Ken David's Blog

Phil Collins - Another Day In Paradise

2010-05-22T02:03:00.000-07:00

One of those songs that sound great live!

Buena Vista Park, San Francisco

2010-04-29T22:49:00.000-07:00

One of the nicest streets to park in the Haight-Ashbury district. Anditwa$Free!

ART - Scratchboard - Angel Bandito

2010-04-23T11:41:00.000-07:00

This is one my favorite artworks of mine called "Angel Bandito." It was inspired by the "C&C x Good Music" collaboration. This type of art is called "scratch board" and your canvas is basically a sheet of white China clay coated with black India ink. Then you use a sharp instrument, such as a knife, to etch away the black ink and create your masterpiece. I did this piece in one my favorite classes in high school... art!

Justin Timberlake - Lovestoned (Tiesto Remix)

2010-04-10T00:40:00.000-07:00

I don't usually listen to this type of music, but this is actually a pretty good mix.

To Vince: Detoxx Backyard Basketball Highlight Video (2007)

2010-04-08T17:49:00.000-07:00

Flashback -> Detoxx Mixtape (BB Mixtape Parody)
By Ken David

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T20:44:00.000-07:00

Thank You Jesus!

Pictures: San Franisco, CA

2010-03-30T02:40:00.000-07:00

"The City"
..iiIi.iIii..

Amazing photos by Wiggum03 on Flickr

Concert - Jay-Z: The BP3 Tour with Young Jeezy and Trey Songz

2010-03-24T23:47:00.000-07:00

The Roc Is In The Building!

But I'm not there because I had a final! Ah, guess I'm gonna have to check youtube.com later. Haha!

Timbaland - If We Ever Meet Again ft. Katy Perry

2010-03-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

POLITICS: G.O.P. drops by S.C.

2010-03-14T19:27:00.000-07:00

The Republicans, also known as the "GOP" (Grand Old Party), dropped by the Santa Clara Convention Center (Santa Clara, CA) this past weekend to try and sway in more California voters.
Among the notable members trying to retain California's Republican Governor seat and fill in for Democrat Barbara Boxer were billionaire$, Meg Whitman (former CEO of eBay) and Carly Fiorina (former CEO of Helwett-Packard). Also in attendance was 2008 U.S. President candidate Mitt Romney.

Of course I didn't go in, but I did scope the scene outside. Two things I saw were news crews and security. (And that basically captions the pictures!)

Blue Scholars - New People

2010-03-14T01:02:00.000-08:00

Facebook ... Become a fan.

2010-03-14T00:39:00.000-08:00

Facebook Fan Pages ... I'm a fan!
I can relate to some of these. They're funny because they're true!

Personal
- "Awkwardly Trying to Run With a Backpack"
- "When your BS is so legit, you even believe yourself"
- "randomly using spanish words in normal conversation."
- "The Fatass you become when you get home from school"
- "5% battery left and you run like a ninja to get your charger !"
- "That Moment of joy when you see your food coming in a restaurant"
- "I hate when you reallllllllly want to say something, and the topic changes!

About the Parents
- "Who are you on the phone with?" "My drug dealer, mom."
- "Sex scene on tv + Parents in same room = Awkward atmosphere"
- "Thinking about random things as your parents are yelling at you."
- "Yeah, ok, yes, yeah, yeah, ok, yes, ok, i know, ok, yes, BYE MOM."
- Parents call it "Back Talk" we call it "explaining why they're wrong."
- "I wait for my parents to be in a good mood before asking something."
- "Everything seems louder when you're trying not to wake your parents"
- "Hey Mom! Look at this!....Mom look!...HURRY!....MOM!!!.......you missed it."
- "Mom, make me some food?" "Get it yourself." "Nevermind, I'm not hungry."
- "Mom, I am sure your guests won't care whether or not my bedroom is spotless"

At School
- "How do bus drivers close the door after they get off the bus?"
- "I was good at math before they decided to mix the alphabet in it."
- Sub teacher: "Does your normal teacher let you do that?" Students: "Yes..."
- "sitting in class thinking WHEN AM I GOING TO USE THIS IN MY LIFE!!"
- "Don't complain about grading 140 essays over the weekend, you assigned it."
- "HURRY UP AND PASS OUT THE TEST BEFORE I FORGET EVERYTHING!"

Computer/ Cell Phone
- "When in Doubt.. Google That Sh!t"
- iF yOU TyPE lYk tHIs DON'T TALK TO ME EVER!
- "My email address is stupid because i made it when i was 11."
- "I use my phone as a flashlight, and hit random buttons to keep it lit"
- "Ooooooooh, That sounds a bit harsh, I better put "lol" on the end of it"
- "should i send it? no it's stupid.. maybe.. nah.. eh what the heck *send*"
- "Getting a mini heart attack when someone texts you "I have a question..."
- "Who ever invented the "copy and paste" has saved many hours of my life."
- "I Missed Your Call By a Second, I Call You Right Back And You Don't Answer!"

Question/Answer
- "Just go ask!"... "ok can you come with me???"
- "Wait, how the F**K do you know each other?!?"
- "Can u do me a favor?"..wat "can u go upstairs and-".. no
- "Im 1000% SURE HE DA DADDY"...Maury: "You Are....NOT the father!!!!"

Telling Someone
- "No offence, but I really dont care."
- "Saying gotta go when you really dont"
- "Close the door!... OMFG, ALL THE WAYY!"
- "Have a nice day!" "Don't tell me what to do."
- "I bought a bag of chips. Not half a bag of air."
- "saying "never mind" when you don't feel like repeating yourself"
- "I dont care what you heard, Im telling you what really happened. So shut up"

Conversation
- "Remember the part when..."
- "those . 'remember when?' conversations (:"
- "Hearing only the weird part of other people's conversations."
- Saying "thats crazy" when you haven't been listening to someone.
- "Seeing someone your friend hates and saying, "There's your best friend"

Thoughts
- "WHY'S HE/SHE COMING WITH US ????"
- "Saying ' No it's ok' but inside 'FUUUUCKKK YOUUU'"
- "I wish I could see myself from someone else's point of view."
- "You think I'm mean? If only you heard what I say in my head."

Laughing
- "I ♥ it when someone's laugh is funnier than the joke"
- "i finally stop laughing... look back over at you and start all over again"
- "Realizing in the middle of telling your story that it isn't actually funny"
- "I try not to laugh during serious moments, but end up laughing anyway."
- "BURSTING OUT LAUGHING AND NOT BEING ABLE TO STOP AT THE WORST POSSIBLE TIME"

Music
- "I like this song. Repeat for the next hour."
- "Staying in a car to finish that song thats on...then get out."
- "Listening To Music Which Matches Your Exact Mood At That Time"

Sleeping
- "Taking a nap and waking up confused about the day and time."
- "DAMN IT I LIKED THAT DREAM....IM GOING BACK TO SLEEP!!!"

Ugh... Other People
- "I was calm, until you told me to calm down."
- "Don't ask for my opinion and get mad when I tell you the truth"
- "Alright! I made a mistake, no need to keep going on about it!"
- "Don't see me, don't see me, don't see me"... "HEYYY!!!" ... "f*ck"
- "The awkward distance you dont kno if you should hold the door or not..."

Emotions
- "when your so happy that you feel like you love everything on earth."
- "I get nervous when I see a cop car even if im not doing anything wrong"
- "The extremely awkward moment when an ugly person calls themselves ugly"

Miscellaneous
- "Just Sayin'" is the new "No Offense"
- "Getting to know someone you never thought you would"
- "Mocking someone in a voice that sounds nothing like them"
- "When im Home Alone and I Hear a Noise, I Freeze and Listen for Ages."

