Chock Full of Inner Demons

Time For Some New Shoes

2007-05-18T16:48:00.001-07:00

Another year has passed, and with it, comes another teacher appreciation day. The idea and the effort of this event at the Hebrew school is extremely generous, and I do truly appreciate the efforts of the students who write the speeches and who present the gifts to the members of the faculty.

This year, the senior class presented me with a large gift certificate for the sports store Champs (last year I received a Neverflat basketball), with the idea in mind, that I use it to replace my current basketball shoes that have a major tear. Some of the students know that I have been wearing these atrocious shoes out of pure animosity, and that I have been determined not to let the shoe companies take me for any addtional money because the tear began only a mere month or two after I had purchased them.

But now with this generous gift from the senior class, I have no excuse left not to get a new pair, and to appreciate them. I only wish that I could do more for the students than I currently do. Every year, they always come up with a way to surprise me when I am least expecting it.

Now playing Blood Diamond by James Newton Howard

Meeting Walter Isaacson

2007-04-27T14:10:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I met Walter Isaacson, the author of the new book, Einstein. He walked into my store because he wanted to autograph his book. On the announcement that he was there, I ran up the stairs to see him because I was in awe of his recent and previous book accomplishments.

So there I was with him, handing him his books to sign, and asking him about his process of writing. He answered everything very politely, and engaged me in conversation outside of his own accomplishments. We talked a little of Israel, of Cokie Roberts, of radio programs, and of basketball. As he was leaving, he invited me to attend a tv interview that night that he was doing a the JCCSF, and that he would put a ticket aside for me in my name so I wouldn't have to pay for it. Even more amazing, he told me just to come whenever I was done playing basketball so I wouldn't have to skip my regular game on Thursdays.

And I did. About 8:45pm, I arrived and I saw the last 30 minutes of his interview. When he was done with that, I met him again as he was signing books for the audience, and he seemed generally enthusiatic that I showed up, even as he was being completely swarmed by the eager fans surrounding him.

Before I met Isaacson, the only thing I knew about him was that he wrote two well received biographies on Albert Einstein and Benjamin Franklin. If I had known that he was a Harvard graduate, a former managing editor of Time magazine, and the CEO of CNN, then I'm not sure I would have approached him with any of the enthusiasm and non-chalance that I did. I guess sometimes ignorance is a good thing.

Now playing On the Record (Disney musical)

Sabbath in America

2007-04-24T16:03:00.000-07:00

Keeping Shabbat. I was able to do it while I was in Israel, but it was much easier there. I was living with a religious family, and I had no real responsibility within the country. At home, back in the USA, it is much more difficult for me to maintain the Sabbath. How do I not do any of the usual things on a Friday night and on a Saturday that I usually do. That is the one day that I am free to catch up on many of the smaller dealings that I may have missed throughout the week: laundry, market,......maybe a movie. Also, my Saturday mornings have been routinely committed to racquetball in Golden Gate Park. And even though the game itself is not really that important to me, I could easily skip it and not lose too much on sleep, the event itself is a large benefit to my friend who normally doesn't exercise much.

Why do I bring my reservation? It is because I have been invited over for the length of a Shabbat next week to the home of a nice Israeli couple, and as much as I like the idea of resting for the day, and getting in some reading, I just don't feel that my time will be very well spent since it is the only time that I have entirely free. I need that time to recuperate and to do some of the things that I may deem necessary to my mental health, even if it is sleeping in front of the tv (and tv, is a no-no on Shabbat).

I don't like turning people down. Most of the time, I want to go and to enjoy whatever it is that they want me to experience, but some of these things are harder to do than others, and presently, keeping an orthodoxy Sabbath is right up there for me.

Not That Funny Money

2007-04-19T21:52:00.000-07:00

I watched Funny Money tonight, a straight to DVD movie starring Chevy Chase, Penelope Ann Miller, Armand Assante, Christopher McDonald, and Robert Loggia. The movie was lableled as a screwball comedy, but it wasn't very funny. The whole production looked as if it was filmed for a Sunday night tv special, which was disappointing because I really like Chevy Chase, and I always want every one of his films to be the next comedy classic.

There were a couple of positives in the film, and that was mainly from Loggia's performance as Chevy's playboy type boss. In one scene, he tells the joke, "What do you call a woman who is paralyzed from the waist down?

Married.

Now Playing Munich by John Williams

A Welcome Back to School

2007-04-18T20:28:00.000-07:00

It was my first day back at the Hebrew school today, and the people there were very receptive to me. Throughout the day, the students were approaching me enthusiastically and asking me of my Monday absence, or of my heard about travels. I must admit, however, that the attention was quite endearing. So much so, that I decided that I wasn't going to hand out any detentions for the day.

On a side note, the jet lag, or loss of sleep, is really getting to me, and unfortunately, I do not see an immediate end to it.

Now Playing the Golden State Warriors vs. the Portland Trailblazers in Portland. Season Finale

Back to the Grind

2007-04-17T16:41:00.000-07:00

After being back for only 6 hours from Israel, I went back to work. It is not an ideal schedule, nor a very smart one, but sometimes one has to fight the fight, and I believe that I have need to keep on doing it, at least for a little while longer.

What was nice about going to work today, was to pick-up all of the soundtracks that I had been eagerly anticipating. I got the Karate Kid compilation albums, plus the two Grindhouse soundtracks which were released two weeks ago. I hope these are good and worth all of the anticpation that were built around them.

Now Playing the Karate Kid 3 by Bill Conti

Passion and Ignorance

2007-03-24T20:59:00.000-07:00

Ignorance in the NBA is never lacking. My recent disgust with the Warriors (I live in the Bay Area, so I am much more exposed to their media) is their recent love affair with the volatile Stephen Jackson, a person who has neither the ability nor the intelligence to control his temper.

In Friday’s sporting green in the Chronicle, as a preview for their game that night against the Washington Wizards, Jackson’s teammates were coming to his defense for the way he ‘asserted’ himself at a previous game. “I’ve been with Jack long enough to know when he’s going to explode, and he was fine. It’s just that everybody stood up and made it look worse than it was…..nobody has to go hold his hand and bring him to the bench, none of that. Let him go through what he’s going through, and he’ll come over there and sit down,” says Al Harrington, a teammate of his while he was in Indiana. I am not sure if Harrington was with Jackson when Jackson went into the stands to fight the fans in Detroit, but in either case, it doesn’t seem responsible to allow ‘Jack’ to stand up and argue with anyone in a public forum after the infamous brawl that he was a large part of .

Baron Davis credited Jackson for his remarkable enthusiasm for the game, “He’s a guy who’s going to get technicals. That’s just his passion for the game. I’d much rather have everybody on our team like that, than somebody who never shows…emotion and doesn’t play with a passion or love for the game.”

Passion? Technicals cost a team points and the possession of the ball. The very nature of a technical is a designed punishment onto to a team due to the excessive nature of a player and/or coach. What the hell is Davis talking about? Can someone please help me understand this twisted logic of the NBA?

As for Jackson’s passionate play Friday night against the Wizards, he played a total of 7 minutes of the game before he got thrown out by the officials. According to the Chronicle on Saturday, “Jackson immediately took out his mouth guard and threw it to the ground as the Warriors tried to steer him away (probably led by Harrington) from the officials. Warriors apologist Center Andris Beidrins said, quite seriously, “ I think it was a misunderstanding.”

Now Playing Beyond Borders by James Horner

Losing to the Warriors and the Hawks

2007-02-11T16:21:00.000-08:00

I will be on my way across the bay in a few minutes to see the Golden State Warriors play the Atlanta Hawks at Oracle Arena. Normally at this time, I am playing basketball in the city instead of observing it in Oakland, so I hope that the game tonight will offer a little more than the regular show. I do not know who will this game, and I dare not predict it because both of the teams are trying to fight their way for a secure spot in the ‘middle’ of the standings.

My fight for the 'middle' remark derives from the mediocrity displayed by both of these teams this past decade. On any given night, it is correct to assume that either team would lose against any decent team, however tonight; it will be I who will largely lose. I will first lose out on the exercise that I normally get on Sunday nights. I will lose monetarily, twenty on parking and then another twenty on a soda or two. And ironically enough, I will most likely to lose out of ‘seeing the game,’ since fifty-five dollar tickets isn’t enough these days to secure a spot below the rafters and away from the riff-raff. Perhaps after I get home, I can see what happened during the game by watching the end of Sportscenter. At least I'll be able to make out the player's images that way.

