Really Boring Stuff

Summer Comic 1

2008-08-01T07:55:07Z

My Screen Play

2007-10-22T04:48:12Z

Since I've been too lazy to reinstall Photoshop, I shall share with you a new medium of art: my screenplay.

Desi-pocalypse, by Don Nguyen.

It takes place in a post apocalyptic future where a totalitarian government has claimed control of the entire government and everyone has to follow the strict government doctrine. Well the important part is that Indian people have gradually declined in population due to government persecution. The story follows one of the few surviving Indian people in hiding, definitely Saheer. During the day, Saheer takes shelter in a condemned building and during the evening he leaves to gather supplies from a closed down convenience store under the cover of darkness. Well one day, the government decides to demolish the convenience store to construct some new, expensive, and totally useless monolith to symbolize their power and ability to just be total dicks to the population. Unfortunately, this is Saheer's only source of resources so he begins to grow hungry. As Saheer suffers from hunger for several days, he begins to fall ill which causes him to make a lot of noise due to coughing and various other noisy symptoms. Things look very dim for Saheer. Days past when finally a random guy happens to stumble into the condemned building that Saheer is hiding in for. The guy is Ross. Ross finds Saheer and feels obligated to turn Saheer into the government because its what hes been taught to do in the brainwashing government established school. However, Ross happens to step upon an A-Squad CD.

Ross turns to Saheer and asks, "You rap?"
Saheer says with great difficulty, "Yes."
Ross says, "Show me."

Summoning up whatever energy he can, Saheer gives a weak performance of "Show Me What You Got in the Club," believing it to be his last performance ever. Ross, however, is clearly impressed and leaves. The next day, Saheer awakens to find that Ross has brought him some supplies.

Well anyways, a ton of confusing and plot twisting events occur. The Indian people somehow rally together with Desi-sympathizers and they overthrow the totalitarian regime. In the ensuing conflict, the rebels somehow mistake Ross for one of the government overlords. They proceed to take him away to a labor camp and as Ross is taken away, he yells to the onlooking crowd to tell Saheer what is being done to him. When word finally reaches Saheer, who has reestablished his prior occupation as a hip-hop mogul, Saheer is to late to save his friend.

Random Thoughts

2007-10-07T07:25:16Z

I'm surprised by the amount of people who still ask me, "how did you get here?" I've been driving for nearly half a year. No, I did not bike half a mile uphill in a shirt, tie, and cardigan sweater.

Speaking of cardigan sweaters, its almost winter and that means I need to suit up lest I get frost bite on my way to school.

Stuff to get:
-Another pair of jeans or two
-Gloves
-New frames??? (my current frames are pretty beat up)

I'm also relieved that SATs are over. Honestly at this point, I'll be satisfied with a ten point improvement like last time. I'm also relieved that those photo projects are all completed and turned in. I'll be damned if I lose my valedictorian spot because of a visual arts class of all things. The plan is Hansen performs the final six minutes of "It's your world" by Common while I provide the piano theme. Or Victoria can do that. Yes, she'd probably be better at it.

Vivian's birthday party was a lot more fun than I expected. I met quite a few interesting people, including Eric, Ashley, and Mini-Vivian. I think that I tend to like people better once I get to meet them.

A Glimpse of my Life

2007-09-26T05:30:06Z

Fun Fact: Jared Poelman works out to the "The Last Samurai" soundtrack.

As the days go by, school gradually becomes more habitual as my mind slowly adapts to study mode.

Waking up at 6:30 is still a pain but I find ways to make it to school on time. Having regular biology really sucks. Half of the underclassmen are complete imbeciles, obvious examples of the future dredges of society. The complete lack of challenge has really dampened my passion for the sciences. The only entertainment in that class comes from the "what the hell look?" Raj and I occasionally give each other when this really weird kid in the back of the room publicly makes a poor attempt at comedy.

