NYE - 2007 Resolutions and Goals

Here we go... 2007 is going to be a good year.

1. My biggest goal this year - buy real estate!
I'm not sure whether this will be a house or a condo at this point but I am setting myself up to hopefully make a purchase in the summer or early fall time this year. This will be big, and expensive. ;)

2. Get promoted at work
I'm currently an entry level (1) engineer at Boeing and I think I've set myself up to earn a "level upgrade" to Level 2. This would supposedly give me a bit more responsibility (though I think I already do above level 2 work), and of course, a significant pay raise, on top of the "good" one I hopefully will get in February... ;)

3. Continuing Education
I want to take at least one or two classes this year and start applying to graduate school. I may even consider taking the GMAT for business school, even though I already did pretty decent on the GRE this past summer.

4. Believing in myself and Taking Chances
I am not always consistent on this. There's things where I am real certain about and there's many more, important, things that I play it safe, or just let it be. I need to be more self-confident, and self-motivated on these issues and adjust myself to make myself more well-rounded in these aspects.

5. Seeing the Seahawks win a Super Bowl
This isn't totally my goal, but it's a dream of mine.

6. Health and Wellness
I want to better myself in this aspect in all ways.

7. Expression of the mind, body, and... this sounds like a book title or catch phrase.
This goes hand and hand with Number FOUR, but I have alot of stuff on my chest that just needs to be let out. Hopefully some of that will this year.

8. Meeting people is NOT easy
whatever Radiohead may say, it isn't easy, especially when you're spending 50+ hours of your week in an office space, and then much of the rest of the time in your home. I want to branch out and network socially, and professionally, but more socially. Opportunities are out there and I want to be able to reach them.

9. Visit Scott in Japan
I want to visit him and I want to see the country, or shall I say megatropolis that is Tokyo. I also want to go backpacking in Europe, but I'll take one or the other.

10. Go to Whistler
Another trip I've been wanting to go on... this season!! hopefully...

NYE - Resolutions and Goals

Here's a recap of my 2006 Goals and the results as of 1pm on NYE:

1. Continuing Education - never enough school for me, and Boeing will pay for it! muwahahaha.
I took two classes; one through Boeing, and one at UW. I didn't even try to take a class in the Summer or in the Fall, and don't plan on taking a class this upcoming Winter quarter... So I did alright given that I work 50+ hours a week.

2. Move out - not that I don't like living at home, but I just need to, well, move out!
This didn't really turn out. I decided to forgo rental and go straight to real estate. I opened up a CD in May and when it matures, I'll be hoping to move out with my own place.

3. Go international - as in... a vacation yo! Japan?
Well I did just get back from Luxembourg, but that's as far international as I went - not really a vacation but it was a good experience.

4. Snowboard better!! - yea.
I didn't snowboard in 2006 until two days ago at the dawn of this new season. And I don't know if I got better... i wish i went more last season boO!!

5. Girl or Girls
man i'm a sad case in this category. i like girls that i'm too scared to talk to and then i get other girls' numbers and dont call them back. i'm hopeless... hahahaha.

6. Play more tennis - cause i didn't get to play alot this year. Adria? Ted? Dean? where you at?
I started to play pretty frequently with Adria in the Spring and early summer until we started playing in a softball league in the end of summer and fall... i played a few other times with Adam and others but very few times. I did get a new Wilson nCode Tour 95 though...


7. Meet more friends and people - i need more friends cause alot of my really good ones are moving away, Scott especially...
I met some new people through work and through other people. I think what was best though, was reconnecting with people I knew from my early college years and become better friends with them now, especially since they share alot more common interests than most people i know.

8. oh yea, Save Money!! - that'll be my goal for every year until i can actually do it.
I am doing a decent job saving half my paycheck into real estate fund.

9. be more outgoing, assertive, and open - i'm told i'm way too outgoing. i think not.
could be better.

10. be more serious at times, and more sensitive perhaps? -- cause although i care alot about things, i don't show it externally... if that makes sense?
could be better

11. i need to be more assertive. - repeat.

12. more confident in myself. i'm confident in others, but not myself, almost ever.

Top 25 Records of 2006

It's the end of the year and here's my newly compiled list of my favorite records of this year:

25. I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness - Fear is on our Side
A dark yet hopeful album which shows glimpses of Joy Division and Psychodelic Furs. If you're a fan of current day Interpol with a smidgen of Disintegration-era Cure, you'll probably enjoy this album.
Top Tracks: According to Plan, The Owl, The Ghost

24. Tap Tap - Lanzafame
This year's Arcade Fire wannabe that actually sounds good. Arcade Fire fans should feel real at home here because this band sounds very much like them, even down to the singing.

23. The Album Leaf - Into the Blue Again
San Diego's Jimmy LaValle came back again with another solid Album Leaf showing with this year's Into the Blue Again. With rich and full sounds and heavier bass - this record is at times more cheerful and other times more dark than anything in the TAL catalog. Red-Eye is a killer track.
Top Tracks: Red-Eye, Always For You

22. Blackpool Lights - This Town's Disaster
Jim Suptic formed this band near the end of the Get Up Kids' long life and didn't really make any change of direction from where TGUKs were going, so the Blackpool Lights debut full-length sounds like a Get Up Kids album. That's not a bad thing. If you're a fan of the emo-punk turned indie-core band, please check this one out.

21. Sonic Youth - Rather Ripped
Still dishing out the guitar-heavy tracks are Sonic Youth. The latest album is on many levels a disappointment for the band following the extraordinary Sonic Nurse and before that Murray Street, as this record doesn't jump new boundaries as the other two did, but still is a solid rock album.

20. Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere
Featuring arguably the best single of the year, CRAZY, the duo of Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo create a wonderful urban funk album that crosses many genres. Danger Mouse does not seem to be able to make a bad record and this album is yet another example of his ability to create pop magic with his production.

19. Snow Patrol - Eyes Open
As with the previous two Snow Patrol records, yes TWO of them, it took me a while but I grew into liking their album. Although this is probably the third best of the three records they have out (the best being their debut, Songs for Polar Bears), it still has enough pop catchiness that I can't resist the temptation to listen to it. It's evil yet satisfying.

18. Asobi Seksu - Citrus
Asobi Seksu move to a faster and lighter outlook on life with Citrus, their follow-up to their self-titled debut album. Songs like New Years and Thursday make this album wonderful. Fans of My Bloody Valentine, please take a listen.

17. The Rapture - Pieces of People We Love
This is the best pure house/dancey album of the year. The Rapture's second record is in my opinion a much more solid effort and puts them into the league for mainstream success. You gotta get yourself into it and listen to this record.

16. Jeremy Enigk - The World Waits
Sunny Day Real Estate and The Fire Theft fans have been waiting for this record for quiet some time but this is lead singer Jeremy Enigk's second solo album and is just what we've been waiting for. There's plenty of his vocal bliss around with more musical punch than his previous album. This is a very much Fire Theft-like record, and hopefully is an appetizer for more Fire Theft or, we pray, a Sunny Day reunion.

// more to be announced later //

Day 2 - Here's some more of my favorite records... This year hasn't been the most exciting year for new music, but these are still some good though not spectacular albums...

15. Cold War Kids - Robbers and Cowards
This little known band became a big hit in Seattle and I'm sure they'll make they've made their way around to the other parts of the country by now. With three EPs behind them, the Cold War Kids released their first full-length, which is almost like a compilation of some of their EP tracks and some new stuff. Hospital Beds still remains their best track to date, but theres plenty good indie rock songs here.

14. Wolfmother - Wolfmother
Ozzie Osborne and AC/DC are back.... ok not really. Australian's Wolfmother reminds us of the 70s and 80s metal rock with some powerful rock ballads that pack alot of punch. Usually this ain't my cup of tea, but I really do enjoy the energy of this record.

13. Sparta - Threes
The third album from Sparta since they broke apart from At the Drive-In is probably their least desirable yet most standard rock potential success maker. They've now mastered the arena rock sound and while it's not as hard edge as their debut or as exciting as their second record, this one still has that little potion of magic that only members of At the Drive-In can bring. This is also the first album since Paul Hinojos left to join the other guys, Mars Volta (the other half of ATDI).

12. Cut Chemist - The Audience's Listening
The Robots are coming!!! The first full record from former Jurassic 5 dj and producer Cut Chemist is a stellar album that shows why J5 was so diverse and exciting. It's noticeable the difference that the new J5 record sounds without Cut Chemist at the helm... Anyway, if you're a fan of RJD2 or DJ Shadow, you MUST check this out. If you like hip hop and electronic music, please be all ears. Thanks.

11. Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings the Food
Neko's powerful voice and increasing popularity has pulled her away from her former full-time job as secondary vocalist for New Pornographers and this new record is more proof that her voice and songwriting are more than enough for her to move out on her own. This is a true singer/songwriter record and one that is fantastic.

