stylo

Gorillaz is back!



I want to buy the Blur No Distance Left To Run dvd (it comes with the Hyde Park reunion concert on a separate disc), but it's almost $40 here in the US, and the UK version is PAL. Should I wait?

peril jam

It has come to my attention that life is full of perils. Sometimes I feel like I spend more time dodging the pitfalls of life than I do just living life. Here I list some of life's perils:

- H1N1
- Earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, and other wraths of Mother Nature
- Golddiggers
- Backstabbing coworkers
- Jehovah's Witnesses and other religious ambushes
- Mothers (both your own and other people's...oh you love them but man, sometimes they can crush you as much as they can lift you up)
- Cancer
- Cell phone-using drivers
- Tongue-burning hot soup
- Speed traps
- Whore houses disguised as hair salons
- Jay Leno and NBC
- Insecurity (or maybe not - I don't really know. Maybe this list is really a waste of your time, or mine...)
- Cynicism
- Ladies who cut queues in Chinatown
- Girl scouts selling cookies (Don't f*cking make me feel bad for not wanting to help! I can't help it if you don't sell healthful snacks, and besides, I'd rather feed an African kid than to send you spoiled brats to summer camp.)
- Serial killers
- Catholic priests and creepy uncles and neighbors with tool sheds
- Advertisements that make you think you need things
- Love (see Mother above)

last night a jd saved my life

Sometimes I ask myself, how did I come to like mopey British pop songs from the Smiths and New Order? Was it because I was already mopey, or did liking those songs make me mopey? Same question for Vonnegut, Lynch, Murakami, and all my literary, musical, cinematic heroes. How did I become this hard-boiled, nostalgic, agnostic, sarcastic, cynical, sentimental, irreverent, sensitive, hopelessly romantic, and infinitely sad person?

J.D. Salinger passed away this week. I first read Catcher In The Rye in high school, probably tenth grade. It was the singularly most influential novel of my youth. Like Holden Caulfield, I too wanted to just walk away from all the phoniness of the world around me. That feeling has regrettably never left me. The world is still phoney, and I still want to hit ctrl-alt-del all the time. I don't know why, but I can always relate to fictitious people more than the real people I know. Again, maybe it's not so much that I can relate to them, but that I just want to be like them, so I adopt these world-weary views from these brooding characters. Inside my head, I am Holden Caulfield, I am Toru Watanable, I am Chow Mo Wan. In this way, you can say J.D. Salinger has ruined me for life.

Another important thing about reading Salinger at that age is that it made me think I could write. And it made me want to be a writer. Some teacher, somewhere in college, had commented on the Salinger-feel of my writing. (Just like someone in film class had said my Super-8 was very Lynchian.) It's not copying; it's influence. You see, writers like James Joyce and Dostoevsky made writing seem impossible, whereas Salinger made writing deceptively effortless. It's just putting your stream-of-consciousness on paper; it's just arranging words til they mean something. A teenager can do that, I thought. So I was never afraid of writing. Of course, I know a little better now, but I still don't think it's such a mystery. It's not Mount Everest for me. It's a craft you need to hone. A craft that you don't need fancy tools for, and a craft that lets you express yourself when you can't talk about it with real people. In this way, you can say J.D. Salinger has saved my life.

city of ruins

Eddie Vedder is just plain amazing. You can buy this off iTunes to help Haiti.



As is Thom Yorke and Radiohead. This is Lotus Flower, at another Haiti benefit.



Justin Timberlake, Matt Morris, and Charlie Sexton doing one of my favorite songs of all time - Hallelujah - at the Hope for Haiti Now telethon. Not quite up to standard of Jeff Buckley but always love hearing this song.

goodbye, coco

Conan O'Brien, his last night as host of The Tonight Show:

“Before we end this rodeo, a few things need to be said. There has been a lot of speculation in the press about what I legally can and can’t say about NBC. And this isn’t a joke, to set the record straight, tonight I am allowed to say anything I want. And what I want to say is this: between my time at Saturday Night Live, The Late Night Show, and my brief run here on The Tonight Show, I have worked with NBC for over twenty years. Yes, we have our differences right now and yes, we’re going to go our separate ways. But this company has been my home for most of my adult life. I am enormously proud of the work we have done together, and I want to thank NBC for making it all possible. I really do.

