Furious Media: Date-rape drug is an "urban myth"

Listening to Cosmo radio today, (yes, I'm just as bad as any other man in the grocery store, sneaking peaks through our female significant others' Cosmopolitan to find out what she's going to read about what makes us "really tick"), Diana Falzone was on with her show, Cosmolicious. She brought up a study that has been making it's round on the blogs, twitter, and media - a study from the UK that purports that the date-rape drug is just an urban myth. Her fury at these scientists was almost tangible to me, by myself in the car. She was up in arms about how these scientists from the United Kingdom would dare to say that the date-rape drug is just a myth.

My fury stems from the fact that she misread and misinterpreted the whole study.

Now, I'm disagreeing with Diana - those Doctors and Ph.D.'s should know better than just shoot off phrases like that. Their study is going out to the internet, for crying out loud, to be scrutinized by anyone and everyone.

But by no means is the studying meant to prove that inexistence of the date-rape drug. They're not saying date-rape drugs don't exist! They're saying that nowadays many women who go out drinking mistakenly assume and reason that if they blackout or lose control that it's because they were under the influence of someone spiking their drink. Maybe women should watch how much they drink, instead of worrying about protecting their drinks. Or drinking too much and then walking home alone. Or taking drugs and drinking.

The world is a scary place out there - but c'mon. Not every other guy in the bar has a bag of rohypnol in their pocket, just waiting for you to turn away for a millisecond so they can dump the contents into your drink.

The scientists producing the study even say that further research would be fruitful if they could understand why this exists as such a widespread mentality amongst women, when most of the time, blackouts or loss of control is due to other drugs or an over-consumption of alcohol.

Diana, who graduated with a BA in Psychology, might've wanted to read all that a little study a little more carefully.

Article in the Telegraph, a British media outlet: http://bit.ly/8XZ0fy

Kent University article about the study: http://bit.ly/4sDzqK

New Domain!

Gonamnam.com is now live! Although, you have to type in the "www" of the address or else it doesn't work. I'm currently working with Blogger and GoDaddy to straighten that out.

Happy Thursday!

Nordstrom Rack and ... Planning Things

Its strange, that saying: "it never works out the way you want it to." Most of the time it does, but one only always ends up remembering when it didn't.

First dates never go like you plan them to. Even if you're just winging it. Sometimes the "winging" goes wrong.

Today is the opening of Nordstrom Rack at Oakridge. Being a curious consumer, I naturally wanted to be there for its grand opening. Can't be THAT many people interested, right? They're not giving anything away or being featured in the paper like Bloomingdale's up in SF's Union Square was when they opened. (Well they are giving away a shopping spree, but nothing tangible to the first X amount of customers or anything)

But as it turns out my doctor's appointment is at 11:30 am. While the store does open at 10, I had originally hoped that todays lab would be short and allow me to leave early to be there for the opening. Doesn't look like so, and with lab taking up the full time today until 10:20, I'm then going to have to race through traffic to get my doctors appointment on time, rather than NR. How about that. My stupid ear infection is making me miss the opening of NR.

Why not just go after? While it certainly is plausible to go after, all the excitement would be gone. Its all about being one of the first!

Well, maybe NR will be in the news tomorrow. Time to pack up and head to school/class.
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Go time!

And go! Test time! See you in 2 hrs!

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Glee

Currently listening to Glee Season 1 ost.

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Happy birthday to me!

I always wondered if saying something like that made you seem pathetic or sad or snooty to the outside world. I guess now I'll know.

Today is my birthday. I am now 24 years old (note to self to change that in my profile here). Today's agenda: take my micro 101 lab exam (probably do okay), attend 100w (with or without my outline), attend to my students (life doesn't stop for midterm season), and then dinner with my love to celebrate me have lived another year.

How have things changed for me now that I'm 24? Well I'm deinitely feeling the pull to gtfo of college and finish this off. People my age are graduating from graduate school for crying out loud. Of course, once I graduate this fall, I'll still probably have to come back to school to take a random assortment of courses to prepare for the credential program. But still, the one major milestone, getting a 4 year degree, still is not within my grasp.

I wonder sometimes if I'm a lost cause, just going at something because its the right thing to do at this point. Shouldn't I be passionate about what I do? I enjoy teaching, but am I passionate about it? I'm not sure. But then again, am I passionate about anything, really? Its moments like these that tell me I'm destined to be just another lay person, which may or may not be a good thing. I think I'm going to end up like that guy that you see cleaning the Dallas Cowboys stadium at the end of a game. Its not a job he's passionate about, but it gets him by, and he can provide for his family, etc.

Which brings us to the question, is being passionate about your job a necessity? Can't you just ho-hum about your job, and be passionate about your family? I don't mean to say that your job is boring or anything, its still gotta be a job you don't mind working, but maybe not exactly your passion.

High school teaching, for me, could become a passion. Or it could go completely 180 and make me despise switching out of pharmacy.

We'll have to wait and see. Right now I need to go study for this test. Haha.

Will report back at the end of the day, when I start studying for my next test.

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Fine tuning my ears.

All that complaining I did about my skull candy paint earbuds and how they required you to plug them deep into your ear, sealing it completely to outside noise, and allowing you full enjoyment of the whatever it is you were listening to?

Now I can't go back. My regular sony bass earbuds don't give me enough of that rich sound anymore. The headphones do, but they're these giant kinda fugly cups with a super long audio cord that, for someone who's got their iPod in their pocket on their person, is a huge hassle.

I guess its headphones or those earbuds for me from now on.

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Not enough space on the G2 iPod Nanos.

Option 1: go buy a new nano. Comes in a variety of flavors, and you get all the new features, plus video.

Option 2: Pay my girlfriend a visit, and get my 160 GB G3/G4 iPod classic.

Secret option 3: Spend some time reorganizing the data on my current iPod nano while I wait to go to dinner with my girlfriend tomorrow, and grab the iPod classic then.

The one that makes the most logic, esp with my lack of time in my schedule today, is option 3.

Good to know I'm doing the right thing, even if it means I can't listen to Buzz Out Loud and the various 1Up podcasts. And all the new music I got.

I hate doing the right thing.

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Skipped a stop, arriving early.

Which is a good thing, because I could use the down time to wake up.

I was up at 6 today, but a combination of subscribing to NFL.com's news rss feed and finishing up my assignment meant I wasn't out the door until 6:50, leaving me only ten minutes to get to the Oakridge platform (this means parked and locked the car). Luckily, I hit all greens and was able to park with about 30 seconds to boot. Socks, shoes (lab today), and the next thing I knew the train was starting to pull in. I had just enough time to grab the nano, headphones, and my backpack. Thank god my remote lock still works.