AP Literature is pretty hard; I'd say its about on the same level as AP Composition. Still, I like the sense of academic challenge it gives me. We are currently covering poetry which happens to be my Achille's Heel (ooo allusion) of the English subject. I'm not a fan of poetry, especially the archaic trash although I can appreciate relatively contemporary poetry like Langston Hughes' works for instance.

Statistics is definitely my most social class. I really enjoy my new seat. The test coming up will decide my grade for a very long time. However, I have faith that I'll make it through. Academic dedication and prayer has not yet failed me for the past five years, and it certainly won't now.

Once break starts, the rest of the day is a walk in the park.

Overall, compared to last year, this year is definitely a lot more laid back. Having only two and a half AP's has humbled me quite a bit but conversely I have much more free time. I really enjoy my "part-time" job tutoring. In addition to having infinitely more spending money (I've never worked a day in my life up until now), I feel like it is a learning experience for me as I figure out new ways to better impart my knowledge. One could say that it is a case of noblesse oblige but I feel that one of the great things about knowledge is its ease of sharing. Still, all this tutoring is cutting into my work-out time.

Speaking of the gym, what the heck is this new "Club One" that everybody is talking about? It sounds like one of those expensive, new-age, built more for socializing than working out gyms. Club one may have a sauna built into the locker room or something equally useless but it'll never have anything that can match the presence of Tony.

The Last Part

2007-08-04T09:35:42Z

With summer work and all, I've been really short on time. Here's my half hearted attempt at the last part of the "series."

...

Just as Jared and Eric were about at catch up to Joshua and Vivian, something suddenly came up from behind.

You can imagine the rest of the ending.

...

Before summer ends, I'm hoping to finish my two brand new photoshops, ones that do not involve our friend Ryan Le in anyway.

Life of Joshua Cabrido in the Future (Part 4)

2007-07-26T09:42:51Z

"Vivian, run away with me."

Grabbing a hold of Vivian's hand, Joshua pulled Vivian onto her feet and led her away to his get-away bike.

When Jared and Eric finally took notice of Vivian's absence, they knew Joshua had taken her. Jared and Eric decided to join forces, at least for the time being.

Although Eric's car wasn't exactly a 7-series, it still moved a lot faster than Joshua's bicycle with the extra weight of Vivian. In a matter of seconds, they were nearly caught up.

Joshua knew that if he was caught, he could expect an uncomfortable encounter between his "male-member" and Jared Poelman's family katana. Should Joshua leave Vivian behind and escape or should he pray to the awesome powers of the Lord?

Life of Joshua Cabrido in the Future (Part 3)

2007-07-19T06:25:41Z

Joshua decides to investigate! Joshua lets himself into the home since the door happened to be conveniently unlocked. What Joshua saw could only be described as a Lifetime Movie Network Original Production combined with a very low budget Korean drama.

Should Joshua side with the possibly abusive Eric or the possibly scandalous Jared Poelman?

Life of Joshua Cabrido, 10 Years in the Future Part. 2

2007-07-17T08:16:43Z

Since nobody suggested anything, I'll continue my story with the more entertaining route.

Although Joshua wanted to visit the Refugio's, he felt that the Lord particularly needed his presence at church today. So Joshua hopped onto his 'ride' and slowly made his way to church.

On his way to church, Joshua passed a friendly neighborhood. As he passed, he suddenly heard the sound of people arguing coming from inside a nearby home. Joshua got scared. Suddenly, he heard the sound of glassware breaking. Joshua got even more scared. A woman started to cry! By now, Joshua was extremely frightened. He started to pedal as quickly as his legs would allow.

Should Joshua continue to bike away to safety or should he investigate?

Life of Joshua Cabrido, 10 Years in the Future

2007-07-11T05:16:40Z

Joshua wakes up on a Sunday morning. He can either go to the morning Church Mass or visit the Refugio's. What shall he do?

Casino Royale without the R-O-Y-A

2007-06-26T06:46:00Z

Lookin' good Ryan, although I still like you better as the Phantom.

Five Days Until Summer

2007-06-10T06:49:43Z

Even though this year was probably the roughest academic-wise, there will be a lot of things that I will miss.

