In-Laws No More

I know I have not written as many entries as I would like and I have not posted since Michelle's parents left. They stayed with us for a week after the wedding. Nice honeymoon. It was pleasant and enlightening having them around. I kept trying to get a feeling of what they thought of the U.S. and things here in the states. All I could get out of them was "goood" and "biiiiig". Michelle said they enjoyed themselves, especially seeing the Golden Gate Bridge since that was the only thing they knew about San Francisco. Besides hitting the SF biggies and Monterey I think another highlight was visiting an American supermarket.

I was also reminded of how isolated parts of the world are. Or to be more exact how large the generational and cultural gap is between us. Standing at Coit Tower looking at the Bay Bridge Michelle's father found it hard to believe that we crossed the bridge all the time. There were other instances of what I feel is basic world knowledge that had me scratching my head...and they were scratching their's upon seeing us on the computer getting information in a moment's notice. This, despite that fact that Korea (mainly just Seoul) is more connected than the U.S.

Mid-Week Run 5.27

Tonight was a good night to run. Okay, for me anytime is a good time to run as long as it is not windy. 6 1/2 miles of sheer beauty. The tide was coming in and the dogs were out at Baker Beach. Blue skies over the Golden Gate Bridge and underneath the Presidio's canopied trails I was alone. Inspiration on two feet makes for one happy night.

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1939460

Married

The ring on the finger feels natural yet awkward at the same time. Thanks to all those who joined us in making Michelle and my day so special.

Emotions and words often fail us in important times and there was so much we wanted to say we could not on our wedding day. That said we both could not be happier that each of you are in our lives and we look forward to enjoying many more memories together.

The idea that two people from two far away lands could meet in San Francisco is an amazing concept. Then knowing that Michelle is sacraficing being so far away from family and friends to be with a me is beyond my comprehension.

To see so many of you make what we do every day matter.

City Treasures

New York has the money. Washington has the power. San Francisco has the freedom. Freedom is really want we all want, right? Freedom from obligations. Freedom to be creative. Freedom to be who we want to be.

This staircase out the the Sunset caught my eye and got me thinking about freedom and the creative spirit.

Basketball Bronze

Let me win. But if I can not win, let me be brave in the attempt. That is the Special Olympics motto and a fitting motto for the San Francisco Mercy Vipers, the basketball team I coached at the NorCal Championships. Their normal coach could not make it so I stepped in. Lucky for me they did not need much coaching and took home the bronze medal.

Raccoon

One does not expect to see a raccoon in San Francisco. I was sitting at my dining room table looking at my laptop when a moving image caught my eye climbing down the stairs of the building next to mine. I got up to take a closer look and it was indeed a raccoon. It probably traveled over from the Presidio or Golden Gate Park. By the time I scurried over to the window to get a better look it had scurried away itself.

Hybrid Hype

I have heard a lot of commercials lately for the Toyota Camry Hybrid. Radio commercials touting its highway MPG as 34! 34?! That is it! I find this to be a ridiculously low number. I did a test in my 1998 Honda Prelude during the last two full fill-ups and I get 28 mpg. My car is 10 years old and this so-called eco-friendly, gas-saving hybrid only gets 6 more miles to the gallon than mine. What a joke. The hype over hybrid car is nice but lets be honest about certain truths. These cars still use a lot of gas. If those who drive hybrids were really conscious about saving the environment they should not buy a car in the first place. Not only do these cars still produce exhaust, use gas, but we rarely take into account the material used to make these cars. And I wonder what these new car owners did with their old cars. Are they filling up some junk yard somewhere?

I find it absurd that the auto industry has not developed a car that gets more mpg than what we currently have on the road. The cars of the 50's get the same as today.

Drivers of these hybrids make the social statement they are interested in but if they really wanted to save the environment and nowdays save money with rising gas costs, don't drive at all. Ride a bike. Get an electric car. Don't buy the hybrid hype.

