12/31/08

here's to MMVIII

2008.
grandma's death.
the B part 2.
biggest/best PREP events that ever took place.
the last math class I'll ever take.
the end of my employment with on-campus housing...forever.
graduation.
end of collegiate career.
first time i ever got contacts.
first summer without questionable drama since 1999.
the very last college party i'll ever throw.
the last time I'll ever see alot of people.
first voluntary physical activity since 2002.
first full time job.
first time to the Philippines.
first company picnic, softball game, and winter holiday formal.
first time wine tasting.
first mp3 player that plays video.
first time to an Indian casino.
the last time I'll ever get 3 weeks straight of vacation.
the last time I'll ever spend that much time at home.
the most alcohol I've ever received for Christmas.
the first cross country road trip I ever took.
the first time I've spent new year's eve away from home.
the end of the beginning of my life.
the first day of the rest of my life.
the finishing of the easiest part of life.
the last post of two thousand and eight.
2008.

"ooh you know its brand new when it's not opened"
-VS

12/24/08

what an "obamanation"

I'd like to call to attention to the world this 'obamanation' of a product:

That's right people, it's Obama beer, as made by the company Mavericks.

I tried said beer last night, and I must say that it is definitely a beer that gives me a change I can believe in. The flavor of the "hop(e)" is really prevelant in this ale, and ends with a smooth transition that's fit for those lazy Sundays or those lazier inauguration days.

I'll stop there.

Anyways, time beckons me to go to church for the first time in...well...I can't really recall. In that note, I'd like to wish you all a good tidings on the 2008th anniversary of the day of Jesus' origination.

"Bing Crosby? Is that the black guy or the white guy?"
-VS

12/21/08

here's something someone probably never thought about

You ever read post secret? It's basically a collection of 4X6 postcards or pictures where people can disclose their deepest, darkest secrets on these cards, but anonymously. Some are serious, some are sad, and some are just downright funny.

So I was perusing through the other day, and found many that stood out to me, related to me, or didn't relate to me at all and I just found hilarious. There was one that really stood out to me though, because I think it actually is true:

Or did I make that myself? I'll never let you know.

"he wanted white cake, ain't that ghetto?
"naw, chocolate cake is ghetto"
-CB

12/15/08

Vearsã cu gãleata

That means "it's raining cats and dogs" in Aromenian.

Mind my ignorance, but who the hell speaks Aromenian?

Today was the first "real" rain in Sunny Southern California. I say "real" because all the past few rains in the past month or two have been slight drizzles or sprinkles, and were hardly worthy to wash my car. I also know that this is the first real rain since there were the obligatory flash flood warnings and slowed commute to work due to inexperienced drivers in wet conditions and the increased amount of accidents due to that. Throw in the extra complaints from Southern California natives that this mild dripping from the sky that doesn't even require me to use my wiper blades all that often is "horrendous" and we've got ourselves a 'storm' in SoCal.

Either way, being an expatriate from a region in which rain comes regularly, and even moreso during the winter months, I find the 325 days of the year that Los Angeles doesn't get rain to be progressively more annoying. I miss real downpours (but I do have a limit when it comes to snow).

To that, I say chyen ap bwe nan nen (which in Haitian Creole means 'dogs are drinking in their noses').

"you remind me of my stepdad."
-JRT

12/10/08

I have joined the ranks...

...of the 3.18 million other people who are registered on the insta-blogging/status updated website Twitter. And apparently the moment I finished writing this past sentence, about 700 more people just registered for the site.

For those of you unfamiliar with Twitter, it's basically a site which personifies the facebook status updates. And for those of you unfamiliar with the facebook status updates, what you do is type (within 140 characters) an update on whatever you'd like, whether that be what you're doing at the moment (Mark is scratching his leg), what you're thinking (Mark is pondering life), or if you found or saw something interesting (OMG Mark just saw a squirrel run up a tree...FAST!) that you just have to share with whoever is following your updates. You can also follow other people's feeds to see what is they're up to, to see what they're doing at the moment, what they're thinking, or if they found or saw something interesting that they just had to share with whoever is following their updates. Anyways, I think these guys would probably explain it a little better:

My joining this site is slightly frightening to me, since it pretty much creates another outlet (alongside with gmail, hotmail, aim, and facebook) for me to neurotically sign on to and check frequently and search and add everyone I could possibly know.

