I thought Xanga died. I swear I saw it. I went to her funeral. I said my goodbyes. I mourned for weeks on end. I went to bed listening to Luther Vandross, slowly drifting into a slumber while my dreams were being drenched in my salty tears. But alas! Here I am, a hermit crab, crawling back to its old shell. Enoch has injected me with a serum that has my veins flowing with excitement to blog again. Yipee. Here is my friend Enoch, and my fake Burberry skate shirt.
Transformers!
I guess on my first day back, I will write about something light hearted. There certainly is no need for me to drop philosophy, especially since it's my first day back. It's like coming to work on Monday after a good weekend.
Let's talk about making mixes. Oh you know! I'm talkin' about burning songs onto a CD (not mp3's...way too many songs). There are several reasons I have made mixes before. As the youth's sound man, I made delicious mixes for before and after service mingling that happens amongst people. I've also given girls mixes that best represented my feelings for her. (If you laugh, you really have not witnessed the power of a good mix). In 2008, CD "mixes" have become somewhat of an ancient artifact. I mean, who has CD players anymore. With that said, making the perfect mix is an artform. You can't just put in all the best songs in the world. Your "mix" has to be a vehicle, and you want to take your lady (or gentleman) on an unforgettable journey. Let me give you a quick rundown on how to masta a mix.
Kind of like an essay, you want to have a specific structure (Intro, Body, Conclusion). For this entry's sake, let's create a hypothetical situation (in my case...extremely hypothetical): you are giving a ride to a cute girl. You have to plan out accordingly the songs that you pick. You can't just play "I'll make love to you" by Boyz II Men. Not only is that inappropriate, but the awkwardness is going to be so thick. Like Chris Rock's famous song, "no sex in the champagne room". Except, we're talking about the car. Same thing.
1. Intro - The purpose of these first couple of songs is to set up for the money songs to come. Think of it like a buffet: you don't want to start out with the pot roast. You wanna start out with a salad, or even a fruit medley. I would suggest something upbeat but not so upbeat that you can dance to it. I'm thinking Montell Jordan. (But not "get it on tonight"). Or hit em with the elements: Earth Wind and Fire! (Sounds like a team captain planet reunion) Even Biz Markie's "Got what I need" is fine.
2. Transition - Now, before the labored breathing, clammy-palms, beady forehead, avoiding eye contact evoked by some songs, you gotta give em 1 or 2 songs that hint at the intent of this mix. This is your thesis. You want to slow down the tempo, but not get too serious. You just got onto the freeway, so she has nowhere to go. At this point, your intro is screaming "friend zone", but your heart is crying out for more. Appease your heart's desire with a hint of romance with Buble's "Quando Quando Quando". Add a little salsa verde on your enchilada...and by that I mean the magical car(pet) ride...nothing else...you sickos. *quivering/cracking voice* "Awkward!"
3. Body - At this point, the girl knows whats up. You are not playin' any games. This is where you try to woo her by unleashing an unadulterated, uninhibited, unanticipated fury of songs that takes her by surprise. (wow..that sounded kinda belligerant). You are all in. Pull out all the stops. Boyz II Men, Brian McKnight, Luther, Babyface, Marvin Gaye, Donny Hathaway. You'll be recreating the magic of Aladding and Jasmine...or even Simba and Nala.
4. Conclusion - By this point, both of you are going to want some closure on the night. You can only have so much of a good thing, whether it be pop tarts or tangerines. All the work you put into might be in vain, if you do not land the plan correctly. You have to finish with a good one or two songs. Maybe a "For All We Know" by Donny Hathaway. Or even a nice jazz tune wouldn't be too bad.
So, next time you're making a mix, don't just throw random songs in a playlist and burn. You must have an agenda. That's it. Xanga fo Life son!
too lazy to write any substance here. just a few golden nuggets while I was youtubing. and i am updating so that i can become a Xanga "True" member.
How Great is Our God - Jazz Fusion. Kind of gets repetitive, but it's kind of cool
Plus One - Here in my heart (shut up. enough with the snickering...'tis a guilty pleasure.
Give Thanks Jazz Piano (There are a lot of things I would give up to play like this. This includes my car, 1st edition Charizard, my signed Frank Thomas rookie card, meat, cheese, pho, and 1 shoes, ankle socks, boxers, siracha...)
Freakin' Hiro schoolin on how to play "Change My Heart O God". Looks can be decieving.
Wake up show - Crooked I (one of the sickest freestyles eva...beware..it's hella raw...the flow doesnt start 'til 5:30ish, but if you appreciate good freestyles...my goodness.)
sorry. i'll bring home the bacon next time. but until then, stay classy people.
