Zap's Inane Ramblings

cell phone

2006-01-30T10:46:00.000-08:00

Well, as many of my avid readers know, I have held out getting a cell phone for many years. However, this past Saturday, I finally broke down and bought one. Here are the top two responses from the people I have told:"Welcome to the new millennium" / "Welcome to the 21st century""I knew once you got a girlfriend you would get a cell phone"I still think that it's a waste of money, but then in a

flying solo

2006-01-30T10:44:00.000-08:00

Ok, it's now 10:45 on Monday morning, and I am the only Info Sys person here at work thus far. It's been that way since 7:45, when I got in this morning. What, did I miss a memo or something? Is it National IT Day, and all IT professionals get the day off? Are we on strike? Well, at least I get to listen to my iPod...

RHETI

2006-01-23T09:57:00.000-08:00

I just took the RHETI sample test online and apparently I am a tie between type 9:and type 2: What do you think?

tarrot

2005-12-19T09:23:00.000-08:00

You are the Hermit card. The Hermit has chosen asolitary spiritual path. He shines light on hisinner self and, by this means, gains wisdom.The Hermit's home is the natural world and itis by being in tune with that world that helearns the laws of nature and learn how theyoperate within himself. His path is a lonelyone as he lives in silence and has forcompanionship only his own internal

UCLA-CSUMB - running diary 2nd half

2005-11-21T08:43:00.000-08:00

UCLA / UCMB - Game Account - 2nd HalfWhew, I know it's been a while, and UCLA is now 3-0, but I thought I would finish up my running diary. Things got a little crazy at work last week, which is why I didn't get a chance to finish it.HALFTIME, UCLA 57 | CSUMB 16My dad, a couple of season ticket holders that sit behind us, and I talked about the expanded three point line, expanded key, and the no

UCLA-CSUMB - running diary 1st half

2005-11-11T01:15:00.000-08:00

UCLA / UCMB - Game Account - 1st HalfWhew, got home about an hour ago from the UCLA / CSUMB and all I can say is, WOW! I know that most of my vast readers (ok, who am I kidding, all five of them) did not attend the exhibition game between our UCLA Bruins and the CSUMB Otters. However, lucky for you all, I kept a pseudo Sports Guy running diary of the game from my seat in Section 305A, Row 2,

UCLA vs CSUMB

2005-11-10T14:04:00.000-08:00

Going to the UCLA / Cal State University Monterey Bay exhibition basketball game tonight. I can't wait. This will be my first opportunity to see the team in action. And, since a couple of the starters are going to be out today, it will give me a great opportunity to see some of the new players on the team. I'll try and post about my thoughts either tonight or tomorrow. Should be fun, and I

Numerology

2005-11-07T10:09:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine did a brief numerology reading for me on AIM last night:MyFriend: imma do a numerology analysis on uMyFriend: lolMe: sweetMe: need my birthdate?MyFriend: si senor, por favorMyFriend: =DMe: 3-11-76MyFriend: oooMyFriend: ur bday is only 4 days after mine!MyFriend: want ur reading anaylsis?Me: hahahaMyFriend: do u believe in this stuff??MyFriend: lolMe: sureMyFriend: haha okay i'll

Political views

2005-11-03T16:50:00.000-08:00

So, apparently I'm a Libertarian....interesting...You are a Social Liberal (71% permissive)and an... Economic Conservative (75% permissive)You are best described as a: Libertarian <

Paul Shirley

2005-11-02T11:50:00.000-08:00

Paul Shirley is fucking hillarious. But, I think he really spoke to me in his May 7, 2005 playoff entry (you need to scroll down). I totally feel his pain. hahahaha

Civ IV

2005-11-02T09:58:00.000-08:00

I don't want to come off as a gaming geek or anything, but I have to admit, the message that my Civilization IV has finally shipped has made me really excited. I can't wait to install it on my PC and play for hours and hours and hours. The game looks awesome, and I've been a huge fan of the series. It all started when I came across the original Civilization, decided to give it a try, and ended

Jeannie Mai

2005-11-01T08:19:00.000-08:00

I have a new TV wife, and her name is Jeannie Mai. You can get a little more info about Jeannie at the Stir TV site. How did I come across Jeannie you might be wondering? Well I was watching an episode of How Do I Look? last night and she happened to be the professional stylist on the show. She has an infectious personality and I fell in love with her almost instantly and just had to watch

Top 3: Various

2005-10-24T16:43:00.000-07:00

TOP 3 SONGS, Various Artists & Compilations:**Last updated: 24 October 2005Various - Baby Boomer's Best - Jumpin' Jive 50'sRock and Roll Music (Chuck Berry)Get a Job (Silhouettes)Rockin' Robin (Bobby Day)Various - Baby Boomer's Best - Lovin' 50'sSixteen Candles (Crests)All I Have to Do is Dream (Everly Brothers)Only You (Platters)Various - Baby Boomer's Best - Partytime 50'sJohnny B. Goode (Chuck