As a matter of fact, why don't you just add me already, while we're on the subject:
http://twitter.com/markwidaq

female:(whistles)
male: (looks up) is that Bob?
female: do I look like a Bob?
-heard on the streets of Westwood

12/8/08

I don't apologize. I'm sorry, that's just the way I am.

So apparently Academics have created an equation that will actually quantify the measure and likelihood of procrastination. Professor Piers Steel, a self-proclaimed academic has spent the past 10 years studying what it is that gives people the propensity to put off what they can do today until tomorrow. Studying 250 University of Calgary college students, he sought to decide whether procrastinators were perfectionists or just plain lazy. The equation is as follows:

U=EV/ID

...where U stands for utility, or the desire to complete a given task. It is equal to the product of E, the expectation of success, and V the value of completion, divided by the product of I, the immediacy of the task, and D, the personal sensitivity to delay.

So let's put this to the test, shall we? Today, I have been tasked with updating a phone list of 290 drivers, a task which involves lots of data entry, does not have a real due date, and in actuality is somebody else's project that I'm taking over for.

Let's start on the right side of the equation. E is the expectation of success, which for me has been affected by my boss telling me to complete this task for my coworker, since she won't be coming in this week. On a rank of 1 to 10, I'm assuming my boss wants me to finish this task for her, so let's put it at 10.

V is the value of completion, which I guess would be the ultimate value I would receive from performing this task. Since finishing a project that belongs to someone else, and whose outcome would not ultimately affect me, I would put value on a scale of 1 to 10 at 3.

I is immediacy of the task. Considering the fact that I have nothing else to work on at the moment, and a due date was not given to me, this number is actually pretty low to me. Since it's the denominator, the scale is inversely proportional, so larger numbers equal lower values. Let's give it a 10.

D is the personal sensitivity to delay. I personally am very sensitive to many things, but delay is not one of them. If there was a sense of urgency, I suppose a higher value could be given to this task. Since my boss is usually too busy for his own right (and mine) throughout the day, my sensitivity to the delay of this is fairly low. I still have a few hours before he comes into my office and asks me what I do, so I'll give this one a fairly low value of 8.

Putting it all together looks like this:

U=(10*3)/(10*8)
U=30/80
U=.375

So utility for me to finish this task would .375, a fairly low chance of me getting back to this project since a utility of 1 would be a task I enjoy doing and needs to be finished immediately.

In conclusion, we find that this project has %37.5 chance of me finishing it without delay. The remaining %62.5 of me would rather read up on more articles on digg and reddit, check my email repeatedly, or write this post while I'm sitting here at work.

My God, the equation is right!

Well, back to work, I guess.

"Who's Hitler?"
-VR

12/7/08

cause gettin old is hard to do

How do I know I'm beginning to age?

This weekend, what did my activities consist of? My company holiday party, and wine tasting.

Whoa. To be quite honest, I did not see myself spending my Saturday evenings with bunch of 40-somethings. It's interesting and all to see alot of the people I work with on a daily basis and happen to be at least twice my age let it all out on the dance floor. But there's still something inherently awkward about seeing a 50 year old, calm and cool, mild mannered man who normally comes to work in sweater vests get down to do the cupid shuffle. Perfectly.


In any sense, I guess I'll look back on this experience and wish for younger days when I'm that 50 year old in a sweater vest perfectly performing whatever is the popular dance is at the time.

I also discovered the joys of wine tasting this weekend. I've always been a big fan of wine, boxed or not, but I think I've found a new hobby. I mean, where else can you go in which the proprieters will actually give you free alcohol?


