tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91028348196528162902023-06-20T05:17:04.901-07:00Mark's BlogMarkiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08911689839550835977noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9102834819652816290.post-18295057028682020982009-09-23T10:49:00.000-07:002009-09-23T11:07:48.809-07:00The American Culture of winningWhile playing intramural soccer in college, I noticed a big difference in the cultures of Americans and foreigners. I played on a team filled with Germans, Dutch and me..the Asian. There was another team with foreign students, the spanish team, filled with students from Spain. the rest of the dozen teams were American. Soccer is and has been big in Europe and Asia for hundreds of years. Whenever we played an American team and they made a mistake, or things didn't go as planned, they would yell, kick the barriers an throw tantrums. Their minds were set on winning, and losing was not an option. Whenever we lost, we didn't take it too seriously. Their anger and tantrums would further get the best of them, and they would slip further away from winning. I have also noticed this while playing other games, including video games! In Asian culture, the only competition I have noticed is in education, where students do whatever they can to get higher scores than their peers. I find it interesting how people here tend to put a lot of importance on winning in sports, while still hold on to the senseless 'no child left behind' policy. Something has got to change. We should be spending more on our schools, while teaching our kids about the importance of school and success. Winning is pointless if there is no possibility of a tangible and/or significant gain from it. My line of thought is probably why I fared amongst the last students in my class in high school, and shot ahead and graduated college with a 3.5 GPA due to scholarships being motivation. This is also probably why I dropped out of soccer, seeing no real future in it for me.<br />The possibility of success and risks didn't balance itself well.Markiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08911689839550835977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9102834819652816290.post-71380287457530166692007-08-12T10:05:00.000-07:002007-08-12T10:06:53.888-07:00Flute BeatboxingFlute + Beatboxing = GREAT STUFF!<br /><br />Here is a video by Nathan Lee of Swaraj Music. He does some beatboxing while playing the flute. That requires some talent!<br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/aEcMBc1SBII"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/aEcMBc1SBII" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>Markiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08911689839550835977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9102834819652816290.post-89143694532445024362007-08-12T09:38:00.002-07:002007-08-12T09:42:32.633-07:00Appreciate your parentsDedicated to all the dads out there, here is a song by Mike Skinner of The Streets titled "Never went to church". The lyrics are great, and you will recognise a beatles sample in the background.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ygzSXn3oxKU"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ygzSXn3oxKU" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br />And here is a video dedicated to all the to-be-mothers out there. I will never know what it is like to be pregnant and give birth, but I know I could never go through it. Women are better than us (men) in that aspect. They go through a lot that we dont have to bother about.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/fqcaePoWaxE"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/fqcaePoWaxE" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>Markiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08911689839550835977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9102834819652816290.post-61660845635651005712007-08-12T09:38:00.001-07:002007-08-12T09:38:24.760-07:00God bless the troopsWhile we sit here in our comfortable homes, the real heros are out there risking their lives for the nation. They give their best out there, while their loved ones pray for their safety from harms way. When they finally get back, most of them are not given the respect they deserve. Most of us are busy adoring celebrities and the other rich shmucks. We need to do more to honor our war veterans. They are out nations heros after all.<br /><br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/5uXdk8G7k1M"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/5uXdk8G7k1M" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>Markiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08911689839550835977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9102834819652816290.post-73733229265003222952007-08-12T09:36:00.002-07:002007-08-12T09:37:37.867-07:00How to get back at credit card firms and other spammersLike I do every morning, I went to check my mail to only find more coupons from Taco Bell, Hardees and coupons for oil changes.<br /><br />And then..I got the usual Credit Card offers. How many credit cards and oil changes do they think I need?<br /><br />UGH!<br /><br />Oh well...C'est la vie! When a jerk throws you lemons, one should make lemonade and pour it over their open wounds once you throw random sharp objects at the jerk.