The Warrior Ginger

The Chinatown Herbalist

2011-05-14T16:48:00.000-07:00

I guess the stress of work, and my recent workout routine has caught up with me. I fear that my irregular sleep, and work stress has given me canker sores, as well as a tiny bumps under my tongue, that have the texture of sand. After doing a little research online, the general consensus is that no one knows what they are ( the bumps not the caker sore ), but that they go away after a few weeks by themselves.

Well, I didn't want to just wait around, normally if I get canker sores on my tongue, I just use Listerine and they heal up after a couple days. ( which I'm doing anyway )

However, it was recommended that I go to a Chinese Herbalist and get a diagnosis. How fun I thought... so we went down to Chinatown to visit Dr. Dahn. She took my pulse, and basically said my sleep patterns, and unhealthy western diet is bad for my liver which might be manifesting itself as sores. So another vote for the effects of stress, and diets.

So she proceeded to subscribe all manners of herbs to be boiled down into a 'tea' to be ingested in 4 doses. Apparently, the concern was how bitter it was, so then I was given some Haw Flakes, which is a sweet chaser to the concoction. I was also given some floral tea and recommended to drink ginsing tea every morning that I plan to have a long, stressful day. So basically, sleep more, don't eat fried food, don't drink beer.. and drink lots of various teas. Sounds like good advice no matter what. Will it cure canker sores and strange under-the-tongue bumps has yet to be seen.

Upon further inspection of the herbs there are lots of dried flowers, ginsing, bark, roots, dates, and other unidentified things I can only describe as black tar.

I'm to use 4 cups water, soak the herbs for an hour. Then bring to a boil, and then reduce on low heat until it is just 1 cup left. So I'm doing that now.

The whole trip to the herbalist and Chinese dry-goods store was pretty exciting. It's definaly been a unique experience. I'll let you know after a few days how it worked. :-)

The New Home Theater Setup

2010-12-28T16:16:00.000-08:00

This Christmas I decided it was time to upgrade my home network to finally include HDTV, MP3, Web, Netflix, and any other conceivable form of media I would ever want. All from a central server, fed through my speakers, and HDTV with WiFi access. This entire setup of course would need to be controlled via remote, and of course iPhone.

For the brains of the new system, I decided on a Apple Mac mini Intel Core 2 Duo 2.4GHz, 2GB RAM, 320GB Hard Drive, NVIDIA GeForce 320M, as the HTPC hub. I hardwired it directly to the router to maximize bandwidth. In the short-term the system is controlled with wireless trackpad, and keyboard. Eventually, I'll get a programmable WiFi remote to make it more TV-like. The first thing I noticed was that the entire system is silent. I mean, seriously, no sound. Insane.

Next, I wanted to be control DVR from my HD Cable signal with the system. The plan is to cancel HDcable eventually, but for $170 I'm able to use the eyeTV as a DVR and pipe it through the Mini Mac.
The Jury is still out on the eyeTV, it seems a bit glitchy, but for TV on the Mac, its working for now. There is also an iPhone app available which give control and remote viewing capabilities.

For the Front End, I'm currently evaluating Boxee, and Plex. Both are based on the XBMC protocol. They both interface with Netflix, Hulu, Youtube, Vimeo, and have literally 100's of custom apps that allow for media to stream in for Audio and Video sources like MSNBC, or Comedy Central. They present all the media using an attractive interface. Both Boxee and Plex, make the media streaming a pleasurable and clean viewing experience. Both Boxee and Plex have iPhone apps that allow for remote control.

For Audio, I'm using Itunes, mainly because, well its Itunes. It interfaces with both Boxee and Plex, uses my already existing library and playlists, and allows for movie rentals, and purchases etc. So for me, iTunes works fine...

So there are a few things I'd like to add. For one, a large multi-terrabite media drive. Also, I'm going to find some 5.1 surround speakers that'll run off the Mac Mini's optical audio. This is the next priority, so I can enjoy all this media with awesome audio.

I'd also like to figure out how to pipe the Xbox through the system to take advantage of the audio without having to buy an audio tuner. One thing I'm looking at is using the TV for that reason. Seems dooable, so we'll see.

Finally, I've seen several options for a programmable WiFi remote. I think it uses Applescript protocol to launch/close apps based on a touch screen.

I'll post updates as I make upgrades.

Mile high post

2010-09-16T10:45:00.000-07:00

So due to some silliness and drama, the plans have changed. Instead of Mexico I'm heading to Vegas baby.. Vegas.
Staying at the Venetian, and plan on spending some quality time by the pool soaking up sun.

Sitting on the flight, with in-air wi-fi I figured I'd drop a quick blog from 30k feet. I really don't have anything worth posting.. but I hope that'll change in the city of Sin.

I'm planning on being money. Money baby.

Dexter is heading to the spa

2010-09-14T09:42:00.000-07:00

While I'm in Mexico I've made arrangements to board Dex with the Happy Dog Walkers. She loves him and takes him into her home and treats him like her own.

It's expensive. But the mutt is worth it.

