Istanbul, Not Constantinople!

This is basically the real life Borat. I was cracking up off my ass reading this page.
Holy smokes...I love the internet. (thanks to Smith)

Is this real?

The Police, the Dixie Chicks, and Old Guys that like to go fast!!!

The Police rule! S. Copeland is such a rad drummer. I actually missed this live, but thanks to thrunk, here it is. The Dixie Chicks (footage not from last night) also came away with the biggest night. They won every category that they were nominated for. I get lots of shit for liking them, but its not as bad as liking Gloria Estefan...seriously DM, wtf? Hahaha! The grammys were a trip this year. Whats with Tony Bennett giving thanks to Target?? Oh yeah, Don Henley looks like shit too.


Last, this guy is 72 years old, and attempted to qualify for the Daytona 500 this past weekend. He hasn't made it yet, but has another shot this Thursday night by racing his way into a spot in the 43 car lineup to kick off the season. Its a pretty rad story.

I bet you didn't know that George Takei was so funny!?!

George Takei has been sitting in on the Stern show once in a while for the past several months. He has a great sense of humor and this video proves it.

Artie is a Sick F!

Before:


After:



Here is one of his most recent appearances too.
Gosh...this was when he must have been snorting coke everyday....Great video with AC/DC!

Last one for Artie...this is at the William Shatner Roast.

I love Stern...

I've been a fan of Howard for about 15 years now. I remember before every surf, every workout, and before every school day, I would listen to Howard, Robin, Fred, Fa Fa Fooie, and Jackie. So fricken fun.

Here is Artie Lange's first appearance on the show with Norm McDonald.

Here is Beetlejuice and Gilbert Gottfried.

More Stern.

Hank the Angry Dwarf.

The Elegant Elliot Offen...ew!


I can go on for days....

4-3-2-1!

Google/Earthlink to provide Wi-Fi services to SF...

Epic!

Hopefully the Public Utilities Commission and the Board of Sups pass this thing! Wi-Fi for all...the best part...its free fifty free bitches!

Lord knows that our mayor wants to make this happen and get past the sex scandel. Speaking of that, some folks think its gonna hurt his chances politically...whatever. The guy is a shoe-in for the rest of his life. I still think the bastard will make it, based on his $$...ha!

I would like to thank JShinDizzle for sharing this video of vermin surfing waves...

craziness....

First up...the new movie about Peahi. Laird and Kalama are simply the GNARLIEST guys on the planet. As a waterman, I have nothing but 100% total respect for these guys, and as reckless as it seems, these guys basically have gills and flippers. Laird Hamilton and Dave Kalama are the true watermen.

Second up...a story about a couple of dudes and Mavs. Epic.

The World of LSD...

19 days, 3 hours, 39 mins....

Thats until the DAYTONA 500 rolls around to kick off the 2007 Nextel Cup season.
NASCAR is well known for all the corporate hooplah surrounding each race weekend, with logos, emblems, stickers, decals, etc...decorating the hoods, fire-suits, pit boxes, and heads of every single person at the track.

I just finished reading an interesting article about one of this years sponsors. Fricken wierd.

Save us Jeebus!!!


Seriously...I watched this movie last night called Jesus Camp.
Woah! Scary world we live in.

Mr. Tweedy!

A full report will come later, but as of now, I can tell you that the 24 hour trip to see Jeff Tweedy in NOLA, was SICK!

Here is the setlist.

JAZZFEST BITCHES!

The schedule is out. ZZ Top! Thats all I gotta say! hahahaha.

Looks like I will be going to my first JazzFest this year! Epic.

COACHELLA 2007!!

(hahahaha! I bet some people would go!)

Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto...

Oh, I will be breaking out the robot at some point tomorrow night. Even its during a super mellow song, I will do it. Here is a kind of long video, but pretty hilarious.

This was a good one too...



Television at its best!

Tootie...

I wish I remembered watching this episode when I was a kid. TV was so good back in the day...ha!

24...

Not the tv show dickweed, thats how long I will be gone from San Francisco starting this Friday morning. After a quick flight to LAX, we will arrive in New Orleans around 4:30 pm. Straight to my friends hotel to let her check in and drop her stuff off, then off to dinner. Hopefully we'll be eating at the Gumbo Shop, then walk to the House of Blues to see Jeff Tweedy. After the show, we are gonna head to Bourbon St., for a couple drinks before heading to the riverboat to blow grips of cash at the tables. Around 4:00 am, my buddy DM and I will split from our third friend who is staying the weekend to volunteer with Katrina Relief efforts, and head to the airport for a 6:00 am flight through Houston, back to San Francisco. Epic!

Might as well throw in a video clip of one of my fav WILCO songs...from the Tonight Show.

lets not talk about it...

Rather than talk about the New Orleans Saints, lets talk about this. One day, I will def own a set of PimpStar rims. How ridiculously epic!
Also, wanted to give a "big-up" to my bro BH for sharing this info with me.
The Los Angeles Times as well as KROQ of Los Angeles have announced this, and the Rage website confirms it as well. Rage to headline COACHELLA!

Are you ready to rumble? Motherf*ckers!!!!!


