so, today a bunch of fresnerds got together to compete in some events and decided who would be king or queen of the dorks.
the lineup
mike oz, beehive
h-mac, beehive
will, beehive
roque, the dumb are mostly intrigued by the drum
mike, the fresnan
josh, fresno famous
adam, gustav's groupie
and myself.
we all met up @ blackbeard's (the place for fuuuuuuun!) for mini golf and skee ball.
after one event, mini golf:
adam
mike seay
h. Mac
ed
roque
will
mike oz
josh
this was sad for me because i played pretty well. adam was in my group, and i knew he was beating me, but i didn't realize the other two were sneaking in between.
After two events (skee ball):
h mac
mike seay
roque
adam
ed
mike oz
will
josh
i did alright at skee ball, but it just wasn't to be. h mac and roque dominated on the short lanes.
now, we took a little break between the third and fourth events and ate some lunch @ me n' ed's victory grill, where we would be doing the next two events. we drew lots for air hockey, and i'm convinced i got the worst first round pairing against roque. we battled to a 7-6 final, and i ended up on the short end. hey, i lost, what can i say. it was a good game and my right arm was a bit fatigued. which, was terrible, because i went straight over to the basketball shooting, at which i was the worst. i think i would have done better on a real court actually playing horse, but whatever. i did terrrrrrrrribly. adam, in air hockey lucked into probably the easiest road to the finals, and won it for his second gold of the day. h mac destroyed the competition @ basketball (i think she had 101, i think i had 44) which was her second gold of the day.
the score after four events (air hockey & arcade basketball)
h mac
roque
adam
mike oz
mike seay
ed
will
josh
i do have one question about the scoring here, mainly out of curiosity, what was the order of finish in air hockey? in the first round, we had three losers, of which is was one, but did we use score to break that last place tie? i'm just curious because it could have had implications in the overall total. not trying to throw out sour grapes, just asking.
now, you may notice that josh had been cellar dwelling @ this point. well, he actually wasn't there yet. unfortunately, he had to come late and only made it for the final event, wii bowling. now, he's a mad bowler, so this was his big chance. had he won, he could have worked his way out of last place, assuming will finished last @ bowling. neither happened. h mac went unconscious. in her first round game she had 7 strikes in a row. in her second round, the final, she had 8. crazy. me, i was finally able to break into the medals and finished second in wii bowling, a good 100 points behind h mac.
and so the final tally in reverse order: (at least i think i wrote the order down right)
josh
will
me
mike seay
adam
roque
mike oz
and the winner is...
heather mac
congrats hmac, you're queen of the dorks. you smashed us all. thanks to mike oz, hmac and will from the beehive for organizing and putting in work on the event. i had a blast. and maybe next year i'll manage to move up in the rankings. hell, adam won't be here so i should move up at least a place.
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Friday, May 30, 2008
art by edward stewart
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
small screen to big screen
okay, here's a challenge for you all. what tv show has made the jump to the big screen and been a good movie. heather and i were talking about this the other night and came up with a lot we felt were bad movies.
so far, the real winner that we've come up with is star trek.
so far, the real winner that we've come up with is star trek.
vacation's all i ever wanted
so, i'm on vacation right now, for a few weeks anyway.
what that means for you:
-more posts
what that means for me:
-more soccer. seriously. vakay hit right before the champions league final, today the u.s. is playing england (starts in 30!) and euro cup action starts next week. i won't catch all that tourney, but i'll get my fill.
-more internets. 'nuff said
-more jim rome listening. man, i hate it when i can't listen to the show.
-more mario kart. umm, yeah. at least i won't get wii elbow from this game.
what that means for you:
-more posts
what that means for me:
-more soccer. seriously. vakay hit right before the champions league final, today the u.s. is playing england (starts in 30!) and euro cup action starts next week. i won't catch all that tourney, but i'll get my fill.
-more internets. 'nuff said
-more jim rome listening. man, i hate it when i can't listen to the show.
-more mario kart. umm, yeah. at least i won't get wii elbow from this game.
biting the hand that fed you
well, this is something i think every intelligent already knows, but bush has been relying on propaganda to sell the war in iraq. his former press secretary, who is pimping a book, has now even said so.
in another newsflash, he also says the war wasn't necessary.
bush, for his part, hasn't commented on the book. but, he did say that the only way we can lose the war on terror is to defeat ourselves. he also said we're learning as we go. that sounds like he had a well laid out plan. comparisons were also made to post ww2 europe and japan, as we helped them rebuild their societies. (does he not realize that those examples are terrible because after ww2 there weren't active combatants trying to fight us as we "rebuilt"? wait, he does, and yet he still made the comparison.)
in another newsflash, he also says the war wasn't necessary.
bush, for his part, hasn't commented on the book. but, he did say that the only way we can lose the war on terror is to defeat ourselves. he also said we're learning as we go. that sounds like he had a well laid out plan. comparisons were also made to post ww2 europe and japan, as we helped them rebuild their societies. (does he not realize that those examples are terrible because after ww2 there weren't active combatants trying to fight us as we "rebuilt"? wait, he does, and yet he still made the comparison.)