10. Mogwai - Mr. Beast
Post-Rockers Mogwai have a new album that brings the intensity and anguish back to their sound after the lighter Happy Songs for Happy People. Killer tracks like Glasgow Mega Snake are so grippingly tight and powerful, it makes you just want to drive fast and shake your head. Of course, they'll fool you with lighter, fluffy tracks like Acid Food.

09. Muse - Black Holes and Revelations
Showbiz was their Radiohead wannabe record to get them in the door; Origin of Symmetry showed they could be so much more; Absolution showed that they could do something different and make a free standing album; Black Holes and Revelations, Muse's latest record helps elevate their sound to full arena rocking madness. Taking hints from Queen, Led Zepplin, and other classic rock, Muse punctuates ROCK with kickin' tunes like Knights of Cydonia which just makes you want to bob your head like a mad man. While this record is nowhere near Absolution for album flow, it's alot more like Origin of Symmetry for its track by track singles.

08. Silversun Pickups - Carnavas
This new band from Los Angeles puts alot of noise into their sound for a scrawny little band. SSPUs mixes in pop rock with shoegazer noise in almost every track and create a very listenable and enjoyable song. Its unfortunate they didn't put their best track, Kissing Families, which is from their Pikul EP, but the album has many other tracks to cover for that one loss.

07. The Decemberists - The Crane Wife
Sons and Daughters is now my favorite Decemberists song. It's so simple yet so powerful. Colin Meloy and company have a tough problem - they just seem to not be able to make a bad record. I guess it's a problem that I'm happy to deal with. Crane Wife isn't the best Decemberist album but its so addictingly good! This is very much a Belle & Sebastian-influence album - at least that's what I get from listening to it.

06. Calexico - Garden Ruin
New Mexico's Calexico is more indie pop than ever with their latest Garden Ruin. It's crazy to think that they didn't have vocals on their albums in the past because Joey Burns' has a very elegant and soothing voice. It makes this album very comparable to the fantastic collaboration Calexico did with Iron & Wine in last year's In the Reins EP. If you like some semi acoustic rock with some southern twang to it, check out this indie rock band. You'll probably like what you hear.

05. Lupe Fiasco - Food & Liquor
Kanye West's newest prodigee is Chicago's Lupe Fiasco. As with other Kanye records, Lupe has a whole cast of celebrity guests such as Linkin Park, Jay Z, Jill Scott, The Neptunes/Pharrell, and others. Lupe has a great combination of rap flow and a nice and easy to hear clear voice. His lyrics flow much like Kanye or Common and lyrics are much more mature than his young age would have you believe. Kick, Push is the best track on the record but there are plenty of good ones here.

04. The Roots - Game Theory
Maybe it's a bias, but I strongly believe this is the best rap group/band around. Nothing will top Phrenology but Game Theory goes back to the rockin' style that Phrenology had and away from the true hip hop roots of 2004's The Tipping Point. Game Theory also marks the return of original Roots MC, Malik B, who raps alongside current MC BlackThought on the progressive Here I Come, as well as the album title track, Game Theory.

03. Ghostland Observatory - Paparazzi Lightning
Oh boy - get ready for this wildly entertaining band from Austin, TX because they will be famous. With an amazing live show full of fun and laughter, Ghostland Obsevatory have plenty of good songs to go along with their on-stage antics. Their music sounds like a modern day Depeche Mode, though I'm not totally sure how that works since Depeche Mode is still around. But think of an early 80's Depeche Mode, where it was synthpop gem after gem -- none of that dark stuff. Now add in some wickedly Ozzie Osborne/Freddy Mercury like vocals and you get something that sounds like Ghostland. Kind of.

02. 120 Days - 120 Days
This rather unknown band from Norway is awesome. Their music is electronic and its organic. They have a sort of trancey and atmospheric sound that's very electro, but also has its intense moments of guitar feedback noise. It's alot like Helio Sequence in a way, but not as cheesey pop but more progressive. Add in some Rapture or LCD Soundsystem like groove and you can imagine what this band is all about. I haven't purchased this one yet as I have not had luck finding it at any of the major retailers including Wherehouse Music. I will have to hit the local shops aka Easy Street Records or Sonic Boom, just haven't had time...

01. Belle & Sebastian - The Life Pursuit
The Scottish indie pop darlings, Belle & Sebastian, have yet another successful album with the addictingly good, Life Pursuit. Continuing on their success of Dear Catastrophe Waitress, B&S add a bit more dance element to their songs with many of the tracks on Life Pursuit. Still, their best songs are their simplest -- Another Sunny Day and Dress Up in You. Of course, funky songs like Funny Little Frog and children's television sounding, Sukie in the Graveyard are plenty of entertainment. Mmm this album is good.

Thank you Gerald Ford

Gerald Ford died yesterday at the age of 93, but an unreleased interview with him in 2004 adds much needed, though very well known opinions on our current administration:

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- In an interview never before published, former President Gerald Ford said President Bush and his chief advisers "made a big mistake" with their justifications for the Iraq war.

Ford made the comments in a four-hour interview in 2004 with Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward.

Woodward is famous for being part of the writing duo who exposed the Watergate scandal, which led to Ford becoming president.

The interview was conducted at Ford's home in Beaver Creek, Colorado.

"I don't think, if I had been president -- on the basis of the facts as I saw them publicly -- I don't think I would have ordered the Iraqi war," Ford said in a part of the interview broadcast on CNN's "Larry King Live" Wednesday.

"I would have maximized our efforts through sanctions, through restrictions, whatever, to find another answer," the former president said.

Ford died Tuesday, at age 93, at his home in Rancho Mirage, California. An official cause of death has not been released. (Read the full story)

His body will lie in state in California and Washington before interment January 3. (Watch announcement of Ford's funeral )

Ford replaced former President Richard Nixon, who resigned in 1974 during a scandal surrounding the burglary of Democratic Party offices at the Watergate Hotel in Washington. (Watch how Ford's legacy will remain strong )

Ford was regarded as a man with a quiet style who was not quick to criticize, Woodward and others who worked with him said on "Larry King." (Watch President Bush praise Ford )

Ford requested that Woodward not publish the interview until Woodward had written a planned book about Ford or until the former president died.

"He made it very clear that he did not agree with the reasons President Bush laid out for the war, namely the belief that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq or that there was some obligation that the United States or the president had to expand democracy."

The Washington Post published other excerpts from the interview.

"(Defense Secretary Donald) Rumsfeld and (Vice President Dick) Cheney and the president made a big mistake in justifying going into the war in Iraq," Ford said.

"They put the emphasis on weapons of mass destruction. And now, I've never publicly said I thought they made a mistake, but I felt very strongly it was an error in how they should justify what they were going to do."

Cheney served as President Ford's chief of staff and Rumsfeld was the secretary of defense in the Ford administration.

President Bush has long defended the war in Iraq as part of a larger plan to spread democracy throughout the Middle East.

The 38th president said he disapproves of that strategy.

"I just don't think we should go hellfire damnation around the globe freeing people, unless it is directly related to our own national security," he said.

Photos from Luxembourg

Luxembourg [12/17-12/22/2006]

Top DJs in the World

Two charts from two big sites/mags. Check'em out.


DJMag Top 100 - 2006

1. PAUL VAN DYK – Non-Mover – Highest Trance DJ
2. ARMIN VAN BUUREN – Up 1
3. TIESTO – Down 1
4. CHRISTOPHER LAWRENCE – Up 10
5. DJ DAN – UP 19 – Highest House DJ
6. FERRY CORSTEN – Down 1
7. SASHA – Down 3 – Highest Prog DJ
8. JOHN DIGWEED – Down 2
9. ABOVE & BEYOND – Up 10
10. DEEP DISH – Down 2

11. CARL COX – Down 1 – Highest Techno DJ
12. INFECTED MUSHROOM – Up 14
13. ATB – Down 4
14. PAUL OAKENFOLD – Down 3
15. HERNAN CATTANEO – Down 8
16. JUDGE JULES – Down 1
17. EDDIE HALLIWELL – Non-Mover
18. MARCO V – Down 2
19. MARKUS SCHULZ – Up 2
20. GABRIEL & DRESDEN – Up 9

21. JAMES ZABIELA – Down 8
22. JOHN ACQUAVIVA – Highest New Entry
23. FLASH BROTHERS – Up 43 – Highest Climbers
24. AMADEUS – New Entry
25. ERICK MORILLO – Down 7
26. BENNY BENASSI – Down 4
27. SANDER KLEINENBERG – Down 7
28. DJ YAHEL – Up 17
29. OFFER NISIM – New Entry
30. ANDY MOOR – Up 16

31. DAVID GUETTA – Up 8
32. SANDER VAN DOORN – New Entry
33. RICHIE HAWTIN – Down 21
34. GARETH EMERY – New Entry
35. PHIL KIERAN – New Entry
36. NICK WARREN – Down 1
37. DJ SKAZI – New Entry
38. STEVE LAWLER – Down 8
39. D-FORMATION – New Entry
40. RICKY STONE – Up 8