The Mayor

I have had the opportunity to work with Mayor Gavin Newsome on several occassions. Nothing of grand nature or public policy but small, lone projects. Today, was a public service announcement for Bay to Breakers. A quick shoot at City Hall. Today, like the rest, I came away impressed. A lot of politicans come across fake and plastic. While Gavin may have plastic hair, his personality and love of The City is anything but fake.

Just Cherry!

Walking to and from work, which I do maybe once or twice a week, I pass through Japantown. This weekend and next will be the Cherry Blossom Festival, pretty much just a street fair expect with a little Japanese flair.

The past few weeks have been a joy to walk around San Francisco thanks to the cherry blossoms being in full bloom. Now, many of the trees have already shed their blooms and gone on to greener things.

With tempertures rising this evening's walk was especially pleasant and I was happy to see some trees are still blooming, perfect for this weekend.

Streeeeetcccchhh

I started taking a yoga class this week. My first. I have always been a bit scared and intimidated by yoga knowing I am not too flexible. That is one of the reasons I wanted to do it as well. I decided to bite the bullet thanks to KAJ's inspiration (photo). After two classes I don't feel all that bad. While I am not nearly as flexible as others in the class, the instructor said I was quite strong and balanced for only attending two classes. That made me feel good.

A Flame In San Francisco

You would think San Francisco would be used to seeing a flame on the street and not go crazy. I had my brief brush with the Olympic torch today, unexpected. Thanks to the last minute route change instead of going along the Embarcadero it was diverted to right in front of my office. The torchbearers started carrying the torch about two blocks away. It was a mad scene along Van Ness Avenue as people scurried outside and before long there was a massive crowd. It was all quite exciting.

Quick Wednesday Run

The route for this run was nothing out of the ordinary but the sunset was. I left around 7pm heading west and the sunset was brilliant. While running I started thinking about the upcoming Bay to Breakers on May 18. If you want to run for free let me know.

Snow Day

By now you should know that Michelle and I are getting married. To escape from all of the madness we headed up to Tahoe for three days of skiing. The snow at Heavenly is great but the the best thing about the place is the view.

Back to Basics

It has been a while since I posted a run. The reason I started this blog was to keep track of my runs. It has since strayed. Not that I have not been running but my running of late has been more of a quick task rather than an escape or enjoyment. That changed today. Today I was reminded on why I run. We all need an escape. A time to drop into an abyss and enjoy the world around us. Our world.

I heard the sounds of birds I have never heard before.
I raced a fuel tanker and lost as it entered the bay and went under the Golden Gate Bridge.
I saw tulips ready to burst into bloom under the windmills of Golden Gate Park.
I saw generations of old yelling silently at their bodies as they stretched and slapped old age in the face.
I passed fellow San Franciscan's as we smiled and said good morning as if we were both in on a little secret.
I felt the cold waters of the ocean, tasted the salt and mentally jumped in.

There has never been a real substitute for running. My feet in some magical form that separates me from the ground.
I am free.
I am running.

Quick reminder, as with all of my runs you can click on the title link to check out where I went courtesy of Google Pedometer. Thanks Google!

This is for Omar

Spicy enough?

Organ and a Movie

Attending the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival over the weekend was not only a great time to see some wonderful movies but the chance to hear the great Castro Theater Organ. Before one of the shows the organ rose up and this majestical music filled this ornate theater. If only going to the movies could be like this all the time.

If you have never been to the Castro Theater it is truly a must see. It shows great older movies, cult classics and special screenings. Plus, it seats something like 14-hundred people.

BTW, I would highly suggest you to see 'West 32nd Street' when it comes out later this year staring John Cho and Grace Park.

The Sisterhood

Looks can be deceiving. While in the Castro over the weekend I was able to catch a glimpse of the day to day hard work of The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. They troll the streets collecting money for non-discriminating charities. It was one of the first organizations to fundraise for the homesexual community at the onset of AIDS/HIV. While many across the country may be turned off by their looks and the organization's stance, every time I see them I smile and am reminded of how fortunite I am to live in a City so welcoming and open as San Francisco.