Templates Galore!

2010-09-13T22:56:00.000-07:00

Blogger updated it's stuff with a new Template engine. It's actually pretty nifty, and powerful. I've just slapped on a quick template they had.. so it looks pretty lame and generic right now. I'll get around to making it "designy" for all of my friends who care about that. ( Jimmy, I'm looking at you ).
For now, I'll deal with the Blogger-esc look, until I get into the engine and layout and typeset it all up to look nifty. Good job Blogger. I approve.

I'm heading out to Mexico for a week. Just wanted to brag.

A First Class View.

2010-09-13T15:09:00.000-07:00

So ya. Wrangled a first class seat from Dallas to NYC. That doesn't suck.

Bring on the Beer!!

3 Weeks in 2010

2010-09-10T13:07:00.001-07:00

I forget I can blog from my iPhone.

Timekeepers Trick

2010-03-05T21:39:00.000-08:00

I had a moment today as if the Universe was a clock, and it showed me the inside at the clockworks. For that moment I could see everything clearly. I could see the path that was laid out and it had a sense of humor about it. All I had to do was follow the signs. I love the Universe.

RoundHouse: The Movie

2010-02-27T20:32:00.001-08:00

Roundhouse: The Movie from J Dates on Vimeo.

Nothing is Original

2010-02-19T09:53:00.000-08:00

Nothing is original. Steal from anywhere that
resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination.
Devour old films, new films, music, books, paintings,
photographs, poems, dreams, random conversations,
architecture, bridges, street signs, trees, clouds,
bodies of water, light and shadows. Select only things
to steal from that speak directly to your soul. If you
do this, your work ( and theft ) will be authentic.

Authenticity is invaluable; originality is non-existent.
And don't bother concealing your theivery --celebrate
it if you feel like it. In any case, always remember
what Jean-Luc Godard said: "It's not where you take
things from -- It's where you take them to."

--Jim Jarmusch

Yeah I got nothing...

2009-10-13T16:42:00.000-07:00

So I've struggled to keep updates going, but frankly I have nothing much to update.

This last weekend, was pretty quiet. I stayed in, learned how to make Hummus and Salsa.

I'm trying to find motivation in concert with inspiration coupled with available time, to be productive.

That hasn't been as successful as I hoped. It's odd how much energy it takes to do the full-time job. It's hard to find the energy after work, let-alone the weekends when I'm catching up on chores and rest.

Still working, and got extended at 89edit, doing more 3D type treatments for them.. I start over at The Mill on the 1st. I'm looking forward to being able to step onto a big job from them.

This weekend I'm considering baking a cake, or brownies. In celebration and all. :-)

Little Dexter

2009-10-07T05:46:00.000-07:00

This morning at the dog park, on a somewhat drab overcast day.

A Working Man

2009-10-06T21:12:00.000-07:00

So again, I'm delinquent in posting here...

I think I'm going to try a once-a-day update... Sort of a wordy-twitter meets diary. Haven't really found the voice of this blog yet. So feel free to send me your ideas... Basically, I'm just babbling on here, in hopes something of interest comes of it.

So My Grandfather, ( Oklahoma Shay ) went into Chemo and Radiation this week. I talked to him Saturday, and he was in good spirits, at least for me. He started the treatment for his cancer Monday, so I'll call him this weekend and see how his update is. If anyone can muscle through this, he can. So my thoughts are with him. I sure love that old man. I just want him comfortable. I am sending my thoughts to him.

In other news... I've been working steadily through out September, and now October. Which is good.
Today I went over to a studio I'm a fan of, The Mill . It was short conversation with their head of CG, and within the day they had booked me for the month of Nov, and have me on hold for Dec and Jan! So hopefully that'll all pan out and they'll like me enough to book the holds. :-)

Thanks for reading.

Chef Jef

2009-09-23T23:13:00.000-07:00

So last weekend, during the Ease out, I went out to a cooking store and picked up some cooking items for my kitchen,

I got this bad boy. An 11 cup Cuisinart stainless steal food processor! Woot! Macy's had a deal on them, and I took advantage. The thing is awesome!

Then I got a German Knife set, and spent a pretty penny on a good set. I got a 8" Chef's Knife, Utility Knife, Serrated Bread Knife, Pearing Knife, and a Bone Knife.
They are awesome as well!! Never had a good knife set before.

Also to round out the collection, and dope wood chopping block. I'm treating it with mineral oil, and doing all the things you do to a new wood cutting block.

Finally, I got a set of 3 mixing bowls, 2 different sized non-stick pans, a wire whisk, and some tongs.

Who knew that all this crap would be so expensive!? But I feel good about it, as they were things I actually will use.

So with my new found love for food and desire to cook, I have been making breakfast for myself every morning. Peppered bacon, and Eggs! with Sliced tomatoes! Mmm. My cookware does an awesome job!

Then last night I had my first dinner party! I invited my friends over for a total of 5 including myself!
My new apartment fit everyone comfortably, and the dinner was a sucess!

