Update for Update's Sake

Christmas is over. New Year approaching. Not...much...else...

I don't even remember the resolution I made for last New Year's Eve, if I even made one. I never saw the point of those anyway, I never accomplish them. I mean, it's not like I have any weight to lose.

Then again, if I do make a resolution, maybe 2006 will be the year I actually see it through. The oil in my car has to be changed sometime...

Man...I wish I had some new movies to post. I have a Shockwave file I could load up but I can't figure out how. It was made with Macromedia Director but all anyone cares about is Flash these days.

Oh, Malcolm, I need my 30 or so comics back. Thanks.

Selling for Fun and Profit

I love the holidays. Not only are places looking festive and everything smelling like pine, but there's also people who'll pay almost any amount to get a hard-to-find item for their kids. Case in point: the XBox 360. However, there's one undeserving kid who won't get it this year.

Anywho, one of these items is the new DDR game for Nintendo Gamecube, called Mario Mix. Thanks to Mike's advice, I just sold it on eBay for twice as much as I paid for it. I sent it out today and it's guaranteed to get there tomorrow, just in time to plant it under the tree.

And that makes me feel good.

Old Man

A little vacation never hurt anyone.

Because of the vacation time I had left for the year, I was able to take a few days in a row off. Given this opportunity, I took a short trip to New York City with Mandie, Paul, and Mike. I've never been to NYC before (aside from the bus depot on the way to Montreal) so it was a lot to take in. The city is friggin' huge! Times Square and the surrounding streets were packed full of people. In one instance I had to push Paul through the crowd like he was a Tetris piece. Macy's is an 8-story department store (not including cellar) with a restaurant or two on each floor.

While in Macy's I saw an older man working behind the jewelry counter. He was short and slightly hunched over, maybe in his seventies, and had those sagging cheeks with a slight stubble. He was dressed in a suit and was handling a piece of jewelry for a customer. I don't know why, but I felt he was...adorable. He looked like the kind of old man that you imagine walking home alone at night in the rain, going to his one bedroom apartment where only he and his dog live. I really don't know what came over me, but I heard myself saying, I hope he had a good life. I just wanted to give him a hug.

I'm sorry if that sounds cheesy, creepy, or inappropriate, but it's how I felt. And dammit, it's my blog. I'll say what I feel needs to be said, and I feel better telling you this.

Overall New York was fun, cold and totally worth it. If only we didn't have to encounter New Jersey in order to get there. Apparently they have a ten second rule when it comes to red lights. It's okay to cross the intersection up to ten seconds AFTER the light turns red. And they don't have legible signs.

She Has What?!?

Lyme disease.

That is what the veternarian said my dog Mindy has. On Sunday I noticed Mindy wasn't herself. She was just...blah...not moving much at all and her tail was between her legs. I'd have to carry her around like I was Paris Hilton or something.

We took her to the vet on Monday and she gave us medication for the dog. I sneak it in with a slice of ham and now she's acting like her old self again, barking at everything and peeing everywhere.

She's under her own power again, so I don't have to lug her around, but don't expect to see a sex tape anytime soon.

I Have What?!?

Borderline high cholesterol.

That's what a notice from my Army physical said when I got it in the mail. I'm only 23. This has to be a mistake right?

Well, I'm not taking any chances. I have to change my diet, lose weight, and exercise more. Well, the losing weight thing is not an option, but I'll certainly try the other two.

Man, I'm getting old.

Superman Teaser!!

The teaser for Superman Returns has been released on the internet at the official site. It's also supposed to be attached to Harry Potter this weekend. I won't get to see it on the big screen until Sunday night because of drill, but I watched it online and I swear I got all tingly. Goosebumps I tell ya. I love it.

I hope those of you who also see it feel the same way.

Tell Me Why...

Why would anyone want me to join an Asian Backstreet Boys community?? I got an email from that Orkut thing I don't use. Of course, it was in a language I don't understand, but the header was "So and so has invited you to join Asian Backstreet Boys! XD"

Oh the shame.

In an unrelated incident, I used some of my French speaking skills on a hot French chick. She dug me, for sure.

My Costume(s)

Just a couple of pics left over from Halloween. This one is from Mandie's party.

The Pointy-Haired Boss, Slarfleet Captain Stump, Paul being strangled by a Boa Constrictor, The Hanged Man, Walker Texas Ranger, and Peter Pan

And this one from work. I didn't want to wear the elaborate Starfleet costume at work so I went with something a little more subtle...

This looks like a job for...

I even tried to get the hair right. Funny thing is, a guy at Mandie's party had the same idea. I promise though that I thought of it before I saw him.

I Was Naked I Tell You

Mwahaha!!

Super Pat Quest Year One Fact: There have been a total of 114 comments posted on SPQ since it's birth. Very few have been from myself. Four were from people I've never met.

In other news, Mandie's Halloween party was a blast. Okay, I didn't win the costume contest. Not even a single vote that I'm aware of. But Josh won a prize for his costume as the Hung Guy. Hanged! I mean Hanged Guy. I'll have a couple of pics soon.

My Army physical went well too. I had a little trouble getting there, since it was in DC. FedsHeal probably figured since I was stationed out of Ft. Belvoir, I must live close to it. Guess again! After a thorough...THOROUGH exam, I came out with a clean bill of health. The staff were also very nice, and very female. Being naked and getting examined? No prob!

SPQ: Year One

Waaah!

Super Pat Quest is now one year old! For the next seven days, I will be looking back on the first year of this blog. In celebration, as well as inflection. Stay tuned!

Who Sleeps Anymore?

