Day 334: safari sunset

According to my coworker with the green thumb, index finger, and pinky, these flowers he brought in today are safari sunset leucadendrons.

Don't worry, I didn't know what those were before today either.

Day 333: it's still beginning to look alot like...

It must be the holidays finally. My building put up their decorations today.

However, when I think Christmas, frosted penguins usually aren't the first thing that come to mind.

mm24

Japanese Cartoon - Heirplanes

Did you know that Lupe Fiasco started his own alternative-ish-electronica-ish-indie-ish-ecelctic-ish band? I didn't either until earlier today. I haven't given the whole album a listen, but if you want to see for yourself, the link to download all the tracks are free here...for now.

"Offices with alot of foreigners always have the best potlucks!"
-ST

Day 332: popular consumer electronics retail chain

If you knew me last year, you'd know that I once was employed by a popular consumer electronics retail chain this time of year.

Since I made my resignation via my 3rd no-show shift, I managed to (begrudgingly be forced) to only walk into this store 3 times in the past year. And yet here I was today...

Day 331: wii would like to play

Oh no I didn't.

...did I?

Day 330: viernes negro

It's Black Friday, and while some of you out there were waiting in line at 3am in the freezing temperatures for Target to open so you can get that crockpot for $14, I got to spend the morning in my warm apartment under a warm blanket on my warm couch while the TV emanated warmth from all the 30 Rock I was watching.

Oh, and I got some shopping done still too. Thank you Amazon.com.

Day 329: la pig de la resistance

THANKSGIVING FEAST!

That is all.

Day 328: baked goods

Thanksgiving feasts involve a good amount of preparation on all family fronts. On my front: flan. Thanks to my cousin, I now possess the knowledge of the simplicity of the recipe of flan.

Day 327: it's beginning to look alot like

I thought the X-mas season didn't normally start until after Thanksgiving (which is usually when local lite rock/less talk stations start playing holiday music) but these decorations have been up for weeks.

bucketing my time

It's been a while since I've updated my bucket list (the last time I've posted was then...and before that, then). But now, I feel I'm due to continue the list, since I'd been given some time to conjure up some more wildly outrageous/ridiculously doable tasks to do before my frail old body, withered away by the poor diet of microwavable chimichangas and diet coke says "no more."

I just totally thought of that off the top of my head right now.

Anyways, before we continue the list, why don't we take a look at how much I've already accomplished (asterisks and bold means I've done it):

-go in one of those tubes where the money is flying around (like you see in Vegas or in game shows!)
-do a pole vault successfully
-watch fireworks from a plane/helicopter (I'm sure the view would be awesome)
-wrestle in a fat suit
-go to the opening ceremony of the Olympics (but who could top China, really)
**climb Half Dome (but where the hell would you start climbing??)**

-drive cross country in an RV
-go to a shooting range, and fire an automatic weapon...at a watermelon
-do a favor for someone who can't repay it
-see a Cirque Du Soleil show (cause I want my own trippy knocked up-esque experience!)
-see the Blue Man Group live (I mean, I've got their cds already)
-climb a rock wall (but wouldn't climbing Half Dome be kinda like climbing a rock wall?)
-go to a taping of The Daily Show (and grovel at Jon Stewart and exclaim "we're not worthy! we're not worthy!)
-finish the ladder game...successfully!(someday, someday.)
-go on those bouncy things that people jump on and launch you into the lake
-go to the Gilroy Garlic Festival (and try that famed garlic flavored ice cream)
-own a player piano
**-make my own wine(yes I realize there is already a wine named after me...I still want my own though!)**
-learn at least one song on the accordion
**-get in trouble enough with the police to be yelled at but not arrested**
**-go on price is right**
**-go to a county fair**
-Participate in a paintball match (I heard you can get some pretty bad bruises)
-Finish a Sudoku (yeah I'm lame and haven't figured one completely out yet)
-Drive a Toyota Mark X (cause who wouldn't want to drive a car that's named after them?)
-Make a sky writer message for someone (or myself. that would be cool too.)
-Cook a frozen chimichanga in the dryer (I first heard of someone doing this in the dorms freshman year...)
-Stay on one of the hotels on the Dubai World Islands
-Conduct my high school band on at least one song
-Participate in a flash mob
-Visit all the capital cities of the world (big endeavor, but can be done, nonetheless)
-Travel far and wide to be able to see aurora borealis at least once
-Ride to every end of BART (and just ride back, too)
**-Play a part in a cheesy local commercial (or a cheesy infomerical, either will do)**
**-Drink a shot of Johnny Walker Blue Label King George V Edition (a $1500 bottle of scotch whiskey, mind you)**
-Drive around a racetrack (in my Toyota Mark X, no less)

And so, the list continues:
-Own a globe bar
-Type a whole letter on a typewriter
-Do that human sling shot thing:

-See the inside of a water tower

scientific evidence hints that it may look something like this

-Watch a Giants game from a kayak or a yacht from McCovey Cove:

like so.