Sara Bareilles - (Sittin' on) The Dock of the Bay - (Acoustic Cover) - Fillmore, San Francisco, CA

2010-03-07T21:10:00.000-08:00

Yosemite National Park, California: Face to Face

2010-02-26T21:53:00.000-08:00

Leejay AbucayanXAnjelah Johnson Beatbox

2010-02-25T22:48:00.000-08:00

XXI Olympic Winter Games

2010-02-11T23:54:00.000-08:00

Shout out to Amanda Evora and John Robert "J.R." Celski who will be representing the Filipino-Americans at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Evora will be pair skating, and Celski will be speed skating respectively. Best of luck to both of them, and go U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!

Wiz Khalifa - This Plane

2010-02-11T23:14:00.000-08:00

MUSIC: Selah Sue - Raggamuffin

2010-01-25T11:08:00.000-08:00

NATURE: Earthquakes

2010-01-09T01:56:00.001-08:00

So we apparently had 3 earthquakes these past three days.

Wednesday - Magnitude 2.8 - 11:00PM
Thursday - Magnitude 4.1 - 10:09AM
Friday - Magnitude 3.8 - 11:48AM
The worst part about it was ...I DIDN'T FEEL ANY OF THEM!... Boo

DJ Earworm - United State of Pop 2009 (Blame It on the Pop) - Mashup of Top 25 Billboard Hits

2009-12-30T19:04:00.000-08:00

What a better way to end the year than with some of 2009's best songs all mashed into one!

"Music soundtracks my life!"

Oh, and peep out DJ Earworm's other work, he's San Francisco based. Notable mash-ups are the other United State of Pop years (2008 - Viva La Pop) and (2007 - USoP)

Notable Achievements: From both sides

2009-12-23T23:58:00.000-08:00

Congratulations...

Kristine David (SJSU) !!!

Jesse Javillonar (UHCL) !!!

TRAVEL: CURRENTLY IN HOUSTON, TEXAS (H-TOWN)!!!

2009-12-19T23:57:00.000-08:00

Vacationing in the "Lone Star State" til' the 22nd! (Hence the t-shirt and the bird on my shoulder)! Sorry, it's hard to update since I'm here, we've been eating out daily!

(Unintentional cameo by Jesse Lloyd who is playing on the television.)

RUNNING: Applied Materials Silicon Valley Turkey Trot (2009)

2009-12-10T18:24:00.001-08:00

Applied Materials

Silicon Valley 2009 Turkey Trot Look beneath my right eye. That's not an air bubble! That's my fat cheeks getting pushed back by the wind because I was running so damn fast! Hahaha!

By the way, I was 8:14 (8 minutes and 14 seconds) faster this year!

10k

Runner Details

Race Results

Bib:	8997
Name:	Ken David
Gender:	M
Age:	20
Hometown:	Santa Clara, CA

Overall:	1661 out of 3255
Men:	1107 out of 1683
M 20-24:	93 out of 136
Age/Grade:	45.63% Place: 2313
Finish:	59:29 Pace: 9:35
Tag Time:	59:29
Gun Time:	1:08:55

Split Times

2.7 Mi:

26:23 Pace: 9:46

WEATHER: WINTER: There's snow in the mountains!

2009-12-08T17:31:00.000-08:00

Wish it was closer, but it's more than 20 miles out in the mountains. I thought we had snow when I went outside this morning around 4 a.m. Geez, seeing the cars covered in white got me all excited. (I also didn't have my contact OO lenses on, go figure.) Turns out it was just a bunch of frost! So then I had to help my dad unfreeze the truck by scraping sheets of ice off with a credit card and throwing buckets of water at it. Talk about a winter letdown haha.
(Oh and don't take pictures while driving.) ; )

MUSIC: ALTERNATIVE/ROCK: Songs I liked in 2009

2009-12-07T23:52:00.000-08:00

I compiled a list of alternative rock songs that I liked in 2009. Some are old and some are new, but these are the songs that I still listen to on my iPod. For some reason, they sound even better when it's foggy or raining outside. Not saying this music is gloom, but it matches well with winter weather. (I'm pretty sure this is the same playlist they use at Sushi Boat at Westgate Mall in San Jose, CA. Ha.)

UPDATE: I'm back! Oh, look at my parking.

2009-12-05T00:35:00.000-08:00

I'm back on this blog again! I took more than a month hiatus because I did a lot of writing for school and I'm currently blogging for another class. But I finished most of my classes already while everyone else is stressing for finals week. Haha! Just gotta submit my blog online and I'm off too sip some hot peppermint mocha.

Anyways, check out how close my parking is! I'm going to try and beat this next time by a couple more centimeters. I am so good haha!

GOVERNMENT: SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA: Jury Duty - Dun! Dun! Dun!... I am the chosen one!

2009-10-27T22:24:00.000-07:00

Look what I got in the mail box.

Oh I hope it's just like the television shows! I might have to defer it to a later date because of school, but either way I'm excited! You hear so many stories about people getting picked for "Jury Duty" and now it's my time.

Okay, okay I'll be there!

BIKING: SUNNYVALE, CA: Bayland's Park

2009-10-15T01:37:00.000-07:00

I ride on 26's, black on black with no top. "What chu know about that?" - T.I.

It's a "pretty" long ride.

TELEVISION: NBC: 30 Rock

2009-10-09T22:44:00.000-07:00

I can't wait til' October 15th when "30 Rock" will debut it's 4th season! Believe it or not, I've never watched a full season of any of my favorite t.v. shows (including The Office), but it looks like this will be my first. I always miss the episodes on Thursday nights but this season I will be ready.

The woman in & behind the show... Tina Fey
Season Premiere Thursday,
October 15th 9:30/8:30c

This was a funny a scene from "Jack the Writer" in 2006 (Season 1: Episode 4) titled 'Wear a Bra.' Liz Lemon talks to Cerie Xerox about her inappropriate choice of clothing at the office.

LOCAL: EAST BAY: Fire

2009-10-01T23:58:00.000-07:00

So I biked to Great America this afternoon and saw smoke on the mountains. It was apparently a wildfire in the Nile Canyon area (which I never heard of) but it's west of Sunol.

Thanks to Sean Kingston for making the picture less boring.

Update: Here's closer evidence Ae. Haha.

Pretty amazing, and the pictures I took from Great America were from about 20 miles away.

CELEBRITY SIGHTINGS: Miley Cyrus - Party In The San Jose...!

2009-09-25T23:58:00.000-07:00

Miley Cyrus
Another random encounter with a Disney star.
I was trying to make a U-turn on Stevens Creek but couldn't pass traffic so I ended up making a right which brought me next to Santana Row and I saw these... (researched that Miley Cyrus was to perform that night so it could only be.)

Now I didn't actually see Ms. Cyrus but these were part of her tour buses.

INSECTS: Green leaf bug?

2009-09-23T00:44:00.000-07:00

At first I thought it was a leaf on the wall... but then it had legs and it was moving! This is the first time I have ever seen this bug and it's kind of fascinating. If anyone can figure what the name of this bug is, please share! For now, I'll call it the 'Green Leaf Bug.'

SPORTS: MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL: San Francisco Giants - AT&T Park

2009-09-15T23:19:00.000-07:00

Best place to watch baseball...! There are no bad seats in the house!

HISTORY: SEPTEMBER 11TH: World Trade Center in Manhattan, New York City, NY

2009-09-11T23:23:00.000-07:00

TRAVEL: PEBBLE BEACH, CALIFORNIA: 17 Mile Drive

2009-09-10T00:02:00.000-07:00

So I went back to Pebble Beach (17 Mile Drive) this summer and I can't think of a place more beautiful and serene that I've visited...

(I blogged about this '17 Mile Drive' back in 2008 with more details --->)

http://kenpatrickdavid.blogspot.com/2008/05/travel-monterey-county-california.html

MUSIC: Choir: Perpetuum Jazzile performs Toto's 'Africa'

2009-09-06T22:39:00.000-07:00

They're a pretty amazing choir from Slovenia. At first they imitate a rain forest which must of been during storm season but you could skip to 1:48 to hear them perform the song 'Africa' by Toto. It's hard to believe they're not using musical instruments...besides their hands and mouths!

Thanks to 'Muchacho' for the video.

