Uncomfortable Goodbyes

I'm not even sure where to start...Jedrzej's farewell dinner? or me stuffing my face with 40 chicken wings?

Well, let's start with the farewell dinner...



Our brother in arms is finally making the big jump to the UK next Tuesday, and Chris, Erika and I wanted to give him a proper farewell with a finger-licking great dinner at 'The End Zone Bar & Grill'. The special for the day: All-You-Can-Eat Chicken Wings!



Now let's roll the rest of the pictures!




*sigh* My goal was to engulf 50 chicken wings. Now that's a pretty tall order to take on...but I was confident that I could do it. I had only one meal earlier in the day and I had played squash for just over an hour before heading out to the restaurant, so I was pretty confident that 50 could be an attainable number.

I dunno what happened...either it was the ridiculously long wait, where the restaurant lost our order, or it was just an absurd goal to begin with, but I only managed to finish off 40 wings.



I think the problem was the mental challenge. I never really understood where the mental challenge in competitive eating took place, but I found out this night when I was on my 35th wing. I would be lying if I said that I wasn't starting to feel full, but wasn't the reason I was slowing. It was moreso the fact that I started to feel really sick of the taste of chicken...and even moreso the taste of deep fried batter. To put it in another sense, it was like licking stamps...only by the 30th stamp you have to rinse your tongue with a drink of water to cleanse your tongue of the taste. Yeah, that's what I needed; something to cleanse my tastebuds. Only water wasn't gonna cut it. What I really needed was a salad or something with fibre. Anything to just rid the taste of deep fried batter in my mouth and to help with digestion.

Anyway...I'll never do that again. I'll eat wings again...like in another year...but never again all-you-can-eat wings.



Final Wings Score: Alan 40; Chris 21; Jedrzej 19

The aftermath of the evening concluded with some Nintendo Wii and a ceremonial downing of shots.



As for the Chencho, I guess I'm still in a bit of disbelief that he's moving out to London. I knew that it was an eventuality that everyone would be moving on with our own lives, I suppose I was just in denial of it all. And the same goes for me as well, since I just got back my non-acceptance letter from graduate school last week. So like Jedrzej, I'm also looking for work in the big city.

But this blogpost isn't about me, it's about our soon to be departed beloved Polish prince.

I would have to say that Jedrzej was a guy that surprised me more often than most people. Maybe it was because he was knowledgable about things that most people don't usually know. Funny at moments when you didn't expect a joke. Much more down to earth than most people you meet. And often times hilariously unpredictable. =) And especially someone who, I wish that time had allowed me to get to know better.

*single tear*

All the best to the new prince of London!

Lookin' forward to the next time we meet up again!

Back on the Blog-wagon

Incredible. I never thought I'd have enough material to make another blog post within a week...but yeah, I have.

So where do I begin...well...let's start with today.

SUSHI, SUSHI, SUSHI!



After being sushi deprived in Geneva, I have easily made a record number of trips to sushi restaurants in the last 2 months, let alone the last 8 months, since getting back to Canada. This is partly due to the latest trend of all-you-can-eat sushi restaurants that have just suddenly sprouted up all over Hamilton and Toronto over past 2 years.

So you're probably wondering...(which I'm going to presume you are) if I've been eating all this sushi, I must know which ones are the best. You're damned right I do.

Just barely over 3 years ago, the only all-you-can-eat sushi restaurant was 'Akita'. Quite possibly the worst excuse for a sushi restaurant EVER. Terrible quality. Terrible quantity. Why did they even bother? Enter in the new game in town. 'Sushi Star'. Simply amazing. A bit pricey. But great quality AND quantity. And the service is good considering the hordes of customers they bring in. And what do you expect for all-you-can-eat? Hell, 'the Mandarin' is even more expensive and they don't even serve authentic chinese cuisine. I don't ever recall being able to order french fries at a chinese restaurant before.

BUT wait right there. EASILY...the BEST all-you-can-eat sushi restaurant is 'Maison du Japon' in Markham. Hands down, the best food for your money. EXCELLENT quality. EXCELLENT quantity. My recommendations don't do this place justice. Just go there for either lunch or dinner. You'll know what I mean.

from left: Volcano Roll; Arctic Roll; Salmon Sushi Pizza; Gold Dragon/Black Dragon/Spider Rolls


And no, I don't just randomly go to all-you-can-eat restaurants alone and gorge myself to bliss. I had my friend Josee to keep my sins in balance, hahaha...




