Reeg Speak

The New Workout Plan

2011-10-04T12:54:00.000-07:00

32% - SPORTS. What do all athletes have in common? They workout! And if I want to play hoops better, I need my strength to bang down in the post [yeah right] and my legs when my squad needs a game winning bucket. And it's nouveau for golfers to hit the gym. I mean have you seen Camilo Villegas lately? Yes, it was slightly uncomfortable finding that pic. Strength leads to a faster swing speed leads to a farther golf ball leads to a shorter iron in hand leads to a closer ball to the pin leads to more scoring opportunities.

28% - HEALTH. I have no reason not to be in shape. You can't just eat well and expect to be all ripped and ish. My job makes me sit on my rear for like 10 hours a day, then there's probably another hour of idle time commuting to and fro work [no I didn't misspell "from," I just wanted to go archaic on that a$$!]. So that's almost half my day when I'm just posted like a journal entry. And years of that led to my back stiffness and unflexibility that I'm trying to unravel.

12% - VANITY. C'mon, that's partially the reason you go too! Clothes basically look better on people in shape, and it's a thing I'm striving for. Futbol players clean-up so well since them dudes are straight chiseled. And generally European, so they're almost born sartorially inclined haha. And not too tall, so I used them as an example. Plus all that loot I spent tailoring my clothes would be negated if I didn't fit them properly lol. So if you look good, then you feel good, then you're getting a confidence boost. See, even being vain somewhat has a purpose.

10% - ROUTINE. It's good to deviate away from the home-work-home schedule that most of us have. Plus once I get in these doors I ain't leaving again! I have no SO or no seeds and own a DVR, so I can't use that "I-don't-have-any-time" excuse. Similar to a dope emcee, I should strive to get in a good flow.

8% - CHICKS. Hey, at least I'm honest! I appreciate a girl in spandex and a sports bra and some sweat. Although the other day this girl was on the treadmill rocking a camisole, looking like she straight had lingerie on. But I wasn't complaining. It's not like I straight ogle at yall, I just sneak peaks here and there *wink*. So yes, I do it for the nookie, or to be in position to get some nookie lol.

6% - INK. In case your boy ever finds something worthy enough, I want my canvas to be tattoo ready. I don't wanna look mad anorexic like Wiz or mad, um well-fed like Ross [warning! image might not be suitable for young children]. Um yeah, don't worry mom I won't be fully covered either lol. Imagine that.

5% - FISCAL. So check this out - remember this post from 2003 when I first got my membership? Of course you do! But as a refresher, I paid like a stack up front for 3 years, with the crux being my annual renewal would be $20. So that's $1.67/month, and I didn't even use a calculator. So the more often I go, the lower my daily effective cost is! I love milking a deal, similar to me playing like a thousand WWF games on the ads version of the game mwhahaha. Oh me and my comeuppance.

Okay guys, see you at the gym!
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Now That We [Haven't] Found Love

2011-09-29T15:59:00.000-07:00

So it’s been officially a lil over 2 years since your boy been single. Can’t lie, I thought I would find somebody by now lol. But I guess it doesn’t work like that, or maybe my game isn’t as tight as my pants usually are. It’s just baffling how some people meet their subsequent mates so swiftly and easily. Again with the clothes reference, but if you think I’m particular about how my shirt measures, think about how I'd want my lady to fit! Yeah – from that vantage point it’s pretty difficult. Too bad I can’t just have a bespoke chick haha. That would be awesome though, and I’d definitely pay a premium for that. It’s not even that I’m uber-picky, or maybe I am? All I want is someone to complement my freshness [and compliment my freshness lol – jp oknotreally].

I know it’s something I can’t rush. I know that feeling when you’re with someone and nothing else matters, and one day I hope to recapture that. And I’m confident I will, just not sure when. It’s like an earthquake – you know it’s coming, it’ll just hit you when you don’t expect it. Yes – I just compared love to a natural disaster, and sometimes it’s not too far off haha.

Then it got me thinking – maybe I’m too much of a finished product? [I say that now because I got a job!] I mean real chefs don’t buy the frozen lasagna and stick it in the oven, they buy all the ingredients and put it together, make the necessary modifications, and voila – you have your pasta dish! I think girls prefer someone moldable like old bread. I’m not a work in progress [or process if you choose], I’m already a tangible asset. The only caveat being that I have straight-line appreciation instead haha.

But kill that noise, no matter who you are you adapt to your mate to form that meshing, so I’m not as rigid as my selvedge denim might indicate. Plus maybe older girls do want that ready-made fella. At the end of the day, someone’s gonna dig you or not dig you, regardless of what you are. As a result, the best piece of advice I can offer to myself is just to be myself, and I think that’s what I’ve been doing these past couple years. WYSIWYG. [On a side-note, that would be the dopest MC name ever – MC Wyzzy Wyg. I’m claiming it like 5 minutes ago.]

Eff being a hopeless romantic type – I’ma hopeFUL romantic ninja! I’m about to indulge in some libations later on with my glasses being half full. And I promise my next post won't be as emo hahha.
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Maganda Girl Rock

2011-09-12T14:25:00.000-07:00

I've been bumping this the last few days. Shoot I even put it on our playlist for our hoops runs haha. It's not quite the classic that Knock you Down is, but it's on a tier below. I've just been replaying and replaying, mostly for these 4 bars:

but the only thing I need to know right now/
what a pretty girl like you doing in this part of town/
with a city girl swag and a country girl smile/
I mean - you demoralizing b****s with your style

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Twork it Out

2011-09-12T11:30:00.000-07:00

Starting week 3 here at work, and I’m still in that mode of pretending to look occupied and busy, when really all I’m doing is writing this blog post haha. It doesn’t help that my manager is sitting adjacent to me, but luckily I have two screens, and this is currently being composed on my laptop one further from him. It wouldn’t matter if those screen filters I ordered on day 1 arrived already, but nonetheless I’m still writing.