Walking away from The Tonight Show is the hardest thing I have ever had to do. Making this choice has been enormously difficult. This is the best job in the world, I absolutely love doing it, and I have the best staff and crew in the history of the medium. But despite this sense of loss, I really feel this should be a happy moment. Every comedian dreams of hosting The Tonight Show and, for seven months, I got to. I did it my way, with people I love, and I do not regret a second. I’ve had more good fortune than anyone I know and if our next gig is doing a show in a 7-11 parking lot, we’ll find a way to make it fun.

And finally, I have to say something to our fans. The massive outpouring of support and passion from so many people has been overwhelming. The rallies, the signs, all the goofy, outrageous creativity on the internet, and the fact that people have traveled long distances and camped out all night in the pouring rain to be in our audience, made a sad situation joyous and inspirational.

To all the people watching, I can never thank you enough for your kindness to me and I’ll think about it for the rest of my life. All I ask of you is one thing: please don’t be cynical. I hate cynicism — it’s my least favorite quality and it doesn’t lead anywhere. Nobody in life gets exactly what they thought they were going to get. But if you work really hard and you’re kind, amazing things will happen.”

I am rotted with cynicism, but yet somehow I honestly believe this. I really will try to be less cynical and work harder and be more kind to people.

Goodbye, Coco. I'll miss ya. See you at the 7-11.

here comes the feeling

10. Out Of The Walls - Tom McRae
9. Heaven Can Wait - Charlotte Gainsbourg
8. Please Don't - David Byrne, Fatboy Slim, Santogold
7. The High Road - Broken Bells
6. Cousins - Vampire Weekend
5. Bluish - Sondre Lerche
4. Great Big Mind - Josh Ritter
3. One Life Stand - Hot Chip
2. Bloodline - Matt Morris


#1. Horchata - Vampire Weekend

Oh how much do I love this song!

in rainbows and in denial

Come on, who doesn't love a rainbow? It's been raining dogs and cats here in Northern Cal for days now, so yesterday it was nice when we got a small break and I spotted this rainbow one block from my house:


By the way, I haven't commented on the Haiti apocalyptic disaster because I cannot stand to watch coverage of it. I am in denial of how bad things are there and how destructive an earthquake can be. I swear, sooner or later, I am going get out of earthquake country and go somewhere where the ground doesn't shake below me. And yes, I have been gathering emergency supplies, like water, canned goods, portable power pack, etc. I even bought a tent, but that might go back to Target. Not that I don't think I need a tent, but I think I just need a better tent.

inglourious weakend

Rate everything MLK weekend:

Santa Ramen new location on El Camino in San Mateo: B+
Inglourious Basterds: B-
Golden Globes Awards: B-
Glee and Sandra Bullock wins at Golden Globes: A+
Tribu Grill on El Camino in San Bruno: A-
Getting together with old friends: A+
The Bachelor On The Wings Of Love: C (or is that zzz)
New season of Project Runway so far: B
Quakers Rice Crisp, kettle corn flavor: B+
Vampire Weekend's Contra: A
First listen of Tom McRae's new single Out Of The Walls: B
The news that Sue Sylvester will be singing Vogue in the Madonna episode of Glee: A
Rain: F (I am as romantic as the next guy, but this freaking rain is a pain in Spain when you got a leak in the house)
Jay Leno & NBC: F---
Earthquakes: F----------------------

i'm with coco

the day tom met summer randomess

Random thoughts floating thru my head today:

