30 Questions with The Outlaw Torn

30 things i have been asked about 2004:

1. What did you do in 2004 that you’d never done before?
travelled to lots of places in the US, delved into biomaterials for my MS thesis.

2. Did you keep your New Year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
my birthday comes immediately after New Year's, giving me no chance to keep them!! but seriously, i don't bother making resolutions.. when i wanna change i go ahead and change!

3. What would you like to have in 2005 that you lacked in 2004?
a completed draft of my thesis.. a patent/paper on my research.. a job after graduation too would be just fine!!

4. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
successfully juggling a totally hedonistic lifestyle, cutting-edge research work, lots of travelling, strenuous on-campus job, great grades on courses, pretty decent health and an excellent social life! *desperately looking for some wood to touch!! ahh, here's some*

5. What was your biggest failure?
don’t think i had any big failures as such this year, but i did fail in myriad small ways - losing my temper, being moody and sulking, being too trusting of complete strangers!! not being able to secure financial aid for my second year was definitely a big one.

6. Did you suffer illness or injury?
thank God no!! i did get hit by a SUV, and was a little sore and pissed off about that though!

7. What was the best thing you bought?
definitely my Compaq Presario 2500 laptop!! though the digital camera is gonna run it close too!

8. Whose behavior merited celebration?
definitely all my friends and family who put up with me! i would wanna mention all the soldiers the world over who got sent into wars not of their own making, and stuck their heads down and got on with their duties. also, the Buffalo Bills and UB Bulls for their spirited playoff runs!

9. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
all the politicians, the world over *grrr*

10. Where did most of your money go?
see #4 above!!

11. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
the Metallica concert in October!

12. What song will always remind you of 2004?
'Yeah' - Usher.. that goddamn song was everywhere!! Seether's 'Driven Under' was very close to me.

13. Compared to this time last year, you are:
definitely more relaxed and chilled out. things are going well, yeah :-))

14. What do you wish you’d done more of?
gone clubbing more.. travelled out of buffalo more.. a little more gymming.. eaten more buffalo wings.. basically, i wish i'd made/saved more money :-((

15. What do you wish you’d done less of?
well, honestly.. nothing!! i try to live a regret-free life!

16. What was your favorite TV program?
M*A*S*H!! dunno how i got addicted to watching a bunch of jaded drunks in Korea '52, mending soldiers and having a hilarious time doing it!!

17. What was the best book you read?
okay.. i am ashamed to say that i have barely read anything this year that is thicker than a glossy magazine with a hot chick draped on its cover! but i would have to go with 'The Handbook Of Biomaterials Evaluation' edited by Dr. A.F. von Recum (dont laugh, that IS his name!).. and its not the best book i read all year, it's the ONLY book i read all year!

18. What was your greatest musical discovery?
definitely ambient chillout music.. especially the downtempo stuff. go to shoutcast for the most comprehensive net radio database.. type 'ambient' in the search bar, and just click to listen!

19. What did you want and get?
well, the laptop and dig-cam i already mentioned, and complete CD collections of Metallica, Nirvana, Alice In Chains, Pearl Jam & Godsmack.

20. What did you want and not get?
financial aid/research funding.. an XBox/PS 2/GameCube.. an mp3-player (not necessarily an i-Pod).. Playboy Miss August Pilar Lastra..*sigh*

21. What was your favorite film of this year?
three.. in this order: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Garden State & The Hero.

22. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
haha! ate, drank and slept!! i had just turned 25 and got completely wasted to mark a fitting end to my first quarter century!

23. What one thing did you get told the most this year?
"my place or yours?"!! haha, i wish!! but i guess "you're crazy!!" would be it!

24. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2004?
i'm your regular jeans n' tshirt guy.. i just happen to have some ten pairs of jeans, and some fifty tshirts ;-)) (brands? Old Navy, Aeropostale & Gap!) it was really great knowing i could go for research meetings in a soccer tshirt, cargo shorts and hiking sandals!

25. What kept you sane?
the usual suspects.. Brownie gang, RSF gang, Potsmokers Inc., Budweiser/Molson/Yuengling Breweries, Camel Lights, buffalo wings & pizza from Just Pizza, homecooked food, Third Base, and walking around University Heights stoned senseless!

26. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
well, when i replace 'fancy' with 'lust after'.. then Tara Reid and Pilar Lastra will have to fight it out! yeah, chick-fight!! but it was nice to see one of the ordinary guys make it big - Zach Braff, star of 'Scrubs' on tv and the film 'Garden State'.

27. What political issue stirred you the most?
being in the US during election year, it would have to be the presidential elections!

28. Who did you miss?
honestly speaking, no one in particular. i am very close to my parents, but i don't really miss them as such.. and we do speak like once a month.. which works just fine for all! as for my friends, we know we will meet up again.. still lots of alcohol to be drunk and plantations to be smoked!!

29. Who was the best new person you met?
definitely definitely my advisor Dr. Robert E. Baier! i have never met a smarter, more intelligent, genial person! he absolutely rocks, having been a frat boy of some repute in his time too!!

30. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2004:
hmm.. more than learned, 2004 just reaffirmed what i have always believed: "live life well", and "no one is more important to you than yourself".