Wednesday, June 24, 2009

He looks like a dolphin out of water

Progress is being made!.. down several lbs and my muscle mass is going up! I can even start to see a two pack forming.



but first of all, I just want to say "I LOVE GOING TO THE GYM." its fun for several reasons. One, my trainer is awesome. Two, i love to watch the other people working out. NOW!, this may sound really horrible. But i told my trainer that I am glad that when i come to the gym, im not the biggest one there. HORRIBLE, I KNOW!!!... but it makes me feel better.

Anyways, Asani (my trainer) tried to get me into the pool and to do a ridiculous amount of planks. Well, i wasnt having it and of course i can be difficult.

Asani: Let's go swimming.
Me: No.
Asani: Why not? You will burn a lot of calories and build muscle.
Me: No, i dont look like David Beckham, so until you get me there. Im not getting in a pool.
Asani: Okay
Me: (to myself) that was easy.

Regarding the planks

Me: I HATE THEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSEEEE, how many sets are we doing today?!
Asani: 4
Me: How about 2
Asani: Now
Me: 3
Asani: 4
Me: okay, fine...
.... 5 mins later .....
Me: Is this the last one.
Asani: for you!
Me: (to myself) that was easy


You see, i complain a lot when im at the gym, but it is all in good fun. Except for when im dying on the mat because i can no longer hold my fat ass up during a third set of planks.... or when i have to run. But today was exceptionally entertaining, this old man plopped down on the mat besides us and started to have leg spasms. I, of course, being the good individual I am, WHIPPED out my video camera and took a video of this man. He looks like a dolphin out of water!



<3

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

"It Looks Like a Contraption From an S&M Video."

Earlier today, i had awoke bright'n early to work out with my new personal trainer. Her name is Asani and she is extremely AMAZING!!!!!!!!!.. i honestly do not know what i would do without her. Wait, yeah i do, i wouldn't work out. Anyways, She really kicked my ass in the gym and I realized this is what i have in store for me, five days a week for all eternity (or until I look like David Beckham, aka for all eternity). Yeah, that part sucks, but i felt really good after the work out.. but i have several complaints (duh, i complain about everything). I hate sweating and being looked at when i feel most vulnerable like when im dying on the Ab machine.. or stuck on this leg machine that looks as if it came from a S&M video.

Embarrassing, agreed? Imagine the person sitting across from you lifting weights and facing your direction. Hmmmm, well thank goodness not that many people where there and no one was sitting across from me. But since im going 5 days a week, its bound to happen.

The day started off with RIDICULOUS amounts of running. Not looking forward to that again tomorrow...
Asani: Bobby, do you want some gum?
Me: I feel like im getting ready to go into convulsions after all this running, why would I want to have gum in my mouth to choke on?


<3>

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Monday, June 15, 2009

Its been a long time. I shouldn't have left you.

Its been a long time since i last updated my blog. In fact, the last update was almost a year ago when I was in NYC seeing Madonna with my cousin Josh. I never did upload pictures of the show. Well, in case you wanted to see them, right now you are shit out of luck. My flickr account just expired and if i didn't have to pay $1100 dollars to move into my new jank apartment. I'd renew it and have access to the photographs. Oh well... you missed out.

Anyways, a lot has changed. Im not the same skinny boy i once was. In fact, im a cow. Psh, i gained 25 lbs since last September. But whateves, I have decided to train for a marathon (or at least act like I am). You see, all my friends are getting into shape and since I am now 23, i should do the same. I will keep you posted on that endeavor. I start tomorrow and im not excited. I hate running :(

BUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I did help build a house on Saturday for Habitat For Humanity. I am the Volunteer coordinator at Eastern Michigan University and i decided to take several students to Monroe MI to help build a home.



Now......... i learned a lot on this trip. Number one being that I do not like going on a roof of a house. NOPE.... Not for me! Here is a lovely picture of myself ("the fat-bucket of yuck" (1)) "ACTING" like im hammering a nail into the roof.



You see, there was no nail in my hand. In fact, i sat in one spot with a tight grip on the roof. Im a 23 year old pansy, when it comes to shit like that. When i decided i was "over it" i required assistants to get down. Im not ashamed, it was a high roof and you'd do the same. On the way towards the ladder I had a conversation with the "trained" roof builder (or whatever you call them). It went something like this....
Roof Builder: Be careful getting down and coming back up.
Me: Im not coming back up, someone else can build the roof.
Roof Builder: Don't you want to know how? What if your roof leaks?
Me: Nope... Im gonna be a doctor.
Roof Builder: Well, even a doctors roof will leak.
Me: Then i will pay someone to fix it...
Roof Builder: What are you going to do on the ground?
Me: I don't know, build a picture frame or something...

Other then the roof situation, the day was fantastic! I realized that building a house is hard work and not as easy like they make it seem on "Extreme Makeover Home Edition." OH!!.. and i did make a picture frame with Bushra!



<3

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Friday, October 10, 2008

New York, New York


Yesterday, i arrived in NYC and i totally love it here. I want to move here either for medical school or after the completion of med school. Anyways, we are in town to see Madonna perform on Saturday at Madison Square Garden.

<3

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Playstation 2 component incites African war


Playstation 2 component incites African war
Console war reaches past the couch and into the Congo, claims report.
By
Ben Silverman

Has the video game industry dug up its very own blood diamond?
According to a report by activist site
Toward Freedom, for the past decade the search for a rare metal necessary in the manufacturing of Sony's Playstation 2 game console has fueled a brutal conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
At the center of the conflict is the unrefined metallic ore, coltan. After processing, coltan turns into a powder called tantalum, which is used extensively in a wealth of western electronic devices including cell phones, computers and, of course, game consoles.
Allegedly, the demand for coltan prompted Rwandan military groups and western mining companies to plunder hundreds of millions of dollars worth of the rare metal, often by forcing prisoners-of-war and even children to work in the country's coltan mines.
"Kids in Congo were being sent down mines to die so that kids in Europe and America could kill imaginary aliens in their living rooms," said Ex-British Parliament Member Oona King.