SIGHTINGS: SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS: Delanie Walker, Nate Clements, Nate Davis & Unknown

2009-09-04T23:59:00.000-07:00

Tight End - Delanie Walker

First picture courtesy http://www.celebritycarz.com/2009/03/delanie-walker-black-cl63/

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Cornerback - Nate Clements

First picture courtesy http://www.lockdown22.com/main/gallery/

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Quarterback - Nate Davis

First picture courtesy http://www.stilettosetsports.com/wp-content/uploads/nate-davis.jpg

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Unknown - Range Rover

PICTURE: Kenpatography: The Inhabited Playground

2009-08-29T00:53:00.000-07:00

San Diego, CA - It's so funny because Sonny was so excited when he saw the playground from inside the house and then when he got out to the backyard we saw that it was inhabited by plants (fruits and vegetables). Haha. I guess my family's daughter grew out of the playground(no pun intended) and they decided to let the garden grow around it. And...well, ... that didn't stop them!

Pictures taken in August 2008

Look at Sonny (single swing) trying so hard just to swing above the plants. Haha! (Double swing: Dhillon & Sierra.)

MUSIC: Santigold - Lights Out

2009-08-27T00:10:00.000-07:00

SCHOOL: Adrian C. Wilcox High School: Gym Construction

2009-08-21T15:48:00.000-07:00

So it's been a couple of weeks of construction for Wilcox's main gym and my best guess would be that they're adding windows? It would be more useful and nice if they're going to but I just had to finish it for them...
UPDATE: Never mind, they're putting a wall!

SPORTS: Player sighting and meeting!

2009-08-20T13:13:00.000-07:00

So after the San Francisco 49ers preseason game my dad and I went to grab something to eat at Ihop and I met 49ers corner-back Dré Bly who was grabbing some food to go for him and his teammates. I went up to him and asked him if he was Dré Bly (but I actually said Dré BRy like a fob would say, haha) and he confirmed and I said 'great game!' and shook his hand. (In the game: 1 interception against former team, Denver Broncos.) He seemed pretty surprised and he asked me if I went to the game and I said that we just got back. Pretty cool dude by the way. Then I asked if I can get a picture and I gave my iPhone to my dad but he did not know how to take a picture with it! Aghh!!!
Old folks + Technology = Not so good...

(I did the John Madden analysis on the 2nd picture so you could actually see what's going on... haha!)

Oh well, I could say that if it wasn't for my dad's idea to go to Ihop I wouldn't even have met Dré Bly so I guess...thanks Dad! That's how it happens every time I meet a player... someone else's plan.

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PICTURE: Kenpatography: My car reflected in a moving wheel.

2009-08-18T03:25:00.001-07:00

Self-Explanatory Image.

I coined a new term. (Ken+Patrick+Photography) "Kenpatography." Yay or Nay?

SPORTS: San Francisco 49ers Preseason Game vs. the Denver Broncos

2009-08-15T23:44:00.001-07:00

So this past week I went to watch the 49ers preseason game against the Denver Broncos. It was my first preseason and night game and it was my dad's first NFL game ever. I'm not gonna talk about the game because you should already know who won...

49ers: 17
Broncos: 16

We sat in the upper bowl but I was surprised by how good the view was. Thanks to Reconknight and the San Jose Mercury News for the free tickets! (What's funny with the picture above? - I captured it from a video I found on youtube but I'm not gonna post the video on here. It's only a couple seconds cameo from my dad and I. Haha!)

So after games, to wait for all the traffic to clear, I always hang out by the player exit to watch the opposing team sign autographs and watch my Niners leave in their flashy cars. It's almost like a football game and car show in one, you know? Haha. I would tailgate and BBQ but I don't have the equipment for that yet so this is what I do.

The videos were really bad quality since it was night but I'll just post up one which happens to be my one of my favorite players... Patrick Willis (Phillip Reebers) who unfortunately didn't play because of a sore ankle. (Patrick Willis in his Cadillac Escalade on some new wheels.)

After about an hour of hanging out by the stadium I decided that it was time to head back to Santa Clara and all this 'fun' was worth it. There was virtually no traffic as we headed out of Candlestick Park and it only took about 10-15 minutes to get onto Highway 101 south. If I were to leave right after the game finished I probably would have been stuck in traffic for more than half an hour so at least I was doing something interesting. There's one more story to come out of this and I'll post that up soon...

PUBLIC SERVICE: Emergency Vehicles: Ambulance

2009-08-14T23:59:00.000-07:00

American Medical Response (AMR) has a new fleet of ambulances. And they look nice...

I spotted one when one of my neighbors had an emergency and I thought I was in Europe for a second but it turns out that AMR, which is obviously an American ambulance company, got their vehicles made European style. Well hope you get better neighbor! I like the new design because it looks more appealing(comfortable) than their old ones and I just wanna ride in the back... just not as a patient!

SPORTS: Minor League Class-A Advanced: San Jose Giants

2009-08-09T13:01:00.000-07:00

So I went to my first Minor League Baseball game this past week and it turned out to be more fun than I imagined. I really thought it was going to feel like a high school baseball game but it turns out that there were 3,418 fans and you could watch some really good baseball from non other than the San Jose Giants! For those of you who don't know, the San Jose Giants is a farm system team for Major League Baseball's San Francisco Giants meaning that they help train and give experience to players to get ready for the Major League.

Since I've never seen a San Francisco Giants (one of my favorite teams) baseball game one bonus was that one popular SF Giants player was playing in the line up and it wasn't Barry Bonds, but it was infielder Rich Aurilia (rehabbing from toe injury). Now I can't speak for what Barry Bonds did off the field but he's probably the only reason I watched baseball a couple years ago. I do this with everyone famous, but I thought it was cool that I was in plain view of a guy who knew and played with him. Haha. Sounds weird, but I relate people with other famous people all the time when I see them personally. (Picture above: Rich Aurilia congratulating Barry Bonds after he hit HR #741 - Mark J. Terrill/AP) Anyways, the first video I took of Aurilia was actually a two run home run! Great timing by me! Thanks to Jae and Full Gospel Church in San Jose for the tickets!

San Jose Giants: 5
Visalia Rawhide: 3
Yeah!!!

Raw Video: Rich Aurilia 2-run home run

MUSIC: Pop Rock: Kate Voegele - 99 Times

2009-08-07T11:59:00.000-07:00

SPORTS: SWIMMING: Michael Phelps at Santa Clara International Grand Prix

2009-06-19T23:52:00.000-07:00

Michael Phelps

14 Career Olympic gold medals
7 World Records in swimming

Phelps was in town last weekend where he won a gold medal in the men's 200m fly. His time of 1:54.31 also broke the Santa Clara Grand Prix meet record.

It pretty cool to have someone of Michael Phelps stature to come Santa Clara to swim. After his unprecedented eight gold medals in the '2008 Summer Olympic Games' in Beijing, Phelps has been the talk of the media when he appeared in MTV's 'Video Music Awards' and also hosted the season premiere of NBC's 'Saturday Night Live.' You know you made it when 'Weezy F Baby' makes a song for you. Below: Lil Wayne - I'm A Go Getta (Michael Phelps)

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I didn't even know he was there until I went to the Santa Clara Library and I saw all these news crews at the swim center. I go to the library about three times a week and I always park in the garage and it said "no swim event parking" so I knew it was a big meet. After doing my homework I got on the internet and searched the news section for 'Santa Clara Swim' and an article said that Michael Phelps will compete in the events. I didn't actually watch it though (I would if Natalie Coughlin was there, haha) but I just snapped a picture of the news crews.

SPORTS: TRAIL RUNNING & MOUNTAIN BIKING: 2009 Muddy Buddy Ride & Run - San Jose, Ca

2009-06-16T22:54:00.000-07:00

Team Hermanos Café (English translation: Team Brown Siblings)

2009 Muddy Buddy Ride & Run - San Jose, Ca

My cousins Melanie 'Melania' David and Francis 'Francisco' David end their 6-7 mile ride and run, 5 obstacle adventure by crawling through the infamous 'Mud Pit' to get to the FINISH LINE. Congratulations!