This being one of them. It was supposed to be a 3-box comic but I can't seem to draw Shelly.

Well, I am pretty much done with school with the exception of Senior Diaz's finals and the English Siddhartha Project, which I've spent way too much time on.

Late Monday Update

2007-01-08T23:17:29Z

On Friday, Tim and I spent most of lunch studying in the library for our APUS quiz. When the bell finally rang, we quickly packed up our study guides and left. Upon stepping out of the library, I ran into, who would have guessed...

Was somebody was after him, was he in trouble, did A-Squad just reject him? He looked like he meant business so I didn't say "Hi."

Epic Graphic Novel

2006-12-25T11:15:04Z

Shelly has been kidnapped! Who will save her?

Pirate Poelman: Action, adventure, and women, the three things that Pirate Poelman lives for.

Joshua Cabrido w/ Pet Dog: Accompanied by a faithful canine companion (which actually belongs to his neighbor), Joshua is on a quest to save his best friend.

Frederick Placido: A man... on a mission.

Saheer "D5" Dalal: Got so far, kept trying, nothing like a wannabe?

Ryan Le: Having been saved by his former arch-nemesis, Jaredsan, Ryan Le has decided to turn to a life of good. He now uses his powers (or lack of powers) for truth, justice, and the American way.

Robo-Koushik: After losing vital organs and several limbs due to a freak McDonald's accident, Koushik Roy had his entire body rebuilt using spare parts from an old tank.

Senior Steve: Nothing stirs the blood of Senior Steve more than a maiden in distress.

Harish a.k.a. Serge: A mysterious unknown benefactor that has been recently discovered on Joshua's myspace...

Christmas Break Update

2006-12-17T01:44:15Z

My first and probably last web comic. Very low budget, unoriginal and definitely not Cabrido-Quality. Enjoy!

Eastridge is probably the most disgusting mall ever. You essentially have two types of people who go to Eastridge. The first (Type A) is the stereotypical "gangsta" decked out in Ecko and G Unit clothing, abortions of the fashion industry. These "gangstas" come in many varieties, but an oversized puffy jacket seems to be the mandatory uniform requirement. The second type (Type B) of person isn't exactly a single person but rather a group of people. You have these overly large families, with way too many children, who most likely cheat off of the welfare system. They literally come in packs and crowd up the walkways, making a big mess out of anything they lay a finger on. Some people really need to stop breeding like animals.

Now I know why "the guys" used to not want to see movies at Eastridge. I guess I don't go out enough to realize these things.

Memoirs of Jaredsan Part 3 (Final)

2006-10-01T06:39:09Z

For four years, Jaredsan worked as a dish washer in a run-down Chinese restaurant downtown. Had he known about "minimum wage laws," Jaredsan could have made more than three-fifty an hour. Still, Jaredsan managed to get by even if it meant living off of discounted fried rice and noodles every single day. Jaredsan had set his past life aside. The days of being a ninja were no more, the lost of his best friend was but a sad memory long gone. Although he had seen merrier days, Jaredsan was content with his life.

One seemingly ordinary evening, Jaredsan had finally finished washing the last batch of dishes. Tossing on his ragged coat, he left the restaurant and started walking home. The downtown streets were particularly dangerous at night but it did not bother Jaredsan much. As he turned the corner, a limo pulled along side. The window rolled down and the silloute of a shadowy man appeared. He offered Jaredsan a job and promised to pay handsomely. Jared was unsure of what to say. Finally, the man handed Jaredsan a crumpled note with a phone number. If Jaredsan change his mind, he should call.