Top 3: T - Z

2005-10-24T16:35:00.001-07:00

TOP 3 SONGS, T - Z:**Last updated: 24 October 2005James Taylor - Greatest HitsFire and RainYou've Got a FriendMexicoThree Dog Night - 20th Century Masters - Millennium CollectionJoy to the WorldOneAn Old Fashioned Love SongToto - Past to Present (1977-1990)AfricaOut of LoveRosannaTRF - dAnce to positiveCRAZY GONNA CRAZYENGAGEDBOY MEETS GIRLThe Turtles - 20 Greatest HitsThe TurtlesHappy

Top 3: N - S

2005-10-24T16:35:00.000-07:00

TOP 3 SONGS, N - S:**Last updated: 24 October 2005Ozzy Osbourne - Blizzard of OzzCrazy TrainGoodbye to RomanceMr. CrowleyPapas Fritas - Buildings and GroundsPeople SayI Believe in FateI'll Be GonePeter Paul & Mary - Ten Years TogetherBlowin' in the WindLemon Tree500 MilesPink Floyd - Darkside of the MoonTime & Breathe RepriseUs and ThemEclipsePink Floyd - EchoesDisc 1Another Brick in the Wall

Top 3: J - M

2005-10-24T16:29:00.000-07:00

TOP 3 SONGS, J - M:**Last updated: 24 October 2005Scott Joplin & George Gershwin - Piano RagsThe EntertainerThe CascadesThe Maple Leaf RagJourney - EscapeDon't Stop Believin'Who's Crying NowOpen ArmsJourney - Greatest HitsWheel in the SkyFaithfullySeparate Ways (Worlds Apart)Judas Priest - LiveSome Heads Are Gonna RollThe SentinelYou've Got Another Thing ComingKahala Tomomi - Love BraceJust a

Top 3: E - I

2005-10-24T16:22:00.000-07:00

TOP 3 SONGS, E - I:**Last updated: 24 October 2005Eagles - Hell Freezes OverLove Will Keep You AliveTequila SunriseDesperadoEagles - Hotel CaliforniaHotel CaliforniaNew Kid in TownTry and Love AgainEarth, Wind & Fire - Greatest HitsSing A SongFantasyBoogie WonderlandEnya - WatermarkCursam PerficioOn Your ShoreExileErasure - POP! - The First 20 HitsSometimesA Little RespectBreath of LifeEvery

Top 3: A - D

2005-10-24T15:39:00.001-07:00

TOP 3 SONGS, A - D:**Last updated: 24 October 2005America - Greatest Hits - HistoryI Need YouSandmanSister Golden HairAnthrax - Among the LivingAmong the LivingI am the LawOne WorldAnthrax - Live-The Island YearsIn My WorldAntisocialIndiansBeatles - 1962-1966 (Red Album)Disc 1Can't Buy Me LoveAnd I Love HerYesterdayDisc 2Help!In My LifeYellow SubmarineBeatles - 1967-1970 (Blue Album)Disc 1With a

something weird

2005-10-20T12:33:00.000-07:00

I think I have found my new favorite DVD distributor: Something Weird Video. I guess I just have a soft spot for campy sexploitation films of the 60's and 70's. I think it would be cool to be a writer/director/producer of ultra-campy exploitation films chock-full of lame story elements, low budget special effects, and a nice mixture of gore/nudity. Maybe that's my calling in life...:)

more wedding photos

2005-09-26T11:25:00.000-07:00

I created a free account on ImageMonster.net and setup a gallery for some more wedding photos. Tamba, John's other brother-in-law took these pictures. Check them out!

Wedding

2005-09-20T10:35:00.000-07:00

Wedding!As most of you know, my sister and John tied the knot over Labor Day weekend. The wedding was held in Vegas, so I decided to take Thursday, Friday, and Tuesday off in order to get the most out of my Vegas trip. I know what you are thinking (I was thinking the same thing when I first heard that they were having the wedding in Vegas), did they get married by Elvis? Actually, the wedding

happy tuesday

2005-09-20T10:26:00.000-07:00

Happy Tuesday!How has your Tuesday been treating you? Hopefully everyone got to where they needed to go without any problems. Me? Well, glad you asked. My Tuesday has sucked thus far. No, nothing as big as a car accident or anything. I was driving to work, and the rain had pretty much letup once I got to the 405, so I decided to roll down the windows as I was feeling hot. Well, right

Bad Company

2005-08-31T09:05:00.000-07:00

Somehow Rob and I ended up talking about the Bad Company song "Bad Company" but neither one of us could really remember how it went. So I ended up going to the cduniverse site and checked out their Anthology cd. I never realized how many good songs they had:Can't Get EnoughRock SteadyReady For LoveBad CompanyFeel Like Makin' LoveShooting StarRock And Roll FantasyI've heard many of these songs