VIDEO:

SCHOOL: AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE: Deaf Club

2009-06-15T13:02:00.000-07:00

This was my project for my American Sign Language class. I started using spray paint as a tool for art when I was in high school and I've been hooked ever since. It takes a lot of work and time to get set up on your canvas(poster board) but once you start spraying, it's art in a press of a finger. Something about the contrast with the strong colors and the canvas make just about anything look good!

I think that, (with exception to the rules), I will always do school presentations with my spray paint artwork. I love the old school way, and with technology and it's problems, computer presentations can cost you. (Didn't save it in the right file format, computer crashes, the projector doesn't work, it can go on and on...) So I just stick with the safe route and just bring my poster to school and present right away.

I used a couple new techniques on spray painting than my previous works and it made it much cleaner. You might call it cheating but I made stencils to spray through. And yes, I made them by printing out a picture and then cutting it out with an 'X-Acto' knife. (That took about 75% of my time.) There are just some things you can't do by hand so I had to do it. Another technique was using a stick to draw and erase the paint which creates very small details such as the windows of buildings or lines of the fingers. So you'll the see the detail below.

Here are some pictures of how I did my poster, which I got an 'A+' by the way... ;)

Free-handed the hands. The hands spell "Deaf" in sign language. Used a stick to create lines to separate the fingers except the first hand which I messed up on.

Self made 'Closed Captioning' stencils. Printed out the two C's and then cut them out to paint through.

I cut out the coffee cup stencil which took forever! Those thin lines are very fragile. Also the film strip was printed and cut out.

I did it! Then I laid and sprayed.

All the letters were self made stencils. And I used the stick to create windows for the downtown buildings.

Added a couple more pictures and some captions.

Finished product. Hope you like!

SIGHTINGS: SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS: Chilo Rachal

2009-06-09T22:11:00.000-07:00

Chilo Rachal
- Current starting Right Guard for the San Francisco 49ers (2nd year)
- Compton, California
- (USC) University of Southern California

Sighting Story: This past Sunday Catherine and I were coming home from The Great Mall when she needed to go to Safeway. I chose the one in Rivermark since it was on the way home. (Or because...?) Those who know me know why I go there. Haha. Anyways as I parked I noticed a really nice black Range Rover on 24's at the stop light. I knew it was 49er Chilo Rachal because he was on an internet article about that exact car. --> http://www.celebritycarz.com/?p=533
As he was about to make a left off Montague Expressway and on to Agnew Road I gave Catherine my camera and told her to start shooting. Yep, I'm not the paparazzi anymore. Haha. (I did that because I was still trying to park.) Here are the pictures...

Photos courtesy of Catherine

MOVIE: The Hangover (2009) directed by Todd Phillips

2009-06-07T23:52:00.000-07:00

It's the funniest movie I've seen this past year. You know how some comedy flicks are funny in the beginning and then the jokes starting getting dumb later in the movie...well this movie is not the case. It was funny throughout and intriguingly fun because you get to go on the mission with these three guys to find out exactly 'wtf!' just happened.

I had a couple 'wtf!' moments watching because (well, just watch. you might want to close your eyes though.)...Haha.

Overall, it had a great storyline. Starts off with a bit of the end and then works its way back to how this 'hangover' started.

"Blame it on the a-a-a-a-a-a-a-alcohol...."

Like the poster says...FEEL IT!

(Just in case you didn't notice above, the gold highlighted text is suppose to look like a silhouette of an alcohol bottle. I just put that in to make it look cool. Haha.)

AUTOMOBILE: My car got nailed!

2009-06-01T23:15:00.000-07:00

So I just happened to look at my rear tire and I saw a silver circle. I thought it was a piece of debris stuck so I was going to peel it off. As I looked closer I saw it protruding and then I knew it, my tire got nailed!

I kept thinking, "who would do this to me?"... "why did they do it?" You know, put a nail under your wheel on purpose so you could get a flat tire. (I'm not beefing with anyone by the way.) But then I saw another nail in a weird position a couple inches down the side of the same wheel so I knew it couldn't have been a vandal. Or could it? Maybe I ran over it on the road where they were doing construction but that's just weird.

Seriously. I got a couple questions about the nail.
1. Who's nail does that belong to? That will help me find the person who could learn how to put nails in wood, not in rubber or in the streets.
2. What's a nail doing on the road or on the ground for that matter? Someone accidentally dropped them or purposely put them there.
3. When did that nail get in there? I saw it on Friday and that's all I recall.
4. Where did I run over the nail? So my only guess would be at Bank of America where I drove right next to a brand new fence that was built. I didn't see the nails though, maybe because it was in my tires?
4. Why are both the nails in my rear wheel? My front tires avoided the nails so I must not have been going straight. If I was going reverse then I believe this was act of violence(against my wheel, haha.)
5. How does a nail land straight into my wheel? It had to be standing or at least tilted at an angle when I ran over it. Again, makes you wonder...

Things happen for a reason. I was definitely in need for new tires anyways because two of them failed the tire thread test. And the day before I found out about the nail, my dad asked me when I was going to get new tires and I said by the end of June. So I'm just going to say that God saved me from possibly losing control in the upcoming rain showers expected to come late this week. (My car hydro-planed for like 40 yards last time it rained!) I'm happy with my four new tires installed on Saturday so much thanks God!

HOLIDAY: Memorial Day...& some chewing gum

2009-05-25T14:22:00.000-07:00

To all the U.S. men and women who served and passed while serving in the military...
Thanks and God Bless.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I just thought I'd also share some old school chewing gum that I bought at 'Cost Plus World Market' since it's the American colors. You've probably seen these chewing gum packets in a couple movies from the 90's and they're still selling them. So when I saw them on the shelf I had to try all the flavors because I like gum and retro things. They don't even say what flavors the gum are but I'll tell you.
Clove' - Spicy, red cinnamon.
Beemans - Sweet, winter mint. <-- My favorite
Black Jack - Black liquorish.

Video: Union 76 Gas Station orange ball rotating...

2009-05-22T15:30:00.000-07:00

In the car, bored at the stop light... armed with my digital camera and the radio. Pointless, but I thought I'd share because the music and video actually went together well. It also looks cool since it was nighttime and the ball looks like it's rotating out of nowhere. The song is called 'Island in the Sun' by Weezer and the 76 Gas Station ball was filmed at 1690 Saratoga Avenue, San Jose, CA (on the corner of W. Campbell Ave). <-- Just in case you wanted to go there. Ha.

WARNING!: I WILL NOT BUY YOU THE 34 SECONDS OF YOUR LIFE YOU WASTED BY WATCHING A BALL SPIN! HAHA!

CLOTHING: T-SHIRTS: Loyal to the Bay (Workmen's)

2009-05-19T22:44:00.000-07:00

Now that's a shirt! All my favorite sports teams. If I looked into the future I would've thought that I made that shirt. Good job Workmen's, I gotta get me one of those!

Photos courtesy of: http://workmens.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&product_id=8351&CFID=2034457&CFTOKEN=58252000

MUSIC: Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye...Re-Re-Remix (x2)

2009-05-15T23:19:00.000-07:00

Imagine a sports game. You know when the home team is whooping on it's visiting opponents, this is the song the crowd sings... "Na na na na/ na na na na/ hey hey hey/ goodbye!" That's basically a nice way of telling the opponents to go back home or should I say 'adding insult to injury.' (C'mon they lost already! You don't gotta sing them a song! What's up with that?!) I enjoy it though, especially when my team has the fans singing that stadium staple.