I went and saw Lewis Black at UMBC a couple of days ago. You see comedians on television all the time and chuckle a little, but there's nothing like seeing one in person. I was cracking UP! John Bowman, who went on stage before him, was also very funny. I tell ya I'll never look at candy corn the same way again.

In other news, I have resolved to not do something tonight: sleep. I've got a couple things I want to do and I'm excited about it, and I just don't want to put if off. I want to get it done. So after work, which I'll leave for in a few minutes, I'll start work and won't sleep until tomorrow afternoon.

None of this!

You may think I'm orchestrating my own downfall but everyone knows I've already done that. Let's see how it goes.

Ahh, Fresh Bait

Feeling a bit lazy today. So I'll just leave you with this classic. I found it a while ago but it's still funny.

Maybe those searching for pics of Katie Holmes will find this site.

Hallow There!

It's been a few years since I actually looked forward to a Halloween. Probably not since the last time I went trick or treating. But this year is different, thanks to an upcoming party I have no doubt will be lots of fun. The other reason is because I have a great costume all ready to be worn.

Some of you have no idea what my costume is. Some of you already know what it is but have yet to see it. And some of you know what it is, but have no idea what I'm talking about. On or after Halloween I'll publish a pic for all to gander.

In the meantime, I was browsing the internet for ideas for pumpkin carvings, and ran across PumpkinGutter. I thought it was pretty neat, not a typical way to carve a pumpkin, and I'm sure it requires a lot of patience that I just don't have.

Now that's a scary face.

And I hate the smell of pumpkin.

Ow.

Another drill weekend has past. It wasn't too bad, but I did PT both days, Saturday morning and Sunday afternoon. During Sunday's run, my leg started to hurt. I thought I could walk it off, but it just hurt more. Whenever I put pressure on my left leg, it would cause excruciating pain in my knee.

Maybe I should try this.

After applying a heating pad, eating some KFC and a good night's sleep, it's a little bit better. But it still hurts. I don't remember having an injury like it before. I actually had to call out of work today. I never do that. Well, back to the heating pad. Maybe I can get some drawings done in the meantime.

It's a Smallville After All

Woah. Sorry about that guys. Looks like I need to break out the lemon-scented Pledge.

Anyway, you all know how big of a fan I am of Superman. So it's safe to assume that I'd be a fan of Smallville on the WB. Of course I am! The problem was, it debuted while I was in basic training, and was already well into it's first season before my training ended, so I haven't discovered it yet. But in 2003 when the first season came out on DVD, while I was activated, I bought it and watched it on the weekends when I came home. I loved every bit of it. But by the time I finished watching it, the show was well into it's second season. You catching the pattern? In order for me to watch the series spoiler free, I'd have to buy the DVDs when they eventually came out, which was usually mid-season releases. (I bought the third season as well.)But with the recent release of the fourth season on DVD before season five premiered, I finally had a chance to catch up to the airings.

There's no doubt about it, I love Smallville. It just keeps getting better and better, with every season. I love the fact that the writers and producers of the show change the lore of Superman ever so slightly. For instance, having Lex Luthor in Smallville was a brilliant move. The relationship between Clark Kent and Lex is one of the best parts of the show, because you want them to be friends, but we all know they'll end up as arch-enemies. By showing the different sides to Lex, it turns him into a tragic character, not just a one-sided evil genius he's known to be, as you delve into his background and his efforts to be a good person.

I know there are people out there who think Superman is a lame character, too good to be true and a cheesy boy scout, but if those people watch Smallville they might see it differently. There are many aspects of Clark Kent that are shown in Smallville, how and why he does these amazing things, and shows that it's not always a gift to have superhuman powers. I feel that if people watch this show, they will finally start to understand Superman. Even though he's not even Superman yet. The show is that good.

The show is also filled with hot girls, my favorite being Chloe. (Allison Mack is ON FIRE!)

I should also mention that it's kicking all kinds of ass in it's new timeslot, beating out every show except Survivor (take THAT Joey!).
Update: Well, it was kicking all kinds of ass until recently, as Mike pointed out to me. It's now fifth in it's timeslot.

Yeah, I don't watch a lot of TV, but when it's a show that I can talk about for hours like the geek that I am, I'll make time for it.

Not Just About Superheroes

Artists get it when they can't figure out how to draw something. Writers get it when they don't know how to make a story interesting. Guys get it when someone intrudes on their chances of hooking up with a girl. And I've had it for the past week.

A block. In my case, Blog-Block! I was doing just fine, updating fairly regularly, even adding a new feature to the sidebar, until I ran out of stuff to say.

But then I thought of Dan Rosa, a man I met at Comic-Con, and the picture he drew for me.

Scrooge McDuck by Dan Rosa

Dan Rosa is a legendary comic book writer and artist, known mostly for his work on Donald Duck and Scrooge McDuck comics. He's won an Eisner award (the Oscars of comics) and continues to work in comics today.

It was great to meet him. Comics aren't just about superheroes, you know.

Remembering that picture, it's exactly how I felt this past week. If I was old and furry and had a bill with bifocals balanced on the end, I'd look just like that.

Bird is the Word

I've got one more movie to pull out of cold storage to show my loyal visitors. It's an interview project where I was given several questions to ask students of HCC.

I hate interviews. I hate giving them, and I hate doing them.

So naturally I interviewed two people who I happened to work with and go to HCC, and my usual partner in crime.

Wait what is...another beard pic??? NOOOOO!!!

Sigh.

Great, now I'm depressed, and all the women are swooning.

Anyway, it's a long video, but if you keep watching you'll see some funny bits. At least I hope they're funny.

Click here to see it.

It's a bigger file, and in order to get it to the size where I could post it on PutFile.com, I had to lessen the quality. But it is still quite watchable.