Celebrity - Star Blogs

Recently I have been enjoying reading Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's blog. I have always respected him and enjoyed watching him play, although I was never a Lakers fans. But since his retirement my admiration for him has increased. His blog is quiete interesting. Enjoy.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/kareem/

Lucky

Congratulations on being able to read this. If you are then you found and using my new blog address. For well over a year the address had an extra 'n' in it and I had no idea until an astute reader notified me.

While it is 25-degrees in Chicago, snowing in Texas, frezzing along the East Coast, this is the best time of the year weatherwise in San Francisco. Enjoy.

Mr. President

I am not one to post about politics but I am finding it harder and harder not to as the Bush presidency winds down and the election looming.

This is going to be as bad for George W. Bush as his father's astonishment over the wonders of a grocery store price scanner was.
From yesterday's press conference, our President answers a question:


Q: Can I follow up on that, sir?
THE PRESIDENT: Maybe.
Q: The –
THE PRESIDENT: I guess you are — I haven't said yes. (Laughter.)
Q: What's your advice to the average American who is hurting now, facing the prospect of $4 a gallon gasoline, a lot of people facing –
THE PRESIDENT: Wait, what did you just say? You're predicting $4 a gallon gasoline?
Q: A number of analysts are predicting –
THE PRESIDENT: Oh, yeah?
Q: – $4 a gallon gasoline this spring when they reformulate.
THE PRESIDENT: That's interesting. I hadn't heard that.
Q: Yes, sir.
THE PRESIDENT: Yes. I know it's high now.
Q: And the other economic problems facing people. Beyond your concern that you stated here, and your expectations for these stimulus checks, what kind of hope can you offer to people who are in dire straits?
THE PRESIDENT: Permanent tax — keep the tax cuts permanent, for starters. There's a lot of economic uncertainty. You just said that. You just said the price of gasoline may be up to $4 a gallon — or some expert told you that — and that creates a lot of uncertainty if you're out there wondering whether or not — you know, what your life is going to be like and you're looking at $4 a gallon, that's uncertain. And when you couple with the idea that taxes may be going up in a couple of years, that's double uncertainty. And therefore one way to deal with uncertainty is for Congress to make the tax cuts permanent.

He then talks about conservation and new oil prospects and then returns to the stimulus checks and the idea of those helping. That is a Band-Aid for a ripped off leg.

Another reason to love the Internet. The White House puts full transscripts of all press conferences and such.

Beautiful Morning

When you take time to look around it can boggle the mind how complex our world/city really is.

Call your Insurance Agent

In an effort to lower all of my expenses I called my insurance agent. Thanks to this one phone call I lowered my cost by nearly 40% for the exact same coverage. At first I was jumping for joy then I got mad, downright mad that I my agent was charging me a higher rate all this time. Just goes to prove only you know what is best for your money. Same holds true for stock brokers and investment advisors. Who cares more about your money, them or you? Call your insurance agent today. Get them to lower your rates. You deserve it.

Happy

Very happy.

Political Donations

I am finding myself scanning this website for hours so I thought you might enjoy it as well. It is a searchable database listing who has donated this year to a candidate and how much. If that is not interesting enough, it also lists their occupation.

Some interesting facts to peak your interest; 749k has been donated in my zip code. In my hometown 250-bucks by one guy for Ron Paul. http://fundrace.huffingtonpost.com/

Primary Election Numbers

Here are the numbers that make the biggest impact on me from yesterday's primary election.
California has a poplulation of 36.4 million people, of which 68% are registered to vote, roughly 25 million. Of those 25 million, a measly 4.6 million voted. In 2006 there were 421,000 registered voters in San Francisco (more in 2008 but I do not have exact numbers). In yesterday's primary only 189 thousand voted, or 44%. Why? What can be done to increase the numbers?