Now Playing the Parent Trap by Alan Silvestri ***.5 / ****

The Thematic Edward

2007-02-03T16:53:00.000-08:00

It is amazing what you will pay $160 for these days. On December 5, 2006, I paid that much to view the North American premiere of Edward Scissorhands: The Musical. Normally, I wouldn’t pay that extraordinary amount of money for a theatrical production, but when it comes to theater and women, I tend to pay for a lot more than I intended too.

The main reason I went to Edward Scissorhands was because I have been so enormously hypnotized by the Danny Elfman music for that past 16 years. The music he wrote for the film is one of the rare compositions that transcend its origins, in this case, the film itself. I gather that Mathew Bourne, the creator of this new musical, must have been just as moved by the Elfman music himself, to undertake a musical interpretation of the Tim Burton film.

It is hard to review this production without any bias, because I was already in love with much of its music. Overall, the production was very good and some of the scenes that were staged to Elfman music, particularly the where Edward first sleeps in the daughters bedroom, were very magical. One of the drawbacks of the musical is that it doesn’t have any lyrics or any dialogue of any kind. The show resembles a modern day dance and ballet production and it suffers a bit because the audience needs to be quiet and patient all the way through. In a lyrical show, the audience tension is usually less, because there is more noise and larger obstacles to observe and to assimilate. In a thematic production such as Edward, the audience has only but to watch, and to do it calmly and patiently. No real thinking is needed. But overall, even without its lyrics, my theater outing was well worth it, even if I paid $160, and didn’t even get the girl.

Now Playing the Golden State Warriors on 680am.

Water Hazard at Fort Point

2007-01-27T11:57:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday, I joined one of my friends on a random picture shoot around the Golden Gate Bridge and the Marina areas. The idea of this photo day was to practice and to learn the features of our various cameras, which was good for me, because I had essentially put my camera to rest for nearly six months.

My friend who had invited me was essentially a photo novice up until a year or two ago. But since that time, he has purchased nearly every piece of camera equiment ever to have left the Nikon assembly belt. He has lenses and flashes galore, memory cards that could perhaps store photos for generations of his future family, and a battery pack that could fuel the USS Enterprise. Luckily enough for me, he allows me to use the equipment that he isn't using, which is nice, because it gives me an opportunity to learn the equipment and to freeload at the same time.

On a normal day when a camera is around, I am the one who is usually holding it, which means that I am not likely to be in many of the photos. If I am in a photo, that is because I had to ask someone begingly to take my photo, with the end photo result being a microscopic me in the corner of a larger and more vivid image of some sort of tumbleweed. But on this photo Saturday with Kevin, he was able to go against the grain and to capture me most vividly in peril. Magnificent stuff. In his series of five photos, shot at Fort Point, he was able to capture me, as he says, 'against the wave.' Way to go Kev.

Now Playing the De-Lovely Soundtrack

No Laughing Bandidas

2007-01-09T22:04:00.000-08:00

I got the movie Bandidas (PG-13) in the mail today, it stars two of America’s biggest stars, Salma Hayek and Penelope Cruz. Because of the high talent associated with this hour-in-half production, I asked my dad if he was interested in watching it, fully alerting him as to the powerful charisma that the two actors naturally exuberate. He said, yes, and I then put it on for him right before I left the house for basketball.

When I got home a few hours later, Bandidas was sitting on my chair at home, and posted onto it, was a short bullet review of the film that my dad had watched while I was away. Here is what he wrote:

Bandidas:

Buddy movie with no chemistry.

Comedy with forced acting and no laughs.

The Star- A horse

Best Supporting Role: 2 pushup bras.

Dagger through the heart award goes to the nude scene: A male actors behind.

“I dare you to watch it!”

And you know what, I most likely will. If I can sit through films like Boat Trip and Talledega Nights, I can sit through Bandidas, even if the highlight is only the horse.

Now Playing Backdraft by Hans Zimmer

Emotional Saturday Divide

2007-01-06T18:34:00.000-08:00

It is odd to have ‘a day off.’ Almost everyday of the week, I am committed to either work or school. It has been only for the past few months that I have had Saturday’s completely free, which more or less, has left me rather quizzical as to what to do with this time.

Half of the time, my thoughts lean towards being alone and catching up on all of things that I am unable to do the rest of the week. The other half, I spend wanting to be in the company of others. Oddly, it is during the ‘alone’ and the productive time, that I begin to feel, how shall I say, rather lonely.

I know that I can attribute this feeling of alienation to the fact that I am nearly never alone, at all, the rest of the week. From the early morning to the late at night, I am usually surrounded by my fellow homo-sapiens. So like Cameron Diaz in the recent the Holiday, it only seems natural that my emotional state takes a deep plunge when I finally manage to get away from it all, on these jolly, holly Saturdays.

Still it would be nice to be able to be alone, and to be able to cherish those moments of quiet, where I am unneeded to perform, without the worry of needing to be with others, when every other moment is usually occupied with my fellow man.

McCourt Tells it Again

2007-01-05T18:48:00.000-08:00

I cannot remember what drove me to read Angela’s Ashes when I did, but once I finished with it, I had an immense liking for the author. I loved the ‘innocence’ that seemed flow in the telling of the tale, and the ‘innocence’ in the way it was written. That Frank McCourt, I thought, now he seems like a nice fellow.

A couple of years later, he continued wrote Tis, a follow-up to his previous memoir, that wasn’t received all that well, but I enjoyed it a lot anyway. The innocence was still there in the book, but I think because the critics had lavished so much upon him for Angela’s Ashes (including the Pulitzer), that a new book, no matter how well written, was going to be doomed to a lesser reception than his previous juggernaut. Tis, ’there would be no movie from this title.

Now along came his latest memoir, Teacher Man, which I had wanted to read for year, but struggled with, because I tried to stay away from reading altogether. Finally last month, I was able to pick it up and to read about his thirty year story in the New York school system, as you guessed from the title, as a teacher, and again I am very impressed.

McCourt candidly talks about his highs and lows in the teaching profession, and admits to all of the crazy and sometimes, insurmountable issues that arise in the classroom that he has trouble dealing with. It could be anywhere from an unruly pupil, to a uncouthly principal. But whatever it is, McCourt is able to make things easy for the reader, and easy for the students in his classroom, who endlessly seem like they want to take advantage of him.

Although he may not have been the best teacher to ever have entered New York, a notion that he will admit openly, he is perhaps one of the smartest teachers to have ever written about his profession, perhaps more successfully, than any other teacher man out there, making his efforts as a teacher, a very good one.

Recognization at the Bay

2007-01-01T21:51:00.000-08:00

Has it already been a month since my last posting? Wow!

It is the new year and I am a day back from a brief Las Vegas adventure. There are many people out there , who like to criticize the lack of talented movies that I embark on. However, it was yesterday morning at the Manderlay Bay casino that my investment into those unwise and unpopular films came to fruitation.

It is because only a week ago, I had rented the latest American Pie movie (the Naked Mile) through Netflix, so I could catch up on the iconic Stifler family. I enjoyed a bunch of moments from it, because it manged to maintain the juvenile behavior that made the others so darn popular.
So as I am walking through the casino at 2:30 in the morning, I look over at the blackjack table, and I spot none other than one of the stars of The Naked Mile- The lead dwarf. I was with my friend V when I spotted him, and he had no idea who he was, but I went up to him, and I told him that I had just seen him in his film, and he seemed quite pleased that I had recognized him, because I just don't think there are many out there at present to have seen his straight to DVD film.

I still do not know what his name is, and it fails to list him in the credits at IMDB, which is odd because he had a significant part in the film. Nevertheless it was exciting for me, and one of the highlights of my trip to Vegas.

Although my guy does not receive a lot of credit recognition, you can view him on the bottom of this poster wearing the football uniform.

Now Playing 1492: Conquest of Paradise by Vangelis

Coached by the Best

2006-12-02T15:28:00.001-08:00

One of the perks of working a in Union Square is that I get to meet some celebrities. Some of these celebrities are in the store for business, but the majority of them are there for shopping.

On Monday, I was on a lunch break and I passed the San Antonio Spurs basketball team boarding their bus for their game that night vs. Golden State. Although I could have jumped in line with all of the other autograph seekers, I decided against it, and I just played the part of voyeur.

Fate had me in mind the next day though, because a bunch of the players came into the store to read and to do some shopping. I was able to speak to Bruce Bowen for a minute, and to ask him about the debacle behind this years olympic basketball assembly. A couple of hours later I met coach Greg Poppavich. I don't know what had come over me, but I asked him how I could play better defense when a guard may be quicker than me. He then told me "to move my feet." But then he started to display the foot motions and movements to me in the middle of aisle, coaching me in effect. That was too cool. And now, I can say that this is true, that I, too, have been coached by an NBA world champion.