Also, I've added a movie section to the right for easy access to my movies. It seems several people have been shown one of my movies and would like to see the rest. Enjoy, and let me know what you think.

Sadly, No Stormtroopers.

I went to Baltimore Comic-Con and spent some money. There were certainly a lot of vendors there, taking up half of the hall, with toys to overprice and back issues to sell. They even had DVDs of unreleased material, probably downloaded, such as The entire 90s X-Men cartoon, the classic BirdMan cartoons, and the yet to be released Family Guy straight-to-video movie. Then the comic book companies themselves took up the other half of the hall. There were several special guests, writers, artists, and inkers, signing and sketching for people. DC Comics had free buttons and advance peeks at upcoming comics. Marvel Comics didn't have a showing at all.

I didn't buy any mainstream stuff, because I can find those anywhere, anytime I want to. What I stuck to was the independant stuff.

Although, I did manage to buy The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck, written and drawn by the legendary Don Rosa. He was there, signed it for me, and even did a sketch for me in my book.

Wolverine and Green Lantern at blows

while Rogue and another X-Chick hangs on.

Oh, and there were some people in costume. Not as many as I expected there to be, unfortunately. The Wolverine in the pic above was the most impressive that I saw, but there were a couple other good ones. I saw a Morpheus, a Black Cat, a Nightwing, and a Black Panther. I never saw the Stormtrooper that usually appears at comic conventions.

Comic-Con Bound

I'm going to Baltimore Comic-Con tomorrow! I've never been there so it should be exciting.

Cyke knows what's going on.

I'll try and take some pictures of people in costume. Those are always fun.

H2O Death From Below Part 2

As promised, the one of the other comics I found in my AIT notebook from 4 years ago. Again, I don't expect anyone to get it.

Army Humor...

Even I don't understand a couple of the jokes. But I'm not really known for my memory skills. I split this one up so it would be easier to read.

...That No One Gets

Updating on a daily basis is fun! I should do this more often.

H2O Death From Below!

While cleaning my room last night, I found my notebook from AIT, an Army school. I doodled a lot in class, just like any other class, and even found time to make some comics. I laughed while reading them because I forgot I made so much fun of my classmates. I scanned one and posted it below. Click the pic for a bigger image.

We Will Not Chew Gum!

I don't remember the names of some of the characters, but I included everyone in my class at the time. It was a big hit with the class and each of them got a copy. The only one I keep in contact with is Kim, who is in my unit.

I don't expect anyone to get it. But I posted it regardless.

I'll post the comic from FTX later.

More Than I Can Beard

I went on a 5 day army trip this past weekend. Friday night through Sunday afternoon was drill, and Sunday afternoon through Tuesday was to make up for last month's drill, which I missed to go rafting with Ben and Jon. The second half was a mission to take three boats from Baltimore back to Ft. Belvoir.

Despite being assigned to a M16 with an M203, which makes for unnecessary extra weight to carry, and not having enough tents or cots, both went off with no problems. My biggest hurdle though, took place a couple hours before the army stuff began.

I grew quite the beard in the two months of civilian life. It's never been so thick. It's never been so...respectable. So manly!

Women thought it was sexy. Men thought it was evil. Josh thought he'd pick at it way too close to my face.

It's gone now. The remains in the bathroom trashcan and sink.

It shall return.

Pat's Manly Beard

July 11, 2005 - September 9, 2005

Several Random Things

First off, happy birthday Paul. Sorry you had to walk blindfolded through a mall, running into doors and going up escalators, but it was worth it.

Paul doesn't know what's going on.

Second, as promised, here is the gag reel from the previous video. Includes a slow motion replay even.

Third, as more and more things come out about Katrina, the more I get angry. I agree with Sen. Hillary Clinton, an independant commission needs to be conducted as it was with 9/11. I have a feeling Bush's probe won't reveal anything too scathing.

Fourth, I've added a new link to the right to Orioles Hangout, a baseball site Paul works for. I've read a few of his works and it's impressive stuff.

The Guys

Lastly, a neat article about the new Superman movie appeared in Newsweek this week. It has a little bit of spoiler content, but it can be found here, and features a new pic of Brandon Routh in costume.

That is all.

A New Video!!!11!1

Enough of the nerdy rants! I finally got the resources to post another video I made last semester! This one was assigned and completed before the other two, so I didn't have as much liberty as the other projects. I had to stick to a script, but my interpretation of it was up to me.

Click the picture to view the movie.

HMMM??

Drew once again is the star of the show. Even though this is pretty much my first video project, I am impressed with myself. I like the camera angles I used in particular. Hpwever, there are many mistakes. See how many you can find, then post them in the comments!

Also, there's an alternate scene! I usually skip the alternate scenes on DVDs, but this one is mine so don't skip it! Click here to see it.

Expect a couple more videos in the near future, including a short blooper reel for this project.

Enjoy!

Why I Changed My Mind About Wonder Woman

Continuing to spotlight my drawings, which I've neglected to do as of late, I thought I'd take a crack at drawing Wonder Woman. I've never tried to draw Wonder Woman, so I was up to the challenge.

Wonder Woman

This is a drawing that could benefit from colorization, which I'll most likely attempt soon. Hey, I might as well keep the experiments coming. I'll probably run it through Photoshop to do so, in order to clean up the lines. An illustrated woman benefits from clean flowing lines. I also want to add a background.

Truthfully, I was never really into Wonder Woman while exposed to comics. I understand that she's one of the Big Three, and holds a very special place in comic book history, but I just didn't have any desire to read about the character. She seems way too perfect, and let's face it, at times she can be a bitch. Not even the Justice League cartoon made me feel any better about the character.