41. ASTRIX – Up 34
42. ROGER SANCHEZ – Down 15
43. BAD BOY BILL – Down 1
44. SVEN VATH – Down 21
45. THRILLSEEKERS – Re-Entry
46. DONALD GLAUDE – Up 22
47. DJ VIBE – Down 7
48. KYAU VS ALBERT – New Entry
49. CHRIS LIEBING – Down 16
50. TIGA – Down 6

51. MATT DAREY – Up 40
52. BOB SINCLAR – New Entry
53. JAMES HOLDEN – Down 16
54. LANGE – New Entry
55. WRECKED MACHINES – New Entry
56. DION MAVATH – New Entry
57. PETE TONG – Down 8
58. DANNY TENAGLIA – Down 22
59. GEORGE ACOSTA – New Entry
60. BLANK & JONES – Down 29

61. DJ SAMMY – Up 31
62. JOACHIM GARAUD – New Entry
63. TIMO MAAS – Down 11
64. MATT HARDWICK – Down 6
65. FRANK TRAX – Down 14
66. STEVE ANGELLO – New Entry
67. DANNY HOWELLS – Down 42
68. SIMON POSFORD – New Entry
69. JOHN GRAHAM – New Entry
70. DESYN MASIELLO – Down 16

71. MAURO PICOTTO – Down 43
72. MENNO DE JONG – New Entry
73. BT – Up 9
74. SCOTT K – New Entry
75. TALL PAUL – Down 32
76. M.I.K.E PUSH – Up 1
77. FILO & PERI – New Entry
78. DJ TARKAN – New Entry
79. ANDERSON NOISE – New Entry
80. FATBOY SLIM – Down 17

81. DJ SERGE DEVANT – New Entry
82. DJ UMEK – Down 3
83. VICTOR CALDERONE – Down 28
84. DARUDE – Re-Entry
85. FERGIE – Down 25
86. TALLA 2 XLC – New Entry
87. RONSKI SPEED – Re-Entry
88. LEE BURRIDGE – Down 12
89. MARIO PIU – Down 51
90. AXEL KARAKASIS – New Entry

91. STEVE PORTER – New Entry
92. YOJI BIOMEHANIKA – Down 60
93. AXWELL – New Entry
94. STANTON WARRIORS – Re-Entry
95. DAVE SEAMAN – Down 26
96. ROBBIE RIVERA – New Entry
97. ANDY C – Down 27
98. AGNELLI & NELSON – New Entry
99. LISA LASHES – Down 43
100. DAVE CLARKE – Down 64

Tranceaddict.com Top 250 DJs
Official 2006 Ranking
www.tranceaddict.com/top250

1. Armin van Buuren
2. Paul van Dyk
3. Tiesto
4. Above & Beyond
5. Ferry Corsten
6. Markus Schulz
7. Sander van Doorn
8. Gabriel & Dresden
9. Sasha
10. John Digweed
11. Eddie Halliwell
12. James Zabiela
13. Sander Kleinenberg
14. Menno De Jong
15. Eric Prydz
16. Andy Moor
17. Marco V
18. James Holden
19. Jonas Steur
20. Hernan Cattaneo
21. Carl Cox
22. John 00 Fleming
23. Steve Lawler
24. M.I.K.E. (Push)
25. Kyau vs Albert
26. ATB
27. Desyn Masiello
28. Deep Dish
29. Airwave
30. Blank & Jones
31. Rank 1
32. Steve Angello
33. Paul Oakenfold
34. Aly & Fila
35. Yoji Biomehanika
36. Danny Howells
37. Ronski Speed
38. John O'Callaghan
39. David Guetta
40. Christopher Lawrence
41. Jon O'Bir
42. Infected Mushroom
43. BT
44. The Thrillseekers
45. Sean Tyas
46. Nick Warren
47. Nu Nrg
48. Preach
49. Richie Hawtin
50. Lee Burridge
51. Adam Beyer
52. Kenneth Thomas
53. Cosmic Gate
54. Sven Vath
55. Johan Gielen
56. Max Graham
57. Mauro Picotto
58. Chris Liebing
59. Marcel Woods
60. Orkidea
61. Erick Morillo
62. Perry O'Neil
63. Mark Oliver
64. Luke Fair
65. Junkie XL
66. Nic Fanciulli
67. Danny Tenaglia
68. Niklas Harding
69. Axwell
70. Chus & Ceballos
71. Mathew Dekay
72. Benny Benassi
73. Judge Jules
74. Andy C
75. Ozgur Can
76. Bob Sinclar
77. Hybrid
78. DJ Scot Project
79. Satoshi Tomiie
80. Manuel Le Saux
81. Agnelli & Nelson
82. Steve Porter
83. Leon Bolier
84. Matt Darey
85. Sebastian Ingrosso
86. Matt Hardwick
87. 2ManyDJs
88. Astral Projection
89. John Askew
90. Moshic
91. Yahel
92. Talla 2XLC
93. Kai Tracid
94. Adam Sheridan
95. Deko-Ze
96. Tiga
97. Phynn
98. Dave Clarke
99. Shiloh
100. Randy Katana
101. Precision
102. Filo & Peri
103. Mark Norman
104. Roger Sanchez
105. Fred Baker
106. Gareth Emery
107. Dave Seaman
108. Fatboy Slim
109. Pete Tong
110. Ricardo Villalobos
111. Andrew Bennett
112. Anthony Pappa
113. Donald Glaude
114. Armand van Helden
115. Victor Calderone
116. Bad Boy Bill
117. George Acosta
118. Signum
119. Sean Miller
120. Cor Fijneman
121. Mikey Mike
122. Flash Brothers
123. Andy Hunter
124. Giuseppe Ottaviani
125. Darude
126. DJ Dan
127. Chris Fortier
128. David Morales
129. Umek
130. Adam Freeland
131. Chemical Brothers
132. Paolo Mojo
133. 16 Bit Lolitas
134. Dumonde
135. DJ Tatana
136. Simon Patterson
137. Antoine Clamaran
138. Abel Ramos
139. Blake Jarrell
140. Aphrodite
141. Alex M.OR.P.H.
142. Luke Chable
143. Airbase
144. Benjamin Bates
145. Ben Sims
146. Westbam
147. Firestorm
148. Victor Dinaire
149. Sandra Collins
150. DJ Shadow
151. Lady Dana
152. Laurent Garnier
153. DJ Dean
154. Dieselboy
155. D.A.V.E. The Drummer
156. Proteus
157. DJ Rush
158. DJ Vibe
159. Phil K
160. Jeff Mills
161. Martin Roth
162. Sash
163. Scott Brown
164. Remy
165. Timo Maas
166. Misja Helsloot
167. Lange
168. Felix da Housecat
169. Trentemoller
170. DJ Shah
171. Super8
172. DJ Zany
173. Chris Liberator
174. Mark Farina
175. Pendulum
176. Martin Garcia
177. David West
178. Miss Kittin
179. Anne Savage
180. Mistress Barbara
181. Wally Lopez
182. Terje Bakke
183. Technoboy
184. DJ Elusive
185. Ronald van Gelderen
186. Richard Humpty Vission
187. Lisa Lashes
188. The Tidy Boys
189. Ben Watt
190. Tomcraft
191. Solar Stone
192. Thomas Datt
193. BK
194. Fergie
195. Fabio
196. Tall Paul
197. Marc van Linden
198. Boy George
199. Robert Gitelman
200. Groove Eric
201. M.A.N.D.Y.
202. Miguel Migs
203. Graham Gold
204. Gigi D'Agostino
205. Kimito Lopez
206. DJ Luna
207. Behrouz
208. Jelo
209. Magda
210. Christian Smith
211. Nicholas Bennison
212. Nick Sentience
213. Mark Sherry
214. Josh Wink
215. Adam White
216. Joachim Garraud
217. Thomas Bronzwaer
218. Plump DJs
219. Lord Of Bass
220. Darren Emerson
221. Oliver Prime
222. The Prophet
223. Greg Downey
224. Stoneface & Terminal
225. Seb Fontaine
226. Ricky Ryan
227. Derrick Carter
228. Masters At Work
229. Suzy Solar
230. Galen Behr
231. Junior Jack
232. DJ Promo
233. John B
234. Demi
235. Relik
236. Stanton Warriors
237. Astrix
238. Woody Van Eyden
239. Michel de Hey
240. Miika Kuisma
241. Kristina Sky
242. Scott Bond
243. Ashley Casselle
244. Matthew Adams
245. Sultan
246. Chris Chambers
247. Andy Farley
248. Mike Foyle
249. Tiefschwarz
250. Marco Bailey

98 Degrees in Tacoma

So apparently former 98 Degrees lead singer and solo artist, and former spouse and co-star on Newly Weds (with Jessica) -- Nick Lachey -- now owns the Tacoma Raniers, or at least part of it with two other dudes from Texas.