The Menu was:

Fresh Ceaser Salad
Rigatoni with a Pork Pink Sauce
Steamed Asparagus
Garlic Toast.

And it was a success! Everyone loved it, and we all sat around sipping on Pinot Grigio, and chatting!
Yay! My first dinner party and I think it turned out perfect!!

There are several things I'll adjust for my Rigatoni sauce for the next time, but the sauce I made was still excellent, just not what I was aiming for. I wanted more of a cream sauce, and less of a meat sauce. I just got the proportions wrong. Like I said, it was still good.

The food Processor was used to grate the fresh parmasian cheese..and wholy cow that was AWESOME.
I also used it to make garlic butter, which I then put on the french bread for the Garlic Toast. It got a little too crispy, as I think I just slightly overcooked it, but it still tasted yummy. Just extra crispy on the outside. The insides were still soft and garlicly. :-)

So now, I'm addicted to cooking, and will start to plan my next meal. I still have that list of things to try to cook... so I'll be researching for what to cook this weekend.

Stay tuned.
( I'll try to update this blog more often )

Day 6 and 7, and the Ease Out.

2009-09-23T22:58:00.000-07:00

I know I get distracted when updating this blog... sorry about that.

Day 6 and 7 went by without a hitch. I was rested, and just went about my business as usual. Really, I could have kept going with the fast, but felt 7 days was good for my first try. On day 6 I did have a BM that was dark, tar-like, and stinky to high heaven. Again, the fact I'm still expelling waste on day 6. Amazing.

Then for the ease out. The first day, I went to the store and got tomato /veggie juice like V8, only without sodium. Some other mixed fruit juices, and an Odwalla. Man that stuff was so good. That V8 was like an entire meal!! So good, I couldn't get enough. I almost drank the whole thing in one sitting.
But felt great.

Then on the 2nd day of the east out, I ate fruit, and went to the Hummus Place, and pigged out!! OMG it was soo good I was so full! awesome.

So now here it is day 3 post Fast. I feel great, and have been eating healthy, low sodium foods. I've effectively eliminated caffeine from my diet, as well as soda! I'll miss coffee, but think not having caffeine will be a good thing in the end.

All in all I had a successful fast. I will not recommend it to anyone, and I did not enjoy it per-say. But I did it, and the end result was dropping 30 lbs!! As well as a new appreciation for food!

I don't want to look at lemonade again for awhile. I guess I'll make this an annual thing.. we'll see how it works out. I'll consider doing it again in the spring. and annually every spring past.

I got out of it what I wanted. A) to see if I could, and B) to detox my digestive tract.
But I did take away some things from the whole experience like the new found love for cooking, and healthy food in general. So all in all, it was a good thing.

Day 5 ( The Wall )

2009-09-16T19:43:00.000-07:00

So last night I met up with a buddy who was in town from work, who I knew in Dallas.   We eneded up hanging out, and I watched him and his friends all drink, while I sipped water.   I ended up staying out until 2:30 am. yikes.

Well, today was by far the most difficult day of the fast. I'm sure its attributed to how tired I was, but I have found that an empty stomach and a tired body, is not a good combination.   I did have hunger pains today that the lemonaide could barely keep at bay. But I survived.

The mental anguish was on overload today, as all I could think about was food.   I coworker had mentioned that she thought that by day 5 I would be in the zen of the fast, and could free my mind to think about other things.   Well, I call bullshit.   All I can think about is food, and cooking food.

But all in all, the day was successful, and I'm ready to go to bed. 2 more days to go! I almost broke down today and went to get some soup, but pulled it together.

No BM today.

This fast really is a mental challenge.

Day 4

2009-09-15T19:01:00.000-07:00

Well, good news. Apparently, my friend who has been advising me during this fast, says that I should conclude my fast after 5-7 days. So Friday it is!! Since I was aiming for 10 days, I figure I'll settle for 7.
:-)

So for a status report, today waking up again was easier than my usual. So that's good. No hunger pains or any ailments that I could detect.

BM update: steady, dark, and smelly. Still pooping after 4 days of not eating. That's encouraging!

With my heightened sense of smell and my over action imagination, all I can do is think about food. I'm very gung-ho about learning to cook! I've even compiled a short list of things I'm very interested in learning to make.

Chili
Gumbo, Ettoufee and Jamalaya or anything Cajun
Lasagne
Hummus
Breakfast Sausages
Dill Potato Salad
Rigatoni

With all the access to Farmers markets, and boutique cooking shops around here, I have access to some of the freshest ingredents. So my cooking will attempt to be healthy.

Things I'll need to get is a food processor, a good knife(s), and good skillit or frying pan.
:-)

So all I've been doing now is watching cooking shows on Travel Channel, or Emiry the Cajun Chef. Man, if anything this fast has caused me to appreciate food. I just hope I am as enthusiastic about it after I'm allowed to eat again.

I think I'm going to be a foodie. :-)

Day 3

2009-09-14T20:34:00.000-07:00

Well, Day three on this detox experiment, and all seems well.