-Make my own -opoly (yes, it does exist!)
-Learn a song on the organ

-Try lagavulin (a rare single malt whiskey, mind you)
-Go whale watching
-Fire a sniper rifle
-Catch a huge fish

...and throw it back in the water cause if I kept it, it would ruin my marriage

-Be a contestant on a game show (not necessarily The Price Is Right)
-Save someone's life.
-Pay for the tab on a $300 meal for 2. And not flinch.
-Have my bio read at a banquet, dinner, talk show, or some other big name event
-See all the ancient wonders of the world (that are still around)
-Get caught on the kiss cam
-Ride on a parade float (I signed up to be a "balloon navigator" for the Oakland Children's Parade...might actually count as 'close enough')
-Walk down a steep hill in San Francisco backwards

got the idea when I saw a lady in heels do it

-Hack an electronic road sign (it's actually easier than you think)

So there you have it people, my bucket list, updated for 2010. My 50 before 50 (but hopefully I live longer than that).

"Please don't hoard cats when you grow up."
-ES

Day 326: the underground

Did my part and supported underground film today by attending a volunteer training session at Artists' Television Access. This particular group is a staunch supporter of independent film and of the thriving arts culture in the Mission District. If I do decide to get involved with these folks in the future (to be honest, I'm afraid to admit that I've sold myself out a bit too much to the corporate devil this past year to really immerse myself with them), I'm now qualified (per their training session) to run the movie projector they have in their office (kinda...I mostly watched).

In other news, how come the Mission campus of City College of San Francisco so much more prettier than the one I used to go to?

mm23

Chris Thile - Morning Bell (Radiohead Cover)
I love Radiohead. I love the album Kid A. I love folksy covers of otherwise pop, hip hop, or alternative songs. I love the guy's solo at 3:34.

And as such, you should love this song.

"You think you like Robin Hood? Yeah, you be robbin' my time, that's what"
-Overheard on MUNI

Day 325: money's too tight for steak

In the words of a younger, much more vulgar self of the early to mid 2000's: "get wet."

But if you're a vegetarian, don't worry, I made garlic and green onion mashed potatoes on the side.

Day 324: yeah you did

The view from right outside my living room window:
Heh. Weiner.

Day 323: you sucked what from where?

Those of you familiar with the seafood chain The Boiling Crab know about the nature of its menu (a wide selection of shellfish, including crawfish), the manner in which the food is served to you (in a plastic bag, over a wax paper covered table), and the fact that they let you write on their walls.
There are only two locations in California, and luckily one of them is (relatively) close to us in San Jose. I had only been here once before months ago and already left my mark on the wall back then. Coming back, it's nice to know that the legacy I left will be etched on their hallowed walls forever:

Day 322: expecto

I'm not one to go to midnight screenings normally, but here I was, hours before 11/19/10, the day the first half of the last Harry Potter movie is released. I've taken an effort to read all 7 books so I can learn to appreciate the mythos of the Wizarding World. While I've enjoyed the series mildly, I regret to say (kinda) that I probably won't be picking these books up again in the near future. It's an interesting story, to say the least, but with so many unnecessary details in between the first page of the first book and the last page of the 7th book (well, I'm currently only halfway through the 7th book...but you get my flow) that I can't help but feel it was a bit bloated with filler and repetitive story arcs throughout the books.

One thing I have learned from reading this series, however. Never read the book of a movie you're about to watch while waiting for the movie to start...it's like reading the script beforehand.

Day 321: team building card

I've mentioned before that since corporate policy forbids the use of company money to pay for birthday cakes, my little satellite office celebrates not birthdays, but "team-building exercises" that happen to coincide with the day people were born. Part of these exercises includes passing a card around the cubicles so everyone can sign it.