The Days are Long and Too Short

2006-11-26T22:39:00.000-08:00

Many of these days are long, but definitely not long enough. I went to work, and afterwards, I had a dinner with my dad nearly an hour after I returned, and then I was off for basketball. I still need to do some hebrew homework that I have put off for a week, but I'm not going to do it because it is already 10:30pm, and I need to get up really early tomorrow. I need more time. More time. There is just too much to do everyday, and I want to do most of it. (I could probably bear life without the constant early shift. I need to do them now, but they are very wearing.)

Now Playing the Alamo by Carter Burwell ****/*****

Reading the 'Pistol'

2006-11-25T18:12:00.000-08:00

I am very proud of myself. I finished the book, Pistol: The Life of Peter Maravich today. I started it about three weeks ago, but it is the first book that I have finished in about six months. It is amazing that I read most of it in 15 minute breaks here and there. A little on the BART, a little at Quiznos, a little more at Starbucks, and then it was done.

The book itself was good. Pete's father was the main thrust behind his life of basketball and fame, and it was quite interesting to read about the various directions that basketball took them both. Who knew that Dr. James Dobson (Focus on the Family) was playing basketball with Pete the very moment that Pete collapsed to hs death?

I think that to celebrate my finishing of this bio,' I will write to the publisher to give them my review of their early copy. I'm sure that they will appreciate it in the fullest.

Now Playing the Queen by Alexander Desplat

Unfriendly Fire

2006-11-20T22:21:00.000-08:00

Finally a little inspiration.

This friend I have says he really wants to hang out tonight. I told him that I got off of work at 5:30pm, so I could meet him at 6pm. He says he can't meet me that ealry because he has to prepare for his classes (teacher) the next day, "how about 9pm?" I say alright, but because it is kind of late, he should call me as soon as possible since I have to wake up very early.

His first call was around 9:30pm. I missed it because I was upstairs and I already assumed he wouldn't be calling. I called him back at 10pm and he was in the car with a friend, on their way back from the Serramonte shopping mall. He didn't tell me but the friend did, that they had been shopping for the past several hours, going back and forth to different camera shops.

Now, I am really getting upset, but I am trying to hold my anger back on the phone.

I ask his friend what they are doing tomorrow, and she tells me that they are leaving for their trip tomorrow to Yosemite. This was another curveball because my friend(?) had told me that they were not going to leave until Wednesday, leaving me with the opinion that I was going to see him for basketball that night. To make it worse, this trip to Yosemite was something that he proposed I go, until a month ago or so, when he failed to bring it up at all.

I'm so sick of this garbage

Now Playing- nothing

Transferring Sweet & Untimely Music

2006-11-12T20:50:00.000-08:00

Ever since I bought this new iPod I have been obsessive in the downloading of all of my albums on to it. The problem is that I have way too much music to download very quickly, and I spend way too much time everyday downloading this music to the iTunes and then to the iPod. There are so many other things that I need to be doing while I am home, but I have been to distracted by the iPod to do them. Even now as I write this, I am trying to hold back the urge to pick out a CD and to transfer those sweet melodies over to that harmonic machine.

Now Playing Gladiator by Hans Zimmer & Lisa Gerrard ****/*****
(I just put this on the iPod an hour ago.)

Spiderman Resumes His Demons

2006-11-11T22:09:00.000-08:00

I didn't even like the first film that much, but it seems like they are going to capture my heart again. The new trailer for Spiderman 3 was released this week and it looks amazing. The trailer seems to indicate that it will follow the lead of the second film by continuing to develop Peter Parker's inner turmoil, an issue that I feel closely connected to. The score in the trailer was also incredibly dark, emphasizing the darkness with a lot of chorus and a lot of hard pauses in the action. Spiderman 3 officially is now my first confirmed appointment for May. I cannot wait to watch Peter battle his inner demons again.

Now Playing Anna and the King by George Fenton ****/*****

The Problem is Defense

2006-11-08T21:20:00.000-08:00

I need to update this more often. Things have been generally pretty good as of late, and I would like to have some sort of record that these nice things are happening. However, I have been getting home later than usual which has directly contributed to my posting absence.

Tomorrow night I have a basketball game with my team named the Rounders. We are 1-2 at this point of the season. One of our problems is defense. I am going to ask our guys tomorrow night to full court press the other team. I have been reading a Pete Maravich bio' recently and it says that Pete's father, Press, would direct his team to apply full court pressure onto a team when they were out-sized and it seemed to work with the right ambition. We'll see what happens tomorrow night.

Now Playing King Kong by James Newton Howard ****/*****

Evaluating It's My Party

2006-10-28T17:42:00.000-07:00

Recently I have been listening a lot to the Lesley Gore hit, It's My Party. I have heard it a hundred times before but I never really paid any attention to the lyrics, except the main chorus, of course.

Well, since I have begun to 'listen' to the actual lyrics, I have become somewhat perplexed and intrigued into the emotional state of this poor girl. On one side, she demonstrates an extraordinary amount of emotional strength when she decides to carry on with her own party, on the other, she displays a tremendous amount of instabilty as she becomes more absorbed with sadness over the loss of 'her man' Johnny to Judy.

"Its my party and I'll cry if want to, cry if I want to, cry if I want to. You would cry to if it happened to you."

But on the other side of things her mind is not of the right state of mind. She seems to believe that she was meant to be Johnny's boyfriend or that she is Johnny's boyfriend. It is not quite clear as to what their actual relationship is in the song, but it is clear that she becomes devastated and a bit delusional throughout the progression of her party.

"Nobody knows where my Johnny has gone, but Judy left the same time. Why was he holding her hand, when he's supposed to mine."

Play all my records, keep dancing all night, but leave me alone for awhile. 'Till Johnny's dancing with me, I've got no reason to smile."

Judy and Johnny just walked through the door, like a queen with her king. Oh, what a birthday surprise, Judy's wearing his ring."

There is an enormous sadness to this song, and it seems to be about a girl who celebrated a birthday in order to catch herself a particular man. I give her a lot of credit for carrying on with the show during turbulent times, but it doesn't seem like all of that crying in fron of the other guests will attract Johnny or anyone else for that matter.

Now Playing Open Range by Michael Kamen

Bay of Pigs

2006-10-07T22:46:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I was driving down Noriega street on my way to class. Just as I passed Safeway on my right, I noticed that the center of the street was blocked by a large delivery truck that was sitting unattended, and with its cargo bay sitting wide open. As I drove nearer, the cargo became alarmingly identifiable- it was a truck full of dead pigs, ick.

I circled the block just to confim that the cargo is what it appeared to be....and it was. it was rather gross because it didn't appear that the truck had any sort of refrigeration system, and I knew by the two men who were approaching the truck, that those pigs were headed for one of the ***** restaurants.

Now Playing Battlestar Galactica Miniseries by Richard Gibbs ****/*****

Late Ramblings

2006-10-03T22:37:00.000-07:00

It's been a long day and I am exhausted. And even though I have done a lot, (the work shift, a basketball session) somehow I don't feel like I have accomplished anything. Maybe that's because my dirty laundery is overflowing?

Now Playing An American Tail: Fievel Goes West by James Horner

Mixing Religion with Drinks

2006-10-02T23:33:00.000-07:00

I was reading the recent New Yorker tonight (partly because I forgot the Juggler, and partly because I am trying to get into the habit of reading again) and I came across this very humorous story about a Pastor by the name of Jay Bakker, who was performing his first New York sermon in a popular Williamsburg bar named Pete's Candy Store.

All in all, the twelve people who attended Bakker's NY introduction seemed rather receptive to his service, but it was the commentary by two of the women attendees that seemed to put the mix of bar and religion into perspective. "What really sucks about church is that it's so early on Sunday morning, so I like that this is four in the afternoon, "one woman said. "Neither of us is drinking," her companion noted," but it's nice to have that option."

Now Playing Field of Dreams by James Horner

Utilizing Its Enviroment

2006-10-01T21:20:00.000-07:00

Take that yee sensitive citizens of the West. Finally a piece of advertising that fully utilizes its surrounding environment.
This picture was taken just outside at Post & Powell, just to the left of Saks 5th Avenue. I have no clue as to whether this ad was intentionally placed to exhibit this image, but this is quite the oddity, especially in the middle of a busy shopping district.