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
cops & taggers
what is art? i ask that question in my sociology class, with the follow up question of is graffiti art? it's interesting to hear the responses.
today, two stories popped into my view, both about tagging. now, in both cases taggers were involved w/law enforcement. but, it seems that there were subtle differences in how the situations were handled.
in l.a., a tagger working under the nom de plume buket has wracked up over $150,000 in damages to walls, buses, signs, etc all over so.cal and southern nevada. dude was prolific and he did it in a little different fashion. you see, he was doing a lot of it in the daylight, just right out in the open. and, it was getting posted on youtube. not sure exactly how much youtube played into him getting caught, but he was, and he's up on felony vandalism charges.
in philly, well cops there just can't seem to catch a break. perhaps they could start by not assaulting any more suspects. two cops there saw a man graffiti'ing and beat him up. broke his jaw on one side. kicked him in the groin. put him in the hospital for a few days. but, didn't arrest him, and then falsified records of where they were @ the time of the assault. nice work, philly pd, keep it up. a few more "unrelated incidents" and you'll have days of rioting to face (e.g. cincinnati).
today, two stories popped into my view, both about tagging. now, in both cases taggers were involved w/law enforcement. but, it seems that there were subtle differences in how the situations were handled.
in l.a., a tagger working under the nom de plume buket has wracked up over $150,000 in damages to walls, buses, signs, etc all over so.cal and southern nevada. dude was prolific and he did it in a little different fashion. you see, he was doing a lot of it in the daylight, just right out in the open. and, it was getting posted on youtube. not sure exactly how much youtube played into him getting caught, but he was, and he's up on felony vandalism charges.
in philly, well cops there just can't seem to catch a break. perhaps they could start by not assaulting any more suspects. two cops there saw a man graffiti'ing and beat him up. broke his jaw on one side. kicked him in the groin. put him in the hospital for a few days. but, didn't arrest him, and then falsified records of where they were @ the time of the assault. nice work, philly pd, keep it up. a few more "unrelated incidents" and you'll have days of rioting to face (e.g. cincinnati).
it's always been that time of year
it really is a coincidence that i write this post the day after memorial day. it's been bumping around in my head for a few weeks, but is finally spilling out here. and really, it is just spilling out as a bit of process. comment if you like (please do) but realize that i'm not necessarily proposing answers or expecting them.
in a class i teach we were going over a story from scripture that begins like this:
"The following spring, the time of year when kings go to war, David sent Joab and the Israelite army to destroy the Ammonites. In the process they laid siege to the city of Rabbah. But David stayed behind in Jerusalem." (2 sam 11:1, nlt).
you see, the king/leader played a special role in the ancient world. the king governed, the king played a religious role, and the king lead the people into battle. the king may not always have been the chariot right @ the front, but the king was on the battle field. so, that verse from samuel really stands out because king david isn't where he is supposed to be. instead, he is letting others do the dirty work. now, this doesn't cause him to sin, but because of his location (@ home) he ends up falling into a bigger mess of deceit and murder. why am i telling you all this?
well, i realize that warfare has changed dramatically over the last 2500 years. and really, it continues to change. at some point, we decided that it probably wasn't the best idea to have our top officials out on the battle lines. perhaps they aren't the most skilled fighters. or, maybe we want to protect their mental facilities. or, maybe they are too precious of a symbol as leader to lose in a battle. whatever, i realize we've moved past the idea of the king/leader being out on the field.
but do we care if he's playing golf? our leader decided he won't play golf as long as we're at war. okay, that's fine, he's giving up something symbolic. but it's not like he's sitting in sack clothe and ashes because we're @ war. his daughter got married, i'm sure that was a joyous event. i don't doubt that he is still mountain biking on his ranch in texas. i don't expect him to be out fighting, or not watching football. really, for him to give up golf is just silly because it's as if we're supposed to pretend that somehow a game of golf is going to cheapen the sacrifice of life happening @ war. if so, none of us should be playing golf, going to movies, eating dinner out, or doing anything that isn't a part of the war effort. i thought the idea was that we needed to carry on as normal or the terrorists win. then again, i thought we were "victorious" in iraq about 5 years ago.
then today, i see that over 28000 army soldiers have been diagnosed w/ptsd since 2003. that's over 5k a year, and that is only the army. 40,000 total have been diagnosed and the numbers took a dramatic jump in 2007. and, officials suspect that more are keeping their mental condition a secret. troops are serving longer, the battle has increased in the last year, and we are engaged in a war on terror that conceivably could never end. is the president not playing golf doing anything to help the mental state of our soldiers?
i won't suggest that if bush, obama, clinton, rupaul, mccain or whoever where out on the battlefield it would be going differently. honestly, mc cain was in war and he seems most apt to not only continue what we're doing in iraq as he does to invade iran, north korea or anyone else that may be developing nukes w/o our permission. at least mc cain seems willing enough to get back out and run with the dogs of war. the others vary in their positions, but i don't imagine any of them really want to be flying a fighter jet into battle.
so where do we go from here? would our leaders consider war differently if they had more on the line? if they were back out in the chariot? should we carry on with life despite the fact that a growing number of our citizens are becoming mental shells of who the were as the wrestle with the horror of war?
in a class i teach we were going over a story from scripture that begins like this:
"The following spring, the time of year when kings go to war, David sent Joab and the Israelite army to destroy the Ammonites. In the process they laid siege to the city of Rabbah. But David stayed behind in Jerusalem." (2 sam 11:1, nlt).
you see, the king/leader played a special role in the ancient world. the king governed, the king played a religious role, and the king lead the people into battle. the king may not always have been the chariot right @ the front, but the king was on the battle field. so, that verse from samuel really stands out because king david isn't where he is supposed to be. instead, he is letting others do the dirty work. now, this doesn't cause him to sin, but because of his location (@ home) he ends up falling into a bigger mess of deceit and murder. why am i telling you all this?
well, i realize that warfare has changed dramatically over the last 2500 years. and really, it continues to change. at some point, we decided that it probably wasn't the best idea to have our top officials out on the battle lines. perhaps they aren't the most skilled fighters. or, maybe we want to protect their mental facilities. or, maybe they are too precious of a symbol as leader to lose in a battle. whatever, i realize we've moved past the idea of the king/leader being out on the field.