That all changed after I read Countdown to Infinite Crisis.

Please bear with me if you're not a comic book reader. If you are one, there be SPOILERS ahead!

In Countdown, Blue Beetle, a second-rate hero and former member of the Justice League International, stumbled upon a conspiracy that endangers the entire world. And no one believed him. Batman disregarded him, Superman had more pressing matters to attend to, and the rest of the heroes, well, had better things to do than go on a wild goose chase. No one believed him, except for his best friend Booster Gold, and Wonder Woman. With Booster Gold in the hospital, and Wonder Woman on another assignment, Beetle went himself to uncover the conspiracy. Blue Beetle ended up being right, discovering a spy satellite that was once Batman's but is now under the control of a villain. With it, this villain knows the whereabouts and identities of every hero in the DC Universe. Sadly, Blue Beetle was shot in the head by former ally and once head of the Justice League International, Maxwell Lord. No one knew the fate of Blue Beetle. Within 80 pages, you learn to love him, then he dies.

With Beetle's whereabouts unknown, Wonder Woman agrees to help Booster Gold find his best friend. When they find out, Booster angrily attacks Batman for dismissing him.

Now here's where it gets good. Maxwell Lord, Beetle's killer, has a plan to kill all the superheroes and villains on Earth called The OMAC Project, which is what Blue Beetle also stumbled upon. He also has the ability to control minds. With Batman hot on his trail, he enacts a plan that he's been working on for years: gaining control of Superman. Infiltrating his mind, Max made Superman see his worst enemies brutally kill his wife Lois Lane. Superman went on a rampage as a result, almost slaughtering his enemies. But what he didn't know was that he wasn't fighting Brainiac, Darkseid, or Ruin. He was fighting Batman, seriously injuring him. If Wonder Woman hadn't interrupted, Batman would be dead.

When Martian Manhunter discovered it was Maxwell Lord who did this to Superman, and determined it was irreversible, a devastated Clark incapacitated the Justice League and went to confront him. However, he walked right into his trap. Wonder Woman followed him only to find Superman once again under Max's control. What follows is a brutal fight between Superman and Wonder Woman. Superman was seeing Doomsday rip Lois apart, and believed Wonder Woman to be Doomsday. He was not holding back. But Wonder Woman held her own (barely) and eventually tied Maxwell Lord up in her lasso. Flinging her tiara at Superman's throat, she demanded Max release control of him. He did, leaving a stunned Superman now aware of what he's done. Max says this won't stop him, saying he'll regain control of Superman, killing Batman, Lois, and many more. She asks him how to release his control of Superman. Bound by the Lasso of Truth, Max Lord said "Kill me."

Without hesitation, Wonder Woman snapped his neck.

THIS is why Wonder Woman kicks ASS. She did what was necessary for the safety of the entire world without flinching. She is a warrior after all, and has no qualms about killing when no other option presents itself.

However, the Big Three are split. WW and Superman don't trust Batman because it was his satellite they didn't know about. WW and Batman don't trust Superman because of the brutal beatings he handed down to them. Superman and Batman don't trust Wonder Woman because of her willingness to take a life.

This makes for compelling reading. Props to Greg Rucka, for it was him who wrote all that. It will no doubt lead into the Infinite Crisis that will shatter the DC Universe.

Phew! Thanks for bearing with me folks.

Comic Musings

It's that time again! Yup, time to get nerdy! Pass the Fonions and
polish off your pocket protectors! I'm gonna talk about comics.

Back in 2003 Marvel Comics decided to release a line of comics called Tsunami. The hook of the line was that it was influenced by manga comics, or Japanese comics, which have been gaining in popularity lately, sometimes pushing American published comics off the shelf. The titles were Mystique, Venom, Sentinel, Inhumans, Human Torch, Runaways, New Mutants, and Namor. They were written by up and coming writers and featured manga influenced art by up and coming artists.

They were all eventually cancelled.

Runaways lasted for 18 issues and Mystique lasted 36 or so, and New Mutants was later renamed New X-Men: Academy X (Because they didn't have enough X's in the title). But still, all kaput.

Sentinel, written by Sean McKeever and penciled by UDON, was the only one I bought every issue of and I loved every bit of it. For those of you who remember, a Sentinel was one of those giant purple robots that dominated the first season of the old 90s X-Men cartoon on FOX. They pop up every couple of years in the comics in some form or other, but they all have the same origin: built by the government to exterminate mutants.

The comic uses this robot, but in a different way. The comic was about a
high-schooler named Juston who finds the remains of a mutant-hunting Sentinel, and decides to fix it up and keep it. The premise sounds cheesy and a bit familiar (Iron Giant anyone?) but I was surprised about the complexity of it all. It's not really about the Sentinel at all. It's about Juston. It's about a 9th grader who gets picked on by bullies and whose mother ran from the family. It's about a normal kid who has crushes on girls and best friends who stand by him. And he has a robot of his very own. What he does with it is where the story comes from. I also found it appealing that he basically turns a weapon of mass destruction into a force for good. Unfortunately, just as the story was getting even better, the series ended with issue #12.

Juston and his Sentinel

But, like the manga they were influenced by, most of the books were released in digest form, then sold in bookstores. Runaways, the other good book of the line, sold well enough to get a second chance. The second volume is now selling pretty well.

And just recently it was announced that Sentinel will also continue in a second volume. And I'm very happy about that. I love it when comic companies do what I want them to, cause they rarely do.

I started that picture at work a few weeks ago, then finished it last night. A few of my sketches start like that. The Sentinel is supposed to look a bit derelict, since it was practically rebuilt with spare parts and stuff. I didn't get a chance to draw its main power source: a snowmobile engine.