Now Playing The Cell by Howard Shore

Juggling Faith

2006-09-24T20:44:00.000-07:00

I have been struggling lately to read anything that has any significant weight to it, like books for an example. Newspaper and magazine articles have pretty much been the end-all. I am trying to get back into the swing of things, but it is a struggle. After nearly a month, I have almost finished The Juggler and the King, a book that challenges the jewish reader to accept and to devote himself entirely to god. Due to recent events in my corner of the jewish community, I am deeply struggling to accept the wisdom of this book. The Juggler would explain that my personal problems within the jewish community are not meant to define my faith, but it is only meant to test it further. It is meant to see if I will stay true to my faith despite the obsacles that god lays forth to me. Well, I just do not understand why I would have to get kicked in the ass, tested, by the very people who are supposed to be watching out for me. I will finish the Juggler because it was recommended to me from a person that I respect, but it is no way encouraging me to break out of my reading rut.

Now Playing the Chronicles of Narnia by Harry Gregson-Williams

A Puzzling Day at the De Young

2006-09-23T21:48:00.000-07:00

I spent some of the day with a puzzling fellow named 'J.' A week ago, we had arranged to play some racquet ball today at Golden Gate Park in the 'hand ball only' courts. (Don't worry, except for the one homeless guy who seemed upset, I don't think anyone legitimate had any objections as to our particular use of the court.) We played for about an hour and then 'J' insisted that we walk over to the new de Young museum so that he could illuminate me with a brief tour. While there is hardly any doubt that the racquet ball game played more to my strengths, 'J' was obviously in his element went we got to the museum. From the start, he was providing me with a great number of intricate details about the design and the art of the museum. I was very impressed, and I know that if he wasn't a lawyer that he could surely work there. But what surprised me more than the tour itself was that 'J' was actually "taking" the time by choice to explain and to show me a number of things at the museum. it seemed that he was genuinely interested in teaching me about something that I didn't know anything about. And this is why I am a bit puzzled by his character. Is he just showing a generosity and pleasantry that I am not accustomed to seeing in a stranger, or is there something deceptive in the air?

Now Playing the Matrix Reloaded by Don Davis

Positively Social

2006-09-22T21:46:00.000-07:00

I was very hopeful that the day was going to be positively social. I was asked on Wendesday if I had wanted to go "to the sea," and I was very excited by the possibility of this day companion. I will not go as far to say that a tragedy has occured since my 'sea' companion had failed to materialize, but I am very disappointed for its non-occurence.

My nighttime plans were very edgy from the start, but there was some potential that I would be intertwined that night within some agreeable party. Well, strike two. It seems that the Rosh Hashanah holiday had created a temporary flux in tonights nighttime scheduling, and it is unfortunate that it was not able to sort itself out for the remainder of the night.

So what did my day events consist of you ask? Well, it was very productive.... Sherrybaby **, Casper ***, Stay Alive *1/2, and Stick It **.

Now Playing Battlestar Galactica Miniseries by Richard Gibbs

No Hard Hat, No Way

2006-09-19T22:51:00.000-07:00

It was a busy day. There was several shifts of work that I had to attend to. One of them was slightly controversial because I did not have my own hard hat to enter the premises (a mall under construction), and the security staff was not backing down on this one. Finally, in order to get in I had to call for the previous days security staff in order to vouch for my good name (and reputation). After my work shifts I did some shoe shopping with two of the new Israeli's that I am befriending. And then finally my day ended with 2.5 hours of basketball followed by a dinner at In n' Out. Now for my 4.5 hours of sleep.

Now Playing the Jackie Brown soundtrack

Sneak Preview of the Mall

2006-09-18T21:58:00.000-07:00

I was able to go into the new Bloomingdale's Mall today while it was still under construction.It is not slated to be open for another 11 days.
This mall is going to do some tremendous business. They have gloriously used the old Emporium sky dome as the centerpiece of the entire building, and it does look terrific. To my own benefit, a new Century movie theater is slated to open on the 5th floor of this place, right above a new Borders store. I definitely think that the future opening of this new mall-palace may finally put down that ill-conceived wreck we call the Metreon.

Now Playing the Adventures of Priscilla: Queen of the Desert

Damn Cowardice

2006-09-17T20:54:00.000-07:00

I knew then that it would haunt me for the rest of the day. I was at lunch earlier with M, and this beautiful girl asked the two of us if we knew in what country they speak Aramaic (Of course, I forgot that it was a dead language, but that didn't matter. I do credit Comme for the help in that). After a minute of guessing and calling a friend, we answered her question and we continued our meals. When it as time to go, I said a couple of inquisitive things to the girl (who was alone and reading a bible) and then I left with M, because it seemed to awkward to stay behind and chat up a stranger. Also, I didn't stay behind because I am a enormous coward in these matters, and to everyone here, I already know that know this. Be gentle you heavenly bodies!

Now Playing Enemy at the Gates by James Horner

Updating the Past

2006-09-13T21:45:00.000-07:00

I have been even slower than normal to update my blog. This isn't intentional. There are many things that I wish to address from the past three weeks of my life, but it has been difficult because of my schedule. But I promise that I will begin to catch up on my past while I maintain the present. I expect to divulge on my trip to Cancun as well as add some stories on jewish woes. Thank you for continuing to check up on me!

Now Playing the Top Gun soundtrack

United 93

2006-09-11T23:17:00.000-07:00

Positively, United 93 is one of the most emotional films of the year. I was glued to my seat, full of tension and terror for nearly the entire film. It didn't matter that I was already familiar with the tragic saga of this SFO bound flight, because I could hardly even conceive of the situation before. My immersion into this film was so unique that I must commend director and writer Paul Greengrass with my highest regards for his magnificent labor. His film is a marvel that distances itself from the syrup of World Trade Center, and to its credit, never strays from the larger picture. United 93 is a true dedication to the events of September 11, and is a powerful addition to modern cinema.

Now Playing the Fellowship of the Ring by Howard Shore

Basketball Then Cancun

2006-08-16T20:06:00.000-07:00

After I play in my basketball game tomorrow night, I will be heading to the airport for Cancun, Mexico. It will be my furthest descent south that I have ever been. I acknowledge that Cancun, in reputation, doesn't represent a serious departure from the territories that I'm used to. It is supposed to be rather safe for tourists and the most commercialized destination in Mexico. I'll have to judge later how this new territory differs for me from my travels within the States. I doubt that my inability to speak with a spanish tongue will matter mucho.

Now Playing the Seattle Mariners vs Oakland A's (0-3 in the 4th, Ichiro just struck out with the bases loaded) on 1550am.

It's Fantastic

2006-08-14T22:40:00.000-07:00

There isn't enough said in my small circle concerning the quality of film scores. Many I know disregard this music because it lacks lyrics and because it is to 'simple.' Well I say bah humbug to that. Since a musicians education has eluded me for all of these years, I am unequipped to argue the technical merits of a film score in comparison to any other type of music. All I can say is that film music has and maintains the ability to draw out all kinds of emotion as successfully as any other type of music and that is a shame to dismiss that kind of power as being simply to simple due to the material's source.

Movie music- it's fantastic!

Now Playing the Four Feathers by James Horner
-A Coward No Longer is an amazing track

Comparative Acting Skills

2006-08-09T22:25:00.000-07:00

World Trade Center opened today. There was a review in the Guardian which was really funny in its trashing of the acting. Making a comparison, the author recalled an urban legend about the actress, Pia Zadora, "who is so awful in a theatrical production of The Diary of Ann Frank that during the second act, as the Nazis are searching the house, somebody in the audience calls out, 'They're in the attic!'" I'm not sure how bad it really is, but the Guardian author says that Nicolas Cage approaches that type of performance in WTC. I'll see for myself and will refrain from any WTC jokes at this time.

Now Playing Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Once More With Feeling by Christophe Beck

Everything in Moderation

2006-08-08T22:25:00.000-07:00

We had another nice night of basketball at the Hebrew school. 16 or 17 people showed up to shoot the sh..I mean to shoot the ball. It's too bad that we can't arrange this more frequently, but what's the saying, everything in moderation? Nah, when it's good I think we should run with it.

Now Playing the Oakland A's broadcast on 1550am.

I've Got It

2006-08-07T22:08:00.000-07:00

It has been sometime since I last wrote because of my darn computer contracting some sort of unknown illness that it may not recover from. It is a bummer, but that's life, right?

I was listening to Vince Scully announce the Dodgers game tonight. After a foul ball was caught by the Dodger catcher who was screaming, "I got it, I got it," Scully relayed a personal baseball incident from his college days.

"After the coach heard one our players shout out, 'I got it,' while the player was trying to catch a ball, he said to the team afterwards, 'Listen, it's not I've got it, it's I have it. Let's not forget that we represent higher education.' "

Scully, always a treat.

Now Playing the Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift by Brian Tyler.

