Gym Rat

I ditched my Interpersonal Communications class and was extremely late to my Storytelling class today for an Intel audition in Santa Monica. There's not really much to blog about but I'll make an attempt anyway. The call was for a guy at the gym... so I wore my shorts and cut-off shirt (which is what I actually wear to the gym), showed up, handed over my head shots, was given a call number, went in and the dude took pictures of me with a dinky little digital camera.

Auditions like this are much appreciated because they're quick and easy... but I can't help but think about how weird they are too. I mean, I go in, they take these arbitrary photos of me, ask me to smile in them, and send me on my way... that's cool, but when I get there, there are a whole bunch of dudes dressed in gym clothes, just like me... well, some went all out with the muscle tees and such... and some are freakin buff (haha, laugh it up...) ... ... it was strange... I saw head shots that weren't really head shots... more like body shots with their shirts off... strange... I couldn't help but smirk as I was sent rushing back to CSULB in bumper to bumper traffic about how funny it is that this is what I do.

PB&J

This is what I bring with me for lunch when I'm at school. You can't really tell in the picture (although you should've been able to tell from the title of this blog), but it's a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Not only are they good, they also save me money, and they are a great snack to have immediately after a workout along with a cup of milk!

Anyway, I got a call from my agent today congratulating me on booking an Apple print job! Which reminds me that I did not blog about the audition. I need to blog about my auditions... is there a way to make a blog private??? I'll have to check on that.

A new adventure!!!

I'm currently learning how to build websites... very basic ones. Why the sudden interest in building websites? Well, I have recently come up with an idea for a semi-business and need a website. Hire someone you say? Well, building my own website will a) save me money b) give me the opportunity to learn something new c) it will allow me to make changes as needed instead of having to rely on someone else to do it and d) it certainly opens my eyes to what goes into building a website... something that is easily overlooked by us mere mortals.

Here's a screen shot of my first web page ever:


I know, it's not much... heck, the page itself says so... but there is some pretty interesting "markup's" that you use to get something as basic as what you see... then there's the second web page that I laid out... another daunting task for someone that has the worst luck with computers... here's what it looks like:

I'm only in the beginning steps of website building and I am already pretty excited. I can't wait until I start putting this stuff to use on my website and will be able to share it with the world!

Reading: 'Build Your Own Website The Right Way Using HTML & CSS' by Ian Lloyd

Yamaha for life...

Valentino Rossi came in 2nd fastest at the test in Sepang, Malaysia. James Stewart has won 5 races in Supercross. Ben Spies looks very comfortable on the new R1. Yamaha is on top of it's game and all of us Yamaha fans are going to enjoy a good year of racing. Here's a pic of Ben Spies 2009 R1, with war paint. If you look below, you'll see Rossi's war paint... I can't wait for the season to start... it'll be nice to watch some exciting racing amidst the stress from school!

*I make it rain*

I enjoy the rain very much. I like the way it sounds when it hits the ground and the way it makes the air feel, cool and crisp. I especially like what the sky looks like when it stops raining.

Sun & Moon

Testing resumes February 5th through the 7th! I am definitely excited. Read what Rossi has to say about things in the interview below or visit motogp.com to watch free footage of the interview and the unveiling of the 2009 YZR-M1.

How was your winter holiday? What have you been doing during your time off?

My winter holidays were great! I have a great passion for snowboarding and so I went to the mountains with my friends, did a bit of boarding, which was great fun, and now I am ready to start working again.

How are your memories of 2008? After having some time for your victory to sink in, can you choose your absolute favourite moment of 2008?

It's difficult to choose my favourite moment because, luckily, there were many in what was an incredible season! I returned to winning ways, but the most emotional race was the one in Laguna Seca, because it was definitely the most important victory of the season.

You had a chance to try the prototype bike before the break. What's your opinion of it so far and do you think Yamaha are doing a good job?

Yes, I had the chance to try the 2009 prototype briefly after Valencia but more so in Jerez, when I was very fast. The bike seems better and I was faster than I was with the 2008 version. I'm very confident, and anyway we're only at the beginning of our work and now we must use these months before April to improve the 2009 M1 even more.

