my residents was playing really loud in Montag last year (Actionslacks - Last Night I Dreamed (That You Were Losing Sleep Over Me). it's a cool song. earlier i walked on the beach at sunset listening to zebrahead's new cd. and when it went all the way through, i started it over and fell asleep on the couch in the living room.
-what were the last two movies you saw? most people know my answer to this question depends on what time of day i decide to answer this question. i'm constantly watching movies. Goldmember just finished on HBO85 or maybe it was just HBO3. i forget what i watched before that. i know i fell asleep to Hot Shots! last night. i would have said Big Fish instead of Hot Shots, but i had an hour before the movie so i stopped in Barnes & Noble and ended up stayin in there and reading for 3 hours. kinda missed my movie time.
- what were the last three things you purchased? today i bought a shelf-type thing and got my oil changed in my car...but i don't think that counts as a purchase. yesterday i bought 50 feet of ethernet cable. oh, and i bought books at B&N last night too. Ape and Essence, Island, and Brave New World...all by Aldous Huxley. there's nothing like a science fiction utopian society with underlying themes of becoming more than you were originally designed to be.
- what four things do you need to do this weekend? catch up on my sleep. and i gotta do laundry. i'm down to only workout clothes. and black dress socks. i gotta go get linens n things for my bed. i should probably figure out what kind of color scheme i'm gonna have goin on in here...ya know, so whatever i get will still fit in the room after i paint. and i gotta go out and explore more of LA
- who are the last five people you've talked to? mom and dad, mom's dad, roommate judy and some really weird guy who had a captain hook mustache from Hook and wore a beret, i said hi to the cashier at CostCo, and i talked to the mechanic guy who did my oil change this afternoon
- what is your favorite type of literature to read (magazine, newspaper, novels, nonfiction, poetry, etc)? i'd say it totally depends on my mood. most of the time i'm up for the newspaper or a magazine. but when i'm feeling kinda lonely and i head into a B&N, i always find myself perusing the psychology, philosophy, and eastern religion sections. i was thinking about reading more (hence the 3 books i bought) and starting an interesting collection. so i was gonna get a biography, but i couldn't find Johnny Cash's autobiography Cash by Johnny Cash.
- what is your favorite novel? i really liked the fountainhead, but when i went back and reread it, i skipped all the long dialogue parts and only read the sections i remember liking the first time. it's not the same. my favorite book would have to be the Tao of Pooh by Jonathan Huff (i think). philosophy and children's stories...of course i'd like it. oh, ya know how they have philosophy based on the simpsons? yeah, now they have it based on Buffy, LOTR, and the Matrix. sellouts.
- do you have a favorite poem? (share it) i'm pretty sure i have a favorite poem. i just can't remember. i just know it's not one i wrote. and since the 3 books i got at B&N cost more than 30 bucks, i got a book of love poems for free. when the lady told me this, i looked at her funny and asked why. everyone behind the counter laughed and said they said the same thing when they were told what they were doing. look at me, making random people enjoy working just a little bit more. good times. oh yeah, the poem thing. so i just kinda flipped through this book real fast and found one decent enough to write down.
It yet remains to see
If Immortality unveil
A Third event to me,
So huge, so hopeless to conceive,
As these that twice befell.
Parting is all we know of heaven,
And all we need of hell.
- what is one thing you've always wanted to read, or wish you had more time to read? when i started at Tech, i was wandering through the bookstore and decided that if i ever had the money, i'd buy a copy of Gray's Anatomy and read it all the way through. it's one of the most in-depth explorations into the human body. i think this was when i was considering the whole pre-med thing. anyway, i bought the book and read parts of it. but then my mom sold it at a garage sale. and now i'm busy. but i wish i had a copy of it and the time to read it.
- what are you currently reading? Huxley's Brave New World. I was gonna read the other ones first, but BNW was written first. so there ya go....
- what is your most prized material possession? by the way i freaked out when i couldn't find it the other day, i'd have to say my little notepad of random thoughts i write down. everything else can be bought again. but most of the thoughts in my head are so fleeting, i'd never remember them again.
- what item, that you currently own, have you had the longest? looking around my room, everything in here is relatively new. but my car i got in 97. so that wins.
- are you a packrat? totally. i'm trying not to be. but all kinds of little knick knacks keep finding their way into my room. usually it's receipts. lots of receipts. oh, and if i'm walking down the drink aisle in a supermarket, anytime i see an interesting bottle, it calls out "Buy ME!!" i'm such the impulse buyer.
- do you prefer a spic and span clean house? or is some clutter necessary to avoid the appearance of a museum? i gotta have clutter. i need the white noise in the background. i love crowds. when there's so much going on at the same time, it's easy to just tone it all out. but my mom always taught me to leave a path from the door to my bed. you always gotta be able to see the carpet. besides, if you have everything spic and span, you're gonna notice the dust faster.
- do the rooms in your house have a theme? or is it a mixture of knick knacks here and there? yeah, there's a theme. all of the rooms in this place are not mine except for mine. that's pretty much the feeling out here. this is MY room. that one's Harry's room. and that one's Judy's room. Judy's a fuckin pack rat. there's shit everywhere. and she's not the cool kind of pack rat with cool shit. it's old shit she should just throw out.
- explain why you started your first blog. i've kept a diary/journal off and on since i was 6. my first one was a Ramona and Beezus diary. it was purple. but i was 6 so it didnt matter. and they didnt make Henry Higgins diaries. i was reading the Technique and they talked about blogs. i figured it'd just be like starting a new journal. which it was.