Very very weird.

Also weird, Warren Buffet, Nolan Ryan, and the Mandalay Bay hotel in Vegas own 3 other teams in the Pacific Coast League as well. Great, we have Vegas owning a baseball team... sound's fair to me.

Here's another blog with some pictures of the press conference from today.

http://www.exit133.com/1305

Pop star Nick Lachey becomes part owner of Tacoma Rainiers

By TIM BOOTH
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER

TACOMA, Wash. -- Former "Newlywed" Nick Lachey announced a new union on Wednesday - and no, it has nothing to do with Jessica Simpson.

Lachey was introduced as a part-owner of the Tacoma Rainiers, the Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. Before Wednesday, Lachey had no connection with the waterfront city 30 miles south of Seattle, other than occasional performances at the nearby Tacoma Dome.

Now, he's part of the Schlegel Sports Group based out of Dallas, and a one-third owner of the Rainiers.

"Sports for me, other than what I do for a living, is truly my passion, and baseball has always been something that is a part of my life," said Lachey, who grew up a Cincinnati Reds' fan. "Being able to do what I do for my career, thankfully I've been blessed enough to be able to do well in that, to have other opportunities and this is one of them."

Lachey's singing career is in the midst of an upswing since his divorce from Simpson, which was finalized on June 30. His new solo album, "What's Left of Me," debuted at No. 2 on Billboard's album chart in May and he just completed a 26-city tour.

Lachey sang openly about divorce-driven heartbreak and angst on the title track and in songs such as "I Can't Hate You Anymore." The former stars of the MTV reality show, "Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica," filed for divorce last December after three years of marriage.

Lachey wasn't interested in talking about his ex-wife on Wednesday, instead focusing on his new venture. It's the second time Lachey has been involved with an ownership group. He was a small player in a group that attempted to buy his hometown Reds last year. That experience confirmed to Lachey he wanted a piece of a sports franchise.

"A couple of years ago when the Reds came up for sale my interest there was they're my hometown team and I want to be involved in the team and the city and obviously that didn't work out," Lachey said. "But it gave me the feeling that being involved in an ownership group was something I really wanted to do. When this opportunity came about it felt like the right one."

Lachey's involvement in the ownership group wasn't originally announced when word leaked of the Rainiers sale in July. That was by design, says Kirby Schlegel, hoping the public relations pop of announcing Lachey's involvement on Wednesday would boost interest in the Rainiers.

"The PR jolt he can give is huge," Schlegel said. "There's no better advertising than having a guy like Nick Lachey involved."

Schlegel and Lachey met through mutual friends in Los Angeles a few years ago, and the pair have been scouring the country for the right opportunity to enter business together. The new owners spoke extensively about providing an entertaining product to fans.

Tacoma has been home to a Pacific Coast League franchise since 1960. PCL President Branch Rickey pointed out other notable owners in the league - Warren Buffet (Omaha), Nolan Ryan (Round Rock), and the Mandalay Entertainment Group (Las Vegas).

Rickey also knew when he followed Lachey at the podium Wednesday morning, that only one segment of the audience was paying attention to him.

"I'm speaking to the men," Rickey joked. "The women can keep looking where they're looking."

Homeowners Hell

Here's a crazy article:

DENVER, Colorado (AP) -- A homeowners' association in southwestern Colorado has threatened to fine a resident $25 a day until she removes a Christmas wreath with a peace sign that some say is an anti-Iraq war protest or a symbol of Satan.

Some residents who have complained have children serving in Iraq, said Bob Kearns, president of the Loma Linda Homeowners Association in Pagosa Springs.

He said some residents believed the wreath was a symbol of Satan. Three or four residents complained, he said.

"Somebody could put up signs that say drop bombs on Iraq. If you let one go up you have to let them all go up," he said in a telephone interview Sunday.

Lisa Jensen said she wasn't thinking of the war when she hung the wreath. She said, "Peace is way bigger than not being at war. This is a spiritual thing."

Jensen, a past association president, calculates the fines will cost her about $1,000, and doubts they will be able to make her pay. But she said she's not going to take it down until after Christmas.

"Now that it has come to this I feel I can't get bullied," she said. "What if they don't like my Santa Claus?"

The association in this 200-home subdivision 270 miles southwest of Denver has sent a letter to her saying that residents were offended by the sign and the board "will not allow signs, flags etc. that can be considered divisive."

The subdivision's rules say no signs, billboards or advertising are permitted without the consent of the architectural control committee.

Kearns ordered the committee to require Jensen to remove the wreath, but members refused after concluding that it was merely a seasonal symbol that didn't say anything.

Kearns fired all five committee members.

This is one of the things I am most afraid of when buying a home or condo these days... Homeowners Associations. They suck! What do you benefit from them? You have to pay dues, and then you are scrutinized to hell with what you do, and are restricted from doing anything that makes your house look different than anyone elses? Why? Why does everyone want to assimilate? Is there a point? Where's the freedom of speech? This lady puts up a PEACE wreath and people complain that its a sign against supporting the troops? What the hell? I thought, completely hypothetical, that the troops in Iraq were there to help promote democracy and peace in the middle east? (of course, I think the Iraq thing.... well I won't say more than that) Anyway, I love it how the Homeowner president fires the 5 people who go against him. Sounds like democracy rules this association. Mmm hmm.

My cousin, who lives in a suburb of Phoenix, AZ also is in a homeowners association, not by choice I'd assume. But when I went down to visit him while on a business trip earlier this year, I remember he bought some garden rocks to place for decoration. They don't have grass down there nor bark so they use red rocks.... or something like that. But he picked a slightly darker shade of red than the standard -- you can hardly tell either... and the homeowners came screaming at his doorstep and demanded he return those and get the proper color. I thought it was ludicrous.

My other cousin, his brother actually, couldn't use his condo deck to put a BBQ on it!! A BBQ?? What's the point in having the deck then?? He also couldn't have a bike on it either... blasphemy.

Anyway, homeowners associations... are you suppose to enjoy being in one?

Well that just sucks.

Seahawks just lost to the Niners. What a crappy way to end a perfectly fine weekend. Seneca Wallace still does not seem very comfortable in tight situations, as shown by his complete lack of judgement on that last interception with the game on the line. On a miracle 2nd opportunity to go downfield for a victory, Seneca threw the ball over to the right side of the field to absolutely nobody; nobody in seahawk blue that is. There were 2 or 3 San Francisco defensive backs there and no Hawk in sight. I don't know who he was going to but that gave the Niners an interception to basically seal the deal.

Tragic.

The rest of the week played out well though as Scott!!! came back from Japan on Wednesday and Melissa is back again as of yesterday. Neil comes back in 2 weeks too! So yippee! I saw two great shows this past week - The Album Leaf and The Decemberists on Thursday and Friday, respectively. I also just got to chill out and relax with my best friend. I'm happy he's back, if only for a few days. I also ran into JR last night at Ozzies who is in town for a few days too before he heads to Japan as well, and then moving to Tahoe.

Besides that, the misery of the Seahawks lost is settling in. Sigh. At least the Huskies took a Bowl opportunity away from the Cougs by stealing the Apple Cup back to Seattle. Woohoo!

The Tides Turn

Random tidbits from an already crazy week:

1. The Seahawks-Raiders game was the least-watched in the history of "Monday Night Football." The game was viewed by 7.587 million households, according to Nielsen Media Research. The previous low was 8.427 million households for the Rams' 28-21 victory over Tampa Bay in 2004. - Seattle PI

2. Donald Rumsfeld has resigned from his position of Secretary of Defense under the Bush administration! Finally! Gee, you wonder if you should be in office still when the people you give orders to all want you out, and they also happen to control all of the countries weapons. heh heh. Good job on Iraq. Sure has helped us plenty.... By the way, I don't agree with the Iraq war/invasion. I do support the troops, but not the cause.

3. The Democratic party just destroyed the GOP over the past 36 hours. 29 seats in the House have changed from GOP(1 independent) to Democrat (10 undecided), and 5 senate positions changed to Democrat so far with 1 undecided and likely to be Blue. What a crazy shift in power. So now the Democrats run the House and the Senate...

4. What does this all say about the current administration?

5. Arizona - what the hell is going on with their measures?

$1 million voter reward?? WTF is this? I'm glad it got rejected. Why would anyone need an incentive to vote besides the incentive that they have an opinion? The idea was to have a $1million reward to help boost voting numbers... yea, so now you'll have a bunch of fools who wouldn't have voted but now will just check random boxes so that they can win some cash. Great.

English as Official Language? I thought... we were in America... and we have a thing called American English. Sounds really lame for a title, but I guess if you read deeper into it, it also says stuff that reduces the amount of languages for government fliers, brochures, etc. (aka, no more spanish translations). But again, to go along with the brainless fools who only vote for money -- they read the title, and well, of course you'd check YES. Then again, if English isn't already the official language of Arizona, what was?