but do we care if he's playing golf? our leader decided he won't play golf as long as we're at war. okay, that's fine, he's giving up something symbolic. but it's not like he's sitting in sack clothe and ashes because we're @ war. his daughter got married, i'm sure that was a joyous event. i don't doubt that he is still mountain biking on his ranch in texas. i don't expect him to be out fighting, or not watching football. really, for him to give up golf is just silly because it's as if we're supposed to pretend that somehow a game of golf is going to cheapen the sacrifice of life happening @ war. if so, none of us should be playing golf, going to movies, eating dinner out, or doing anything that isn't a part of the war effort. i thought the idea was that we needed to carry on as normal or the terrorists win. then again, i thought we were "victorious" in iraq about 5 years ago.
then today, i see that over 28000 army soldiers have been diagnosed w/ptsd since 2003. that's over 5k a year, and that is only the army. 40,000 total have been diagnosed and the numbers took a dramatic jump in 2007. and, officials suspect that more are keeping their mental condition a secret. troops are serving longer, the battle has increased in the last year, and we are engaged in a war on terror that conceivably could never end. is the president not playing golf doing anything to help the mental state of our soldiers?
i won't suggest that if bush, obama, clinton, rupaul, mccain or whoever where out on the battlefield it would be going differently. honestly, mc cain was in war and he seems most apt to not only continue what we're doing in iraq as he does to invade iran, north korea or anyone else that may be developing nukes w/o our permission. at least mc cain seems willing enough to get back out and run with the dogs of war. the others vary in their positions, but i don't imagine any of them really want to be flying a fighter jet into battle.
so where do we go from here? would our leaders consider war differently if they had more on the line? if they were back out in the chariot? should we carry on with life despite the fact that a growing number of our citizens are becoming mental shells of who the were as the wrestle with the horror of war?
Monday, May 26, 2008
oh really?
today i received a call from a "service tech" from a microsoft partnered business. now, it was obvious that this was some sort of telemarketing type deal because the guy launched right in about the problem with my microsoft computer, how it was slow logging in.
to which i explained, "i don't have a problem with my computer."
"you don't have a computer?"
"no, i don't have a problem with my computer."
"well, it must be some sort of error."
yeah, or you're a telemarketer. calling people and hoping that they'll agree that their computer is running slow so you can sell them some crap microsoft partner related product.
to which i explained, "i don't have a problem with my computer."
"you don't have a computer?"
"no, i don't have a problem with my computer."
"well, it must be some sort of error."
yeah, or you're a telemarketer. calling people and hoping that they'll agree that their computer is running slow so you can sell them some crap microsoft partner related product.
Friday, May 23, 2008
musical notes
i was listening to music today, and thought i'd post up like tim duncan and let you know what i'm groovin on right now. some of it's new, some is a little older.
del the funky homosapien - del's been around for quite some time, and he's a great illustration of what hip hop is. tight rhymes, good beats, and flair. he's also a bit of an oddity because he's pretty much straight up hip hop in an almost east coast style but he's from the west coast, specifically bay area, and he's ice cube's cousin and so sometimes that sort of gangsterish feel slips in. right now, as i type this post up i'm actually listening to his album 'both sides of the brain' which is sort of geared to really illustrate that dichotomy.
tokyo police club - brian put me onto this canadian band. they're very nice indie sound. if they have a full length album out, i don't have it. i do have their ep and a single. how to describe them? well, whatever band indie band that is making waves right now, e.g. vampire weekend, sucks in comparison. well, perhaps that's unfair and inaccurate. but they've got nice booming bass, synths at times, thoughtful lyrics, guitars that wail. if you like bloc party, tv on the radio, or rademacher. check them out. if you don't like any of those, well, i don't know what to do with you.
swollen members - these guys are veeeerrrrrrry nice. west coast hip hop, with roots in l.a. and vancouver. i was riding my bike earlier listening to their first album, 'balance.' i've also got their later releases, 'bad dreams' and 'black magic.' all are good.
brother ali - nick put me onto brother ali. i've mentioned getting brother ali here before, but i thought i'd put it out there again in brief fasion. i've got his 'champion ep' and 'shadows on the sun'. both are worth picking up. east coast hip hop.
ted leo and the pharmacists - justin first into'd me to them, but i actually got into them when the last album came out. i saw him playing a live set (on tv), just him and an electric guitar all fuzzed out. crazy good and rockin. felt like a full band his sound was so big. his albums hold up to that, only actually with a full band. he sort of reminds me of weezer's first album, maybe even their second album.
blu & exile - i heard about these guys through mike oz from the bee. not directly, like we were talking or something, but through a column or something like that. well, i should have gone and seen them @ starline when they were here. but, i was lazy and didn't. oz described them something like 'a new version of tribe called quest.' i don't know if that's exactly what he said, and i'm too lazy to find it now, but it's pretty spot on.
so, what have we learned today:
i like hip hop
i like indie rock
you can download all those groups on emusic.
del the funky homosapien - del's been around for quite some time, and he's a great illustration of what hip hop is. tight rhymes, good beats, and flair. he's also a bit of an oddity because he's pretty much straight up hip hop in an almost east coast style but he's from the west coast, specifically bay area, and he's ice cube's cousin and so sometimes that sort of gangsterish feel slips in. right now, as i type this post up i'm actually listening to his album 'both sides of the brain' which is sort of geared to really illustrate that dichotomy.