- do people you interact with day to day or family members know about your blog? why or why not? people know i have a blog. they knew about my old one anyway. then i had it in my profile for a while..where it still is. it was weird when my mom would comment on it. i don't think that should be allowed. she doesn't know i have the new one. she's freaked out enough as it is that i'm out here by myself. no sense in her getting all worked up over me not having a bed or not having made new friends yet or dealing with leaving everyone in atlanta.
- do you have a theme for your blog? yeah. it consists of what i think. i don't write according to a list i've made of topics. i decide it's time to make an entry, and whatever comes to mind is what i write about. as i write, i generally think of someway it ties into something else, and that's where the links come from.
- what directions would you like to have your blog go in over the course of this year? i'd like it to consist of an entire year, no weeks missed. i was close last year going march to march. but there are a couple gaps in there. i think if someone gave me an argument, it'd be easy to argue for or against it. but setting out directions for a blog seems kind of anti-steve. i'm not a direction kind of guy. well, i am actually. point me in a direction, and i'll go...and go...and go...just experiencing new things along the way with no ultimate goal. or at least a goal, but no direct path to it. i think specifics keep you too tied down. and if you can't accomplish something on that path, you'll think that it's impossible to achieve your goal instead of thinking of another path.
- pimp five of your favorite blogs. five blogs i read the most would be the ones linked on my site...the women's POV. that's 4. the fifth is a gtsports blog. or whatevs.org
- have you ever been hunting? no. never been offered the opportunity to go, don't know if i would if i could. i think i might feel kinda bad.
- what side of the bed do you sleep on? by myself, off to the left a little. if the bed is against a wall, i'll sleep on the edge away from it. if the bed is not near the wall, i'll sleep on either side...but i'll face away. i'm an outside sleeper.
- what's the best concert you've ever been to? to just go chill at - zebrahead. performancewise - the Rolling Stones. with friends - hard rock rockfest at atlanta motor speedway
- did you have a favorite stuffed animal when you were little? i had a big orange dog with a nametag that said Doogan. so that's what i called him. seems kinda funny now.
- what place/thing in the world do you absolutely have to see before you die? one place doesn't stand out. i could always see more of the world, but i'm happy with what i've seen for now.
- have you ever had an imaginary friend? no.
- when was the last time you went on a real date? is a real date calling a girl on the phone and asking her out for dinner for a specific predestined time in the near future where i pay for everything? if that's the case, then while i was home over christmas.
- do you dance to music when no one is around? yes
- do you like to sing? yes
- do you believe in true love being destined? no
- what is your favorite item of clothing? i like wearing comfortable jeans. does that count?
- how many bones have you broken? none, but i've fractured my right occipital bone (the one that surrounds your eye
- what has been your shortest relationship? 2 weeks during the summer my sophomore year of college
- what has been your longest relationship? 17 months from senior year in high school to freshman year in college
- do you like public speaking? yes
- were you baptized? in what religion? yes, catholic
- have you ever been kicked out of a place? yes, a couple bars, mcdonald's playplace
- have you ever been in a fist fight? no
- do you have a large or small personal space? small
- what's the grossest/weirdest thing you've ever eaten? i'll eat most everything. i didnt like anchovies that i got on my pizza once though.
- do you have a favorite kind of accent? one i think sounds cool is australian
- how old were you when your parents gave you "the talk"? never did
- have you ever won a spelling bee? yes
- what words have you missed in a spelling bee? i missed going to the state spelling bee in fourth grade on "grotesque"
- how would most people who know you finish this: wow, you're a lot ____ than you look. people i meet now say i look older than i am. i get a lot of 27's.
- jello or pudding? jello. no spoon.
- when you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? pediatrician
- do you have any OCD type behaviors? i don't like to share food, mostly when people want a bite of something. i'd rather go buy a whole one for them than give them some of mine.
- who are you closest to in your family? mom
- what is your favorite holiday? favorite season is christmas, but not necessarily the day. my favorite holiday day is probably halloween
- do you consider yourself a good liar? i've been known to tell a few in my day. they haven't caught up with me yet...
- have you ever been grounded? yeah, and one time my parents made me write sentences. it was weird. oh, and i was spanked when i was little.
- have you ever had a curfew? yes
- do you drink coffee? not regularly, but i do on occasion
- who was your favorite teacher? Miss Mary Jane, preschool
- who was your least favorite teacher? Mrs. Battle, world history
- can you jump double dutch? never tried, but i can single dutch, or regular jump rope, or whatever
- what is your favorite adam sandler movie? 8 Crazy Nights
- which is better: sunrise or sunset? sunset
- have you ever had a mentor? who? kind of. my water polo coach and i would talk a lot my last year at tech. he always seemed to understand where i was coming from and even suggested that if engineering doesn't work out, i should think about teaching. which is something i had told myself i would do if i didnt like engineering after 8 years.
- which is more important: friends or family? i think good friends are family
- when is the last time you slow danced? a wedding last summer
- how do you like your eggs? scrambled
- do you prefer pens or pencils? pencils
- do you use the center wheel on a mouse? yes
- do you sleep with a night light (or the tv/bathroom light on)? no
- are you the kind of person always looking for more friends or for better friends? is this one of those "pick one of these" kind of questions? i wouldn't say i look for better friends to replace my current friends. and i think having too many friends can diminish the value of a relationship; you only have so much time and effort you can give, someone is bound to get the short end of the stick. i'd rather keep less friends and have strong relationships.