Another strange dream

2005-08-31T08:55:00.000-07:00

Well, I had another weird dream last night. As most of you know, my sister is getting married this weekend. So, I must have had that on my mind because I dreamt that all of us in the wedding party were meeting up at a restaurant out in Malibu so that everyone in the wedding could get to know everyone else. Well, it turns out that Gina Gershon was my sister's maid of honor cuz they had been

strange tennis dream

2005-08-29T09:13:00.000-07:00

I had another weird dream on Saturday night. I was watching a celebrity tennis match between Martina Navratilova and Chris Everett Lloyd. Martina was totally dominating the match, so much so, that she decided to choose someone from the stands to come out and play a game against Chris. And, well, she chose me, and I pretty much sucked ass. But, I didn't care, and in fact started playing up to

Zap's Music Reviews - Spitz Souvenir

2005-08-24T12:49:00.000-07:00

Zap's Music Reviews: Spitz - SouvenirReleased (Japan): January 2005Item #: UPCH-1380Price I Paid: $17.99 + $2.99 shippingTrack List:Haru no UtaArifureta JinseiAmattare KURIICHAAYasashiku Naritai naNANAPURAA HiyoriMasayumeHonohoWATARIKoi no HajimariJitenshaTEITAMU.ONIIRUAi ni Yuku yoMisokaI'm gonna do this JFan style, so here goes...I should probably state right off the bat that I am a huge Spitz

paper jam tuesday

2005-08-23T11:12:00.000-07:00

I am renaming today Paper Jam Tuesday. In the past three hours of work, I have had to clear paper jams in 2 HP printers and 2 label printers. Fun stuff eh? :)

bone spurs

2005-08-22T10:03:00.000-07:00

Damn, I think my body is falling apart. I have now been diagnosed with a pretty large bone spur on my right foot. It's on the side of my foot, kind of where the arch of my foot starts, and it feels like I'm walking around with a golf ball in my shoe. Not a very pleasant experience. I've been trying to figure out how this happened, cuz something like this can't just spring up overnight. I

Zap's Movie Reviews - Deuce Bigalow II

2005-08-16T08:27:00.000-07:00

Zap's Movie Reviews: Deuce Bigalow: European GigoloZap's five word review: asinine plot, but still funnyI was able to catch a free screening of this film on the Sony studios lot thanks to a friend who works for Sony. Maybe it's because I like toilet humor, or I am secretly a Rob Schneider fan, or that I was able to watch it for free, but I thought it really wasn't as bad as most people have made

comment spam

2005-08-10T08:26:00.000-07:00

Wow, I finally got my first comment spam: Anonymous said... If you are alone, call this number 800-XXX-XXXX. Connect with Real Singles from your local area instantly for only $0.99/min with a $4.99 connection fee. A true Match is only one phone call away 800-XXX-XXXX. Meet people with common interests and desires now. Check it out. 800-XXX-XXXX 1:33 AMAwww, my baby's all grows up!

Diary

2005-08-09T08:10:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since I read a book, cover to cover, in less than a day, probably not since I read Pelican Brief many summers ago. But, that's just what I did last night when I picked up Diary by Chuck Palahniuk. I ended up reading it in less than 4 hours. Wow. I'm not really sure what to make of this book yet as it's the kind of book that works on multiple levels and my brain is still

Saint Etienne

2005-08-08T15:33:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, needing to add to my small collection of cds, I ended up purchasing Saint Etienne - Smash The System-Singles & More and I must admit, I really like this two cd set. Awesome. Hmmm, maybe I'll review the cd soon. Oh, and I also just bought the new Spitz album Souvenir. Can't wait to get it.

btw

2005-08-08T10:03:00.000-07:00

Oh, btw, I added my Japan trip Day 8 entry to the left. I had started it a while ago, but finally finished it a couple days ago. So, feel free to check it out and I might have Days 9 and 10 finished in the next couple of days.

test time - humor

2005-08-05T12:36:00.000-07:00

Found this test from the WWR. Here are my results: the Idiot Savant (43% dark, 43% spontaneous, 44% vulgar) your humor style:VULGAR | SPONTANEOUS | LIGHTYou like things silly, immediate, and, above all, outrageous. Ixne on the subtle word play, more testicles on fire, please. People like you are the most likely to RECEIVE internet forwards--and also the most likely to save them in a

Religion vs Science

2005-08-05T11:58:00.000-07:00

I just left a comment over at the WWR. Andy seems to really enjoy pointing and laughing at all those Christians who refuse to acknowledge the validity of science, especially when it concerns human creation. And, well, I can't really blame him. Anyway, first read his post and then read my comment:Hey Andy-I know how much you love to bash those that choose to ignore science, and well, I'm with

donated blood

2005-08-04T07:56:00.000-07:00

Well, I donated blood yesterday for the 10th time at the UCLA Blood and Platelet Center. I used to donate at the VA Hospital Red Cross before, and I think I was up to about 7 donations there. So, in actuality, I have donated probably a little over two gallons of blood. Woo Hoo! Apparently I have semi rare blood because I am A+ and CMV- so they are always calling me up. Anyway, everyone

white honda

2005-08-04T07:53:00.000-07:00

Drove John to the airport this morning before work, and there was this really cute chick in a white Honda driving behind me in the fast lane on the 405 North. She must work somewhere in West LA cuz she was behind me in the fast lane from La Tijera up until right after the 10 interchange, where she proceeded to move over, probably to try and hit the Santa Monica exit. Oh well, just thought I

nerd quiz

2005-08-03T09:36:00.000-07:00

Found this over at Fran's blog:Damn, I can't believe that I am nerdier than Fran. I demand a recount!

template changes I

2005-07-19T13:49:00.000-07:00

Made some slight modifications to my template as I realized that my posts kind of run together when I post multiple times in one day. Hopefully this new look will break the posts up a little bit.