Birthday in the 'Water' Park

2006-07-22T22:30:00.000-07:00

My Saturday was spent at Samuel P. Taylor State Park which is about 15 miles west of San Rafael. The place was full of redwoods and a small creek that many families were swimming in. I was there because my friend asked me to go with her to a birthday celebration that was being held there today. Normally I do not take part in a party full of strangers but I made an exception, and I'm glad I did. I had a lot of fun. I met a lot of new 'comrades' there who were inquisitive about my college career (they spotted the CAL logo on my shorts). I hiked a bit and had some hot dogs. But one of the best events was the water fight that I had with a 7 year old boy and a 9 year old girl. These two kids were quite stubborn and vicious. In their darkest of the battle, they loaded their buckets full of mud and rocks to throw at me. Lucky for them I am more mature than that....................I only threw the rocks(j/k)

Now Playing Star Trek III: The Search for Spock by James Horner

Sparing the Fares

2006-07-17T21:19:00.000-07:00

The BART was completely free today so I was able to save $11.80 on my travels. The freebie came as a courtesy through the Spare the Air program that pays for the Bay Area to ride for free on the public transportation system.

It is sort of outrageous that these free days are so seldom. The idea is reduce the amount of pollutants in the air by reducing the drivers on the road, but when someone like me has to pay $11.80 a day to commute ala BART, why not just do the driving and save some time. There are days and obstacles that do not allow me to drive everywhere, but if these programs are a bit serious about their pollution concern, them maybe they should organize a Spare the High Fare program that may encourage more people to ride the rails.

Now Playing Sinbad: Legend of the High Seas by Harry Gregson-Williams
*Excellent score. Epic.

The Small Things

2006-07-16T20:53:00.000-07:00

I am feeling very serene today. I think its because this weekend was very good to me, even if nothing too extraordinary had happened.

There was my 'casual' friend who I met on Friday for some drinks at a bar and a movie afterwards (A Scanner Darkly). Saturday there was basketball, a birthday party, a poker game, and a potential plan for a vacation. Today, I had my weekly lunch with a friend at Quiznos. Played witness not to one, but two arrests. Practiced some archery in GGP with the CB's, and then ditched them afterwards to enjoy a steak dinner with D. Also, and very notably, I received a charming reply from 'Jail' containing several xoxo's:)

.....Silly boy, I am.

Now Playing X-Men: The Last Stand by John Powell

The Late Shift

2006-07-12T22:39:00.000-07:00

It was the first late shift I've had at work in awhile. I liked it a lot. The pace was calmer and the people were friendlier. Maybe I am a night person after all. We'll see.

Now Playing the Charlie's Angels Soundtrack

Tuesday Night Basketball

2006-07-11T22:46:00.000-07:00

We had sixteen people show up tonight for pick-up basketball at the HA. The games were played really well. There was no arguing, no fighting, and no disrespect. Everyone came just to play the game.
This Tuesday night basketball tradition has been going strong for almost two years now. The year prior to that we had to beg people to show. Most of the time it was just V and I playing one on one. It is so nice now, and even a bit honoring that we consistently have at least fifteen people who want to play in a game that I organize every Tuesday night. I hope we can keep it up.

Now Playing The Greatest Game Ever Played by Brian Tyler

Deadwood Hopes

2006-07-10T22:41:00.000-07:00

Deadwood is beyond magnificent. I have just finished watching episode 5 from the 3rd season and my blood is pumping. Bullock and Swearengen- my heroes! How dare HBO send such characters off into the sunset! Rarely do we see anything on screen with so much distinctiveness and originality. If only they would consider letting this show air as long as The Simpsons, then at least I could be partially satisfied.

Now Playing Ocean's 11 by David Holmes

Victims of Life

2006-07-09T20:27:00.000-07:00

On the entertainment page tonight:

I am almost done watching Hollow Man 2 starring Christian Slater. It is a straight to DVD sequel which surprisingly has some pretty good production values. The movie is never quite boring but unfortunately it is never quite captivating either. It just is......1.5 hours of my life.

In the city section earlier in the day:

A customer who shops regularly at my store ("most likely") stole a wallet from one of the tourists. Surprisingly, when I told the victim that this incident will most likely leave him with a bad impression of our city (SF), he replied, "I live in Holland. It's much worse over there."

Now Playing Lost by Michael Giacchino

'Paying' for Free Shipping

2006-07-08T21:43:00.000-07:00

Amazon.com offers free shipping if you purchase more than $30.00 worth of product, however this is just a gimmick because they completely resent the consumer who chooses the free shipping option. I ordered three cd's from them nearly a week ago and they are still 'preparing' them to be shipped. In total, they estimate that they will arrive about 2.5 weeks after I ordered them (I am being throttled!). This service policy is so ridiculous because it is so obvious that they are trying to deter the customer from choosing it for a second time. I know that if I had paid for the shipping Amazon would have been on the ball and very timely, but because I didn't, it doesn't mean that they should send my package by boat, does it?

Now Playing 25th Hour by Terrance Blanchard

My Belt in Two Pieces

2006-07-07T23:00:00.001-07:00

It makes very little sense that I will spend an endless amount of time and money on movies, yet I will spend very little of either on my own fashion. I am not particularly proud of the way I dress, I am not that ashamed of it either for that matter, but I know that it can be better. Today I went to Macy's with K, S, and W to pick up a few items of clothing. They chose the items and I tried them on and I eventually bought them. I am happy with my purchases and I hope that this starts a trend of buying clothing on a more regular basis. The only regret I have is that I didn't throw K to the floor after he snapped my old belt into two as I was paying for the new ensemble.

Now Playing Lost by Michael Giacchino
-One of the best scores of 2006

On Ned's Terms

2006-07-06T22:33:00.000-07:00

I took about 25 of my collegiate books to Ned's today to take advantage of their 'buyback' program. The deal of course is at my disadvantage. Most of the books went for a couple of dollars, and only two out of the twenty sold carried any significant 'Ned' value. I estimate that I paid around $400 for the titles that I sold today. I received $66. Four books were rejected because they were old editions.

Now Playing Star Trek: Voyager by Jerry Goldsmith.
( In Oak, I used to watch this show at 10pm during the week. I miss those nights.

Fireworks From My Window

2006-07-04T21:51:00.000-07:00

The day has been moving in slow motion and it seems that the holiday has brought a sort of calm to the area. The normally busy streets of San Francisco were rather empty. People were a little less loud. The best team in baseball timely toned down their offense against the defensive minded Atheltics, and my basketball night at the school was disappointingly slow. I think I will finish up the day by watching the fireworks from my window and then going to sleep. After all, I do have school tomorrow.

Now Playing An American Tail: Fievel Goes West by James Horner

Stay Where You Are

2006-07-03T21:22:00.000-07:00

I don't often get to acknowledge the people who are there to help me, but Sunday someone was there to push me over a hump and to boost my morale and I wish to acknowledge it. I wasn't in any particular crisis that day, but a situation arose where this person knew she could be doing good simply by telling me to "stay where you are." Most of the time someone would complain about being in that spot that I was in (deep in human traffic), but I thought that this particular gesture was fantastic. Thank you, MAS.

Now Playing the Legend of Zorro by James Horner

Overwhelming

2006-07-02T22:27:00.000-07:00

"She'll only break your heart, it's a fact. And even though I warn you, even though I guarantee you that the girl will only hurt you terribly, you'll still pursue her. Ain't love grand?"
-Great Expectations (1998)

I saw her again today. Our rendevous lasted for almost two hours and it was fantastic, though I wish that the time wouldn't have flown by so quickly- so very quickly. I sat just opposite of her at the green coffee shop in the Richmond District and it was wonderful. She was really there, gazing brightly, smiling beautifully, speaking warmly, listenening attentively, and looking absolutely stunning. I know I spoke to her - and that I listened as well, but it is always very hard for me to focus while I'm in her company. She always overwhelms me. Damn.

Now Playing Good Will Hunting by Danny Elfman

Life in Mono

2006-07-01T20:01:00.000-07:00

In 1998, I became hooked on a song I that I had heard at the conclusion of the Great Expectations trailer. I didn't know what the song was called and unfortunately the soundtrack wasn't due for a release for many months ahead so I wasn't able to check the album. All I knew was that the melody was repeating teasingly in my head and it seemed that their was very little that I could do. One solution thait came to me was that I should call Atlantic Records who was producing the album and ask them. Well they wouldn't tell me anything about it either leaving me to stew anxiously until its January release.

The song itself was really catchy. It had this bell-sounding thematic beat mixed behind a female voice singing dhu... dhu, dhu, dhu....dhu, dhu in a repeating pattern. I was hooked immediately and I wanted more. This small longing I had for the song is very much like the story of Great Expectations itself, in which a boy falls for a girl who will only tease him and make him miserable. I was lucky with my song because the studio finally released this melody after several months, however in the story of Great Expectations the anxious waiting never ceased, the girl just teases the boy for years leaving both of them rather unhappy.