I found it easier to wake up this morning, which is a noticeable difference. I wonder if it's the lack of caffeine, which allowed me to do such. Whatever the reason, it was suprising, and unlike me, that's for sure.

Now the following might fall under "Too Much Information" so if you are not interested in hearing about my bowel movements, please skip this paragraph. :-) That being said, I am suprised that on the third day of not eating anything, I passed two, solid stools that were, for a lack of better descripton, thick, dark, sludge. They were solid, which shows, if nothing else, that my body is expelling waste even in the absense of intake. So that's positive. I guess that's the reason why I'm doing this. Now when I was in the prep, and only eating veggies and fruits, my BM's were broken up, and very liquidy. So it's interesting to me that now they are more solid, and dark, dark. They also smell horrible. ( much worse than a normal BM ). I am encouraged by this.

So with all that nastiness aside, I suppose all things are progressing as they should on this diet. My sense of smell is still extremely heightened, as I am savoring every smell from every restaurant I walk by. Pure torture :-) I'm still very interested in learning more about cooking, and am seriously considering taking a cooking class! I'm investigating. Finally, I can't shake the craving to want to eat my body weight in spicy breakfast sausages! ugh.

An experiement in personal detox

2009-09-13T18:41:00.000-07:00

The last few weeks have been hectic.   With the move, preparation, process, and unpacking, my focus has been mostly on that.   My Mother and Sister came up for a short visit in which we had a great time.
I'll write about all that, as it's overdue.

For this post, I wanted to log my experiment with something called a Master Cleanse. Sometimes called the Lemonade Diet. You can learn more about it here http://themastercleanse.org/
All of this under the advice of my aspiring nutritionist friend.

Preperation.
For prep, I only ate fresh fruit, and fresh vegitables. So for 4 days I ate tossed salads, and abstained from all the things I normally would enjoy. It was difficult mostly mentally. My body was hungry at the end of the first day, and I was amused at how fast I grew to love salads. heh.

Day 1 of the Fast.
So I went to Whole Foods got my lemon juice, Maple Syrup, and Cayanne pepper. Then I also wanted to get some of the mix in powdered form. Vibrant Cleanse was $70! yikes. So I haven't opened that and am hopeful I can just return it if I don't crack into it. For now I'm making the mixture with the before mentioned ingredients. I also had a thought, that perhaps the lemon juice I was using, having been pasteurized had been stripped from some essential vitamins in the process. Considering this was all I was going to be drinking for 10 days, I went to get some regular lemons and have been squeezing them for the juice.

As for the experience. I was plagued with headaches and rabid hunger pans through out the afternoon and evening. Not fun... but I soldiered forward.

Day 2

Today, my sense of smell is through the roof. I can smell every restaurant within a 2 block radius! LOL. EVERYTHING smells so good. My cravings for food, mostly in my mind, are getting stronger, but defiantly is causing me to appreciate food in a way I hadn't before.

I found myself watching cooking shows today. Juliet and Jacque. It has inspired me to learn more about cooking. I think with my new found appreciation of food, I'd like to try a few dishes to see if perhaps I would enjoy cooking. I know I enjoy eating.   Also, since I want to start eating more healthy cooking at home would be a productive new hobby.

Perhaps a cooking class. We'll see how I feel as I continue.

As for how I feel today, basically weak. I did laundry, got dog food, and washed Dexter. It was difficult to rally to go about my day, as I just felt weak. I'm hopeful my strength and energy will return in the next day(s). I've also dropped 10 lbs in the last week. I know it's just water weight, but I look great! ( even if I'm weak as hell ). :-)

I'll be posting more often as this experiment continues. For now, I'm craving Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage, and Polish Sausages.   I want them BAD.

I got the place.

2009-08-25T20:04:00.000-07:00

So I was approved to move. Now I'm awaiting to finally sign the lease, get the keys schedule the movers, pack , get rid of all the trash, move, unpack. Ugh.

My new Place

Check out the building on Google. I'm on the 3rd floor in the back of the building off the street.

I'm sure I'll be posting a bunch during this whole ordeal. Then you can sit back in the comfort of your warm cozy office and experience what it's like to move apartments in NYC. LOL.

The new place will be much different I think. A bigger building with more tenants. In a more 'active' part of the city. And by active I mean, just more bohemian, with more bars, music, and general starving artist culture. Technically it's Nolita or perhaps East Village.. not really sure how it works yet.

I'll keep you posted.

Trying to get approval

2009-08-24T11:48:00.000-07:00

So the last few weeks have been a steady stream of work, and looking for an apartment. It turns out that I like the one I showed pictures for on here, and have put in the application for it.   Today I met with the landlord and am hopeful he will just give me the approval today or tomorrow. I know that I make enough money, but it's always scary when someone is looking at all your paperwork and has to decide if they think you can handle it.

So who knows. I've talked with my current landlord, and if it doesn't work out this week on this place, I'll just sign on for another month, and will continue looking.

Not really much else has been going on. I've been hiding out on the weekends, hanging with the dog. You know, living the high-life.