- are you a good judge of character? at first glance, i'll take most people at face value. but sometimes i just get a bad feeling about someone i've never met.
- do you remember your dreams on a regular basis? no
- when was the last time you stayed up to see the sunrise? too long ago to remember
- who makes better friends: girls or guys? i think i have more close friendships with girls than i do with guys
- how do you feel about old people? i like those like my grandfather who is always traveling and seeing new things and gives great advice and doesn't act "old" and expect to be taken care, like they've given up and are just biding their time until they die
- have you ever been in a nursing home? yes
- do you still buy cds on a regular basis? yes
- do you feel like a lot of people don't really know the real you? no, i'm pretty sure my friends know what to expect from me in most any given situation
- do you feel like there is such as thing as the real you? i think a lot of people act a certain way to get/accomplish things they wouldn't have gotten/accomplished if they didnt act that way. the real you is a big picture, not an instance taken out of context. not everyone can see that.
- have you ever slept in a bathtub? no
- have you ever been within a mile of a tornado? no
- did you know anyone who lost someone in 9/11? no. but i know people who know people who worked in the world trade center but for one reason or another decided not to go to work that day
- on a scale of 1 to 10, how cool are fireworks? going to see a firework show=5. making your own firework show=9
- do you actually shoot bottle rockets out of a bottle? not always
- what movie always makes you cry? it's been a while since i've cried, but i'll say empire records
- are you usually the dumper or the dumpee in a relationship? dumper
- do you like writing or drawing better? writing
- have you used finger paints (outside of elementary school)? whenever i can
- have you ever been walked in on? were you embarrassed? no, but i don't think i'd be embarrassed either
- what's the most number of people you've kissed in a 24 hour period? does new years eve count? otherwise i don't know
- can you do any cool dives (like flips or backwards or anything)? i spent this summer lifeguarding perfecting my one and a half
- were you on the swim team in hs? yes. 9th and 10th grade
- what is the deepest you'll go into the ocean? til the water starts to feel cold
- where is your favorite beach that you've been to? bondi beach in australia
- how many hours on average do you spend at work each day? 845am - 630pm..on average...you do the math
- how many hours on average do you sleep each night? 1 - 730....so 6.5 hours?
- have you ever had a secret place you go to think? i'd say no, but i find it easiest to think when i'm stopped in the middle of a crowd and everyone is rushing around me.
- how often do you shave your head? whenever i think i need to. usually every third day
- do you plan on keeping your head shaved for the rest of your life? i'm not old enough to plan for anything to last for the rest of my life
- what event in your life will make you stop and say, i'm all grown up? buy my first house
- have you ever shotgunned a beer? yes, another skill developed playing water polo
- have you ever done any drugs? aside from alcohol, no
- do you snore? only when i'm sick
- is there any one decision in your life you wish you could go back and change? i don't think anything hangs in the balance of one decision, but i'd probably have changed a few things in some of my past relationships
- can you touch your tongue to your nose? no
- can you cross your eyes? yes
- has a pen ever burst in your mouth while you were chewing it? i don't chew on pens, but if i did an one exploded in my mouth, i think people would laugh and not tell me and make me figure it out for myself
- have you had any cavities? yes
- what's your least favorite physical feature about yourself? teeth
- what do you think your biggest character flaw is? i don't allow myself to become very emotionally attached to people
- do you lick to the middle of a tootsie pop or just bite in? lick until i can bite without killing my jaw
- what one specific thing do you miss most about atlanta? being around people i know
- what have you found to replace it in california? i work hard at a job i enjoy
- do you brush your teeth back and forth or in circles? back and forth on the sides, in circles in the front
- do you towel dry or air dry? towel dry
- what's your favorite video game ever? i've never really liked to play video games. but i like playing mario kart with everybody at megan's place
- what store could you spend hours in? literally, any store...but i can walk around Best Buy or Home Depot for a couple hours...and toy stores are always high on my list
- do you prefer farmers markets or grocery stores? grocery stores. i don't get that much produce
- would you rather do without movies or music for a week? movies
- have you ever wanted to get anything pierced? if so, what? no, guys and piercings just don't sit right with me
- do you honestly see yourself as the kind of person who keeps in touch with people? i see myself keeping in touch with people that mean a lot to me
- are you on any joke or horoscope mailing lists? how many? both up to my fourth year in college. then i started seeing it as junk mail so i stopped
- what's the dumbest/craziest thing you've ever done on a dare? everytime i play truth or dare, i always pick dare. unfortunately, most people i've played with don't have very creative ideas.
- do you have any tattoos? nope, thought about it. was being taken to get one once. didnt get it.
and i'm spent.
Wednesday, January 21, 2004
no F***ing way!
to put it bluntly, i think Peter North works out at the gym i recently joined. i was warming up on a treadmill and thought that one guy looked vaguely familiar, and after my workout i saw [more of] him in the locker room. nah...it couldn't be. could it? and i'm not one of those guys who walks around looking at other guys in the locker room, but when you can only think of one way to identify someone, well...you have to try not to look like a, um, looker for lack of a better word.
anyway, i went home after my workout to check my "reference" material, and was slightly dissapointed when i realized it wasn't him. but at the time, i thought i was lifting weights next to Jim from "Goin' Down Slow" and Slutman #4/Man #1 in "The Devil in Miss Jones 3: A New Beginning" and i couldn't help but laugh the whole time.