Now Playing Life in Mono by Mono on the Great Expectations album.

At Cross Roads

2006-06-27T09:34:00.000-07:00

My road trips revolve around the movies. They have for several years. Last year I was in Savannah at the spot of the bench in Forrest Gump. This year I maintained the Tom Hanks theme by searching for the location in the final scene of Cast Away, this is in Texas. In this scene, Hanks gets out of the car at a crossroad because he is not sure where he is or where he is going- in life. The scene and the movie ends here with Hanks standing alone on the road and looking into the camera as the movie fades to black.

I am a big fan of Cast Away because of the enormous development that Hanks' character had to go through in the film. Hanks was nominated for best actor for this role but he lost unjustly to Russell Crowe for....Gladiator.

Now Playing The Da Vinci Code by Hans Zimmer

A Sunday Chasing Sports

2006-06-19T10:53:00.000-07:00

My Sunday in D.C was a good one. I was able to sit 12 rows behind the dugout at RKF Stadium for the Yankees-Nationals game. The stadium wasn't very impressive. It had no real distictive features and a hasty smell, but the game was very good. The Nationals won in the bottom of the 9th by a score of 3-2.

After the game I headed to an outdoor basketball court in Arlington for a couple of hours. I didn't get to enjoy this as much as I wanted to because it was so hot and I didn't have anything to drink. After two hours I had to leave because my tongue was becoming sticky, which was a bit disturbing.

The night ended with dinner at the Cheesecake factory (bad service) and by watching the Heat win game 5 in the NBA finals. The only thing I missed on my schedule today was the new episode of Deadwood which I missed while we were out at dinner.

Now Playing Hoosiers by Jerry Goldsmith

We Almost Did It

2006-06-14T23:10:00.000-07:00

Our losing season is over, but we didn't go out with a whimper. This was our last game of the season, and we were placed against the only team to be undefeated. It was a playoff game and since we were seeded last, we had to play the best team first. The heartbreak of it all was that we lost by one point after being ahead by four points with only forty seconds to go. It was a difficult loss to deal with because we were so close to a win, but it was one of our best games as well because we really came together as a team towards the end, if that makes any sense. Our final game stats for our team the Rounders vs. Dirty Old Men.

Number -Player -Shot attempts -3 point attempts -Free Throws -Total Points
7 DJ --8/12 -- 2/5 --3/5 --25

1 T -- 3/4 --2/4 --1/3 -- 13

3 DG --4/6 --0/3 --n/a -- 8

17 V --2/8 --1/3 -- n/a --7

8 B --3/6 --n/a --2/8 --8

Now Playing Lost by Michael Giacchino

Signs, Stairways, and Omens

2006-06-13T17:18:00.000-07:00

I saw The Omen remake last night with S. It was awful, dreadful, and dull. Only two things I found to be redeeming about the film, and trust me this is a stretch. One is that they filmed some of it in Israel. It is a place that I have never been to, and yet I can feel the place calling to me to go. Now, more than ever, do I wish to go there to visit.

The other 'nice' element in it was my recognition of a particular stairwell. I wasn't exactly sure, because the movie is supposed to be set primarily in London, but I did lean over to tell S that I thought that I had seen it in the first Mission: Impossible, which I believed was filmed in Prague. Well, we sat in our seats for the end credits and as they were ending, the evidence I sought about that stairway popped up on the screen in these words: The filmmakers wish to thank the city of Prague.

Now Playing the Seven Soundtrack. Only one track by Howard Shore on the album.

The Half Dome Dilemma

2006-06-07T16:51:00.000-07:00

Last Monday I did the unthinkable. After three aborted attempts, I finally climbed up the cables to reach the summit of Half Dome in Yosemite National Park. I know, to many people this feat is not a very big deal. Some of my friends will actually travel thousands of miles in order to climb something like Mt. Kilimanjaro with one hand tied behind their backs. But for this little crawler to reach the summit of Half Dome via the cables was a monumental feat. This conquest is perhaps one of my greatest psychological triumphs over myself. I have many, many fears, but I am hardly ever able to test myself against these fears as directly as I was able to on this day. I didn't necessarily conquer my fear of heights per say, but I did manage to alleviate those fears long enough to accomplish something that had been bothering me for a very long time. This triumph was unequivocal.

Now Playing the High Fidelity soundtrack

Honoring the Teachers

2006-05-24T19:06:00.000-07:00

It was teacher appreciation day at my Hebrew school today. It may seem odd to some of you, even to me, but even I was chosen by the students as one of the appreciated, in a ceremony that was both humbling and very embarrassing for me. Despite my neurotic fears, the students were extremely gracious. They gave some lovely speeches about us, and provided us with some nice gifts. I received one of the new 'neverflat' basketballs that are supposed to last an entire year without the need for inflation (we'll see about that).

My favorite moment of the event, 'oddly' had nothing to do with me, but it was when a female math student was concluding her speech for her male math teacher. With sincerity and a total obliviousness to the connotation of her words, she says into the microphone, "thank you Mr ____, for doing all those things to us." I think the Rabbis loved this speech even more than I did.

Now Playing The Man Without a Face by James Horner

The Vanishing Act

2006-05-20T20:28:00.000-07:00

My behavior was quite bad last night. I was invited to a house on Noriega Street to have dinner with a few teachers and a few students. However, there were many more than just a few people, the house was stuffed with teachers and students as a muni is stuffed with workers at rush hour. So what did I do, you ask? If you know me, you may already know the answer to this. At the twenty minute mark, the crowded room got up to the ritual hand-washing, and as they did so, I coincidentally got up and walked discreetly towards the stairs and right out the front door.

I may hear a little about this later.

Now Playing Mona Lisa Smile Soundtrack

The Da Vinci Code: Finding Character

2006-05-19T19:10:00.000-07:00

The Da Vinci Code was packed this morning. That was a little surprising since it was only 10:30, but I suppose should have expected it since Hans Zimmer provided the score for the movie.

Unfortunately, the film itself is rather dull. Most of the scenes are just exposition. Since there is so much legend and rumor and theories to explain in the script, the filmmakers sacrifice the history and the workings of their major characters in order to maintain an efficient pace for the movie's main puzzle. Tom Hanks has very little to do even though he is in nearly every frame. Audrey Tattou is completely miscast in her role. There is a scene towards the end where her character has a revelation. Without any spoilers, I will just say this; I could accept almost every twist of the film, but hers. I just didn't want it to be so.

There were a couple of positive scenes in the film, both near the end. My favorite was the final four minutes of the film. The idea was exciting and the music and the camera work will leave the audience on a high note when Ron Howards name finally pops up on screen. It is just to bad that I had to wait until the very end for something to cheer about, a few moments to pump up my adrenaline in the first couple of hours would have been nice.

Now Playing Searching for Bobby Fischer by James Horner

Graduation 2006

2006-05-18T17:50:00.000-07:00

I am a college graduate. I AM a college graduate.......college graduate.....graduating from college. It is so unreal to say or even to imagine the concept, but the ceremony took place this morning, and I was there, and I was even listed in the commencment book for the class of 2006, from one of the finest "univeristies in the East Bay."

I must declare this graduation morning of mine was fantastic. Most of my closest friends and family were there, and they reassure me that it wasn't by accident. They were all so nice and supportive: MOM, GP, VS, TS, MAS, JB, AS, RR, that I feel like I should go get another diploma, only a little bit quicker next time. There were cheers from the crowd, hundreds of pictures, phone calls, hugs, cards, even a dancing chicken complete with its own musical number.

This is the stuff that dreams are made on.

Now Playing The Da Vinci Code by Hans Zimmer

A May Week in Review

2006-05-15T19:54:00.000-07:00

I need to start writing more regularly.

There have been some interesting developments this past week, but since I do not wish to fully go into them, I will provide a quick summary instead.

*Last week my team won our first basketball game of the season. We are 1-3 now. I had 25 points, but I shot horrifically at the free throw. I mean really lousy.

*A good friend of mine 'T' will be at my graduation, with enthusiasm I might add. Also, "T" is responsible for getting me through a particular math class one brutal summer.

*A store clerk at Ritz Camera thanked me twice "for wasting his time" after I had made a return. I only made the return because he had made me suspect his authenticity as a sales clerk and as a person. My suspicions were correct.

*A friend, who I do not see so often, asked me yesterday about a particular person that I am interested in. As I began to tell him of the disheartening pursuit, he says sternly, "I don't want to hear your gossip." There is a little bit more to this story which is unimportant here, but what is important is that I will not feel free to speak openly anymore with this person because of the nature of his response. From now on, it may only be movies and basketball that are discussed, and that is quite saddening.