Currently Watching Diggers By Ron Eldard, Josh Hamilton, Maura Tierney, Sarah Paulson, Paul Rudd see related
Lord Of The Flies
That book was crazy!
Wow. After a mere week of TCBY managing (7am-4pm), I want to quit life. My admiration for my pops has skyrocketed about 10 times. We, the 2nd generation spoiled brats, talk about sacrifice, but really have the slighest clue. We talk about giving up our fleeting time, or our boundless energy, but these really pale in comparison to Korean parents everywhere. Mad props to all the Korean folks who run teriyaki and cleaner joints. My dad majored in electrical engineering at UW, and ended up giving up his trade to do frozen yogurt. And honestly, I hear people complain how his or her parents don't voice their love like American parents do on tv, but there is no other love that is more genuine than sacrifice. I would not have it any other way. Plus, it would be awkward to constantly say the three word phrase constantly to my dad, let alone lengthy embraces.
Anyways...at TCBY, the AC was not working. I was basically working in constant 85 degree weather. High heat + fruits = freakin fruit fly festival! It was so bad. It was like a bunch of koreans around free samples at Costco. Subsequently, I googled methods to capturing these pests. I was shocked at how violent some of these methods were. These people seemed to have some personal beef with these flies. Here are a few of the more disturbing ones (titles credited to me):
Crazy Method #1 Auschwitz: You place some fruits (preferrable spoiled) in an oven safe bowl or dish. Then you leave it overnight so the magic happens. When you wake up, slam the oven door shut, and crank up the heat. During the ten-minute wait, celebrate by dancing to "Hit 'em up" by 2pac. After you remove the dish, clean your oven thoroughly. (That last part made me shudder like Shredder)
Crazy Method 2 Doin' it by hand: This one is even worse. You put some spoiled fruit in a small bowl and cover it with some plastic wrap. You poke some small holes with a fork. This actually allows the flies to get in, but prevents it from getting out. (I don't get how that happens, but I hypothesize that this happens because they get fat). The next day, you will have a large amount of criminals trapped helplessly at the mercy of your fury. Instead of letting 'em off the hook by throwing them away, makes sure they learn their lesson. With your fingers of fury, individually crush while their fellow siblings look on, waiting for their inevitable doom!
So obviously, I put the methods in my own words, but I did it because I don't believe in plagarism. Well, I don't anymore. One time, I turned in a poem with the lyrics to "Listen to Our Hearts" by Geoff Moore and Steven Curtis Chapman. No one was the wiser. In fact, I got an A on the project, and was voted to read in front of the girls (and the rest of the class).
Since my mom has been gone, I have been cooking. Here are some of 'em that turned out ok:
<edit>These pictures are not the actual pictures of my creation</edit>
1. Mongolian Beef. The key is to cover the meat in some corn starch.
2. 4-Cheese Mac & Cheese w/ bacon and thyme garnish. (White Cheddar, Parmesean, Jack, Yellow Cheddar).
Yes. I do know how you know that I am gay. I have a spice/herb rack. And I record food network in HD on my DVR. But I also like football, which cancels it out like the division of two fractions.
My parents are going to Cancun, again, for the third straight year. My joy and hopes for a potential house party were dashed when I realized that I had to cover for my dad while he is gone. 8 straight days of 9-4 slavework. I guess it's not that bad, since I just figured out a new trick with Sudoku. I'm so hardcore, I do Sudoku with a Sharpie. And then when I finish, I sign my name and put it in my binder.
I had nothing to do, so I signed up for Netflix. My movie/tv show watching has almost tripled in volume.
Here are some that stood out.
1. The Motel
Blurb: About a Chinese boy who lives in a Motel owned by his mom. Has a "Better Luck Tomorrow" feel to it. He accidently befriends an older guy who mentors him about life. Kind of struck close to home. Especially the tension with white people. 7.2/10
2. King of California
Michael Douglas is so great, but I did not know Evan Rachel Wood was so good. I love her. Well, not the "love love", but love as in "I love steak!" kind of love. It's about a dad who is sort of insane, but learns about some hidden treasure. According to their research, its under a Costco. Kind of crazy. 7/10
3. The Station Agent
When it comes to plot or conflict, there is nothing really special or unique, but the characters really make the movie. Peter Dinklage inherits a railroad depot, and befriends some small town people. Just a bitter, lonely man who eventually breaks his exo-skeleton, and goes out of his way to maintain the special bonds. Pretty good stuff. I'm telling you though, at first, I did not like Michelle Williams, but after like 10 movies or so (she seems to be in so many), she is growing on me like mold. 7.5/10
4. Shanghai Kiss
I love Kelly Hu. About a whitewashed, Chinese guy who inherits an apartment in Shanghai. He doesn't speak Chinese, and is pretty much a banana/twinkie, but suddenly after he encounters the beautiful Kelly Hu, he suddenly "gets in touch' with his Chinese side. Not too shabby. Kelly Hu should be arrested for being so beautiful. 6.4
5. Dead Like Me (TV Show)
Let me just preface this review by saying this: it takes a lot for me to really love a tv show. BUT, once I am hooked, the helpless salmon in me must continue swimming up the proverbial stream untill I finish. This is one of my favorite shows. Seriously. I'm so crazy. 30 episodes x 50 minutes = 1500 minutes in a span of (censored) days. It's cool because it takes place in Seattle. It's basically a story about an 18-year-old girl who dies, but is recruited to becoming a grim reaper. That's it in a nutshell. It's so money...o man. 11/10 Freakin extra credit. They're coming out with a movie too!!!