I'll write about whether I get approved or not as soon as I know.   *sigh* I hate moving.

They Came and Went

2009-08-17T22:15:00.000-07:00

This last few days has been a fun visit with the Family!! Mom and Jenny arrived on Thursday, when we met up at their hotel on 44th. Mom was hungry so we went to what would turn out to be the worst meal of the entire trip. Just overpriced-midtown deli/coffee shop.

But the highlight I think was when I took Mom and Jenny down to canal street where we were approached by a small Chinese lady mumbling in an accent, "puurada, gooochi, dollchay? ". So we nodded, and she radioed to some unseen conspirator that she had 3 to shop. Another tiny Chinese man approached us and muttered "follow me". So we did... down a street and into an unmarked door that had wrapping paper covering up the glass on the inside. He opened the door, and said "hurry up, hurry up", as he motioned for us to get inside. It's all I could do to keep from laughing.

We're led down some sketchy plywood constructed 'stairs' down a floor into a hallway made from plywood, into a make-shift room at the end. We enter and Mom and Jenny gasp. It's the mother load of knock-off purses. Prada, Gucci, Dolce, You name it, it was there.. and they looked amazing. $40 a bag and you can have your very own, indistinguishable leather purse or wallet.

I think Mom bought 3, and Jenny 2. Not much haggling happened, but they looked like Dexter does when he sees a squirrel or pigion. Wild eyes.

After we were done, the 'vendor' led us back up and told us to 'don't open'. He had to radio his cohort to check the coast was clear, as well as look out a small 'peephole' in the paper. Once he was satisfied, he opened the door, and barked at us to get out. Which we did, running, hunched over like we had just committed a bank heist. I had to admit, this racket was well organized and efficient.

Then, Mom went up and got 'Gucci' Sunglasses, and a "Rolex" watch!! Man they were going crazy! LOL!! It was funny to watch and a good time to be had by all!!

Sunday was sailing on the Hudson, and seeing Mom off. Jenny and I got to spend some good sister-brother time together.. beers on the rooftop and enjoyed seeing District 9.

Today, everyone has left, I've cleaned the apartment, and noticing a Hurricane that might totally smash into New York! I moved up here for excitement, I think I'm going to get my first taste of the Big Time.

I hope it at least hits before I have to move.. or that would just be rude.

Well, I've posted a bunch of photos taken during the visit. The next several posts are just pics taken from the iPhone. Enjoy. ( Be Sure to visit the "Older Posts" at the bottom right )

Quentin

2009-08-17T21:33:00.001-07:00

Tarantino

2009-08-17T21:31:00.001-07:00

Untitled

2009-08-17T21:30:00.001-07:00

Island Coast of the Future

2009-08-17T21:29:00.001-07:00

Blown Out Liberty

2009-08-17T21:28:00.001-07:00

Line Rigging

2009-08-17T21:27:00.001-07:00

Unkempt Line

2009-08-17T21:26:00.001-07:00

Canvas

2009-08-17T21:25:00.002-07:00

Rigging

2009-08-17T21:25:00.001-07:00

Essential For Sailing

2009-08-17T21:24:00.001-07:00

Posing Wedding Party

2009-08-17T21:21:00.001-07:00

The first day hunt!

2009-08-11T22:26:00.001-07:00

So today was the first day to actually go out and look at potential apartments.

I have found one, that I suspect I either need to go ahead and get it, or it's going to get rented.
It's small, but I think would be cozy.

So do I get this one, or wait and see if I can find better!? You know, like one without bars on the bathroom window, which is on the 3rd floor. :-)

Where the Wild Things Are!

2009-08-04T19:35:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NOkQ4dYVaM

Well, sorry for not posting lately. The short of it is, I'm back and back to work at Psyop.

However, I did want to share this movie trailer. When I was a kid this was by far my favorite book. Well, take one of my favorite Directors, Spike Jonez, and arm him with Arcade Fire's music for a trailer, and you have a recipie to make me cry almost every time I watch this thing!!

Thought I would share.

I will write about how much I hate American Airlines later. They lost my luggage and had a 6 hour delay on the return flight. Blech.

Saving the Lucky's

2009-07-25T14:02:00.000-07:00

The last couple of days have been nothing but R&R. I went to see "Public Enemies" the Micheal Mann movie with Johnny Depp, about John Dillinger. It was a fine period piece.. only it was shot in HD, which gave it a digital texture that was an odd choice I thought. Overall I would rate it a B.

Well, today Granddad gave me a pair of workboots that were hardly worn, but were purchased in 1979! They are in perfect shape, and look awesome! So I'm going to rock them in the Big Apple during the harsh winter months when such boots would be put to good use. Pretty good deal there.

And finally, I had been wearing out my pair of Lucky Jeans for awhile now, and finally had blow-outs in both knees and in the backside. So I went and got some denim patches, and fixed em up as good as new! Sure they look like hobo-jeans, but I kind of dig the look. Especially, in these tough economic times. I'm recycling the $200 pair of jeans and breathing new life into them. Plus, I kind of like the patched up look. Grandmother practiaclly begged me to let her buy me new jeans, but I refused. I just couldn't let Grandmother spend the extravagent amount of money on the fashionable jeans I like. So having expensive jeans with $2 patches on them just makes a social-economic statement that I rather like. Plus, talk about ironic. I win, you damn hipsters!