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Fail at life. Audiowise.

What kind of person can't put on headphones correctly? How hard is it to place the earbuds in the right ears, and correctly as well, as to allow for maximum enjoyment of the music/podcast/book/whatever one is listening to?

Me. I'm that kind of person.

I should've read the manual. Goddamnit

P.S. At least they are "noise cancelling." (Read: they plug your ears so much all you hear is the audio from them)

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Week 2, day 1

Another day in the books.

Micro 101 lecture was cancelled this morning. Notice was given about 10 minutes into class. After the first five minutes with no teacher, we started asking each other if today was supposed to be one of her furlough days. It wasn't. She just wasn't here. Ended up hanging out with my lab buddy (read: not partner) Jerry, getting lab notebooks and manuals and the like. Finished about 10 minutes before lecture was supposed to end anyway, then headed to work.

After work, I headed to the Sprint store on Lawrence and Stevens Creek. They fixed my phone's metal ring which holds down the trackball for free. That was nice of them, I thought, considering that the place on Tully Rd. (recommended by Sprint's 611 customer service rep) said they'd charge me $35 dollars for it. Crystal, the rep from the Stevens Creek store, was so nice and attentive to me as a customer, I felt bad that she was doing it for free (in hindsight, maybe I wasn't special and they do this for free for everyone).

Following that, I headed back to my car at the light rail station where I took a quick power nap. Then back to class - note to self to email my various profs tonight - and now on the train going home.

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King buffet. Never again.

So I'm not sure if it was the tapoica pudding, the frozen yogurt, or a myriad of other things I tried. But I feel sick to my bones. I feel super hot even though I shouldn't, and good lord my stomach feels like I just ate a whole cheesecake (I'm lactose intolerant).

Note to self: I'm never going back. I don't care who's inviting me to eat there.

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1 hour into lab.

And I'm dead tired. And bored. God first days suck.

A lesson on microscopy. Gather roud kids!

I wish we had hit the ground running or something.

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Day 2. I'm gonna hate tues/thurs.

I've gotta learn to get to bed earlier. The 6:00 am wakeup time is way too early. Out the door by 6:30. Hop on the 6:45 train, and at the Paseo de San Antonio train by 7:02.

Like clockwork. Well, this is my stop.

More about micro lab, 100w, and physics later.

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Being organized.

Looks like I have a good chance at getting into mammalian physiology. All I need to do is show my signed major / minor form to the professor. Now where'd I put that form ...

Had to help out freshman all day while I was on campus. Some of them were scared of walking in late, others were confused about how to add a course - like the process of day 1 in any college course - and most of them were just plain lost. I had my headphoes on most of the time too, and I am perplexed as to how that isn't a deterrent or nonverbal signal that I probably don't want to be disturbed. Kids these days, I swear.

On the light rail its completely different. Everyone and their kid has headphones on, or some sort of aloof, out the window, music video look.

Oops, train's coming.

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College hasn't changed much.

Some kid just got dropped off by his mom still in his jammies, and then proceeded to spray his entire body, front and back, with CK Eternity (recognized the bottle).

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Day 1 of school. For the last time.

On the light rail. I need to get an excel spreadsheet up and running in order to track my travel time asap to properly plan for exams and the like.

There was a train at the Oakridge station at 7:00 am just as I pulled in, which I naturally missed. The next train was at 7:15, we'll see how long this takes to get to SJSU, with all the stops on the way.

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A Complete Disney Library!

A completed Disney library of movies, from Snow White in 1937 to Wall-E in 2008.

86.0 gb

Now, to watch them all ...

360 vs. PS3

The big discussion, ah here we go.

(These are my personal opinions, done in the style of Blorge's article)

Round 1 - Design

Both are really nicely designed. Apparently with the PS3 slim coming out next week, it'll be smaller than the 360 Pro/Elite. The 360 allows for faceplate customization, which is a plus. The PS3 is smaller though, and smaller is good.

Winner: Tie

Round 2 - Features

(1) Discs

PS3 offers Blu-ray. Not really a plus because I belive even though it won the HD format wars, the format itself is still fighting against HD downloads and DVD. Dunno if it'll win. The blu-ray media though, offers a large storage capacity (50 GB) which means less disc swapping.

Xbox360 offers HD-Dvd, which is a purchasable drive for 31.99 (last price check at Fry's).

Winner: PS3

(2) WiFi

PS3 offers built-in WiFi. The 360 has a purchasable adapter for a hundred dollars (really Microsoft, really?)

Winner: PS3

(3) Other Connectivity

PS3 offers bluetooth - use any bluetooth headset. Xbox360 offers a purchasable wireless headset for 59.99.

Winner: PS3 (because I already have a bluetooth headset)

(4) Backwards Compatibility

PS3 doesn't offer PS2 backwards compatibility. Rumors have it they might start selling PS2 games over PSN, which would be the only way to have "backwards compatibility." Xbox360 offers backwards compatiblity, assuming you have the hard drive and the latest patches.

Winner: Tie (I don't own any Xbox Original games)

(5) Graphics

Tie. Meh.

(6) Console specific games

PS3 has (for me) Bomberman Ultra, Buzz! Quiz TV, Calling All Cars!, Fat Princess, Final Fantasy Versus XIII, God of War III, Heavenly Sword, Infamous, LittleBigPlanet, LocoRoco Cocoreccho, Mag, Motorstorm, Motorstorm: Pacific Rift, PixelJunk Collection, Ratchet & Clank Future Collection, Ridge Racer 7, Uncharted Collection, Warhawk

Xbox360 has Bomberman Live, Crackdown Collection, Fable II & III, Import Tuner Challenge, Project Gotham Racing 3 & 4, Raiden 4, Ridge Racer 6, Too Human

Winner: PS3

(7) Online Features

PS3's online features are free. Xbox360's silver (read: basic) membership is free. Their gold (premium) membership is $50/year. BIG TURNING POINT: Xbox360 is the exclusive streaming console for Netflix (assuming you have the gold membership)

Winner: PS3

I guess overall it's still going to be a toss up. But the logic of this blogpost says PS3. The 360 would be cost-inefficient, in terms of accessories and what not.

New car, oh my!

With plenty of time to kill, we worked our way through buying Mi her first brand new car! It was great to experience it on my own, but I think it was mostly thanks to her "I'll take it!" attitude. The car itself is a beaut, and has all of the amenities and conviniences that I'm used to. I wonder if she'll get to using her satellite radio again. It'll be a challeng to find a way to mount it, since the power plug now rests inside the center console area between the two chairs.

