easy ≠ right

Imola Grand Prix

2006-05-01T09:58:00.000-07:00

I've regained my interest in Formula 1 this year. Results aren't what I'd hoped for so far from Honda Racing F1 but definitely a good team progressing at the right pace...

One of the big reasons I'd stopped watching F1 was the death of Aryton Senna at Imola. Senna up until the moment of death was the motorsport equivalent of Beethoven. As the story goes, Beethoven overcame growing disability in his later years. To see Senna race in his final grand prixes with McLaren/Honda was akin to listening to the final movement of Beethoven's 9th... Something that was lost to me in the following years was that sense of "wow, THIS is what racing is all about - competition at it's purest."

To watch Michael Schumacher scream through Tamburello on his way to beating Senna's pole position record was a bittersweet moment. Sappy sports fan rantings aside, I deeply admire Schumi for his technical brilliance, and his competitive spirit. But for me, Ferrari's dominance over the past decade or so just lacked that gutwrenching "fire" that the Senna/Mansell/Williams Renault/McLaren Honda days had.

The past grand prix at Imola saw many significant moments. The breaking of Senna's pole postion record and Ferrari's (not just Schumacher's) return to form amongst others. Not as obviously, I think there was the most "real" indication that Formula 1 is entering another period of sweeping drama. There are many figurative and literal moments of explosiveness in the events so far this season.

WBC blues...

2006-03-20T13:19:00.000-08:00

OK, so Korea is out of the WBC. You have to tip your hat to Team Japan, they played a consitent, persistent focused game. Baseball as it should be.

Tho' there's a part of me that believes Korea could've/should've won.

So much is written about the rare "passion" the Japanese team played with. An "American passion" with Asian attention to detail play... exactly what Korea had up until saturday night. It's not like Korea lacked this passion. The crowd was into it right from the start. Jae Seo pitched like he was in the World Series. Team Korea's defense was sparkling. All in all, it was a closely matched game, until...

Most baseball news covering the game points to the home run off of BK as the critical moment of the game. Yes, the first run tacked on the board did swing the momentum in Japan's favor... but I think it's what BK did to the next batter that sealed it for Korea. Fukudome, who hit the home run, made a statement about how emotion carried the ball. Without going into it, his story, his hit had all the makings of a backstory most screen writers can only aspire to. This was the "passion" everyone was talking about. BK's response to the home run?

He drilled the next batter.

Which set the table for and RBI double, and effectively shut the door on all of Team Korea's passion that night. He could've let the home run stay the 1 run it should've been. He should've shown professionalism (he still plays pro-ball right?) and pitch to the next batter instead of drilling him (on the first damn pitch!). He could've shown the control he had prior to that one bad pitch. But he didn't.

In my admittedly biased eyes (I am a Yankees fan... if you know baseball and not just the rivalry between Korea and Japan, you'll know what I'm talking about) he was the last stumbling step just short of wining a mile long race.

Losing a baseball game is fine, there is no shame in having been outplayed. I still admire and have enormous amounts of pride (yes, pride) in what Team Korea has shown during the WBC. But all of Team Korea's passion amounted to little more than smoke because of one person's temper.

Congratulations Japan. Excellent game! I'm still rooting for Cuba tho...

2006 Formula 1 - Bahrain

2006-03-13T15:55:00.000-08:00

Season kicked off this past weekend with Fernando Alonso taking the win for Renault in Bahrain. A really tight, dramatic race that was gripping from the very beginning... too bad i fell asleep for the live broadcast (3AM - Pacific). Actually that's not true. I saw the pre-race interview, fell asleep, then woke up in time for the podium.

Regardless of which driver and which team you're pulling for the seaons' off to a great, competitive start. V8's et al. Go Honda!

Google video fun...

2006-02-24T15:44:00.000-08:00

or, "sometimes you just need a tickle":

Peanut Butter Jelly Time!
http://media.putfile.com/Family-Guy---Peanut-Butter-Jelly-Time37

Sinking?
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6801926416414761527&q=berlitz

Night of Fire!
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=426566504844044258&q=night+of+fire

hahaha!

Designer Frustrations - "Lorem ipsum" as filler...