Well I just heard a couple remixes of that song that I really enjoyed. Now you have a lot of listeners who say that remixing classic songs just kills the music. I agree to extent when the song sucks, but most of the time I think it's a work of art. When you take a classic song from the past and remix it with a catchy beat or put more vocals and it sounds good... what's wrong? It may change the meaning and genre but that's what happens as music evolves. Hip-Hop or 'Hip-Pop' is what's hot right now and the classic songs of the past are just getting revitalized. I look at it as two different songs instead of 'oh what did that rapper do to that song I used to play on my record player?!' Re, re, re, remix!

Below I made a little play list so you can hear the songs. I personally love all of these especially the original by 'Steam.' And I know some of you are laughing at me because Kristinia Debarge's version called 'Goodbye' is really girlie but it's a good remix. She sings the 'na, na, na, na' part in the chorus. Wale and Lady Gaga end the list with a Hip-Hop remix called "Chillin." They sample the original for the first 9 seconds and use the 'hey!' part throughout the whole song. I like Lady Gaga's bridge, she sounds like M.I.A. which Wale gives a shout out to. Enjoy! Which one do you like?

"Na na na na/ na na na na/ hey hey hey/ goodbye!"

PHOTOGRAPHY: Play list

2009-05-14T00:07:00.000-07:00

I just took pictures of a paper that had a play list of songs that I was going to burn on a CD. There's was no need for me to hold the camera, I just sat it on the table and snapped the button. (Camera was in 'Program Auto' mode.) I didn't know that it would make such a cool effect of sharpening some words and then blurring everything else out. Try it with your camera, it's simple, unedited and a work of art.

Here's how the paper looked taken by holding the camera at an aerial view...

And here's how the paper looked taken by siting the camera on the table...

HOLIDAY: Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T23:59:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day!

Created by Anna Jarvis as a day to honor mothers and motherhood. Hope all mothers out there enjoyed the 'fruit of their labor' and for a few, some of Chef Ken's cooking ;).

For the Mother's Day menu, we had a fillet Mignon (medium rare of course) topped with grilled mushrooms and blue cheese, garlic mashed potatoes, side salad and grilled asparagus. According to the mother's, it was fantastic! Thank you!

MUSIC: HIP-HOP: Tech N9ne & Murs at The Avalon

2009-05-05T21:07:00.000-07:00

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Tech N9ne and Murs are in Santa Clara today...
As I was driving home from school I saw three huge tour buses so I knew something was going down at the Avalon. It didn't take long to know who would be preforming because it was marked all over the buses and of course the big Avalon sign. Tech N9ne and Murs!

Better yet I got a sighting too(on my way to my afternoon class)! I was driving and pulled in the Lawrence Station parking lot and there he was, 'Making Underground Raw Sh-t' also known as MURS. He was just casually walking around the parking lot with another guy and it looks like they were going to get a bite to eat. I probably wouldn't of recognized him if it wasn't for his crazy Rastafarian dreadlocks but yeah, I just drove by. Would've chatted it up with him but I had school... it was cool seeing him though. (No Tech N9ne sighting.) I left Lawrence Station and was at a red light on Homestead so I decided to do the 'paparazzi' and snap a shot of him (haha). Bad shot, but I did manage to get the back of his cool dreads.

SPORTS: BOXING: Manny "Pac-Man" Pacquiao vs. Ricky "the Hitman" Hatton

2009-05-03T14:56:00.000-07:00

It only took 2 rounds...

Video: Mentos x Diet Coke (2007)

2009-05-01T18:16:00.001-07:00

Warning: Try this at home!...In the middle of the street!...It's fun. Haha. Just a little throwback video since I took it down from my old 'youtube' channel.

Enjoy Mentos, the Freshmaker! (New Slogan)

So what actually happens?...
Mentos candies have small pores in its' surface where carbon dioxide can escape very rapidly. When it makes contact with a carbonated liquid, it releases all the carbon dioxide causing the foam in the soda bottle to create maximum pressure. Thus, when you throw the bottle to the ground all the pressure will just explode and bye bye bottle! (It might land in a neighbor's backyard too.)

Below is a closer look at Mentos x Diet Coke experiment. Here, you can see Sonny putting in just one Mentos in the Diet Coke bottle.

And as you can tell, all these videos are raw. Way before I knew how to use or knew that I even had Windows Movie Maker. That why all the the songs in the background were all played on my iPod with speakers. Haha.

SPORTS: With the 10th Pick in the 2009 NFL Draft the San Francisco 49ers select..

2009-04-29T20:02:00.000-07:00

Michael Crabtree, WR, Texas Tech!

Welcome to the 49ers Crabtree and the rest of the 2009 draft class! We got some solid picks even though we didn't get our needs at offensive tackle or pass rusher. It'll all pan out once the season starts though and I'm just excited!

The 49ers Draft Party was packed at the Santa Clara Convention Center with an announced crowd of 5,000 fans. We were all there to celebrate the building of our future.

49ERS 2009 DRAFT PICKS

Rnd.	Pick	Overall	Player	Pos.	School
1	10	10	Michael Crabtree	WR	Texas Tech
2	11	43	Traded to CAR for their first round pick in 2010
3	10	74	Glen Coffee	RB	Alabama
4	11	111	Traded to CAR with 43 overall pick
5	10	146	Scott McKillop	LB	Pittsburgh
5	35	171(compensatory)	Nate Davis	QB	Ball State
6	11	184	Bear Pascoe	TE	Fresno State
7	10	219	Curtis Taylor	FS	Louisiana State
7	35	244 (compensatory)	Ricky Jean-Francois	DT	Louisiana State

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New Uniforms!

(Phillip Reebers, 52)
The San Francisco 49ers also unveiled their new uniforms for 2009 as they go back with the cherry red throwbacks of the Niners Glory Days. I'm loving that classic look; Grey face masks, numbers moved up to the shoulder pads, no more black shadow on the numbers, stripes thinner on the pants and the red socks. I do hope they keep the black cleats because they look mean! New look, new leader, new direction!

Inside Joke: Philip Reebers sighting (Only Ae knows)

2009-04-25T00:52:00.001-07:00

MUSIC: Alternative Rock: Carolina Liar - Show Me What I'm Looking For

2009-04-21T00:22:00.000-07:00

ENTERTAINMENT: COMEDY: Anjelah Johnson

2008-11-13T22:05:00.000-08:00

Anjelah Johnson's October 19th show at the San Jose Improv. It was my first time watching stand-up comedy and it was better than I expected. Too funny! I like how the comedians interact with the audience and include them in their routine. Although sitting in the front row does have some sacrifices...like getting embarrassed! Only one comedian teased on the people in front in good spirits but I still felt bad for them. The main event Anjelah Nicole Johnson killed it. I've watched her "Nail Salon" skit more than 20 times on youtube.com but seeing it live was even more funny. She's got the accents locked down, the dance moves and even surprised me with her beat-boxing skills. Who knew that a woman could look so good and be so funny! (Thanks to "FD" for the tickets.)

SIGHTINGS: SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS: Patrick Willis

2008-10-24T21:28:00.000-07:00

Patrick Willis and lady friend
- Current starting linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers
- College Butkus Award
- 1x Pro-bowl
- NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year

Sighting Story: This sighting was back on June 28, 2008 when I saw Angelina Jolie's movie "Wanted" at the Winchester 22 movie theater. It was just when the movie previews ended when this blond bombshell caught my eye(sitting in front of me). I was like "who is....?" Then I look at the seat next her and there's this big dude. I could only see half of his face but I knew it was a 49er player. That guy went back out to get some drinks and snacks and I took another glance at him and he was fitted with a platinum chain and a platinum watch. That just reassured my gut feeling that it was a 49er. After I figured out what position the guy played by his size, it came out to be non other than the NFL "Rookie Pro-bowler" Patrick Willis! I kind of missed what happened in "Wanted" because I kept thinking about how Patrick Willis was sitting right in front of me. Haha. Anyways I was going to chat it up with him but he kept talking to his friend and I didn't want to interrupt but it's all good. I did, however manage to get my cousin to snap a couple paparazzi shots of his red Cadillac Escalade EXT as we were leaving. These pictures were on Winchester as he was heading home, which is right across the street in Santana Row.