I guess it would be safe to say that things I do for fun have changed drastically since I finished school. Goodbye wild, drunken college apartment keggers and blazing, beer, pizza, and video game Sundays. Hello company parties and wine sampling. Goodbye starving student lifestyle. Hello yuppie weekend adventures. What's that you say? The weather? Directions? Oh, hold on, I can check my iphone. Or my GPS navigator system. Or maybe there's something in my Prius I can check.

So I have this little test. Here's a list of 25 signs that you've grown up. If more than half of these apply to you, you're definitely on the road to...old-ness.

1. Your houseplants are alive, and you can’t smoke any of them.
2. Having sex in a twin bed is out of the question.
3. You keep more food than beer in the fridge.
4. 6:00 AM is when you get up, not when you go to bed.
5. You hear your favorite song in an elevator.
6. You watch the Weather Channel.
7. Your friends marry and divorce instead of “hook up” and “breakup.”
8. You go from 130 days of vacation time to 14.
9. Jeans and a sweater no longer qualify as “dressed up.”
10. You’re the one calling the police because those %&@# kids next door won’t turn down the stereo.
11. Older relatives feel comfortable telling sex jokes around you.
12. You don’t know what time Taco Bell closes anymore.
13. Your car insurance goes down and your car payments go up.
14. You feed your dog “Science Diet” instead of McDonald’s leftovers.
15. Sleeping on the couch makes your back hurt.
16. You take naps.
17. Dinner and a movie is the whole date instead of the beginning of one.
18. Eating a basket of chicken wings at three in the morning would severely upset, rather than settle, your stomach.
19. You go to the drug store for ibuprofen and antacid, not condoms and pregnancy tests.
20. A four dollar bottle of wine is no longer “pretty good shit.”
21. You actually eat breakfast food at breakfast time.
22. “I just can’t drink the way I used to” replaces “I’m never going to drink that much again.”
23. Ninety percent of the time you spend in front of a computer is for real work.
24. You drink at home to save money before going to a bar.
25. When you find out your friend is pregnant you congratulate them instead of asking “Oh shit what the hell happened?
Bonus:26: You read this entire list looking desperately for one sign that it doesn’t apply to you and can’t find one to save your sorry old ass.

For me, I counted 19. Uh oh.

But if there's one thing I can count on, it's an inherent, quriky part of me that'll never grow up. How do I know? I'm still smiling after watcing Wall-E for the first time. Also, I made this:

The next blog logo for me? Give it some time, I just put this current one up.

"Oh God, he's so conceited, he actually thinks he has a chance with me."
-JG

12/4/08

#1 on my charts, Part 3

You know the drill.

Oldies, Soul and Funk
"Oldies, Soul, and Funk" is such a general term for this category. There are so many subgenres that fall within this category, such as Latin or even Disco. I guess you could name this list as everything I like that came before 1980 (though technically, one of the songs came out in 1983). Either way, within this very large category, I have waaayy too many favorites, and it was painful to have to choose favorites. It's like being forced to choose between favorite ex's, while they're in the room with you, staring at you. And then after choosing, you're stuck in the room with them for the next 3 hours. It's uncomfortable.
Anyhoo, here we go:

#1 on My Charts Pt. 3 - Oldies Soul and Funk
I decided to go with a playlist format for the listing of the songs, since uploading them individually caused problems with many slower moving computers. But I'm still gonna talk about each track:

Ohio Players - Love Roller Coaster
Like the name indicates, this song really is as fun as a roller coaster. Fun Fact: It was once a rumor that the screaming sound you hear at 2:32 is a woman being murdered in the studio. But it's the Ohio Players, people. They defined fun in the Funk era.

The Delfonics - Going In Circles
I just have a thing for old soul ballads. Round and round we go...

Friends of Distinction - Grazing in Grass
This track is just so...happy. And fun. Someday, I want to perfect the chorus: I can dig it, he can dig it She can dig it, we can dig it They can dig it, you can dig it Oh, let's dig it Can you dig it, baby

Michael Sembello - She's a Maniac
I particularly like the acapella version that "Ted's Band" does on Scrubs of this song. I can't find the recording to it, but if you know where I can acquire it, let me know...