YouTube Video of the Week: Eddie Griffin Crashes Ferrari



Geez, I can't believe that I wasn't able to find anything notable on YouTube this week. And this was the best I could come up with. Whatever. Anyway, it's a pretty shocking video nonetheless. I still can't believe it. And it's not like the car can be so easily replaced. There are only 400 Ferrari Enzos in the world. It's not like there's some car plant punching out Ferrari Enzos everyday.

What a waste. I wonder if the owner's insurance will even cover that?

Story of the Week: How To Tell If You're Watching a Bad Nicolas Cage Movie



Okay, I hate Nicolas Cage. I would say about 99% of all the movies he's ever acted in are absolutely horrid. I exempt 'Matchstick Men' because in that movie, he plays a con-man who suffers from several mental disorders. Yeah, I know what you're thinking, type-cast role, right? Pretty much, because the rest of his films are terrible yet they still manage to rake in millions of dollars. I would make a comment on his latest film 'Ghost Rider'...but...he's just not worth it. And writing about it would only make me angrier...in other words, I'd be reverting back to a previous psychological state known as 'Cage-Rage'.

SoundByte of the Week: Junior Boys



I was hoping to leave this soundbyte until next week when I go to see them perform in Toronto, but since I have no idea what sort of material I'll have in the next 5 days, it's probably for the best I post it now. So...the 'Junior Boys'...well, I went to school with them. =) hahaha...it's kinda weird being able to say that. I think it's because most people I know are involved in the "behind-the-scenes" type of work that it's kinda cool to be able to know people with celebrity status.

Anyway, I haven't really listened to alot of their latest album, but from I've heard so far their sound seems to have mature 10-fold since their debut. Their music is a blend of several styles, and primarily rests on electronic roots. I'm not sure if I can compare them to any previous bands ...perhaps some elements of 'Depeche Mode'... but more catchy? Tough to say, and even then that's not really a justified comparison...partly because my opinion sucks, hahaha.

For more pics and info, check out their website: www.JuniorBoys.net

Anyway, I'll see if I can bring back some pics from the show.

Until the next post...

Living like a sloth

I've been busy. And that's the only excuse I'm going to give because it's the truth... well... half-truth. But at least it's not a lie, right? Nor a half-lie at that, hahaha.

For the last 2 weeks I've been slaving away at project and attempting to work out design contracts with clients...and...also putting in alot of time into 'Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura'...



...this role-playing game that my friend Matt 'the cursed-devil' Chan introduced me to.

Outside of that, there really hasn't been alot going on. The weather has been some of the most unbearable weather I've ever experienced. It'll be a welcome relief when the weather brings itself out of subzero temperatures later this week.

I swear the last couple of months have forced me to live my life as a sloth. What a far cry from last year. Last year, around this time, us Coalitionites were gettin' together every weekend for a quick pickup game of football or ultimate frisbee. Ah, those were the days...

Anyway, it's pretty pathetic when my big news of the week consists of a cartoon post of one of my favourite internet comic artists, Nick Gurewitch.

His webcomic strip, "The Perry Bible Fellowship"...



...features a weekly comic strip, generally characterized by a juxtaposition of whimsical childlike imagery/fantasy with extremely morbid and absurdist humour. And that's exactly how I like my comics. Hahaha.

Anyway, the following isn't part of the PBF website. I actually found it on CollegeHumour.com, but I don't want to bother linking to their crappy site. Anyway I guess it was just something that Nick was fooling around with.

OTHER CIDES by Nicholas Gurewitch

Everyone knows about Homicide (the killing of another human being), Suicide (the killing of oneself), and Regicide (the killing of a monarch). Here are some of the "Cides" you didn't hear about in your criminal justice class.

Salvaracide

The killing of a person during an attempted rescue, unwittingly, by the rescuer.

Fictitracide

The killing of a character from a work of fiction.

Retrochronicide

The removal of an existing person by the killing of ancestral bodies that would otherwise lead to that person's creation. Requiring time-travel, as popularized in James Cameron's Terminator series.