2006-02-06T15:25:00.000-08:00

Ever been in a conversation like this? (from either perspective):

designer: Please get me the final content as soon as you can.
other: I'll have it for you in __ days.
designer: Ok, but I really need it as soon as it's finalized.
other: Just use Greek text for now and we can pop in the final copy when it's ready.

__ x 2 days later.

designer: I'm going to need another day to adjust the layout. Unless you can edit the text down?
other: We're already past deadline which was yesterday!

----------

Sometimes, just sometimes, I need to remind myself that given the chance to eff things up, most people will.

The Edible Schoolyard

2005-09-16T13:11:00.000-07:00

The Edible Schoolyard

My wife and I have been cooking a lot lately. Admittedly, out of necessity since eating out all the time costs a ton of money. Surprisingly, we've taken to it with enthusiasm instead of approaching it like it was a chore (even doing dishes... but that's a personality quirk I don't care to explain at the moment).

I came across the site for the Edible Schoolyard on Slashfood. Just reading about it makes me think there IS hope afterall for the creative mind to gain traction and affect change in this ridiculously over politic'd world... Oy! The Berkeley in me escaped there for a second. =)

buried

2005-08-31T23:51:00.000-07:00

the obligatory, "I've been so busy blah blah blah, and I'll catch up soon, blah..." post. In other words, lame excuse for not blogging.

Oh hey, my blog's been spammed... check the comments in the previous entry.

online social networks suck

2005-06-03T10:39:00.000-07:00

Ok, besides the lack of any business model (cause no, it doesn't have to be profitable to be cool) social networks suck. Heck, people suck, so it's only logical groups of sucky people are going to exponentially suck.

Don't get me wrong, there are nice people out there... I just never liked the "filtered" approach most people believe they can take with their online personas. You are who you are.

A much more eloquently worded CNET article about the suckiness of online social networking

Yes, I'm an ash-hole. But only sometimes.
Yes, I have little faith in people. But I have lots of faith in certain persons.
Yes, I like that word, "suck". Suckity, suckilicious, suckaluckadingdong.

Bah, whatever.

Liberty Meadows

2005-05-05T09:33:00.000-07:00

Apparently the guy is a rising star in the comics world, but I happened upon his work recently, so forgive my out of the loop-ness.

Frank Cho is the guy behind Liberty Meadows, a comic strip style comic that I'll avoid comparing against others. It's fearless, at times a guilty-pleasure in the neaderthal bonkawomanontheheadanddraghertoyourcave kinda way and above all else... well drawn!

Father of two so make the guy rich, buy his stuff.

Liberty Meadows uncensored gallery

preventing spiked drinks

2005-05-03T09:42:00.000-07:00

Design student invents Hollow glass to prevent drink spiking

Inventions like this are difficult to contemplate. I always think of a quote a professor said during a critique, "design is little more than problem solving". It's an elegant solution to a problem that warrants a rogue reaction.

There's two schools of thought if you look through the comments on this article:

1. No one should leave their drinks unattended in the first place.
2. Why the fuc* should someone have to worry about their drinks being unattended?

The most well thought out part of the design is the time/temperature(?) based color change. It encourages a shift in behavior on both the aggressor and the victim.

...And more evidence that people are both stupid and suck.

random geek toy review - Cold Heat soldering iron

2005-04-11T09:56:00.000-07:00

My particular model is from RadioShack. I really cannot recommend the cold heat soldering iron.

1. It's hard to position the dual pronged tip properly to generate enough heat to melt the solder, so that leaves any precision work out.
2. When it does generate enough heat on the odd chance you did position it properly, it's often in a flash, so it's too hot... and evaporates any solder. Leaving you with a gunky mess. Again forget about any precision work.
3. Battery suck. I've got NiHM 15 minute rechargeables and I still found myself taking three times as long to solder something than it would've with a normal soldering iron... all in battery time spent swapping out the batteries (which are in a screwed down case btw... so no quick swapping there)

One positive is that it has an LED positioned near the tip that serves as a flashlight of sorts. So you know what you would be soldering if the confounded thing worked.

grrr...

2005-03-24T08:44:00.000-08:00

Just have to get it off my chest.

To people who swipe credit card numbers or even worse, the cards themselves... a big ol "FUC* YOU".