The author's site can be found here.

Just Around the River Bend...

Sometimes things don't go the way they're planned. In that case, you pick up the pieces, brush yourself off... and go white water rafting!!!

Ben was nice enough to bring Jon and I with him and his family to Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania for a camping/rafting trip. And it was a blast!

I'm not buying a better photo.

I've never been rafting before so it was new to me, but it was fairly simple to learn the methods of navigating the rapids of the Youghiogheny River. Ben's brother Pete was elected captain, shouting commands like "all forward" and "back left." If we got stuck on a rock, we move to the other side of the raft and bounce up and down. It was upwards of a four hour trip, and every bit of it was fun. Sure, it was a little tiring at parts, but when we'd stop to rest there was always a nice view to admire. We stopped midway to eat lunch that they prepared for us.

Another interesting tidbit: I didn't fall out!!! We had a crew of 6, and only 3 fell out of the raft into the rough cold waters. Ben was, of course, one of them, his cousin Chrissy and his dad following suit. I laughed like a madman, which hurt, because the vest was on so tight.

The company we rafted with was Wilderness Voyageurs.

Thank you Ben and his family for including me on the trip. I'd gladly do it again.

You Will Believe a Pat Can Fly

I'm high!

Between the last update and this one, I had a birthday. I didn't really advertise that, but a few of my friends threw together something anyway. Awesome cake.

Anyway, I got a new bookshelf to replace my old one. I still haven't figured out a better way to store my comic books, but at least my other books, novels, and DVDs have an organized place to reside. I also recieved money. You can never go wrong with money. I recieved a copy of Boondock Saints, one of my favorite movies. And someone got me a flight lesson.

Driving up to Frederick Airport, I was greeted by a flight instructor (whose name escapes me at the moment) then took me to a plane, a Cessna 172 Skyhawk. After preflight checks, he guided me through taxiing to the runway, then through takeoff.

I flew the plane for about half an hour. It's very easy and I played with some G-forces for a bit, flying over Harper's Ferry close to Brunswick. Then we landed. It was fun.

Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes!

I'll be going away this weekend, but I should update when I get back.

The P to the AT

Cheesy Shot

I have returned from two weeks of Annual Training. It was both fun and frustrating. Our mission was to sail to Fort AP Hill and familiarize ourselves with several weapons, and then sail to Baltimore.

I tried posting an in-depth summary but Blogger deleted it, twice, so instead I'll post some pics and explain them. The pics were either taken by a disposable camera or my cell phone, so image quality will vary.

LCM-8

It had a rough start, but once we were underway things were more relaxed. While underway we swam in the bay and threw shit at eachother. It started with water balloons and ventured into eggs, fruit, and glowsticks. It was Karol's idea to bring the catapult.

Karol at the range

We stopped at Tall Timbers Marina for refueling. Alcohol was drank but it would be the last time due to an incident involving vomit, Mr. Roboto and a trip to the hospital. We were also behind schedule by a couple days due to batallion bungling and poor planning as far as AP Hill was concerned. We set up camp at AP Hill and would go to a different range each day. The first was the M-16 ranges, the next was the M249 SAW machine gun range and Mk 19 Automatic Grenade Launcher, and finally the M2 .50 Cal machine gun.

.50 Cal...I'm so badass

I personally think the .50 Cal is a glutton of a weapon, too heavy to lug around, too complicated to set up, and too prone to jams, but I love firing it. One of my .50 Cal rounds ricocheted backwards ten feet in front of the crowd. Many diapers were changed from that one in a million shot. Cowards revealed themselves as they cried back to camp, where they proceeded to nap and suck their thumbs.

Tony at LandNav

Land Navigation was fun. Venture out with your squad in the woods for four hours with your map, compass, and protractor to find four points. I've never sweat so much in recent memory, and we ran out of water, so we had to go back to camp without finding any points. It was challenging. A convoy picked us up once we got to the road.

The Convoy

After five days at AP Hill, we were back underway on the boats. We cleaned weapons and continued to throw crap at eachother. We reached Tall Timbers in 12 hours and refueled. However, a jackass sergeant managed to bungle it up, spilling gallons of fuel into the water at a CIVILIAN facility. We looked like turds and I've never felt so bad as a representative of the Army.

The M249 SAW... hehe

Then we went back to Ft. Belvoir where I had a chance to get some new reading material since I finished the two Star Trek: Voyager novels I brought with me. Sean and another soldier whose name I can't remember how to spell held a small light rave. I provided the techno music.

RAVE!

The mission to Baltimore was cancelled, so we went to a crabhouse instead, and managed to look impressive in front of the civilians for a change. Crabs were delicious.

Lawrence and Me at the Crabhouse

We got back to Ft. Belvoir late but I got some good sleep. Next day we cleaned up and went home, but we came back the next day for family day. And today, the last day of AT, was a PT test that ended up being a diagnostic. Y'see, for the 2 mile run, we usually run on a track for accuracy. Today we ran on a road, with the distance measured out using one of those wheely things. But it was measured at 5820 feet, not 5280 feet, adding over a minute to everyone's time. Oops.

That was pretty much it. It was good to step away from the norm for a while, but it's good to be back. I got to drive the boats, fire off a butt-load of ammo, flirt with a russian chick, and almost kill someone.

Not bad, not bad at all. Thanks to Karol, Lawrence, Tony, Sean, Miguel, Lord, Lana, and the rest of you who don't suck, for helping me make the best of it.

The Other Patrick

Ever heard of Orkut? It's a community connecting friend service thing that I never use. Occasionally I recieve an e-mail telling me someone posted something in my scrapbook, or someone adds me to their friend list. I got one today.