Two Sundays, Two Halfs

I just completed back-to-back Half Marathons on consecutive Sundays. Last week in Austin (www.3mhalfmarathon.com) I had a PR at 1:44:38. Today was the Kaiser Half in SF (www.kp.org/sf) and I crossed the finish line at 1:45:20, not bad considering it was raining and for miles 9-12 we had to run against a head wind.

Now if I can just keep that same pace for a full marathon I will break the 4 hour mark.

Austin Eating

Food is one of the ways we consume different cultures, whether those cultures be a few hundred or a few thousand miles away. When we eat cuisine from a cetain location we presume to know its people, its culture and way of life a little better. Eating BBQ in Austin, Texas, is a perfect example. Texans mean business when it comes to bbq and you don't want to mess with anything fancy.

The photos are from The Salt Lick, quite a well known BBQ joint, and rightly so. You pull into the expansive parking lot and the first thing you smell when you open the door is sweet smell of bbq smoke.

Three things you can tell about Texas and Texans from its bbq:
1. Texans like things big

2. Meat is king. Texans have guns and will use them.

3. Looks can be deceiving. Just like the spicy looking sauce might be sweet, Texas looks rough and tumble but its got a softer side.

4. They love Sam Houston and the Lone Star Symbol

5. Orange is their favorite color.

Okay, the last two have no relationship to bbq but it might as well.

Model?

If you happen to see somebody who looks like me standing or riding a bike from Tony Hawk's new line of bicycles, say on a website or product catelog...it's not me, just my body double. (shown photo is not me, obviously)

Globe'ing Good Time

There are few things as simple and fun as the Harlem Globetrotters. There is nothing negative about them (except maybe having no white players). Everything about them puts a smile on your face. I remember watching them on television growing up. Now that I am old I finally got the chance to see them in person from courtside seats. Not bad.

Age Old Question

Do you ever feel your age? On this day, as I turn 37, I don't feel 37. When I turned 30 I didn't feel three decades old or two decades old when I turned 20. I never felt I was whatever age I was at the time. Most certainly now. 37 conjures up images of somebody who is responsible, settled and secure. I guess it is because I do not fit the stereotypical image of a 37 year old male...gut sticking out, kids hanging on my legs, in mortgage hell and looking for a mistress. I am not saying I feel like a kid. Although I do feel a lot younger when I am around my mother. It is a strange feeling. I feel adolescent almost in the company of parents. I am happy turning 37. Even more happy that I still get carded every now and then.

Trader Traffic Jam

I like Trader Joe's. I can pick up quick meals and a good price. Its tomato soup is great. But the Trader Joe's in my neighborhood (10 blocks away) is way too popular. Lucky for me I can just walk there but a lot of goofballs will probably wait 15 minutes to buy their Two or Three Buck Chuck because there is not place to park. The lot is the size of TJ lasagne.

What is funny is TJs is supposed to be this eco-friendly store. It led the way years ago with fabric bags and here are its customers spewing exhaust to spend money.

Predictions

For nothing more than a little fun, I thought it would be interesting to extrapolate some of the numbers I played with last week to predict what prices would be in ten years IF the rate of inflation and appreciation remained the same as it’s been over the last decade. So, with some very basic math, I averaged out the increase for single family homes, lofts/condos/TICs and Multi Unit buildings in five neighborhoods and applied it to a new neighborhood, Glen Park 2017. Not only do I doubt that the rate of appreciation will remain the same, but I hope with all my might that it doesn’t because not a damn soul will be able to afford a tank of gas let alone a modest house in Glen Park.