6. Other ballot measures.

Funds for Alternative Energy (California) - a bit surprised this actually lost. Don't know too much more than the brief summary -- I guess California did already drive a lot of money into the Hydrogen Fuel cell research center already so maybe that's why this lost handedly.

Colorado does not want Same-Sex anything. No to both Domestic Partnership rights and marriage, but not as badly as some other states... mainly all the south and midwest states where there seems to be no reason why it was even on the ballot. I hope Washington reviews this sometime in the future again... It got pretty close earlier this year in court.

Colorado and Nevada wanted to legalize Marijuana? Sounds neat. Hah. Actually, I'd say NO to this too, though it's really not that terrible of a drug by any means. But then, Medical Marijuana (South Dakota) got turned down too, and I believe this is something that could be welcoming. Washington already has this ability.

Finally, Allow Slot Machines. haha. Ohio... you crazies. Good thing you voted no on this. Of course the reservations will tell you this is quite a profitable market, but Ohio doesn't have enough asian (especially vietnamese) people in it to really drive it. :) :) :) jk.

7. Locally, it sounds like the Sonics are really leaving now -- it sounds like its nearly impossible to get a new contract/remodel of Key Arena and the ownership is going to have to look at Bellevue or Renton or somewhere else again. Everett? heh. Move to Oklahoma City. Paul Allen can then buy out his Rose Garden/City contract, sell off the Rose Garden, move the Trail Blazers to Seattle, and bring Martel Webster, Brandon Roy, Dan Dickau, and Nate McMillan back home to Seattle.

8. I have alot of really good friends in one location right now. Japan. Jake is over there working at Mitsubishi. Dean is next door working at Kawasaki. And they're both going to hook up with my best friend Scott in Tokyo. Geez. Oh yea, Roldan is over there on vacation too. Argh!

9. Transformers: The Movie - 20th Anniversary DVD has been released! It's digitally remastered, and available in widescreen finally!! I got it yesterday! exciting!

And...

10. Go Seahawks.

Better

Fall is definitely back. Its pouring down rain and the leaves are scattered in their autumn colors all over the ground. It's a change of pace and its nice in a way. Sure traffic stinks, but change just might be what the doctor ordered.

I've had a pretty good week of smiles and laughter, which is something that I am glad to have back. I saw the NBA back in effect and what might amount to the final season for my beloved Seattle Super Sonics. It's a shame if they leave, because they do mean alot to me and this city, but if they do, I would not mind a fresh start with a new franchise if the powers that be allow that to happen.

I also got to hang out with some friends and see Iceland's own Amiina play at Chop Suey on Thursday evening with some local talented bands, Sleepy Eyes of Death and Trespasser William. It was a good show.

And then there was the Friday marathon of goodness. I had some food and drinks with some wonderful people at Gordon Bierch downtown, followed by seeing the Bodies exhibit and then more food and drinks at Palomino and concluding with watching Borat movie. It was a great, and tiring, night out in downtown with some wonderful people (Adria, Griffin, Prashant, Dan, Jeannette, Jessica, Susan, and Joe).

And Saturday was an adventure in the pouring down rain in Fremont, a place that is all too familiar yet had not been explored on a weekend evening in a very long time with my cousins. It was interesting, controversial, and just a much needed time with family.

Then there was today where I got to see my good friend Melissa once again, as she arrived back from Chicago, as well as Katie, Jennifer, Patricia and her friends. Some pho action, as usual, another film (Saw III) and then Peso's in the evening to cap it off. I also got to watch a very exciting, albeit sloppy, Sunday night football game between the Pats and Colts.

Tommorow, or later today... I guess, is Monday Night Football with the Seahawks!! Woopeee!

And Tuesday... well that's the release of the 20th Anniversary Transformers: The Movie remastered DVD! Can't wait to get it!

An interim review of my goals and expectations.

These were my 2006 goals as created at the beginning of the year...

2006 "anticipations"


1. Continuing Education - never enough school for me, and Boeing will pay for it! muwahahaha.

I tried this for Winter and Spring 2006 quarter at UW while working full-time. Just one class each quarter. I also took the GRE over the summer and did fairly decent, especially on the math section. So I have the beginnings ready for an application for grad school, and was planning on taking another class this quarter and so on, but my job is taking way too much time out of my life that school would basically kill all the remainder of it. SIGH! I do want to keep doing it though.

Score: 6/10



2. Move out - not that I don't like living at home, but I just need to, well, move out!

I was going to move out with by friend, and that didn't happen and that's mainly because we ended up being cube mates at work. Funny how that goes. I then tried to look for single BR apartments and saw that they cost way too freakin' much and then went on to open a 1 year CD at BECU to save money for a down payment on a house or condo next Spring/Summer. I feel so grown-up, saving money and all.

Score: 1/10


3. Go international - as in... a vacation yo! Japan?

Dangit, I had to cancel my Western Europe escapade because of work-issues. The trip would have been for work, but I would have tacked on some extra personal time before and after my main business. Argh, it would have been a fun adventure. I still have a trip lined up to Germany however and at least one to Japan sometime, but not sure when those will happen and very unlikely by the end of this year.

Score: 0/10


4. Snowboard better!! - yea.

I dont think I ever made it to the slopes following the new year. I think I went twice in December but that was it for last season's winter sports for me. How sad and depressing. This year, I'll try to go more. I bought new pants too...

Score: 0/10


5. Girl or Girls

strike out. or struck out. Strike out looking, that's a better term for it. Or maybe it's just me sitting on the pine waiting for nothing.

Score: 0/10


6. Play more tennis - cause i didn't get to play alot this year. Adria? Ted? Dean? where you at?

Well for a time I did play on quite an occasion with Adria in the Spring. Then summer went around, and we had a softball league together and my work load increased so never did do much more tennis. I think I played once with Albert and it was OK. I also played with Adam Soh a couple times like the good ol' days and recently played twice with John.

Score: 6/10


7. Meet more friends and people - i need more friends cause alot of my really good ones are moving away, Scott especially...

Reading this makes me feel melancholy and nearly infinite sadness. As I mentioned many times on previous occasions, I've seen many of my closest friends move on and move out. Scott being the first and foremost, but also my good friends Neil and Melissa to Denver and Chicago, respectively. Recently I saw two friends i hangout with leave for the bay area, Meaghan and Damon, and then two others moved down there over the past year as well -- Jay and Martha. I've also seen others leave too... sigh.

I havent done a spectacular job meeting new friends. I guess I have but I think the one happy note is that I believe I have soldified or at least, broken new ground with some people from the past that I knew but did not know so well and wish I knew better then because they are great and wonderful people who are alot like me. I've also been able to go to every Seahawk game so far because of this awesome group of individuals, and this I'm talking about Griffin, Prashant, Sean, Dan, Dylin, Challie, etc. etc. and I can thank Adria for having such cool friends and re-introducing me to them. Granted, I have met all of them many years ago but never did hang out with them that often or at all.

Score: 5/10


8. oh yea, Save Money!! - that'll be my goal for every year until i can actually do it.

Opening up a BECU account was step one. Then opening a 1 year CD was step 2. I've also hurt my savings by buying a new car and dropping a big down payment on it, but thats sort of a savings in its own way via Interest payments. Anyway, I think I'm doing satisfactorily, though I could be doing alot better job if I didnt eat out every lunch day and drank less coffee, and spent less money on going out and buying random toys.

Score: 7/10


9. be more outgoing, assertive, and open - i'm told i'm way too outgoing. i think not.

Getting there, but also took a step back I guess? I'm not the communications director that I used to be. I also am lazier these days about trying to go out and do things. Work has a little bit to do with it. Running myself into a wall also does too.

Score: 3/10


10. be more serious at times, and more sensitive perhaps? -- cause although i care alot about things, i don't show it externally... if that makes sense?

I think I'm terrible at this. I'm downright sarcastic all the time. People dont change too easily and I can try to work on it but I doubt it'll ever be to a level I'd be 100% happy with, but I should just accept it and move on?

Score: 1/10



11. i need to be more assertive. - repeat.

I'll take this in a slightly different context, and I think I meant it this way when I wrote it originally. And yes, I would call this a total outright failure too. I'm too shy and scared of failure to really say that this will ever be improved. I need to work on that... i think my last goal goes hand in hand with this.

Score: 1/10


12. more confident in myself. i'm confident in others, but not myself, almost ever.

Getting better, but requires much work.

Score: 3/10


TOTAL: 33/120

That's a little over 25%. Great. I got 2 months to do 75% of my 2006 goals. Lets get moving.

nothing.

waiting too long is the crux of my pains.

huskies... what a crazy three game losing streak. ARGH!

seahawks... what else can happen?

why is my life so destined for disaster?