Spitz romanization: Yume Oi Mushi

2005-07-19T12:55:00.000-07:00

Another Spitz romanization:Yume Oi Mushiwarattari naitari atarimae no seikatsu wofutari de sugoseba hane mo haeru saikou dane!bijin janai mahou monai baka na kimi ga sukisatochuu kara kawattemo subete yurushite yarouyumede mita ano basho ni tatsu hi made (sona hi made)bokura wa sukoshi zutsu susumu ake mademohakisou nakurai ochisou nakurai ERO ni mayoi kondeyukuokashina yumedesu ga RIARU nanoda

zap's movie reviews - audition

2005-07-19T09:53:00.000-07:00

Zap's Movie Reviews: Odishun (Audition)Zap's five word review: Everyone should see this once!Ok, maybe not everyone, as this film has many moments that are very hard to watch and stomach. However, this film is so chilling, disturbing, and so well done that everyone should experience it even if they leave saying "I can't believe that I just wasted almost 2 hours of my life watching this fucked up

Diane Mizota

2005-07-14T10:28:00.000-07:00

Is it just me, or is Diane Mizota cute as hell? Now, you might be wondering, who the hell is Diane Mizota. Well, Diane is the host of Filter, a Top-10 countdown show on the G4 network. Why would someone who isn't an avid gamer actually watch the G4 network? Well, to be honest, X-Play really cracks me up, so when nothing else is on, I find myself flipping to G4 to see what's on. And, well, I

Zap's Movie Reviews - Lost in Translation

2005-07-13T10:37:00.000-07:00

Zap's Movie Reviews: Lost in TranslationZap's five word review: loneliness in Japan = great flickI was actually putting off watching this DVD for one big reason: Everyone that really knows me was telling me that I would love it. Upon hearing this, I tend to have high expectations regarding the film, and thus usually feel disappointed after watching it. Thankfully, this was not the case for this

jello shots

2005-07-06T09:47:00.000-07:00

The first time I tried to make jello shots was a complete disaster. It was back in college, and according to the box, you need to add 4 cups of water to the jello powder mix to get jello. Most jello shot recipes call for replacing one of those cups of water with vodka. Well, my roommate and I, seeing as how we both had a pretty high tolerance back then, decided to substitute three cups of

new evolution of telemarketing

2005-06-21T12:02:00.000-07:00

New Evolution of Telemarketing?:I have AIM open, as I normally do, and some random person, who is not on my buddy list, sends me an IM:XXXXXX: hellozapster76: helloXXXXXX: who am i talking to ??? zapster76: that's a strange question, considering that you aimed me...:-)zapster76: it's markzapster76: do i know you?XXXXXX: mark?zapster76: um, yeahXXXXXX: last name...i'm lost here

songokuu romanization

2005-06-15T18:25:00.000-07:00

Finished romanizing another Spitz song...SongokuuGURASU ni afureteru mizu wo nomihoshitaraatarashii juujiro wo mezasudekirudake tanjun na sorede ite ganjou nashikumi de motte aruitekumune ni hi wo tomosou moga ki tsuzuketeyouhajimete wo sagashiteiruamarini kurai yoru chuuto hanpa na dokutega todo ki souna ashitaaa kurui souna toki wo hiki zuttaatarashii juujiro wo mezasuyokoni aru kaikan ya

Inaho romanization

2005-06-10T12:38:00.000-07:00

Finished romanizing another Spitz song...Inahoutsukushiku minoru inaho ni ai wo shiru yume mo owaru gorokakedeshita kaze ni sakarai yuuyake ga bokura wo someteitaarienai asuni akogare nandodemo muri ni fukuramashisonna hibi wo karukunaderare nandedaro namida ga todomaranainandedaro kimikara nigerarenaidarenimo aenai kigashiteta kujibiki darake no machini itemou uso wa tsukenai mushouni nanika

life is crazy

2005-06-09T16:03:00.000-07:00

Life is crazy. Today I spent my lunch hour sitting on our back stairs reading and people watching. Three things happened during that hour spent in leisure. First, a coworker came outside and told me that her 18 year old daughter has a pretty bad case of cancer and at the least will lose one of her legs and might even lose her life. After pondering that for a little while, I observed a mother

top 3 miscellaneous

2005-06-03T12:54:00.000-07:00

TOP 3 SONGS, MISCELLANEOUS EDITION:**Last updated: 03 June 2005Berlin - Best ofNo More WordsSex (I'm a...)The MetroBob Marley & the Wailers - LegendIs This LoveNo Woman, No CryCould You Be LovedThe Cars - Complete Greatest HitsJust What I NeededShake It UpYou Might ThinkEarth, Wind & Fire - Greatest HitsSing A SongFantasyBoogie WonderlandEnya - WatermarkCursam PerficioOn Your ShoreExileErasure -

Zap's TV Reviews

2005-06-02T10:56:00.000-07:00

Zap's Music Reviews:"Beat the Geeks""Friends""HEY! HEY! HEY! Music Champ""Just Shoot Me""Scrubs""Will and Grace""Wire, The" - Season 1**Note: If you have a request for a non music/movie review leave a comment below and I'll see what I can do...

