Ever heard the phrase "An idle mind is the devil's workshop"? Well... he rented out the place temporarily, just long enough to make this:

Hey, do you know what's really fun? Nearly dying from heart failure. They say chest pains are all the rage this season, especially with art students who have a lot of work to do & had a lot planned for themselves. 

But you know what the best part of nearly dying is? Staying in a hospital for 4 days. It's like staying in a 3-star hotel, only everything's white & sterile. The food's edible, the bed's electric, the pills taste great (especially when the hospital staff gives them to you at 3 am) & there's no better feeling than having a needle n' tube sticking out of your arm. & you meet such interesting people, too. My favorites are the 50-something year old folk who scream, nag & complain about the world falling apart & Vietnam & lefties & how Obama's the devil & snore really loud & call the nurses every 15 minutes to empty their bedpans & piss spittoons. Surprisingly, you get used to it after a few days. 

& when they let you go, they leave you some nice souvenirs: some business cards, some enlightening pamphlets on heart care, a cane to walk with, a bill for a few thousand dollars & best of all, a prescription listing 7 different pills that you gotta take 3 times a day for the next 3 months straight.

Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah!
Zip-A-Dee-Ay!
My, oh, my... what a Wonderful Day!
Plenty of sunshine, headin' my way
Wonderful feelin'
Wonderful day! 

I'm telling you, the whole experience is to die for (PUN INTENDED)

(goes to take pills & sleep)

I only ask for three things this year, & this is what I end up with:

- Popeye Vol. 3
- Some jeans & a shirt
- a personalized lap desk
- Horton Hears a Who! DVD (with audio commentary :3)
- Peanuts Specials on DVD
-The Dark Crystal on DVD
-George Carlin's last comedy special on DVD
- some cologne
- a new alarm clock/iPod player
- a $15 iTunes gift card
- a picture cabinet
- a new razor
- an "all-edges" brownie pan (& some brownie mix)
- a hard-boiled egg cooker
- a 5 lb bar of Hershey's chocolate
- a pillow
- & some saving cash

Now, the question is... where the hell am I supposed to put all this shit?

Saw 'Get Smart' this evening. 
Pretty funny film. 
Consider seeing it.

My SVA friend, Chris Niosi, posted a brief biographical list about himself on his LiveJournal page, so I thought "Hey, I'll do it too". I'm very original that way.

1. Name: Michael J. Ruocco

2. Age: 6,922 days old

3. Location:  40° 38′ 37″ N, 73° 40′ 1″ W

4. Occupation: Animator/Artist/Cartoonist/Puppeteer for Hire

5. Partner: None (as of now)

6. Kids: Steve-O, Randy, Cannibal Chicken as well as around 40 other characters I've created.

7. Brothers/Sisters: Stephen (38), Michele (36) & Jamie Ann (21)

8. Pets: Two cats (Lucas & Cookie) & a tapeworm

9. List the 3-5 biggest things currently going on in your life:
A) College
B) Work, & lot's of it.
C) Working on a collab movie on Newgrounds 
D) My blog (working on a video tribute to animator Ollie Johnston, as well as starting up my own comic exclusive to the site)
E) Comic Con

10. What did you go to school for?
Currently attending the School of Visual Arts in NYC, majoring in animation.

11. Parents:  Barbara & James ("Chim") Ruocco

12. Close Friends: Enough.