What improvements are you hoping for in the next evolution model that you will test in Sepang next week?

In Sepang next week we will use our new bike... I will use my two bikes with the parts which I will use in the race, so I want to quickly try to find a good feeling. We're working a lot on the engine and we're trying to find a way to improve the acceleration a bit, and I think that this is the area in which we will be concentrating.

The wall is staying in your garage. Why do you want it to stay?

In our team there are two very strong riders and both of these riders are setting out to win the world championship. We found the arrangement to work very well in 2008 and so we will continue with it also in 2009.

Are you expecting Jorge to be one of your main title challengers this year?

Yes, I do think that Lorenzo will be one of my strongest rivals, because he has a year's more experience and this year there is also the monotyre, so we will start equal. He will be a very hard rival to fight.

Apart from him, who else do you expect will be fighting at the front with you?

I think that the number one rival will be Stoner. Then also Pedrosa will be very fast, and of course Lorenzo.

What do you think about the MotoGP 'crisis' and the departure of Kawasaki? Are you worried about the number of bikes on the grid?

I am very worried about the number of bikes on the MotoGP grid because in 2008 there were only 19, which was already not many. I hope that Kawasaki stay because otherwise this will become 17; we have to find a way to have more bikes on the track.

What do you think needs to be changed in order to try to increase it?

It's difficult for me to say. I think that we need a bike that is a little less sophisticated and a little cheaper.

After two tests, what's your opinion about the new mono-tyre rule? Do you think it's going to improve the racing or not?

It's a bit early to say, but I think that there will be a better show because everyone will have the same tyre. With the monotyre, for better or for worse and considering the show, during the last few laps of the race the bike will move around a bit more and so you will have to go a little bit slower. This will probably produce closer battles. We hope so!

What else do you think should be done in order to bring back closer racing? You have talked about a reduction in rider aids, can you tell us more about what you think should be done in this area?

In the last few years there have been races, especially since the arrival of the 800cc motorcycle, with a lot less close racing and I think that this is mostly to do with the evolution of the tyres. Now in the corners we're very fast and so there is less time to try to overtake. Furthermore however, the huge evolutions in electronics have levelled the performance of the riders and therefore this has also led to a few less battles.

Everyone knows that you made a request to Yamaha to take part in a WSB race, specifically against Bayliss. Are you upset that this is not happening? Would you still like the chance to compete in a WSB race?

It was a fun idea, and I would have been very happy. I would still like to do a race in superbike and I would like to battle with Bayliss, because he is the world champion! Unfortunately it is a bit of a difficult period and I didn't have the chance, but I hope that in the future, maybe next year, we can do it.

You did very well in the Rally of GB. Has this increased your desire to try rally fulltime at some point?

I have always loved rally, ever since I was little. It is one of my great passions and it is great to do one when I have the time and the chance. I always enjoy it a lot and probably, when I have given up the bikes and when I have the chance to improve and I have more time, I will do more...but it's not a close future, because I still want to race with the bike for a few more years!

You also had another chance to test the Ferrari. Do you think you have improved your level in the car?

The Formula One... to try the Ferrari again was a great emotion. I have always been a great fan of racing cars, not just of rally. I was fast, so I was happy; I am fast enough also in Formula One! In 2006 I decided to stay with the bike and, of course, I still have some doubts, but just to climb inside the red car at Mugello and work with Ferrari was fantastic.

Have you had any more thoughts about F1 racing in the future?

As I said before, I had my chance and I decided to stay with bikes. The choice is made and I don't think that there will be another possibility.

You are great friends with Marco Simoncelli. What's your opinion about his 250 title last year and do you think he is the favourite to win again this year?

I am good friends with Simoncelli; he is a great guy. We train together and last year he surprised me because I knew that he great potential, but I didn't think he would become World Champion. I am happy for him; he deserved it. He is staying in 250 and I think that he is the favourite for 2009.

Do you think Marco could be a good prospect for Yamaha in the future?

