Thursday, December 1, 2011

Get To Know Your Bloggers Week! Meet Tonino

Hello Tonino, how are you today?


I'm absolutely fantastic! One of my roommates and I just turned in an auditing project today and I'm practically chilling until Thanksgiving break! Well, I guess there is one tough track practice mixed in before then, but it sure does beat school work. Thanksgiving also happens to be one of my favorite celebrations of the year because it's all about food, and good food at that. Thanksgiving also means that I started blogging almost one year ago now. Upon returning from Thanksgiving break last year, I joined Chase in blogging creating Sycophantic Laughter, which has provided me with oodles of entertainment! I have found limitless joy in blogging and I have so much fun scanning over previous blog posts and recalling the memories. Not to mention how great it is to read my other friends' blogs, and when I say that, I mean Chase's and my sister's blogs. I'm also listening to Incubus right now, a very good band, and that always makes for a good time. I'm looking forward to the Thanksgiving mini-break because I'm going to see some of my friends from back home and watch an the amazing Adam West Batman movie!



In general, I'm just in a good mood right now, as long as I can put aside the severe discomfort I have with my major and the obnoxious prospect that my coach might not let me run the hurdles in our first meet this year. But back to the positives, lately I've been in contact with a lot of people that are important to me and that just makes me happy and I'm going to see some of these people very soon! Oh yeah, I'm also uber-excited to tell everyone a little about myself by answering these questions! So, without further ado...


What do you enjoy the most about blogging?


I absolutely love blogging because I am allowed to freely express myself. I write about what I want, when I want, and nobody can criticize my writing. Well, people could criticize my writing style, but I have no reason to care, and I don't anyway. I also find a certain comedic value in blogging because there are only three people that really read some of my posts, not including me of course. However, that does not detract from the joy I experience from blogging! I enjoy blogging about occurrences in my life, funny events, things that bother me, and flat out randomness. I am big on randomness, probably why I like Monty Python so much, the creators of "now for something completely different," a style that I admire. I'm thinking about trying to get more of my friends to read my blog and my friends' blogs and maybe get some actual circulation going on, but who knows what will actually happen. Blogging also creates a sort of amusing timeline, I've had some experiences that I will not forget now simply because I recall blogging about them. Blogging allows the author(s) to explore his or her (their) thoughts and use unique creativity (take that creativity crisis) to illustrate these ideas. I want to promote my creativeness on Sycophantic Laughter by posting blog posts of different styles. I've done one vlog (video blog!) and it was rather entertaining to make, so I hope to do more of those in the future and maybe get some other different things in there. That brings me to the straight up genius of this post, which was not my idea at all, it belongs to Chase. I would like to commend him right here, in blog lore, for this absolutely brilliant idea! Look at that, more creativity! If you teach "creativity," would not every one be "creative" in the same way, making them not creative?




Writing also happens to be something I very much like and enjoy. I probably should have been some type of major that requires writing and studying people, but that's what I like to do for fun. I flat out have a great time writing about what goes on in my life and about my thoughts on various topics while employing my own writing style and unique creativity, that's why I love to blog.


If you had a Batman costume, how often would you wear it?


Batman is my number one favorite superhero of all time. I totally dig the way he beats the pulp out of baddies with his bare hands! And he uses all sorts of sweet gadgets! As a Batman fanatic, I would wear a Batman costume every night. Batman does his work primarily at night, like bats (who would have guessed!), so I would follow suit. Imagine going out to dinner or grocery shopping in a Batman suit? Another issue must be addressed here: which Batman suit would I wear? Batman has been depicted in modern contemporary cinema and television in multiple ways. I think I would go with the Adam West Batman costume (see first picture of this post) because of its sheer hilarity. I really enjoy laughing at just about everything, and that costume, well, simply comical. I could also carry around shark repellent!

Someone actually tried to make shark repellent!?
Another great thing about Batman's costume, and some other superheroes, is that you get to wear your underwear on top of your pants! So, the nighttime is a good time to wear the Batman costume. Get home from work and throw on the Batsuit, lurk in the shadows, and probably either disturb the general public or give them something to laugh at.