Blizzcon showed the release of the new WoW expansion, Catacylsm. I probably won't be going back though, considering that the guild I used to be in has mostly disbanded. Becca's gone, Tim's gone, Stephen and Sasha, Greg and Chris, Drew, Blake, and Rusty, and our GM, Rick. If I were to return, I'd only have a few friends left in the guild and we'd be back to small, tight-knit groups. No no, not again.

Congrats on your new car baby!

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Today's Horoscope

There are very high chances that you will overindulge in eating and drinking this weekend. You will be exposed to a variety of good food and drinks that you will find very hard to resist. Just be careful so that things do not get out of hand. Today also presents the perfect opportunity to catch up not only with your family members but also with your friends and your neighbors. In general, your weekend will be relaxed and you will even have enough time to put in a few good hours of sleep. Adequate rest is essential for the tough week you are likely to face ahead.

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Mango Peach Topper Ideal Meal

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Jamba Juice

Guy at Oakridge jamba juice can't cut bananas to save his life haha.

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Holy Crap She Went Blonde

I dunno, blonde or brunette, I still think she's pretty.

New Theme

Finally got to fixing up my blog a bit, and editing my other ones.

http://dear-penny.blogspot.com/ now has a cartoon dog theme =)

And this one has an awesome red/black contemporary theme!

Here's to more blogging as school starts!

Penny, everything is better with bluetooth.

And it is!

No more wires!

Woo-hoo!

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About to land.

In case your concerned, this isn't live blogged. At the writing of this, I am still on the plane but the phone radios are off and this won't be published until I'm probably in a car.

In any case, the goal this weekend and vacation will be to have fun. To smile more. To, I don't know, do the socially acceptable thing. I can't pre-suppose that I'm going to get to live away from everyone for the rest of my life, especially if my "full life" includes getting married and having kids. Eventually.

I managed to finish what was left of Las Vegas season 1, and zomg am I hooked. I daresay that show so far is good enough to purchase on dvd/blu-ray/hd-dvd if they ever came out in hi-def. Based on the boxart, it looks like something happened at the end of season 4 though, Big Ed Deline isn't on the cover. I'm guessing James Caan (who plays Big Ed) couldn't work out a deal. Well, onto season 2! What a killer ending to season 1 though! Danny's going back to the war! He and Mary are steaming things up! And they totally set things up so that Danny could be easily explained as killed off, with him acting nervous/scared, putting his will together and everything.

I'm glad he ended up with Mary - so far. Nessa might be content by herself, and Delinda could be with a newcomer or something. Kinda sad about Sam tho.

Landing, time to stop blogging.
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WTF Sale

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Macy's waiting room

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Windows Live Writer

New toys from Windows 7! Including Windows Live Writer, a blogging tool.

 

=) Guess you could call this a test post!

1st up: Soup!

Tasted like raw spam + cornstarch, tofu wrapping, and corn kernals. Mmm, pork fat.

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Working!

LOL look at her go, with her black t-shirt and pants!

Working hard for your money honey!

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Fireworks. Sizzling.

No fireworks this year, that was a given. But no festival this year?!?!

Guess we're going to SF for the fireworks ...

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Long day at work.

Therefore a bad day to have a stomach ache.

Damn.

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Waiting at the drive thru for Starbucks. Oop, we're moving.

Damn just placed my order and now I forgot what I was about to blog about.

So, got to talk to my cousin this morning, not much is new. Also got to talk to Stephen, a friend from video games.

And then rushing out the house to get to work and prep, and now am just realizing I shouldve brought my chem book for today's session. Probably would've made today's lesson a bit easier to explain.

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Kids sitting waaay too close to the TV. Gotta figure out a way to make that VGA cable longer. Maybe Fry's has a longer cable?

Something to look into!

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Ah shoot. Early mornings.

Gotta get up/go to bed earlier. Totally forgot like half my gear as I head into work this morning. Good thing work ends at 1230 though.
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Evelyn Sighting!

Another Evelyn sighting. Wonder who she is? A TV star, by the sign on her star.



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So grand! Egyptian monument in Hollywood, CA, outside the Kodak theatre.

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A Disney store! Across from the kodak theatre in Hollywood, CA.

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Ugh, back problems, I swear.

My lower back is killing me. When I get home I've gotta get a better chair, and do everything I can to fix this. Else when I get old (past 29 - cough) I'll be so screwed.

*cue Paris Hilton song*

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Butterflies and Wynn Casino/Hotel

Wynn sure does have a weird obsession with butterflies - lepidopterans as we biology majors call them.



There even paintings of them in the bathroom!



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Evelyn Sighting!

Not the best of lighting.



But it'll have to do.



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Fuzziwig's Candy Factory

Fuzziwig's! Sounds like something out of Harry Potter. Las Vegas Premium Outlets.



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Disney Outlet!

Daddy's home!!!



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Konichiwa!

LV's outlets must get a lot of Japanese customers.



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Las vegas premium outlets. Outdoor-sy, like Anaheim's The Block outdoor mall.

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Pool view from the parking structure. Its sizzling hot here ;)

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Why would you wear a bracelet with underwear? Unless that's an ad for swimwear?

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Outlet entrance.

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Outside, next door to Terrible's resort and casino. There's a roller coaster there, if you can't see it.

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Totally remember this from my first time in Vegas. Wonder why there's an ad for it almost 30 min away though.

Back then, I bought one of their 9 dollar burgers just for the bag that they put it in!

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Old school XXI store. Again, huge billboard ads over the entrances.


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Food court my butt.

More like food quarter circle.


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That doesn't even look like a Hollister store!

Where's the beach hut entrance?
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An American Eagle store, Primm outlets.

That sign is as big as a mall entrance back home.

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Leaving the casino, going back to the outlets.

Their ads are all so big!

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Zoltar the psychic is everywhere, even here in Primm resort and casino.

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Some sort of wrestling/boxing ring.

Foxy boxing on monday nights?
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Las Vegas Outlets, Primm exit

Looks like Great Mall in Mipitas, entrance shot. Smells like the men's room in Macy's. Ugh.

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8 hours of sleep. The real final frontier.

Finally.

A restful, full night's sleep.

I must relish it while I can.

Good night, interwebs.

Last final.

Upset stomach. Butterflies. Nerves. Call it what you want, it's hitting. You'd think that being in school as long as I have this would be any other Wednesday.

Why is it then that I feel like a freshman all over again?

A particularly singular incident.
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New fear.