We are traveling in the footsteps
Of those whove gone before
But well all be reunited (but if we stand reunited)
On a new and sunlit shore (then a new world is in store)

Oh when the saints go marching in
When the saints go marching in
Oh lord I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in

And when the sun refuse (begins) to shine
And when the sun refuse (begins) to shine
Oh lord I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in

When the moon turns red with blood
When the moon turns red with blood
Oh lord I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in

On that hallelujah day
On that hallelujah day
Oh lord I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in

Oh when the trumpet sounds the call
Oh when the trumpet sounds the call
Oh lord I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in

Some say this world of trouble
Is the only one we need
But Im waiting for that morning
When the new world is revealed

When the revelation (revolution) comes
When the revelation (revolution) comes
Oh lord I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in

When the rich go out and work
When the rich go out and work
Oh lord I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in

When the air is pure and clean
When the air is pure and clean
Oh lord I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in

When we all have food to eat
When we all have food to eat
Oh lord I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in

When our leaders learn to cry
When our leaders learn to cry
Oh lord I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in

Its the end of the world, as we know it...

This entry is probably gonna have multiple parts...and even though I just have a minute, I think its pretty clear that the weather we have been facing the past decade is proof that shit is hitting the fan. Some people don't think global warming is really happening...um, ok...
Obviously, our entire planet has gone through grips of changes throughout the last 250 millions years, but the recent changes have been extreme and crazy.
California is suffering from a major "freeze" right now. Pipes are freezing 30 mins outside of San Francisco. There is frost on all the windows every morning.
Last year, San Francisco had 40+ consecutive days of rain...ew.
More to come later.

EW!!!!
WTF HAPPENED TO THE OLSON TWINS? (well, at least this one!)

Benny Parson....

Benny Parson passed away this a.m., after a fight with lung cancer.
He was not only a rad driver, but he was a great broadcaster for the sport.
He will be missed.

The Saints Go Marchin On!!!!

For the past 20 something years, I have heard it from friends and family, and even random people that I dont know! I've heard it, read it, seen it, and have patiently waited for the past 6 years for my New Orleans Saints to win in the playoffs. We didn't even have to worry about the first round this year, and we beat the Philadelphia Eagles to go into the NFC Championship game in Chicago this weekend.
The only thing that gets to me is when all those losers out there call me a fair weather fan. Ha bitches! Ha!

ROCKSTARDOM!!!!!

I guess this is what heroin and some of the sickest guitar skills in the world gets you...

Stern Rules!

Yesterday, Variety wrote that Howard Stern was given $83 million in stock options for his annual bonus for meeting projected subscription goals. Holy smokes! Beth O' is one lucky woman!
Also, the Top 50 albums of 2006 were announced by Rolling Stone magazine recently and GhostFace Killah made the top 5! I love it!

iPhone is here...(revised)

Steve Jobs announced the new iPhone at MacWorld today.
Its pretty epic.

I got to see several news reports on the new iPhone and honestly, it looks a lot bigger than the pics that Jobs shared at the conference. Also, whats up with an exclusive deal with Cingular through 2009?

Being a tech junkie, i can see myself getting one. Like the ipod though, I can see myself waiting to see how at least the first generation of them work. I am confident that apple (no longer apple computers) has made a quality product, but there has got to be some kinks...no?

Its always New Jersey...

Ha! Jersey get a pretty bad rap. The first girl I dated from Jersey pretty much was exactly what I thought New Jersey was like. She was from Parsipanny, had a pretty Jersey accent, and she would stand up to anybody in any circumstance.
She was probably one of the raddest people I have ever met. 80% of my friends now come from Jersey and I have been to the Garden State a couple dozen times now. I must say, its a pretty rad place.

So, given that...Jersey still smells and its fun to talk shit about it cause the folks from there get super riled up!

Why Heroin?


Trey was in court this week...sucks for him. Trey should watch the video about the spiders to see what drugs do to you...

bummer...

I can't believe Trey had the "H"! Well, rumors have been swirling for years, then last year in a Rolling Stone article, he kinda mentioned doing grips of cocaine on tour, but didn't mention anything about the H.
Its really sad.

Spiders are amazing...

My friend posted this on her page and I thought it was great.
Enjoy!

My Morning Jacket, String Cheese Incident, and its a wrap....
(THANKS TO B.H. FOR ALWAYS TAKING GOOD CONCERT PICS)
2006 flew by. WTF?
The Jacket was incredible. Had a small crew made up of friends from SoCal, as well as a few of my SF crew, and an old college friend that I haven't seen in years.
Enjoyed the three letter alphabet, the show was fantastic and possible up there as the one of the three best shows I have seen all year. MMJ has sprung onto the scene with incredible musicianship as well as incredible stage presence. Jimmy James has an incredible voice, and the band rocks hard and loud! I think to fully appreciate their music, you have to listen to it a lot and know what to expect. All in all though, they are simply one of my favorite live bands to see...hands down.
The next night was my 100th SCI show. Had a good time with old friends from OR, WA, AZ, and SoCal. This was possibly the last time I ever see the Cheese, so in a way it was bittersweet. I am sure they will play again one day...somewhere. All in all, the band is not the same that I fell in love with back in 1999. Their sounds has changed, but the memories came flooding back and no matter what, I still consider them one of my all time favorite bands, even if they hardly put on "epic" shows anymore.
On NYE, after spending some time in the Pacific, I sat in the jacuzzi at my parents place, and thought about my entire year. 2006 goes down in the books as one of the best years of my life. Professionally, socially, personally, this year was incredible. From Jeff Tweedy a year ago in January, to Camp Gallagosen in the Summer, to epic rescues on "Big Wednesday" this summer, Lake Sonoma, limo trips to wine country, and finally NYE...what a year!!!