Glen Park
2007 vs. 2017

Average cost of a single family house
2007 - $1,059,660
2017 - $3,274,349

Average cost of a cup of coffee
$1.65
$2.73

Average cost of a Condo/Loft/TIC
$833,878
$2,068,993

Average cost of a gallon of gas
$3.25
$8.18

Average cost of a multi unit building
$1,065,333
$3,123,467

Family Cabin

Growing up I spent many summer days at the family cabin up near Twain Harte. I have not been back in over 10 years and made a visit over the weekend. It sits on 120 acres of land and is perfect for those looking to escape every day life. You have to travel about 3 miles along a dirt road to get there. No running water. No electricity. That is isolated. It is too run down for use and the likelihood of it ever being in decent shape is slim.

It would be a tough rental since it is so isolated but after a compete renovation it would be great for family gatherings or use within the family.

Zippeee!

Life zips by. Tether ball during recess fast becomes being tethered to obligations in need of a vacation. What better way to hit you over the head with the fact that life moves fast and the only thing you can do is hold on for a wild ride than a zip line. A blur of trees, shrubs and hiking trails flies past your feet as you travel 35 mph from above. A metaphor for life if there ever was one. Just yesterday I was running through irragation water in field with a small piece of plywood trying to country surf.

Celebrating our birthday's, mom and I headed up to Moaning Caverns in the Sierra up by Columbia to check out the caves and take a ride on its new zip line. 1500 feet of adrenaline.

You step off a 25-foot wooden tower and the high-pitched zipping sound of a metal trolley is all you hear. I am thrill junkie but mom is not, so for her to do this was pretty courageous.

After the zip we trekked down to explore the caves.

Rising Prices

2008 marks my 10 year anniversary of moving to San Francisco (August).

Take a look at the average price for a place in Pacific Heights then and now compared to some common goods. If only a condo increased by the same percentage as a gallon of milk. Will it continue? Unlike in a majority of the U.S., I say yes.

Pacific Heights
Average cost of a single family house
1997 $1,706,000
2007 $5,022,000

Average cost of a USPS stamp
$0.32
$0.41

Average cost of a Condo/Loft/TIC
$487,294
$1,242,000

Average cost of a gallon of milk
$2.49
$3.99

Average cost of a multi unit building
$1,060,000
$2,328,000

Windy Ways

The Bay Area was hit with a rather hard storm yesterday and it is supposed to continue for a few days. The wind was especially fierce. In some parts it was gusting up to 95mph. On my run this morning, between rain showers, it was more like an obsticle course having to jump over or avoid all of the branches and downed trees. Golden Gate Park was hit so hard many roads were closed.

Cheesey

Many of you have lived through hearing about my unfullfilled business ideas ranging from cupcakes to a men's salons. My latest business infatuation is a restaurant. I have always thought it would be great to operate a small eatery. Now, I would not know where to start but the idea sounds great. San Francisco is a food city. It would not be easy. But there is restaurant in NYC I would love to copy and open up here. S'mac. Everybody loves mac 'n cheese and several posh places here have it on its menu. M-n-cheese would be the main attraction here. Love it. The mini cast iron skillets embody comfort food. Prices are modest. It would be a sure fire success. Care to help me start?

Extra Money

With Michelle away until February I gave myself a few goals to meet during that time. One, of course, is to run and bike more. This I am finding hard to achieve due to the weather. I am finding it hard to find the motivation to battle the chill and when I do, I am finding my feet are turning numb...I need to wear two socks.

Where I am succeeding in is finding unique and quick ways to make an extra buck. A quick scan of craigslist is an electronic mine of opportunity. There are numerous odd jobs and tasks people are willing to pay you for. One of them is taking part in focus groups, which are plentiful in SF. Now, to do this I can not tell the company what I really do for a living but that is easy. If I do I will be automatically disqualified. I pulled in $200 thanks to an IBM focus group and $50 for a web site design group. I have another lined up in a two weeks, $50.

Other things in the works include passing out hors d'oeuvres at a posh event, $100 for three hours and being a cycling model for a photo shoot for some marketing group, $75.

While this will not make me rich it is fun and makes life interesting. It makes me want to find some other way to constantly make money instead of my daily 9-5. And heck, who can't use a few extra dollars?

