Marco and Polo See a Sexy Magic Tiger

Hey Polo here,
   In late June Marco,Tex, and I were in Colorado (Yay Rocky Mountains!!!) while on this trip we took a day to spend in Denver (the Capitol city), we spent the day walking 16th street (a large outdoor mall).  There really isn't too much to do on 16th street when you're a bunch of poor college students who have rent and car payments to make...  Not to mention the tuition.  Therefore we just walked up and down the street looking at the different shops and more importantly the different people.  Now for those of you who have never been to Denver it is stock full of crazies (for the most part they're completely harmless), this includes street musicians, protestors, advocates, magicians, and if you're lucky the robot-man.  We weren't lucky enough for the robot-man but we did run into an advocate and a magician.  We spent almost half an hour talking with a woman who was trying to get people to sponsor underprivileged children in different countries.  You know the type, the people who stand out in the middle of a busy sidewalk and ask you for just a moment of your time...  Well she was one of those, she told us it would only take a few minutes but then we kept talking about our lives, what we were studying, how we lived, etc.  She was one of those people who told us no excuse was good enough not to help an underprivileged child. And us, we decided to sponsor a child in Zambia, as a house, so the hobo house now has a child we are helping (more information to come).    Marco here, I'd just like to chime in and say that she was impressive in not letting us have an excuse to say no.  By the end of our conversation I didn't just feel like we said yes so that we could leave, I felt like we said yes because she had convinced us that it was the right thing to do! Later that day we decided to stop and watch a street magician *excuse me* illusionist (Tex loves street shows, used to watch them in New Orleans), he was hilarious and fairly decent.  There was a lot of slight of hand, a ton of crude jokes, and a little magic.  Now I know I know, as a scientist I shouldn't (and mostly don't) believe in magic, but there has always been a tiny part of my mind (the part that died a little when I turned eleven) that has inexplicably believed in some sort of magic out there (even if it is just in a conman with a talent for theatrics).  Either way the guy, Garret DePass, was brilliant and hilarious. Marco here again, I second the brilliant and hilarious part.  This guy had me laughing or too shocked to laugh the whole time, including when he posed for a picture by growling and saying "I'm a sexy magic tiger!"  Also, I think we need to mention that the guy hammered a 4 inch nail up his nose, it was intense!

If interested in sponsoring you're very own underprivileged child check out:
      http://www2.children.org/en/us/Pages/Home.aspx

Or  in a little magic and illusion:
      www.depassmagic.com

Till next time, Stay Nerdy!
   -Polo

Marco and Polo are Psych-O's

Marco here,

Let me start by wishing all of you a very Happy Tuesday the 17th!

No, this is no ordinary day and yes, it's much more important than the preceding Friday the 13th. Unfortunately, the only people who have a great appreciation (or any appreciation) for this day are a group of people who have come to call themselves Psych-O's. No, it's not because we are crazy (although that's debatable) and no, it's not because we love psychology. We call ourselves Psych-O's because we are undeniably obsessed with a brilliant TV show known as Psych. If you've never heard of Psych, I'm very sorry for you and please educate yourself here http://www.usanetwork.com/series/psych/; If you have, congratulations and treat yourself to some delicious pineapple! 

For those of you too lazy to follow the link and educate yourselves, Psych is TV series about the eccentric (who looks good in jeans) Shawn Spencer and his best friend/trusty sidekick Burton (Gus) Guster who run a Psychic Detective Agency called 'Psych'.  Shawn and Gus are consultants for the Santa Barbara Police Department and have helped Detectives Carlton (Lassie) Lassiter and Juliet (Jules) O'Hara solve many cases using Shawn's paranormal abilities. Who really believes in psychics though? Maybe Shawn is just hyper-observant with an eidetic memory who was trained as a kid by his detective father to become a cop. What makes the show so great? It's never a dull moment with all of Shawn and Gus' tomfoolery and silliness, the nonsense malarkeys and shenanigans, and never forget the serious Shawn moments that are setting new heights for romantics everywhere.

So back to this Tuesday the 17th business, yes it's the Tuesday that follows a Friday the 13th which is when the episode 'Tuesday the 17th' originally aired.  The episode Tuesday the 17th, aside from being one of my favorite episodes of Psych, is a spoof of Friday the 13th and other scary movie themes. The 17th day of a month falling on Tuesday doesn't happen all too often (think about the frequency of the 13th being a Friday.) so when the 17th is a Tuesday, we Psych-O's celebrate! Mostly we just wish all our other Psych-O friends a Happy Tuesday the 17th but Polo and I always make the time in our busy (ha!) lives to watch the episode 'Tuesday the 17th'.  We've been lucky enough to have 3 Tuesday the 17th's to celebrate this year in 2012, but sadly this is last one for while, September 2013 to be exact. So make sure you celebrate it right Psych-O's and to all you not Psych-O's, today is a better day than any to give Psych a shot!