- My pants are so low-rise that they are falling.
- BBQ chicken dried egg noodle at Zen Yai - mmm.
- Claypot rice on a cold nite at Taisan - mmm.
- Woohoo - ten, count 'em, ten friends on Facebook.
- On the other hand, ten friends on Facebook are so suffocating. I need my space, people! (Not myspace.)
- It's hard to move cubicle and stuff when your pants are falling and your yellow checkered boxers are on display.
- I wish my boss is not leaving. I actually like her. I believe she is a good person. In office environment, that's like a unicorn.
- I hang around with too many Chinese women talking about their kids and buying giant frozen prawns. My balls are shrinking by the day.
- My green plaid shirt is awesome, unlike the green corduroy pants I wore the other day.
- Do I dress too young for my age? Am I one of those nerdy aging hipsters? Nerdy and aging for sure. Hipster only in my mind.
- Lisa is recommending me go to her hair stylist. I need to practice my gay-speak so I can talk hair. I don't want to waste $55 and order the wrong thing. It's like if you hook up with a guy at a gay bar and then you both turn out to be bottoms, that would just be awkward. Or I imagine so. It's like having two locks without a key, or two koala bears without a tree, or two second hands without an hour hand, or something like that. Actually I wouldn't know. But I watch Bravo, so you know, you get to thinking about these gay things. Or not. Anyways, back to the hair thing...
- Peete's chai latte is not bad, especially when it's buy one get one free. I like coupons. Esp. coupons on your phone.
- Schubert's fruit tart is so freaking yummy. There are a lot of fruits on the tart. I love it when things are the way they are.
- Is Better Off Ted going to be canceled? So sad.
- If Jay Leno knocks Conan out of his time slot, he is an ass. An unfunny ass. With big chin. And we know there is nothing worse than an unfunny ass with big chin. Except for Michael Lohan. He is the worst.
- I actually got to sit on my commute home today. And I saw a unicorn.
- This Chinese soap opera, Born Rich, is so stupid. Actually most Chinese soap operas I've started recently are so stupid that I can't finish it.
- Somebody said (not in a mean way) I have issues. That's like calling Abraham Lincoln tall. But then I seriously think most people have issues - they just choose to be oblivious to them.
- I don't want Avatar to break Titanic record, as much as I think Avatar deserves to be seen.
- There's a nudie joint billboard outside of my new work space window. It's kinda vintage/retro looking. Cool and not in a sexual way. That's how I like my nudie joint billboards.
- People at work are mostly fake nice. Thus I wouldn't be their real friends. Fake nice is worse than real mean.
- My stomach didn't hurt today. A break-through perhaps, or just the cancer spreading to other areas? I shouldn't say stuff like that. Cuz they say if you say things enough, they become self-fulfilling prophecies. That's what my superhot, supermodel girlfriend tells me in bed while she is naked eating strawberries. Yup, superhot, supermodel girlfriend.
- There was another earthquake centered down in Milpitas today. That's three days in a row. I am scared. I am going to run to my superhot, supermodel girlfriend to hug it out.

ten years

Via Estherrr:



I really like the lyrics -

這十年來做過的事
能令你無悔　驕傲嗎
那時候你所相信的事
沒有被動搖吧

對象和緣份已出現
成就也還算不賴嗎
旅途上你增添了經歷
又有讓稜角　消失嗎

軟弱嗎
你成熟了　不會失去格調吧
當初堅持還在嗎
刀鋒不會　磨鈍了吧

老練嗎
你情願變得　聰明而不衝動嗎
但變成　步步停下三思　會累嗎

快樂嗎
你還是記得你跟我約定吧
區區幾場成敗裡
應該不致　麻木了吧

快樂嗎
你忘掉理想　只能忙於生活嗎
別太遲　又十年後至想　快樂嗎

god bless wes

I have been super-bummed that Wes Welker tore his ACL and MCL in the last regular game of the season. It has less to do with how that affects the Pats in the playoffs than what it means to his career. He is my second favorite Patriot, and my heart just sank for him. I worry about whether he can ever recover from this and continue to develop into the superstar wide receiver that he deserves to be. ACL and MCL injuries are about as bad as it can get for wide receivers and running backs.

Today, Wes Welker posted the following message for his fans:

Dear Friends, Fans, and Family,

I am writing you today to let you know how thankful I am for everyone's support though this trying time. Your phone calls, texts, emails, and letters are greatly apprecitated. I thank God for the people that he has put in my life to help me overcome this obstacle that has been placed in front of me. Your thoughts and prayers are truly felt, and with no doubt will help me to a speedy recovery.

My good friend Tedy Bruschi text me the other day "there is no career without a comeback". Although I know that it will take time to be the same player that I once was. I am ready to face that challenge, and in time I plan on coming back the player I was and much more. This is not the first time that I have faced adversity in my career, and it won't be the last. I am committed to this football team and doing everything possible to make us better. My teammates know my committment to them and I refuse to let them down. Just how I know that they wouldn't let me down. They are here for me, just like I am there for them. Even though I won't be on the field this post season, my heart will be with them through every snap!