The Office Part II and other tidbits

Alright, I must admit, The Office was a wonderful television series on BBC. I enjoyed every single minute of the 14 episodes I watched (2 seasons and a 2 part special). Quite a genious method of making a television show and being able to put a plot buried in-between the reality tv-like style. The main draw of the show was the hidden romance and that was exceptionally well done and I'm actually really interested now in buying the box sets of the American NBC version of this show cause I've only seen random episodes here and there of the one on network TV here. It'll be my next fun purchase.

The Seahawks play the poison pill Vikings tommorow. I'm so freakin excited cause I am going to the game!! I found this one out earlier today with Prashant gave me a call cause his roommate Corey couldn't go. Yay! Also, if the Vikings lose, theres a strong possiblility I may be a Viking for Halloween, otherwise I already have most of my pirate costume ready to go.

Ghostland Observatory show was excellent again. I think I lost some of my hearing though temporarily. My ears were still ringing the day after. Adria and I got a nice spot right in front of the lead singer so that was awesome.

Ok, I'm done typing for now. I've drank way too much bier this weekend already...

The Office

Yay! I got my Office DVD box set (series 1 and 2 and specials) in the mail today! Its the BBC original series, and I'm excited. Scared actually cause the building they work in looks alot like the Boeing Materials Technology building I do alot of work in, at least exteriorly. I've never seen the UK verison so this will be neat.

One of these days I have to get Season 3 of Arrested Development too, and its funny cause I own Season 1 and 2 box sets and I have never even see the show before. I will have to have a marathon on both of these shows soon.

I also need to get Twin Peaks DVD sets too...

Growing Up

The last thing I wrote was quite a downer. Its hard to see your friends go away. I'm also seeing that its a lot harder to meet people now that I'm not in school anymore. In school, people were there all the time, and I did not have to try to meet anyone; it just happened. Now, in the next part of my life, you really do have to go out and meet new people. It's not as simple as going to class, walking around campus, dorms or parties, and meeting a million people through your small group of friends. I don't know if I'll ever find friends as good as the ones I have now, but I hope I will find equivilent or a notch below. My friends, I believe, are pretty high up the food chain to beat. :)

In other news, Dean is in the process of buying a house! Though in some cases he's lucky cause hes getting a little support for it, I am more than excited and thrilled for him! He's one of the first one of my friends to take a stab at owning a home. It's a bit crazy to think actually. I know I am not too far behind. I don't think I have taken living at home for granted at all. I actually do enjoy living at home, and don't worry about it at all. There are some obvious disadvantages, but I think it'll pay off in the end, at least from an investment standpoint. I do like the company whenever I am at home, which isn't as much as it used to. Anyway, I'm excited for Dean.

Which comes to my next point... so many of my co-workers who are my age are the same very people I went to school with and had classes and stayed up all night studying with and in many cases partied and hung out with. It's one of the most opportunistic coincidences that I get to grow up with all of these people from our confused school years to the beginning and maturity of our career life, which is exemplified by today's news of Dean buying a home. Crazy!

New Photo Gallery

I put up a new gallery using the Google Picasa web galleries. Link on the right.

A Lack of Color

I'm beginning to feel like I've lost alot of excitement in my life. I guess the past few weeks I've been feeling a bit underwhelmed about many things. I lost touch with so much that I feel at times lonely, but not really depressed? I miss my friends. I miss being able to hang out and talk to someone about whatever it is I feel like talking about. I don't have that as much as I used to. My closest friends have all left this city and moved on to bigger and better things. I'm still here. I'm not saying I'm not happy about my choice; I am more than excited about my career right now. But I sorely miss my best friends:

Scott, who's moved to Japan. He was my buddy for everything. We did everything together. I can't wait til you come back for the holiday.

Neil, who moved to Denver and in a year to the east coast. Again, he was one of the very few people I could talk about anything about to and he'd understand. Whenever I needed something or wanted to go do something, Neil or Scott were always there for me. I don't think I have that too much anymore.

There's also Ted, who hasn't moved anywhere, in fact he still lives 8 blocks away, but he's so busy these days that he's never around. And we've drifted apart "socially", if that makes sense. But down inside, we're still able to communicate our ordeals without a problem. He knows me better than any of my friends. More than the ones I currently hang out with and only Scott or Neil are up there. But Ted is different, he catches on and knows me before I know myself. I miss hanging out with him, getting a drink, watching sports, and being nerdy playing video games or whatever we are doing. I hung out with him and his brother a couple weeks back and it was just like old times again. Fun times.

There's others that have left too, and more notably, Melissa. But these were the three friends who I think I had a very strong bond to and now its broken to an extent. I still talk to Scott and Neil on AIM or on the phone every once in a while, but it's not the same. I can't just pick them up and go to the coffee shop or go get a drink or lunch/dinner and just hang out, and catch up. It doesn't work that way anymore.

At least I still have some people here and there. I'm not saying I'm a caged animal stuck in my room all day long sobing and weeping. I still go out and do things with people but at the same time I miss my closest buds. You know? Friday I went to watch a movie and Saturday to watch the husky game with some newly adopted friends, who I guess aren't new to me, but it is more recent that we've been "hanging out" and I really appreciate their acceptance. It's nice to know that there are groups of people just like me around. :)

Saturday night, I guess, was when I really came to feeling this way. I was getting fairly lonely about things, and Jake and Kristina told me to come over and hang out at Jake's new place. Its great to have a friend like Jake too. I like my friends. They are good people. I miss some of them alot though. Sigh.

I think I need a coffee shop talk sometime soon, only thing is, I don't really have anyone for that nowadays. I have so much I want to talk about... life love and the pursuit of happiness. Stuff like that. I can only take so much of talking about this stuff to my cousins. They listen, but at the same time, I can't always rely on them for advice or listening stuff. Sometimes they drive me insane, sometimes they are wonderful. I don't know. I'm confused about alot of things, and I wish I knew an answer for everything, but that would make being alot less exciting?!

I think I'm running myself into a wall these days. Reluctant and timid, afraid and lackadaisical. Unfortunate and unconfident. Too hesistant for my lack of color, knowledge, or sense of chivalry. I want to take the steps to change all of this, and show what I really am; the ant within the anthony to everyone and not the people I feel comfortable around, but it's hard sometimes, especially when you have other emotions or attachments standing in the way. That could be one of the corniest things I've written, or in this case, typed, but its basically, in all its earnest, true.

In the words of Ben Gibbard, I want so badly to believe that there is truth and that love is real.

A to Zed

A - Available: i am single
A - Age: 24
A - Annoyance: vagueness, though i am the same way. so i'm annoyed by myself

B - Best Friend: Scott, Neil, Jake, Ted
B - Beer: mmm good. i'm a beer snob though.
B - Birthday: August 22, 1982

C - Crush: Orange. I'd admit I have one as many of my close friends know.
C - Car: 2006 Scion tC in silver
C - Candy: Haribo Gummy Bears and sour patch kids and cherries and sour brite crawlers

D - Day or night: the night, though its harder now that i work full-time
D - Dream Car: not really sure. i think it'd be something that was environmentally friendly, sporty, fuel efficient, and had some punch to it. There's a Lexus GS450h hybrid thats pretty close sorta. A hybrid bio-diesel car would be sweet too. plug in hybrids.
D - Dog or cat: cat probably. they look cooler.

E - Easiest person to talk to: Ted or Neil, who do override my best friend Scott.
E - Eggs: are good. Scrambled with lots of tabasco.
E - Email: I use it. I read through between 20 and 50 and send out about 20 or so a day at work, and then get at least 5 personal emails a day and then a bunch of spam too.

F - Favorite Month: December, winding it all down and starting anew, plus its family fun times.
F - Favorite color: green or orange
F - Favorite Memory: being a kid with no responsibilities

G - Gummy Bears or Worms: ah geez, tough choice as described above in C
G - Giver or taker: I am so much more of a giver
G - Gum: the light blue mint one.

H - Hair Color: black, though on occasion i have dyed it in the past a reddish color.
H - Height: 5'5"
H - Happy: i would not say i am really happy. i am happy about many aspects of life but there are some things in life i consider higher than others that i am not happy in.

I - Ice Cream: mint and superman icecream
I - Idol: grandma
I - Instrument: sorta can play piano/keyboards, have the bare basics of turntablism, and want to learn guitar and drums someday.

J -Jewelry: no
J- Jail: no

K - Kids: i want kids, but thats a far and away thought
K - Kindergarten: i came into kindegarten not being able to speak a lick of english. i think ive come a long way.

L - Longest Car Ride: seattle to san francisco

M - Milk Flavor: white
M - Most missed person: that's passed away: grandma, ; that hasnt: scott
M - Movie Last Watched: The Departed

N - Number of Siblings: 1
N - Number of Tattoos: 0
N - Nick Name: ant

O - One Wish: that everything will work out in the end
O - One Fear: disruption from the present calm; failure
O - One regret: passiveness and reluctance

P - Pet Peeves: people who ramble way too much that it starts to stress me out
P - Part of your body you like best: i dont know
P - Part of your Personality you like best: laid back attitude i guess? i think being a sports nut is my favorite part though cause i love the intensity of anything whether it be a thrilling football match or a pulsating concert

Q - Quote: "you're so money and you don't even know it!"
Q - Question for the next person doing this: dont stoop to my level.
Q - Quick or Slow: this is in reference to what? quick usually i guess.