When I say "Savage Garden" what is the first thing that you think of?


Savage Garden, now there's a band that brings back memories that are absolutely unrelated to anything the band did. The answer to this question is that Savage Garden makes me think of Brazil. I debated leaving just that as the answer and not explaining at all, but I'm not. Savage Garden's song Truly Madly Deeply came out/got really popular while my family and I were living in Brazil. I was very young at this time, but I have many memories that will remain with me for the remainder of my life having created indelible marks in my mind. As for this song, I remember riding the bus to school in the morning and hearing it on the radio all the time. Thinking about it now, that's incredibly random, what radio station were we listening to that plays Savage Garden? 3D Space Cadet Pinball also reminds me of Brazil, and is just about as random as Savage Garden. When in Brazil, I played that pinball game all the time. The game, despite its simplicity, is extremely addicting and I had insatiable desire to beat my all-time high score. I forget what that mark is now, but it was a respectable number, if I remember correctly.



Speaking of Savage Garden and Brazil, I should blog about some of my memories in Brazil. Those could carry some marginal entertainment value. I haven't really told many people about much of my experiences in Brazil so it would be some fresh material, too. Back to the question, though, Savage Garden makes me think of Brazil before anything else, I love randomness!


Tell me, in all honesty, what do you think about this Facebook thing?


Look at this question, I wonder what the answer is? Anyone who reads my blog, meaning all three of you, know that I do not like Facebook. Facebook, "helps you connect and share with the people in your life." I think the concept of Facebook is good, but  it is how people use Facebook that bothers the shit out of me (I may or may not have stained many pairs of undergarments). I happen to believe that practically everything on Facebook is absolutely pointless. Statuses, holy shit, now those are real pieces of shit. I could drone on about how stupid statuses are, but I think I covered that somewhat thoroughly in one of my anti-Facebook articles, which you can access at your own pleasure here. One of the other things that I cannot stand about Facebook is what it has done to people's lives. I think people do things just for the sake of Facebook. People don't go to parties anymore to have fun, they go to parties to take pictures for Facebook, or at least a very large amount of people do. I think my complaint is more with social networking than Facebook, actually. However, Facebook tends to piss me off the most because it is currently the most popular social networking site. I did hate MySpace at one point, too, but now it's for the most part irrelevant. I also don't like the way many people use Twitter, but hell, Facebook has Twitter built into it with the aforementioned status updates. As of now, Facebook serves basically one purpose for me, and that is to get in touch with a few people from time to time. Facebook just drives me insane because I don't care what other people are doing all the time, I don't care who's commenting on what or about all the photos from last night. I guess I could easily sum the whole thing up by stating I simply don't care. Facebook does everything in the site's power to remove privacy. What's the fun in that? I like some mystery in life, and I also like to speak to my friends about what's going on in their lives. I cannot wait for Facebook to fall, but another just as pointless site will probably take it's place. I'm really hoping that Google+ catches on because you can choose what people you want to share certain information with.


Other than Facebook, what else would you say you hate?


Now here's an interesting question. There are quite a few things that bother me, but hate implies that I really, really dislike something. One of the first things that comes to mind that I hate is quite simple. I hate the attitude that typical Americans have toward the sport of soccer. I don't know how soccer became such a disrespect sport in the United States, but it pisses me off.  I have actually developed a serious beef with many of the popular sports in the United States because of the lack of respect soccer gets. I find it entertaining when people say that soccer doesn't have enough action. I don't see how that is possible considering that play is ongoing. Studies have shown that football (American), a game that features four 15 minute quarters (an hour of game time for those of you who struggle with math), has 11 minutes of action. How is that not absurdly boring? Never mind how awfully the game plays out and how dependent the game is on absolutely stupid fouls. I won't hate on other sports too much here, but I hate how Americans treat soccer. Soccer is a beautiful game that takes skill, endurance, speed, and pure athletic ability. Everyone on a soccer team needs to be an athlete. I think Americans don't like soccer because the players don't need to put on pads and don't always try to batter the opposition to a pulp. Oh yeah, I also don't understand how some people can say that soccer is gay and then watch UFC. So intolerance for the greatest game on earth pisses me off and I can honestly say that I hate it.