Celebrating Tuesday the 17th isn't the only reason Polo and I consider ourselves Psych-O's, we celebrate Psych in many other ways:

• Every Wednesday is Psych Night.  New episodes air on Wednesday nights, we drop everything and watch the new episode while enjoying pineapple smoothies, Hawaiian pizza, pineapple chicken dinners or any other pineapple-y treats we can think up
• We speak in Psych Quotes.  Both verbally and in sign language.
• Visiting White Rock, British Columbia is on both our bucket lists.  Although set in Santa Barbara, Psych is filmed near Vancouver in White Rock, BC.
• The Adventures of D-Licious Flava and Magic Head. A series of comics written and illustrated by Polo and I starring Shawn, Gus and the Psych gang with a few special appearances.

• Pineapples. We can never have enough of them, we bring them everywhere we can  (even lab!), eat one at least once a week and get too excited when we see pineapples anywhere we go. We're also dedicated to finding the hidden pineapple in every episode of Psych (and we're well on our way to that goal). 

So again, Happy Tuesday the 17th everyone, hope you enjoyed this little foray into the world of Psych and the lives of Polo and I as Psych-O's!

As always, Stay Nerdy (and be a Psych-O of course!)

-Marco

Marco and Polo Appreciate Dads

Polo here I know it's late (don't shoot) but this post is for all the dads out there (especially my own).  I feel like every year father's day is over shadowed by mother's day, at least when I was growing up mother's day always seemed to hold a bit more celebration than father's ever got.  So here is my piece of advise, celebrate your dad(s), even if it is a few days late.  Tell him that you love him and all the things in your life you appreciate or have because of him.  So here goes:
   Thanks Dad for all the things you do and have always done, like calling for no reason but to check that I'm still alive, for listening to and dealing with all the family drama and craziness, for sticking around even when we said mean things (which we probably never apologized for and definitely never really meant). For taking care of pets who without you (lets be serious) probably could have called the pet police for neglect, for teaching us how to survive in the wild mountains of CO, for teaching us how to find our way home (even if you would never stop for directions yourself). For getting up early to make delicious breakfast even though we'll most likely growl at you for being so awake at such an hour, for making coffee the smell that will forever remind me of home, for buying the peanut butter I like even when you prefer something else.  Thank you for letting me be me and for being my dad I couldn't imagine having a better one.
   To all you dads out there, remember that it if the infinite number of little things you do in your children's lives that they will hardly ever think to thank you for, that will be the things they recall when a person asks why they love their father.

As always stay nerdy!
(and happy belated Father's day)

Marco and Polo Remember...

Hello everyone,
   We hope you are all enjoying your long weekend from school.  While we are enjoying our weekend we thought it would be important to honor the reason why we are enjoying the time off from school.  For our non-American readers, today is Memorial Day in the US.  Memorial day is celebrated on the last Monday in May (i.e. today), and is celebrated in honour of all of the men and women who have fallen in the fight for the freedom of the United States and her citizens.  Although it may seem so, today is not National Barbecue Day. But what better way to spend free time with family and friends.  Cause while there are parades, flags hung at half-staff and people visiting national cemeteries and war monuments it doesn't seem enough for the people who have given their lives for our right to live freely.  I remember as a child only thinking of this day as a get-out-of-school-free card I now consider it under a different light, so this year, today I plan on recognizing this day and the men and women it honours by participated in the 'National Moment of Remembrance' taking a few minutes at 3 o'clock to sit in silence and thank God for all the people who have fallen in the line of duty and pray for those that continue to fight today.

 So enjoy your barbecues today, just take a moment and remember those men and women who have fought and who fight now for your freedom to enjoy your life as an American.

Remember, and stay nerdy.
-Marco and Polo

Marco and Polo Thank the Creators of IcyHot

In case you haven't caught on we are crazy, as such a couple of weeks ago we decided to have one of our signature 'death' workouts.  a death workout is a day for us to go to the rec and see how far we can push our bodies, this means working out for hours, switching between muscle groups, consuming protein bars, and lots and lots of water (and power drinks).  We know, we know, this cannot be healthy, especially since we only do it about once every 6 months.  But we don't do it for the physical health, we do it for the mental health.  The incredible 'high' we get out of pushing ourselves into our chemical homeostasis is so off balance that we can't stop trembling, and the relaxing calm we receive as a result.  So what do these insane work outs of death look like?