Earth, Wind and Fire - Fantasy
I'm a HUGE fan of Earth, Wind and Fire. That's what made it so difficult to choose a favorite from within their huge set. There's just something so crisp, so sharp about their sound. These guys really know how to put on a show, that's for sure.

Bloodstone - Natural High
What can I say? I enjoy these cool, calm, soul ballads. The original true love songs, in my honest opinion.

Sly and the Family Stone - Thank You For Letting Me Be Myself
This is a classic underlying guitar riff. Throw in the swaying notes on the horns, and you've got yourself a classic funky tune.

War - The World is a Ghetto
This song builds up from a quiet, haunting melody that subtly catches up with you before you even know it.

The Temptations - Have You Seen Her?
What's a good oldies favorite playlist without The Temptations?

The O'Jays - For the Love of Money
This song will transcend generations. It's message can ring true for whoever you may be, you greedy blood-sucking bastards.

Chicago - 25 or 6 to 4
Chicago at their best, before they turned love ballad soft rock.

Kool and the Gang - Too Hot
A somewhat unconventional track from the group that's known for hits such as "Hollywood Swingin'" and "Celebration"

The Delfonics - Didn't I Blow Your Mind This Time
Didn't I do it baby?

Association - Never My Love
A very simple, yet cool and calm tune whose message is loud and clear: How can you think love will end, When I've asked you to spend your whole life, With me

Gloria Gaynor - Never Can Say Goodbye
I like both this version and the Jackson 5 version. Which one is better? Shit, I still can't decide to this day.

Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes
If you don't know me by now (especially since you're reading my blog), you will never never never know me.

Stevie Wonder - I was Made to Love Her
Doesn't matter how old you are, you've gotta love Stevie Wonder.

The Manhattans - Kiss and Say Goodbye
This really should've been on my ridiculously sad songs list.

Santana - Singing Winds, Crying Beast
I'm a big fan of Santana, and I'm especially a big fan of this less commercialized, definitely more musical track of his.

Sugarloaf - Green Eyed Lady
Put this song on, and I guarantee you'll have me drumming along wherever I am.

Malo - Suavecito
I remember this would always be the first song my dad would play during family parties. Maybe I'll do the same thing in the near future.

Sam Cooke - A Change is Gonna Come
It's been a long time comin, but I know a change gon' come...
So, Barack. It's been a long time comin'.

Rod Stewart - Do Ya Think I'm Sexy
Something about this song reminds me of Ned Flander singing this to Maude while dressed in a giant hear costume.

ELO - Mr. Blue Sky
Try and tell me you didn't smile when you heard this song.

Jackie Wilson - Higher and Higher
I can't recall any other song Jackie Wilson was known for, but hey, all you need is one big hit.

Spooky - Classics IV
Love is kinda crazy with a spooky little girl like you. Spooky!

Spiral Staircase - More Today than Yesterday
Another one hit wonder of their day, but still, the song is timeless.

Santo and Johnny - Sleepwalk
There's just something inherently...amazing...about this track.

The Mama's and Papa's - California Dreaming
Imagine, this song would work perfectly still if it weren't played a minor key.

Animals - House of the Rising Sun
A guitar riff that will be remembered for decades on out.

Peaches and Cream - Reunited
...and it feels so gooood.

Next time: R&B and Slow Jams, and Rock 1990 till today

"I'd wanna be friends with Snoop Dogg someday. He seems like a cool guy."
-BS

12/2/08

stranger things have happened.

word on the streets is my dad added my sister on facebook.

I now have more dress clothes than 'street' clothes.

I started doing something physical again (nightly walks are much more pleasant than trying to swim half a mile a night).

and in light of the financial crisis, dollar stores have been relegated to this:


the world has truly gone topsy turvy.

"what if someone put a spell on me?"
-VS

oh and in my boredom and lack of anything more important to do, I've changed the picture and layout yet again. so...whatdya think?