I think that Simoncelli will come to MotoGP, because he is a fast rider and he is very young. In Yamaha, however, we already have Lorenzo and I, so I think that he will be a good prospect for other factories.

Are you going to continue as 'your own' manager in 2009? Have you considered working with a new manager?

I am very happy with what I have decided to do and with my actual organisation, I don't have any need for a manager and I am not thinking of having any type of manager for now.

There aren't many targets left for you in your career...you're already the most successful rider in the history of the sport. Do you have many more targets? Would you like to reach Agostini's record of 122 wins in all classes?

Agostini's record is something very important, naturally. I am not far off, but to do it I would have to continue to fight and race for a few more years! My principal objective is to win a few more world championships; this is more important than catching Agostini. Obviously, if I succeed then it will be wonderful!

Do you still have the same level of motivation as previously? How do you keep your interest and hunger?

To ride the bike on the track and to try to find ways to be faster, but above all to work with Yamaha and with this group of people, always makes me happy and therefore I feel motivated. I have been racing for a long time and every year I need to stay concentrated to find the right motivation and to be aggressive. I feel in form.

Finally, you said 2008 was the hardest title of your career. Do you think 2009 will be easier or even harder?

2008 was difficult because it was the year in which I had to give the most of myself in order to win. In 2009 it will be even more difficult because my adversaries, who suffered in 2008, are now out for payback and will be looking to beat me. I think it's going to be even harder than 2008!

Good looking out...

The Superbowl was today... Steelers VS. Cardinals. I don't follow football much during the season, but I do enjoy catching the Superbowl because it's usually an opportunity to get together with friends. We get to chat, talk trash, laugh, eat, drink, and all the other fun stuff. I don't have a favorite team but I do like Brett Favre... there's just something about the guy... so I usually found myself rooting for whatever team he was on and the team he's on now. Otherwise, I don't care who wins or plays against each other... it's really to be with friends. This year was different though... my good friend Taine passed away and he was a die-hard Steelers fan. At his funeral, someone bought a Steelers cap and put it on his coffin, which I thought was a really nice gesture. When I heard they were in the playoffs, I was really rooting for them because Taine would have been. Then the Steelers make it to the Superbowl... that's pretty damn cool... then they win the damn thing. I'm not religious at all, but I can't help but want to believe that somehow, Taine had a hand in this. It's like it was his way of being with us as we watched the game today. I miss my friend.

On a different note... as much as I came in rooting for the Steelers, they were acting like a bunch of cocky jerks on the field during the second half, which I didn't care for... then I found out about the Cardinals star receiver, Larry Fitzgerald. Everyone was saying how great of a receiver this guy was and sure enough, he made some great catches and played a good game. That's not what struck me the most though. It was when I was informed that he makes $40 million for four years and his teammate (Boldin, who isn't anywhere as good of a player) started complaining and wanting out of his contract because he wasn't being payed as much. Fitzgerald was reported as ripping up his contract to renegotiate for less pay to pay the difference so his teammate could make as much money as him in order for the guy to stay. Wow... I didn't know people like that existed in American "stick-and-ball" sports. Although I think it sucks for Fitzgerald to have to do such a thing, it's also a great thing because it should be a wake-up call to all those cocky, self-absorbed, overly-paid, overly-macho athletes out there... it should help them realize what a REAL role model actually is. If I were Boldin, I'd be so embarrassed and ashamed of myself... I wouldn't allow Fitzgerald to do such a noble thing... be grateful for the amount of money I'm making and shut the heck up! But that's the state of our country... the state of the kind of society that we breed... Fitzgerald, to me, is awesome. If there were more people like that in the world, it'd be that much better of a place to live in. And everyone could benefit from a better place to live in. I still like Favre... but I'll be keeping an eye on Fitzgerald for sure.

I really wanted the Steelers to win for Taine... but inside, I also wanted the Cardinals to win because they had Fitzgerald and they stayed strong throughout the game... even after they were being pounded on. In the end, the Steelers won and I know Taine's got a big old smile on his face... and that makes me smile too.