I will continue to keep everyone updated on my status, and I thank you again for all of your thoughts and prayers.

God Bless,
Wes

THANK YOU!

I like that - there is no career without a comeback. I hope he makes true of those words. I am not a praying man, but I am a wishing man. So I wish him the very best and the speediest of recoveries. I anxiously wait for the day he reappears on the football field.

like a girl

According to Madonnatribe, the Madonna songs that will appear on the Madge-centric episode of Glee will be:

Borderline
Open Your Heart
Burning Up
4 Minutes
Crazy For You
Like A Virgin
Like A Prayer
What It Feels Like For A Girl
Vogue
Express Yourself

I am glad to see WIFLFAG on the list, as I'd always thought this to be an overlooked Madonna masterpiece. I think Madonna sabotaged herself by releasing the remix instead of the original as a single and then have a horrid/violent/nonsensical video to go with such a beautiful, thoughtful, empowering song.

the story i'm sticking to

Yesterday, the first day of the new decade, Paul, Howard and I went down to Gilroy. It began with a Grand Slam breakfast at Denny’s and ended with dinner at House Of Noodles @ Milpitas and of course dessert at Hello Dessert near Howard’s place. In between I spent about $300 – $160 for a long-coveted Le Creuset 6-3/4 qt pot in Kiwi colour, $80 for two H&M kickass-cool jackets (so kickass-cool that I bought the same jacket in two colors, black and grey), and $45 for two Calvin Klein slim ties (to go with the J Crew slim-fitting suit I bought about a month ago). The H&M jackets were actually from the Great Mall, which we stopped by on the way back to dinner – I seriously love H&M; the clothes are so reasonable and yet styling and fit me well. Even though I probably spent way more money than I should have, it actually was a great day out - just relaxing, hanging out, eating (the bean sauce noodle at House Of Noodles was delicious and only $4.95, and it came with a free, albeit very diluted, milk tea), and buying stuff. And despite spending almost $300, I still think I didn't overpay for anything. The Le Creuset pot was a steal relatively speaking; it's going for about $250 average. And the H&M jackets were a style I was looking for. I almost ordered one from Gap online a few days back but didn't pull the trigger - the Gap one was double the price of the H&M one and probably wouldn't have fitted as well. So I actually scored bargains and feel good about that. At least that's the story I am sticking to.

By the way, on New Year's Eve, I actually wrote more in a single evening than what I was able to muster in the entire past month. I hope that means I am inspired again and it will flow a little better for now. I like it when I am able to write well - it makes me feel as if I have some talent to contribute to this world. Again, that's the story I am sticking to. I need some confidence-boosting to jump start the new decade.

A sad note to end last year though - I had to attend a funeral. It was Lisa's mother-in-law. She had a massive stroke. Lisa actually was up in Tahoe with Ed and Nicholas skiing when it happened, and they had to rush back to the city. It was a Catholic funeral. I don't recall ever attending a Catholic funeral - it involved a lot of sitting and standing and kneeling and standing and sitting and kneeling again. I was like, make up your mind, dude. My knee was definitely hurting from the kneeling. And how do Catholics remember all the things that they have to repeat back? I am having hard enough of a time remembering the lyrics to I'm Yours, which I am learning in the event of an ambush karaoke. Regardless, Lisa's family seems to be coping well. I guess that's the way it goes sometimes - the circle of life. That's what they say in The Lion King.

So, one more day til I go back to work, and the cycle starts again. I will go to work Monday with a good attitude. Sure deep down I am dreading it, but if it weren't for my getting up every morning to go do what I do in that cubicle of mine, I wouldn't be able to afford my toys and clothes and stuff. That's what we human beings do these days. We work to consume. Sure, maybe we can also achieve self-actualization. You should at least aim for it. Dreams, lofty goals, hoping for a better world, wishing for something more fulfilling than the daily grind. But before that happens, I will just extract my joy from my Le Creuset pot and H&M clothes and bean sauce noodles and my Fruity Delight desserts. Those things may not be as grand as love and world peace and achieving artistic or scientific greatness, but they will do their job for now in making me happy. At least that's the story I am sticking to.