Something to consider is instead of one card with a high limit... it really might be better to have a few with low limits, intentionally set.

Now where's the world of the future we were promised as kids? Screw the flying cars (good Lordy, imagine the insurance rates from that), I just want the "e" style fingerprint/retinal scan/voice recognition security combination from The Incredibles.

grah.

monkey. ball. don't get much better than that

2005-03-04T14:31:00.000-08:00

www.mybigball.com
Not the sort of URL you want to mistype... but good Lord, I haven't laughed so hard in a long time.

Lost: season 01, episode 17

2005-02-24T20:59:00.000-08:00

Just catching up on some tv. I, unlike my better half, am not a tv person. So, if I watch it... there has to be a good reason.

With every two steps forward is one step back. The adage about steady progress and learning from mistakes is one my favorites for it's intrinsic challenge. Is the resulting one step forward worth it?

There's nothing like a well told story. I think the best stories are the ones that provide an encapsulated escape but retains just a few key threads to reality.

The "In Translation" episode of Lost deals with race and trust, two independently heavy subjects. My belief is that the writers asked themselves the question of progress, and took the time to craft their conclusions. It's not a "black" and "white" world we live in. So sometimes the stereotypes shouldn't be... Sometimes the things said mean far more than what's heard...

Ahem(*)

Then again... It's not that people don't think anymore or think too much... it's that everyone forgot how to think (or like the lazy b@stards and b!tches we are, never took the time to learn how). So basically, people suck... and not in the good way.

(*) crude statement alert

Post-Its as life size pixels

2005-02-24T12:57:00.000-08:00

I find this endlessly amusing. Then again, I also push pixels for a living...

http://www.yikes.com/~pengo/8bit/

warnings

2005-02-22T09:18:00.000-08:00

I used to laugh at the "How to use the internet" lessons you hear about every so often. Now, I'm not so sure...

http://www.sms.ac

If you get an invite to join the SMS network via Hotmail or other mail service, I'd do some follow up to make sure the person it's sending it from authorized it. It's a scam.

I got an invite from several people and I did some following up. Some of them don't even have cellphones... how the fuc* are they supposed to sign up for an SMS service without a cellphone?

SMS.ac = SCAM

solution: censorship is a dirty word... how about threatening with a lynch mob?

2005-01-28T15:20:00.000-08:00

I know I'm behind on this but... more evidence that morning radio shows suck and if broadcast radio isn't dead, it should be ('cept satellite radio).

http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/38657.htm

So, no. I'm personally not satisfied with weak apologies and Emmis Communications absorbing financial hits (the more sponsors pull out, the better). I'd like to see a modern public "lynching". It's not a race thing, tho it is certainly one of the pillars of idiocy in this case, it's good opportunity for a nice hard backlash for intolerable behavior.

"No you're not special, no you're not entitled, and no you should NOT have the right to be as offensive as you are. No, I don't have a sense of humor. Not for this sort of silliness. The problem is, why the fuc* do you have a sense of humor about it."

I for one think less talk, more action. I don't listen to any radio show and it's probably a good idea to see what other media channels Emmis occupies...

grah.

2004-12-05T17:51:00.000-08:00

November 17, 2004 - Actually, a couple of days earlier at our studio shoot.

political response

2004-11-03T01:50:00.000-08:00

I ♥ NY.
I ♥ CA.

But it continues to be difficult for me to love America.

America, Page 131

2004-11-02T13:39:00.000-08:00

clip:

-------------------------
The Media: Democracy's Guardian Angel

A free and independent press is essential to the health of a functioning democracy. It serves to inform the voting public on matters relevant to its well-being. Why they've stopped doing that is a mystery....

What the fuc* happened? These spineless cowards in the press have finally gone too far. They have violated a trust. "Was the president successful in convincing the country?" Who gives a sh!t? Why not tell us if what he said was true?...

"Hey, we just give the people what they want."... "But the last season of Friends really is news." The unmitigated gall of these weak-willed... You're supposed to be helping us, you indecent piles of sh!t! I... fuc* it. Just fuc* it...
-------------------------

$14.97 on Amazon.com

It's worth a read, and a purchase really, cause it's some of the best bathroom material, ever.