Sidenote: For those of you who like "The Office", you need to watch "Newsradio". I think it's better than "The Office". The office is more like "that's kind of random/awkward" funny. That kind of funny induces giggles and quotes. Newsradio is like "gatorade out of your nostril" funny. This induces laughter that sculps your abs.
I applied for a job at Kennelly Keys Music. I would be selling instruments to little kids. I don't really care if I got the job or not, but it would be some nice cash in my pocket.
I feel like a piece of "dae-jee bulgogi" on a hot sizzling plate. It's so hot today. But I hate taking ice cold showers. Your body never gets used to that temperature, and you just end up shrieking like a ghoul. I am not even sure ghouls shriek, but I needed something to complete the simile. But at the end of the day, nothing cools me down like some good watermelon.
I am not a big fan of vitamin water, but I am addicted to Vitamin Water: Formula 50 (Grape Flavor). It's so good. It's like bon-bon without the actual grapes. It's almost as good as fruitopia.
You know its good when 50 cent promotes the product.
Ok, I won't lie to you guys. I am not that bashful to admit that I enjoy doing things by myself. I have watched movies (a great time murderer) alone, went bowling (to practice my spin), and even went to a high school dance "stag", but here are a few activities that even the hermit crab personality that I have would not dare to do by myself.
1. Go eat a buffet by myself. Are you kidding me? Like, grabbing a subway or a pork teriyaki for lunch is one thing, but to go eat a buffet by yourself is not only ridiculous, but its really ridiculous. It's more ridiculous than the ice cream prices from the ice cream truck. Side note: When was the last time you heard the ice cream truck drive by, let alone buy a $10 bubble gum ice cream. Side note 2: Pork teriyaki is the best teriyaki by far. After eating pork, chicken just tastes like a bland box of boring. Side note 3: Why do 90% of Indian restaurants offer buffet style? Honestly, who can eat that much Indian food anyway? You can only have so much of curry and Tandori Chicken. Side note 4: Wow too many side notes. Sorry.
Activity #2 that I would never do by myself: Go to a concert
I know what you guys are thinking, "Why would you go to a movie alone, but not a concert?" Well, if you aren't thinking that, then I actually have no idea what you guys are thinking. How presumptious of me. Anyway, concerts are different because it's more of interactive than a movie. A movie is dark, and requires minimal interaction, which is a perfect platform for people like me to enjoy movies without people snickering at me because I am chillin' by myself. Side note: I love hip hop, but I never really understood why people go to hip-hop concerts. Sound quality is bad, and unlike worship music, its really hard to follow the lyrics.
3. I guess this falls in the same reasoning as concerts, but I would never go to an amusement park by myself. Are you kidding me? I actually have been perusing my vocabulary to find the right word, but none of them can fully depict the absurdity of such an activity. Even I need a compnaion when I am doing the potato-bag slides, or teacups. Side note: The swing ride in Wild Waves is an underrated ride. So is the Viking. Viking is always a classic, but gets overlooked. But I still love the potato-bag slides because no one wants to do those.
4. Go to NRB (Norae bang) by yourself. I think this is the worst. Especially if you end up singing slow jams. It's one thing to be singing slow jams in your car, or your shower, or even recording youself in hopes to send the tape to a crush (yes, I did that. story for another day amigos), but to pay good money and singing "All By Myself" with extra reverb and a moon-shaped tambourine is just too much man. I know the proverbial line, when I see one, and that is definitely out of bounds. Side note: So I asked some friends at GLDI what his or her "money" songs were. You know. Those songs that you always go to when you are having a bad day at NRB. Days when the machine seems to be giving you low scores. A friend of mine seriously said that his "money" song was the national anthem. And while I was still stunned, he also added that it was tie with "A Whole New World", which eased the shock a little bit.
One of my closest friends jonathan, tearing it up like a fart.
