Saturday, March 28, 2009

Hell Yea Circumcision!!!

A new study has found that circumcision helps to prevent men from contracting two STDs (the Herpes simplex type 2 virus and HPV). Circumcised men were 25 percent less likely to contract HSV 2 and 35 percent less likely to contract HPV which causes genital cancer. As a side not how great would the name genital cancer be for a punk rock band. So in conclusion: circumcision rocks!!!
Also I saw this video on MTVU today and I loved it. very weird but fun. enjoy.


Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Food, Food and How To Stay Thin...

So just when you thought that this country was struggling economically people come along to show us that we are still a thriving nation. And how do they do that you may ask? By turning food consumption into a competition.

In a time when people can barely keep there home or put food on the table a minor league baseball club in Michigan has introduced a 4,800 calorie hamburger. The burger has five meat patties, five slices of cheese, a cup of chili, salsa and chips served on an bun that is 8 inches in diameter. This four pound beast will run you about 20 dollars. Its so big that you can ask it to be cut with a pizza slicer so that you and your friends can share it. If you eat the burger in one sitting you win a "special t-shirt." Does the t-shirt read: "I ate a four pound burger and all i got was this crappy t-shirt and a blocked artery?"

Or if you happen to be around the Renaissance Hotel this Sunday from 1 - 4 p.m. you can drop 40 bucks to see the 2009 Los Angeles Cupcake Challenge. People who pay the 40 dollars can eat mini cupcakes (how freaking small must a mini-cupcake be?) representing the 34 competition entries.

Now what if you want to eat this but not gain weight. Well, you can head to UC Berkley where scientist think they have found the gene that turns carbs into fat. Mice who had the gene removed and ate a low-fat/high carb diets are 40% thinner than mice who had the same diet but still had the gene.

Twenty dollar four pound burger, cupcake contests and mice who can eat all they want and stay thin. What a world we live in.

Monday, March 23, 2009

Things A-Holes Say...

So i have been trying to keep track of things that a-holes say in conversation and for the next month or so I plan on rolling some of these beauties out. Our first installment of this series is...

"Listen, here is the deal..."

Has anyone ever said this and not sounded like a douche? Lets translate what the person means when they say this. The person says, "Listen here is the deal..." but what they mean to say is, "I know we have been having a conversation for the last hour but I am going totally ignore everything you've said during that time. Now I am going to tell you my opinion again, but this time I am going to talk to you like your a five year old."
Besides that the phrase sounds like an ultimatum is being given. Either you accept the following statement as fact or your a moron.
Here is the worst part about this phrase, you may not necessarily be an a-hole and yet you still might use it. For example, you are in a heated conversation or argument with someone while at dinner with friends. That someone is being stubborn, they frustrate you enough to turn you into a temporary a-hole and you end up dropping the dreaded, "here is the deal..." line. Now you look like a world class dick in front of everybody simply because you have let your emotions get the better of you.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

WTF...

I just saw what I can only imagine to be a pudgy 14 or 15 year old latino kid with Sideshow Bob like hair at a Yoshinoya Beef Bowl wearing a Iron Maiden jacket and underneath a Nazi shirt. I stared and stared thinking, "Nah. No way." But no. The fucking shirt had a giant swastika on the the right chest, the face of Hitler over most of the left part of the shirt and then marching SS as kind of a faded backdrop. It was f'ing surreal. I am fucking confused. What the hell is going on in the world? Its at moments like this I wish I had a iPhone so I could have taken a picture of this nonsense and posted it.

p.s. Jorge and Taralee thanks for the comments. they were awesome.

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Waxing Poetic About People and the Internet...

The internet is an interesting place. If you can call it a place. Maybe its more like some kind of alternate reality that we have created within our own world. Anyway, besides sometimes watching dogs sleepwalking or reading a news article, the internet can still be a powerful way to understand and connect with people. Let me give you some examples.

Over the last couple days, maybe it was yesterday; I was bumping around facebook and discovered that someone who is mad at me removed me from their "friend" list. I wasn't looking for this, I just merely ran across it. Now I know the person is mad at me but I didn't understand how mad until that moment. You see, this person is smart, caring, has tons of friends, is often busy working or doing tons of cool things. So the fact that this person sat down at some point and burned the calories (as few as they maybe) to actually go through the process of removing me as a friend spoke volumes.
I have plenty of people who I am not close to, don't speak to, or even really care for. But the thought of going through the steps (few as they are) of removing them from my facebook never crosses my mind. In that one simple act I got a much bigger sense of how pissed this person must be at me, and how irrevocably damaged any past friendship may be. Which for me is sad. But in the same breath it shows how the internet can give us a glimpse into other people's thoughts, emotions, passions, idiosyncrasies, nuances, and the like.

Second example, yesterday I was thinking if someone who may have forever changed the course of my life. In the spring of 2001 I had a long conversation with a high school teacher of mine. Mr. Akins. I talked to him about my concerns of leaving home for college. At the time my family was financially unstable and my dad was in prison. Being the oldest I felt a sense of duty to my family. Long story short Mr. Akins convinced me that going away to UCSB would be fine, and would be the best thing for me. Without that convo who knows what would have happened. I may have never gone to Santa Barbara and met the great friends that I have now. I would not have become an RA and thus never gone into student affairs, which means I probably wouldnt have ended up at USC and met the people I have grown close to and admired during my time here. Well, I have only been able to track down Mr. Akins once every two to three years since then. But thanks to the wonders of social networking sites I have now become an online friend of his. I can keep him abreast of my life (I figure he has a right to know considering the impact he has had on it). And at the same time I can keep tabs on him and his life and his family. Pretty cool - if you ask me.

