You may or may not have seen the above banner floating around recently.  @Cakalusa made this initially as an inside joke.  Why the name ASSCAT, you may ask?  No, we didn’t pick it because of its Urban Dictionary meaning (which could be fitting in regard to certain past experiences, but I’ll digress).  The name was actually chosen because we discovered our first name initials spelled out that word!  See?

Alex/Flip @FlipGuy310

The reason why I’m bringing up Team ASSCAT now is because you will be seeing me referencing it a lot this coming month due to a big contest we’re all hosting.  In case you aren’t familiar with these great fellas, let me tell you a little bit about each of them first.  Starting with…

@FlipGuy310

Constantly witty and entertaining, Flip is a good person to have around to laugh the night away.  Besides his awesome sense of humor, he is also a very talented and effective story teller, able to keep you hanging on to each word as you eagerly wait to hear what happens next.  There’s a reason why I have met up with him so many times, even though we are on opposite coasts!

@SonyChak

Hailing from the Bay Area is Sonlay.  He’s an extremely proficient vlogger that has created almost 100 vlogs already.  I’m still amazed at his quality editing.  Whenever I want to hear an honest opinion, I would go to him as he always calls it as it is.  I never expect him to sugarcoat his words, but I do expect his words to be genuine.  What more could you ask?

@Junbelievable08

One of the biggest foodies I know, Shawn is your man if you ever need suggestions for what/where to eat.  He’s also incredibly street smart and is hardly ever wrong about things, which shows how experienced he is.  He somehow just knows what’s the best course of action is in any given scenario.  This is someone you definitely want with you if you’re ever traveling somewhere!

@Cakalusa

Ah, the elusive Cakalusa!  One of the Xanga OGs, he has been an active and popular user for a while now.  Besides blogging here, he’s doing big things over at YouTube and MYX TV that I’m sure people will take notice soon if they haven’t already.  Despite what some of his entries may imply, he’s really quite the humble gentleman in person.  Watch out ladies!

@Timmmmmmy

Timmy and I have known each other all of our lives, ever since we were still in the womb.  Lately, he has accompanied me to so many Xanga meet ups that I finally made a Xanga for him as a novelty.  To my surprise, he has been actively blogging on the account, and blogging well!  Although new around here, I have no doubt he will make a great addition to the community. 

There you have it!  As I said earlier, Team ASSCAT will be debuting an excellent contest that we hope many of you will participate in.  You don’t want to miss out, trust me.

I have to thank @nimbusthedragon for inspiring me to do this.  Earlier this month, she made a post about a letter she wrote to her inconsiderate roommates.  In her letter, she mentioned she kept a log on her computer of all the times she had to clean up her roommates’ messes to show she wasn’t being unfair in her assessment.

What a great idea Liz!  You see, I live in a big house that resembles a dorm hall.  Basically, 12 people live here and while we each have our own room, we all share one big kitchen.  Not surprisingly, there are a few housemates that tend to leave their crap out no matter how many reminders we give them to be considerate of others.

That is why a couple of my cleaner housemates and I started this Tumblr page:  MyMessyHousemates.  Don’t worry!  Xanga is still my blogging home, but I have to admit that Tumblr is great for microblogging pictures.  Since July 12th, we have been keeping track of our housemates’ messes and posting it to this blog for future reference.

Let’s start with the first picture I posted on the blog:

One housemates left all of these dirty dishes in the sink for four days.  Remember, we share the kitchen so this was definitely getting in everyone’s way when we try to watch our own dishes.  Why didn’t he just put them in the dishwasher?  At least we have the other sink to use without any obstacles, right?

Oh come on!  Seriously, if you have time to make cereal in the morning you have time to clean it up before you leave!  It’s not hard at all, really.  Must you take up both available sinks too?!  Ahhh!

Soon after taking this picture, an email was sent out to the house reminding (for the 3294 time) that dishes are to be dealt with immediately, not when it was convenient for them.  Things were fine for a few days, but then it reverted back to business as usual:

*Shake my head*

Besides the dishes, other tiny but annoying issues popped up here and there.  For example…

Why. Are. Random. Caps. Everywhere?!

So yes, this could be worse…but it’s still annoying.  Recording all of our inconsiderate housemates’ messes in this blog has been, if nothing else, a great way to channel our frustrations at this persistent, ongoing issue.  We plan on eventually sending the link to the offending housemates and/or our landlord so they can see what some of us have to deal with all the time when we use the kitchen.  Plus, now whenever a housemate denies that they’re at fault or says, “I’ve only left dirty dishes once/twice/etc.!” we have this growing body of evidence to present to them to show otherwise.  Lawyered!