tokyo police club - brian put me onto this canadian band. they're very nice indie sound. if they have a full length album out, i don't have it. i do have their ep and a single. how to describe them? well, whatever band indie band that is making waves right now, e.g. vampire weekend, sucks in comparison. well, perhaps that's unfair and inaccurate. but they've got nice booming bass, synths at times, thoughtful lyrics, guitars that wail. if you like bloc party, tv on the radio, or rademacher. check them out. if you don't like any of those, well, i don't know what to do with you.
swollen members - these guys are veeeerrrrrrry nice. west coast hip hop, with roots in l.a. and vancouver. i was riding my bike earlier listening to their first album, 'balance.' i've also got their later releases, 'bad dreams' and 'black magic.' all are good.
brother ali - nick put me onto brother ali. i've mentioned getting brother ali here before, but i thought i'd put it out there again in brief fasion. i've got his 'champion ep' and 'shadows on the sun'. both are worth picking up. east coast hip hop.
ted leo and the pharmacists - justin first into'd me to them, but i actually got into them when the last album came out. i saw him playing a live set (on tv), just him and an electric guitar all fuzzed out. crazy good and rockin. felt like a full band his sound was so big. his albums hold up to that, only actually with a full band. he sort of reminds me of weezer's first album, maybe even their second album.
blu & exile - i heard about these guys through mike oz from the bee. not directly, like we were talking or something, but through a column or something like that. well, i should have gone and seen them @ starline when they were here. but, i was lazy and didn't. oz described them something like 'a new version of tribe called quest.' i don't know if that's exactly what he said, and i'm too lazy to find it now, but it's pretty spot on.
so, what have we learned today:
i like hip hop
i like indie rock
you can download all those groups on emusic.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
tumbleweeds are blowing by
yesterday i was able to watch a very enjoyable champion's league final. i didn't really care who won, as the teams that i follow that were in the league didn't make it to the finals.
today, i'm glad i wasn't able to watch the rangers play. they had fought their way back into a tie in the spl, with fellow glasgow team celtic. each team was playing someone else. celtic won. rangers lost. title clinched. ding dang.
not else much on the plate for today. lost isn't on tonight with a new episode (next week is a 2 hour episode). survivor is done. the office is done. what the heck am i supposed to do?
however, this weekend is on it's way and it's another potentially packed extravaganza.
friday night options:
-fuego play @ home
-possible poker game w/chums
saturday
-tower beautification
-possible podcast recording
-sudz in the city
-maybe bbq
sunday
-another fuego game
-maybe bbq
monday
-it's a holiday!
-maybe bbq
and don't know if anything is certain, but i think i'm cooking up tri tip this weekend.
today, i'm glad i wasn't able to watch the rangers play. they had fought their way back into a tie in the spl, with fellow glasgow team celtic. each team was playing someone else. celtic won. rangers lost. title clinched. ding dang.
not else much on the plate for today. lost isn't on tonight with a new episode (next week is a 2 hour episode). survivor is done. the office is done. what the heck am i supposed to do?
however, this weekend is on it's way and it's another potentially packed extravaganza.
friday night options:
-fuego play @ home
-possible poker game w/chums
saturday
-tower beautification
-possible podcast recording
-sudz in the city
-maybe bbq
sunday
-another fuego game
-maybe bbq
monday
-it's a holiday!
-maybe bbq
and don't know if anything is certain, but i think i'm cooking up tri tip this weekend.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
signs of new life in the tower pt. 2
dreams can come true,
a grocery store, maybe even a super market, is returning to the heart of the tower district!
i saw a guy continuing to work on the old drug faire location, and stopped to ask what was going in. he said, "a grocery store. they're putting in a grocery store. soon."
awesome.
a grocery store, maybe even a super market, is returning to the heart of the tower district!
i saw a guy continuing to work on the old drug faire location, and stopped to ask what was going in. he said, "a grocery store. they're putting in a grocery store. soon."
awesome.
states' rights vs federalism
so, i've been perusing the positions of the republican candidate. as a registered democrat, i didn't have to previously because i couldn't vote for/against the candidate until the general election. please know that i tried to be as open to his ideas as i could as i read his site and constructed this post. it didn't finish out that way.
as i bumped around john mccain's site, i kept finding it interesting that some issues should be left to the states, but other's needed to be federal decisions.
in looking @ his "values" section, i learned that mr. mccain feels:
-roe v wade should be overturned and control given back to the states. but, the states already can place limits on abortion, with the exception of completely outlawing it. will mr mccain be alright if all 50 states decide to allow all abortions?
-marriage should be left at the state law, although it should stay man & woman. but, this is where it's currently at. will mr. mccain be alright if all 50 states decide to allow for equal treatment of all it's citizens in the area legal contract of marriage?
-the federal government should fund stem cell research, as long as it doesn't create human embryos. huh? the gov't shouldn't make decisions, but it should fund research? (nevermind the question of where the funding will come from w/all of mccain's proposed tax cuts.)
-the federal gov't should restrict internet access in public places (libraries, schools) to protect kids from porn. why shouldn't this decision be in the control of the state or counties? after all, they're the ones that run these libraries.
health insurance is not a duty of either the state or the federal government. well, except he wants to give you back more tax money to pay for your own health care.
federal money for schools should go directly to parents. aren't schools mostly funded by the states?
what else should the federal gov't do:
-lower gas prices. mainly by cutting the federal gas tax. does anyone really think the companies won't just jump their prices 18 cents knowing we'll pay it?