It builds teamwork.

Day 320: 2 dollar tuesdays makes cents!

Went out to The Ambassador in San Francisco tonight for my 42nd birthday. It was fortunate the anniversary of my origination landed on a Tuesday this year. Tuesday at The Ambassador everything from liquor to wine and beer to sliders, fries, and chicken wings are $2.

good tidings on the anniversary of the day of my origination

Happy Belated!! Thanks for letting us stay at your place again!!! Take care happy birthday, mark!!Happy birhtday mark!!!happy birthday!When I first met you, you said that people rarely remember your birthday. With a little reminder we have the chance to say, "Happy Birthday, hope your best wishes come true." Have a good one, man.Hey Mark! Birthday wishes to you! Stay blessed today and always!Happy bday manhappy birthday solo. happy birthday.zoo siab rau koj hnub yug osHEYYY!! Happy Birthday! :)hi mark! happy birthday!!!MARK!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAAAAY!how's walter? =Dhappy birthday mark!! =)Hey Marky! Happy, happy birthday!happy birthday mark!! heheh i miss running into you at random places! hope you're well!Happy happy birthday, Mark! Have a good one :)it's our birthday yet again..~Happy birthday solo! One day we must reunite for some late night karaoke-ing in Rieber ;)Happy birthday Mark!!1Happy birthday Mark!! Keep raging at them apt parties of yours! hahaHappy Birthday Mark.Happy Birthday!happy birthday!MY MARKY POOOOO!!! I HOPE YOU'RE HAVING A WONDERFUL DAY!!!!!!!!! WHAT ARE U DOING TODAY!? DO I NEED TO COME UP AND VISIT?! ARE U GOING TO VEGAS FOR SHENANIGANS?!?!?! :-Pas you like to say.. happy anniversary of the day of your origination..or something?Happpppppppy birthday!Happy Birthday Mark! It's been a while, hope all is well.Mark Q!!! Hope you are having an awesome bday!Hi Mark, Hope you're well. Happy Birthday!holy fucking shit happy birthday!Happy day of birth!!!good tidings on the anniversary of your -- wait, that's your line. Haha! Joyeux anniversaire!happy birthday mark!Happy birthday Mark!Happy Birthday Mark!Listen to the rambling vm I just left you. :-)PS: You're old.Happy Birthday! Hope you have a great one :)happy birthday twin sister! hahaha good timesHappy birthdayy!i smell cake!Happy welcome to this earth!Happy Birthday!!! Hope you enjoy it. Drink some homemade wine and save a cake for me thanks, hahaHappy Birthday good sir.Happy Birthday, Mark!Happy birthday markeeezy!hey, since "happy birthday" is such a trite phrase, i just wanted to wish you tidings on the anniversary of your origination!happy birthday mark! i miss you!Happy Birthday!!!!Happy birthday Mark!Marrrrkkkkk! Happy Birthday!Happy Birthday Mark! Hope you're doing well, have a great day! :)happy birthday kuya mark! miss youuuu! (:happy birthday mark, have a good one!happy birthday girlfriend! hahaha enjoy yourself tonight :)Happy Birthday! :)Congrats on making it around the Sun again!hi mark! i hope you are doing well and have a wonderful birthday!!Happy Birthday Mark (smiles).sorry i called during work! hope you didn't get in trouble haha. anyways, i'll try and call again when it's a better time :) hope you have a good one!happy birthday mark!!Happy Birthday, Markheezy!Happy birthday MARK!!! hope you have a great time on your day! Full of fun, joy, and memories! ooo how's the apartment, is it nice?Mr. Solomon.. Haappy birthday!!!! Have fun !!happppppppppyyyy birthday mark! long time no talk! i remember when you all came to our high school for philipino club! oh those were the struggling days! you were awesome and probably still are! hope everythings going well! have a nice day :]Happy Birthday Marq!Happy birthday Mark! :D Have a great day!Happy Birthday Mark! Hope you have a great birthday :)OMG long time no see. Happy bday Mark!!! How's life?happy bday mark!! :DHappy birthday mark!I was going to say Happy Anniversary of your date of origination, but I wanted to be less original, so I'll just wish you a happy birthday! Have a good one, man!Happy birthday! May you have a wonderful day, Mark.Happy birthday man.Happy birthday Mark!!happy, happy birthday!!Helllo marky!! i bestow on you great joy of your special day!! (sorry, my lame attempt to write something besides 'happy birthday' hehe)have a wonderful day!!! you will feel the aging process settling in by 10pm! :)Happy Birthday Mark!!!Happy Birthday, Mark! Have a wonderful celebration :DHappy birthday, Markie! Hope you have an awesome day.happy birthdayHappy birthday Mark.Happy birthday Mark! Hope you have a great day!!!Hey, happy birthday!Happy Tanjoubi, friend!! Enjoy. :)Happy Birthday Mark! Hope all is well :)happy birthday bart-a-licious :Dhappy birthday!happy birthday mark! (you're filipino??)Happy buttday mark!Happy Birthday!Happy Birthday! :Dhappy birthday mark!!! yay bday twins!!Hmmmm. Happy birthday... Mark.Happy Birthday, Mark!! =D Lolol, I don't think you remember me, but hey! We're still FB friends!happy birthday mark! i hope you have a great day :)happy birthday XDMark, since happy birthday is such a trite phrase, I just wanted to wish you a good tidings on the anniversary of the day of your origination! haha, happy birthday mark!HAPPPPPY BIRTHDAY COUSIN!!!!!!!!!Happy Birthday!Happy Birhtday!!!happy birthday Mark!!!happy birthday mark hope you're doing well i know i'm super early, but happy birthday, you senior citizen you! :)