How do you deal with living with a messy person?

Recently, some people reminded me that I haven’t made a video with my brother in a long time.  Upon inspection, I confirmed that we haven’t shot one in over a year (here’s the last one)!  Whoa, time sure went by fast.

Since the last video, I had moved away which is why I haven’t had much opportunities to do one with him.  I happened to be home this weekend, so we decided to create one just for fun.  The premise of the video is to show how my brother really interacts with me whenever I’m just chilling at home.  I set up the video camera on the side and told him to just come in behaving the way he normally does (which is, to say, the annoying little brother role he perfected oh so well).  We pretty much improvised the entire time, so all of the reactions were real.  Check it out:

Here’s a bonus clip of a lovely, tender moment between my brother and my mom.  Why did I ever leave home, right?

P.S.  July is still keeping me busy!  I will hopefully be able to update regularly after this month.  BTW, if you happen to be in the Northern VA area this weekend, feel free to check out this big Asian Festival I’ll be at working.  Come say hello!

This really happened to me not too long ago.

A female friend and I were heading somewhere when she asked me if we could stop by a convenience store to get something.  Now, I’m not going to say exactly what we bought in case my friend wants to keep that detail private, but let’s just say it was an item someone might feel embarrassed about buying with people watching (hint: it was mentioned by at least one person in my recent pulse).  Yeah, feel free to use your imagination for now.

Anyway, we went into a small convenience store in the subway.  It was empty except for the clerk and one other customer.  My friend (let’s use Mila Kunis to represent her) and I walk up to the counter and I casually asked the clerk for said embarrassing item.

“Hi, can I buy one of those ______ over there?”

So far so good.  While the clerk was grabbing the item for me, I noticed from the corner of my eye my friend opening her purse to get some money.  Since it wasn’t terribly expensive, I reached over to pat her on her shoulder and said, “Don’t worry, I got this.”

Almost immediately, I felt something wasn’t right.  I turned my head to discover that the person I just touched and talked to was NOT my friend!

Apparently, my friend decided to step back behind me because she was too embarrassed of what we were buying.  The customer that was already in the store then stepped up to the counter next to me and was getting ready to buy her stuff when I touched and spoke to her.  It didn’t help that this customer looked a lot like my friend from the side (hence why I chose a picture of Sarah Hyland from Modern Family to represent the customer.  Don’t they look like they could be related?).

Within the next few seconds, the following took place:  I did a double take on the customer.  I looked back at my friend.  My friend looked at me like .  I looked at the customer again like .  The customer looked at me like .  The customer then saw the “special” item I was buying before looking back at me like !  In response, I looked back at her like !!!  After another second or two of silence passed, I managed to exclaim, “Well, THIS is awkward.”

Thankfully, the customer understood what happened and just smiled, telling me that it’s okay.  Now red faced, I quickly bought that item and left the store promptly with my laughing friend.  Whoops!

I still can’t believe something like this actually happened.  Have you ever experienced a similar scenario where you mistaken a stranger for someone else?  How did that go?

Exactly a month ago, I created a second Cyanide and Happiness post after making one a few months back (click here for the first one and here for the second one).  Since y’all seem to enjoy them and I enjoy making them, here’s a batch of 6 more!  This go around I had Toronto Xangans participate in making the following comic strips.  Enjoy our versions!

#2 Boyfriend? (ft. @TheHealthRabbit and @Roadlesstaken)

#3 Super Cougar (ft. @Roadlesstaken and @Joanna_Said_SO)

#4 Music Memories (ft. @AzureRecollections and @Roadlesstaken)

#5 Unintentional Innuendo (ft. @dObserver, @Kinamorata, and @Roadlesstaken)

#6 Spin the Bottle (ft. @Roadlesstaken, @Caeliosophy, @dObserver, and @Unfathomablelove)

I’m back from an unforgettable trip to Toronto this past weekend!  A few months ago, I decided to go after a few Xangans in that area requested I visit.  I didn’t really put it out there that I was doing a Toronto meet up, but I did mention it several times in my blogs and pulses in case anyone was interested in hanging out.  In the end, I hung out with a decent sized group of Xangans that did a great job making me feel at home. 

Note: This will be a very long recap post with a lot of pictures (most taken by @azurerecollections), so get ready!