Aloha

I walked into a tiny Hawaiian restaurant for dinner and was greated with a pleasant "Aloha". I had the urge to say aloha back but didn't, feeling my aloha would be less genuine since I am not Hawaiian, don't work there, and really just wanted to grab a quick bite to eat. Plus, I thought is was kitchey and one time only, meant just for me. Then lady said it to every customer who walked in the door. And after I ordered the waitress said "Maholo". Again, I had the urge to say mahalo back but didn't. She was saying this to every customer. Then I got to wondering, in a place with so many countries represented on the menu, this is the only place where they greet everybody in the native language. Yes, I know, Hawaii is not a country, but you get my point. I walk into a Vietnamese restaurant and the staff greets me in English. The Turish place I frequent, they don't speak Turkish. Thai, Pakastani, Russian, Indian, they all greet me in English. Every now and then in a Japanese restaurant they will say "Konbanwa" (good evening) but mostly is it 'hello'.

What seperates Hawaiian from the others? Do they feel adding value in saying these little pleasantries in Hawaiian will make my dining experience any better? I don't think so. The only way you can make Hawaiian dining any better is to give me a real life view of a Hawaiian beach while I am gnawing on my chicken katsu. Aloha.

In my ear

Remember when Napster was first starting?
I have yet to get an iPod or any mp3 player for that matter. My mother is hipper in that category as she has one. Heck, I don't even own my own computer. The internet is revolutionizing how music is distributed and heard, we know this. I recently read an article stating the internet has given new life to the once 'dying' classical music scene. With the internew, new listeners are downloading classical music because it is easy and nobody else has to know it. There is no great risk in downloading something you are not particularly familiar with. Despite my lack of online music prowness, that does not stop an auidofile like myself from enjoying music. Here is what has my ear right now.

1. Talking Heads - Stop Making Sense. This is not something I just stumbled upon but everytime I reach for a CD or LP (yes, that is what I have) I reach for this. 'This Must Be the Place' is as mesmorizing now as it was when I first heard it. 'The less we say about it the better Make it up as we go along Feet on the ground Head in the sky It's ok I know nothing's wrong . . nothing...

2. Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals - Lifeline. The new album is simply brilliant. It is acoustic, it is bluesy, it is Ben Harper at his best.

3. Toby Keith - Big Dog Daddy. I am a sucker for country music. I am not ashamed of my country love. I am not a big fan of his Ford commercials or his try at holiday music, but Toby's no-nonesense style is always fun.

4. Radiohead. Anything and always.

Twice in 1 Year

My feet were on fire, my hips in ached and my knees cringed in pain, but somehow I managed to cross the finish line of my second marathon this year. Once again the best part about it was running it with my good friend Omar. To make it even better Omar and I had our own little cheering section, his parents.

This race is one of the better supported marathons I have run. All along the race course there were people cheering you on, especially the final 4 miles. It sure is an emotional boost having them there. You can't stop running when somebody is cheering you on. The course takes you from the Folsom Dam to the State Capital and running in December you see all the vibrant tree colors.

And talk about a post race score! An All You Can Eat Buffet ...for $4.99! If you are ever in Sacratomato and in the need for a good inexpensive meal, I highly recommend Annabelle's in Old Town.

Halloween Hangover

Yes, that is a pumpkin. Yes, it is real. No I did not create it. I can not even draw a decent stick figure despite being the director of a creative department. Every year at work we have a pumpkin carving contest and every year one of my co-workers puts every other jack-o-lantern to shame.

You can see my lame attempt in the top photo in on the far right, the one with all the junk still inside. It is supposed to be a snake.

Gobble Gobble in Gold Country

Instead of staying home for Thanksgiving, Michelle and I made the trek up to the Gold Country for a little serinity in the Sierra. While we did not find any gold we did find a cozy little cottage called the Dorrington Inn and these nifty A-frames. Dorrington is about three miles up the hill from Calaveras State Park and the Giant Sequoias. Michelle is already tiny but standing next to some of the largest living things in the world she is dwarfed. On the way down we stopped by Columbia and Sonora for some old time fun.