Of course, during one's lifetime, one begins to accumulate fears. Some of these you overcome, while others stay with you until you reach the gates and see St. Peter.

I have a new fear. Time to see how long this takes for me to get over.

Girls putting on makeup. Specifically the eye stuff. Gives me the heebie-jeebies.

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It's too late for me, save yourself!

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Originally uploaded by namnguyen.nguyen

As of this posting, I will have t-minus 9 hours and 30 minutes until test time. I need to memorize a bunch (20ish) insects by sight identification, review what seems to be the second half of our semester which will be on the final, and work on a take home problem for that final. And that's just for tomorrow's final.

The picture's description says otherwise though. Guess I'll start now.

Twitter Updates added!

Just followed a link through my friend Chris Stewart's blog over at http://blog.i-am-boss.org/ and figured out how to add Twitter to my site too.

Thanks Chris!

Break from the school thing.

Took a break from finishing up one last project, before the wave of studying, to watch Esmee Denters live broadcast from the O2 arena in London.  She was opening/supporting Enrique Iglesias, and it was in the style of a webshow with an open chat room.  I decided to leave as nothing too exciting was going on, but it was interesting in the least.  Kinda makes me wish more celebrities did this kinda stuff, although I got to see a lot of that warcraft-trade-chat going on ... someone's response to her question of "what's everyone doing today" was "i shot a puppy / in the face."  Seriously? How's that even remotely funny?  She seemed to ignore / absorb most of the left-field or typical fan comments ("you're so beautiful/when are you coming to X country")

Back to work now though.

Ducks season over.

I thought the game was 7 pm pst, turns out it was at 7 pm est. Game was over by the time I got out off work, and we had lost, 4-3.

Our season's over. Good season though, we still beat San Jose!

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Insect Collection Done!

Insect Collection Done!
Originally uploaded by namnguyen.nguyen

Finally! The collection I have is presentation ready. It was totally worth it, and I'm also done with "Playing For Pizza" by John Grisham, too.

Good times. No caffeine pills necessary - and the soda was sugar/caffeine free. All me tonight =)

I'm proud, but there's still another 6 days of this following today.

Insect Collection Still In The Works

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Time to finish the collection though.

*sigh*

Back to work.

Diet Pepsi 5-14-09

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Bah, it's 2:03 am now. I figured a bit caffeine would help with my slowing and tiring mind. I don't realize until I get upstairs that it was caffeine free. FML.

The beginning of the end.

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The last two weeks of school starts now. And this is my bed as the clock hits 1:15 am, on Monday, May 11th, 2009.

Costco today.

Went into costco, realized I left my cards at home, got some samples, then left. Booo.
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(SPOILERS) Marley and me

Marley dies. Just got spoiled for me too, by Luke Smith of Out of The Game podcast, episode 4.

Boooo!

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MTV Movie Awards Coming Soon to a tube near you!

MTV Movie Awards air on May 31st at 9pm on MTV!

Here are my predictions:

BEST MOVIE: Slumdog Millionaire

BEST MALE PERFORMANCE: Shia LaBeouf for Eagle Eye

BEST FEMALE PERFORMANCE: Angelina Jolie for Wanted

BEST VILLAIN: Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight

BEST COMEDIC PERFORMANCE: James Franco for Pineapple Express

BEST FIGHT: Christian Bale vs. Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight

BEST KISS: Freida Pinto and Dev Patel, Slumdog Millionaire

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE, FEMALE: Freida Pinto for Slumdog Millionaire

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE, MALE: Ben Barnes for The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

BEST WTF MOMENT: Peeing In The Sink, Amy Poehler in Baby Mama

BEST SONG FROM A MOVIE: Paramore "Decode", Twilight

Below are the MTV Movie Award Nominations. To vote go to http://www.mtv.com/ontv/movieawards/2009/

BEST MOVIE

The Dark Knight

High School Musical 3: Senior Year

Iron Man

Slumdog Millionaire

Twilght

BEST MALE PERFORMANCE

Christian Bale for The Dark Knight

Robert Downey Jr. for Iron Man

Shia LaBeouf for Eagle Eye

Vin Diesel for Fast & Furious

Zac Efron for High School Musical 3: Senior Year

BEST FEMALE PERFORMANCE

Angelina Jolie for Wanted

Anne Hathaway for Bride Wars

Kate Winslet for The Reader

Kristen Stewart for Twilight

Taraji P. Henson for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

BEST VILLAIN

Derek Mears for Friday the 13th

Dwayne Johnson for Get Smart

Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight

Johnathon Schaech for Prom Night

Luke Goss for Hellboy II: The Golden Army

BEST COMEDIC PERFORMANCE

Amy Poehler for Baby Mama

Anna Faris for The House Bunny

James Franco for Pineapple Express

Jim Carrey for Yes Man

Steve Carell for Get Smart

BEST FIGHT

Anne Hathaway vs. Kate Hudson, Bride Wars

Christian Bale vs. Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight

Robert Pattinson vs. Cam Gigandet, Twilight

Ron Perlman vs. Luke Goss, Hellboy II: The Golden Army

Seth Rogen and James Franco vs. Danny McBride, Pineapple Express

BEST KISS

Angelina Jolie and James McAvoy, Wanted

Freida Pinto and Dev Patel, Slumdog Millionaire

James Franco and Sean Penn, Milk

Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson, Twilight

Paul Rudd and Thomas Lennon, I Love You, Man

Vanessa Hudgens and Zac Efron, High School Musical 3: Senior Year

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE, FEMALE

Amanda Seyfried for Mamma Mia!

Ashley Tisdale for High School Musical 3: Senior Year

Freida Pinto for Slumdog Millionaire

Kat Dennings for Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist

Miley Cyrus for Hannah Montana: The Movie

Vanessa Hudgens for High School Musical 3: Senior Year

BREAKTHROUGH PERFORMANCE, MALE

Ben Barnes for The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

Bobb'e J. Thompson for Role Models

Dev Patel for Slumdog Millionaire

Robert Pattinson for Twilight

Taylor Lautner forTwilight

BEST WTF MOMENT

Peeing In The Sink, Amy Poehler in Baby Mama

Curved Bullet Kill, Angelina Jolie in Wanted

Jumping In The Poop Shed, Ayush Mahesh Khedekar in Slumdog Millionaire

Tasting Decapitated Head, Ben Stiller in Tropic Thunder

Naked Break Up, Jason Segel and Kristen Bell in Forgetting Sarah Marshall

BEST SONG FROM A MOVIE

A.R. Raham "Jai Ho", Slumdog Millionaire

Bruce Springsteen "The Wrestler", The Wrestler

Miley Cyrus "The Climb", Hannah Montana: The Movie

Paramore "Decode", Twilight

Gah. I always forget something.