A pleasant sounding fellow from Brazil has me mistaken for someone else: A member of the band Fall Out Boy.

Not me.

You see, one of those dudes has the same first and last name as me. Here's what the guy from Brazil had to say about "me" :

"hi,you the patrick of the band fall out boy?.. pleasure I am douglas am of the brasil.... did I adore his/her band... did he/she want to ask for you to order some cd of his/her band for selling in the brasil.. does he/she answer for min... hugs"

It's funny. It's not meant for me really, but I'm still flattered. Someday I'll check out the band.

Because You Demanded It!

The people have spoken. I talked to Drew about the overwhelming demand for the crappy movie to be posted, and he said, "Post it."

So I am.

Car...keys..!!!

The movie can be found here.

Tell me what you think of this travesty after you watch it, because I'm very curious what others think of it. Feel free to laugh, cry, or mess yourselves if necessary.

I'll be on vacation at Sea Isle City for a week, so I'll catch you all later. If you really have a need to talk to me, call me on my cell.

Peace.

Batman Begins

As promised, here is the Pat-exclusive review of Batman Begins, since I saw it before any of you.

I admit that I am a bit biased. Though Superman is my favorite hero, Batman is a close second. If it weren't for Batman, I wouldn't be interested in comics today. So as I move through the tight security, being wanded (is that a word?), as well as sacrificing my camera phone to the theater, I was all smiles in my anticipation for this movie. After I sat down the HFS guys were handing out free stuff to those in the audience who were picked to answer ridiculously easy Batman trivia. Then the lights dimmed as the trailer for Dukes of Hazard played. After wiping my eyes from gawking at Jessica Simpson in a bikini, the movie began.

I honestly can't think of anything bad to say about this film. It is an origin story, and those can be boring. Especially due to the fact that a lot of people know the origin of Batman already. But the way that director Christopher Nolan decides to present it is nothing short of brilliant. It's not directly chronological, as Bruce Wayne's childhood and the death of his parents, and how he first decides to deal with it, is presented in flashback. I couldn't help but notice a few similarities with one of Nolan's other films, Memento, in the way he manages to integrate these scenes. We see how Bruce arrives at the position he's in at the beginning of the film, later on. It's great to see a director who usually directs smaller films step up to the plate and handle the reigns of a big-budget film beautifully.

The story is great, and it's hard to believe that it was written by the same guy who wrote (and directed) Blade Trinity. We get the backstory and the character moments that the film should focus on. My favorite character interaction were those between Alfred and Bruce. Alfred has always been a crucial role in Batman's life, and I'm glad they didn't ignore that, but build on it. Most importantly, we see the reason why Batman must exist. He's a symbol of hope for the good people in a corrupt world.

The action is exciting. In the fight scenes, you can see how Batman works, not taking all the enemies head on but working in the shadows, making enemies disappear, living up to the urban legend he's supposed to be. The new Batmobile is a thrill to watch, and I'm glad they tried something more typical than a superslick sports car type we always see in other incarnations. Also, everything is kept within a realistic setting. Nothing too sci-fi or gimmicky is in this movie.

Christian Bale as Bruce Wayne

As for the acting, it's top notch. Sorry Keaton fans, but Christian Bale IS Batman. He handles all four aspects of Bruce Wayne's personality wonderfully. He plays Bruce Wayne as the vengeful guilt-filled son, the billionaire playboy, the smart businessman, and of course, Batman. He nails it. Michael Caine portrays Alfred as the tough yet lovable butler we've come to know in the movies and comics, but with his own unique twist. Katie Holmes is always a pleasure to look at, and it's great that she isn't your typical damsel in distress. Her acting is pretty good too. I was pleasantly surprised to see Morgan Freeman's role more elevated than that of the comics. His Lucius Fox character is witty, smart, and likeable. In the inevitable sequel, I hope to see more of him. Because you all know how much I love Morgan Freeman.

The music is just plain awesome. The score picks up as the movie gets more intense, and almost had me jumping in my seat. The sound is handled well too, especially with the bats.

Bottom line, this is the best live action Batman movie ever made. Walking out of the theater I had the greatest feeling, because Batman was finally respectable in the movies again. The reimagining of the franchise was indeed neccesary, and it couldn't have been done any better.

10 out of 10.

Batman Begins Tonight!

WHFS was doing a promotion this weekend where the 20th caller at the right time wins tickets to the premiere of Batman Begins at Arundel Mills. Yesterday at work I was joking with Kelli that I may need off Monday night if I win the tickets after work. She laughed and asked, "Are you gonna try to win them?" I said, "Well I get off at 10 and they've been giving away a pair every hour, so I'll only have two more chances to win them."

On my way home from work last night, I was listening to 105.7 WHFS in the McDonald's drive thru. Thinking "What the heck?" I call in when the red Bat phone rings on the radio. I try once and the line was busy. I try again and it rings, and the DJ picks it up. "Am I the 20th caller?" I ask. "Yes you are." he answers. "SWEET!" I exclaim. I pull out of the drive thru before I can order and park, so I can concentrate.

Christian Bale as Batman

So I've won the tickets and I'm seeing Batman Begins tonight. Radio contest virgin no more!!!

But I was still on the schedule for Monday. I rush back to work and explain to the manager on duty that I need off. I call Kelli on her cell phone and I asked, "Remember what we were joking about earlier? I need a favor." She agreed to work for me so I can be happy. Thanks Kelli!

Expect a review of the film after I get back. WOOT!

Some Days You Just Can't Get Rid of a Bomb

I dropped the ball. Not only with updates to this site (sorry loyal visitors!) but also in my film career.