-eat up bad home loans - if you have a craptastic home loan, the gov't will refinance it for you. apparently the federal gov't has a ton of money sitting around and can just absorb this problem, or at least make it disappear.
finally, the federal government should invade other countries and then occupy them indefinitely to make sure that they do not become a foothold for terrorism or a puppet for another country. that is, a country other than us.
i also noticed throughout the website every word in the first sentence of each paragraph is capitalized. that's odd.
as i bumped around john mccain's site, i kept finding it interesting that some issues should be left to the states, but other's needed to be federal decisions.
in looking @ his "values" section, i learned that mr. mccain feels:
-roe v wade should be overturned and control given back to the states. but, the states already can place limits on abortion, with the exception of completely outlawing it. will mr mccain be alright if all 50 states decide to allow all abortions?
-marriage should be left at the state law, although it should stay man & woman. but, this is where it's currently at. will mr. mccain be alright if all 50 states decide to allow for equal treatment of all it's citizens in the area legal contract of marriage?
-the federal government should fund stem cell research, as long as it doesn't create human embryos. huh? the gov't shouldn't make decisions, but it should fund research? (nevermind the question of where the funding will come from w/all of mccain's proposed tax cuts.)
-the federal gov't should restrict internet access in public places (libraries, schools) to protect kids from porn. why shouldn't this decision be in the control of the state or counties? after all, they're the ones that run these libraries.
health insurance is not a duty of either the state or the federal government. well, except he wants to give you back more tax money to pay for your own health care.
federal money for schools should go directly to parents. aren't schools mostly funded by the states?
what else should the federal gov't do:
-lower gas prices. mainly by cutting the federal gas tax. does anyone really think the companies won't just jump their prices 18 cents knowing we'll pay it?
-eat up bad home loans - if you have a craptastic home loan, the gov't will refinance it for you. apparently the federal gov't has a ton of money sitting around and can just absorb this problem, or at least make it disappear.
finally, the federal government should invade other countries and then occupy them indefinitely to make sure that they do not become a foothold for terrorism or a puppet for another country. that is, a country other than us.
i also noticed throughout the website every word in the first sentence of each paragraph is capitalized. that's odd.
please, no
my God, i hope the stories aren't true and that the bush administration doesn't have plans to invade iran before leaving office. the rumors continue to persist. and frankly, they scare me.
of course, the only way to solve our political differences with iran are through invasion. because, if you even say that you might talk to the leader of a country you don't agree with, you'll be accused of being a placater, having weak foreign policy, and naive.
UPDATE: apparently i like my wars fake and on the big screen. went and saw iron man tonight and it was freakin awesome.
of course, the only way to solve our political differences with iran are through invasion. because, if you even say that you might talk to the leader of a country you don't agree with, you'll be accused of being a placater, having weak foreign policy, and naive.
UPDATE: apparently i like my wars fake and on the big screen. went and saw iron man tonight and it was freakin awesome.
Monday, May 19, 2008
signs of new life in the tower
i was coming home today and saw a few things that piqued my interest. i busted a u, and had to take a few photos.
laucks bakery closed a few months back. i wasn't sad. there has been some rumors floating about teh internets about how the building might be razed, along with some others near it. looks like those rumors aren't true, at least not for now:
a mexican bakery is now open. today was their grand opening. i didn't buy anything, but i did chat briefly with someone that works there and wished them the best of luck.
there was another interesting thing going on behind panaderia natalie's...work on the former drug fair. the exterior is being painted, and the lights were on inside. no idea what's going on there yet, but something is happening...
laucks bakery closed a few months back. i wasn't sad. there has been some rumors floating about teh internets about how the building might be razed, along with some others near it. looks like those rumors aren't true, at least not for now:
a mexican bakery is now open. today was their grand opening. i didn't buy anything, but i did chat briefly with someone that works there and wished them the best of luck.
there was another interesting thing going on behind panaderia natalie's...work on the former drug fair. the exterior is being painted, and the lights were on inside. no idea what's going on there yet, but something is happening...
Sunday, May 18, 2008
russian break dance
you thought break dance started out in new york in the 70's. wrong. here's proof.
thanks, neatorama
and oooooh! oscar pistorius won his appeal, and will attempt to qualify for the olympics.
thanks, neatorama
and oooooh! oscar pistorius won his appeal, and will attempt to qualify for the olympics.
japanese office
very funny clip from last night's snl. it features ricky gervaise, creator of the british version of the office, explaining the inspiration for the series.
and mccain was pretty funny, too.
"the oldness necessary..."
one last vid. this is funny if you've seen the nba commercials that were the inspiration.
and mccain was pretty funny, too.
"the oldness necessary..."
one last vid. this is funny if you've seen the nba commercials that were the inspiration.
fresno's academic all stars
today i was looking @ the local fish wrap's website today and was met with a pleasant story: . apparently they run a yearly article that names kids all stars based on their academic prowess and story. it's good to see people being celebrated for academics. i wonder why i've never noticed this story before?http://www2.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gif
Friday, May 16, 2008
the vibe
so, we biked downtown to the vibe on kern street. it's basically a street fair that the downtown association or someone of that sort is putting on to draw people downtown in the evening. they're all coordinated w/a grizzlies game or something like that for people to do as well. let's just say i like the idea of doing some evening stuff to try and brind people into the area. i took some photos
smog city roller girls skating w/the fuego dragon
thee wanderers car club was showing strong
some kids were ready to play rock band - the power kept going out
aaron wall of 40 watt hype - one of the good things down there tonight
kopi and his hairpiece/plugs/whatever
overall, i was sort of disappointed with the vibe. honestly, it didn't seem like there was that much emphasis on the actual businesses that are there on kern street. there was local stuff represented (fuego, grizzlies, coyotes, some other stuff), and that's good. but some of the food vendors could have been from anywhere. i'm not even sure if they were all actually from fresno. and, the food vendors weren't even all together, or arranged in any sort of order that made sense. i talked to leo from cafe corazon and he seemed disappointed. their booth was way down @ the van ness end of the street, where there was little foot traffic, and it looked like the were tucked behind another vendor. not very good set up for visibility by whoever planned that.