Yours truly has never quite learned the lesson of always second checking everything one needs. Once again, I have left my power adapter to my laptop at home in the process of switching backpacks. Luckily, I only need it for one class, as in entomology we're going on a field trip.

Sigh. Not quite a FML. But getting there.

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Rain rain go away

Please come back some other day.

It's raining. And I wore sandals. I only have one pair, and they're worn out and have no grip against this slick pavement. I'm so screwed.

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3-2 Red Wings

I walked into D&Bs just in time to see Hiller get scored on by a rebound.

(Update) 2.1 second left, I think we lost.

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Wandering ...

Meh its another day ending. Time seems to fly by these days. I get home, and then boom, its 11:30 p.m.

And yet now, when I should be heading home, I find myself driving around aimlessly.


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Whole Foods Coming Soon

Across Blossom Hill Road from Costco Almaden. In the complex where Hollywood Video is.

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Nordstrom Rack Coming

Coming Fall 2009 across from Q-Cup, where Linens-N-Things used to be.

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GTA San Andreas

I had finally gotten past the first big chunk of the game. Onto the seconf phase of the game! Oh, and cameo appearance by Claude, the main character from GTA 3!

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Time to start my day.

Spent most of the morning sleeping. Realized I forgot my jump drive, and had to go get another one to print out my paper. It was quite cold in the car this morning, but I got lots of needed rest.

Two classes left, and then rush home to catch the Ducks-Sharks game 6. Go Ducks to end the series tonight!

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Woot - Mini yay!

I passed 19 posts! Legitimately too, none of those "#1,2,3 ... " posts. And I still have 3-4 days left in March.  3 if you don't count today.  4 if you do.  It's still early in the day, maybe more posts today.

Taylor Swift - You Belong With Me Single Cover Art

 Her next single? Well here's a cover for it anyways.  Can't wait for the music video!

Mmm

mmm Pâte à choux

Ducks lose 3-2 in OT at HP Pavilion. And I'm stuffed.

And I had way too much to eat during the game. Had a small viewing party, and today's lunch at On The Border in Milpitas @ McCarthy Ranch was still sitting around inside I think. I definitely overloaded on carbs today, not good. Gonna bike tomorrow to Safeway to buy the paper, assuming I can drag myself out of bed early enough. 630, 645 ish? We'll see.

The Ducks comeback in the 3rd period was awesome, but in the end Patrick Marleau came through for his team. Sort of a good thing, I kind of want to see Anaheim's home crowd if we put this away on Monday. Hopefully I don't miss too much of the game as I rush home from class.

Well, guess that's it for today. More bug catching tomorrow and Monday, and I need 2-3 more bird entries.


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Join MyBrutes!

GO GO GO!

http://holysock.mybrute.com

PETA [sigh]

http://www.peta.org/feat-audrina-partridge.asp

sigh.

So pretty, yet supports .. PETA.  How disappointing.

Wong Fu Productions

I've spent the latter part of the last 3 hours browsing stuff by Wong Fu Productions. They're an Asian American movie making company, well, more like 3 Asian American guys who are just making short films. The shorts themselves are pretty rad. They each have a Twitter, WFP has a blog, and they keep a pretty regular video blog up, too.

It's sooo distracting. YouTube.

Edit: This is post number 15! Four more to tie, five to set a new posts-per-month record!

Bring David Choi To SJ!

View all San Jose events on Eventful

I'm Gettint Too Old For This $h!t

.:sigh:.

I'm getting too old. I can't even finish a full entree anymore. And it's not even like something at a restaurant, we're talking like a plate at Sarku Japan in the mall. I feel like one of the pregnant models in the signs for Motherhood Maternity.
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Today's Ramblings

Got to class. Turns out the teacher moved the test to Wednesday.  Great! More time to study.

Instead of catching sleep though, I'm sitting in the library using bandwidth to download all my links that have been piling up.  And of course, with the super fast internet available here, I start running out of hard drive space.

GARGH. No class tonight if I choose to do the assignment instead. Score.

Live blogging

The new supercuts ad marketed towards men involves a subliminal message about supporting strip clubs?!
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Casual Vs. Hardcore. What is a real fanboy/fangirl?

To talk plainly, what is it with being a real fan?  Of anything, for that matter.  It is the join a secret society that thinks, breathes, and fawns over the very obsession upon which they call themselves "fans" of.

Is there anything wrong with being a casual fan?  I certainly don't think so.

In the video game community, we've had to deal with this for quite a long time now.  There's been a long standing elitest outlook on those who aren't as hardcore as others.  In fact, Techradar posted an article about it a while ago: Link here.  It's accepted that hardcore gamers play a certain set of games - all the AAA titles at least.  Games have shortened acronyms that need no explanation - GoW (Gears of War), GRAW (Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter), WoW (World Of Warcraft).  They've played through every single title of every single big franchise.  They know the backstory to the Halo universe, or at least how to be mediocre/successful on Live!.  They have running subscriptions to gaming magazines that they read cover to cover once it comes in their mailbox.  They spend nights and days researching strategies, looking up maps, and never, ever will they cheat.  Because they're too good already.  Cheating is for ... well, everyone else.  They've got every single console and handheld, and their PC rig looks like it belongs in Paul Walker's Mitsubishi Eclipse from Fast and Furious 1.

And then there were casual gamers.  Those of us who, for whatever reason, couldn't dedicated 6-8 hours on any day to playing games.  Some of us are parents, and would be lucky to spare 30 minutes to watch Conan O'Brian, let alone get on World of Warcraft to raid for 3 hours.  We play in short bursts, and easy games that are fun and don't necessarily have to be competitive.  Wii Sports is awesome.  Anything made by Popcap, BigFish, or any of those other companies that make small, short games is great.  Also, we like simple games.  We don't have the time to sit around and read a manual or run through a tutorial that takes 30 min that has to be repeated every week because from one Friday to the next, I happened to have so much going on, I barely remembered how to play.

There's always been a big rift between the two, with the elitest hardcore looking down on the casual gamer.  I personally identify myself now as someone who straddles the line.  I've been "hardcore" and done some gaming myself, but I'm slowling to stop - er, pause, rather.  Shorter games like Bejeweled that I can take anywhere and play for 10-15 minutes are super great.  I'm liking the idea of being a casual gamer, and letting the hardcore stick their noses up at me all they want.  So I haven't played RE4, RE5, or any of the Metal Gear Solid games.  So what.

