Thursday, May 29, 2008

Half-time: Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals

Vorrei scrivere questo post in italiano in modo che possa parlare ai miei visitatori internazionali. Questo è anche un buon opportunita' di praticare italiano.

Stasera, se sei una bambina di età tra 19 e 23 si sono probabilmente in linea di attesa per ottenere le "Carried Away" nella parte prima di "Sex and the City Movie". Questo è perfetto, perché la loro boyfriend's sono probabilmente, come me, stanno guardando la gioco dei Lakers.

Se si è italiano o parla italiano scusa me perche non parlo bene ancora. Me dispiace per miei errori. Sono solo un principiante.

Fino a quando la prossima volta! In inglese ho promessa.

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

The Return of the Top 10 List!

It has been a long time since I've been able to whip up a clever new weekly top 10 list. But I'm glad to say that at least for today... It's back!

While on the subject of triumphant returns today's list highlights my top ten favorite movie sequels.


10. Rocky II - Mr. T as Clubber Lang

9. Toy Story 2 - Classic Pixar

8. X2: X-Men United - Very cool finally seeing my favorite comic book characters in action

7. Kill Bill vol. 2 - My favorite style of fight choreography

6. Batman Returns - Great Tim Burton film

5. Back to the Future Part 2 - I can't wait until the auto adjust Nikes come out

4. Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey - I have "God Gave Rock n' Roll To You" by KISS on my iPod because of this movie

3. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade - Non-stop action from beginning to end

2. Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi - Billy Dee Williams (that's all I need to say)

1. Terminator 2: Judgement Day - This is just one of my favorite movies period.


Tuesday, May 27, 2008

6 Degrees

In recent months, more so than at any other time I can recall, I've realized that the world is a smaller place than everyone probably thinks. I used to think of the "size" of this world in a physical way. I imagined obscure patches of wilderness in far away places that few have laid eyes on, animals deep in the Amazon that have yet to lay their eyes on modern civilization etc. However, now I tend to think of this world in terms of human relationships. You might say that this sounds very obvious and simple given the highly advanced communications technology of today. You would be right. But what I mean by "human relationships" is
the fabled six degrees of separation that connect all people on earth. I don't exactly know the origins of that theory, which initially caused me to be a skeptic. If you really think about it, according to this theory, there is a new-born baby in the middle of China somewhere (hopefully far from the wreck left from the recent earthquake) that is connected to you via 5 degrees of separation. This isn't easy to swallow.

But like I said- more than ever I have come to observe the truth in this. For example, I'll turn on the TV and see a people I can trace my connection to and watch movies based on stories based on those people, I'll turn on my iPod and hear People Under the Stairs rap about my after-school hang-out in middle school, I'll eat on campus at a popular chicken sandwich place that owes it's existence to a friend of a friend. At the train station last weekend on the way to Fire Island, a young girl enters the same car as my friends and I. She attended the same high school as one of my other friends and was going to meet the same group of people we were. The week before that, while in San Francisco I came across an old friend who currently lives in a remote village in Germany.

These are just a few arbitrary and for the most part material examples of the point I'm trying to get at. I guess the real meaning of my post tonight is that the world is a more interdependent and connected community than we think. Don't be the person who goes day-in and day-out with a care-free attitude that is supposed to be an excuse to be bitter, or lazy and complain about everything. Anyone can not give a damn about anything. I hate when people justify their apathy with a false sense of "freedom" and a wise-ass smirk that leads them to believe they know something no one else does.

Before this post itself becomes a bitter tirade I'll stop at this: Someone I respect once explained to me how he made the most of his improbable life. He broke it down simply and thought that we could all make the most of our lives simply by thinking hard, feeling deeply, and continuing to build positive relationships with the people that surround us and always thinking about the future.

As little as the world is today, there aren't many things out there that should keep us all from being at the very least, considerate.

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Al Prossimo Anno

As I battled a vicious cold last weekend I began to wonder if Bay to Breakers would live up to all the hype. After a long night of improbable events in Berkeley, two friends and I made our way back into an unusually quiet San Francisco. Because on the third Sunday in May, the freaks don't come out at night in America's favorite city by the bay... they come out at the crack of dawn.


A few hours later we woke up and rode a bus into the "panhandle". The rest was really all a blur. It's funny watching the sea of runners pass by and evolve from serious packs of runners to middle aged walkers in costume- then come the younger crowd of people who are just old enough to have a good time and dress up but too old to get wasted in the street. At this point nudist pepper the crowd on the street that is now twice as dense as half an hour ago. By 9:30 locals on Fell St. were blasting "Rhythm of the Night" and sending people out on beer runs. Somewhere along the way a photographer from the chronicle took a picture of my friends and I pouring beer down our throats from some bizarre frat-house contraption.

Hours later I sat around a cramped table at Blue Front Cafe on Haight (go there) and stuffed my face with a Chicken Ranch Wrap (order one), which pretty much epitomizes my idea of comfort food. They're massive wraps stuffed with lettuce, tomato, grilled chicken, ranch, bacon, ham and topped with melted provolone. The best part is this semi-spicy orange sauce that comes on the side.... mmmmm...

Now that I've finally fully recovered from all the weekend's festivities my friends and I are already talking about next year. But until then I'll have the fifty thousand pictures that have been tagged of me online to remind me of what I'll be doing next May...

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Another Perfect Day

In 9 hours I'll be on a plane back to LA. There is nothing like leaving cold, damp New York City for time in the best city on the planet. Great weather, amazing food and home of the Lakers, the soon-to-be 2008 NBA Champions.

This video says it all...



Tuesday, May 06, 2008

Countdown to Bay to Breakers 2008


It's just one of those things that everyone should do at least once in their life. The world's oldest consecutively held annually foot race across San Francisco has drawn in millions to be part of the spectacle. The anticipation is killing me as the third Sunday in May quickly approaches.

For the past couple of years my brothers and I have made it a point to be a part of the festivities. It seems like every year the group that makes the trip to Bay to Breakers has gotten a little bigger, a little crazier and a lot more fun. This year it looks like that trend will continue as our group grows by the day!

As a token of appreciation for reading this post I would like to invite you to join in on the party. I know it might be hard for that reader in Florida (thanks by the way)... but for those of you in California (Valley Village, Los Angeles, Fountain Valley, Alviso, and especially San Francisco) feel free to come to the corner of Fell St. and Stanyon on the morning of Sunday May 18th. We will be raging. Expect the 7 B's : Bands, Booze, Blueman Group, Babes, Byron and of course... Balloons... of the water variety.


See you there!

Sunday, May 04, 2008

Keeping My Eyes on the Prize!

When finals week rolls around every semester I get a little overwhelmed with work and find myself in a constant battle trying to stay motivated. I always end up trying to get my roommate hyped up on finals too. Last semester we really got into it. We jokingly wrote the most corny inspirational quotes we could think of on our Dry Erase board. Every day leading up to finals week we had a theme to mentally prepare ourselves. For example, Tuesday's theme was "Eyes on the Prize", Wednesday's theme was "Stay Hungry" and Sunday of course was "Show Time!"etc... The whole thing was hilarious... Completely over-the-top, cheesy and pretty silly.

The point I'm struggling to drive at tonight is that there is this saying we have in wrestling that says, "Misery loves company"... but I find it much easier to plow through the "have-to" ("Rookie of the Year" reference) by remembering that humor, silliness or just a positive attitude also demands company. No one ever said that misery is the only path to success.