Sociovenegracide

The killing of a man by a person who was present in his or her Mother's womb during her act of intercourse with the victim. Generally in reference to murders of vengeance wherein the victim is someone other than the killer's own father ( i.e. step-father, mother's boyfriend). Known in certain circles of the Italian Mafia as "Il Riturno Ultima", or "the Ultimate Comeback".

Okay, on to weekly matters...

YouTube Video of the Week: Childhood Cartoons



I love cartoons. Specifically speaking, I love my old childhood cartoons. G.I.Joe, Transformers, Batman: The Animated Series, X-Men: The Animated Series, etc. Yes, I could go on. In the last two months, I've been on a YouTube cartoon fix. Pretty much trying to catch up on those elusive episodes that I missed and also to relive a bit of nostalgia. And what's fantastic is that fans of the cartoons are posting all the episodes on YouTube! I feel like I'm 12 again! Well...I don't think I ever really grew out of that age...but yeah, you get the idea.

Story of the Week: Young Marriages



Okay, not a news story for this post. But I think I'm just gonna change it to simply 'Story of the Week'. I don't care anymore. I'll take any story now. Even opinionated articles like this, 'Young Marriages'. It was written by my buddy, Matt Chan...and that's about it...hahaha. Nah, I just don't want to bother writing up an introduction to it. Just read the article. It pretty much speaks for itself. I will say this for it: There are always exceptions in any theory. And this opinionated article is no...er...exception...hahaha. But I think there is a solid line of logic in the article, so just read, and let it marinate on your brain a bit.

Soundbyte of the Week: New Young Pony Club



Just pushing my new love for electro-pop music with this band. You may recognize their single, "Ice Cream", from the latest Intel commercials. Anyway, I'm looking for electro-pop to become the next big music trend. Bands like CSS, New Young Pony Club, Mouse on Mars, and Junior Boys are really going to make a big impact on new music for the future. At the same time, I hope that electro-pop doesn't become TOO big that it begins to sell itself out. Just look at the current status of the pop and the hiphop industry now. They've lost all credibility. But that's assuming they had any to begin with, hahaha.

That's it for now, hopefully the good weather this week will get some juicy tidbits going for another post.

Life after application

It's interesting...I had expected my current life excitment to differ now that my grad school application was finished...though, I hadn't expected the weather to become this bad.

It's so bad to the point that you can't even call it "bad weather". I officially rename this crisis to "imprisonment". That's right, imprisonment. I haven't left the house in nearly 7 days. A WEEK. This is crazy.

Anyway, it's been bitter cold the last 2 weeks and just yesterday we got a whole ton of snow dumped on us. 3 feet of snow. This isn't even remotely close to what some parts of the US have gotten and are still currently getting, but still I invite you to view the fruits of my labour.



In 2.5 hours, I managed to dig my car out of the snow and shovel straight out to lone plowed lane on the street. According to my neighbour, I am a man. Hahaha...because I shoveled all the snow instead of wussing out and using a snowblower. Despite the snow, it was a rather beautiful day. One of the first crystal blue skies that I've seen all winter long.



On another note, I have to admit that despite all the ridiculous social online network programs that have been out there I've finally succumb and have been sucked in by Facebook. At first I just shot it down like so many of the previous "keep-in-touch" websites in the past. Sites such as "Friendster" and "WAYN", have all been flops in my opinion. But I do have to admit that it's definitely been able to successfully reconnect people who haven't been in touch for years. I've been randomly running into friends from highschool that I haven't seen in almost 8 years. It's been great catching up with old friends, but eventually I think it's just a matter of time until it flops too. I mean, just think about it...what happens when you've finally caught up with everyone from your past? Start catching up with old enemies?

Okay I'll just get right to my picks of the week...

YouTube Video of the Week: Pinball Number Count



Remember this little number? Haha...okay that was lame. But really, does it ring up any memories? For me it was burst of nostalgia. I was suddenly sent back in time when I was only 6 years old and watching Sesame Street at the children's nursery just a couple streets from my house.

News Story of the Week: The Police Reunite!