<br /><br />Any way, I removed the business reply envelopes from the credit card offers, shoved some coupons in them and mailed it back to the credit card companies.<br /><br />This may deter them from mailing me more credit card spam. And if not, they can still use those coupons. It is a win-win situation.Markiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08911689839550835977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9102834819652816290.post-22925225900124559542007-08-12T09:36:00.001-07:002007-08-12T09:36:40.460-07:00Please dont do drugs<p class="blogSubject"> Please dont do drugs... </p> I just came across this video online. It is of a few small children doing heroine. Even though I am a against drug and tobacco use, this video really shows why one should consider the risks of drug use.<br /><br />By the way..the 8 year old in this video OD's and doesnt make it (sorry for the spoiler)<br /><br /><embed src="http://www.liveleak.com/player.swf" width="450" height="370" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" flashvars="autostart=false&token=1f4_1173505553" scale="showall" name="index"></embed>Markiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08911689839550835977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9102834819652816290.post-54566930359220427362007-08-12T09:31:00.000-07:002007-08-13T04:36:07.952-07:00Something about my Goan heritageI happened to find this video on Youtube...<br /><a style="left: 0px ! important; top: 15px ! important;" title="Click here to block this object with Adblock Plus" class="abp-objtab visible ontop" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/50MSg0wjvRA"></a><a style="left: 0px ! important; top: 15px ! important;" title="Click here to block this object with Adblock Plus" class="abp-objtab visible ontop" href="http://www.youtube.com/v/50MSg0wjvRA"></a><object enablejsurl="false" enablehref="false" saveembedtags="true" allowscriptaccess="never" allownetworking="internal" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" data="http://www.youtube.com/v/50MSg0wjvRA" height="350" width="425"> <param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/50MSg0wjvRA"> <param name="allownetworking" value="internal"> <param name="allowScriptAccess" value="never"> <param name="enableJSURL" value="false"> <param name="enableHREF" value="false"> <param name="saveEmbedTags" value="true"> </object><br /><br />it was made by a Goan in the Uk. The video shows Goan sweets. The music was recorded by a local Goan band that was playing during a local fiesta. That is something strange about us goans...we are everywhere but Goa. Goa is taken over by the Germans, the Brits and other Europeans. the music playing in the background is traditional Goan music. I wish I had some of it here. But I dont even know what the music is called...I cant even name a single Goan song...i wish i knew more about my culture, but it is hard to do that when you grew up thousands of miles away. Yeah, are music is actually different from the stuff from Arabia or India. Our culture and food differ roo. i guess we shouldnt be stereotyped to be alike just because we look the same. But according to most narrow-minded cultures..."you are what you look and sound like".Markiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08911689839550835977noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9102834819652816290.post-24355530402413057712007-08-12T09:29:00.000-07:002007-08-12T09:31:04.768-07:00I LOVE telemarketers! =)This is how I handled two telemarketers today:<br /><br />1st Call:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Telemarketer: Good Morning Sir! I have some good news for you. You have been approved for a free *blah.........*</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Me: Thats nice! Tell me more about it.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Telemarketer: Okay. Well, you can choose between a free watch for men or for women.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Me: But what if you are a proud transsexual like me?</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Telemarketer: *pause* And what does that have to do with watches?</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Me: Well, If men and women have their style of watches, why cant proud transsexuals like me? This is a free country...THIS IS AMERICA!!</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">*telemarketers hung up on me*</span><br /><br />2nd Call:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Telemarketer: Hey there. Is Mark deSouza in?</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Me: Speaking...</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Telemarketer: You have been pre-qualified for a $1,000,000 lotttery in Phoenix, Arizona</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Me: Mmm...you sound hot. Id rather have you than that million.</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Telemarketer: I'm sorry sir. I am calling about your entry into a million dollar lottery...*i interrupt her*</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Me: Well..Im sorry. You called me..So I thought you'd like to know what I was wearing</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">*telemarketer hangs up on me*</span><br /><br /><br />...........I LOVE telemarketers! ...........Markiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08911689839550835977noreply@blogger.com2