Protein Consumed:
   Marco: 115g
   Polo: 87.5g
Time Spent at the Rec: 4.5 hours
Work-Out:
   10 minute stretch
   Run: 2k (Tex ran with us as our honorary Drill Sergent)
   Walk: 1k (between the run)
   Benching: 3 sets of 15
      Marco: 75 lbs
      Polo: 65 lbs
   Bicep Curls: 2 sets of 15
      Marco: 20 lbs
      Polo: 15 lbs
   Tricep 'thingies': 2 sets of 15
      Marco: 20 lbs
      Polo: 15 lbs
   Leg Press: 2 sets of 15
      Marco: 290 lbs
      Polo: 200 lbs
   Calf Press: 2 sets 15
      Marco: 290 lbs
      Polo: 200 lbs
   'Hulks': 2 sets of 15
      Marco: 15 lbs
      Polo: 10 lbs
   'Arm Hangs': 2 sets
      Marco: 13s & 26s
      Polo: 40s & 37s
   Roman Chair: 4 sets of 15
   Stationary Bike: 30 minutes
   Sit-ups: 2 sets of 30
   Sit-ups Tex style: 2 sets of 15
   Leg Lifts: 3 sets of 15
   'Death by Ball': 2 sets of 15
   Leg Extensions: 2 sets of 15
      Marco: 60 lbs
      Polo: 37.5 lbs
   Leg Curls: 2 sets of 15
      Marco: 80 lbs
      Polo: 37.5 lbs
   Plank: 2 sets (60s & 45s)
   Back Press: 2 sets of 15
      Marco: 150 lbs
      Polo: 100 lbs
   Side Plank: 2 sets (30s)
   Wall Sits: 2 sets (60s & 30s)
    Assisted Pull-ups:
      Marco: 3 sets of 5
      Polo: 1 set of 15
   Abductor: 2 sets of 15
      Marco: 100 lbs
      Polo: 50 lbs
   Adductor: 2 sets of 15
      Marco: 87.5 lbs
      Polo: 50 lbs
   'Blast-Offs': 2 sets of 15
      Marco: 50 lbs
      Polo: 25 lbs
   Military Press: 2 sets of 15
      Marco: 37.5 lbs
      Polo: 12.5 lbs
   Angled Crunch: 2 sets of 15 with 4 lbs
   'Knees to the Boobies Jumps': 3 sets of 5
   10 minute stretch
IcyHot Applications:
   Marco: 2
   Polo: 3

We know it's crazy but we love to do it, we're thinking it's about time to overhaul, increase the sets/reps.  We're up for suggestions, please drop a few in the comments :)

Stay Nerdy
   Marco and Polo

Marco and Polo give Thanks to Moms

Polo here,
As you all may or may not be aware today is Mother's Day.  A day put aside every year for kids to give thanks to their moms.  So here is our thanks to moms everywhere!!!  We both have several people in our lives we find need to thank on this day, so here is our public thanks to all those women who are not our biological moms but who are just as important in our lives.  So here is our personal thanks to all our moms out there:

How did you find the energy, Mom?
To do all the things you did,
To be teacher, nurse and counselor
To me, when I was a kid.

How did you do it all, Mom?
Be a chauffeur, cook and friend,
Yet find time to be a playmate,
I just can't comprehend.

I see now it was love, Mom
That made you come whenever I'd call,
Your inexhaustible love, Mom
And I thank you for it all.

-Author Unknown-

Love you mom, and thanks.

As Always Stay Nerdy!

   -Polo

Marco and Polo make life decisions.....for now.

Marco here, what a week...It's been a rough one for Polo and I (hours of homework, Analytical Chemistry Exams and dying fish) but it's definitely had some up-times, like playing Twister with Tex, free lunches and 2 pancake nights).  Maybe the best part though? Finally making some life decisions for post-graduation (trust me, this is a big deal for the two us, we're pretty much the most indecisive people ever).

For Polo, it happened on Monday around lunch time when some recruiters from the U.S. Navy came to talk to our Pre-Med club about their Health Professions Scholarship Program.  It was love at first sight for Polo; She actually applied to Annapolis for undergrad.  I can let Polo elaborate on this front but her current plan? Go to med school (paid for by the Navy) and then serve at least three years active duty.
   Polo:  I'm not entirely certain about the medical school bit, I am tossing around a few things, (i.e. pediatrics or forensic pathologist, neurobiology w/ behavioral psychology, anthropology, teaching, and if you ask my boss I'm going to be an optometrist)  lets be serious I'm all over the board on the future bit.  But I am definitely in love with the Navy route no matter what I go into.  Go Navy!!!