But recently this phenomenon of Casual vs. Hardcore has come into play in other areas of my life.  Goddamn.

Hockey season is finally coming into my awareness, as the playoffs are right around the corner (Ducks play the Sharks tomorrow night at HP Pavilion actually).  Living in San Jose, it's not easy liking anything besides the Sharks.  Then again, I suppose this wouldn't be easy in any town, to not like the home team.

As one of my classmates pointed out, I am not a Ducks fan, but rather a Jean-Sébastien Giguère fan.  And a Teemu Selänne fan.  And a Ryan Getzlaf fan.  And an Andy McDonald fan.  Two years ago, I wanted to get into hockey.  The playoffs were rolling around, and I chose a team to follow.  I picked the Ducks, mostly out of spite that everyone was a Sharks fan.  Lo and behold, they went all the way and won the Stanley Cup.  During the playoffs, I tried to educate myself as best I could about the sport, learning the basic positions and the different line formations for my team.  I had great trouble keeping track of the puck on the TV screen, but that was an adaptation my acquaintances said would take some getting used to (to this day, I still have a bit of trouble following the puck through traffic, especially the shots).  I bought EA's NHL 07 for PS2 AND PSP, and 2K's NFL 2K7 for PS2, and played a full season on EA's title (2k's not having a 2D paper crowd wasn't enough for me) with "my team," the Anaheim Ducks.  Of course, on normal, we went all the way and won the Stanley Cup.

Following the real life win by the Anaheim Ducks, I did my best to keep track of the team's news in the offseason.  Selanne wasn't coming back, at least not for now.  One of the Niedermayer brothers wasn't coming back either - I think it was Scott, who had now won 3 Stanley Cups. Jiggy, aka Giguère, was staying, but on the injured list.  Getzlaf was still there.

For the most part, I don't follow any teams in their respective off seasons.  I'm not that hardcore.

In 2008, we were coming back to defend our title.  We failed miserably, bowing out in the first round agains the Dallas Stars.  Both Selänne and Niedermayer came back though.

Now in 2009, the Ducks are going to the playoffs again - California Dreamin' style, as they are the #8 seed and the San Jose Sharks are the #1 seed.  We barely made it, juggling the last few playoff spots here towards the end of the season.

Am I a Ducks fan? I think so. But others would say not.

To be a real fan, once has to follow their team throughout the season.  Fair enough.  Regular season hockey, I'm sure, probably has its great moments.  But really, the playoffs - in any sport - is where are the great action is.  It's where those moments for Sports Illustrated and ESPN Magazine get their equivalent "money shots."  Not living in the area of Anaheim severely limits my viewings of the Ducks during the regular season, unless they're playing the Sharks, or NBC has decided to feature it on the weekend.  But my few tastings of regular season hockey have been rather unpleasant.  It's like playoff hockey, but ... slower ...

:-=-:

NFS: Carbon

Finally. It's done.

After days and days of frustrating restarts, near-impossible runs, I've finally beaten all the bosses in Need For Speed Carbon.  For the most part, it was a reliance on older, lower tiered cars to beat the higher teired vehicles.  Also, I still have yet to beat the final boss with a tuner car.  Since the Evo IX had the very best handling, but simply par in terms of handling and acceleration, I was very unsuccessful in keeping up with Darius, regardless of my ease of manuverability for many of the corners.  Researching the topic a bit, I took a random poster's recommendation of using the Ford GT, and after almost fully tricking it out, I was able to beat the final boss by a sliver on the canyon duel.

I'm excited to get to trying out the next NFS title aimed at street racing/ricing - NFS Undercover.

Also, I picked up a copy of Resident Evil 4 for PC, but am now realizing I'll have to use a controller to play it.  That seems so asinine.  I'm playing on a computer!  Let me use my mouse and keyboard!  I don't want to have to haul out a controller just to play a game - also more often it's easier with a mouse and keyboard.  I haven't seen any RE4 gameplay though, so maybe it is more suited towards using a joypad.  It's still frustrating though.  What if I didn't have a gamepad?  What if I left it at home and I was on vacation/at school/at a friend's house?

Bah, enough ranting.

Rediscovering The Turn Of The Millinium

Around then what we now call teeny-bopper pop was totally in, although I suppose the fact that it fit my age range helped a bit.  Like how kids these days listen to Hannah Montana and the Jonas Brothers whilst we listen to Boa, Bow Wow, and Flo Rida.

Anyways, browsing the internet for Myra's sophomore album (out like a bajillion years later - Princess Diaries 1 and "Miracles Happen" was so long ago), I found her on Amazon.  Of course, they recommend stuff they think I the customer will like.  It's a lot of teeny-bopper music!  And so nostalgic.  Maybe one day in the future I'll pick them all up - since it's so long ago, a lot of the cds are super cheap now - some are $0.01!

No text limit!

There's no text limit on an email. And I can title my blog posts by putting it in the Subject line.

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I can blog via text message now! I suppose this feature is only useful for ppl who don't have internet access on their phones.

[Late Night] Already ...

Time seemed to fly by so slow today.  Maybe that's the thing about being at school.  Time crawls.  For me, that was good thing, working on my bug collection and catching some ZzZz's where I could.  But the moment I got home at 10:30ish, time seems to have flown.  I've had dinner, and been browsing Facebook for what seems like 5 minutes.  It's now 1 AM.

Going to bed to get some well-needed sleep.  Damn though, from 10:30pm - now has been so unproductive and time has just flown.

Question of the Day Revisited

So, once upon a time, I asked people, "what can I do to be more well-rounded?" Of course, there was a 10 minute long background story, but basically it led to this question.  And rather than retype said story, I'll just cut straight to the chase.

Along the ways, I've gotten a variety of responses.  Read the newspaper.  Go see a play.  Stop playing WoW and pick up Halo Wars.  Go to the SF Farmer's market.  Go fishing.  Learn how to play guitar.  Become a movie connoisseur.  Learn to cook.  Go running.

Basically, lots of stuff.

How much of it have I gotten to?  Not a lot, I must say.  It's taken quite a while to find time for myself to get out and try everything.  Hopefully this weekend we'll be starting with the SF farmer's market.

And photography.  That's pretty basic and straight forward.  Now to find some black and white film.  Supposedly the world is totally different when shot in black and white.

[Late Night] Tired, But Can't Sleep. This Can't Be Good.

2:50 am - Just fired up an old external HD to find if there was anything on there.  Turns out there is.  A DVD rip of Jessica Simpson's Reality Tour.  Let's watch, shall we?