That night, Jaredsan dreamt that his friend Ryan was calling to him for help. "Help me Jaredsan... help..," beckoned his friend. Images of his friend drowning overwhelmed his thoughts. The next morning, Jaredsan went work more tired than usual. There he carelessly dropped a plate onto the floor. The loud crash alerted his boss, Mr. Chang. Mr. Chang barged into the kitchen cursing and yelling obsceneties. Jaredsan profoundly apologized for breaking the plate and begged Mr. Chang not to take it from his payment check. "No check for you! for one year!" said Mr. Chang defiantly as he tossed a dirty rag at Jaredsan's face. Refusing to take anymore abuse, Jaredsan roared and lunged at Mr. Chang. Despite not fighting for years, Jaredsan's muscles instantly came to life. He struck Mr. Chang across the face with an uppercut and finished with a solid back side kick. Mr. Chang flew across the kitchen where he struck a shelf and proceeded to be buried beneath a pile of pots and pans. Suddenly, the adrenaline rush vanished and Jaredsan became frightened. He had just attacked his own boss. All of Chinatown would excommunicate him and he will never have a job again. Tossing off his apron, Jaredsan dashed out of the restaurant and never looked back. Having lost his only job and the respect of all of Chinatown, Jaredsan decided to give the phone number a try since he had no where else to go. A man picked up and responded "I knew you would call sooner or later." He explained to Jaredsan that he sympathized his condition. Such a strong and handsome man like Jaredsan had no place as a dishwasher in a run down restaurant. Finally, he explained that Jaredsan would be paid a generous amount based on how many deliveries he made.

Over the years, Jaredsan was finally enjoying himself. No longer making only three fifty an hour, Jaredsan actually had spare money. This was a luxary he had never experianced before, not even during his days training at the Yamamoto Dojo. However, one day, Jaredsan returned home to find a note slipped beneath his front door. The letter read "Meet me at the abandoned opera house." It was signed "Shadow."

When darkness finally befell, Jaredsan made his way to the abandoned opera house by the wharf. Jaredsan felt empowered by the cold evening air. The life of a dishwasher was not for him, he needed freedom. Upon arriving at the opera house, Jaredsan slowed down and entered stealth mode. He felt as if he was being watched. Jaredsan tugged on the entrance door's handle. To his surprise, the door opened with relative ease but not without making a loud creak. It was almost as if nobody had opened the door in ages. The thick and moldy air inside the opera house suffocated Jaredsan. Still, Jaredsan was determined to get to the end of the mystery. Jaredsan quietly crept down the long dark corridors. In the past, the interior must have been very glamorous but now it was merely a ghost of its former glory. At the end of the corrider, Jaredsan found himself perching over the numerous seats facing the stage. In constrast to the pitch black corrider, the theatre hall was dimly lit. However, something was very wrong. Jaredsan noticed lit candles lining the walls of the theatre hall. Before he could begin to formulate a logical reason, the massive organ in the center of the stage began to play. Jared instantly unsheathed his katana, his eyes frantically searching the room. From the ceiling, a dark figure descended as the organ began to play even more loudly. The candles along the walls simultaneously burnt out. The only source of light in the room came from the candles decorating the organ. The shadowy figure finally descended onto the center of the stage.

"I knew you would come..." whispered a hoarse but menacing voice.

Jaredsan slowly walked down the center aisle towards the stage clutching his sword tightly. He was frightened and confused but willing to defend himself should his life be threatened by this mysterious figure.

"Who... who are you?" uttered Jared nervously. He silently cursed himself for not sounding more confident in the face of danger.

Jaredsan peered at the illuminated figure and gasped in horror at what he saw. Jaredsan was lost in words; he opened his mouth to speak but no sound came out.

Ryan began his story. He had survived but at a terrible price. The right side of his face had been left disfigured, a horrific reminder of the accident. As if attracting women wasnt hard enough before, this disfiguration made it impossible. Thrown into depression, Ryan turned to a life of crime. When he had heard rumors of Jaredsan's survival, Ryan had to make sure that Jaredsan truly lived. He blamed Jaredsan for his deformation. He sought revenge.