*Poseidon was terrible. Special effects were good and I liked one of the songs, but it was a movie without any real people, just caricatures of them.

*A friend of mine at work gave a lovely and unexpected gift at work. I am supposed to use it for clothing other than sweatshirts and jeans, "adult stuff." What's wrong with my two college sweaters that I wear only....everyday of the week.

Now Playing The Da Vinci Code by Hans Zimmer.
-Chevaliers De Sangreal is one of my favorite tracks of this year.

Scary Movie 4

2006-05-08T21:55:00.000-07:00

I saw Scary Movie 4 tonight in the theater. It was awful. Not as bad as Date Movie which I saw earlier in the year, but quite dreadful on its own merits. We are talking modern day Saturday Night Live bad. Scenes are static and forced. The jokes fail to produce a laugh nearly everytime, and the running time seems long, even though it is less than 90 minutes. Mr. Y, you were very generous with your grade.

Now Playing Lord of War by Antonio Pinto

Moving to Tiburon

2006-05-07T19:24:00.000-07:00

I was invited to attend a birthday celebration in Golden Gate Park today. It was for someone I didn't know, but I was invited anyway because I knew one of the relatives. I wanted to go, but luckily in the end I did not have to. I was so dreadfully tired from waking up at 5am to go to work, that an afternoon in the park wouldn't be as refreshing as it could be, even among some of my closest friends.

When I was told that the party was actually in Tiburon, not in Golden Gate Park as originally announced, I felt that this would be my excuse to go home and to get some sleep since Tiburon isn't very near. I do wish I wasn't so tired all the time so that I could spend more time with my friends in the parks, or up north in Tiburon, but for the time being I hope they can accept my absences as a result of sleep deprivation rather than as a result of anti-social behavior.

Now Playing Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King by Howard Shore.

Another Loss

2006-05-03T22:41:00.000-07:00

I was awful tonight. I had no confidence in my shooting ability. Our basketball team lost for the third time, and it seems that we were all out of whack. None of us seem to be playing the same positions, or with the same drive as we do on non-tournament days. We are all just free and stationary floaters, no one is in command. "The line must be drawn here." We will do better next week.

Besides the regular disappointment that comes with a loss, I managed to get into it a bit with one of the referees, and no, it wasn't over any of his calls. We were losing by 5 points with five minutes to go. My team is about to inbound the ball, but the referee suddenly holds the ball back while he begins a discussion with the table judge, while the clock is ticking. I ask him if he can stop the clock. He says, "hold on," and the clock continues to run. I say this game is important to us, and he says, "I don't care about that."

At the end of the game he actually apologized to me, a miracle in itself. Should i consider that a victory for the team since we have no other victories to cheer about yet?

I finished with 11 points. Last week I had 19 amd a much better shooting percentage.

Now Playing The Kid by Charlie Chaplin

Why a Prequel?

2006-04-21T11:45:00.000-07:00

My friend e-mailed me the news this morning that Star Trek 11 is going to be out by 2008, and it will be directed by J.J. Abrahms. Of course this news excites me because I have always been a fan of Trek, and it is fantastic that Abrahms current film, Mission: Impossible 3 is getting some rave reviews, which means this movie might get made right.

The only angle I am against is that this is going to be a prequel film that will exhibit the first meeeting between Kirk and Spock. On a whole, I just do not think that prequels work. Enterprise was a show that only a few wanted to see, and the latest bunch of anticipated Star Wars films definitely did not break the prequel curse. As much as I like Kirk and Spock, how many people actually want to see new actors portray these characters. If Shatner and Nimoy make any appearance in the film, it may relieve some of the uneasiness, but the prequel idea is still not my most favored approach. After all, what's past is prologue.

Now Playing Star Trek: Generations by Dennis McCarthy

Tardy to the Game

2006-04-20T11:44:00.000-07:00

My basketball team, Rounders, lost our first game of the season yesterday 47-41. The other team was quite good and aggressive, but I know we could have done better. Although some members of our team may blame the refs' or the small number of players that we had, I think we have only ourselves to blame for the loss, because this is a team that we could beat.

I think the biggest problem occured prior to the game when we had two players show up late, one of them after the game had begun. So instead of shooting around and discussing strategy, we were outside on the phone trying to get a hold of our 'tardies,' wondering if we would even qualify with enough players to begin the game. I think this was our biggest issue because it left us in a panic from the very beginning.

On the positive side, I had 15 points in the first game.

Now Playing Big score by Howard Shore

Tragedy on Passover

2006-04-17T19:52:00.000-07:00

I work with someone who has recommended the book, The Case Against Israel for the customers this month. I have chosen to avoid a war of words with this person, because I know it will not lead to anything positive. It will just end as it began, with two people still connected to their own point of view.

But just when I thought that his book recommendation was disturbing enough, he voices something even worse in response to the news broadcast that reported nine dead in a suicide bombing in Tel Aviv. As the journalist reported that Hamas had sanctioned the action, my co-worker says with a certain glee, "holler, yeah Hamas."

"Holler, yeah Hamas,".........nine killed and at least twenty people wounded in a crowded shopping area on the holiday of passover. There are two tragedies here.

Now Playing Maverick score by Randy Newman

A Moronic Encounter on Durant

2006-04-14T18:49:00.000-07:00

I was walking east on Durant avenue today, just passing Ned's Bookstore when some jerk intentionally throws his elbow into my arm as I was walking by him. I turned around to him and I said, "what the hell was that!" He replies with a strong, but challenging, "what! What did you say?"
He went on to try and bait me into some sort of fight, however the challenger never took a step towards me. After a few seconds, I just turned around and went back on my way to get a tapioca drink before class was to begin.
Since he wasn't physically prepared to fight me and since he was mumbling his threats, even as I walked away, it didn't seem like it was worth my time to be around an imbecile.
This encounter I had today was the first moronic challenge I've had in years, actually it is the first one I've had since my days at McAteer High School. I remember how frightened I was back then when a 'bad person' or a group of 'bad people' would try to bully me. Today was decidely different. I was not afraid of this idiot. I spoke up and then I let him mouth off in some sort of incomprehensible idiot talk. Geez, I hope I'm not maturing.

NP- The Chronicles of Narnia by Harry Gregson-Williams

Traveling is Illuminating

2006-04-06T20:28:00.000-07:00

A couple of days ago I watched Everything is Illuminated. It is a movie I sort of avoided at theaters because I thought the marketing department was trying to be to trendy. The title is not conventional (you need to think a little to get), the poster is really loud, and it stars Elijah Wood who is usually better in a supporting role. On top of all of this bias, I had a Russian friend tell me she loved because the bulk of the film takes place in the Ukraine (a fact I did not know) and that it was great to see her people on the screen. After that, although I didn't acknowledge it, I was almost 100% certain I was going to avoid it, and I successfully did until the DVD release.
Well, after finally renting the film it seems now that I have missed one of the more enjoyable and inspiring films of the year at the theater this year. The movie is not remarkable by any means, but you do get to be very personal with the main characters and the story is very intimate.
I do not want to get into any plot points or into any major story descriptions, I really hate that in many reviews because they always spoil some sort of surprise in the film. I will reveal that Elijah's character travels from America to the Ukraine, a place that he has never been before. This was one of my favorite aspects of the film because they show you the country as a tourist would view it, and it looked like so much fun to go. I was quite jealous of Frodo's adventures once again.

Now Playing-The War by Thomas Newman

Unrevealing

2006-04-02T17:55:00.000-07:00

I have realized for awhile that my inner demons are not being revealed here. I knew when I had begun this blog that it would be difficult to write about the more emotional and bothering things. I have been writing a bunch of movie reviews because they are a safe topic. No one will get very bothered if I write about my digust with the Pink Panther or the Cutting Edge. These things are largely impersonal even if you happen to live and breathe the topic (movies).
At this moment I really do not have anything to particularly confess or to moan about. Last night I attended a birthday party and I had a great time. In an hour from now, I will be back on the basketball for the first time in...three days. But really, I just wanted to note that I am aware that my inner demons have not been as revealing as I wish them to be on this blog. Truth is they may never be.