Tuesday, January 20, 2004
152 things you thought too inconsequential to ask of me
name you would pick if you could choose? "hey" or "guy"
nickname? does steve count?
birthday? February 17, 1980
astrological sign? Aquarius
do you think fortune cookie fortunes are real? if you read into them a little bit, sure...but my lucky numbers never come up
height? 6'4"
eye color? hazel
every single place you've ever lived (not visited)? George AFB, CA; Las Vegas, NV; Alamogordo, NM; Holloman AFB, NM; Garden Grove, CA; Orange, CA; Smyrna, GA; Marietta, GA; Atlanta, GA; Malibu, CA; Marina del Rey, CA
the mascot of every school you've been in? Community Christian School Lions, Holloman Primary Eaglets, Holloman Intermediate Falcons, La Veta Elementary Vikings, Santiago Middle School Santanas, Griffin Middle School Lions, Simpson Middle School Eagles, Sprayberry High School Yellow Jackets, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
ever had a job? cashier @ Kroger [quit], go-kart track attendant @ Mountasia Family Fun Center [quit], housekeeper during the 1996 Summer Olympics [fired], home remodeling [summer only], lifeguard at Georgia Tech Aquatic Center [fired], sheet metal worker for McKinneys Inc [summer only], Georgia Tech intramural official [graduated], Georgia Tech peer leader (more or less an RA) [fired], lifeguard at the Piedmont Driving Club [summer only], lifeguard at the Cherokee Town & Country club [quit], engineer for JAKKS Pacific [currently employed]
dream job? playing with toys, telling people what i think, and having them pay me for it
a recurring dream you have? haven't had one in a long time, but when i was 5 i had one where i was really scared because i couldn't find my mom so i ran down the street to our neighbor's house. i went in the backyard by the pool where i found my mom lying on the ground with her head in the pool. i ran over to her when she suddenly springs up and starts screaming, but instead of her real head, she has a Cruella de Vil head. and it scared the shit out of me. hey, i was 5. leave me alone.
religion of choice? nondenominational christian
estimated mileage on car you currently drive? 78,000
phone number at a house you don't live in anymore? don't know, but when i was 9, my mom's office phone number was 714-639-9398. if the person who has this number now gets any calls, please offer my apologies.
music preference? extremely varied. for example, at work today i listened to the Strokes, Reel Big Fish, Arturo Sandoval, James Taylor, The Who, Blondie, Zebrahead, and Better Than Ezra. it's a shame they don't make cd's at least an hour long like they used to.
ever played an instrument? trumpet, guitar, bass
do yo like live concerts? there's something about a live concert that makes the music seem good, even when it really sucks.
what was your first live concert? smashing pumpkins @ the Omni in Atlanta
favorite reality tv show? i watched Average Joe 2 tonight and thought it was pretty funny, but then they bring in all the beefcake guys and i couldn't help but feel sorry for the (below) average guys...probably because i'd be one of them. i think my favorite reality show is Fear Factor.
favorite cartoon when growing up? Doug
favorite cartoon now? Dexter's Laboratory
favorite breakfast cereal? Lucky Charms
favorite movie? Bio Dome
favorite non-fiction book? i can't say i'm the biggest of non-fiction, but the last one i read (part of) that i kind of enjoyed was Voices of the Past. it had a speeches in it from Hitler, the Roosevelts, Churchill, Stalin, and a bunch of other dead guys.
favorite fiction book? Tao of Pooh
favorite comic strip in the newspaper? Calvin and Hobbes
favorite comic not in the newspaper? Archie and Jughead and Veronica and Betty and Reggie and Mr. Weatherbee
american person in history you wish you could have met? Henry Thoreau
non american person in history you wish you could have met? Helen of Troy
current male music celebrity you most want to meet? paul simon
current female music celebrity you most want to meet? Shirley Manson of Garbage
current male tv/movie celebrity you most want to meet? john cusack
current female tv/movie celebrity you most want to meet? Julia Roberts
favorite vegetable? green beans
least favorite vegetable? cooked carrots
frozen tater tots or frozen french fries? tater tots
favorite hostess or little debbie snack? twinkies
worst person in the history of the world? why? Hitler. to put it simply, for killing millions of people because they held a belief different from that which he held
what do you expect to be doing in 5 years? i'll be 28, still in California, probably married, nice big house, kid(s), and a dog...and still making toys
what do you expect to be doing in 20 years? i'll be 43, running a business, happily married, kids getting ready to go to college
if you had a picture on the front of your shirt designed to make people think you are a certain kind of person, what would it be? a mirror. too many people are afraid of things that are different from them.
if you had a picture on the back of your shirt that said what you are really like, what would it be? it would just say "not you"
favorite two legged animal? i'll tentatively say a ring-tailed lemur. tentatively because you could argue it has four legs. otherwise i'd say humans.
favorite four legged animal? nothing's better than a good dog.
favorite smell? onions cooking on the stove
something you worry about that you know you shouldn't worry about? will i be late for work again tomorrow?
something you have every right to worry about? did i make the right choice in moving out to California by myself for a job that seemed to be everything i could want?