Ryan lunged at Jared with an awkward punch. Since Ryan had a mask covering half of his face, he couldnt see very well. His punch missed by a mile. Jaredsan, not wanting to hurt his friend, did not fight back but merely defended himself. Suddenly, Ryan drew a dagger from beneath his cloak and stabbed Jaredsan in the hip. "If I can't be handsome... neither can you!" cried Ryan, his voice deeply afflicted with pain. Feeling that his life was threatening, Jaredsan kicked the knife out of Ryan's hand and punched him in the face. Ryan recoiled backwards, hands clunching his face. Jaredsan punched Ryan once more sending him flying unconciously into a candle rack. The candles fell over and lit the warehouse on fire. Jaredsan turned and began to flee the burning building but stopped. He could not leave his friend behind, despite how crazy he had become. This was not the Yamamoto way. Slinging the unconcious Ryan Le over his shoulder, Jaredsan made a dash toward the exit, escaping just as the burning building collapsed.

Jaredsan layed Ryan onto the ground and stared back at where the operahouse once stood. Just as the sun was rising behind Jaredsan, a ghostly image of his former master appeared. The spectre stared at Jaredsan with blank eyes when suddenly a smile formed upon his face. The spectre began to walk away when it turned around and gave Jaredsan a nod. It was a nod of approval.

A Strange Update

2006-09-24T06:57:10Z

Today I saw Jesus working at Wendy's. I was surprised he recognized me. Too bad it was late and I was in the drive through otherwise I'd catch up with him during the after hours.

dntranceaddict @ 2006-08-29T14:32:00

2006-08-29T22:03:46Z

Keeping with tradition, I always update on the first day of school.

Period 1/2 - Metica's class is sooo boring. AP Chemistry is by far the most boring class of the day. Then again any class that lasts two hours would be equally boring, unless Mr. West taught it. I miss that guy. The boys and I pretty much took his class for granted last year. I think next week will be better once we get to move into our groups. *inserts angry dinosaur noise* Hansen should have gotten to Victoria earlier!

Period 3 - Matute's class is Santos all over again! By the powers of Joseph Smith, Jared and I miraculously got seated together at the same table. The teacher seems alright; I like how her class is really colorful. Then again, any teacher would have been fine after a year with Santos.

Break: Boring.

Period 4 - Hermatz's class was alright. I'm telling you, those english teachers tricked me! I emailed them asking what test we had on the first day and they responded with "we havn't decided yet." Oh well, we made some stuff out of pipe cleaners. I personally made something extra special, something Joshua would be proud of.

Period 5 - Diaz's class was scary. He seems like a cool guy but I feel naked in that class for some reason, probably because of the stories from Saheer. There are alot of upper-classmen, a few know me as "Anh's cousin."

Lunch: I heard a few funny stories from Saheer. He always has stories, that Saheer.

Period 6 - Nguyen's class was... rather enlightening. Seriously though, there are so many kids in that class who are taking it "just for the heck of it." Its pretty stupid how they get accepted when there are others who really want that class. I feel really strange in that class but luckily I have Jared with me. We played this odd game called "Four Corners." Jared and I were smart because we picked the good corners.

Well of to the gym. Maybe I'll see Nelson Gines.

Memoirs of Jaredsan 2

2006-08-06T09:11:16Z

Jaredsan traveled for five days and five nights. At long last, he finally reached the city of Tokyo. Jaredsan paid no attention to the strange glances he received as he explored the city streets. Eventually he reached a shady looking bar. Jaredsan reached into his pockets and felt for a few coins, certainly enough to buy him a drink. Just as he was about to enter the bar, he heard a commotion coming from the inside. Suddenly, a crowd of men appeared at the doorway. They threw what seemed to be an unconcious body onto the street. "Hey! What do you think you're doing?" yelled Jaredsan. The leader of the pack, a rather handsome individual, did not respond with words but rather with action. He stepped forward with his fist raised to strike but that was as far as he got. Jaredsan instinctively deflected his blow, with one arm and struck him with the other.