I went to vote, and all I got was this...

2004-11-02T10:50:00.000-08:00

lousy sticker.

Actually, I like the fact that they give out stickers for voting. Maybe it's because it recalls warm fuzzy memories of getting sticker stars on my tests or papers from elementary school. I also remember the novelty of scratch'n'sniff stickers and how cool an idea it was. "It's a sticker! But it also smells vaguely like grapes!" Hey, I was 5 years old. Everything is exciting at 5 years old.

Simple pleasures. I hope this election sticker (won't go into the design of it... the oval form is nice tho) is also something I can think back on with some degree of happiness.

the all important "context"... to go with the previous blog...

2004-11-01T16:30:00.000-08:00

Oops, forgot, the world doesN'T revolve around the U.S.A. (don't even know why I forgot since I'm always complaining about this being the most insular country I've been in - not that I've been in many, but that's another complaint...).

Some context for the South Park "Vote or Die" song I linked to in the previous post:

What makes it so darn funny is that P.Diddly-doo-wop (formerly known as Puffy Daddily, or Pooffy or whatever...) initiated a marketing plan to encourage youth voting for the upcoming Presidential election called "Vote or Die". I personally find it to be contrived and threatening... pretty terrible research if you ask me, but you probably didn't so anyway...

There was an episode of South Park that featured said celebrity (or at least an interesting representation of him) singing that song. Just seemed to, ahem... "hit the nail on the head" in terms of what I think of the whole "Vote or Die" thing.

tomorrow, "vote or die"... or not...

2004-11-01T11:44:00.000-08:00

meaning, you won't die if you don't vote... unless they implement a draft... then you might die... but there's levels of separation in that one, so I wouldn't sweat it too much.

American election year, 2004 - I wonder what it means when a "fake" news show is the most reliable source of palatable filtered political spin ('cause really, isn't all policial news filtered and spun? - sounds like a mixed drink of some sort... yum) and a music video is the most compelling, well targeted, motivator I've seen to go vote.

(side: Ok, so I'm not a South Park fan... yeah, right... but I have to say, their recent voting episode had one of the funniest songs I've ever heard.)

Anyway, as if the bombardment from all media wasn't enough, and since the world revolves around the U.S.A. (grumble, grumble, grrr), vote tomorrow. Or not. Either way, it's your choice. I mean to say it's your choice to actually go and vote, Lawd kuh-nows if the results really have anything to do with "our choice".

an open message to gamers (hardcore and casual) with social lives... or any life at all, really...

2004-11-01T11:32:00.000-08:00

Avoid Civilization III.

Not that I would know but, it's like fuc*in' drugs. Really, really bad drugs that leaves you wondering what the heck happened over the past couple of days. That 19.99 price for the Gold Edition is a tease, "it's so cheap, but it's so good", tempting you to go for the expansion packs and the inevitable "new more addictive blend" in Civ IV (when, oh when?)

Friends don't let friends do Civ III... "Gawd damn you Tom".

hats off

2004-10-27T21:45:00.000-07:00

Well, it's official. This is the most 'unexpected' year, ever. At least in my life anyway. To keep this post light, I won't go into the change in work, the change in living and my upcoming wedding... ok, I guess I just DID get into it. I'll try to refrain and simply say:

Hats off to the Boston Red Sox. 86 year curse, finally put to rest. I maintain the Cardinals are like my NY Yankees (choke and all), but that doesn't take away from the great play of the big red machine. I still hate you (or your fans anyway) but, "congratulations". Best team in baseball this year, and no one can challenge or deny the dominating, decisive post season performance.

Oh, and before the people who know me go into shock from what I just stated above...
"Now will all you Red Sox fans chill the fuc* out? Ya still have a rich, dense, 85 years of historic failures to keep you warm on those cold New England nights". *wink.

baseball, drama and why it's more than just a game

2004-10-19T21:16:00.000-07:00

When things are complicated, I find it's the simplest pleasures that serve as the most effective respite. And when things are moving along it's those same simple pleasures that boost along that high.

My NY Yankees (to a Yankees fan, it's always "my" team) and the Boston Red Sox are going to game 7 again to determine who gets past the ALCS, onto the World Series. So despite the bleak fact that a 3 game lead was completely erased, and the constant/complete belief that We. Will. Win. (hope? Boston fans just don't seem to understand, hope is the first acknowledgement of loss).