Another birthday, another slew of facebook wall posts from people I haven't spoken to in years, others I speak to every now and then, and some I probably never had a real conversation with in the past.

What I find most interesting about this ritual of "remembering" to say happy birthday to someone because facebook says so is how I've been addressed in today's facebook birthday greeting yield:

-Mark
-Markie
-Marky
-Marky poo
-Markeezy
-Bart-a-licious
-Marq
-Mark q
-Mr. Solomon
-Solo
-Boo

Judging by what name someone has called me, I can tell from what era of my life or what group of friends/confidantes these people knew me in. It's remarkable to see how I'm remembered to folks I knew at a younger age and how I'll always be known to them as "insert-moniker-from-above-here". Life changes, exciting things happen and people move on but the memories never change and will always be there...

...until amnesia hits.

"Listen to the rambling vm I just left you. :-) PS: You're old."
-KE

Day 319: it says it's for dogs, but she can't read

The lighting of the X-mas tree in San Francisco usually occurs the day after Thanksgiving. Or, as you can see in this picture, they light it slowly but surely, weeks prior.

mm22

La Dispute - Yann Tiersen
Since hearing "La Valse D'Amelie" on the streets last week, I had been on a sort of Amelie soundtrack binge. Yann Tiersen is a dynamic composer, his music marked by being able to make compositions using a minimal amount of instruments and having them sound full and flowing. This is best demonstrated by the whole soundtrack of Amelie, whose instrumentation throughout the album only used accordion, piano, clarinet, and every now and then vibes, a glockenspiel, and even a typewriter.

"I just got off work and I smell like steak. I guess that's what happens when you work in a steakhouse"
-heard on BART

Day 318: full sack jack

Found myself as an extra on a set today. The name of the movie is "Daily Grind", a story of the two espresso cart owners who apparently have found the most elusive roaster in the business that will give them celebrity status in the caffeinated world (i.e. coffee beans laced with crack...or at least that's just my theory). They had a shoot in Oakland and needed extras to play coffee patrons.

I'm not sure how big this movie will get since they claim they're gonna put it on the film festival track soon, but if you start seeing commercials, I'm one of the guys who puts a dollar in the tip jar begrudgingly (so you may actually get to see a hand of mine or something!)

Day 317: cause it's ironic

San Francisco Arts Quarterly
held a symposium tonight to celebrate the release of their Mission Arts Issue. The good thing about these kinds of events in the art community is that they are usually fairly generous when it comes to offering free liquor (woohoo open bar!) The bad thing is the event is chock full of artsy hipster types (those skinny jeans and plaid wearing guys who drink Pabst cause it's 'ironic' types) who don't always shower on an everyday basis.

At the very least, these art school junkies do choose the best places to have their parties:

Day 316: classical gas

Ya know, most street performers bring a guitar or a flute or something a little more portable than a piano when they start playing on the sidewalks.

Kudos to the fact that he was playing "La Valse D'Amelie" though.