I really look forward to an awesome 2007!

Kyle Busch is a douchebag...

Fucking Kyle Busch.
Watch this embarassing moment by the kook.

I would never let this kook take a wave on me.

Festivus Trivia!

1) In the 1920's, what was the product, called Fresca?
a) beverage
b) douche
c) preservative

2) Up to how many maggots, does the FDA allow per 100 grams of canned mushrooms?
a) 10
b) 15
c) 20


These are a couple of the questions during TP at Festivus this year.
This is what FRESCA was, and here is what the FDA allows. (thanks to thrunk for the stats on the FDA)

Gnarly!

Make Money Now!!!!

When I was growing up, I would stay up late on Saturday nights to watch the WWF. Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat was my idol. I loved Brutus "the Barber" Beefcake, and Jake "The Snake" Roberts. Man, Koko B. Ware, The Junkyard Dog, and of course, Hulk Hogan was the shit!
I was a total Hulkamaniac. I went to a match where he atomic dropped Scary Sheri. Oh man, I loved that shit when I was a kid.

While waiting anxiously until 12:00 midnight, I would see this guy on every other channel.
He's the best.

Giant....

Jellyfish are rad. (thanks t.o.)

Why I Love America...

Trump Rules!
I love the fact that this girl gets a "second chance", but seriously, how fricken hilarious is this story? Apparently, this girl tested positive for blow, has been known for being a super freak, and misses promo appearances frequently. I mean, come on people, who the fuck cares?!
I love that she does blow though...hahahahah!

Also, we need to start doing this kinda thing for fun!

This has gotta be one of the most classic scenes ever...
YES THATS A GUY IN A TANK TOP!!!

You're the BEST, AROUND! Nothings ever gonna keep you down!
Admit it, growing up you fucking loved this movie. I vividly remember my mom taking my sister and I to this one. At the time, I was probably a brown belt, so this movie was the shit. Lots of my friends don't know this, but I am a 4th degree black belt in HapKiDo. I have practiced since I was 5 years old, under the instruction of Grand Master Tae Man Kwon in Torrance, CA. (if you look hard enough, you may even find a picture of me when i was like 18)
He's like a second father to me and I owe a lot to him. The guys like 5'1, and he can kick some serious ass. I've seen him do stuff that you see in the movies...amazing.

Oh yeah, Yul is the man too! 2/3 finalists were Korean! Woohoo!

Frontman of famous "jamband" arrested...

This was posted this a.m. Classic picture!
I just saw Trey this past weekend at the Warfield in downtown SF. The first out of two nights was possibly one of the most boring, ridiculously lame Trey (solo) shows that I have been to. It had moments where the jams didn't bore me, but for the most part, it seemed as if he wanted to push his new album a little bit. Thankfully I went back Friday night. Not only was he on, but it was possibly one of the best Trey shows I have been too! Not only was he rippin his guitar, but the vibe in the Warfield was super stoked ans festive...and perhaps the tiny piece of paper had some influence.
Things have been a little strange since then...

Went the the GS Warriors game last night but left before Baron hit the super dramatic shot with 1.2 seconds left in the game. I was super beat and haven't been sleeping, so I didn't regret it until I came home, saw what happened, and then couldn't fall asleep until 3:45 am.

Gnarls.

Classic...
This is actually a great story about the worlds tallest man saving two dolphins from dying.
Thank god for long limbs....hey-O!

Its the end of the year, big swells hitting the entire coast, rain is falling everywhere...pretty much in the winter now. There is snow on the mountains, Tahoe looks pretty sick, but its a shame that I prob wont make it up there too much this year. Talked to some braddahs in LA last night and I am looking forward to a NYE evening of surfing when the clock strikes midnight.
2006 has been pretty fricken radical so far, and there are still a few weeks left, but I am really looking forward to 2007.
January kicks off with a 14 hour trip to New Orleans to see Jeff Tweedy at the House of Blues, and the NASCAR season starts in 65 days with the Daytona 500! I really hope that I can get 5 races in next year! Also, just got my plane tickets to NYC in February, and even with the recent turn of events, I plan to go to either Belize or Costa Rica in March/April.
End of April/beginning of March is NOLA JazzFest...so before the Summer even comes, I have an fun-packed winter and spring.

Word em up bitches.

Might as well...


Get bit by a fucking shark than a spider that makes you go through this.

Damn!

sharks are rad, but kinda sketch...