something you really enjoy doing? watching movies in my bedroom
something else you really enjoy doing? driving in my car with no specific destination
favorite song? Howie Day - I Do
favorite clothing brand name? Kangaroo Poo
favorite day of the week? Saturday
favorite class in school? in HS - astronomy, in college - senior design class where my group made cargo shorts with a built-in chair
favorite store? a toy store
favorite city? nyc
favorite sport? to play - water polo, to watch - hockey
favorite board game? scrabble
favorite card game? poker
favorite internet site? http://www.bored.com
favorite ice cream flavor? mint chocolate chip
favorite month? May
favorite holiday? Christmas - notsomuch the day itself, but the month leading up to it
favorite flower? clematis (any kind)
favorite fictional character? winnie the pooh
favorite quote? "i never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude" - Thoreau
hot or cold? hot
sweet or sour? sour
spicy or bland? spicy
fast or slow? slow
black or white? black
half full or half empty? half full
long or short? short
more or less? more
soft or hard? soft
rough or smooth? smooth
air, land, or sea? air
light or dark? light
straight or curly? curly
straight or curvy? curvy
large or small? small
fat or thin? thin
day or night? night
breakfast, lunch, or dinner? dinner
brush or comb? brush
slide, see-saw, or swings? swings
doing or watching? doing
mind or body? mind
conciousness, subconciousness, or unconciousness? subconciousness
feet or hands? hands
water or juice? juice
ocean or pool? ocean
treadmill or road? road
rain or shine? rain
cat or dog? dog
inside or outside? outside
up/high or down/low? up/high
silver or gold? silver
ever smoked? not even once
do you believe in love at first sight? no
how often do you shower? probably 6 times a week
do you trust others easily? yes
have you ever lied to a friend? what about? yes. a billion things
are you a daredevil? i don't think so
have/would you bungee jump? haven't, but i would. i'd rather skydive though.
if granted one wish, what would it be? that everyone could be content for once.
do you like to dance? surprisingly yes
do you like high heels? not on me, but they help make a woman look mighty fine
where have you traveled outside of Georgia in the US? Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusettes, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia
where have you traveled outside of the USA? Mexico, Canada, England, Germany, France, Switzerland, Italy, Greece, Turkey, and Australia
what is your favorite amusement park ride? the Loch Ness Monster at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, VA
do you collect anything? not anymore, but i used to collect baseball cards
do you like having your picture taken? not if i have to pose
do you get annoyed easily? no, it takes a lot
do you have any piercings? no
do you frequently daydream? incessantly
do you have any scars? bottom of my left foot, right calf, left knee, right hip, right elbow, left elbow, left pinky finger, left ring finger, left middle finger, left index finger, left thumb, right thumb, right index finger, right middle finger, right ring finger, right pinky, right wrist, chin, nose, top of my head, back of my head
have you ever won anything? little league trophies, youth soccer trophies, a drawing for Los Angeles Rams tickets in 4th grade, 6th grade spelling bee, band musician awards, foreign language awards, water polo honors
what is your earliest memory? walking down the street when i was 2 and seeing one of those humongous trash trucks that are like mastadons with the big things in front that pick up dumpsters
do you plan on having kids? how many? yeah. at least two. if i could afford it, five.
in what position do you fall asleep? on my stomach, head turned to the left, right arm under the pillow stretched out, left hand under my chest, right leg stretched out, left leg tucked in
do you put on a front for anyone? i try not to, but probably
do you think long distance relationships can work? i think they do ideally, but not in the real world
do you cry? seldomly
have you ever gotten in trouble with the police? nothing more serious than traffic court
do you believe in fate? yes
have you ever been skinny dipping? yes
what is the background on your computer screen? a picture of the shaft at Georgia Tech with the foutain on and the Bank of America and Coca Cola buildings lit up at night
have you ever ridden a motorcycle? no
do you consider yourself organized? no
have you ever fainted? no
do you wear a watch? no
do you wear any other jewelry regularly? no
did you climb trees when you were little? all the time
have you ever been jealous of a girlfriend? 4 years ago, and not until she became an ex-girlfriend
do you climb trees now? if there weren't only 100ft palm trees around here, i would
have you ever driven through a cornfield? no
has an airline ever lost your luggage? yes, on my way home from Rochester NY to Atlanta after Christmas of 2002
do you spend money more than you save it? you know it
do you believe in aliens? i think there has to be something out there somewhere
do you believe in reincarnation? if so, who were you in your past life? yeah, um...not really something i buy into
what period in history are you most intrigued by? the middle ages
Monday, January 19, 2004
Friday, January 16, 2004
Sometimes you feel like honoring the underappreciated or the slandered. Sometimes you think a person just got a bad rap. Sometimes you wish people would see someone the same way you see someone. Sometimes it's impossible, but that's why it's sometimes and not allthetimes. Sometimes you used to watch his show when you were little. Sometimes you remember that some really famous people got their start on the show. Sometimes you remember that you wrote a letter when you were 8 years old to the production company because you wanted an autographed picture. Sometimes you remember that you sent it to CBS instead. Sometimes you remember that those bastards just told you that you need to send a letter to the production company instead of forwarding on your letter. Sometimes you were too lazy to follow through with the original plan. Sometimes you watch his Adventure and laugh hysterically. Sometimes you wish you were in the circus with Kris Kristofferson. Sometimes you think you would've eaten the egg salad sandwich. Sometimes you wish you could ride on an elephant. Sometimes you forget you watch a movie because the death scene is hilarious, and then it gets old, and you grow older and realize who the better vampire slayer is. Sometimes a stint as a male secretary is a desperate struggle to maintain a spot on the B list of celebrities. Sometimes toilet humor is just where it's at. Sometimes it's better to bow out gracefully while you're on top, than to fight the truth that your 15 minutes is up....
EARMUFFS!!!!
could Old School really be any funnier? and not to steal a page out of Michael Jackson's "close friend" Macaulay Culkin, but i don't think so. i mean really, what did people think would happen when you put Vince Vaughn, Luke Wilson, and Will Ferrell together. honestly...damn, i just don't know what to say. it's one of those movies that will always make me laugh.