i might go to the next one they have. might. it'll be interesting to compare this to the hootenanny @ yoshi now tomorrow.
smog city roller girls skating w/the fuego dragon
thee wanderers car club was showing strong
some kids were ready to play rock band - the power kept going out
aaron wall of 40 watt hype - one of the good things down there tonight
kopi and his hairpiece/plugs/whatever
overall, i was sort of disappointed with the vibe. honestly, it didn't seem like there was that much emphasis on the actual businesses that are there on kern street. there was local stuff represented (fuego, grizzlies, coyotes, some other stuff), and that's good. but some of the food vendors could have been from anywhere. i'm not even sure if they were all actually from fresno. and, the food vendors weren't even all together, or arranged in any sort of order that made sense. i talked to leo from cafe corazon and he seemed disappointed. their booth was way down @ the van ness end of the street, where there was little foot traffic, and it looked like the were tucked behind another vendor. not very good set up for visibility by whoever planned that.
i might go to the next one they have. might. it'll be interesting to compare this to the hootenanny @ yoshi now tomorrow.
sudz in the city
next saturday is sudz in the city over @ the chuck. i think you all should go.
even better, you can volunteer for a 3 hour shift w/me and get in for free. i'll give you the coordinator's email and you can fill out a volunteer card. i think i'm going to work 3-6. the event goes to 9.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
funny political ad
someone may want to break it to tom boyajian that abandoned buildings* may not be the best place to advertise your candidacy, even if it is right next to the freeway.
*this build is being restored, but it's also got the big red x on it to notify the fire dept to let it burn if it's on fire.
*this build is being restored, but it's also got the big red x on it to notify the fire dept to let it burn if it's on fire.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
west virginia is like a tree that falls in the forest
i heard that title phrase tonight in reference to h.clinton winning in west virginia. i respect that she hasn't conceded, and is pushing on, but i wonder why. her campaign is hugely in debt. even more important, the numbers don't add up, at least by most projections.
i was also a bit taken back by the coverage given to the win this evening in light of the amount of delegates given in the contest. clinton won 20, obama won 8. he won more superdelegates last week than clinton won regular delegates this week. so, which contest was more important?
so, we can have grandiose speeches about not giving up, or winning the swing states, and it amounts to little more than a tree falling where no one hears.
i was also a bit taken back by the coverage given to the win this evening in light of the amount of delegates given in the contest. clinton won 20, obama won 8. he won more superdelegates last week than clinton won regular delegates this week. so, which contest was more important?
so, we can have grandiose speeches about not giving up, or winning the swing states, and it amounts to little more than a tree falling where no one hears.
Monday, May 12, 2008
my brush with stardom
it wasn't friday, but i saw deebo this weekend.
apparently he has a kid or knows someone that was long jumping for cal state l.a. and so he was @ the track meet i was at. i was a little surprised because he wasn't quite as tall as i thought he was. big as all get out, but just not as tall as he looks in friday. maybe ice cube is a midget.
apparently he has a kid or knows someone that was long jumping for cal state l.a. and so he was @ the track meet i was at. i was a little surprised because he wasn't quite as tall as i thought he was. big as all get out, but just not as tall as he looks in friday. maybe ice cube is a midget.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
undercurrent benefit show
the undercurrent show was amazing. and i came late. here's some photos (video will be added as i load it onto youtube). really, i only managed to make it to the last 4 hours of the show and had a great time. all the bands i saw rocked, and i heard the bands before had great sets. and, guayaberas were in full effect.
the crowd at the bar
adam (far right), kasey, and brian. carlos (undercurrent staff) appears to be growing out of brian's shoulder.
h-mac and the fresnan pretending not to talk about me. seriously, you two, i'm going to crush you both in the blog olympics. you will be hiding in shame.
the sleepover disaster
norma and darrin
kasey and heather
crowd shot while julia dawn plays
julia & sam rocha
patrick contreras, musician extraordinaire
(i have to fix the second video i took of patrick. it's 11 minutes, and youtube only allows up to a 10 minute video, so i've got some work to do.)
john thomas & corin from channel 30. warren armstrong saw the pic i took of them over @ the fresnan, i wonder if he'll see this one?
brian & matt, undercurrent staff
nick nocketback (undercurrent staff) and me
julia dawn
the crowd at the bar
adam (far right), kasey, and brian. carlos (undercurrent staff) appears to be growing out of brian's shoulder.
h-mac and the fresnan pretending not to talk about me. seriously, you two, i'm going to crush you both in the blog olympics. you will be hiding in shame.
the sleepover disaster
norma and darrin
kasey and heather
crowd shot while julia dawn plays
julia & sam rocha
patrick contreras, musician extraordinaire
(i have to fix the second video i took of patrick. it's 11 minutes, and youtube only allows up to a 10 minute video, so i've got some work to do.)
john thomas & corin from channel 30. warren armstrong saw the pic i took of them over @ the fresnan, i wonder if he'll see this one?
brian & matt, undercurrent staff
nick nocketback (undercurrent staff) and me
julia dawn
Friday, May 09, 2008
undercurrent birthday bash
so, in case you haven't heard yet, this is what you should be doing if you're in fresno on saturday
there is no excuse to not be there for at least part of the 13 hours. that's about 77 cents an hour! $10! !
there is no excuse to not be there for at least part of the 13 hours. that's about 77 cents an hour! $10! !