Another shark attach from a Great White in the Bay Area.
I fricken hate surfing around these beautiful animals, mostly cause they try to eat us.

the cove....

this is the local spot i surfed about 4-5 times a week, for years growing up in PV.
Malaga Cove is one of the most epic longboarding spots in the entire world...in my opinion.
There are several smaller breaks including the boneyards, ski jumps, and indicators, but when its big, you can catch a wave from indicators all the way inside.

EPIC!

Time has told...

Its over johnny...its over.

kooks...

Although I grew up in Palos Verdes and absolutely love the place, the people are total assholes and the surfers are probably among the worst. Lunada Bay gets world class breaks a few times a year and has been surfed for as long by a crew of 40-something losers known as "the Bay Boys."
Some of them shred and are epic surfers, but they are dicks. They consider it to be a local break and only a very select few outsiders get to paddle out. For fucks sake, its like they think they are all some Johnny Boy Gomes at Pipe or something.
If you're an outsider, and get through a flurry of rocks being thrown at you while trying to paddle out, you may return to your car with flat tires, a broken windshield, and most likely some kind of human waste on some part of your car. Fucking kooks.
Recently, I read a surf report that claims that some of the new school kids are starting to do this at "the Cove", also known as Malaga Cove. This is truly a historical break with tons of the old guys growing up surfing there. Now I hear its become a nightmare.

I would love to chance to paddle out one day, when there are tons of there fuckers, and have one of them threaten me as a newcomer. I surfed that place before some of these shits were even walking. Oh man, that would be some fun shit.

Fuck barneys.

Surf flicks....

There's nothing like watching some epic surf movies like this one.
Tyler is actually one of the best surfers that I know...in the entire world.
You can see him here too.

Here is some classic footage from the best surf movie ever made, and something thats coming out soon.

This one is about surfing in SoCal. Here we have one with grips of epic longboarders.

More and more and more....

Wilco and Jeff Tweedy + more....

Wilco is possibly one of the best bands on the planet right now, and their frontman Jeff Tweedy is an incredible songwriter. At my birthday dinner, I was asked what my favorite show during the past year was and after pondering, I declared out loud that it was the Jeff Tweedy solo show I was fortunate enough to see at the Fillmore in San Francisco. Amazing.
Tweedy just released Sunken Treasure, a dvd of bits and pieces of live performances on his solo Pacific Northwest tour, including parts from the show I attended.

While talking about bands with dvds, check out Okonokos. I fricken love these guys!
MMJ is awesome.

Time Will Tell...

I have been super busy the past few weeks. Since Hawaii, seems like I am playing catch up with every aspect of my life. My work is awesome and I have made some new additions that I really look forward to. Its something new, something crazy, but all-in-all, I think its something special.

Also, celebrated my 29th birthday with about 45 of my close friends. It was so epic to walk into a bar and see most of the people are friends. Headed up to a much needed weekend of pampering this weekend, but before that, I have two nights of Trey (here us one more), one of those nights are split with a local show with the Shins, the Raconteurs, and the Killers...should be an interesting night.

Lots of stuff going in the world these days as well. Today, James Kim's body was discovered. Its been a long time since a news story hit me so hard. Truely a bummer. Don't even want to really get into it.

On a more inspirational note, a client of mine pointed out this movie to me after she went to a screening last night. Woody Brown is a legendary, 94-year old surfer that still paddles out in Hawaii. Obviously he doesn't charge huge surf anymore, but at 94-years old I hope I can wipe my own ass let alone paddle out. The filmmaker made an award winning movie about old school surfers called Surfing For Life. Check em'out.

Some funny/interesting videos that I have seen recently as well:
Here is a funny guy that I saw on the web...wtf?
This is another reason that we should be grateful that we aren't from the South....actually its pretty rad.

Welcome to the real world....

Michael Richards is a kook. A fucking barney ass, racist motherfucking kook.
Its a shame that he did what he did, but it just shows you what some pyscho people are like. His apology was garbage...fuck off dude.

He's gotta be on coke, no?

Time Will Tell...

Kauai...
My question to the rest of you is, what beats Hawaii?
Seriously, even with all the tourists and chaos, the isnas is where its at.
I met up with my folks after a long morning of travel yesterday. Finally got to the home pad and the place looks sick. Right on the beach! Literally, like 10 yards from Kalapaki Beach. So stoked. Went down to Poipu today and spent the a.m. hours snorkeling, swimming and surfing. Its about chest high right now so pretty epic for longboards. Stoked!
Pulled a super lame manuever on my first snorkel today too. A surge came through and I grabbed a rock that had some urchins underneath it. Ended up getting about 40 barbs stuck in my three middle fingers on my left hand and it hurts like a motherfucker! Urchin barbs are not epic...once they get in you, they pretty much work themselves as deep as possible into your flesh. Now, I have black spots on my fingers where the barbs went in and it will prob remain that way until they fall out or my body just eats them up.
Ew!

Anyway, Kauai is epic...i really wanna buy here.

Aloha bitches!

Hugs...

Hugs are important and people need to give more of them.
I have decided that I will no longer be giving out half-ass hugs...thanks Shindizzle.
Practice random acts of kindness!