Photos Courtesy of Francis David

Bonus Video: Patrick Willis giving me the peace sign at 49er headquarters in Santa Clara. This was a year before (before he even played a game and got the fame), when his front windows weren't even tinted. That's when you know you made it. Holler back! Haha!

MUSIC: HIP-HOP: The KNUX at Santa Clara University with Lupe Fiasco

2008-09-24T23:29:00.000-07:00

Lupe Fiasco is coming to the Santa Clara Leavey Center on September 26th. SCU students can only invite 1 guest though you'll have to ask someone!

Business: Barber: 'Precision Cutz' - Part 3

2008-08-10T23:12:00.000-07:00

Client: Marcus
Style: Caesar with medium tapered sides and low tapered back. Mustache line-up.

Top
Before/After

Side
Before/After

Back
Before/After

Business: Barber: 'Precision Cutz' - Part 2

2008-08-08T08:39:00.000-07:00

Client: Derek
Style: Caesar with 1/8'' tapered sides and blocked neck.

Top
Before/After

Side
Before/After

Back
Before/After

Business: Barber: 'Precision Cutz' - Part 1

2008-08-08T04:29:00.000-07:00

PRECISION CUTZ
by Ken David

Client: Di
Style: Caesar with low tapered sides and low tapered back.

Top
Before/After

Side
Before/After

Back
Before/After

ENTERTAINMENT: Disney star Demi Lovato makes special appearance at Verizon Wireless Store on El Camino.

2008-07-15T23:59:00.000-07:00

Demi Lovato is an actress and singer/songwriter best known for her role as Mitchie Torres in the Disney Channel Original Movie "Camp Rock." She has been playing guitar and piano since the age of 11. She attended the Disney Channel Games 2008, which is set to air summer 2008 on Disney Channel. She recently was in Puerto Rico filming a new Disney Channel Original Movie titled "Princess Protection Program" with Selena Gomez and recording her debut CD in Miami. Her good friends, the Jonas Brothers, have helped her write 11 songs for her debut album, which is due this fall. Demi Lovato is proud to be opening up for the Jonas Brothers on their summer 2008 "Burning Up" tour.
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/080714/nym068.html?.v=101

Demi Lovato made a special appearance at the Verizon Wireless store at 2240 El Camino in Santa Clara. She did a meet and greet autograph signing with fans from 1:30-1:55 p.m. I drove past there at about 12:00 p.m. while on my way home.

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: Here's footage I took while driving by. Note: I did not drive there to see her! I was just driving home and I looked at the Verizon Wireless store and there were balloons, 100+ teenagers in the parking lot and a couple of security guards. I thought it was some super star athlete or celebrity so I had to document it. Then I went home to find out what was going on through Yahoo! and found out it that it was Demi Lovato who's a star on Disney Channel. Never heard of her but she's obviously famous because she's going to be on the "Tonight Show with Jay Leno" on Friday, July 18th at 11:30 p.m.

FESTIVALS: FILIPINO: Kababayan Fest 2008 at California's Great America

2008-07-03T23:53:00.000-07:00

RECIPES: SIDE DISH: Pepper Corn Salad

2008-06-21T00:20:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure what the real name of this side dish is called but I'm calling it 'Pepper Corn Salad' because it's main ingredients are bell peppers and corn. I got this inspiration from a restaurant (forgot the name) but not all the ingredients are the same so I'm claiming that this recipe is mine!

This dish should be reasonably healthy because come on; corn, bell peppers and cilantro? Those are all vegetables! All three of those are finely mixed together to get all the nutrients in one bite. This salad goes great with a lean piece of meat such as steak, chicken or even salmon. Best of all you only need a grill and a knife for preparation.

So let's get cooking!

Grill the corn with the husks on for about 20+ minutes (I set corn on the 2nd level of the grill). Here's a lesson I learned; take the silk off of the corn before you grill it because once they burn, it's a real pain cleaning after. Also, you might want to soak the corn in water for about 15 minutes before grilling to give it some moisture.

Grill the red, orange and yellow bell peppers just until the skin burns a little. You don't want to cook the peppers because it'll lose it's crunch and bite. Some people are afraid when you say a dish has bell peppers. Don't worry, non of them are spicy. For the most part they're sweet and mild. Here's a fact; red bell peppers are ripened green bell peppers.

Once the corn are done, cut the kernels off the cob using a knife. Then dice the bell peppers and cilantro.

Mix it up then place it in a bowl. Top it with some cracked black pepper, lime and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and there it is... Pepper Corn Salad!

LOCAL: SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA: Fire near HP Pavilion.

2008-06-19T23:52:00.000-07:00

It must be getting hot because I saw yet another fire in San Jose. I just reported one earlier this month as I was going south on 280 and now this one was as I was going north on 87. (It's just one of my 5 alternative routes going home from school.) Unlike past fires I was just feet away.

When I was on 87 just passing downtown San Jose I saw black smoke and I knew that this was no barbecue. I wanted to take a picture when I was driving on 87 but my camera was locked in my passenger compartment. I unlocked it when I exited and took the key out of the ignition when I was at the stoplight and got the camera (haha). I needed to get a closer shot anyways but the cops were blocking the street so I couldn't tell what was on fire. (Pictured as I was making a left on Julian Street.) This didn't even make local news!

Anyways it must of been a really small fire. Here's a little extra; As I was trying to find my way back on 87 I saw this really cool condominium/loft called AXIS. It looks like a really cool place to live and I just wanted to share that with you. I'm not sure if it's completed yet but I'm willing to do a blog on this in the future. (Again, picturing while driving is bad so... I pulled over.)

DINING: BAKERY & COFEEHOUSE: 'The Prolific Oven' at Rivermark in Santa Clara, California

2008-06-14T22:14:00.000-07:00

From cakes, pastries, sandwiches and pasta along with an array of breakfast and lunch menu items, 'The Prolific Oven' bakes all the goods. Located at 3938 Rivermark Plaza in Santa Clara, California this fairly new spot is great if you desire a relaxed environment. You'll see the people with their laptop and or newspaper on a Sunday afternoon and it's definitely the right place for that because it's a coffeehouse. You don't have to wait for a waiter, just walk straight to the counter, order there, then sit and wait for your food to be delivered.
It was my first time there so I ordered the Pomodoro Pasta. Talk about SIZE! I thought I ordered family size but I guess that's a single serving. The sauce was minimal which I like, especially for pastas. No need for napkins or worrying about the sauce splattering when you put it in your mouth because it was light.The Roma tomatoes and acid in the sauce made it tart which gave it a little kick. The Angel Hair pasta was delightful and forking it was like a an art form (fork in, twist and eat, haha). And when you're all done with the pasta, use the fresh garlic bread to soak up all sauce at the bottom and enjoy.

Ingredients: Angel Hair pasta tossed with fresh basil, Roma tomatoes, virgin olive oil and garlic.

PRICE: $8.25 for Pomodoro Pasta plate.

LOCAL: SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA: Fire near Happy Hallow Park and Zoo

2008-06-03T23:57:00.000-07:00

It's going to be a hot season and you know what that means... fire! Just last month I reported a supposed fire in the Saratoga, Campbell area and today I saw another one in San Jose. It was a 4 acre grass fire at 1300 Senter Road near Happy Hallow Park and Zoo.

I saw the smoke in the sky coming from the Downtown San Jose area while I was on Highway 280 coming home from school. (About 2:30 p.m.) It looked way bigger than a 4 acre fire and I thought a building was on fire. Thank god no buildings were destroyed though because they got a couple museums around there. And that no one was injured.(WARNING: Never take photographs while driving. It's dangerous but I do it anyways.)

Youtube Videos: Comedy: Pharrell Williams talks about Chad Hugo's dad.

2008-05-29T00:17:00.000-07:00

This video is funny. Pharrell's in the studio with Justin Timberlake and he starts talking about Chad's dad. He even does the Filipino accents! Haha...