Yulia Barsukova has nothing on him, and she can do this.
Thursday, January 15, 2004
damn that's a big tom jones picture!!!
so the tom jones picture is a little big. it's so big in fact that it's screwed with the proportions of my sidebar. so that means it's too big. and i can't say i know enough html to shrink it down and make it like 50% or something. maybe there's a "size=50%" command or something. i'm dumb. someone
and i was in the bathroom earlier (as everyone knows it's the best thinking place in the world) and i remember the huge troughs they used to have in large sports arenas. i'm pretty sure they didn't have those in the ladies rooms, at least not in the ones i went into by accident those seven or eight times, but for a proper image, take the accompanying picture, make it metal, wrap it around the entire outside of a large room, and imagine 30 guys stepping up to it pulling a Ghostbusters and trying not to cross any streams, if ya know what i mean. i don't know what made me think about it. maybe it's the marvel of the the motion-detecting-self-flushing urinal. you know that soon enough they'll have one's that'll shake for ya too.
and when thinking about troughs, the next thing that comes to mind is pigs. conveniently enough, one of my coworkers mentioned the fact that she'd going to the best barbecue place in all of Los Angeles. The Pig. i haven't been there yet. actually, i haven't been a lot of places in LA yet. every now and then, friends say "hey, i wanna come visit." so i figured i'd wait to do things til they get here. that way it'd be fun for both of us and i wouldn't want to be rushing past some stuff and wanting to stay a while at other stuff. ya know, no presuppositions or something. i'm sure that's not the right word. but it's close enough.
so after troughs and barbecue and pigs, the only other thing to think of is barbecue sauce. and say "sauce" really fast and you're really expressing your desire for the greatest tequila to touch these lips. ok, patron is better, and girls seem to really like tequila rose, but Sauza demolishes Jose Cuervo when it comes to actual taste, shooting ability, and resulting effects the next morning.
Wednesday, January 14, 2004
beware...the trouser snake cometh!
so i've been working on finding places to stay for myself and a bunch of friends for someone's bachelor party in march. of course we decided to go to vegas. and blah blah blah blah blah....
it doesn't really matter what i say here. i just wanted to post this picture.
i could lie and say that it was an original and that i have it at home, framed, and keep it under my pillow when i sleep at night...i could say it, but i'd be lying...and gross...and people would seriously start to look at me funny. i just found it on the internet....but i think i'll print it out and pretend anyway. score!
ya gotta start somewhere
so i find myself falling asleep every night falling asleep with the tv on watching one of 4000 movies. well, maybe one of 40 movies or however many there are on digital cable...and that's a lot.
i woke up sunday during the opening credits of Chilly Dogs (released outside of the US as Kevin of the North). not having ever heard of it before, and with my penchant for utterly nonsensical movies, i lied there in my sleeping bag (as i
still have not yet bought a bed) and was entertained for approximately the next hour and a half. i think what intrigued me the most was that it featured skeet ulrich, originally of Scream fame (unless you count being an uncredited thug in TMNT or an extra in Weekend at Bernie's) and natasha henstridge, of such uberSpecieshotness proportions only the most carefully chosen words could be used to describe her: she's wicked hot! oh yeah, and leslie nielson was in it, too....that, if anything, should give you a clue as to what kind of movie it was.
as far as movies go, it was a mix of Caddyshack and Iron Will, but what concerns me is why these two formerly A-list actors would do a movie of this level. it was just hard to get use to seeing the two of them in slapstick comedy. sure, really dumb movies are the start of some questionably high profile careers. i'm specifically talking about keanu in Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure and paul walker in Meet the Deedles (both of which i own). but for skeet and natashalicious to take the step backwards, i just don't get it. oh, and while we're on the subject, previously stated uberbabe is co-starring again with the formerly Mr. Demi Moore and everyone's favorite Friend Sr. Perry in the new The Whole Ten Yards on April 9th. a cinematic experience i am most definitely looking forward to.
oh, and i'm sure i missed the boat on this one a looooooong time ago, but you tell me which one's skeet and which one's johnny depp.
Tuesday, January 13, 2004
no need for small talk pt II
after i posted about the door test, i immediately got a comment from one of my friends who i know would love nothing more than to ride a motorcycle for the rest of his life. and i empathized for him, as motorcycles can't really have a door test:
JNGerber: I like the door test
cage fiend: can't really use it on a motocycle
JNGerber: nope, but you can tell if she likes you if she holds on tight even when you're going slow
JNGerber: or rests her chin on your shoulder, that's also a good one
and it got me thinking. are there any other tests that can be administered while entering/sitting in/on a vehicle? or not in a vehicle?
the movie chair armrest test is an easy one to point out. no explanation is really needed.
then there's always the passing on the street test. i don't think it's ever been verbalized before, but this test has been around forever. it basically consists of saying hi to a girl when you're passing her on the street. mean girls give you a dirty look. nice girls say hi. really nice girls jump you where you stand.
i think another test that's been around but never really been talked about is the dinner table test. too many women are obsessed with what they look like when they eat. superficial women order a cobb salad with a glass of water. a real woman orders spaghetti, ribs, sloppy joes and then dessert. damn there's nothing better than a woman with a good appetite.
i'm sure there are others...ideas?