I'm looking forward to a memorable game and once again realizing how much the simple pleasures always bring nothing but "good"... LET'S GO YANKEES!

3/4 Presidential debates observation

2004-10-08T21:38:00.000-07:00

Status quo vs what if. Things will be better, but the matter of HOW and WHEN are at question here.

What I'm sure of is I don't like HOW things have been done, and I don't like wondering all the time WHEN it'll be better.

Yankees, Giants, Mariners... baseball! as if you didn't know

2004-09-23T11:11:00.000-07:00

Ok, so the AL East race is tight but since I'm an optimist, I'm going to look at it this way. The last few seasons, the Yankees have been dominant only to falter in the big show. I'm hoping competition from the get-go will keep them hungry and sharp all the way through.

Giants have been scorching. I seriously think they have a good shot at over-taking LA in the NL West. There's a little bit of me that still kinda hopes they get through as the wild-card tho for the same reason stated above. (side - I hope they catch the monsters that killed the Giants fan after that game. And punish them in such a manner as to make everyone shake their heads and wonder if we've gone too far. As uncomfortable as I've been in Fenway, I've never felt truly threatened. I haven't heard of such idiocy since the Cubs fans started getting on that guy for interupting that one out last season - side in a side - dude, that wasn't the out where that ended the game, fer crying out loud, you not so loveable losers lost it yourselves.)

Mariners, my how you've fallen. Personal reasons keep me from loving Seattle as much as I used to (the city, and the team - those sentiments have been transplanted to lovely San Francisco), but at least they still have Ichiro keeping the mad cow state interested in a team with a future.

Baseball feels "right" again. Competitive, ferocious at times and occassionally predictable too. My hope? The Yankees win in game 7 over the Giants. It'll leave me torn, yet satisfied and very much looking forward to taking my lovely to beautiful SBC Park next season. But I'm getting ahead of myself here. On with the show!

Lost (on ABC) - how to stay alive in a tv show

2004-09-22T20:21:00.000-07:00

get Lost

Still in the middle of watching the "Lost" premiere on ABC. Already made up my mind that I'm going to try really hard to watch this show:

- JJ Abrams, and it doesn't involve a girl going to not-NYU
- what I suspect to be a dinosaur
- they have Korean characters that are actually played by Koreans!

Hope they're not killed off by episode's end. It's true, the best thing to do to stay alive in a TV show or a movie is to be white.

fortune, cookie? part II

2004-09-21T14:06:00.000-07:00

"You will step on the soil of many countries."

Of course I will. I'll have to in order to conquer them.

Sketch-a-Move™ (trademarked?)

2004-09-20T20:19:00.000-07:00

Read More about and watch videos of the Sketch-a-Move toy cars here

Forget that really weak toy idea from the Apprentice that's getting media attention...

Sometimes you see something that so totally envelopes you, you forget who you are for a moment. Looking at these toys took away about 22 years of my life...

It's so cool I have to repeat the link:

Read More about and watch videos of the Sketch-a-Move toy cars here

American politics, months leading up to the Nov '04 election

2004-09-16T15:21:00.000-07:00

Not particularly new news, nor a unique observation -

Maybe it's because I live in California, but from the snatches of conversation in the streets, and those I partake in... we're a united country in support of... being against Bush.

There's potentially multiple levels of humor in that one.

"Social Networking", kinda redundant phrase isn't it?

2004-09-14T23:22:00.000-07:00

No Friendster of Mine - read article

In all fairness, it's true. When it comes to matters of personnel, the people outside of the directly involved management, including the affected employee(s), rarely get and "get" the full story. So no, I'm not going to comment on how right or wrong the situation is in the linked article.

I've cancelled my Friendster account because I can see the value in the idea of "social networking", just not the value in the current execution(s) of it. And a lesson I'm still learning is, associations really do count for something.

The reasons for "effort" seem to be all too forgotten. Consistency is an indication of belief. Belief is not a result of consistency (see this blog's title).

munch, munch: Temple, St Marks, NYC

2004-09-09T22:44:00.000-07:00

It's a plug for a friend of a friend, and from the looks of it, a plug they really don't need (as they seem to do ok), still...