I had not been to Sonora in decades after passing through the town what seemed every weekend with my grandparents when I was growing up. While most of it had not changed much, the red church is still there, the traffic and the number of people around sure did.

Oil Spill = Envionmental Distaster

Wednesday's tanker collision with the Bay Bridge was first reported as no big deal. Well, that is not the case anymore. 58,000 gallons of fuel contaminated the bay and covering birds and marine life in slimey gunk.

At first all the officials were saying it was no big deal, a little fuel was spilled and it was all contained. All contained where? In the Bay? These yellow buoys are lining the beaches to protect the land but nothing is being done to collect the oil out in the water.

Here is the interesting part. While nearly all of those responsible were immediatly tested for drugs and alcohol, it appears the pilot of the ship got off the tanker after it hit the Bay Bridge and was not tested until 22 hours after the incident.

The Hills are Alive

The hills rise like giant bubbles surfacing from an extraterrestrial pond: natural, yet somehow alien.

I was given the chance to go on top of the new California Academy of Sciences to shoot a promotional spot for an upcoming fundraiser. The museum does not open for another year but its roof it already turning heads. It is a living roof.

The green roof, planted with four native ground covers and five local wildflowers, will be a destination in itself. And in some ways, these hills of 1.7 million plants growing in 50,000 biodegradable coconut husk trays comprise the most inspiring element of the whole museum. The seven hills are supposed to represent the seven hills of San Francisco. Undernearth the hills are the museum's planetariums and the like.

Green/living roofs are nothing new but instead of just being a square on top of a building this has design and function (too many to get into).

Friendly Battle

The Tradition. A feebile attempt for aging friends to get together to try and prove they still have some life in them. This year's list of competitions included:

Row, Sham, Bow (Rock, Paper, Scissors)

Catch Tony (George's rodent of a dog)

Air Hockey

Miniature Golf

Basketball Free Throws

Football Toss

Obsticle Course

Frisbee Golf

Fresno State Football - Guess the Score

XBox Home Run Derby

Mini-Hoop

Despite somebody winning for the third straight year it is always great to get together with friends and have a good time. George was this year's host and pulled out all the stops to make it great. Not only is a great reminder of my outstanding athletic abilities it is an even better reminder that I am lucky to have such wonderful friends.

Maybe in 10 years I can afford a place

Good news! Home prices in my area of San Francisco dropped over the year.


District 3
Sep-06 Sep-07
Number of Sales
18 11
Median Selling Price
719,500 688,000
Average DOM
29 35


These are for condos but what the heck.

Magic Flying Paper

I am extremely jealous of people who have cool or unique side talents. Take my friend John Collins. Not only does he have a regular day job he is one of the best paper airplane designers in the country having written a few books on the subject. He recently held court with kids and adults at the Exploratorium.

He turned what he did in the 4th grade into a profitable and fun hobby. All I got out of the fourth grade was a binder filled with stickers.

His designs are amazing, even if some are too darn tough to fold.

Heating up

There is a big tah-do over swiching your old incandescent light bulbs to those new CFL ones. PG&E is giving them away, there are messages everywhere about how much energy they save, and Al Gore probably has one in his pocket at the ready. I too got caught up in the frenzy buying a three pak for only 99-cents a while back. Now though I am not so sure those CFL's are really a-okay.

Those new CFL's are toxic, containing mercury. You break one and you have a toxic clean-up situation on your hands. Sure it is a tiny amout of that nasty stuff but tiny amounts of the quicksilver can add up. You can not dispose of them in an easy way. You have to find a certified CFL disposal center. And dispose of these I will when LED lighting gets cheaper. LED is going to light up your world.