This weekend, I will be doing my first international trip to visit Xangans in Toronto, ON, Canada.  I’m so excited!  I can’t believe that within a couple years I have met between 120-150 people from this site, with no signs of stopping.  I didn’t imagine any of this would happen when I started writing here, but I’m glad it did.

GodlessLiberal asked me for some advice on how to host a successful meet up.  Do I know everything there is to know?  Of course not, but I feel I’ve had enough experiences with meet ups that I can offer some valuable input on this topic.  Here are several things I’ve learned and observations I’ve made that may prove to be useful for anyone that’s interested:

Get the word out
First off, you want to see if there’s any interests out there.  Usually, this can be done by writing up a post or making a plug to reach out.  While this is all good for awareness, it requires a bit more effort to get people to definitely commit.  I found that contacting interested individuals personally (via private message, for example) is a better way of getting more confirmations than just a general shout out.  Be proactive!

Plan early and update continuously
I recommend setting up a date and time (weekends and during the afternoon tend to work out well) at least a month or two in advance so that people can put it in their schedule.  Every few weeks, and perhaps every few days as the date gets closer, I would remind people so they don’t forget.  It can still work out if you set something up relatively last minute, but that’s much easier to do when you’re only dealing with a couple people.  If you’re expecting 6+ people to come out then it’s a safer bet to mention plans earlier.  That takes me to the next point…

Understand the scope of your meet

The first picture was taken this past Saturday at a house party where I invited Bengozen and HelloKitty0809.  The second picture was taken this past April at the NYC meet.  I would consider both of them meet ups, but they require entirely different preparation processes.  Ask yourself:  “How many people are coming out?  How long will the meet up last?  What will everybody do?  What’s a general start and end time for everything?”  Figure out the extent of your meet up so your expectations are realistic.

Who will come out?
This is swayed by a lot of factors, but I will cover what I feel are the strongest influences (for now, let’s say we are only dealing with people open enough to attend these type of meetings in the first place).

Location is really important.  A meet up in South Dakota is probably not going to be as well attended as, say, one in New York or California.  Try to identify locations that either more people are located or a location that people would be willing to travel to.

The people already confirmed to go and/or host will affect the demographics of other attendees.  I am a mid 20s Asian guy that have readers from a variety of backgrounds.  However, a big percentage of my readers happen to be around my age, Asian, and female.  Thus, if I broadcast that I’m doing a meet up the people that show will most likely reflect my viewership.  For example, here are pictures taken at meet ups in California and Houston:

However, the location can affects the demographics too.  Personally, I have a lot of Asian friends on here that are from CA, Canada, and NY.  With that being the case, I expect to have a large Asian representation in meets at those locations.  On the other hand, my expectations are different when I meet folks near my area (MD/VA/DC).  It just so happens that the people I know around here are a bit more mixed.  For example, here are some pictures from VA and DC meet ups:

This last point I’m making in this section is rather obvious, but I figure I should point it out anyway; having more well-known Xangans attending/hosting meet ups will generate more interests than meet ups without them.  They will draw more people in through their larger network of contacts and people may come out just so they can meet them in particular.

Make and post up a list of attendees
People want to know what they’re getting themselves into, so if they know who will be there that will play a part in their decision making.  This will also help you when you’re figuring out the scope of your meet.

Accept that some people will flake out
There are going to be a lot of maybes and even confirmed folks that will drop out at the last minute due to various reasons/excuses.  To be honest, I even did that at the first DC meet up I could have attended!  I was a little shy and iffy about meeting people at the time, which I suspect is the case for many people that have never attended one of these functions.

Have others assist you
This was me during the NY Meet in April.  Noticed something?

I was on the phone A LOT with people trying to find their way, which made it difficult for me to communicate with the people already there.  In hindsight, I probably should have had more people be contacts for this huge meet.  Co-hosts are a wise investment.  The more organizers, the more duties can be divided up so it doesn’t become overwhelming.

Provide a phone number for those coming
Use a Google Voice number if you don’t feel comfortable giving out your number.  Trust me, having a way for people to contact you over the phone will save you a lot of confusion when you’re trying to locate people and vice versa.

Break the ice
Nope, this isn’t college orientation but it is similar in that you will probably be meeting some new people.  Sure, it can be awkward at first, but an icebreaker to get people talking with others they don’t know will generate more friendships and interactions in the long run for everyone.  Name tags could prove to be useful in bigger groups.  I haven’t done much of that myself, but it seemed to work out okay at the Xanga Team happy hour.