NP- Lord of War score by Antonio Pinto

The Cutting Edge Revised

2006-03-29T19:31:00.000-08:00

Yeah, I watched the Cutting Edge (2): Going for the Gold. This is an atrocious, made for ABC sequel to theatrical The Cutting Edge which was released in 1992. Basically this movie is a remake of the first one, pitting two unlikely skating partners together so that they may fight shamelessly and fall in love minutes before the movie ends. This romantic formula is very cliche, but most of the time I fall for it anyway, just not in this instance.
The moment the film lost me (and no, it wasn't at the opening credits, but it wasn't much further) takes place after the two leads go on a first date together. The girl is talking to her two friends endlessly about this fanatastic guy that she had met who is all very funny, handsome, and athletic. She is shown to be just delerious with joy. Only a few seconds go by and she sees him pull into the drive way of the hotel she is staying at. Seeing him at the hotel was sort of a suprise to her, although the real surprise was the fact that he worked at the hotel as a valet. Upon that revelation, she stares him down cold, treats him as an inferior, and she gets into a car with her friends with the intention of never seeing him again. All of a sudden, the man of her dreams becomes a some poor leper boy to her because he works part-time as a valet at the Hilton.
I suppose the frightening thing is that a scene like that in real life would just annoy the hell out of me and that wouldn't surprise most of you. But what's frightening about it is that I probably wouldn't give up on the person who was so spitefull with me, even after I've evaluated that the relationship will only be detrimental to me, short-term or long-term.

Now playing: Ghostbusters Score CD -Elmer Bernstein

Furthering the Tribute to Wicker Park

2006-03-24T18:05:00.000-08:00

One of my friends recently praised and reviewed the film Wicker Park on his blog. I was really happy to see that because it was a film that I was raving about for a while after I saw it on DVD nearly a year ago. When the movie was coming to theaters, I remember bad-mouthing it because it was rated pg-13. I wasn't upset at the rating directly, but I was upset at New Line's marketing department for advertising this as an erotic, 'Basic Instinct' type thriller when its rating indicated otherwise.
After about a year into its video release, I finally rented this film that I had so purposefully scorned in theaters (I often do this. I just saw D.E.B.S which was awful). What can I say about Wicker Park but that I absolutely adored it. It is one of my favorite films of the last five years. It took a very non-tradtional approach to romance by challenging the effect that love/romance has on the people surrounding us.
One of the only stumbling blocks to this film is that it takes a little bit of time to develop its direction. I remember recommending it to one friend who lost patience and shut it off after only half an hour. I begged him to try it again because the last hour of the film and its spectacular conclusion were well worth the struggling start.

Now Playing -The Four Feathers by James Horner

Avoid This Date

2006-02-25T17:21:00.000-08:00

I saw Date Movie on Thursday (alone;), and it is truly one of the worst films I have ever seen, worse than The Fog or even Boat Trip. This movie was bad.....bad, bad, bad! Nearly every joke was written to disgust the audience: fat jokes, body hair, and mole jokes were rampant throughout. Even the spoofs that didn't deal with body odors or weight problems were nearly absent of humor. One of the characters does the Meg Ryan orgasm scene from When Harry Met Sally, and it is just plain dull. The Ryan scene has been shown and spoofed so often that the material is just tired. Equally out of place is a King Kong spoof thrown in at the end of the film just for the sake of spoofing something recent. (Is King Kong even a date movie? Perhaps Kong is the first part of a romantic trilogy. The second part could be a remake of An Affair to Remember starring Watts and K. Kong using the same location. )
I highly recommend staying away from this movie, even you like Alyson Hannigan or are a member to Netflix. Even for 80 minutes this movie isn't worth it. Save your time and yourselves from this disgusting mess.

NP- Sin City by Robert Rodriguez, Graemme Revell, and John Debney

p.s. I had the feeling that the movie would be bad, but not really that bad. I took a chance and I lost.

All-Stars Without Heart

2006-02-21T17:54:00.000-08:00

Part of this last weekend was spent watching the NBA All-Star tournament. It was a horrendous display and a waste of time. As one broadcaster aptly phrased it, " it represents everything that is wrong with basketball today." I couldn't agree more. The All-Star game is supposed to display for the fans the best talent the NBA has to offer and to showcase them in a competitive game. However it didn't happen again this year. The game was played like a light scrimmage because the players were out there to "have fun. " As almost every player put it, they were giving the "fans what they want to see."
Which fans are they referring too? I want to know which fans asked the best basketball players to gather together for one day so they could screw around and 'have fun?' It is no wonder that these 'professonials' couldn't hack it in the last olympics. They don't even have enough passion to compete against each other. How are they supposed to compete against the world in 2008 if they are so non-chalant about competing with each other. Disgraceful.

Now Playing-Band of Brothers by Michael Kamen

Car Jacking in Serramonte

2006-02-17T15:48:00.000-08:00

My car has two doors. On the passenger side the lock will not turn to open, and the same is beginning to happen with the driver side. Soon I will be locked out. I believe that my locks aren't working because the quality of the locks were dismal to begin with. It's insulting to have this problem because door locks should not have the same maintenance issues as an engine!
This morning I took the car to the dealer (responsible for a certain z out there) to have it repaired. The inspection costs $45.00 which annoys the hell out of me, but I have limited choices at the moment. I get a call 5 hours later and I am graciously told that the problem was easy to find so they will not charge me the inspection fee. However, they say, to fix the issue it will cost $459 for parts and labor and it will probably not be ready today. Wow! These are manual locks of the most primitive kind. Perhaps I should just provide them with the title of the car in return for their maintenance work. Well I wasn't going to pay that. I declined the service and I picked up my car with the one semi-working lock. Next week, I will search a few other mechanics for a lower cost and a little bit of business decency.

NP- Quigley Down Under by Basil Poledouris

Lonely Heroes

2006-02-12T22:15:00.000-08:00

It has been nearly two months since I finished viewing the television show Angel, and yet I can't stop thinking about it. Many people I know who actually watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer almost refuse to absorb themselves into the spinoff. I however, believe that Buffy universe blooms on Angel. Although the show is set in a fantasy world, full of demons and apocalypses, it is not ridiculous, it is powerfully dramatic. The show revolves around the vampire Angel, who is cursed with a soul and forced to save people from evil. Around him to help are a cast of lonely people who fight by his side to "help the helpless."
I admire the show because the characters continue to fight against the worst of evil, without any recognition and without pause. They are the lonely heroes. Unrecognizable to the modern world, yet enormously influential by their devotion to the difficult battles that face us in life. I would love to be a part of that world, even if it means patrolling for roachy-type three-horned demons that pose a threat to the scum of Los Angeles.

Now Playing-Angel by Darling Violetta

Shifting Through The Fog

2006-02-05T20:54:00.000-08:00

I am about to watch the remake of The Fog. I know it will be terrible, but I have to watch it anyway. That's what I do. I watch as many modern films that I can get my hands on in order to maintain my 'film historian' status. However, if I am with a friend I usually try to consider their taste before I select a film to view with them. I would never suggest to a friend The Fog in any capacity. I know it will be really bad, even before I watch it. But still I must do my duty and take one for the team, one for my friends. Even if it leads to more remarks like, 'why did you waste your time with that piece of ...,' which it will, I must do it. Once you've survived the complete viewing of Boat Trip, you can watch nearly anything with ease.

Now Playing- Heart & Souls by Marc Shaiman

Heaven and Hell

2006-01-30T21:06:00.002-08:00

This was my schedule today with some minor editing.

-Baseball 30 minutes
-Football 40 minutes
-Basketball 36 minutes

-scanning and packing
boxes and boxes of books 4 hours
.......priceless

np: The Thin Red Line by Hans Zimmer

Mixed Blessings

2006-01-28T17:02:00.000-08:00

I went to a Bar Mitzvah today (Yes, I was invited). One of my favorite students asked if I would not only come, but also play a small part in the ceremony. I was quite honored he asked. I think I was able to gain some of his confidence with all of the sports games I've taken him to the last couple of years. It was a smooth ceremony, however it was one that I wasn't used too-because it was directed mainly by women. This fact is fine, in fact I could get quite used to it, but I thought the synagogue I was in was orthodox.
Despite this revelation, my part in the cermony had me reciting several hebrew blessings in front of an audience of about seventy. On top of this nightmare, all my blessing predecessors were singing their blessings. Well I didn't sing them, nor did I mess them up. However it should be noted that I usually have trouble just speaking to a group of three, so for all those absent from this event, you missed a bit of a miracle at the non-orthodox synagogue over on Clement Street.

NP (now playing) -The Princess Diaries ost (original soundtrack)

The Journey Begins

2006-01-26T20:58:00.000-08:00

What can I write? It is difficult to assess. I know if I write about the things that are on my mind I will be in deep trouble with the people I know. The idea is farrago. Eventually I will hurt someone's (most likely it will be me from some sort of ridiculous guilt that will hold me hostage for weeks after the event) feelings.
Well, what ever happens I will find my way with this blogging thing. Hopefully the reader will not be too bored as I tiptoe my way around certain issues and feelings.....maybe.

Now Playing (np)- Skylark from Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil