Rodrigo profile picture

Rodrigo

I am here for Dating, Friends and Networking

About Me

...look around once in a while, you could miss it". A homo sapiens sapiens of the hispanic variety. A person who, throughout life, has always taken the hard route. I have been involved in some kind of athletic activity since I was 13 and plan on continuing to abuse my body until the day I die, even if I have to use a walker to go hiking or I need help submitting someone on the mat. My main drives in life, at this moment, are getting my business off the ground and training in brazilian jiujitsu as much as humanly possible. A few years ago I became a recovering workaholic and decided life is too short and fragile to spend it working absurd hours for people who don't appreciate your efforts (most producers). This point was driven home by the births of my nephew Nico and niece Eva. Besides spending time with friends and family, I like to read, listen to music constantly, people watch, hike, photography, films, etc. PS. You get extra points if you know where my headline is from.

My Interests

Let's see, where do I start? I love sushi, beer, eating out, dive bars, clubbing every few months or so, seeing DM everytime they come to town, music, reading, archaeology, geology, history, films, drives down PCH with an awesome soundsystem blaring, massage (i'm home schooled),hiking, running occasionally, martial arts (BJJ, submission wrestling, hapkido), the internet (what the hell did we do before the internet?), chasing Nico and Eva around, sushi at Sushi Dan's, Stella Artois, Mt. Lowe, Venice Beach, people watching, did I mention sushi?

I'd like to meet:

ALL AND ANY REQUESTS FOR FRIENDS ADDS WILL BE DENIED UNLESS PREFACED BY SOME KIND OF CORRESPONDENCE!!! I'M NOT HERE TO WIN ANY POPULARITY CONTESTS!!!!! Any cool, openminded, friendly people. Especially electronica junkies like me...But please, don't add me just to inflate your friends count, thanks :)

Music:

Where do I start? I have loved music since as long as I can remember. My Mom got me a small boom box when I was a rugrat and I remember that thing changed my life. Since then the longest I have ever gone without listening to music is 2 months (basic training). Even then I would dream about music. My first love was and is 80's alternative/KROQ-type of music. I grew up on the likes of Depeche Mode (haven't missed a live show since I was 13), The Smiths, The Cure, New Order, OMD, Cocteau Twins, The Pretenders, U2, Adam Ant, Flock of Seagulls, General Public, Primal Scream, Psychedelic Furs, B-52's, This Mortal Coil, 10,000 Maniacs, Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Sundays, etc. I naturally progressed on to listen to electronica, namely house and trance. I first discovered Sasha and John Digweed and Orbital. From there I have gone on to mostly progressive DJ's like Paul Van Dyk (by far the Man), Tiesto (#2 in my book), Ferry Corsten, Judge Jules, George Acosta, BT, Sander Kleinenberg, etc. I'm not as familiar with house but still like it lots thanks to my trip to Europe.

Movies:

I admit to being a film snob in that I only watch certain films these days. The boring, insultingly predicable films that clog up theatres I avoid. I actually prefer films where the bad guys win and the good guy dies. That is life. Let's face it. Don't kid yourself. My fav films of all times; Seven, Heat, Quest For Fire, Human Traffic, Blow, Platoon, Major Payne, any supercheesy old martial arts films (the kind where the actors fly through the air and throw guillotines at each other), PVD's Global, The Thin Red Line, Battle Royale, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, etc. Pretty much any films directed by Micheal Mann and David Fincher.

Television:

I just say no to TV but if forced I watch Discovery, TLC and the History Channel.

Books:

Used to read lots of fiction like Stephen King, Anne Rice and John Grisham but now I prefer to read non-fiction. My favs are Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies, A People's History of the United States, Killing Pablo, Aztec and Aztec Autumn (historical fiction, technically). But my all time favs are The Stand by Stephen King and Dune by Frank Herbert.

Heroes:

Grand Master Chong S. Kim and all the teachers and students at Kim's Hapkido, Rigan and Roger Machado and all the teachers and students at Machado Jiujitsu, Rickson Gracie, my Grams, Nicolaus Copernicus, Galileo Galilei, Charles Darwin, Quentin Tarantino, Bill Hicks, David Fincher, Michael Mann, Martin Gore, Giordano Bruno, Uncles' Memo, Robert and Joe, Gahndi, Martin Luther King, Jr, all the men and women in the military overseas because that could have been me, and Mom, of course :)

My Blog

A Westside Princess story

So a couple of months ago I was working for E! Entertainment's company party.  Usually we electricians wear shorts and t-shirts as we do some manual labor.  But this time the Boss told us to...
Posted by Rodrigo on Thu, 22 Sep 2005 12:36:00 PST

Scarboro

I'm going to tell you a little story kids... A few years ago I was working on a commercial as aproduction assistant (think the schlepp of production) inthe city of Long Beach.  I was doing m...
Posted by Rodrigo on Thu, 11 May 2006 10:19:00 PST

Flying

Wow! Had a crazy dream last night.  Of course, most of my dreams are totally unrealistic and strange.  But this dream last night was awesome!!!  I can't remember all the details exactly...
Posted by Rodrigo on Sat, 15 Apr 2006 10:37:00 PST

FINALLY!

Just a small sidenote in my life.  Today, January 6, 2006, I was finally promoted to purple belt by my teacher, Roger Machado.  This may or may not mean a thing to the common layperson but t...
Posted by Rodrigo on Sat, 07 Jan 2006 05:35:00 PST

Smooth Moves, LLC

So with new year around the corner I have a new goal and objective in life.  No, not a silly New Year's resolution like "Workout more" but a life-changing move on my part.  After thinking an...
Posted by Rodrigo on Sat, 31 Dec 2005 08:18:00 PST

Brazilian Jiujitsu

Why do I love jiujitsu so much? I have no idea. Generally it involves arduous exhausting training and your partner/opponent is always trying to either choke you or bend some body part of yours the w...
Posted by Rodrigo on Mon, 01 Jan 1900 12:00:00 PST

Local 80

I have finally gotten my bad self into a union. Local 80 represents film and television grips in LA and they are the best in the world!!! This last feature was the culmination of 6 years of asskicki...
Posted by Rodrigo on Mon, 01 Jan 1900 12:00:00 PST

Nephew Nicholas

Today was the first day my nephew Nicholas ever said "Uncle"!! I was in the bathroom doing my bid-nizz and he didn't know where I was so he asked my Mom "Uncle?". Awww yeah!!!!!...
Posted by Rodrigo on Mon, 01 Jan 1900 12:00:00 PST

Home...

Ever get a warm fuzzy feeling when you see an awesome view of LA?  Forget all the negative aspects of city living and just take in the view of a gorgeous cityscape.  Try checking it out from the pass ...
Posted by Rodrigo on Mon, 01 Jan 1900 12:00:00 PST

Jailhouse workout

Since I am virtually a prisoner in my own apartment, I have begun the Jailhouse workout. Start with a brisk hour walk down Ventura, then 100 standard crunches, followed by 50 oblique crunches (both si...
Posted by Rodrigo on Mon, 01 Jan 1900 12:00:00 PST