What should you do?
Grabbing lunch or dinner works, but if you want it to be more entertaining I would go even further than that.  In the past I’ve done group activities such as sight-seeing, museums, and karaoke.  Remember that what you choose will vary depending on the crowd.  If you know that the people going would enjoy drinking and clubbing, then that’s something to consider.  However, if you’re expecting more variety in age then something like a picnic at the park would be a more appropriate setting.

Finally, promise full body massages to everyone that comes!
Just kidding.

Sorry this was pretty long, but I’m sure many of you just skimmed through it anyway haha.  Hope that my advice made some of you more aware of what to anticipate when setting up a meet.  Feel free to suggest other tips as I didn’t cover everything, but I think I went over the major points I wanted to make.  I know these things aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but when done well it can lead to some great memories and fun times.  Many of us can vouch for that statement.

Alright, time to venture off to Toronto!  See you after the 27th.

Imagine I told you I know of a US Navy officer with a degree in electrical engineering. This fella would be considered by many as being tall, dark and handsome.  At the same time, one could say he’s charming, funny, and easy to get along with.  Now imagine this guy doing some of the most romantic gestures you can think of, such as surprising a girl to a horse-drawn chariot through town or a helicopter ride overlooking the city.  Picture him, after a late night party, waking up ungodly early in order to purchase bouquets of flowers in time to give someone later that day, just because he could.

Let’s take it even further!  Picture this scenario: this guy decides to drive hours to a girl after hearing she is sick and could use some soup (note: at no point does she seriously requests for him to actually do something for her).  He has work the next day, so he can only drop off several cans of soup before rushing back home.  However, upon receiving word that she was still not feeling better he turns right back around to be there for her.  He stays until her roommates come back to watch over her, hours after he was suppose to head back home.  The great thing is that he does all this because he truly cares about her and does not expect anything really in return except knowing she is okay.

You might be saying, “Alex, you’ve been watching too many movies!  What world do you live in that has guys like that?”  Guess what?  I’m not making this person up.  This gentleman exists, and he is my long time friend Darréll.

Sorry, the meme bug still isn’t completely out of me…

As much of a romantic I can be, he seriously takes it up several notches.  Sure, some people might say he goes way too far and is setting himself up for potential heartache.  I have to say though, of all the problems a person could have being overly romantic and caring sure isn’t so bad!  I say more power to him.

Swaggajackin’ LIKE A BAUSS

Nowadays, I am no longer surprise when I hear about his crazy, yet awesome antics.  Instead, I immediately have to give him props (not just eProps!) for the things he ends up doing.  My friend really is an outstanding person and I’m glad to know him.  Ladies, better get him while he’s on the market!

About 10 years ago, I watched this underrated movie called Vanilla Sky.  Although it received mixed reviews from critics, it ended up becoming one of my favorite movies (no, not because Penelope Cruz was in it, although she was certainly not bad to watch!).  I’ll save my review of it for some other time.  The reason why I bring up this movie though is because I want to acknowledge how it highly influenced my life motto.

Something about what Jason Lee’s character said really impacted me the moment I heard it.  Perhaps it was because during the time I watched the movie I was a lot more pessimistic about myself and the way the world treated me.  I felt discouraged after finding myself on the losing side over and over again, with no signs of my fortunes improving.  Disappointment was becoming a good buddy of mine.

Hearing that line sparked a major change in my mindset.  Instead of feeling defeated by my letdowns, I began embracing them.  I realized that I won’t always get what I want, but when I finally do I will appreciate it much more after enduring through all the rough times.  I began feeling like if I can remember this and just persevere, learning from the wrong turns I’ve made, I will eventually be on the up and up. 

My life motto ended up being a modified version of that line from Vanilla Sky:  “the sweet is never as sweet without the bitter.”  It doesn’t always apply to everything I do, but it does when I need it the most.

What is your life motto, and how did it come about for you?

*Quick shout out to ThePrince, who inadvertently inspired me to write this.  I was, in fact, one of the two people he dedicated his latest post to.  His post was a healthy reminder for me to remember my motto after encountering some recent wrong turns.  Thanks again Michael.  I’m starting to find my way and it feels as awesome as you predicted.*

(Don’t worry, I promise I’ll cut back on all the meme making and the lame puns after this post!)

It has been a busy week, trying to catch up with work as well as recovering from my moMEMEtous weekend in New York.  I highly recommend checking out babychillax’s post as well as Sonychak‘s vlogs (Friday and Saturday) if you want to see what all went down.

Since they already did a treMEMEdous job capturing our antics, I will briefly tell you about the MEMEorable weekend through (as you guessed it) memes!