Home on the Range...

2009-07-24T00:28:00.000-07:00

For my last day in Dallas before heading out to Oklahoma, I met up with a friend and dragged her out to Bakers Ribs. The BBQ is not the best around, but it's pretty darn good. The potato salad on the other hand, will cause cold sweats and lucid dreams! It's the stuff I wake up in the middle of the night screaming "Potato Salad!". So seen here, is the Rib plate with 2 sides of the salad.

Oh it was good.

Then it was off to see Harry Potter. Which, was good as far as Harry Potter movies go. I rather enjoyed it.

Finally, met up with all the friends whom I hadn't seen yet while I was here, and we reunited at the Meridian Room. Half price dinner! Can't beat that. Good friends, drink and $8 steak.

Then today, as I posted earlier, was the trip up here. 3 hours in the car catching up with Mother was fun! We chatted about all the things you talk about on a car trip.. and were glad to arrive in Lawton to visit the Grandparents.

Grandma had a huge lunch waiting for us, we feasted and promptly fell into a nap.

Then I was jerked out of the soundest sleep I've had all week with "Lets Go On Vacation!" anthem from Grandad.

Apparently, it was time to go 'grind up some smoke' on Fort Sill. ( reference for the short film I've been working on ).

So we drove around taking pictures and listing to Grandad tell us all the facts and memories about being on the post back in the day. Stories we've all heard numerous times, but still love hearing.

Then it was off to Dinner! Fisherman's Cove! Everyone got breaded catfish, and I got Escargot and Crab-Stuffed Flounder. It was excellent!

Then we were whisked away to the Wildlife Refuge, where we continued our trip down memory lane. Ending up atop of Mt. Scott! I snapped off a few pictures with the iPhone pano..

On our way out of the Wildlife Refuge, we came across a few old Bison just right up on the road. It's really rare to be able to get so close to a Bison, and these just seemed to want to be photographed.

So feeling pretty good about getting such a great picture of the Bison we headed home. When, up ahead was a heard of grazing Longhorn Steer!

Same thing, it's typically rare to get such a good vantage of wild Longhorn steer!

I've been coming out here since I was a kid, and would often go years without getting this close to one of of them. Bison or Longhorn.

So to have seen them both so closely on the first day, I take as the gods are smiling upon us. Things are as they should be. Good or Bad, the Bison and Longhorn are in support.

Oklahoma is ok!

2009-07-23T07:21:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update.
Woke up with mom and kotie, pictured here, and are off to visit the
Shays in Lawton Oklahoma.
Here we come Grandma!

Monday Night Jazz

2009-07-22T00:49:00.000-07:00

Back in the Metropolis of Dallas... and met up with a buddy who also happened to be in Dallas coincidentally. We ended up in our old haunt, The New Amsterdam, where Monday night is Jazz night.

These guys were really fun, and had a name I can't recall unfortunately. But just close your eyes and you can imagine how it sounded. hear it? Yeah, see, it's good right?

Also, when I lived in Dallas, I was blessed with a few other pets besides Dexter. Seen here is Dee Dee the dog, and Fireball the cat, who individually were adopted by some great friends and who love and are taking excellent care of my old buddies.

Big Nothing in Big Country

2009-07-19T11:31:00.000-07:00

Woke up with the fam. Went for a 3 mile walk around Holly Lake. Came
back for a huge country breakfast. ( eggs, sausage, potatoes, yogurt,
English Muffins, apple butter, fruit, orange juice and coffee.)

Now I nap.

Big Country

2009-07-18T22:07:00.000-07:00

Woke up with the fam and headed out to rural east Texas, Holly Lake. Dad has a weekend house on a 2 acre wooded lot in the middle of nowhere. It's really quite nice and relaxing.

So this evening after dinner we went into town to Mineola to pick upsome food for breakfast and I noticed two things.

First. The youth ( and adults ) but more worrysome was the teenagers were obese. I don't mean a couple chubbies. I mean entire groups of Highschool aged kids are, what we referred to in school as lard-asses!!!

The parents were huge too, but for so many teenagers to be obese is really terrifying. I'm honestly worried about the youth in this country. 20 years ago when I was in highschool you would not be caught dead chubby or overweight because you would be teased and laughed at. Hey, say what you want about the cruelty of teenagers. At least it was motivation to stay fit.

What I witnessed today showed that being obese was not only accepted and not grounds for harassment, but the norm.

I can't help wonder what kind of emotional toll this takes on kids. Not to mention all the associated health risks.

It's scary. It really is an epidemic. I wish them luck. Teenage years are hard enough without that added difficulty. Breaks my heart. Inspires me to want to work out again however!! So that's good. ;-)

Oh, and I found this in the checkout line of the local grocery there.