Zap's Music Reviews

2005-06-02T10:45:00.000-07:00

Zap's Music Reviews:Spitz - SouvenirUtada Hikaru - Exodus**Note: If you have a request for a music review, check out my list of CDs and leave a comment below...

2005-05-03T08:57:00.000-07:00

Zap's Movie Reviews: Boksuneun naui geot (Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance)Zap's five word review: So Sad. What the Fuck?I gotta admit, I am a huge fan of messed up films. I loved Audition and Visitor Q. So, after reading about Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance, you can imagine how much I was anticipating watching this crazy Korean film. And, although this film was not as crazy as Old Boy (review coming

zap's movie reviews - elf

2005-04-13T12:57:00.000-07:00

Zap's Movie Reviews: ElfMy roommate went out and bought the Elf dvd, and the four of us sat down to watch it Friday night after dinner. If I was limited to only five words in order to review this film, my review would read Mildly Funny Christmas Family Film. If you would like to read a review filled with more substance, read on...The basic plot of the film is that a human orphan child who

Zap's Movie Reviews

2005-03-23T08:59:00.000-08:00

Zap's Movie Reviews:AuditionBullyDeuce Bigalow: European Gigolo - NEW!ElfField of DreamsIdentityLiberty Stands StillLost in TranslationPrincess Blade, TheRevenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in ParadiseSummer SchoolSympathy for Mr. VengeanceTortilla Soup**Note: If you have a request for a movie review, check out my list of DVDs and leave a comment below...

2005-03-23T08:21:00.000-08:00

I had a dream last night. At first I couldn't figure out what it all meant, but then after thinking about it for a couple of minutes it became clear as day. Anyway, here is the dream:It's the bottom of the ninth, nobody out, game tied 2-2. I step up to the plate, adjust my batting gloves, and dig in for the pitch. The weird thing is, the pitcher is a beautiful woman, and I am playing in the

2005-02-24T10:53:00.000-08:00

First 20 songs on my iPod: (iPod set to random)1. Queensryche - Anybody Listening2. Spitz - Nagisa3. Otis Redding - (Sitting' On) The Dock of the Bay4. Luniz - Playa Hata5. L'arc~en~ciel - STAY AWAY6. The Drifters - (If You Cry) True Love, True Love7. Spitz - Memories8. Spitz - Sora mo Toberu Hazu9. Twisted Sister - We're Not Gonna Take It10. Pink Floyd - The Fletcher Memorial Home11. The Beatles

Zap's Music Reviews - Utada Hikaru Exodus

2005-02-24T08:25:00.000-08:00

Zap's Music Reviews: Utada Hikaru - ExodusReleased: October 5, 2004Price I Paid: $11.47I'm gonna do this JFan style, so here goes...This is Hikaru's first American CD release since she exploded upon the Japanese pop scene. She did release an album under her pseudonym, Cubic U, but that was before her sound matured into what it is today. So, does this album hold up against her very popular

2005-01-25T08:18:00.000-08:00

Finished watching the first season of The Wire last night. Many thanks goes to my sister for letting me borrow the dvds. And, yes sis, you were right, I really did get sucked into the series. I ended up watching the last five episodes last night, even though I had planned to watch only a couple of episodes and then watch Old Boy. Well, apparently Old Boy is going to have to wait becuase I

2005-01-24T11:56:00.000-08:00

Finished another romanization of a Spitz song:STAR GAZER tooku tooku ano hikari made todoite hoshii hitoribocchi ga setsunai yoru hoshi wo sagashiteru ashita kimi ga inakya komaru komaru gomi ninari souna yume bakari kutsu mo yogoreteru ashita kimi ga inakya komaru komaru tooku tooku hateshinaku tsudzuku michi no uekara tsuyoi omoi ano hikari made todoite hoshii tsubete wo kirau osanasa wo

2005-01-18T16:25:00.000-08:00

Not to turn this blog into one long rant about work, but last Wednesday was a crazy day at work. One of our higher ups wanted us to make a group policy change on our domain, and well, after making the change, all of a sudden policies stopped being applied to users on our various terminal servers. This is a huge problem in that we lock down our terminal servers for security reasons. The weird

2005-01-18T16:16:00.000-08:00

So, I was watching My Tutor last night on cable and I couldn't help but wonder what ever happened to the girl who played Bonnie, Amber Denyse Austin. I remember watching the film way back when on cable, sometime in the mid 80's and even then thinking how attractive the Bonnie character was. Even now, I couldn't help but think that she was quite attractive in that 80's kind of way. So, I