Friday, March 13, 2009

Alright Team...

O.K. well wishers, friends, associates and underlings. Here is what we need to root for in terms of Frankie's job search. The following places are still on my radar. And from what I can tell they are still interested:

Wake Forrest University
Arizona State University
San Diego State University
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
UC Riverside

(I will also be applying to Loyal Marymount University - they just posted a position and I am interested)

let put out those positive vibes.

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Only because TARA asked me to...

1. Where is you cell phone...huh?
2. Where is your significant other... huh?
3. Your hair color... black
4. Your mother... loveable
5. Your father... work
6. Your favorite thing... music
7. Your dream last night... none
8. Your dream goal... assist
9. Room you're in... apartment
10. Your hobby... tired
11. Your fear... disappointment
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years... home
13. Where were you last night... VKC 150
14. What you're not... mad
15. One of your wish-list items... BOSE
16. Where you grew up... Los Angeles
17. The last thing you ate... Meatloaf
18. What are you wearing... Jeans
19. Your tv... off
20. Your pet... N/A
21. Your computer... trustworthy
22. Your mood... dread
23. Missing someone... sure
24. Your car... dirty
25. Something you"re not wearing... cross
26. Favorite store... none
27. Your summer... far
28. Love someone... yup
29. Your favorite color... blue
30. Last time you laughed... today
31. Last time you cried... weekend

Sunday, March 8, 2009

Days Three and Four

In life there are a few things I have learned. Two of them are that the decisions we make affect those around us and those we care about so be careful what you say and do. The second is that once you do something there is no take backs. That is especially true when people mistreat one another. What you say and do lasts forever. You can try to go back and make it better but you cannot undo what has been done. Regardless of what the results are all you can do is try and live with the results.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Day Two...

I have come to a realization today. We are a society that doesn't talk much about the bathroom. I am staying in a hotel room with two other folks who I am close to. BUT - am I close enough to use the same restroom as them over a week? Without being to detail I think we know what I am getting at here. The work you do in the bathroom is something that can be embarrassing and it takes a special type of relationship to be yourself in a restroom. We all ask ourselves the same questions in these situations, what will people think if I take a long time in there?" or "Am I leaving hair in the sink?", "Does it smell in here?" It's a dilemma we all face but we never talk about. Interesting no?

Second, fellas is there anything more embarrassing than having to use a bathroom in large conference center or stadium? Its demeaning. The place smells awful. A raccoon would have too much dignity and class to eat off the ground. And then we get this weird trough thing that we have to piss into like animals. And even worse, today it wasn't a trough - it was separate urinals but no divider. What is the deal? Woman aren't forced to let their stuff hang in front of each other while using the restroom. Thats why they are the more dignified sex. President Obama, while you are fixing the economy and the healthcare system, look into fixing the men's restroom problem we have in this country.

Interviews are tomorrow. The next thirty six hours will more than likely determine the next twenty four months of my life. crazy!

p.s. is staking in California to watch the new and improved Dodgers a legit reason. let me know what you think.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Day One...

So first, there is a Starbucks on every block here. That is not an exaggeration. it is ridiculous. I have walked 9 blocks and seen 6 Starbucks.

Second, Virgin America is amazing. It is just an awesome airline. top notch all the way. the headrest television screen has several options: you can scan a big number of music artist and listen to them or you can create a playlist of your own. Movies cost 8 dollars to watch but they are pretty awesome movies (DOUBT, SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE, etc etc.), then you can watch TV (the reception can be shotty at times but I was 40,000 feet in the air and was still in the loop when Manny signed with the Dodgers. The best option is the chat option. You get to invite friends to chat using a remote control in your armrest. the remote control helps you scan through your tv, adjust volume, acts as a video game controller and on the back has a keypad. You use the key pad to talk to folks via a chat function. very cool.

Lastly, MANNYWOOD is back baby. Playoffs look out here come the Dodgers.

Sunday, March 1, 2009

March Is Here...

So here are a few things:
1. March 2nd is Dr. Seuss' Birthday. Celebrate good time c'mon; lets celebrate. many of you know my fondness for Dr. Suess and his characters and stories. I know I know - he was for the internment of the Japanese but when you way all of his messages versus that one its clear that the man was more good than bad. So whether its grab a cat in a hat, one fish, two fish a red fish a blue fish, and dont be a grinch or hop on pop. He may not be my mother, but he is the good doctor.

2. Please check out this video. It is awesome. It is the best. I cant believe how awesome this announcer is. I need to start listening to Florida Panther's Hockey:



3. And speaking of vicious cats - Sigfreud and Roy have balls. The two performed live for a fundraiser but here is the boot they did a trick with the same Bengal Tiger that mauled Roy!!! What kind of cojones do you have to have to get back on stage with a beast that literally once went "for the jugular". Roy came out in black robes with a skull mask on (I dont know if I find that weird or fitting). In any case kudos to two men who's sexuality is constantly mocked for having the gusto to back on stage with a monster that almost killed them.