Oh yeah, GW is a douchebag and the House is now in the lesser of two evils hands!
yay!

15 years ago today....

Wow! I can remember the afternoon press conference so well. Magic Johnson told the whole world that he would be retiring from the NBA because he had HIV. Being a diehard Lakers fan my entire life, and watching "showtime" for so many years, it was probably the single most devasting day of my life.
Thankfully, with research and medication, many folks with HIV can live totally normal, healthy lives. Thankfully, Magic has stepped up and contributed tons of money for research and eventually a cure for this disease.
Yeah Magic Johnson.

Friends Rule.....






Highway 1 Bar Tour. Tons of fun. Endless I say!

Pop music!

I used to hate it, but now i love the shit..., at least some of it.
I just threw on a cd that brought back a flood of memories in a heartbeat.
I miss LC...a lot.

Mega Ramp...

I just came across an old skateboarding legends website that I havent visited yet.
Many people outside of the skating community have never even heard of this guy, but he is possibly the sickest skater ever to live. Everybody knows Tony Hawk and some people know Bob Burnquist from the X Games...but Danny Way is insane.
Check out this footage from China, or this gnarly backside 360. He is also known for building the most insanely huge ramps ever, known as...MEGA RAMP. He just built one at Bob Burnquists house in San Deigo that cost over $250,000.
Epic.

Enjoy.

This is what you get when you eat the Golden Arches....

Dude, I almost barfed while reading this, but I know for a fact that I vurped!
(vurp - when you vomit in your mouth and swallow it again, ew!)

not to be confused....

When i said you shouldn't talk about race with people, don't let that confuse you with "races."
I highly suggest you keep talking about them...especially them NASCAR kind.
Yeah boy!

Something to think about...

People say there are two things you should never talk about with people you just meet:
1) Politics
2) Religion

I have a third...RACE! Dont talk about race....not a good thing.
Although I will never know what its like to be white, there is no way in hell a white person can even imagine what its like to be a minority. Problem is that I have surrounded myself with smart people. People that AREN't racist, but because they are smart, they think they know whats up.
Maybe some of them do, but come on...have you ever had someone make slanted eyes gestures towards you? Have you ever had someone talk slowly to you because there's just no way I know how to speak Engrish.
I am the lone asian in an all white crowd. They dont look at me as Korean, they say, but I look at myself as Korean and I think I stick out very obviously in a sea of pale skin.

Perhaps I created my own problems. Maybe I need to socialize with more asians...
We can all try and say that we love each other, color has no barriers, etc...we need to work on it big time and not pretend to think we know what its like, and instead, admit that we are all ignorant sometimes.

kooks are lame!

Obama or bust...

Everywhere you turn these days, is news about the elections that will shape the next several years in our House and Senate. Mamy states are choosing new Governors as well, including California. I fricken can't stand the Governator, but Angelides is sort of a kook himself. Its basically gonna be the lesser of two shitheads...again...as usual.
2008 is also coming into the picture now. Hillary looks really strong, but there are no clear candidates yet. Kerry says he'll prob run, Edwards should be expected as well. Then there's Obama! He gained tons of popularity after his speach at the convention in 2004, and since then has been gaining support throughout the country. But...this will stir things up for sure within the party. Will Hillary lose most of the African-American votes? Hillary will need those votes. With South Carolina being the first state to hold a primary, who will come out on top?
There is an excellent article in the NY Times and Obama's hints towards running.
I guess once they all officially announce their candidacies, we'll know.

Bottom line...F W!

The Lone Star State...

First of all, if you're from Texas, I am sorry. Really sorry. I have never had anything good happen when in Texas. Even in Austin, which is the only city in that state that isn't completely nuts. Needless to say, we all know our President is from that place too. Remember the Alamo...my ass!
I have met some great folks from there, but as a whole, that place is back-ass-wards.

There are some folks in Texas that still believe Texas to be its own Republic. Come on people!
Anyway, to show you how fucked up TX is, look at what a State run website does here.

Gnarls!

North Korea, South Korea...

With so many problems in the world today, we have recently been blown away with the news that North Korea has nuclear weapons. Can we really be that shocked?