Japan Trip - Day 8 May 25 2003

2004-12-20T13:35:00.000-08:00

Whew, it's been a while since I have updated this thing. But, I came across my notebook at work, and figured, time permitting, that I would finally get around to finishing up my Japan Trip entries. So, without further ado...Japan Trip - Day 8 (May 25, 2003):Woke up in the morning, jumped in the shower and got ready as we were planning on meeting up with Taeko and her brother Eiichi and heading

2004-12-20T13:20:00.000-08:00

Wow, I can't believe that it's been so long since I have written anything on this blog. Weird. I meant to write about my Thanksgiving weekend, but alas, things got really crazy with work, and the days just flew by. And here we are, just 5 short days from Christmas, crazy. Anyway, I guess I will just write about my Thanksgiving weekend, like I was planning on doing, and then go from there. So

2004-11-18T08:55:00.000-08:00

Came across this article on the Men's Health website. Here's a small sample of what the article has to offer:Why you've been horny since conception (your own) --You've been lit up on testosterone right from the start, even when you were just a multicelled notion in your mother's womb. The inherited Y chromosome that makes you male (thanks, Dad) triggers two bursts of testosterone that change

2004-11-17T13:14:00.000-08:00

I don't normally check the horoscopes as I don't really believe in all that stuff. Usually when I check them, they are so generic that they can really apply to anyone. However, most of the time they are good for a laugh, which is why I added them to my yahoo page. So, in glancing over them today, I came across this one:Maybe the right person is right under your nose! You have a big social

2004-11-16T11:50:00.000-08:00

Zap's Movie Reviews: Shura Yukihime (The Princess Blade) So, after the intense thrill-ride that was Identity, I felt I needed to take a little rest from analyzing every little detail of a film and just be entertained. So, I figured I would pop in The Princess Blade, sit back, and just revel in the fun-filled action sequences. The story centers around Yuki, played by Yumiko Shaku who tries to

zap's movie reviews - Identity

2004-11-16T08:20:00.000-08:00

Zap's Movie Reviews: IdentityFinally, after realizing that there really isn't much on TV at 5pm every night, I decided to tackle my "DVDs to watch list" and pulled Identity off the shelf. I figured that since my life has been pretty dreary lately, and that it was already dark at 5:30pm outside, that this film would fit perfectly. Plus, I remember reading a lot of stuff about the film and

2004-11-15T13:59:00.000-08:00

I'm sick. Well, actually, I'm at the tail end of a cold. Spent pretty much all last week staying home (which was nice) coughing my ass off, watching TV, and watching my roommate play GTA: Los Santos. Man, that game is messed up, but looks like a lot of fun. Hmmm, I thought I had a point to this entry, but I guess I didn't. Oh well. Oh, I also got the chance to check out the UCLA bball team

2004-11-08T16:08:00.000-08:00

Mmmmm, the lunch of champions...almonds and a Green Machine from Naked juices. Didn't really have much time for lunch today, and it was raining during my usual lunch time, so I decided to just grab something quick and then eat an early dinner. Hmmm, maybe I'll swing by Daphne's today...

2004-11-04T09:42:00.000-08:00

If I had to pick my favorite music group right at this moment, I would have to say that it is the Japanese group Spitz. I can't say that there is any one song that I do not like. And think, I might have possibly never heard of them if it wasn't for Shawn burning me one of their CDs in college. Now I own four of their albums. Contrary to what the RIAA wants you to believe, file sharing is not

2004-11-04T09:33:00.000-08:00

My 10 year high school reunion is almost upon me, just another couple of weeks. Wow, has it really been 10 years already? Sometimes it feels like just yesterday I was playing vball at SPHS, and other times it seems like an eternity since I walked down to High Life for some chili cheese fries at lunch. Time is such a strange thing to understand. Most of the time it feels like it is dragging

2004-11-04T08:27:00.000-08:00

Getting to know crazy me: Well, actually, this list isn't really all that deep, but I got it in email, and well, thought I would answer the questions and post it here:Dear Friends, Where has our time for nurturing friendships gone? Welcome to the Winter 2004 edition of getting to know your friends. What you are supposed to do is copy (not forward) this entire e-mail and paste it onto a new e-mail

2004-11-01T13:13:00.000-08:00

Just bought 10 new CDs:Cars, The - Complete Greatest HitsErasure POP! - The First 20 HitsGipsy Kings - Volare! The Very Best Of The Gipsy KingsGuns N' Roses - Appetite For DestructionHapa - CollectionIron Maiden - Seventh Son of a Seventh SonPolice - Every Breath You Take: The ClassicsSly & The Family Stone - Greatest hitsVarious - Paint It Black: A Reggae Tribute To The Rolling StonesWarren G -