The other men rushed Jaredsan but Jaredsan fended them off with a serious of lightning fast kicks. When the mobsters, as Jaredsan assumed them to be, finally retreated back to the building, Jaredsan rushed to the unconcious man's aid. Immediately he recognized the familiar face from his early childhood before the great escape. It was Ryan Le, his best friend. Worried that the mobsters would return in greater arms, Jaredsan picked Ryan up and carried him to a nearby hotel where he rented a room for the night using money that he found in Ryan's coat pocket. When Ryan finally woke up, he was over excited to see his long lost friend. The two reunited friends sat down for a cup as Ryan told Jaredsan his story. Back in America, Ryan had spent years trying to court many women but failed miserably with each attempt. Finally, fustrated by constant rejection and with a broken heart, he decided to travel over seas in hopes that his luck would be better. During his travels, he eventually found himself at the bar in Tokyo where he drank himself into a stupor. He had instinctively spotted an attractive girl whom he proceed to hit on. Had he been sober, he would have noticed the group of men standing menacingly around the girl. Unfortunately for young Ryan Le, he paid no such attention and this girl also happened to be the girlfriend of a prominent gang member. As a result, Ryan recieved the ass kicking of his life. "They're still after me Jared. And you too," concluded Ryan. It would not be long before the mobsters would used their extensive resources to track down Ryan and Jaredsan at the hotel. Ryan and Jaredsan decided to flee the hotel before sunrise and commandeer a boat to America where they would be safe. When sunrise came, Ryan and Jaredsan left in a hurry taking nothing more than the clothes on their back, money, and Jaredsan's trusty sword. Along the way, they were abrupty confronted by this guy.

Between his long flowing silver hair, exotic costume, and massive plastic sword, he gave Jaredsan and Ryan a hard time deciding whether he was a psychopath or simply retarded. Either way, he posed a threat to their escape. The guy clumsily lept off the wall and blocked their path. He uttered something in broken Japanese, most likely a line taken from an anime. Ryan, feeling threatened, quickly punched the guy in the lower region. The guy let out a deep grunt and fell onto his knees obviously in pain and even more shocked that the powers of the Astral Plane did not protect him. Jaredsan and Ryan quickly ran away in case the guy recovered from the crafty blow. By nightfall, Jaredsan and Ryan found their way on the other side of the city. Together the two, under the cover of darkness, snuck down onto the nearby docks where they found a cargo ship carrying tuna bound for America. Jared crept on board first and swiftly tossed the first mate off the ship into the murky waters. The captain shook his fist in anger and cried out "What you boy do here?" Suddenly the captain pulled up his right sleeve and whipped out a wicked rusty hook.

Grabbing onto a rope attached to the mass, the captain swung down swinging his hook clumsily at Jaredsan. Jaredsan caught the captain's arm and then disabled it with a loud crack. Jaredsan proceeded to break off the hook and castrate the captain on spot before tossing him into the water. Meanwhile, Ryan took the ship's wheel and soon enough, the duo were on there way to America. Unfortunately, as they neared America's shore, a storm began to brew. Ryan rushed to the ship's cabin in hopes of taking cover but a powerful wave struck the boat sweeping him onto the edge. Luckily, Ryan managed to grab ahold of the slippery rail but the ship began to tilt. "Jared! Help me!" cried Ryan. Jaredsan turned and saw Ryan Le struggling. The horrible scene seemed so hauntingly familiar as images of his own father drowning swirled in his own mind. Jaredsan had failed his father, but he would not fail his friend as well. Adrenaline pumping like never before, Jaredsan rushed to save Ryan. Jaredsan reached out a hand as Ryan lunged forward to grab ahold of it. Jaredsan began to pull Ryan back onto the ship when suddenly a piece of the mass broke and struck Jared on the shoulder. The unbearable pain nearly made Jared keel forward. It took every last bit of strength just to keep himself from falling into the water.

"Jared, let go of me" gasped Ryan.
"I can't... Ryan.. not you too," groaned Jaredsan.
"You've gotta.." responded Ryan.