A brief history and cultural lesson for everybody...technically, North Korea is still at war with South Korea and the United States. The Korean War never ended, and as a Korean American, I can tell you that this problem still exists, every single second of everyday. As a Korean person, I cannot look at the North Korean people as my enemy. Koreans never had the choice! The whole reason there is a North and South is because the U.S.A, and China and the then Soviet Union divided it at the "38th parallel," which is the most heavily guarded and armed border in the world.
Millions of Korean families were broken up, lost, kidnapped...not by choice, but because of political, geographical, and economical reasons. To this day, I have a great uncle that i will never meet, talk to, or even be able to send a letter to without worrying about censorship from the DPRK.
Geographically, Korea is an easy entrance way to all of Asia through the Pacific Ocean. Lying between China and Japan, Korea has endured centuries of war with both countries. There is still grips of animousity between these nations. Once the West became interested in Asia, the shit started to hit the fan everywhere. The US became interested with using Korea and other parts of Asia for military reasons. Strategically, the US and the Soviet Union (backed by China) formed a demarkation line at the 38th parallel separating Korea, into North and South. To this day, the United States and China have strategic agendas to make sure North and South will never ONE again.
Why shouldn't we be suprised about the North having nukes?
Well, we have known for over a decades that North Korea has sold arms to communist, guerilla, and outcasted nations. Having the USSR and China backing you pretty much means carte blanche. Once the Soviet fell and China became a Capitalist society there was little interest in North Korea. This left them fend for themselves with limited resources coming in as aid, where previously they lived typical Cold War communist ways. During this time, the South, backed by the United States prospered becoming one of Asia's major players. North Korea desperately wanted to get a piece of South Korea's action, so they started to trade, deal, and work even closer with sketchy countries.
During the 1990's, much of Asia suffered from a drought, but 3rd world countries like North Korea were extra fahked. Millions and millions of Korean people in the North died of starvation, and yet there was little to no media coverage of this. In the 1980's, celebrities rushed out to make cheesy songs to help countries around the world with starvation, but in 1995, not a single country but South Korea came to aid the North. Eventually, China started to send more aid, but even to this day, North Koreans have nothing to eat. Millions of tons of rice is exported weekly from South Korea and still people die everyday.
Towards the end of that decade, the US started to communicate with North Korea but due to an upcoming election, things were pushed to the side. Once Bush took office, he has basically blown off negotiations with North Korea, usually blaming the Clinton administration of ruining relationships with the North.
Why is this so important?
If the North has nukes, and their Leader Kim Il-Jong is crazy enough to see millions of his own people die of starvation while he eats like a king, why wouldn't he use it on neighboring nations like Japan, China, or even South Korea? He would. As I write this, there are hundreds of missiles and rockets pointed straight to Seoul, only a skip away. In less than 20 minutes after launch, thousands of Koreans will be dead. North Korea knows that the US (probably) wouldn't let this happen. Japan, China, Russia, the USA, and South Korea should all be shitting bricks and worried about what to do.

It freaks me out when i think about all the issues going on in Asia. Being Asian-American is already tough in this country, but being Korean-American may be even more difficult if things keep going the way they do. Muslims faced it recently with 9/11, and its only 60 years ago that the US Government displaced thousands of Japanese-American by forcing them to abandon their lives and live in internment camps. They (US GOV) said it was for "their protection."
Fahk that. They were scared. That was ONLY 60 years ago people...think about it.

Within my circle of friends, I am known to speak my mind and its not unusual for me to make snide comments about being "white people" and how I interact with a mostly all white crew. Although I believe in my heart my friends don't look at me as "the Korean guy," I often find myself feeling out of place just because of my skin color. Obviously my social circles are a result of my upbringing, but its still something I think about. Recently, a friend had a shirt made for me that read, "from the good korea". I know he had no ill intentions of getting this shirt for me, but it made me realize the naivity about what truly is the situation in my motherland.

Get out of my way!

Surfing...hard to think of something better than it, but its tough. The feeling you get when you step into liquid is like no other. Snowboarding, skating, skiing, wakeboarding, nothing is quite the same.
Then you got longboarders vs. shortboarders...I grew up riding single fin, 10 foot boards my entire life. I can ride short, little 1 1/2 inch thick grom riders, but they aren't as exciting to me. Fishes are fun though. I want a new 6'0...sick!

Surfing has taken off tremendously in the past 30 years. Its super popular and tons of people are learning every single day. I think its great that people get to experience the same feelings I do when I am in the lineup...but...STAY THE FUCK OUT OF MY WAY KOOK!

One of the biggest reasons (besides being a () in the cold water) is the fact that tons of kooks are out there, taking off when they shouldn't, having no control of themselves let along their boards, and just cause they own a $400 wetsuit, they think they rip. Recently a girl I know took up surfing. Now she is convinced that she is a surfer. Thats what we call a kook folks. KOOK!!
BARNEY GALORE! She was trying to tell me that the ocean water in SF is 65 degrees...it wouldn't get that warm here unless hell became earth. I am the last person that thinks he knows everything, but the ocean, surfing, any waterman activity, do you really think I don't know my shit?

I am not trying to be a smartass or an asshole, I just wish people knew where the fuck they fall into the world. If you choose to learn to surf, good on ya, just stay the fuck out of my way.

Here is some NORCAL footage to keep you going.

How rad...

would it have been to be at this show...thats real talk.

While you wait...

Here is a quick little piece of entertainment from our lake sonoma trip.
More to come very soon.

Getting older, not old....

There are so many cliches about life. How short it is so we should live the fullest lives possible, etc....

Well, its true! During the last couple of years, I have been reminded almost daily that I am getting older each day. Every commercial on tv tries to sell products to help us stay young. Viagra, Levitra, Cialis...all products for men to keep a boner so they feel young. Skin creams and ointments to help your wrinkles, body sprays for men to get young, hot girls...its absurd!
Maybe its been this way for years...maybe its just cause I am getting older and finding myself in front of the television each night.
Its become a problem...too many entertaining shows on tv every single night these days.
Oh well.

Hawaiian Style...