no need for small talk
so a couple years ago when i first started listening to The Ataris, there was a song that would always come around whose title I cannot bring to mind, but anyway there was ...oh wait...i think it's called Giving Up on Love...(continuing) this one excerpt that was more or less a voice over and i always thought what the hell is this?. recently i was watching A Bronx Tale which is a coming of age story of a little mobster growing up on the streets of, um, i forget where. but anyway, as i'm watching, they go into this dialogue and i'm thinking to myself this sounds waaaay to familiar and sure enough...it was the voice over part in the Ataris song.
anyway, it's about the door test. and not everyone knows about the door test. and i wasn't even ever really told about it, but it was something that just happened one day, and the more i thought about it, the more i realized that it was the best way to really learn something about a girl...you know, besides actually talking to her.
and the door test goes something like this:
Alright, listen to me. You pull up right where she lives, right? Before you get outta the car, you lock both doors. Then, get outta the car, you walk over to her. You bring her over to the car. Dig out the key, put it in the lock and open the door for her. Then you let her get in. Then you close the door. Then you walk around the back of the car and look through the rear window. If she doesn't reach over and lift up that button so that you can get in: dump her."
"Just like that?"
"Listen to me, kid. If she doesn't reach over and lift up that button so that you can get in, that means she's a selfish broad and all you're seeing is the tip of the iceberg. You dump her and you dump her fast."
it's truly enlightening. so for any ladies that find themselves getting into my car, just know that you're being tested. and not cuz i think you're dirty...although you might be, so maybe i should have you tested...nevermind
i know she's famous and everything....
just imagine that you're really really famous. and that little girls want to be you. and the people at the wax museum come to you saying they want your image added to the museum. flattering, right? not if you're britney spears. i mean, really. she approved this? is this how she's gonna be remembered?
We could have broke the glass if there was an emergency
i wasn't planning on adding something til later today, but sometimes things just call for immediate action.
SHEBOYGAN, Wisconsin (AP) -- The joystick-operated toy crane used to snare a prize in this supermarket game could've nabbed more than just a cheap stuffed animal -- how about a shot at Timmy Novotny?
Authorities said the 7-year-old boy somehow crawled into the glass enclosure and got stuck.
Sheboygan Fire shift commander Mark Zittel said the call came in Saturday from a Piggly Wiggly as a "child stuck in a toy machine." The boy had to be rescued with the help of a locksmith.
"You expect to see an arm or a finger. But here's a 7-year-old boy sitting with the stuffed animals," Zittel said.
He said the boy crawled through about an 8-inch-by-10-inch chute where the toys come out. When he tried to get back out his way was blocked.
"His dad was three feet away at a pay phone," Zittel said. "He was talking on the phone and he said the next thing he turned around and the kid was in the thing."
Zittel said the boy stayed calm as firefighters moved the game machine to the back of the store and a locksmith opened the main loading door. The process took about an hour.
"There was no panic," Zittel said. "We could have broke the glass if there was an emergency."
Rescuers haven't figured out how the boy was able to crawl into the game.
Friday, January 09, 2004
Take my photo off the wall
If it just won't sing for you
'Cause all that's left has gone away
And there's nothing there for you to prove
like sand in the hourglass, so are the days of our lives....whatever that means. i never really understood it. "all we are is dust in the wind" always sat better with me. maybe bill & ted are just better philosophizers and i can relate to them. keanu rocks. i wonder if Dogstar is still touring? I'm pretty sure they're not. anyone know of any other bands that are only heard of because they're celebrity based? and i'm not talkin Tenacious D here....
i always wondered why they didn't bring back Socrates in Bogus Journey, and then i realized it was because he was too busy making Delirious with John Candy. definitely a trade up. way to pick 'em Tony! sorry you died. a selected look at your amazing career in film and television:
Film-type things
Delirious (1991) .... Edward the Butler
Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure (1989) .... Socrates
Scrooged (1988) .... Headwaiter
Troilus & Cressida (1981) (TV) ....Aeneas
Othello (1981/I) (TV) .... Montano
Gawain and the Green Knight (1973) .... Fortinbras
"War and Peace" (1973) (mini) TV Series .... Marshal Davout
Death of Adolf Hitler, The (1973) (TV) .... Gen. Alfred Jodl
Television
"Babylon 5" (1994)
"Married... with Children" (1987)
"Married... with Children" (1987)
"Golden Girls, The" (1985)
"Beauty and the Beast" (1987)
"My Two Dads" (1987)
"A-Team, The" (1983)
"Avengers, The" (1961)
.....seems to me like his career peaked after My Two Dads. and for those who say that My Two Dads was crap, it was the launching pad for Staci Keanan (later of Step By Step fame) and Paul Reiser (later of Mad About You). unfortunately the other dad spent a season on Melrose Place and didn't really do anything else of note. such a shame.
i think him and uncle Jesse should start a club of 'past their prime "cool" male' figuretypes. definitely....
so i'm listening to Something Corporate's Leaving Through the Window again and i used to play it constantly when i first got it, but then stopped listening to it since i got the latest Zebrahead cd so i'd know all the songs at the concert. but it's actually a decent cd....if you're into the whole radio-pop kinda Blink-ish punk/pop ballad type deals. i think i'm the only one that's easily entertained enough to enjoy such a thing.