2:58 am - I forgot how cheesy the early 2000s were when it came to music.  Some of that old N*Sync stuff was so corny.  This TV Jess stuff is dumb.

3:00 am - After seeing how she is now, all ... uh ... plump, it's weird seeing her all skinny.  And there is something incredibly annoying about seeing her perform live.

3:02 am - Vietnamese music artists for Thuy Nga and others typically have to make their own costumes, buy fabric, etc.  Did they make Jessica Simpson do that on this tour?  That dress is all sorts of fugly.

3:04 am - Does she know who the audience is?  All I see are teenage girls.  Why is she shaking her butt?  ZOMG she just did the stripper drop in front of 3 sub-12-year-olds.  WTF is wrong with her.  Now she's moaning and making other inappropriate noises.  Lovely.  I now hate Jessica Simpson.  I cannot believe that L.A. filled an auditorium to see this woman.  This is too painful, must fast forward.

3:06 am - I can't believe I thought I was tired of Need For Speed Underground 2.  I could've finished like 3 more races in the time I've wasted watching this crap.  And yet I'm still watching.  Okay stopping now.

That was lame.  I cannot belive I'm posting this.

More posting!

As you can see in the Blog Archive to the right/left [depending on how the layout is now], I have 12 January posts, 19 February posts, and only 7 March posts.  I've gotta keep the post counts in the double digits.  *raises illuminant keyboard* Here's to more posts for April!

Writer's block. Sucks.

Can't figure out how to fill in the last half page for my assignment.  So I'm writing elsewhere in hopes that my writer's block will be freed.

Someone just yelled very loudly in the library.  Guess he didn't like getting the service he was getting.  Probably got escorted out.

Found that song they used in the hip-hop decathalon from Season 1 of ABDC - DJ Felli Fel - Getting Buck In Here, they only used the last bit with Lil' Jon on the show though.

Finished CoD 2.  Epic, along with watching Band of Brothers.  My favorite episodes were the 1st and 2nd ones though.

Onto Fast and Furious 1-2-3 and Need for Speed Underground 2.  I still can't believe they picked Brooke Burke as the main model for that game.  The fidelity of the game is awesome though, mostly because my laptop is OP-ed.  I wonder what NFS Most Wanted and NFS Carbon will look like.  I have the special edition of Carbon, although I'm hesitant to play it because I've practically beat the PS2 version.  And Most Wanted was mostly about running from cops, which sometimes was fun - and meant the storyline was crap.

Well, back to my papers.  Hopefully this was enough.

O_O Sandra Lee loves bacon.

^^

She went from 118 to 155 b/c of bacon, BLTs, and Mountain Dew. She once ate an entire package of bacon in one sitting.


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Sandra Lee - Made From Scratch (A Memoir)

I'm only anout a 1/4 of the way through but its already a lovely book. I've cried like twice already, and it seems silly because this is just the story of someone else's life. She's had such a rough upbringing.

And in the book, she's still only 18 and moved in with her birth father and his girlfriend to Wisconsin.
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Random pictures

Some random pics. I'm bored and don't want to study for Philosophy 133 just yet.

LOLCATZ. [Epic]

Head On Over To Ashley Tisdale's Website! The album releases on June 16th!

So tired

I don't know exactly what's going on, but as each day goes by, I'm becoming more and more co-dependent with my girlfriend. If she has a headache, so will I. If I had something that leads to an upset stomach, she'll have an upset stomach too. Its so weird.

Well this spring break has been relaxing, sort of. Its already wednesday and I don't really feel relaxed, like last spring break. Ah well, maybe things will turn out for the better the next couple of days. Three midterms this coming week. One on monday, and two lab exams on thursday. Tuesday is caesar chavez day so free day :) I might go out tho. Go catch up on movies or something.
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What my Zodiac sign says about me [Fruits Basket]

THE OX PERSONALITY

Red = The text of the post

Black = My comments

The Ox or the Buffalo sign symbolizes prosperity through fortitude and hard work. A person born during this year will be dependable, calm and methodical. A patient and tireless worker, he sticks to routine and conventions. Although he is generally fair-minded and a good listener, it is difficult to make him change his views as he is stubborn and often has strong prejudices.

Meh.  I can't argue with this paragraph.  I agree.

Still, because of his steady and trustworthy character, the Ox person will be entrusted with positions of authority and responsibility. He will not fall short where duty calls. As a matter of fact, he should be careful not to get carried away. Beneath his somewhat modest but neat appearance, the Ox shields a resolute and logical mind. His intelligence and dexterity is hidden by the reticent and undemonstrative front. But in spite of being basically an introvert, his forceful nature can turn him into a commanding and eloquent speaker when the occasion arises. In times of turmoil, his presence of mind, refusal to be intimidated and innate self-confidence will restore order. He walks with his head held high.

Meh.  I can't argue too much with this paragraph either.  I don't exactly walk with my head held high, but I do feel a sense of innate leadership in me.

A person born under this particular sign is systematic. He adheres to fixed patterns and has great respect for tradition. In fact, he tends to do exactly what is expected of him and is so predictable, that he may be unfairly criticized for a lack of imagination. But the dutiful Ox knows that only through doing things in their proper order can he hope to achieve lasting success. His is the uncluttered mind. You won't find him muddling through life depending on his luck to pull him through. What people born under the other signs may accomplish by guile and wit, the Ox-born will by sheer tenacity and dedication. You can rely on his promises; once he gives his word, he will stick by it. Public opinion means little to him. He will apply himself wholeheartedly to whatever task he is doing and finish the job. He detests loose ends.

Some of this paragraph I don't feel is right about me.  I do care what people think, to some large extent.  And I have yet to prove that you can rely on my promises.

The Ox can be terribly naive about affairs of the heart. He cannot fully comprehend the entrapments of love, much less employ enticing strategy and other allures to plead his romantic cause. Don't expect lyric poetry and moonlight serenades from him. He just doesn't have the right chemistry for these sort of things. Even his presents are likely to be strong and durable wares: unpretentious and long lasting.

WHAT!? I am such a hopeless romantic!  But I am naive about affairs of the heart, for the most part.

Because they are traditionalists, the Ox man and woman will also be inclined to long courtships. It takes time for them to develop intimate relationships. They are slow to warm up and reveal their true feelings. The Ox man may be a knight of the most distinguished order, a gentleman of the highest caliber, but he can turn into a fumbling, tongued-tied lad when it comes to wooing his fair maiden.

Too true!