So I have been feeling a little bit lost lately. Not having the ocean lifestyle that I had growing up is starting to eat at my brain and my soul. Being a waterman is part of who I am and not being able to surf, kayak, swim in the ocean really takes its toll on my well-being. One way I have found to get me closer to my roots has nothing to do with being in the ocean though. I just found out, that I can still put my heart and mind into the ocean while playing my ukulele.

I have had a keen interest in the ukulele for a long time. I finally decided that it was time to give it a shot. Within two days I have taught myself a variety of songs and have even been able to play some songs that I never thought I would.

There's something about sitting in my room, closing my eyes, and playing songs by IZ, Jack Johnson, and other hawaiians. So good.

One day, maybe I can rip like this girl.

But...the best in the world is still Jake.

Planning for the best camping trip ever...

Well, its just sorta camping. The final preps are being planned for the 2nd Annual Lake Sonoma Flotilla. we have reached our capacity/goal of 50 people for this trip.
Planning for 50 people, let alone 50 squirly people is a VERY difficult task. Having limited spaces and locations that can accomodate that many people can be a daunting task, but knowing how much fun we are gonna have as a crew is worth every second of it!
I have reserved a private campsite that is located in a Redwood Grove and only accessible by boat. We also have 2 pontoon boats and 1 ski boat with a wakeboard, ski's, and a tube. We will def be able to get our groove on being so secluded on a lake.

I decided to bail out on Vegoose this year. Its too expensive...but the lineup looks incredible. Looks like I only have Hawaii and a possible trip to Phoenix in the plans for the rest of the year.

Haven't had much time to write lately, but its been a drama filled past couple of weeks.
Dont forget...Hasselhoff rules!

Its been a little while...

My life has been in a total uproar! Nothing bad, just craziness all around me. Pyscho ex's showing up in the most random places at the most random times...friends saying and doing crazy things...wierd events happenening around the world...loss of a friend....

Its nuts! Things were really strange for a little while in the land of Gnarlystoke. Seemed like the air was thick, constantly pushing down on me. Finally, something happened. Not a single event that I can point out, but I basically started to pull myself slowly out of the funk. Its still a process that will take time, but I am ready to face those challenges.
I plan to write more tonight, but in the meantime...enjoy!

Another funny one...

I think dance-offs are the best. A friend of mine was at Knotts Berry Farm in SoCal this weekend and witnessed some folks get it on with a dance off at the park. Nothing like impromtu dance offs!

Like this one.

Weekend in review...

Ended up going to Six Flags MarineWorld on Friday night with a good crew of people. Had a blast!
The rollercoasters were so much fun to get on. Sorta felt like the kid in my previous post a couple of times, but for the most part, we had a terrific time. I lost my cellphone though...sucks.
Good thing I had my backup phone in the car and in service by the time we go to the cars at the end of the night. Ha...what a dork I am.

Spent the day yesterday in a limo, and wine tasting through Healdsburg. Needless to say, we got hammered. Our friends J & J, took some of us to 4 wineries, and we got totally wasted. Out of 10 people that were going to the phry last night, only 1 made it out.

Today I helped out with a friend's mom's event in the SOMA area. Spent some time there and met up with some friends. I gotta remind myself to stick around when single woman are around!

Alright, closing this boring review with a funny video from American Pie 3.

Life's too short....

I woke up yesterday a.m., to an posting made by my friend in NYC. I grew up with her in SoCal and knew her family well. She let us know that her brother, a friend of mine, passed away this past Saturday and that the services would be today. Needless to say, I was deeply saddened, in a state of shock, and trying my hardest to find out if this was true.

Since graduating high school, several close childhood friends and kids in the neighborhood have passed. Most people I know can't relate to that, but growing up there has been said to even be a curse on our area high schools because of the number of deaths.

CH was truly a great person and a fantastic human being. He was a police officer for the Inglewood PD, a loving husband, son and brother. I have memories of him walking around in the same jacket all the time, a baseball cap down low on his face, and being a good guy.

Life truly is too short, and once again it takes a tragedy to learn that. Too may young folks I know have passed. It reminds me to enjoy life to the fullest and appreciate every second you have on this planet CH was only 28 when the accident happened. My thoughts are with the family...

I love rollercoasters...

This is why. (courtesy of bh)

I may love my medicine, but this is ri-cock-u-lous....

There is nothing like the love of a mother...fucker!

City by the Bay...

San Francisco is truly one of the great city's in the world. Obviously, there is nothing but New York, but for a lot of people, NYC is just too gnarly. Paris, London, Rome, Tokyo, Seoul...all major hubs around the world, but there is NOTHING like this town.

Where else do a million people (half in drag) get together on the streets, on Halloween to celebrate? Where else can you find the world class skiing/snowboarding within a short car ride, surf the biggest, gnarliest wave in North America, and cross one of the most beautiful bridges...all in one day?

Its always been known to be "liberal" but I think we are more progressive!
Golden Gate Park, Crissy Field, the Presidio, Alcatraz, Transamerica building, Coit Tower, Twin Peaks, the Castro District, Ocean Beach...its all unique.
We also have great restaurants!