and i just got done going through a top 5 Johnny Depp movie conversation with megan. he's no john cusack, as i only have 2 JD movies but 5 JC movies. but as we're talkin JD, my top 3 were Pirates, Benny and Joon, and Chocolat -- which is technically a chick flick, but that's ok (sometimes you gotta take one for the team). Edward Scissorhands is a close 4th, and i think Blow is #5 by default as the only other JD movie i've seen all the way through. Once Upon a Time in Mexico was the last of a 4 film movie hopping extravaganza this summer, and i was tired so i left after 20 minutes. to its defense however, the theater was packed for the midnight show in a not very popular theater-type place, so that's gotta say something to how good it is, right? and i never saw The Mexican, so I can't count that one. oh, but i saw Sleepy Hollow...that was good. hmmm...that'll bump Blow out of the top 5 cuz i'm not really into those kind of movies (except Usual Suspects and Reservoir Dogs, which every man is required to like or God asks for your testicles back)...hmm, and i saw Platoon, but it was a while ago. i forgot he was in it. who doesn't like a good war movie -- even though it had charlie sheen? and i think i saw Cry Baby on TBS when I was 15 or something. when they put up the announcement that "this movie has been altered to fit time constraints" they should say "this movie has been altered to fit time constraints. we will only show you the parts of the movie you've seen 80 bazillion times in the trailers." cuz that's what they do.
and i'm looking to move out of my apartment that i just moved into at the beginning of december. yeah, the one near the marina. yeah, the one 50 steps to the sand of the beach. yeah the one that i thought was my saving grace and would lead to my utter enjoyment and ultimate feeling of finally being settled since i've moved out here.....but it's not. so one of the guys i work with and i are looking to get an apt. one thing i've learned out here is that you can have so much stuff but if you don't have anyone to share it with, you don't really have much at all. i can forsee in the future that we'll probably grow sick and tired of each other after seeing each other at work and at home...but that's the future. and LA's all about the present. so maybe i am starting to fit in a little. i was thinking about living in Hollywood between Melrose and Hollywood (South to North) and maybe Fairfax to i dunno...the 101 maybe. it's decently inexpensive and where all the bars and clubs are. huh...we'll see....
i've got a fork. a plastic one. it smells of onions. and i only used it to eat my Lucky Charms. what does that tell you?
Tuesday, January 06, 2004
"you're my inspiration....
....if you can find a job, i'm pretty sure i'll be able to get a pretty good one." straight from the horse's mouth. damn, sometimes you're glad their name is always preceded by the title ex-girlfriend.
Monday, January 05, 2004
Sometimes this kind of story turns out to be something more......
.......some glimpse of life that expands like those Japanese paper balls you drop in water and then after a moment they bloom into flowers, and the flower is so marvelous that you can't believe there was a time when all you saw in front of you was a paper ball and a glass of water....
and sometimes a person can surprise you and call you on your bullshit. and you're always glad they did. and you wish more people were upfront with you like they are.
Friday, January 02, 2004
Merry First Friday of the Year!!!
i can only begin by saying that the absolute most bestest week of my life is now coming to a close. the first actual paid "vacation" days of my first post-collegiate occupational career could not have been better spent. every afternoon, evening, and early morning was spent with different friends but it still wasn't enough. i still didnt get to see a few people i really wanted to see. and i've realized that everything i've said before about thanksgiving having been my "first trip home" was a bunch of crap. or maybe i was right about the first trip home, but totally wrong about the second trip home. and that the second trip isn't a letdown compared to the first one. i think what ends up happening is that the few days you have to spend, you spend with the people who mean the most to you. and what's driven me nuts about this week is that everyone i spent time with has expressed in some form or other how they could never do what i did. they can't see themselves packing up their car, driving away, leaving everything behind. when actually, all they have to do is pack up their car and drive away and leave everything behind. whether or not they'll like what they find when they only have themselves to count on is something completely different.
and now in my head pops this picture of Dexter Freebish's A Life of Saturdays album featuring the #20 Adult Top 20 single from Disco Cow Music Leaving Town which was probably the current mood music for bazillions of people who have friends who graduate or get a new job or pack up the car and drive away and leave everything behind. and that's what that song is about. the person who stays in town. they don't leave. they watch the other person leave. and instead of being happy for the person (not happy that they're leaving, but that they're going to get to experience something new) they just wait for them to screw up and come crying back home.
point in case:
Pack your bags, your smokes in your pocket
Your wearing my locket around your neck
Take your drag and wait for the Greyhound
the world is your playground and you want to win.
But when your broke and down and no one else is around.
You'll come running back to this town and
I'll be there, yeah I'll be there.
Cause I remember how we shared time and
how you used to say that the stars are forever.
And dreamed about how to make your life better by
leaving town, leaving town.
Nothing in life will ever come that easy.
Doesn't mean it has to be that hard.
I know you will find out who you are
But when your broke and down and no one else is around.
You'll come running back to this town and
I'll be there, yeah I'll be there.
talk about having no faith in someone...yeah, i know some people think this song is about how they'll always be there as a shoulder to cry on, as someone to lift them up, a comforting soul so to speak. and that may be the case, but these same people are also stuck in their comfort zone, afraid to be on their own outside the safety net of friends, and worry too much about what other people think about them. and it doesn't have to be that way. it really doesn't. the nervous anxiety of being confronted with the unexpected is probably the most exciting feeling one can have in my opinion. it's the feeling kids have the night before christmas, the feeling men have the night before they get married, and the feeling i had the night before i drove 2800 miles away from my friends, family, and everything else i had known for the past 10 years of my life.
and i of all people am definitely not the poster child for doing something like this. all through high school and college i was always destined for mediocrity. i was even told once "i don't know, i always thought you'd just be a slacker like i always knew you to be." so to those people i say thank you for giving me something to measure my life against. and yeah, i'm actually working and doing something, but you don't have to leave to be successfull. you just have to do something....anything...