Jaredsan began to pray quietly to the divine forces of Joseph Smith and for a while it seemed as if the world around them was still. The powerful torrent that struck the friends over and over seemed to disappear. Rays of golden light, from the heavens, bathed Jaredsan. Slowly, Jaredsan's strength began to return. He could do it. "Jared, save yourself!" cried Ryan. His friend's cry awoke Jaredsan from his trance like state. "Divine intervention.." muttered Jaredsan to himself, still dazed from the surreal experiance. Jaredsan summoned his new found strength and pulled Ryan with all his might. Ryan started making his way back onto the ship when Jaredsan suddenly pulled a muscle. Jaredsan knew that not even the divine forces of Joseph Smith could save the both of them now. He turned and stared deeply into his friends eyes for the last time right before he let go. Jaredsan, relieved of Ryan Le, retreated to the cabin where he too, lost all conciousness. When he awoke, he found himself lying on the sand surrounded by debris. Of Ryan, Jaredsan saw no sign. Jaredsan let out a deep sigh. The lost of his friend was painful but atleast he was safe now. However, little did he know of what was ahead of him.

Memoirs of Jaredsan

2006-07-30T08:37:25Z

At the tender age of five, Jared's life took an unexpected turn. Recently accused of fraud and conspiracy, Jared's father was expecting a long jail sentence. In an attempt to save himself and his family, Jared's father arranged for a ship to take them to Japan. The journey for the most part so far proved to be relatively calm and serene. There were no pirates, storms, or sea monsters. Suddenly, the sky turned dark followed by lightning cracking in the sky as icy rain began to pour. The Poelman family quickly took cover in the ship's cabin while the captain braved the storm outside in an attempt to steer the ship to safety. The ship churned and creaked in the powerful waters. After a while things began to quiet down. Slowly, Mr. Poelman volunteered to leave the cabin first to check up on the ship's current condition. He poked his head out of the doorway and glanced up to the steering wheel to find that the captain had been swept away. Suddenly, the storm began to pick up again but this time even stronger than before. Mr. Poelman struggled to get back to the cabin but the ship suddenly tilted tossing him overboard. Jared rushed to his father's aid but as too late. His mother grabbed ahold of him and dragged him back to the cabin but the ship began to tilt over. Water flooded into the cabin and everything went dark...

Jared slept for a long time when he finally woke up. He found himself lying on a mat with a pillow full of rice on a wooden floor. Glancing around frantically, Jared spotted a kind elderly man preparing warm soup in the corner. Mr. Yamamoto had found Jared lying, wet and unconcious, on the beach. Sensing great spirit in the young boy who happened to greatly resemble a son he himself had lost in a storm not long ago, Mr. Yamamoto had taken Jared in and cared for him. Jared's head ached badly as he tried to recall what happened. He tried to speak to the elderly man but fatigue once again reclaimed his body and he fell asleep once more. When he awoke, Jared felt much stronger although still slightly weary. His limbs were no longer numb and sore though. Mr. Yamamoto told Jared everything starting with finding Jared on the beach up until he was brought back to the hideout. He also introduced himself as a ninja headmaster. Jared never questioned the validity of a ninja existing during the twentieth century. After finishing the story, Mr. Yamamoto got up left the room but not without leaving behind a bowl of soup. Jared took a sip of the concoction. His body instantly felt renewed. Jared slowly got onto his feet and left his room wandering the wooden hallways. Although the floor and walls were made of wood without any intricate designs, they had a certain beauty to them. The paradise enveloped Jared causing him to forget his troubles. As he exited the building, he found that the outdoors were even more magical. There was a small gentle waterfall that pouring into a nearby creek. Ricefields could be seen in the distance. The mountain air was chilling but in a positive sense, a sense of a new beginning.