Following the 49th Grammy Awards, the Police announced that they were reuniting for a comeback tour after twenty years of hiatus. The funny thing...is that Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland were all in favour of a reunion a long long time ago. What took Sting so long to come around? Sting claims that one day he just woke up and decided to bring back the band. I claim...that he probably finally realized that now was the time to cash in on the baby boomers and their money. Ticket prices for the reunion shows range from $60 to $225. How do you like them apples? I'm sure Sting definitely does.

Soundbyte of the Week: Cansei de Ser Sexy



Really weird how I found this band. I was just looking through YouTube and after another useless video had finished, one of the "recommended director" videos was simply called "CSS - Let's Make Love and Listen to Death From Above". And right from there, I was hooked. In a nutshell, they're an electro-rock band from Brazil, and are garnering a large indie following. Their name, "Cansei de Ser Sexy" is actually portuguese for "Tired of being sexy". And instead of just repeating everything that I got from wikipedia, I'll just stop right here.

Yeah it's been a pretty slow week. I really hope things pick up soon. I think I'm beginning to lose my mind.

And now we play the blame game

Ah jeez...2 posts in less than 24 hours, this is a new record, even for the Geneva blog...but hey, I can't help it...it's something that's gotten under my skin.

New reports regarding the ridiculous Boston bomb scare...
"Bomb Scare: It's No Cartoon"
"Turner Broadcasting apologizes for Boston sign scare"

And for a completely unbiased news coverage of the story, wikipedia is always the source to go to: Wikipedia - Aqua Teen Hunger Force - Bomb Scare

Well if you read the above articles, I guess you don't have to read this because it's just reiterating some points. Apparently, the much of the paranoia was ramped up because several Boston radio stations began to broadcast "around-the-clock" coverage of the "mysterious packages". And then as soon as the other news affiliates got wind of it, what were simple light pixel boards (like the ones you see at on video screens at stadiums)



...became suspicious circuit-board-like bombs via a "broken telephone" fiasco.

Boston radio station execs defended their coverage, claiming that the police action was the primary reason for bringing down commerce in the city to a standstill.

The director of the "Project for Excellence in Journalism" in a statement claiming that the reporters had excessively speculated about bombs and terrorism, "If you have no evidence that anything bad has happened...you shouldn't run the worst-case scenario".

And just to make this story even more ridiculous, the promotional light-boards prank had also been set up in 10 other major metropolitan cities in the US. And in none of those cities were there a city-wide panic and shutdown. One woman had commented on Boston's response to the "crisis" as "silly and insane" and added, in contrast to the other cities, "We're (Boston) the laughing stock".

After all of these comments have been made, Boston officials are still holding Turner Broadcasting responsible for $500,000 in law enforcement costs.

And when I hear this last statement, it almost seems to me that the Boston officials are in total denial about how absurd and ridiculous that they and the entire city responded to this hoax and are just attempting to divert the blame in the direction of an easy scapegoat, who is willing to apologize and accept fault, and that is Turner Broadcasting.

I really do hope that this entire fiasco will lead to amazing ratings and newfound television success for Turner Broadcasting and the Adult Swim Network's show "Aqua Teen Hunger Force".

Hell, I personally will be looking for episodes to watch now that I've seen all the commotion this promotion has caused.

No more back pain

It's finally over...as of Monday, January 29th, 2007, I finally submitted my graduate school application.



Four months of grueling photography and terrible lighting conditions, mulling and debating over multiple design theories, facts, and styles, is now finished and it feels as though a gigantic weight has been removed from my back.

I probably lost more sleep than I realize...as indicated here by the sunrise on the morning of my completion and my submission.



But whatever...it's all finished...and on the bright side I can now use my completed portfolio to apply for jobs now.

If you're curious as to what I've managed to create...just hit up the following link: Alan Teo - Design Portfolio [2007]

Outside of the application...I've pretty much done nothing.

I did however purchase a new pair of shoes...a successor to the podiatric throne of my well weathered Pumas...introducing my new Timberlands...



And that's pretty much it... =)

Oh yes, and my collection of interesting links that I've accumulated over the past 2 weeks...

YouTube Video of the Week: The (Conan O'Brien) iPhone



Honestly, it's a sickening feeling to see how retarded people are fawning over the new iPhone. Because if you go to Japan, they've got phones over there that are far superior to the iPhone and have been around for years already. In fact, Japanese cell phones are able to be used to pay for purchases at the store, where you just simply let the cash register scan the back of your cell phone for a microchip that subtracts payment from your cell phone credit.