Anyone in the mood for Korean, but like me, can't stand being in K-town (32nd and Broadway), head downtown to St Marks and hit Temple. It's a stylish, small (but not cramped) place. From vague sake-hazed (not drunk, mind you) memory, the food was really good, price irrelevant good. Bonus for being really affordable.

Temple

reading: The Well of Lost Plots

2004-09-07T13:51:00.000-07:00

// first entry in series intro

Since I haven't figured out the intracacies of blog software yet, I can't do the neat little "recommends" list or highlight you see on the side of the page (maybe I need to code it out on my own, anyway...). So I'll be posting latest reads and recommends as a regular ol' entry (that is until I finally do figure out how to make it click to a link to my Amazon.com "recommends" store with image preview et al).

Oh and for the convenience of the people who read my blog (yes, all 2 of you), they'll all be headed with "reading: book title goes here" to make finding them easy.

//

The Well of Lost Plots
Jasper Fforde

I guess it's not fair to recommend this as I'm just 50 pages into it, but Jasper Fforde's other books in the "Thursday Next" (that's a name, not a timestamp) series have been funny in the self-satisfying-when-you-get-it kinda way. BUT, this isn't a review, it's just a note to say I'm reading it.

2004-08-28T00:25:00.000-07:00

USA, San Francisco, SBC Park : SF Giants vs Florida Marlins

Gee... Mail!

2004-08-26T10:36:00.000-07:00

Just got an invite for GMail from my good friend Tom. I'm excited... tho' I'm really not sure why (mmm... 1 gigabyte of junk mail... tasty).

subjective sports

2004-08-24T14:46:00.000-07:00

My Korea, at least you have the most utterly dominant women archers in the world.

Normally I really couldn't care about what's going on in the world of gymnastics. Sure, I appreciate it as an exhibition of athleticism, just like most other sports, but when it accounts for close to half of the news broadcast...

In the oft mentioned but rarely acheived "ideal world" there would be no judging controversies in subjective sports, like gymnastics. You'd figure that the Olympics, where entire societies are able to figure out ways to get along long enough to "come out and play", they'd be able to find reasonable ways to fairly judge a performance. How's this for a low tech solution, ear plug the judges and have them sit behind a screen so all they see are the performer's silhouettes.

Here's something I don't understand. A certain American gymnast says that he doesn't feel he should be giving back "the" (note - not "his") gold medal, nor that another one should be awarded. In his heart, he believes he is the Olympic champion. Everyone else agree? Ok fine, all the gymnasts that feel they are Olympic champions, stand up. Congrats, you all deserve gold, every single one of you. And while we're at it, let's give the Red Sox all those AL championships they deserve because, as we all know, the Yankees and all their October magic just isn't fair (not World Series Championships mind you, because the ultimate prize symbolizes more than just good play. It represents all of baseball. hmmm... and a gold medal indicates what for their respective sports?). An official judge, an arbitrator made an error, heck a whole buncha them made the same error. They even admitted to it. So, isn't it up to them to set things right?

Ah well, whatever. No one is directly liable for the screw up, so let's just get past it. Can we get back to the news now?

Wow. Turns out I COULD care less.

cookies tell all. or, seeing what I want to see...

2004-08-18T15:13:00.000-07:00

"A family reunion in the coming months will be a tremendous success!"

Not days, not weeks, not even "in the near future" (as fortune cookies are wont to say), but in the coming months... Our families are getting together for the getting together of two families. After little is said and all is done, I'd like to be able to call it a "tremendous success", I would like so very much.

Athens 2004

2004-08-11T15:59:00.000-07:00

Less hype than in recent years, at least in the US anyway. With all the security concerns and performance enhancement controversies, it's understandable why it's hard to "gear up" for the Games. I for one am looking forward to them. It's the one event that impacts the entire world. People complain about it being at all sorts of odd hours but I personally like the reminder that there are events that take place outside of the US and the Middle East that doesn't always involve war (ahem, are you listening Mr President?).