2004-10-26T14:57:00.000-07:00

They say that bad news usually comes in threes. Well, I guess that means that some good news is headed my way. Let's see, work has been really bad for the past month. I returned to single status a couple of weeks ago. And my mother's sister died Saturday night after battling stage IV cancer for almost a year (she had beaten stage III cancer a couple years ago). Just a very strange time for

2004-10-23T01:44:00.000-07:00

Lyric of the moment: Wasted Love by Iron Maiden (Gers/Dickinson) Maybe one day I'll be an honest man Up till now I'm doing the best I can Long roads, long days, of sunrise to sunset, sunrise to sunset Dream on brother while you can Dream on sister I hope you find the one All of our lives covered up quickly by the tides of time Spend your days full of emptiness Spend your years full of

2004-10-14T09:31:00.000-07:00

The Washington Redskins predict the future: So, apparently, ever since the Washington Redskins became the Washington Redskins, they have been able to predict the outcome of the presidential election. How you might ask? Well, apparently, the outcome of their last homegame before the election predicts the winner. If they win that game, the incumbant party will win the election. If they lose,

2004-10-06T13:06:00.000-07:00

Romanization #2:TABI NO TOCHUU by Spitz kimi wa yatte kita ano sakamichi wo kake no botte yatte kita doudemo ii hazu no chiisai omoide wo hiroiatsumetari shinagara yuutsu na mayoigo wo naderu youni kaze wa fukinuketeku tabi no tochuu ude karamaseta yowai nukumori de fuyu ga owaru kigashita shouki na kotoba wo POKETTO ni irede tamani wa furikaeru tabi no tochuu kimi wa yatte

2004-10-05T15:30:00.000-07:00

You know, I have some of the coolest friends. I may not always show my appreciation for them, but I am really glad that I have such good friends. As you may or may not know, the past week has been a little, um, trying for me, and although I didn't really show it, some of my friends picked up on it. And each of them, in their own little ways, have demonstrated that they are there for me. I had

2004-10-05T10:26:00.000-07:00

Oh, another fitting song just came up on my iPod: Crystal Ball by Tommy Shaw (performed by Styx) I used to like to walk the straight and narrow line I used to think that everything was fine Sometimes I'd like to sit and gaze for days through sleepless dreams All alone and trapped in time All alone and trapped in time I wonder what tomorrow has in mind for me Or am I even in it's mind at all

2004-10-05T10:20:00.000-07:00

More lyric fun: Run Red Run Coasters Oh, Red went and bought himself a monkey Got him from a pawn shop broker Taught that monkey how to guzzle beer And he taught him out to play stud poker Last night when they were gambling in the kitchen The monkey he was taking a beating The monkey said Red, "I'm going to shoot you dead Because I know that well, you been a cheating." Well, run Red run,

2004-10-04T10:51:00.000-07:00

Lyric of the moment: I'll Be Gone by Papas Fritas Don't lie when I ask how you're feeling I can read your mind Second thoughts have come across so clear In your eyes Outside, in the car, in the kitchen There's nothing left to say Eternity gets a little shorter everyday And for a while We couldn't pretend But no denial Could start things over again The road goes on forever The days fade into

2004-10-04T10:46:00.000-07:00

Well, I finished my first romanization of Japanese lyrics. I picked Yoru wo Kakeru by Spitz because there really isn't much information in English about the band, and I really like the song and wanted to be able to sing along with it. As most of you already know, I really can only read Hiragana and Katakana, so romanizing Japanse lyrics is especially hard with all the kanji characters. So, it

2004-09-28T14:37:00.000-07:00

I miss my basketball hoop. Whenever something was bothering me, or whenever something was just on my mind, shooting hoops in my parents' backyard seemed to help me figure out what was going on in my head. I guess I could just spend hours looking inward and focusing on all these thoughts, ideas, and feellings. And, well, it's weeks like this where I really miss being able to zone out and shoot

2004-09-27T09:49:00.000-07:00

It's the start of a brand new school year here at UCLA, and yet the entire campus was shrouded in fog when I arrived this morning for work. I wonder if that is an omen of things to come, or just a coincidence. Either way, I've noticed that I have been saying "It's going to be one of those days" a lot more often now that we have gotten this new Point and Click medical system. Should be an

2004-09-09T15:50:00.000-07:00

Damn, I'm tired, though it is my own fault. Stayed up way to late watching a movie on Showtime last night. I was a little hungry so I thought I would mix up a protein drink and watch a little tv before hitting the sack. However, I got sucked in by Roger Dodger. I thought it was a really interesting film and it's too bad that I missed the beginning. Oh well, I guess I will just have to buy it

2004-09-09T15:43:00.000-07:00

Hmmm, I never realized that Taco Bell has little sayings on their hot sauce packages. How long have they been doing this? I guess normally I eat my lunch pretty quickly as I tend to have a lot to do, but today I took my time chillin in the staff room, listening to my iPod, and reading the hot sauce packages. Here's a sampling from my lunch today:The official sauce of Taco Bell. Fire sauce...