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
john welty = george bush
yesterday fresno state's president did something that would warm the heart of g.w. bush, he ignored his constituents. welty's position as president of the university is slightly different than president of the united states, but he still is supposed to lead following the will of the people.
you see, fresno state's student body voted against a fee hike. sure, it was only a proposed fee hike of $52 per semester. but, the overall cost of going to school is also going up. factor in the crap economy that we're in, and $104 more a year isn't something you just want to tack on.
why does fsu need the money? well, a little of it ($20) goes to academics, and that's good. the rest, to athletics. this is raise would be a $52 increase, and none of the student fee currently goes to athletics (although students do currently pay a $7 fee for athletics in at another point). pretty big dip into student's pockets to help out sports, who get 62% of the increase.
this is a school that has repeatedly bungled finances. it's been shown that the administration was diverting funds devoted for academics to athletics. this same group of leaders had been sued and lost 3 times for discriminating against female coaches/athletic department staff. and, they've settled out of court similar grievances with faculty. sure, these judgments are handled by insurance, but the behavior that caused it doesn't exactly inspire confidence in welty and his administration.
and now you want more money for sports? well, g.w. welty, just take it. ignore the will of the people. ignore the student vote. ignore the students that spoke out at meetings on the issue.
this isn't written by someone that is anti-sports. i'm a coach. and, i'm a coach of a program that is facing budget cuts (at another university). i understand what it is to try and run a college athletic program in difficult economic times. i'm only an assistant and i see how hard it can be. sports need money. but you can't just ignore the stated will of the people you represent.
you see, fresno state's student body voted against a fee hike. sure, it was only a proposed fee hike of $52 per semester. but, the overall cost of going to school is also going up. factor in the crap economy that we're in, and $104 more a year isn't something you just want to tack on.
why does fsu need the money? well, a little of it ($20) goes to academics, and that's good. the rest, to athletics. this is raise would be a $52 increase, and none of the student fee currently goes to athletics (although students do currently pay a $7 fee for athletics in at another point). pretty big dip into student's pockets to help out sports, who get 62% of the increase.
this is a school that has repeatedly bungled finances. it's been shown that the administration was diverting funds devoted for academics to athletics. this same group of leaders had been sued and lost 3 times for discriminating against female coaches/athletic department staff. and, they've settled out of court similar grievances with faculty. sure, these judgments are handled by insurance, but the behavior that caused it doesn't exactly inspire confidence in welty and his administration.
and now you want more money for sports? well, g.w. welty, just take it. ignore the will of the people. ignore the student vote. ignore the students that spoke out at meetings on the issue.
this isn't written by someone that is anti-sports. i'm a coach. and, i'm a coach of a program that is facing budget cuts (at another university). i understand what it is to try and run a college athletic program in difficult economic times. i'm only an assistant and i see how hard it can be. sports need money. but you can't just ignore the stated will of the people you represent.
Tuesday, May 06, 2008
news round up
so, i was reading different news sites today, and saw a couple of things that were noteworthy:
apparently, using cameras to invade everyone's privacy doesn't reduce crime. and if there's a society to prove that, it would be the british.
there's a war going on, and a lot of people just don't care. not surprisingly, that frustrates protesters. just this morning i was saying to a co-worker how the last 8 years have taught me that protests don't matter any more. you can have millions show up, and the gov't will give you the bird (and maybe a stick upside your skull) and go about its business.
bloggers, be careful. you may be charged with sedition. it may be malaysia, but we're doing our darndest to suspend habeas corpus and get there, too!
scojo is off the market. and, she's got a bad album of tom waits covers coming out.
if you're working on your masters in homeland security or getting a bachelors in criminal justice, you may not want to be selling drugs. of course, those crazy ideas didn't stop frat boys @ sdsu.
carl lewis, former olympian, thinks that using banned substances in sports should be criminalized. now, i may not disagree, but i definitely don't want to hear him sing the national anthem again. yes, i do, it's hilarious.
apparently, using cameras to invade everyone's privacy doesn't reduce crime. and if there's a society to prove that, it would be the british.
there's a war going on, and a lot of people just don't care. not surprisingly, that frustrates protesters. just this morning i was saying to a co-worker how the last 8 years have taught me that protests don't matter any more. you can have millions show up, and the gov't will give you the bird (and maybe a stick upside your skull) and go about its business.
bloggers, be careful. you may be charged with sedition. it may be malaysia, but we're doing our darndest to suspend habeas corpus and get there, too!
scojo is off the market. and, she's got a bad album of tom waits covers coming out.
if you're working on your masters in homeland security or getting a bachelors in criminal justice, you may not want to be selling drugs. of course, those crazy ideas didn't stop frat boys @ sdsu.
carl lewis, former olympian, thinks that using banned substances in sports should be criminalized. now, i may not disagree, but i definitely don't want to hear him sing the national anthem again. yes, i do, it's hilarious.