Here in San Francisco and elsewhere there was this big push to turn off your lights for an hour to save energy, showing all how much we can save. Forget turning off your lights for an hour, try stop driving your car less than a mile to do something. Or stop driving at all.

What will be next? A day without flushing the toilet? I am sure some Jimmy Carteresque ideas are already floating around to show us little ways to save energy when nobody addresses the big problem.

Craig Strikes Again

Craigslist has revolutionized the way people sell things to each other. Many believe Craigslist is one of the main reasons causing the downfall of newspapers because they used to make huge profits off of classified ads, not anymore.

http://www.donorschoose.org/homepage/main.html?zone=402

Here is Craig's newest venture, which I feel is brilliant. I am more than cautious giving to charity organizations because a large portion of your donation goes to operating costs and not really helping the cause you care so much about. Here, you can forget the middle person and donate directly to somebody who needs it.

For example, you can do a search for any state, and say find a teacher who is looking to purchase material for class. You can donate directly to that teacher. Now, with anything somebody might try to take advantage of this so you always have to be carefull. But this is darn cool.

Mountain High

There is nothing like a wet one after a race. Here I am with Omar, who finished right behind me, after the Tahoe Half-Marathon. One of these days I will feel confident enough to run the full at the Tahoe altitude.

Chill Out

Global Warming. Too often the debate over global warming and how to solve or control it turns into a nasty dustup, with one side arguing that we're headed for catastrophe and the other maintaining that it's all a hoax. I say that neither is right. It's wrong to deny the obvious: The Earth is warming, and we're causing it. But that's not the whole story, and predictions of impending disaster just don't stack up.

I came across this well writen article in the Washington Post out of Copenhagen. Finally, an argument about global warming I can relate to. Brilliant.

High Priced Neighborhood

What kind of house would you buy for 2.1M? Beach front? Maybe an acre or two of land? How about a nice front yard with a porch and swing? How about the house right next to my partment? I do enjoy living in my neighborhood. I especially enjoy it when a house goes up for sale. It reaffirms my neighborhood as being downright posh, expensive and I will never be able to afford to buy a place here. I could do a lot with 2.1M.

Labor Day

This is the way to spend Labor Day, doing nothing sitting in Golden Gate Park at all.

Jury Duty

I had jury duty this week. I was not picked or even questioned. But the process left me with a few questions.

During the question and answer perior, the voir dire, three potential jurors were dismissed because they could not understand English. They were so inept in their English skills that when the judge dismisse them they just stood there until somebody translated what was said.

Prospective jurors are selected at random from the list of registered voters. In order to be a registered voter you have to be a U.S. citizen. How did these prospective jurors make it? Were they faking their lack of English skill to get out of jury duty? Why did the judge not question them on it?

It all made me wonder.

Korea Day

Everyday in my life is Korea Day but this past Saturday was Korea National Day in San Francisco. The day started at Civic Center Plaza with a parade and ended at Union Square with festivities, food and plenty of fun.

As you can see Korean traditional outfits are very colorful. All Koreans take great pride in these outfits and many are still worn today for special events. It got me thinking what, if any, would be a traditional outfit from the United States? What do Americans wear for ceremnonies or special events. I came up empty. A wedding dress? Cowboy or western attire? Suit and tie?

Historic Hit

Wow! Unbelievable. What are the chances of me attending the game where Barry Bonds hits the record breaking home run? It was pure pandemonium. What luck.

Who cares if the commissioner was not there. That says as much about who Bud Selig is as it does Barry Bonds. Who cares about the steroid cloud over it. Whatever Barry did was completly legal at the time. Do I believe he took some medicinal incentives? Yes. This was a great moment for baseball. Barry is the most dangerous hitter ever in baseball. He changed the game like no other. This is great moment in San Francisco sports history. It will not live up to the 49ers three Super Bowls, but still great.

What makes Barry stand out in my mind is he perserverance. He kept going surrounded by all of this. He just kept going doing what he does best.

The Home Run King.