Another thing that I hate is arrogant pricks with Doctorates. I have nothing against people who pursue and receive Doctorates, it certainly is a great, prestigious accomplishment. However, those people that think they're better than others because they have a Doctorate piss me off. I'm talking about the people that force you to address them as Doctor. What a bunch of shitheads these people are. Actually, now that I'm sitting here thinking about this, I hate people that think they're better than everyone else for some unknown reason. I've met some people who definitely think they're the shit, but it's more like they're arrogant pieces of shit.

You know what else I hate is the incorrect use of "trying to." This is a recently developed hatred of mine. I hate it when people say things like "hey man, you trying to go to dinner?" That's just fucking stupid. No, I'm not trying to go to dinner, I either want or do not want to go to dinner. "Are you trying to go out tonight?" No, I either want to or do not want to go out tonight. Trying implies that if you are attempting to do something, you might fail. You can try to get an "A" in a class, but no one tries to go to dinner. What the hell would that mean? If you are trying to go to dinner, would that mean that you were walking to the dinning hall and all of a sudden an invisible force field prevented you from getting there?

I'm going to be serious, there are definitely more things that I hate, but I think I have ranted enough for the moment. If you want to read more of my ranting, then keep checking this blog and Sycophantic Laughter to stay current on the things that are making me wet myself with rage.


Who on Earth would you most like to see with a mustache?


If I could see one person on Earth with a mustache, I would choose Lady Gaga. I would choose her because she somehow pulls off random, weird shit and does it with style and in a way that the general public accepts it. Normally no one would want to see a female with a mustache, but I think Lady Gaga could do it. Since I'm writing about Lady Gaga, I am will disclose that I am a fan of Lady Gaga, not because of her music, but because of who and what she is. I love how she's opposed to being normal and does as she pleases. Normal sucks, I want to do whatever I want, too, in the way that Lady Gaga does whatever she wants. She's different, knows it, and expresses it.



Lady Gaga does as she pleases, but harms no one or anything. She has the "I don't care what you think about me attitude" that I admire. I think people should do what makes them happy, regardless of how unorthodox it might seem. I am a huge fan of doing things in unorthodox ways. So do what you like because that will make you happy. Like George Carlin said, a man sitting at home jerking off isn't hurting anyone.


If you were building a soccer team, and you could only take Ronaldo or Jose Mourinho.  Who do you take?


Excellent question right here. Ronaldo, my favorite athlete of all time amazed me with his captivating assault on opposing defenses. Jose Mourinho, my favorite coach of all time, knows how to win and get the most out of his team while the media machine portrays him as an arrogant prick. Both of these men have my undying respect. I am going to answer this question as a decision between Mourinho and Ronaldo in his prime, as I believe it was intended. Ronaldo retired this past February, a true legend. If I were to build a soccer team and I could only choose one of these remarkable men, I would choose Jose Mourinho. Jose Mourinho has the ability to take a team and turn the players that comprise that team into champions. I have no doubt that Mourinho would get the utmost out of any team under his control. Ronaldo was an absolutely fantastic player, nicknamed Il Fenomeno (The Phenomenon) during his playing days. However, his prolific style of play cannot translate over to the entire team. Ronaldo was definitely an irreplaceable asset to whatever team he belonged to, but Mourinho has a gift for transforming teams into winners. Mourinho won the Champions League with FC Porto, a team that no one thinks of contending to win the tournament. Mourinho has also had success in the English Premier league (Chelsea), the Italian Serie A (Inter Milan, won treble in the 2009-2010 season), and is making great strides in Spain's La Liga (Real Madrid).


I would trust that Mourinho would bring in the right players, the ones who make a difference like a Ronaldo. Mourinho has proven this with the genius move he made while at Inter Milan. Somehow Mourinho managed to get Samuel Eto'o AND cash from Barcelona in exchange for Zlatan Ibrahimovic. He then proceeded to win the treble with Inter in the 2009-2010 campaign. Winning the treble means that the team won the domestic league, the domestic cup, and the Champions League (European cup). I would start with Mourinho because he knows how to build a team and get the most out of it. Ronaldo would only be a part of the team, which is why I would go with Mourinho over him, but I do believe he could make exceptional contributions to any team.