SIGHTINGS: SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS: Michael Robinson & Unknown

2008-05-25T23:45:00.000-07:00

Sightings from the month of May...
Michael Robinson
- Former Penn State Nittany Lion started Quarterback/Running back/Slot back
- Big Ten Conference Player of the Year (2005)
- Team captain of Nittany Lions that won Big Ten Conference Championship and Orange Bowl (2005)
- 5th in Heisman voting
- 4th round draft pick by San Francisco 49ers in 2006 NFL Draft
- Current 49ers Running back

Sighting Story: I was in the Safeway at Rivermark and I saw a tall dude with a red shirt on. As I walked closer I saw all the tatoos on his arm and I knew it was MRob (Michael Robinson). I was going to talk to him but he was talking on his 'blue tooth' and as I shopped, he headed out the door not buying anything.
Although... I did get a shot of his Cadillac Escalade EXT at the stoplight to make a left on De la Cruz Boulevard from Montague Expressway. The tree was at a perfect spot, blocking MRob and his female Caucasian passenger in the picture. Sorry about that, I was at the stoplight and I couldn't move forward or backward!

Unknown

Sighting Story: I'm just going to say this is someone important because they were coming from Rivermark rolling in a $75,000 BMW 650i Coupe with presidential tint and Dub-Deuces. It's got to be a somebody because an average person doesn't roll like that. (And that's why I took a picture and posted it.)

MUSIC: Playlist

2008-05-17T23:44:00.001-07:00

Here's the play list from my cd...
I can't upload the songs on here Jess, but you could save the videos as a favorite on http://youtube.com/, download on Limewire or I could burn you a CD.

Timbaland feat. Keri Hilson and Nicole Scherzinger - Scream

Usher - Love In This Club

Estelle feat. Kanye West - American Boy

Madonna feat. Justin Timberlake - 4 Minutes

Girl Talk - Hold Up

Girl Talk - Once Again

Girl Talk - Night Ripper

Girl Talk - Bounce That

Disco Mix...

Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up

Kool & the Gang - Get Down On It

Madonna - Get Into The Groove

Taylor Dayne - Tell It To My Heart

I'll try to find the missing songs and edit the post when I find them. (It'll be in a different color font.)

SPORTS: SWIMMING: Olympic swimmers at George F. Haines International Swim Center for Santa Clara Toyota Grand Prix

2008-05-17T23:20:00.001-07:00

No, it's not car race.

When: It actually started on Friday, May 16th (sorry for late info) but it goes on through Sunday, May 18th. Preliminaries start at 9 a.m., finals at 5 p.m.

Where: George F. Haines International Swim Center, Santa Clara, CA.

Sunday's best bets: The men's 100 freestyle has some of the world's best sprinters: Phelps, Lezak, Grevers, Wildman-Tobriner, South Africa's Roland Schoeman, Lyndon Ferns, Gideon Louw and Ryk Neethling, and Australian Leith Brodie, who will swim the 200 individual medley in Beijing.

What happened already: Natalie Coughlin broke her own American record in the women's 100 freestyle while finishing second on Friday. Coughlin finished in 53.39 seconds, beating her previous record of 53.40 set on March 2, 2007.

Michael Phelps, an eight-time Olympic medalist, won the 400-meter individual medley.
Event pictures by Nhat V. Meyer.
More info at: http://competitive.santaclaraswimclub.org/

LOCAL: SOUTH BAY: Fire?

2008-05-16T23:59:00.000-07:00

I was on Saratoga Avenue in San Jose going south and I saw a bunch of smoke about 5-10 miles away. It looked to be a small fire but I didn't get close enough. Looks like ABC 7 was on the way but I guess they haven't posted any news about it? I'm just curious about where and what it was. Here's some pictures I took...

WEATHER: SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA: Temperature expected to reach 105 degrees F on Thursday, May 15.

2008-05-13T20:53:00.000-07:00

I hope all this information is false. 105 degrees F! - Are you kidding me? Although http://weather.yahoo.com/forecast/USCA1018_f.html is giving me hope that Thursday's high will be 96 degrees F, I won't believe anything until I feel the heat. Anyways, drink up. (And I don't mean alcohol.) Hydrate yourselves and stock up on the water because it's gonna be smoking hot!

Below is not a typo.

6pm

105° F

Sunny

All information below taken from http://www.accuweather.com/forecast-details.asp?partner=forecastfox&zipcode=95051&fday=3&metric=0

URGENT - WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA
810 PM PDT TUE MAY 13 2008

A STRONG RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL COMBINE WITH AN OFFSHORE FLOW
TO CREATE HOT CONDITIONS ACROSS MUCH OF THE SAN FRANCISCO AND
MONTEREY BAY REGION. IN ADDITION...THE TIGHTER PRESSURE GRADIENT
IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS PARTICULARLY OVER THE NORTH BAY
MOUNTAINS AND EAST BAY HILLS.

Santa Clara, California

Thursday, May 15

Day

High: 105°F RealFeel®: 102°F

Very hot with the temperature breaking the record of 96 set in 1970 with scorching sunshine

TRAVEL: SAN DIEGO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA: On route...

2008-05-11T23:58:00.000-07:00

Don't know when I'm gonna land or should I say, don't know when I'm gonna blog about San Diego County. But I just want to let you guys know that I'll get that area covered in the future. Stay seated and buckled because we're on flight...

Some aerial shots from the plane...

That big highway is 280 and the big white building to the right is Westfield's Valley Fair Mall.

I think I just took a picture of the whole city of Santa Clara and Sunnyvale in this one.

Didn't I just finish off with this city? It's Monterey again.

TRAVEL: MONTEREY COUNTY, CALIFORNIA: Pebble Beach - Part IV

2008-05-06T21:35:00.000-07:00

PEBBLE BEACH

You haven't been to Monterey if you haven't drove on the '17 Mile Drive' through the Del Monte Forest. Admission toll is less than $10.00 and it's well worth the money if you want some quality Kodak pictures or if you just want to soak it all in. There's nothing better than a scenic drive on a beautiful day.

Mansions
Pebble Beach is a gated community home to some pretty rich people(obviously). Stars like actor/director Clint Eastwood and comedian George Lopez have a place in this area. The neighborhood reminds me of Mulholland Drive in the Hollywood Hills or any neighborhood in Beverly Hills. There's barely any cars on the streets and there's barely anyone homeowners you see outside their homes. (I saw one though.) It's probably because some houses are gated again. (Gated in a gated community. I know. Huh?) It's called star-status. Here are the mansions...

Golf Course and Pacific Ocean
There's seven public and private 18-hole golf courses throughout Pebble Beach. One of those golf courses is also home to the famous AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am which is a golf event held every February. On the right side will be the Pacific Ocean.

Scenic Stops
There are about 20 scenic stops on the 17 mile journey and a couple of them are worth stopping over for.
'Bird Rock' - Basically a bunch of birds on a rock island.

Can't see the birds? Check out 'Seal Rock' (right next to it) - A bunch of Sea-Lions laying on a rock island.

I think it's the 'Restless Sea' - The waves constantly crash against the rocks. Soothing to watch, soothing to hear(not on the video though).

The 'Lone Cypress' - The landmark, symbol and logo of all things Pebble Beach. I'll mark this as a definite stop-over. So weird, so beautiful.

So that's pretty much Monterey County in a wrap. I missed Fisherman's Wharf and the Aquarium but I still have next time. Note: I went back to Monterey again a couple weeks later and we did go to the Wharf but I didn't take many pictures with my camera. Also, I saw my high school History and Economics teacher, Mr. Chaid there with his sons. (Big coincidence and we got to chat a bit.) Oh, and we ate at a spot there that I'll review in the future. Other than that, I'm done and I hope you finished visiting Monterey with me. We are not done yet! Remember I was gone for a couple days last month...? More on that in couple days. Thanks for reading and have a good day!