Sunday, May 04, 2008
take me out to the blogpark
today was the closest thing for me, a blogger, to getting paid. well, sure, some bloggers get paid, just not me (anyone want to scratch a check?). you see, today i was treated to a grizzlies game. and this wasn't just any old ticket, we're talking luxury box. post enough junk on a website, and maybe they'll invite you to a game, too.
at the game i was joined by other famous users, but i didn't meet them all. i've met wiffle before, and it was cool to chat, and even get interviewed by him for dorktown & flowing with famous. and i think a hint of greatness might have rubbed off on me because i got to sit next to famous whitewater. sadly, we heard an announcement about fresno famous users being there and to check out the website, but we didn't get on camera.
and the game was even pretty good, too. there were a few dingers hit, including two by scott mclain. fresno's pitching was good, and i think that the starting pitcher nick periera had 11 strikeouts. and, the closer had snazzy shoes (not pictured). finally, i was surprised to see major leaguer omar vizquel playing for the grizzlies. this is the first work he's done all year as he recovers from knee surgery. he looked pretty good in the infield, but his bat needs to come a little more alive when he heads back up to san francisco.
weather: good
seats: good
price: free is excellent!
company: good
all in all, a nice day at the ballpark. if you haven't been out to the chuck yet, get there. and, apparently they've got good garlic fries
at the game i was joined by other famous users, but i didn't meet them all. i've met wiffle before, and it was cool to chat, and even get interviewed by him for dorktown & flowing with famous. and i think a hint of greatness might have rubbed off on me because i got to sit next to famous whitewater. sadly, we heard an announcement about fresno famous users being there and to check out the website, but we didn't get on camera.
and the game was even pretty good, too. there were a few dingers hit, including two by scott mclain. fresno's pitching was good, and i think that the starting pitcher nick periera had 11 strikeouts. and, the closer had snazzy shoes (not pictured). finally, i was surprised to see major leaguer omar vizquel playing for the grizzlies. this is the first work he's done all year as he recovers from knee surgery. he looked pretty good in the infield, but his bat needs to come a little more alive when he heads back up to san francisco.
weather: good
seats: good
price: free is excellent!
company: good
all in all, a nice day at the ballpark. if you haven't been out to the chuck yet, get there. and, apparently they've got good garlic fries
Friday, May 02, 2008
honest r&b
this may be one of the funniest videos i've seen since 'lazy sunday.'
and no, you may not want to watch this at work. although, there is no bad language, or nudity, or that sort of thing. but, it is about r&b and lovemaking. and your boss may not think you should watch it at work. hell, your boss probably doesn't want you reading blogs at work either. so, what the heck, watch this at work.
and no, you may not want to watch this at work. although, there is no bad language, or nudity, or that sort of thing. but, it is about r&b and lovemaking. and your boss may not think you should watch it at work. hell, your boss probably doesn't want you reading blogs at work either. so, what the heck, watch this at work.
radiohead - all i need
radiohead's done a great video for the song 'all i need' off of in rainbows. check it out.
they're not letting you embed it, so please click here and watch the video.
such moving juxtaposition.
they're not letting you embed it, so please click here and watch the video.
such moving juxtaposition.
post art hop show 5/1 nik frietas, david dondero, rademacher
last night was a really good show. el olio was totally absent (no r.c. even) but that didn't hurt the show at all. heck, it may have helped it because it trimmed the time on the line up. 4 bands can be a bit much when you're starting @ 10. having 3 probably allowed the bands to all play a few more tunes.
both nik frietas and david dondero killed it last night. i arrived during frietas' first song, and was instantly drawn into his sound, talent, and confidence on stage. malcom & greer from rademacher joined him onstage for a few numbers, and that was a nice touch.
david dondero was great. he had a nice little band playing with (bass player, drummer, lap slide guitar) and the alt/country sound was going off. his music had a great energy, and he played through a few minor issues (broken string - swapped for a rademacher guitar, mic stopped working - switched out for a different one). he was really receptive of the crowd, and they showed their love in return. it seemed like a good portion knew his stuff, and he even interupted the start of one song to play a request that was shouted out.
david dondero - rothko chapel
rademacher seemed to really enjoy the show last night as well. during their set, it really seemed that they were having fun, playing, singing, shouting along with each other and the crowd. maybe they realized they had to really step it up because the other bands had done so well. or, maybe rademacher is just that good now. whatever it is, they delivered the goods.
rademacher - careful with that
rademacher - playing for fun
both nik frietas and david dondero killed it last night. i arrived during frietas' first song, and was instantly drawn into his sound, talent, and confidence on stage. malcom & greer from rademacher joined him onstage for a few numbers, and that was a nice touch.
david dondero was great. he had a nice little band playing with (bass player, drummer, lap slide guitar) and the alt/country sound was going off. his music had a great energy, and he played through a few minor issues (broken string - swapped for a rademacher guitar, mic stopped working - switched out for a different one). he was really receptive of the crowd, and they showed their love in return. it seemed like a good portion knew his stuff, and he even interupted the start of one song to play a request that was shouted out.
david dondero - rothko chapel
rademacher seemed to really enjoy the show last night as well. during their set, it really seemed that they were having fun, playing, singing, shouting along with each other and the crowd. maybe they realized they had to really step it up because the other bands had done so well. or, maybe rademacher is just that good now. whatever it is, they delivered the goods.
rademacher - careful with that
rademacher - playing for fun
Thursday, May 01, 2008
free wine
that's right, i'll be serving wine tonight @ my art hop show. can't say that it will be expensive wine, but it'll be palatable.
i'll be showing 9 pieces. they're all pieces that i'm proud of, that i enjoyed working on, and that i'd be willing to part with for the right price.
come one, come all.
thursday, may 1 (tonight!)
art hop reception
5-8 pm
severance building - tower district
1401 n. wishon, at floradora
art
free wine (and i think some appetizers, too)
me
conversation
i'll be showing 9 pieces. they're all pieces that i'm proud of, that i enjoyed working on, and that i'd be willing to part with for the right price.
come one, come all.
thursday, may 1 (tonight!)
art hop reception
5-8 pm
severance building - tower district
1401 n. wishon, at floradora
art
free wine (and i think some appetizers, too)
me
conversation
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