My final movie project was to be a tour de force of everything I've learned in video class, in the form of a movie trailer. "I'll put my friends in it!" I said. "I'll use the MGS3 score!" I said. "It's gonna be awesome!" I said.

But alas, I was an idiot and messed up the dates. I thought it was due on a Monday, so I'd have an entire weekend to edit it together. So naturally I procrastinate on filming. In actuality, it was due the Friday before, because there are no more classes. !@#%!

So I rush it. I film mostly in one day with only two of my friends and some footage a shot the weekend earlier in Virginia. When all is said and done, I only have 4 hours to edit the movie together.

I know kung fu.

As you can imagine, it was crap. Scenes aren't cut as smootly as they should be. Having only three and a half actors and myself to fill an entire trailer is very limiting, unless you know how to do it, which I don't. There were no special effects or techniques used, just shot after shot with maybe some words thrown in for dramatic purposes. The fight scenes were staged horribly, because I don't know how to fight.

I also didn't have enough footage to fill the awesome music, forcing me to reuse the same shot two or three times. There's one part where I'm struggling to open my car door with my keys, which was only supposed to be a quick one second shot. But it ended up taking 10. Which made me look inept enough to be defeated by a car door that I have the key to.

Oh, one last thing. I CAN'T ACT. "They know...where I live." "My bank account's gone.." "WHY...are they doing this?!?" I've never seen myself look so ridiculous.

However, despite all this, I got an A. Probably because the instructor thought it was intentionally cheesy.

I do want to thank Drew, Cori, and Tony for their help. Especially Tony, whose voice acting is superb.

There's little chance I'm going to put the movie up on the site, unless there's high demand for it. And I mean high.

Project #5 Video

I found a way to post video for free, so I'm sharing my latest video project with my humble visitors.

Game on

The video can be accessed by clicking here. Enjoy!

Thanks to Mike for linking me the idea, to Drew for being my partner in crime, and thanks to MGS2 for the music.

Need to Get Frostie

It's been a while.

Last weekend I went frisbee golfing with Malcolm and Mandie. It was a perfect day for such an event with the perfect temperature and the sun shining. But other than that last weekend wasn't that great for me. I don't know, I just didn't feel like myself. My head was hurting and thinking was hard. Even attempts to organize plans with my friends seemed like a mundane and daunting task. I felt like I was annoying and whiny. Who can tolerate that?

AND I MISSED FREE COMIC BOOK DAY!

I feel like I betrayed my hobby. I was so flustered from work and was excited to go out with my friends that I completely forgot that FCBD was Saturday. I'm a complete idiot. I swear.

Codename: Parallax

However, Mike just told me that Wendy's is giving away free Frosties all weekend. I couldn't believe it so I went to their website to confirm it. Way I see it, because that finger in the chili scandal that ended up being a complete hoax made by a stupid bitch hack who tried to get money for nothing cost Wendy's millions of dollars in lost business and customers, and wants to get them back. I applaud their efforts, and I hope it succeeds for them. And I hope that petty excuse of a woman rots in prison for eons.

Hmm. I'm not being too kind with the ladies lately.

Anyway, I may have missed Free Comic Book Day, but I'll be DAMNED if I'm gonna miss Free Frostie Weekend!

Runaway Pride

Ha!

By now you all heard about this one. The bride-to-be who was kidnapped days before her wedding, ended up in New Mexico, only to admit during questioning that she lied to everyone to cover up the fact that she ran away.

I found out about this during drill on Saturday. Eating in the chow hall, CNN was on the televisions and the headline on the bottom of the screen was:

MISSING BRIDE FOUND: COLD FEET

The table I was sitting at had a good laugh, because the story was just silly. But the thing is, CNN stayed on that topic and only that topic for the entire 45 minutes I was in the chow hall! I'm sorry, but isn't that a bit much? Isn't there more important things going on than the story of this idiotic whore? CNN even brought in experts and crap to talk about this absurd story.

Now a small part of me understands if she was afraid of commitment and wanted to get away. Marriage is a big step and some aren't ready for that. But to flat out lie about it, making up things to cover your own cowardice, is just pathetic. Stupid bitch.

Even more stupid is the guy who still wants to marry her. What a tool. Okay, sure he may love the sprinting slut, but love shouldn't be confused with reason. That brings about mistakes that will be regretted later. At least sign a pre-nup, dude.

AND WHAT'S WITH THAT GOD-AWFUL PICTURE?!? In every one of the pictures available, except the ones with a blanket over her head, she's got those hideous google eyes. I even called into a radio show, Out to Lunch on Live 105.7, to talk about it on air.

Handsome fellow...

In other news, I finished yet another video project, this one dealing with my doppleganger. Props to Drew for the idea.

Swinging My Google

Yess!! Remember my efforts to allow my blog to appear when searched with a search engine? Well tonight I fiddled with Google and found that if you type SuperPatQuest or Super Pat Quest, my blog will appear in the search results!

Sure, it's no asshole painter, but it's better than nothing! I also like the description of my blog that's given on Globe of Blogs:

"The blog of a regular dork in Maryland. Viewer Discretion and Spell Check Advised."

I also added links to other blogs that I read to the right. I'm thinking of adding links to some websites I regularly visit as well.

Things are looking up for this site! Gotta love it.

Fixed Comments

I finally fixed the comments. Now you don't have to click twice to post a comment. Now it's a pop-up that appears instantly. I figured maybe that's why more people don't post comments on this bleeding thing.

Superman Revealed

This has been all over the internet today, and as a true Superman fan I couldn't neglect it from my site. Here is the new Superman costume for the upcoming movie, Superman Returns.

Brandon Routh as Superman

I'll be honest, at first I didn't like it that much, with the darker reds and smaller S shield, but I've warmed up to it. Now I have to figure out how to get one of my own.