BEVERAGES: ICE CREAM SODA: Root Beer Float

2008-04-29T10:51:00.000-07:00

Need a cool, refreshing beverage? Don't know whether you want ice cream or soda to chill you down? Why not have both and that's called a 'Root Beer Float.' This classic drink is so easy to make I'm not even gonna bother writing the directions down. The pictures are self-explanatory. Enjoy.

Finished product! Root Beer Float.

SIGHTINGS: SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS: Mike Singletary, Manny Lawson & Frank Gore

2008-04-28T21:42:00.000-07:00

This again is another new addition to my blog entitled "Sightings." I've seen countless celebrities and athletes throughout my life and it's very fascinating to see them in person. I'm usually star-struck which means that when I see them, I start off talking to myself saying "Oh man, that's...!" Then I tell everyone I see or call them. I'm fortunate to live in Santa Clara which is home to my favorite NFL team, the San Francisco 49ers. For me, it's cool enough just to see the players driving around in their tricked out rides or just seeing them out and about. As weird as it sounds, ever since I got a camera I've recorded my encounters by taking a picture. Too bad I didn't have it when I shook hands and helped 49er (1x pro-bowler)Patrick Willis find a bowling ball at Moonlight Lanes. Or when I met former 49er (2x pro-bowler, 4x SB champion) Eric Wright at a picnic. Or when I saw former 49er (10x pro-bowler, 4x SB champion) Ronnie Lott at 'Footlocker' in Vallco Mall with his son. Missed opportunities at random times but now that I got a camera, it will be recorded. This sightings post will be for the 49ers coach and players who I saw in month of April.

First off... Mike Singletary
- San Francisco 49ers Head Coach
- Coached Baltimore Ravens' linebacker Ray Lewis
- Played linebacker for Chicago Bears (1981-1992)
- 10x Pro-bowl selection
- Inducted in Pro Football Hall of Fame

Sighting Story: I was making a U-turn on Lawrence Expressway and I saw him in Chevrolet Avalanche. As I was at the stop light to make a left turn on Homestead Road, I snapped a photo of his car as he was going straight on Lawrence.

Manny Lawson
- Current linebacker for San Francisco 49ers
- He's the player who interviewed me at training camp!

Sighting Story: I was driving home from school on Kiely Street and I spotted Lawson's Lincoln Navigator at Moonlight Lanes. I know because I've seen him drive it before at Rivermark and at the picture above(bottom right), you can see it parked at the training facility. (He bowls there weekly.)

Frank Gore and girlfriend
- Current running back for San Francisco 49ers
- 1x Pro-bowl
- NFC Rushing Champion

Sighting Story: I was driving home on Kiely Street after picking up food at Woodhams center and I spotted Frank Gore's Dodge Charger at Popeye's Chicken. I wasn't sure if it was him at first so I pulled in the parking lot. Saw the limo tint on the window and the Texas license plate(although he's from Florida) and I knew it was him. I remember seeing him come out of that car at the Marriott Hotel when my friend had a party there. (The 49ers stay there during training camp.) I was with my cousin so I told her that we're going to go in Popeye's and she'll take a picture with me and Gore. So we come in and this hot Rihanna looking girl is picking up food. Haha. (I'm assuming it's his girlfriend.) Turns out that Gore was waiting in his car while his girlfriend picked up the food. (I didn't know because of the front limo tint.) As I looked back, they were already leaving and I was bummed that I didn't get to meet him. But I did snap a photo of his car(black/black behind the bush) as they were waiting on Kiely Street. Haha. So I had to buy Popeye's chicken even though I didn't want to just so the manager didn't think I just walked in there for nothing. Hopefully one day, I'll get to meet one them. Until next time...Click....Click...

RECIPES: BREAKFAST: French Toast

2008-04-22T23:59:00.000-07:00

This is yet another new addition to my blog entitled "Recipes." I'll share with you some of my not-so-secret recipes anymore and I'll make you look like a culinary chef. Cook it for your mom, dad, sister, brother, cousin, grandma, grandpa, aunt, uncle, girlfriend, boyfriend, wife, husband or etcetera and call it your cooking. It'll be your cooking after all but it's my recipe. Just don't tell them that part. Haha.
Breakfast is the most important meal. You need the calories and nutrients to give you that energy for the rest of the day. That's why I'm going to show you how to make 'French Toast."

First off, the ingredients:

-Powdered sugar -Creamer
-Sliced bread -Eggs
-Maple syrup
Preparation:

Scramble 2 eggs into a bowl and then mix in 2 teaspoons of creamer. Dip the bread into the mix and make sure both sides are soaked.

Put a dab of butter into the pan on medium-high heat and let it settle for about 30 seconds.
Cooking:

Place the bread in and cook for about 2 minutes on each side.
Plating:

Stand the bread up and in a back and forth motion with your wrists, let the maple syrup drip from the bottle. <- Sort of like your shaking a Polaroid picture. Put some powdered sugar in your palm and 'let it snow' on the bread. Jesse, my cousin/customer questioned me on the lemon garnish but the garnish is just for looks. Maybe some orange slices would be better so I'll do that next time. You could also add some blueberries and raspberries which would look even better but it's all your personal preference. There you have it, French Toast!

Jesse's visit to Apple Headquarters in Cupertino, CA

2008-04-19T01:15:00.000-07:00

Video: "Okay, I'm here at Apple Headquarters..."
"Uh, we're on the street bud..." Haha!

TRAVEL; MONTEREY COUNTY, CALIFORNIA: Big Sur - Part III

2008-04-08T15:56:00.000-07:00

BIG SUR

From Carmel-by-the-Sea, drive down 'Cabrillo Highway 1' and you'll hit Big Sur. Big Sur is a very popular tourist destination spot because of it's beautiful coastline scenery. Highway 1 south is a long stretch of road that gives you the view of the Pacific Ocean on your right and the Santa Lucia Mountains on your left. We drove there for one reason and that was to check out the 'Bixby Bridge.'

BIXBY BRIDGE (fast facts):
Date of Birth: 1939
Birthplace: Big Sur, California
Style: Reinforced concrete open-spandrel arch bridge
Longest Span: 320 feet
Total Length: 720 feet
Width: 24 feet
The funny thing about visiting the Bixby Bridge was that all of the structure of the bridge was located under the road we were driving on and we didn't know. (The Bixby is NOT like the Golden Gate bridge where you could just look out your window and see the golden pillars.) So we basically drove past the bridge without even knowing we passed it. We had to look back and say 'Oh! We drove right over it!" so we made a U-turn and parked the car.

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: Panning around a couple feet below the visitor parking. Good view of the Pacific Ocean and cliffs. (Again, sorry but no narration.)

FOR YOUR INFORMATION: Currently in 'MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON' located between Los Angeles and San Diego.

2008-04-04T16:09:00.000-07:00

No, I'm not enlisting. Just visiting my cousin...

Updates next week... Have a great weekend!

TRAVEL: MONTEREY COUNTY, CALIFORNIA: Carmel-by-the-Sea - Part II

2008-04-02T11:26:00.000-07:00

CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA

On down the coast of California, we went to stop by Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo or Mission Carmel to pay some respect before Easter Sunday. Mission Carmel is one of 21 Spanish missions built about 30 miles apart up and down the California coast. Junipero Serra built them to spread the Catholic faith among local Native Americans. Mission Carmel was the second Franciscan establishment when it was founded in 1770. This was Serra's favorite mission because it's near the capital of Alta California(Monterey) and it served as his headquarters. He is also buried beneath the chapel floor.

When we arrived there, we first entered the visitor's entrance where they had a little souvenir shop and then you have to pay a $5 admission fee. Self guided tour brings you everywhere in and out of the mission. Went in the church which had art and history everywhere. Then there's a museum to lead you on your way out. That's pretty much it at Mission Carmel. Wait, there's more to come!

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: Mission Carmel outside walking in to the alter. (Don't expect much narration. Actually, don't expect any narration at all. I don't talk in any videos so no need to raise the volume. And this won't be on my 'youtube' channel so that's why I'm saying it's exclusive.)