SF ROCKS!

Public Pools...

I grew up swimming me entire life. Literally, 4-5 hours a day, for over 13 years, and YES! I pee'd in the pool.

The ultimate funk...

During my times of "funkiness" i have decided to take a second and try to think of some of the great things in my life and things i love(not in any particular order):

1) Lifeguarding
2) my Health
3) delicious wines
4) my friends
5) the beach
6) my wonderful hat collection
7) hawaii
8) pancakes
9) the smell when you get off the plane in hawaii
10) holding someone you love close to you
11) sunsets
12) sunrises
13) moonscreen
14) herb
15) swimming
16) my car...betty
17) diving in the ocean...being underwater
18) durango, co
19) paris, france
20) train stations in europe
21) NYC
22) NASCAR
23) Surfing
24) surfing in hawaii
25) books
26) peace
27) conversation
28) magazines
29) watches
30) cool shoes
31) my ipod
32) boardshorts by TM
33) Fishing
34) camping
35) learning something new everyday
36) pharms
37) cid
38) live music
39) road trips
40) romance
41) beautiful glass pieces
42) museums
43) dolphins
44) sharks
45) jellyfish
46) oysters
47) the grateful dead
48) wilco
49) campfires
50) my guitar

ok...that helped.

One of the best bands ever...

This was shown at the 20th Anniversary show in Boston, 2003.

Loss of a friend...

Eric from Boonville was a good pal. We first met at the Boonville BeerFest, introduced by a dirty wookie. When I first sat down with E, he shared his talents with the entire group. Everybody there was so impressed with how friendly and "kynd" he was right off the bat. He was a big fan of the Boonville AirBand and loved the outdoors.
Last night, Eric fell over. He cracked his head and is no longer with us.
He was a good pal.
E is survived by his little brother, Sean, aka...Pink Lemonade-O.
Eric...you will be missed by all!

The laughing yogi....

I wish I could be this happy.

Crikey! Weekend in review...

Ended up having a pretty good weekend. Went to Lake Nacimiento and ended up spending 80% of our time in the water. The weather was at or above 100 degrees during the day time and freezing at night. No needs to go back to that lake, especially since it was as trashy if not trashier than Clear Lake.

There is something to be said about the "Lake" culture. I realize that most Americans probably live closer to lakes than the ocean, so they gotta take what they can get, but wake boarders (wake spongers!) and lake folks are just sketchy. The second night, a group of younger, tatted up, white boys that were a mix between gangsta and punk camped right next (basically on top) of us. Our campfire was a couple feet away and we can hear everything they were talking about. It was the first time in a long time that I wanted to kick some ass and beat the living shit out of them, but the fact that there was a bunch of woman and some people that didn't know me that well stopped me. These guys had the nerve to make racist comments about Asians right next to me. Looking back, I am glad I didn't let myself get too caught up in their ignorance, but they still deserved to get their asses kicked.

September is already looking to be a fun packed month. May have a friend visit from LA, have a WineGuzzler event on the 21st and Moe. the 22nd. Michael Franti and Spearhead have their annual Power to the Peaceful concert in GGP this weekend, and I want to get to Monterey and Humboldt before the month is over. Also have a quick trip to Las Vegas, via San Diego in a couple of weeks. Then October is filled with some exciting things as well. I am still on the fence about Vegoose, but the Lake Sonoma Flotilla will be incredible. Oh yeah, also just scored some Black Crowes tickets at the Santa Cruz Civic sometime in the next couple of weeks for an unannounced show.

Summer is NOT over!

Lastly, really sucks about the Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter. Who would have "thunk" that he would die from a stingray of all creatures? Guess it its true what they say...When you play with fire, be ready to get burned. Regardless, its a shame and sad.

The Goose is LOOSE! And Treadmills....

I am still on the fence about Vegoose this year...but I think the lineup looks great! The Roots, Tom Petty, The Black Crowes, Mars Volta, Mike Patton!
Less hippie is ok with me right now.

Check it out!



Also, I will admit that I watched some of the MTV VMA's last night and the band OK GO did a live version of their treadmill video.
Here is the original one more time for you to enjoy!

If only the Grateful Dead or Phish were still playing...

Gosh, the days of touring around the West Coast seeing my favorite bands. Dead back in the early 90's was so fun. Trips to Eugene, Las Vegas, and the always fantastic of a dump, the LA Sports Arena. I remember after Garcia passed, I gave Phish a shot at Compton Terrace, saw them at Santa Monica Civic, Ventura, the Greek in LA, Shoreline, on and on and on.

I just wish I had one of these back then!

Guess I can always use it for NASCAR!

(thanks to (to) for letting me use that wonderful discovery of a link)

Even though...

A bunch of my friends are currently playing in the hot desert sun of Black Rock City!
Honestly, I think the idea of Burning Man is awesome, unique, and pretty much fantastic in its own ways, but a lot of people don't feel the same way. Maybe its ignorance? Naivity?
Regardless, everybody needs a way to express themselves.

So, now that I gave Burning Man its props...I thought this was pretty funny.
You may have to live in San Francisco to truely appreciate it, but its still funny.