For me, it happened today when La Catedrática and a few of our other chemistry professors gave a presentation on grad schools.  I've always known I wanted to go on to some form of higher education but haven't been able to decide what to study (current top three: Forensics Chemistry/Biology, Epidemiology and begrudgingly Pharmacy) and I've been back and forth on the whole master v. PhD front... Today however, I decided. I'm going to get my PhD. Now I just have to decide in what.....but I'll save that for another day.

So a roller-coaster week and two big life decisions for Polo and I. We'll see how long they stick...like the title of this post says "For Now"

As Always, Stay Nerdy,
Marco

Marco and Polo Are Little Shits

Marco here, ever been greeted with the phrase "You little shits!"? Well, Polo and I can cross that off our bucket lists as of today.  Okay, so maybe we deserved it...we decided on Friday that it would be hilarious to tape a post-it note over the sensor on the bottom of Dr. Mom's computer mouse. Turns out,we were right, it was hilarious! Dr. Mom spent 10 minutes trying to figure out why the buttons worked but the cursor wouldn't move. I just wish we had been there to see it... In all fairness, this prank was intended for motivational purposes; the post-it note said "Sometimes you just need to laugh!" and laugh she did.

 Getting a new nickname was only the beginning of our 'experience' with Dr. Mom today. She was talking all about this new book series she just finished reading (50 Shades of Grey) and how it was just about the raciest thing she's ever read, I believe the term 'soft-core porn' was used to describe it. Anyway, she went on and on about how great this series was and how we should read it. Then she decides that Polo wouldn't be able to handle reading it but I would probably like it. [sidenote: Polo basically reads every vampire book ever written, which according to her are sometimes just as bad as this book Dr. Mom was describing I'll let Polo chime in on that one; vampires aren't my cup of blood (I mean tea!).] By the end of the conversation, Polo was dying to read this series and I had no interest. So once again Dr. Mom pegs Polo and I almost completely wrong...

A short list of all the other times Dr. Mom has pegged us wrong?

• She thought I was a quiet person- I'm definitely louder than Polo....
• She thought I wouldn't be in a sorority- I'm in a sorority
• She thought I used to beat up girl scouts when I was a kid- I WAS a girl scout for 10 years, and I'm a lifetime member

As Always, Stay Nerdy, 

Marco

Marco and Polo Take a Shot

Polo here, this week has been a hectic one...  As always despite the load of homework and insane schedule Marco and I still found time to goof off and take a 'sanity' break.  We spent some time talking with Dr. Mom (one of our professors) which is, needless to say, an adventure.  She has a lot of ambitions for Marco and I, educational and otherwise...  This week she was once again telling Marco that she would be perfect for pharmacy school, (Marco wants to be a forensic geneticist, or epidemiologist) understand that this is practically a weekly occurrence, and that I need to relax...  We love talking with Dr. Mom but it leaves our minds to questioning, Marco spent the next two hours looking into pharmacy school...  While at lunch we were mulling over what Dr. Mom had been telling us and Marco decided that speaking with Dr. Mom was like taking a shot...  It seems like a good idea but without a chaser it isn't all it's cracked up to be...  Our chaser of choice, a 'life chat' with La Catedrática (One of our AMAZING organic professors)

As Always, Stay Nerdy
Polo

Marco and Polo Make a Splash

Marco & Polo here, we finally got around to the pet store today to fill our 10 gallon fish tank (with our roomie Tex).
   Fish we had:
      -Rainbow Shark - Gibbs
      -African Dwarf Frog - DiNozzo
   Fish we wanted:
      -Snail
      -Ghost Catfish
      -Bala Shark
      -Neon Tetras
      -Cory Catfish
      -Loaches
   Fish we brought home:
      -2 Angelfish - Lucifer & Azazel
      -Albino Cory Catfish - Professor X
      -Snail - Gary

So welcome home fishies, welcome home.

After our fish tank adventure we had classes and a paper to write :( As a reward for all our hard work we treated ourselves to a 1.5k run... In the rain :)

Interesting fact: Marco and Polo HATE to run, it's the worst ever but it's on Marco's bucket list to run a 5k so we run... Today we both enjoyed it! And people say rain is depressing.

Until next time, Stay nerdy
-Marco & Polo

Marco and Polo Introducing... Marco and Polo

Hello Everyone. This is going to be one of the craziest, most random blogs. My name is Polo, myself and my good friend Marco moved into a house together earlier this year, we only see each other half the year and this is one way for us to keep in touch as well as a way to document all those crazy college moments. I guess I should start by introducing ourselves. As I said our names are Marco & Polo, bet you're wondering where that came from, we are undergrad students working on our Biochemistry degrees, Marco is from Michigan while I am from Colorado. Check out our profile for any more information and feel free to ask us questions about anything. We hope you love this little peek into the chaotic minds of us crazy science majors. Enjoy.