Just sitting on the runway...

2009-07-17T18:01:00.001-07:00

If I have never mentioned it before, I hate American Airlines. I
don't think I've ever had a flight with them that wasn't delayed or
screwed on some way. This trip is no different.

The first aircraft had technical difficulties. Now we are on the
runway, parked for weather delays. I'm skeptical i'll even get to
leave tonight. Well see. I hate this Airline.

Well here is my GPS while on the Tarmac. :-)

Into the Mouth of Hell

2009-07-17T09:43:00.001-07:00

Well, I'm heading to the "Summer from Hell" as it's being called. I found online this satellite image of what appears to be a skull breathing hot air all over Texas!.

That's where I'm going.. straight into the mouth of hell.

Wish me luck.

I'm going to Mars!!

2009-07-16T13:32:00.000-07:00

Well, ok, sort of.

My name is...

Yours can too if you go here:
http://mars9.jpl.nasa.gov/msl/participate/sendyourname/index.cfm

I don't know what purpose this serves at all.. I mean, it's not like the rover is going to print it out and leave it up there.

But the names will be on a harddrive, that the rover will have as it scuttles about the red planet. ( or so they say.. how would anyone know if it was true!? or just a publicity stunt?! )

Random Stuff before the Texhoma Trip

2009-07-15T13:30:00.000-07:00

So this last weekend, I found myself out in the city near the west village. When I just happened across a celebration and official 'opening' of the High-Line fair! They said they plan on doing this every so often. music, food, ballons.. etc. It was quite fun.

The weather continues to amaze. We haven't had a day over 85 yet!! It's beautiful, crisp. I still say it's like spring.

This friday I'm heading to Dallas, and Lawton to visit the family! So If you are reading this, lets make sure to hang out!

See you soon.

Some Dixie land band. Pretty fun.

Crazy ballon costumes. Kids were freaking out when one would walk by. Typically they were leggy models inside.. so soon the Dad's were freaking out too. :-)

You find these kind of 'posters' slapped up everywhere.. It's funny because the one on the left has written on it, "Not Art". I'll let you be the judge.

Finally, This is a Shepard Fairey piece I guess I had never seen before. But in a rather disturbing spam email I was sent by someone wanting me to join their pyramid scheme, they used this as the header.

So in the context of everything, and the tone of the letter, I thought this was a serious logo. Not the ironic work of a notorious artist. ( I didn't even notice the obey on the banner )

This image scared me.

I like being scared.

;-)

Surfs up!

2009-07-12T22:55:00.001-07:00

So lots to update from the weekend. I'll update with neat stuff this
week. For now hang 10.

Mets win!!

2009-07-11T21:43:00.000-07:00

So today was my first time to a NY Mets game at Citi field. Tons of fun!!

The Mets played the Reds and won 4-0 by the second inning and held them off for the rest of the game. The weather held out for us and only rained after we got home.

Of course I enjoyed 2 nathans hot dogs, a pretzel, cotton candy, and 3 beers. It was awesome!

I was also one of the first 5,000 fans got a metal Mets lunchbox!! Fun!

Next is to go to a Yankees game!!

.... Only one week before Texas!

Grand Central Fun

2009-07-08T22:35:00.000-07:00

I was up in Midtown today and had lunch in Grand Central Station.
Today was a beautiful day!!

Random Street Stuffed Animal

2009-07-08T08:47:00.000-07:00

Walking Dexter last night we came across this guy just hanging on the
wall. I wonder how long he'll last up there? Or why was he up there
to begin with?

Indepence Day Celebration, check.

2009-07-06T08:56:00.000-07:00

So this weekend was the 4th of July! Some friends of mine were having a BBQ out in Brooklyn, so Dexter and I decided to go join the festivities, Food, Sun and Friends.

Dexter talked some of the BBQ'rs to give him some table food. Which he knows he's not supposed to have. He's lucky I didn't see him.
:-)

After dinner, we walked down to the River, to watch the sunset. It was a perfect day for fireworks. Cool, breezy, and as you can see here, the sunset was wonderful. So much different than a Texas 4th, that's for sure!!

After we got home, Dexter passed out for the rest of the weekend. After all the fireworks, and food, I think he was over stimulated! :-)

He spent the whole firework display in the basement under a pool-table. Poor guy, he's not a fan of the firework.

But I think he had a good time, all things considered.

Sunday, still in a daze from the night before, I met up with some friends and went to brunch, and walked the High-Line. It was super-crowded, and you could only walk north-bound on it. Which apparently was supposed to control the flow of foot traffic, but all I could see it do was upset people trying to enter from the north.

I mean REALLY upset.

But we played by the rules, and I managed to get this nice photo of the Empire State Building behind some old Orphanage looking building.

I love this city. I mean, this is just walking around on Sunday. It is so surreal.

Finally, after the walk, and before heading home I noticed this little guy. All around the city there are little Space Invaders of all sorts. This one was just a sticker, but it was hidden on the railing of a fence post. One day I'll put up my collection of Space Invaders from NYC. It'd make quite a collection. So odd. But neat! Well I hope you all had a great 4th! Dexter and I sure did!

