Comedy Writing, Pop Culture, Movies, Movie Quotes, Driving across the United States, True Crime Stories, The Seattle Mariners, Fantasy Baseball, and Forensic Psychology.
Music
Lots of pop bands and one-hit wonder artists who have no redeeming artistic value and are scoffed at by people who know anything about music. Let's put it this way, I'm a straight male over 30 who owns more than one Spice Girls album. It's possible that I have the worst taste in music of any human being on the face of the earth. Sorry.
Movies
The Bad News Bears, The Karate Kid, Kingpin, A Fish Called Wanda, The Rock, The Big Lebowski, American Pie, Drop Dead Gorgeous, Fargo, Harold and Maude, There's Something About Mary, The Wicker Man, Clash of the Titans, Phantasm, Manos: The Hands of Fate, Halloween, Friday the 13th parts 3 and 6... and just about every horror movie ever made. I am an absolute movie freak and I can probably recite about 30 movie scripts start to finish from memory.
Television
Arrested Development, Saturday Night Live, Mystery Science Theater 3000, How I Met Your Mother, Degrassi Junior High, Survivor, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, The Mole, Seinfeld, Who Wants to be a Superhero?, Silver Spoons, Beverly Hills 90210 (old school), and Almost Live (a Seattle-based comedy show from the 80's and 90's.)
Books
The Stand by Stephen King. The Kindness of Strangers by Mike McIntyre. Any true crime book by Ann Rule.
Heroes
Andy Kaufman, Sam Kinison, Norm MacDonald, Mitch Hedberg, Will Ferrell, Rickey Henderson, Edgar Martinez, Trey Parker, Tom Leykis, Jesse "The Body" Ventura and, of course, Jennifer Love Hewitt.
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara,California
Graduated: 1996
Student status: Alumni
Degree: Bachelor's Degree
Major: Psychology
Minor: English/Classics
Clubs: Eta Sigma Phi (Classics Honor Society), Santa Clara Review Published Author, Best Sega Genesis Player - NHL '95
1993 to 1996
Interlake Senior High School
Bellevue,Washington
Graduated: 1992
Student status: Alumni
Degree: High School Diploma
Clubs: Baseball, Basketball, Honor Society, Band, Knowledge Bowl (Ta Mere '92).
1989 to 1992
Mario's Companies
Vandelay Industries Los Angeles, California US Importer/Exporter Latex
Jan 5, 1975 - present
Subway Sandwiches and Salads Bellevue, WA US Sandwich Artist Lunchtime
1992-1994
Future Systems Seattle, WA US Kid Programmer
1997-1998
Healthcare Partners Torrance, CA US MUMPS Programmer/Star Softball Player
1999-2000
InterSystems Corp. Cambridge, MA US Support Analyst/Slacker
2001
Cedars-Sinai Medical Network Beverly Hills, CA US Programmer/Analyst/Survivor columnist
2001-2003
Perot Systems Anaheim, CA US Black Sheep/I.T. Bitch
Not sure. I've blocked it out
QuadraMed, Inc. San Bernardino, CA US Interface Programmer/Pop Culture Expert
2006 - present
Mario pities the fool. Posted at 6:50 PM Nov 12, 2008 view more
About me: I'm just some guy from the Pacific Northwest who loves fantasy baseball and pop culture and likes to write.
Most people will probably know me from my stint as a Survivor writer (2000-2005), but I retired from doing that full time a couple of years ago. The last Survivor writing I did at all was the Survivor Funny 115: http://www.averdata.net/~locbaseb/funny/funny115.htm
In regards to my job, I'm a programmer by day but that's really not what I am interested in. I just lucked into programming back in 1997 and, like a soulless prostitute, I stay in it for the money (see Rodriguez, Alex).
My real calling in life is a comedy writer, but unfortunately that just hasn't happened yet. I'm working on it, I really am. But we could be looking at more of a long term investment here. I'll let you know if something changes.
Oh yeah and even though I have lived in California since 1999, my heart will always be back in Seattle. The Northwest is my home, the Mariners are my team, Dick's Deluxe is my hamburger, and I will never convert to being a Californian.
California can eat me.
My Survivor writing archives:
http://mario-stuff.110mb.com/survivor.htm
The 115 Funniest Things to ever Happen on Survivor (The Funny 115):
http://www.averdata.net/~locbaseb/funny/funny115.htm
My sketch comedy collection:
http://snlyou.jt.org/writers/lanza.phtml
My "Will Ferrell's Top SNL Moments" Tribute page:
http://members.aol.com/MLanza1974/ferrell.htm
My cross-country driving blog:
http://members.aol.com/MLanza1974/thetrip.htm
My Movie Hall of Fame page:
http://members.aol.com/MLanza1974/movies.htm
My Seattle Mariners memories page:
http://schoolersave.livejournal.com/
Be sure to read my 2008 Pop Culture Blog Experiment! I'm posting a new essay about pop culture every day of the year from January to December! Wish me luck!
Who I'd like to meet: Anybody with even a passing interest in pop culture, the TV show Survivor, comedy writing, forensic psychology/true crime stories, The Pacific Northwest, or baseball. If you fit into any one of the categories above, drop me a line!
Also, if you happen to be a suffer of Benign Fasciculation Syndrome (BFS) like I am, drop me an email and say hi. You know who you are. And no, what you have isn't serious.
At the Century Stadium 25 promenade in Orange, CA (off the 57 freeway and Katella near the Big A) they just opened the first Bob's Big Boy Restaraunt in OC, I know there has been one in Diamond Bar during these years, but if you love nostalgia, take your family there.
supposedly, Survivor season 20 is going to be a "HEROS VS VILLAINS" all star edition, which I think might be cool. Richard Hatch won't be able to make it as he is still on parole, which is a shame, but would rather see him in a all WINNERS edition anyway.
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