Both of these guys are/were ridiculously good at what they do/did and will remain my two favorite sports icons. What a tough decision to make to answer this question!


Summarize the following movies in one sentence:
Batman the Movie: Holy comedic genius, what a masterpiece!
Pulp Fiction: Samuel L. Jackson created a miracle, and I want you to fucking acknowledge it.
Zoolander: The inspiration for my future ambition.
Jurassic Park: Newman!
Borat: A truly great documentary.
The Shawshank Redemption: I have not seen this movie.
Toy Story: The start of the best animated movie trilogy.
Mona Lise Smile: Nor have I seen this one.

What is your favorite video on Youtube?




While in the YouTube state of mind, I must add that I love the Special1 TV series that can be viewed on the YouTube. Pure genius went into the making of that show. Jose Mourinho would inspire something so great, so clever, and so outrageously hilarious!


Favorite Holiday?


I'm going to have to go with Thanksgiving here. I don't like Thanksgiving because of the history behind it, I could give a shit about that, but what is great is its simplicity. You don't buy anyone gifts, which is a huge relief and it's all about eating. You go to someone's house and eat, eat, and eat some more. How could this not be an American holiday? All the food is good, for the most part, and you get to eat it!


Other than food, I don't really know what to say about Thanksgiving. Actually, I've thought of something. Thanksgiving is great because Hallmark didn't make it up so the company could sell shit, you get to eat and laugh at relatives! I enjoy studying people, so any type of family gathering amuses me.


How would you make your blog better if you actually had readers at all?


If I actually had readers for my blog, I would take suggestions regarding what to blog about. They could tell me if they want to hear about what my experiences in class are like for example, or ask me to rant about something that I might not think of. I would probably put more effort into making different types of posts, such as vlogs or something. In general, I would be open to feedback. I would want to know what the readers want to read about. I would take the readers' thoughts into consideration and possibly attempt to please them.


You are a well read man, what is your favorite piece of literature?


Currently, my favorite piece of literature is Huxley's Brave New World. I read Huxley's masterpiece this past summer and I think that everyone should read this book. Some people might be too stupid to understand it, but I think that illustrates the book's point in a way. The reason Brave New World is my favorite piece of literature is because I think Huxley accurately portrays the world as it exists today to some extent and I would not be surprised if the world becomes something like what he has written.


The ideas that Huxley presents I find fascinating and incredibly accurate. I have no idea why I don't own this book yet, but I definitely will at some point. Brave New World is about a world where people are a born into a certain life and are raised to love their servitude. I think that is what is happening in today's world, but people are simply unaware. I often wonder why my life is structured the way it is and I believe this book holds pieces of the answer. Huxley's Brave New World, read it.


Its currently on the news a lot, what is your take on the NBA lockout?


I like the NBA lockout because I am not a fan of the NBA. The majority of the people who play in the NBA are thugs and don't deserve to be idolized. A season without their influence is a a step in the right direction. Basketball is also another sport that I find myself having lots of problems with the game itself, just like I mentioned before with football. However, that has nothing to do with this question. I don't care if there is no NBA this year. I don't watch the NBA, the league is full of thugs, and the only good thing that has come of the NBA is the commercials for the league that featured Ali G.

What am I looking at? And where my gun at?



I think I've asked you enough questions for now, so please make the end of the post interesting for us.


I would like to pay my respects to Chase for coming up with the brilliant idea to have a question and answer session blog post. He also deserves credit for generating the questions. I had a great time answering all of them! Answering the questions really took some hard thought and time, I originally looked at these questions on November 14, but only just completed this post today, December 1. And now for something completely different (thank you again, Monty Python), a man (Toninho) with no middle name.

Scienter is the intent to deceive. Hamlet, along with other literary works, has never been read. The way we are taught to write sentences is bullshit. Linking verbs are dead, shit verbs. Shakespeare wrote all his plays, he even poked fun at Francis Bacon in Hamlet (hint: Bacon is Osric). George Carlin is correct. Imad.