Dinner in Korea Town!

2009-07-02T22:49:00.000-07:00

So today I met up with a buddy, Ryan Sias, up in K-town for some Korean BBQ!!

Ryan is in production in his first children's book!!
Pretty cool Ryan! Way to go!!

Today was otherwise spent dealing with domestic errands, and preparing for my next shot on the "Invasion" project.

I've also booked my trip to Dallas, to visit family and friends. I'm also going to meet with some companies down there about stuff too. You know.. so I can write it off. ;-)

A Power Lunch!

2009-07-01T12:01:00.000-07:00

So today I met with a friend and Executive Producer for a Thornberg and Forester. She suggested lunch at Danal, a quite little place down on 5th ave btwn 12th and 13th. It was yummy!

I was quizzing her on what she knew about "start-up" companies and what all is involved. She had some great advice, and said she was going to tap a few of her TED conference contacts.

So all in all it's a pretty nice Wednesday. So now I'm back to work on the short.

Enjoy.

Being Productive!

2009-06-30T20:06:00.000-07:00

So today was Day 2 on my week-long production push on Invasion. With that, I was able to complete this shot. All in all, I've had a productive day.

The weather was beautiful for the first part of the day, and cooled down and rained in the afternoon. Nice.

So Dinner, relax, and repeat tomorrow.

:-)

Success!!

2009-06-29T15:35:00.001-07:00

I'm mobile now!!
So I can now update you all with posts from the road. ;-)
Yay!! Now I'm off to eat noodles!
Ciao.

Sent from my iPhone's 3rd G.

Post fom an iPhone

2009-06-29T15:23:00.000-07:00

I bought a banana fom this stand.
Now I'm testing to see if I can blog about it fom my iPhone. :-)

Meet, Juniper Harry

2009-06-28T13:23:00.000-07:00

Today was another beautiful day in New York. Like mid 80's, not humid, and everyone was out due to the gay pride parade.

Well, Jimmy, Danielle and I were out to grab a bite and perhaps see a movie. However after lunch we decided against the movie and decided to just visit a street fair instead.

So as I'm walking among the funnel cakes, and fried Oreos, I couldn't help but see this little guy wanting to go home.

Now I've never had a bonzi tree, and have heard they are difficult to care for. But I feel if I can maintain a 75 gallon reef tank successfully, how hard can a small tree be? We'll see.

So the care from what I was told was, a couple of hours of sunlight a day, and a couple of days submerge his base in water for a couple of minutes. Trim him to shape, and enjoy.

So I want to introduce you to... Juniper Harry. My plan is that he'll be around for awhile.

Finally, I'm sitting down as soon as I am done writing this to open my first Invasion file in a long time. Yay!!

enjoy your week.

Kickin it.

2009-06-27T14:21:00.000-07:00

So today after the crazy storms from last night, was one of the most beautiful days in the city. about 80 degrees and sunny. ( the weather said rain rain rain. )

So I went out and picked up some new graphic t's and these rad, white, shiny, patent, quilted-leather, fluevogs! Look pretty fly I think.

I'm planning on actually opening Invasion scene files tomorrow and trying to get back into produciton. I'll post updates to the Invasion site as they come. Of course I'll probably blab about them on here too.

The Ghostbuster containment field was turned off again...

2009-06-26T19:50:00.000-07:00

So Friday is here, my contract with Psyop has come to a close and I'm now a free-agent again!

Well, some rather nutty 'thunderstorms' came through the city today. turning the sky into an amazing assortment of shapes, textures, and color. This photo was taken by Will Robertson.

So now is the time to pick up some motivation for the various projects I have in the works.

Finish Back-End for Kungfukoi.com
Rebrand the Kungfukoi.com
Finish the Invasion Trailer.

So, I'm going to be focusing on capitalizing on all this newfound motiviation. I'm hoping a week on the Invasion Trailer will make some serious headway. I'm at a good place with it, just need more production time. So I'll be updating the Invasion Journal as I have updates this week.

As for the Kungfukoi.com site rebuild. Well, that's a little further off. I'm completly re-building/re-organizing the site. Considering it's literally 10 years of unorganized files, it's time I go through and create a true archive database, that is scaleable. So if only so that I can find what I'm looking for in my own online conciousness.
So in the meanwhile, all my archives are offline, and am only update the blog(s) as they are. I've divided the blogs into this one as my personal medium. Where as the Kungfukoi blog will strictly be professional updates about current work, or work-related topics.

At least that's the intention. :-)

The Day the Internet stood still.

2009-06-25T21:43:00.000-07:00

We lost something great today.

Michael Jackson has brought me personally, a lifetime of joy and entertainment.

I find it tragic that he was just extinguished so effortlessly. When I consider the number of people his music has touched globally, I am in awe, and even get a little choked up. As a society, good , bad, indifferent. We all will feel the broken connection and loss...

Oh and Farrah Fawcett died.

Artwork by Shane Glines