R - Reason to smile: the state of being
R - Reality TV Show: no
R - Reasons to cry: superbowl.

S - Song Last Heard: just listened to Rolling with Heat by The Roots and Talib Kweli
S - Season: Summer for the most part. Winter too.
S - Shoe: Pumas

T - Time you woke up: Today I woke up at noon cause i was out til 5am. weekdays i get up at 6:30am usually.
T - Time Now: 1:45pm
T - Time for bed: tonight, around 11pm

U - U love someone: family and friends
U - Unpredictable: i am not unpredictable though i have so many ideas of crazy things to do but never do them
U - Underwear: what about them?

V - Vegetable you hate: mushrooms
V - Vegetable you love: peppers and spinich
V - Vacation spot: europe, soon hopefully

W- Worst Habit: too much sarcasm
W- Where are you going to travel next?: japan, denver, or south carolina again? or maybe germany or luxembourg
W- Who do you love?: family and friends

X - X-Rays: electrons that are shot into your body and reflected out to a collector that assembles it into a visual indication of your body
X - X-Rated: porn.
X - X-tra special someone: yes, there is one or two.

Y - Year you were born: 1982
Y - Year it is now: 2006
Y - Yellow: racist! just cause i'm asian! :) yellow is cool.

Z - Zoo Animal: penguins and monkeys and koalas oh my!
Z - Zodiac: leo
Z - Zoolander: one of the funniest and stupid movies of all time. i love it.

WiCKED

I've been stoked to see Wicked for a while now, and I finally was able to see it on Thursday, Sept. 28th at the Paramount Theatre with Adria. After hearing so many good reviews, and hearing about the awards this musical has won, and then some first-hand praise, I was pretty psyched-up to see it. I also learned that the show was sold out and had a very high demand for scalpinage on the internet so just being able to go was pretty darn exciting.

And the show did not disappoint. There was plenty of fun and entertaining moments, and the story adapted by the novel by Gregory Maguire made complete sense with the original Wonderful Wizard of Oz storyline. I really liked the massive use of colors and lighting, and the sets were vivid and imaginary - making it a very enjoyable experience. The music and vocals were far better than I expected. Shoshana Bean, who plays the lead role of the Wicked Witch Elphaba, has a majestic pop star voice, while Megan Hilty, who plays the Good Witch Glinda, has plenty of comedic sass and humor to fit the typical blonde role. It was just a good time, and I'd recommend it to everyone, who has a bit spare change anyway.

Yay!

Ants on a Plane

September 27, 2006

10:36AM PST – 1:36PM EST

It’s been a crazy, crazy adventure for me. Last report, I had been stuck at the Chicago O’Hare airport for multiple hours. Well, my flight actually ended up getting cancelled around 8PM EST. I was scrambling, cause I had an extremely important meeting the next morning at 9AM in Camden, SC. I was calling up Boeing Travel, my lead, and checking times and information. There was nothing coming to there, and then I was ready to get a hotel in Chicago to stay the night and telecom into the meeting the next day. Then my lead calls me back up and says there was one final flight flying out to Charlotte, NC at 9PM. I rushed back to the United counter and got myself on standby.

Even better, the flight got delayed, and delayed and finally was ready an hour later. I was able to get a seat and flew off to Charlotte, not really sure what I was going to do next. See, I had a rental car for Columbia Airport in South Carolina, and by then it might have been too late to get a rental. But my lead took care of that for me while I was in the air and reserved me a car, but I had to get there before 1AM. So my flight touched down around 12:30am, and I’m cruising to find the rental car location and finally get a car at the Hertz. Phew. But its not over.

See I also cancelled my hotel reservations and had been in constant phone communicating with my traveling team there. They were able to get me the room back at the hotel. (They themselves were all delayed by multiple hours on flights too) So I got the car and drove 95mi to the Columbia, SC area, and got lost. The mapquest directions I wrote than hurriedly at the airport (cause my laptop battery was borderline dead) were wrong! Well… not exactly.

First of all, the roads in South Carolina suck. They are pitch black without any street lights anywhere, not even on on- and off-ramps!! To top that off, they don’t give you any forewarning that an exit is coming up! When you see the sign, you turn! Blindly too, since there are no lights, and it’s great because the on ramps are always sharp turns. It would be so easy to just not see the turn and go straight into the ditch, which almost happened to me a few times.

So it’s about 2am when I’m nearing the area, and so I’m following my mapquest directions to the wrong location! Apparently there are TWO Clemson Rd and 10th intersections in the Columbia area! WTF? And both of these places have a “WAFFLE HOUSE” at them. This place is some Denny’s like diner. Sigh! So confusing. I finally found my way to the right place around 3:30am and got about 1 hour of total sleep before I had to get up for my meeting. It was exhausting yet I was not tired the whole day, surprisingly.

After the meeting with the supplier, I had another 3 hours of meetings to telecon into at the hotel. Eek. Finally, we had dinner, and then I went out to find some place to hang out. I ended up going to the University of South Carolina area and went to Jillian’s. Sigh, nightlife is dead here. This place actually had a pretty good crowd though.

Anyway, this morning I get directions to the airport from the hotel concierge, and of course – its wrong! So I’m driving and about 30 miles later I’m looking at a really bad mapquest map and realize this ain’t right. So I turned off the freeway got back on going the opposite direction and flying to find the airport. See, it was about 11:35am and my flight was at 12:46PM and I still had to drop the rental car.

I finally did find the aiport, rushed through the rental (w/o refilling gas), and rushed to the airport lobby to get my ticket, literally about 30 seconds away from being too late. You have to check-in at least 30mins before, and I was in-line at about 12:15pm!!

Anyway, I’m finally in the air now to O’Hare again. Hopefully it’s not a nightmare there…

The Terminal

I'm currently stuck at O'Hare airport in Chicago right now as I wait for my connecting flight. It's been delayed for 3 hours now and still no new information on it. Sigh. I'm just trying to get to South Carolina for a few hour meeting! This is ridiculous! I sure how my flight back to Seattle is not this bad, or delayed substantially -- I got tickets to see Wicked on Thursday evening and do not want to miss this opportunity to see it. I'm pretty stoked to get to see it too! Anyway, this I must remind myself to never connect through Chicago, though it wasn't my original intent.

I've been quite the lazy on the blog lately as I have been filling my time with work and work, and some play. Work has been crazy for me lately, and this delay at the airport is not really helping. The past weekend was another good one. I got to hang out with my friends Ted and Don on Friday and then Oktoberfest on Saturday with tons of people and great live music from Helio Sequence among others. Sunday I was able to go to the game thanks to Huy's extra ticket. The Hawks/Giants game was so loud and so much fun. It also helps to go to the game with some equally excited fans like Griff, Flex, Sean, etc. Sports nuts unite.

but the bad thing... the CURSE OF MADDEN continues, to my great displeasure. Shaun Alexander was the coverboy this year and hoping the curse would break; it has not. First three games were rather unproductive for the MVP and now he has a fracture in his foot and out indefintely!! This ain't looking good. At least the Hawks are still 3-0 and have a wide-out tandem thats unstoppable. The D is looking strong too, real strong. And speaking of strong, Mack Strong has been our offensive playmaker this year so far. So much for being old. He's the Jamie Moyer of football.

Well hopefully my trip is better. Good luck to my softball team, Team Zissou, tommorow night (tuesday) as they play their final game of the season. Hit me a homerun! And good luck to Adria with her interview later this week. And good luck with the move Meag if you move before I get back, cause i have no idea when that'll be.

Ant, out.

Seahawks vs Cardinals - 21-10 - 09/17/06

Game rocked. More later. Pictures now, per Griffin's request.



The People I came with: John, Ant (me), Kristina, and Jake



The Other Guys: We were on the visitor side 50 yard line in the far upper area, and this is a photo from 309 to 330 where Griff, Flex, Sean, Corey, Dylin, etc were... They're in the pic. Where's Waldo?


This is THE MAN on D -- Julian Peterson, #59.



The Special Teams unit huddling up before a down.




The D-Backs huddlin' up before a defensive stop!

Bumbershoot Photos + Vids

Bumbershoot 2006:: I went all 3 days from Sept 6, 7 and 8th.

I saw:
gossip, blondie, jamie lidell, rogue wave, blood brothers, lady sovereign

new pornographers, spoon, ghok-bi system, thee emergency, jeremy egnik, mates of state, blue scholars/massline, kanye west

particle, izabelle, rising cancer, sparta, atmosphere, a tribe called quest, and a tad bit of the english beat.