Day 315: sorry springfield...you lose

Some things I've learned about impound lots (since this is the second time my car has been towed since June 2009):

*Impound lots are always in the middle of nowhere
*Impound lots are always in the shadiest neighborhoods
*Impound lots are always under freeways
*It sure is cheaper to store your car in a Chicago impound lot than a San Francisco one

I see what you did there...don't try and play off those lights as hearts when you're charging me $500+ to pick my car up from an overpriced parking lot

Either way, this was a pretty ugly bill.

Day 314: maggagie

Worked overtime the night before so my boss bought me a cupcake.

Just adds to the amount of baked goods I've received this week (3 cakes and a loaf of bread at my housewarming, this past Saturday)

Day 313: colorful

Thanks to the end of Daylight Savings time, it's practically pitch black the moment I leave work in the evenings. At the very least, I get pretty sunset views from my office window.

Day 312: gas brake honk

A broken down train, a slow bus downtown, an unmoving subway and an inching streetcar led to a 2 hour commute to work today.

Top that off with having to work overtime until 9pm tonight and I am not a happy backpacker.

I guess I can take consolation in that I took the scenic route to work today.

mm21

Cynthia Lin - Water Torture
I actually met this artist during my brief stint in Chicago, sometime in April 2009. It was a random Wednesday night, and in my semi-desperate attempt as a newcomer trying to meet new people, I found myself at some sort of indie artist showcase.

I hung out after the concert and ended up meeting a bunch of the performers that night. Most were locals, but some had traveled as far as Los Angeles to play (like I had!...except I was only there to watch). Cynthia seemed like a cool person and she even signed the CD I bought from her. I recently found that CD in a box amidst my state of transition/moving, so I finally decided to give her a listen again.

"I could not be a giraffe, I would fail"
-KE

Day 311:and if you get eaten, that's your own fault

All that's left of one of the many cakes/brownies/loaves of breads/miscellaneous baked goods I received at the housewarming last night. I'm pretty sure the rest of the cake said "...warming" somewhere.

Day 310: scenes from a rooftop

As I was able to introduce to my many housewarming party guests tonight, I do indeed have a pretty nice rooftop view.

It's much more appreciated while sober now, of course.

Day 309: el gigante

El Gigante - Black and orange in every bite:

Hell yes.

Day 308: bacon

Stupid internets. Whenever I see wavy lines in public, I think "bacon..."

Day 307: victory

Yes I skipped the first half of the day for work for the Giants victory parade. I mean, it may be another 54 years before we see something like this again.

I'll let the pictures do the talking.

Day 306: polling place

Did you vote today?

And did you make sure to put down "Matlock" as the write in candidate for Attorney General?

Day 305: let him smoke

GIANTS WIN THE WORLD SERIES FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 1954 AND THE FIRST TIME SINCE MOVING TO SAN FRANCISCO!
And we celebrated thusly.

Thought I was disappointed to have to have missed the actual game due to being in class (at least I know how to edit motion in 3D now...but was it worth it?), I managed to be in the right place at the right time, as campus is in the heart of downtown San Francisco. Market Street isn't normally like this. In fact, most of the Bay Area doesn't have streets on lockdown by riot police unless there's some sort of trial involving a man being shot on New Year's Eve.
This is a scene and an experience that San Francisco hasn't seen in years. As a matter of fact, I'd say that this sports "riot" was fairly tame to what I've seen. We lit couches on fire when UCLA beat USC. Cars were overturned and blown up in LA when the Lakers won the championship last year. But there was alot of pent up frustration being released here in the championship-starved Bay Area, and we celebrated the only way we know how:

mm20

Ashkon - Don't Stop Believing (Giants 2010 Anthem)
Ok, I've got a secret to share with you all. I hate this song. And this remake kinda annoys me. Don't get me wrong, it was an awesome song. Was, though. Classic anthem. Karaoke favorite. Glee darling. Multiple Scrubs references.

But that's what irritates me most about this song. The incessant remakes. The tremendous overplay. Cover after cover after terrible cover. No, I haven't stopped believing. But I have stopped believing that people may actually finally get tired of this song.

But I've gotta post this. The Giants just won the World Series.

"Let me tell you how long I've waited for this. I was 17 when the A's won their 1st World Series, 20 when the Warriors won and 20 when the Raiders won, 26 when the Niners won and 55 when the Giants finally won!"
-BS