2004-09-02T12:51:00.000-07:00

Found this quiz and apparently I am an XPYT which makes me a player:eXpressive: 7/10 Practical: 6/10 Physical: 6/10 Giver: 5/10 You are a XPYT--Expressive Practical Physical Taker. This makes you a Player. You are clever, sexy and sexually oriented. You know what you want and how to get it. You command attention in a room of strangers, as your charisma, your personality and your spending

2004-09-01T10:51:00.000-07:00

As most of you probably already know, I am a huge RPG fan. RPG's, sports, and strategy (ie Civilization) games are probably the only games I play on the PS2 or Computer. Most of the RPGs that I play are Square-Enix games, and thus are developed in Japan, which means that when the game comes out here in the States, the game will be dubbed into English. Now, maybe I am the only one here, but

2004-08-27T10:42:00.000-07:00

Lyric of the Day: Hawai'i '78 Lyrics & Music by: Israel Kamakawiwo'ole Ua mau ke ea o ka `aina i ka pono `o Hawai'i Ua mau ke ea o ka `aina i ka pono `o Hawai'i If just for a day our king and queen Would visit all these islands and saw everything How would they feel about the changes of our land Could you just imagine if they were around And saw highways on their sacred grounds How would

2004-08-26T16:04:00.000-07:00

Lyric of the Day/Week/Month?: Hey You Lyrics & Music: Waters Hey you! Out there in the cold Getting lonely, getting old, Can you feel me? Hey you! Standing in the aisles With itchy feet and fading smiles Can you feel me? Hey you! Don't help them to bury the light Don't give in without a fight. Hey you! Out there on your own Sitting naked by the phone Would you touch me? Hey you! With your ear

2004-08-24T12:30:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I know, it's been a while. But I have noticed something over the past couple of weeks: not much is really changing from one day to the next. The days/weeks/months just seem to blend into one big, um, nothing. So, I guess that is why I really haven't posted anything in a while. Well, that and the fact that work has been kicking my butt lately. Of course, I could write about volleyball,

2004-08-04T08:53:00.000-07:00

Surfest was awesome. I can't really believe, living in Southern California my whole life, that I have never heard of this volleyball tournament. Basically it's a 6-man/6-woman tournament on the beach volleyball courts just south of the Manhattan Beach pier. There was a huge turnout this past Saturday, there had to be more than 200 teams playing. Some of these teams had AVP players on them so it

2004-07-21T13:29:00.000-07:00

Well, I think I am going to try the built in blogger comments instead of the ones I have been using. So, all the past comments may be lost, so I apologize for this. Here goes nothing. Update: Comments seem to be working. Now I gotta figure out if I can import all the old comments into this system. Now that I switched over to a blogspot address, I am going through my posts to fix broken

2004-07-15T16:53:00.000-07:00

WRITING SUBMISSION #1A: Well, I figured that it is time to actually write down some of the writing ideas that have been floating around inside my head. I wasn't sure what to write the first time, but I remember some words of advice that said to write about what you know. This story might seem to be about me, it really isn't. This is a work of fiction that was partly inspired by a period in my

2004-07-09T09:15:00.000-07:00

Found this personality test while reading the WWR:Wackiness: 60/100 Rationality: 60/100 Constructiveness: 58/100 Leadership: 68/100 You are a WRCL--Wacky Rational Constructive Leader. This makes you a golden god. People gravitate to you, and you make them feel good. You are smart, charismatic, and interesting. You may be too sensitive to others reactions, especially criticism. Your self-opinion

2004-06-25T13:19:00.000-07:00

A Quick Summation of the Past Few Weeks: Sprained my ankle, yes, again, a couple of weeks ago, but hey, it's pretty much healed already. (hmmm, I wonder if I could throw a couple more commas in there for good measure) Played in a golf tournament the day after spraining my ankle, consumed lots of beer to forget about the pain, and had a great time even though my golf game started to disappear

2004-06-23T10:07:00.000-07:00

Came across this blog reading, of all things, the IMDB message board for Independence Day which surprisingly turned into a political flame war between pro and anti American people. Give the blog a read as it provides a very interesting viewpoint from an Iraqi dentist on the rebuilding of Iraq. A nice respite from all the negativity in the mainstream media.

2004-06-17T08:46:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday night, there was a fire a couple of houses down the street from us. A really tall thin pine tree burst into flames. Apparently the tree had some powerlines running through the top of it and i guess one of the lines got really hot. This caused the top of the tree to spontaneously combust. It was really cool to watch because the tree was really burning. The fire engulfed the tree

2004-06-03T09:02:00.000-07:00

The mission, if you choose to accept it, is to write 500 words a day four days a week. The words can be anything, as long as it is some form of creative writing. The writing that is produced in each session does not have to relate to other sessions. This is just to get you in the habit of writing about anything and everything. Do you accept this mission? Sure, I'm game. I actually came up

2004-06-02T08:54:00.000-07:00

Well, here is a quick update on the "dating" situation. We hung out a couple of nights ago, and we seemed to hit it off pretty well. Unfortunately, turns out that she is not interested. Oh well, guess that means that I am back on the market. Though, I was never really off the market. :)