Best live act? THEE EMERGENCY
Best surprise? THEE EMERGENCY
Best beats? Lady Sovereign
Best voice? Who else? Jeremy Egnik
Best rockin' act not already announced? Sparta
Best comeback? BLONDIE or Tribe? Tribe was sick of the hizzle fo shizzle, but Blondie was better overall!


Here's some pictures:

Mates of State

Jeremy Enigk

Thee Emergency

Thee Emergency

Spoon

A.C. Newman and Destroyer: Part of New Pornographers

New Pornographers minus Neko Case

Vu

Neil, Ant and Vu

Blondie!

The Gossip

Here's some Videos:

No internet at home

no internet at home til Sept 11th.. and its been down for 5 days now.. so no updates here. :(

I sold myself to football

Thank you Jimmy for getting me an addiction. I literally played at least 20 hours of Madden the past 3 days. Sick! And it'll continue...

And one other thing:

Happy Birthday to:

Jake Reeves
Bjorn Ballien
ME!
Adria Chiu
Tara Zamudio
Blake Matthews
Trisha Terada
Damon's mom
Greg's daughter
Sharon's sister
Braiden Eilers
and like whoever else I may have missed's birthday in the past few days.

Ok phew.

R&R

Wow, I just slept for almost 12 hours. I went home from work, passed out on my bed, and just slept and slept til my alarm woke up this morning. No dinner, ugh. I'm hungry now. This is my penalty for having an excessively fun weekend and weekdays with too many sleepless nights. :|

Ride the Ducks!

the only one who has a chance...

"Chance for what?"

I had this somewhat real and somewhat obscure dream last night. At the end, or what just happened to be the end and would make for one of those cliffhanger movie endings, I was caught with the question... "chance for what?" and that startled me and woke me up at 6am. I don't think I've had that happen to me in a while.

And just a few minutes ago, I was sleeping (quite early today) and just got awaken when in my dream, some guy said "listen to this!" and then I awoke and heard some crazy girl crying loudly... and it freaked the hell out of me, but then i realized it was my mom's superdubbed vietnamese show that was on really really loud... but it's still a bit crazy that I had awoken at the same exact instant that happened.

Crazy Auto Theft

So Jake, John, and I are driving from work to get some lunch. Jake had just been given a tour of the factory as part of his interview so we're just cruisin' down East Marginal Way when we see this happen right in front of our eyes...

Tuesday, August 8, 2006

Driver of stolen BMW crashes while fleeing

P-I STAFF AND NEWS SERVICES

TUKWILA -- A suspect in an auto theft was slightly hurt Monday when he crashed while trying to escape from a Washington State Patrol trooper.

The accident happened just after noon along East Marginal Way South and South Norfolk Street, near the Museum of Flight, the State Patrol reported.

Trooper Cliff Pratt said the BMW corporation contacted 911 after the tracking system installed on some of its vehicles registered a reportedly stolen BMW traveling south through Seattle.

The driver of the BMW stopped at a gas station near Boeing Field and was contacted by a state trooper, who at one point had the driver out of the car at gunpoint, Pratt said. However, the driver managed to jump back into the BMW and speed off.

The trooper barely had time to get back in his patrol car to give chase when the BMW crashed into another vehicle. The driver of the stolen BMW struggled with troopers, who used a Taser to subdue him and place him under arrest.

The driver of the other vehicle was not hurt, Pratt said.

M&M Art

Pretty messed up... why hurt this guy, despite his history, for making innovative art and trying to help charity?

CNN report:

SAN FRANCISCO, California (AP) -- A convicted killer who sold postcard-size paintings he created with dye from M&Ms and brushes fashioned from his hair broke prison rules by running an unauthorized business out of his cell, officials said.

While Donny Johnson hasn't profited from his art -- all the money is being used to start a program for children of inmates -- prison officials said he was wrongfully engaged in a business without the warden's permission.

Johnson, 46, has been locked up since 1980 for second-degree murder in a drug-related killing. In 1989, he was convicted of assaulting one guard and slashing the throat of another. He's now serving life without parole in the most secure unit at Pelican Bay State Prison in Crescent City, about 10 miles south of the Oregon border.

The details of possible disciplinary action were unclear. A hearing on the matter will be held in the next few weeks, said Terry Thornton, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

His lawyer, Charles Carbone, disputed that Johnson violated the rules.

"There's a very large question mark over the legality and morality of what the department has done to punish an inmate for trying to better himself and better his community," he said.

Johnson lives in an 8-by-12-foot concrete cell. Meals are pushed through a slot in the door. He talks to the occasional visitor on a telephone through thick Plexiglas, but that's his only interaction with anyone.

To alleviate boredom and loneliness, Johnson turned to art and got the attention of Stephen Kurtz, a semiretired psychoanalyst who runs the nonprofit Pelican Bay Prison Project and became a pen-pal with Johnson four years ago.

When Johnson starting sending paintings to him in Mexico about a year ago, Kurtz said he and his wife, an artist, were stunned.

"We looked at these things and said, 'These are damn good,' " Kurtz said from his San Miguel de Allende home. When he learned how Johnson created his tiny abstract works, he was even more impressed.

Because he's not allowed to have any art materials in his cell, Johnson orders "supplies" from the prison commissary. Once a month, he buys 10 packs of M&Ms at 60 cents each. He then puts a few candies in small plastic jelly containers, adds water and soaks the candies. Johnson's "paint" is left behind. His brush is made of plastic wrap, foil and strands of his own hair. He then layers blank postcards with vibrant colors, shapes and spirals.

Renowned abstract artist Kenneth Noland saw Johnson's work in a New York Times article last month and was impressed, according to his studio manager, Sterling Robinson.

"Ken has always encouraged painters young and old who have talent," Robinson said. "Not only does this guy have talent, but he's done wondrous things with what he's got."

Kurtz organized a showing in Mexico last month. Nearly 500 people packed into a gallery where a giant bowl of M&Ms greeted them at the entrance. Twenty paintings have sold at $500 apiece, Kurtz said.

Johnson's mother had no idea her son had any artistic talent.

"He just found an outlet for his energy," Helen Grimes, a Hayward nurse, said. "He says, 'When I paint I leave the room. ... You just go into your own space and time.' It really helps him survive."

Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

V12 Hybrid

Rumors have it that Lexus is revamping their GS450h for 2009. The h in the name stands for Hybrid. How good will the Hybrid be if the '09 features a V12 engine and pushes 500+ horses? Yikes, thats a monster car.

Cars and lots of them

Well my family just seems to be buying cars like crazy. My cousin Kiet bought a 2006 Honda Civic in early May, and I followed with a purchase of a 06 Scion tC a couple weeks later. Then my cousin Jennifer gave my cousin Phuong her old Honda Accord, and a week later, his sister Lan goes out and buys an 06 Toyota Corolla S. Wow. Congrats to Lan for buying her first car!

Oh yea, I got tickets!!!

Seahawks here I come...

I got home tickets to see the Rams, Niners, and Chargers! woooooooord.

Block Party of Sorts

I went to the Capitol Hill Block Party yesterday for most all of the day. It was pretty crowded and I got to see alot of entertaining live acts. Here's a quick blurb on all of them:

Smoosh, main stage - The 12 and 14 year old girls still amaze me at their talent. I wonder how good they'll be when they're all grown up. They were seen running around with their little kiddie friends later during the block party festivities.

Silversun Pickups, main stage - The LA-based rock band has made a big splash on KEXP and the Seattle scene and now I really know why. I missed them last time I had a chance to see them in April when I got to the show too late, but now I can't wait to see them next time. I really like their indie-pop meets My Bloody Valentine sound. It's pop-core but loud at many times. Pretty pleasing.

Minus the Bear, main stage - While I've seen them before, I didn't mind seeing them again. They're music is solid, yet at the same time often too bland and too repetitive, which is a knack I've had on them since I first started listening to them years ago.

The Divorce, Neumo's - I remember seeing this band back in 2001 when they were playing random shows at Frat parties and small, small bars. They sounded like a pop boy band with instruments, and every time I've seen them since, maybe once or twice a year, they've gotten better and better. This past show was rockin'. They had lots of energy and sounded fantastic. The crowd was really into them.

Grayskuls, Vera Stage - I've heard alot about these local rappers but had not made it out to see them despite them playing shows at Neumo's and Chop Suey frequently. I've heard little of their music online so this was really a first time experience and it wasn't bad at all. Their beats were solid underground style rap. The duo reminded me a little bit of Timbaland & Magoo with a deeper voice MC rhyming alongside a high pitched MC. The asian guy in the group with the higher voice was goofy but cool at the same time.

Common Market, main stage - I've heard alot about these guys too and I knew that DJ Sabzi was their DJ (many may know him from Blue Scholars), so there's alot going for them already. They got quite an introduction from The Stranger newspaper and then they just exploded with tons of energy and great sounding hip hop music. Sabzi's production called for the blend of popular rock music of the past and hip hop beats. RA Scion's MC skills are pretty solid and this combination of rock and rap sounds like music to my ears.