Not to mention the size of the iPhone. Look at how huge that thing is! If you click on the picture, the enlarged pic is actual size. That thing is larger than the largest cell phone at the moment...which is probably the Motorola RAZR.

Is it just me, or does the iPhone not even really impress on aesthetics? It doesn't even look like a cell phone. Moreso like a remote control for your TV or stereo. I can't imagine that having such a device would upgrade your status or style level. It looks more like a toy that would just make you look like a huge nerd.

Anyway...following the press release of the iPhone, "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" released this...hilarious comedy sketch...

News Stories of the Week: "Two Charged in Stunt Joke After Release"
This is quite possibly one of the most retarded stories I have ever read.

I just don't get it. I mean how could you possibly think that a light board that is depicting a cartoon character flipping the bird at you...



...could possibly be construed as a terrorist bomb threat? Since when do terrorists openly alert their victims to their "surprise attack"? I mean if a light pixel board is interpreted as resembling a bomb, then what's the difference between that and someone leaving their old TV or VCR outside their house on garbage day? Anything remotely resembling an electronic device could be a bomb! So does that mean that we should start freaking out if people start getting rid of their old computers and television sets? And you know, bombs aren't always necessarily in electronic devices! I'd be more suspicious if someone left a briefcase in the middle of a train station, than compared to a light board with cartoon flipping me the bird!

Instead of charging the two guys who created the advertisement prank, why not charge the idiots who completely overreacted and called in the bomb threat to the police? Their overactive imaginations are the cause of this ridiculous situation!

No offense intended to my dearest American companions, but it's retarded scenarios like these that make me relieved that I don't live in the paranoid infestation of the United States.

And finally, I'm telling you just can't make this stuff up. Just read the following article: "Police use stun guns on greased, naked student"

Soundbyte of the Week: Aries Spears Freestylin'
Okay, this isn't really a sound clip. But it kinda is because you don't even need to watch it to be in total awe of Aries Spears.

Okay folks, that's it for now...time to go start applying for some jobs.

Lates...

Bad Day, Good Day

Okay, so I got back into Hamilton last week...and I pretty much have been working on my grad school application non-stop ever since.

So far the letter of intent is about 80% complete...the portfolio has been pretty much put together, but I'm still not convinced on the template, so I'm still hammering away at that...2 of 3 reference letters have been received...2.5 weeks left before the deadline...

So because I've been working all week long, not a heck of a whole lot has happened.

We got some snow...? Well it was more like ice...as you can tell by the window.



So yeah, when you're at home and doing nothing...you tend to have nothing. Does that even make sense?

Anyway, in this day and age, if you're stuck at home, you're also usually on the internet. And when you're on the internet, there's no telling what you'll find or what you'll get in your email. Let's examine the notable list of goodies...

YouTube Video of the Week: CSI Miami - Endless Caruso One Liners

Does anyone actually watch this show? I sure as hell don't. Principle reason being...well...just click on the picture or the link above and you'll catch my drift.



I see a new cultural trend emerging. Whenever someone makes a dramatic/witty remark, respond with, "YEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!"
I simply hate David Caruso. The guy is like a walking and talking cinder block. He is completely devoid of character and human emotion.

News Story of the Week:
In Alabama, 2 men shot each other after an argument over James Brown's height. Apparently, the 2 men had started arguing, and one of the men pulled out his gun and shot the other man. The man who was shot, managed to flee, and crawled out to his car to get his gun...then came back in and shot the other man.

It just goes to show that in the southern United States, you should never debate politics, religion, and the exact height of James Brown.

Sound Byte of the Week:
He goes by the name, "J. Ralph".



His album, "The Illusionary Movements of Geraldine and Nazu" is one of the most diverse collections of original work that I have yet to listen to so far. What is interesting about his music is that it sounds like it was specifically written for a film or is part of a much bigger soundtrack, and yet it is not. What is even more surprising is that he is unable to read or write music. Yes, you read that right. I had to read it twice before I could believe it myself. He recently composed the score to the film, "Lucky Number Slevin". You can listen to all of his work at his website: jralph.com

And that's it for the week. I'll check back in next week if I can scrounge up some more goodies.

Easy.