Nevermind a single swimmer potentially winning more gold than most nations hype, atheletes allegedly performing at chemically assisted levels (or not performing to expectations... I - don't - Love This Game), nor the rush to get the facilities ready in time. I take the whole Olympic movement this summer as an excuse to read my copy of Mythology by Edith Hamilton again, hopefully watch less Sports Center reruns on ESPN and get excited and cheer for (a united) Korea and the (not so) United States in competition. Besides, the opening ceremonies take place on Friday the 13th... there has to be a joke or a story in there somewhere. Guess that'll all depend on how the Games go.

Refrigerator Magnet Factor (RMF)

2004-08-10T01:13:00.000-07:00

I like US cities that I can replicate on my refrigerator door with souvenir magnets. For instance:

New York, NY - the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, the Flat Iron building, Yankees Stadium, Yellow Cabs ("taxis", for the uninitiated), the Brooklyn Bridge, the Twin Towers (an indelible part of THE skyline in my mind) = RMF 7
San Francisco, CA - the Golden Gate Bridge, the Transamerica Pyramid, Alcatraz, Lombard Street, SBC Park (formerly Pac Bell), Pier 39 = RMF 6

It doesn't have to be a high mark, it's the recognizability of the magnet or combination of magnets that matter to me:

Santa Monica - the Pier = RMF 1
Seattle, WA - the Space Needle = RMF 1
Washington DC - (too many Memorials to name, so I'm grouping it into "the Mall") = RMF 1

And sometimes, I simply can't bring myself to like the city regardless of RMF (hardly scientific or fair, I know):

Boston, MA - ummm, errrr...
Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Sign, Mann's Chinese Theatre, Walk of Fame = RMF 3

Well, anyway, all of this is regardless of personal memories. The like/dislike equation is purely based on RMF, so my dear friends and/or people who've come here completely by accident, "my apologies" if I've insulted you and your city in any way (except for you Red Sox fans in Boston)

Oddly enough, the RMF doesn't really apply to cities outside of the US. I think a FDF (Food and Drink Factor) might be applicable instead...

fortune, cookie?

2004-07-29T13:53:00.000-07:00

A bit of strangeness. Fortune cookies are about the most worthless things because: a. They don't really taste very good. b. Most of them are actually "statement" cookies. And unless you win the lottery, c. The lucky numbers are really just space fillers. Today tho, my fortune cookie had no mini-lesson (Learn Chinese - Duck = Ya-Zi), no lucky numbers. Just a simple slip of paper with the following written on it;

"Your dream will come true."

I certainly hope so. Just not sure which "dream" it's in reference to. Last night I dreamt that I working out some soreness in my fiance's beautiful neck and shoulders. Still, it's nice to think that maybe it's in reference to a waking dream rather than the movies flicking through our heads at night. Otherwise, I'll have to regard fortune cookies as having gone from benign uselessness to semi-threathening.

connected

2004-07-27T11:33:00.000-07:00

I've admittedly been neglectful of keeping in touch. I guess on some basic level, I enjoy the shock and surprise on catching up on year's worth of happenings at once. Tho' with my own coupling, I'm remembering how nice it is to really care for people and be cared for in turn.

New phone, new number not to cut off ties but to reestablish them.

golf, baseball and other things in the swing

2004-07-12T15:21:00.000-07:00

I'm not a huge fan of the wannabe wunderkinds that seems to be sweeping most sports, but if a 14 year old proves decently capable of competing, let her compete. I'd take interest in golf beyond the driving range and videogames, but why should I? We've got the only interesting personality in the PGA in a funk, and the LPGA regulars whining about competition (wah!)

Homerun derby tonight, All star game tomorrow. More and more, baseball seems to be the last sport able to survive the "idiot events" of the backstory. Take me out to the ballgame...

coupling

2004-07-11T20:13:00.000-07:00

Cheers. To those who've already, to those who will. And to my miss who I miss most, soon baby, soon.

matte black

2004-06-25T11:52:00.000-07:00

I for one love the matte black finish of packaging that's in fashion nowadays. Example: Powerbook G4 boxes. Is black back?

what's with the title?

2004-06-23T15:47:00.000-07:00

It's funny how, in the search for the simple painless solution, we sometimes ignore whether or not the solution is elegant, appropriate or right.

Just something I noticed/realized. Some things are worth the headaches and heartaches.