Jaredsan and Mr. Yamamoto

Over the years, Jareds learned at Mr. Yamamoto's feet. Before long, he no longer associated himself with his old life, he was now Jaredsan, strong and pure. Although Jaredsan was a slow learner compared to the eight other children that Mr. Yamamoto cared for, his strong spirit and determination pushed him through. Mr. Yamamoto was always kind and patient with Jared, never criticizing or punishing him besides on one occasion. Jaredsan had accidently left the gate to the goats' pen open resulting in runaway animals. When Mr. Yamamoto found out, he spanked Jaredsan with a wooden paddle inscribed with ancient Japanese runes. In general, Jaredsan got along decently well with the other children besides Ryu. They had long developed a fierce rivalry, constantly competing in everything they did whether it be sparring or even something simple as whoever could haul water from the well quicker. Ryu was naturally more agile and atheletic but Jared never gave up. He would train when the other children were resting, constantly striving to improve his technique. If somebody was better than him at something, he would spend more time on the activity until he could surpass his superiors. By the age of 15, he was the most prominant and handsome ninja, even perhaps rivaling with Ryu himself. Jaredsan was unarguably better with a blade and hand-to-hand but Ryu's physically imposing appearance and uncanny flexibility allowed him to keep his position as head of the Ninja Strike Force.

Ninja Strike Force

This also happened to the year when Mr. Yamamoto would release them into the real world and announce his best student. Mr. Yamamoto gave a speech about how there is a time when a young grasshopper must leave its home. Then came the moment when he would recognize his best student. Everyone was breathless as Mr. Yamamoto drew out his "legendary sword that has been passed down from the generations. Finally he handed the sword to Jaredsan and said, "To you Jaredsan, I give you this sword. Let it defend you against evil wherever you may stray." Jaredsan took the sword and tucked it away. He promised to protect the blade with his life and use it only for good. Jaredsan gave everybody his farewell, mounted a horse, and rode down the long dusty road.

One Summer Day

2006-06-16T05:56:22Z

Today I woke up at 12:30 which is pretty late so my morning bike ride/run would have to wait another day. I ended up going to Sizzler's with my mom almost right away. The server, cook, or whoever sucked alot because we had to wait almost an hour for our food. Afterwards, I found out I had a doctor's appointment. I ended up in a waiting room filled with babies. After waiting for like an hour, the nurse showed up and told me I had to get a physical. Surprise surprise! Now I've never had a physical before but I've heard "them stories" in the boy's locker room. Well, the nurse made me take off all my clothes save my boxers. She also gave me a shirt and towel made out of paper to cover myself up. Ummm... no thanks buddy. I took one look at the shirt and towel and I thought to myself 'why even bother?" When the doctor showed up, he started inspecting my flexibility and odd stuff like that. I had no idea what the point was but oh well. Then suddenly he pulled down my boxers. Ahhh omg wtf!!! The locker room stories were true! Fortunately, that whole ordeal lasted only 5-10 seconds but it was fucking weird. Anyways, it made me kind of think. Don't older guys, especially athletes, need physicals too?

20 years into the future
Daniel Chu: Hi, I'm here for my physical with Dr. Smith.
Nurse Lady: Ok Mr. Chu, right this way. *leads him to a room and leaves*
*20 minutes go by, door opens, doctor walks in*
Daniel Chu: Don Nguyen?!? B...but I thought I scheduled with a Dr. Smith!
Me: Sorry Daniel, I changed my last name after med school.
*Daniel opens the door and runs away*

As I left the office, I found out, again to my surprise, that I needed to get a tetanus shot. I hope the nurse used the right vaccine because after the shot I felt a little woozy. Come to think of it the shot actually felt pretty funny. For those of you who have never had injections anywhere else outside of your arm/butt consider yourself lucky. I'd literally rather have 20 injections on my arm than one injection on my toe. Yea, the difference is that big. Afterwards I went to Albertsons with my mom. I think I saw Ashley Vu there or atleast a look alike. I also saw this incredibly hot teller at the bank. Sorry Joshua but she was like atleast 20. Regardless, I didn't realize people more attractive than "The Light" actually existed until now. When I got home, I walked up to Lunardis to fetch Joshua and Jeff because those two clowns didn't remember where my house was. Upon returning to my house, we saw most of Transformers: The Movie, atleast the good parts. Joshua can't seem to appreciate Grimlock's humor : / (Grimlock is 'the cute one' among the Dinobots)

"Me Grimlock not nice Dino, me mash brains!"