Playing the Movie Review Card

Okay, I haven't had much to say lately, so I apologize for keeping all of you in the dark for so long. I've been busy as all Hell. Also...nothing is happening.

Sure, it's a sad time for pedophiles, with the Michael Jackson trial still going on and the death of the Pope, and people seem to care more about the beating of a cop-killer than the fact that he killed a cop, but those topics have been beaten to death and I'm not about to join the rampage, so to speak.

So instead I'd thought I'd review a movie. No, it's not out in theaters and I haven't seen the movies I want to see in the theaters yet. This one is straight to video and stars Steven Seagal. A little treasure* called Into the Sun.

I can't believe it's him either.

It's about a political assassination in Japan committed by the Yakuza, and former special agent Seagal is called in to deal with it. Probably because he speaks Japanese. He's teamed with a rookie agent, who is stationed in Japan but for some reason doesn't speak Japanese. Turns out a branch of the Yakuza is teaming up with the Chinese gangs and killing older loyal Yakuza in order to take over Japan, then from there to the U.S. There's not much to the plot. But I didn't expect much of one to begin with.

Aside from the plot, there's a lot of other problems I had with this movie. First, Seagal spends most of his time talking to people. Yeah okay people talk in movies but this is extra annoying. Because while Seagal is speaking in English most of the time, the people he's talking to are speaking Japanese. It goes back and fourth from English to Japanese for about 5 minutes in most cases. The mix of languages and subtitles is horribly jarring and doesn't flow at all. You'll wonder why Seagal doesn't just...kick someone already.

Second, There are no likeable characters, except one. The characters come off as cardboard cutouts you couldn't care less about, and act very poorly. These include the gruff CIA boss, the love interest, the vengeful son, the loyal daughter that came out of nowhere, and of course, Seagal himself. Seagal's character comes off as a jerk. A BIG JERK. Who only wants to get some ass. The one likeable character, the rookie agent, gets killed about halfway through the movie because of Seagal's JERK-ness.

Third, barely any nudity. Remember Under Siege? The cake scene? Awesome. This movie? A naked chick swimming in a fish tank in the background. That's it. What a bummer.

Finally, and this is the worst part of the movie, the fight scenes. Or lack thereof. Look, the reason you watch a Steven Seagal movie is for the fight scenes, plain and simple. You don't watch it for the drama, or the acting. You watch it for the action. And there is little in this movie. The bad guys get most of the scenes and they're not good. I only remember three fight scenes with Seagal himself in them, when he wasn't blabbing his damn mouth, and even they weren't very good. Seagal himself has slowed down to a crawl. Sure, it gives the illusion of quickness with fast cuts and obscure camera angles, but it all looks sloppy. You sit through several minutes of crap before you get to a fight scene, then you sit through half the movie until you finally get to the next fight scene, which happens to be the last in the film. And what's with the obviously fake blood?!? Last time I checked, blood was red and liquidy, not pink and chunky. The scenes tried too hard to be ultra violent when they knew they couldn't pull it off anyway.

Bottom Line: A Seagal movie that doesn't deliver what you should see in a Seagal movie. A menagerie of bad acting by Japanese-speaking jerks in an explosion of fake blood.


That turned out longer than I expected it to. I wish I spent that much time on something worth talking about. Goddammit.

*By "treasure" I mean "piece of crap."

I Like to Bowl It Bowl It.

Thanks to Malcolm having been born last week 23 years ago, I finally got to go bowling again. I told a lot of people I was very inconsistent when it comes to bowling. Sometimes I'm good, other times I blow. True to nature, my first few frames totaled about 14. Then I had a bowling catharsis and started kicking butt.

Score!

Those are the scores midway through the second game. Guess which one is mine. For those first few frames of the first game Mike called me Senor Zero. Needless to say he adopted the name for himself after my rebirth of skill.

I gave Malcolm an issue of DC's Countdown to Infinite Crisis, the 80 page comic book written by three of DC's best writers and illustrated by five talented artists, and it only cost a dollar. It's a good self-contained story, and a great marketing strategy. 80 pages for only a dollar? Let's face it, you can't beat that value. Which means DC readers and non-DC readers alike will pick it up, and perhaps buy other DC books. It remains to be seen if Malcolm liked it or not. Comments!!

Justice Bowling League

Also while at the bowling alley, I had my first taste of a genuine Dance Dance Revolution arcade machine. I wasn't planning on doing such a thing, so I wasn't prepared for it. I wore my Timberlands to the alley, and because the machine strongly recommends shoes to play, I had to make do. Playing 3 songs at a standard level with clodhoppers on your feet is QUITE the workout. Plus, you really have to stomp on the pads for them to notice you. And the freezes, where you have to keep your foot on that pad for a certain amount of time, were tough because...well...I'm not heavy enough. After 3 songs, my legs and feet were feeling the pain. Nevertheless, it was fun, and it was great to draw a crowd. That's right, Mike and I drew a crowd. They gasped in awe and Mike and I stomped it to the beat for three consecutive songs, and it would probably be considered the first time I ever drew a crowd.

In other news, I completed another video project. This time I had to interview three students about HCC. I thought it was going to be boring, but it turned out to be a lot of fun. What's annoying though is the fact that I was the only student in the class who completed the project. It was due today, and almost everyone else had some lame-ass excuse as to why their project wasn't complete. Out of about 10 students, only two projects were presented to the class. If I were the instructor, I'd be flustered...just like chicken with honey mustard.

I'd really like to be able to post movies on the internet. If anyone can help me with that please let me know.

Thank you again Mandie for the pics. They're awesome!

Later peeps. And for cripes sake leave some comments.