But if you marry him and place your trust squarely on his shoulders, he will never disappoint you; he will stick by you faithfully all his life. You never need worry about the rent or the bills getting paid. He may not keep you in diamonds and furs but life will be as comfortable as he can make it and you will never be in need.

See, Mi??? Listen to the man!

If you have the good fortune to marry an Ox lady, you sure picked the no-nonsense type of girl. She'll starch your collar just the way your mother does it, fold your newspaper neatly on the breakfast table every day without fail and poach your eggs to perfection. Even that "good morning" kiss may seem like nothing more than a dutiful peck now and then. But if you think of her as being boring or too set in her ways, consider this. She is neat and punctual. You will never go through married life without clean shirts or holes in your socks or having to eat burnt dinners. Honest, hardworking and above reproach, she will make an ideal wife. The checkbook will be balanced and your joint account never overdrawn. It's up to you to liven up her life and take the lead. After all, the Ox person usually performs more than his or her share. A lot of wonderful things come wrapped in plain brown paper. The Ox is one of them. Don't ever belittle the packaging. He is worth his weight in gold.

Ha ha! See!

Aside from his many sterling qualities, the Ox person is also known to nurture grievances far too long. He has a long and exacting memory, and injuries can be registered down to their last detail.

Ugh. Unfortunately, this is too true.  My scars feel like they happened 5 minutes ago, when I think about them.

Where other signs such as the Tiger, Rooster or Rat may complain vehemently when they are upset and the Sheep and Rabbit will sulk and become morose, the Ox will react by plunging himself into hard work to alleviate his misery and tension. If severely disappointed in love, he may bury himself in his work forever and lead a solitary existence instead of running the risk of ever being humiliated or rejected again.

I don't feel like I complain vehemently, unlike the Rat. [cough cough] And I probably would change "hard work" into "video games."

The Ox will insist on settling his accounts. Debts will be paid to the last decimal point. If he owes you something he will never forgive himself if he doesn't show his gratitude in a tangible way. No profuse but empty phrases of appreciation from him. He considers flowery words and lavish flattery uncouth and beneath his dignity. But won't it come as a surprise to you when you find out that that gruff fellow, who barely managed to mumble a "Thank you," left you something in his will? Well, that's a typical Ox gesture for you. If anyone's actions speak louder than his words--his do.

Too true!

Beware of the Ox's legendary patience, because when an Ox person loses his temper, he is really something to reckon with. It could be a terrifying experience. There will be no reasoning with him: he will act like a bull and attack anyone in his path. The only advisable thing to do is to get out of his way until he cools off. By and large, however, he is seldom given to such taxing display of fireworks unless he finds his situation truly unbearable.

Again, too true!

At home, his word is law. He knows how to give orders as well as follow them. And he expects his directives to be carried out to the letter. He has a materialistic outlook on life, and although he may be inordinately fond and proud of his family, he demands a lot from them, too. He will use the yardstick of success and personal achievement to measure his love for them. Even though he is not easily moved by emotions, he is a good provider and is capable of great sacrifices for his family's welfare. When and where it really counts, he will not let them down.

Since I don't have a family yet, it's hard to judge this.  I don't know how I feel about it.  I'd like to think I wouldn't pick one child over the other if one was a straight-A student vs. a barely passing one.  But I could see it happen.

An Ox person will always be an asset to his firm and family. He has no reason to feel insecure himself as he will be well cared for all his life. Reason dictates that one so valuable should not be left to fend for himself.

But I will still feel insecure, whatever you say!

The Ox born during the day will be more aggressive and active compared to the quiet night ox. Similarly, the winter Ox will have more trying times and a leaner life than the summer Ox.

I think I was born at night.  I have to check.  And what about fall and spring oxes!

The native of this lunar sign is a down-to-earth type and will follow his head rather than his heart. So if you want to win your case, appeal to his reason and intelligence. Make a list of the pros and cons and support every request with pertinent and reliable data. Sentiments alone rarely make him change his mind. He also has a remarkable constitution and does not get sick easily. Proud and uncompromising, the Ox is disdainful of weakness in others. If he can learn to cultivate more humor and compassion, he will be much happier.

Hehe.  I don't get cold easy either *ding*  I do wish I could make more funny environments wherever I go.

A natural-born leader and disciplinarian, he tends to be too rigid. Likely to be a self-made man, he staunchly believes everyone should pull his own weight--and no hedging about it either. At his worst, the Ox is unapproachable, inflexible and narrow-minded. His lack of tact and consideration for others coupled with a militant view of life at times could make him unsuitable for positions involving public relations, diplomacy and finesse. However, he is respected and liked for his basic honesty, unpretentiousness and steadfast principles. He inspires loyalty in all his subordinates, as no task is beneath him.

I sound so scary. *cracks whip* FASTER!

As mentioned earlier, the Ox person is not one who will go for the shortcuts. His quiet dignity and strong morals will prevent him from resorting to unfair means to achieve his goals. He will dislike asking others for help. As a matter of fact, he is so self-reliant, that you may have to beg him to accept a service.

Lies.  Sometimes.

The Ox-born has dynastic tendencies. Careful and conscientious, he builds things to last. This sturdiness in his genes will extend to his offspring and generations to come even if they are not born under the same sign. His excellent character makes him an empire builder. He will take all precautions to ensure the prosperity and survival of his lineage.

Again, too true!

As the paterfamilias, he will lay down the laws pontifically and stand for no youthful rebellion. He builds his life around his home, his work and his country and will always prefer long-term, stable investments. Being a strict creature of habit, he is no gambler: risks and razor-thin margins unnerve him because they endanger his deep-felt need for security.

Why gamble.  She does enough for both of us.

Of all the twelve signs, the colorful Rooster will bring the sunshine into the Ox's orderly life and make a splendid partner for him. Both have high respect for authority, admire efficiency and possess strong dedication to duty. These common attributes will unite them. Equally well suited will be the affectionate Rat or the wise Snake, both of whom will care deeply for the worthy Ox. Dragon, Rabbit, Ox, Horse, Boar and Monkey will also be compatible to a lesser degree with the Ox. But the Dog may find him too bland and criticize his lack of humor; the Ox himself will not care too much for the company of the capricious Sheep or the rebellious Tiger native, who in turn will resent his regimentation.

Well, she's a Rat.  So I suppose that's good.  Other sites I visited didn't mention Rat.  Every one mentioned Rooster though.  Is that a sign?

Whatever happens, one can be sure that the success enjoyed by the Ox will have been earned by his own merits. In short, the strong and disciplined Ox does not expect and will not be getting any free rides in life. This stalwart fellow will emerge a winner through his own efforts and no one should be more deserving.

Amen.