So where's the connection to Sony? According to Toward Freedom, during the 2000 launch of the PS2, the electronics giant was having trouble meeting consumer demand. To pump out more units, Sony required a significant increase in the production of electric capacitors, which are primarily made with tantalum. This helped drive the world price of the powder from $49/pound to a whopping $275/pound, resulting in the frenzied scouring of the Congolese hills known for being ripe with coltan.
Sony has since sworn off using tantalum acquired from the Congo, claiming that current builds of the PS2, PSP and PS3 consoles are sourced from a variety of mines in several different countries.
But according to researcher David Barouski, they're hardly off the hook.
"SONY's PlayStation 2 launch...was a big part of the huge increase in demand for coltan that began in early 1999," he explained. "SONY and other companies like it, have the benefit of plausible deniability, because the coltan ore trades hands so many times from when it is mined to when SONY gets a processed product, that a company often has no idea where the original coltan ore came from, and frankly don't care to know. But statistical analysis shows it to be nearly inconceivable that SONY made all its PlayStations without using Congolese coltan."
Currently, the Playstation 2 is the best-selling video game console of all-time, having sold through over 140 million units.



SOURCE:



I do not even know where to being thinking about this. Its almost unbelievable to know that the products I use everyday are at the center or the reason for a conflict to begin. In no way do I want to take part in this act of sending children into mines.... but its so hard. Because what actually has the metal in it? I know they say PlayStation 2, but they also say cell phones and other electronics. I'm so torn because our entire society is ran on electronics... yet children are dying for these electronics to continue running.


I don't know.. Please, will someone shed some light onto this issue. Maybe a list of what products actually contain this metal within them? I do own a PlayStation 2. Is it selfish of me to still want it? I didn't know about this issue when i purchased the console. Had i known, it would be a different story.


I wonder, since this issue is being brought to the light. Will government regulations be put in place banning this metal? You know, how they ban the involvement with blood diamonds.


Very sad issue.


ALSO:




Miami in 25 days!




Im buying this shirt. What color do you think i should get?






-PEACE-

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Saturday, July 19, 2008

The Only Song I Long To Hear



Yesterday I attended The Vans Warped Tour in Detroit with my friends from work. Now, i was semi-reluctant to go since this years line-up blows major ass. But after the fact (or show) i am glad i had chosen to attend the tour. I'm also glad that i went because we got backstage passes!!.. but i never went backstage. My friends did tho.



They had everything there.... ranging from:
Wrestlers







Break Dancers




Skaters




and the Joker!!! (this guy was hilarious)




Actually (and shockingly), this was my very first Warped Tour (Yes, i was a Warped Tour virgin), but i am no stranger to festival type shows. I worked a both at Taste of Chaos several years ago and have been to many more. But as far as VWT... this was the first.

I went to the tour with low expectations and i really had small or no interest in the bands playing. I wanted to see Cobra Starship again. Ive seen them several times on the MTV 2 dollar bill tour years ago and i was interested in seeing how much they've musically grown. After yesterdays performance, its still safe to say I'm a fan.




I'm not a big fan of AVA. I only like a few songs, but since i had no other band to see.. i wanted to catch their show and i have to say that they where really exceptional live. I started out relatively close to the stage, but due to the staggering 95 degree weather and the overly exhausting body heat of my surrounding individuals. I had to bail that position several songs into the set for a more further away, yet cooler spot.




There where a few mishaps with the mic and at one point Tom completely dropped it and focused on engaging himself with the audience. Overall, it was a swell performance. It makes me wish i had not sold my signed CD cover on eBay last year :/.......................... o'well.




I also had the chance to check out Katy Perry's set. If you don't know who she is, she happens to be the individual who sings that "i kissed a girl" song. I have to say, i wasn't to impressed by her set. Other than her looks (i was far away) she didn't do anything for me. Her music isn't my type. But one of my friends, Katelyn, wanted to check out Katy's set and i had no other band to see... that i happily obliged to go with her.




............BUT BY FAR...............

Id have to say that "Say Anything" had the best set.





Now, i do not own any of their Cd's. I have only heard of their more popular songs in D's car or on the Internet. But i was more than willing to check out their set and i am glad that i did. They where everything (including amazing) live. Same thing involving the spot position happened during "Say Anythings" set as it did with "AVA's" set.. but i got some good pictures, enjoyed their performance, and had a good time. I would recommend seeing them live to anyone. The flamboyant lead singer, Max Bemis, puts on an incredible charismatic show.




I seen a few more bands.. none of them where to exciting, but if you want to check out more of my pictures from the show. Go to http://www.flickr.com/rdarko/sets

-PEACE-

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Thursday, July 3, 2008

The Arguments Start After

The other day I received an e-mail from Derek Hess addressing his new book release. If you do not know of him. Click on the link below to see some of his artwork and get the just of what he is about. First and foremost, He is an amazing artist based out of Cleveland. His work is brilliant and i own several limited edition prints....
Anyways, he is doing a book signing in Detroit. I may go! His book, entitled "Please God, Save Us," basically attacks the right wing agenda... and well republicans in general. All of his artworks (from the photos on his myspace) in this book are brilliant!!. When i receive my copy of the book, I will post another blog concerning his artwork and my reaction to this controversial book.


Here is the link to Mr. Hess's website and myspace where you can order your copy of the book and/or purchase his artwork




here are a few of my favorite pieces and several from the book.




<3

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