So thus far it’s been going pretty well. I’m just poking around old files, trying to build reports off our poorly designed accounting software [Great Plains you POS!], looking at financials and just getting a feel of how this department operates. I kinda replaced someone here, but it’s been a minute since he’s been gone and so I’m somewhat on my own island. The only cross-training I do is at the gym!

More so I’m getting a feel of the culture here. I swear people abuse the “Office – All Employees” email alias. I don’t care if you want a damn flu shot. Or do you really have to share your anecdote with so-and-so since they’re leaving? At my last job my email spiraled out of control, so I’m trying to stay on top of it here. I got mad rules in place already, so I think I’m good. A lot of crap is on our shared drive too, so I don’t need my inbox to mirror that. Efficiency yall!

If I were to change something here, it would be everything. But hey, that’s why I’m aboard. [On a side note, one of the few words I jumble up are aboard/abroad. Once I was introduced to a new coworker, and I was like “welcome abroad!” Hope she didn’t think I called her a broad? Or she probably thought I was a captain welcoming her to our cruise ship? Nonetheless, it was a lose/lose situation.]

Til the next entry! And freakin’ my font is still jacked up…grrrrrrrr. If that's the case, please use Google Reader to read me =/.
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What the Font

2011-09-12T00:34:00.000-07:00

Testing...font is jacked up on page 1 but page 2 it reverts back to how it should look? What the heezy I don't have time for this!

Miss A-Z

2011-09-07T14:29:00.000-07:00

I recall writing this entry, and it was probably my favorite blog post of last year. Then again it only had to compete with like 4 others, so it wasn’t that hard to choose a winner lol. So I was inspired from myself to create this one. Instead of numbers though, let’s switch it up and use letters! I mean I have a job now, so I have time to blog. Duh. Anyway here are 26 things I look for in the opposite sex.

A – Ass. Like I’ve mentioned before, I’m neither an assman or a breastman. I’m both.

B – Brains. I’m a sapiosexual dude. And if you don’t know what that means, you should look it up.

C – Cups. As in cup-size. I wasn't lying about "A." And just like Scattergories, C-Cups give you double points! Just kidding, Bs are fine too.

D – Debonair. Luda said it best – “I want a lady in the streets and a freak in the sheets!” Yeah, yeah.

E – Exotic. Reeg can’t have no plain chick! This word slightly edged out erotic lol.

F – Funny. I feel I can carry my weight on the humor side, but sometimes I like to be entertained as well.

G – Genuine. This might be a tad cliché, but it’s up there on my list.

H – Horny. I can’t be the only hornball in the relationship. Libido is a good thing.

I – Intimate. Not necessarily the physical traits, but someone who can open up to me and share their innermost thoughts. And wear intimates too though lol - ah I love homonyms.

J – Jovial. I’m a pretty jolly dude, and would hope that gets reciprocated.

K – Knowledgeable. Not saying you have to be a walking Wikipedia, but to abreast of current events should suffice.

L – Laughter. Someone who makes laughing a priority. Someone who can laugh at me and with me. And someone who could laugh at herself.

M – Motivated. This is along the lines of being goal-oriented, but “G” was already taken!

N – Nurturing. Not that I need it, but it shows that you would have good maternal instincts.

O – Organized. I don’t want you to cramp my style. Organization is the key to efficiency.

P – Passionate. About whatever you do. About life. About me!

Q – Quirky. Some idiosyncrasies here and there, but nothing too weird.

R – Respectful. It’s another basic trait, but like a scale, it’s something that holds weight.

S – Spontaneous. Since I’ll be the rationale one for the most part. I’m like 70/30 reasonable, so ideally my mate would be 70/30 spontaneous.

T – Thoughtful. Real talk, it’s the little things that matter. They go a long way like a hail mary pass.

U – Unfiltered. Don’t hold anything back. Whether it’s good or bad, tell me thoroughly or lash out at me. None of this “I’m fine” bullish!

V – Versatile. When it comes to your interests, your steez, your overall persona – someone who can’t fit in a bucket. Give me a mixed goodie bag!

W – Witty. I would like challengers in a battle of wits. Wittiness is like a good corniness, but beware of the fine line between the two.

X – Xenophilic. Don’t you hate it when you come across these lists and something like ‘xcited” shows up? Effin’ cheaters. Anyway, the world is an adventurous place. I’d need a travel buddy!

Y – Youthful. This is not to be confused with young. You can be a generation older and display a youthful exuberance.

Z – Zany. I’ve used Funny and Laughter, which can be synonyms. That’s not redundant, just an important trait to me.

There you have it. I mean again, I don’t think I’m asking for too much yeah? If you bat 26/26 then let me know where you’re at!
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6 Months? Wowsers

2011-09-03T11:50:00.000-07:00

Just needed to e-dust this thing off and try again. As I'm getting into a flow of things, hopefully blogging will be one of them too. To summarize the past 6 months:

- got laid...off

- went to LV, lost mad dough

- went to NYC for the first time in over 10 years

- tried Bon Chon out there, then realized there's a Bon Chon down in the 'Vale

- went to Uniqlo for the first time...lived up to it's hype

- to say I played some golf is an understatement

- skin tone is approaching full-illocano level, although i'm like only 25%

- got rid of my grapes

- took swim lessons for 2 weeks - apparently that wasn't enough

- venture back down to SoCal - went to LegoLand for the first time

- movie of the year thus far: crazy.stupid.love

- man-crush of the year thus far: ryan gosling

- r&b song of the year thus far: lloyd - cupid

- rap album of the year thus far: Krit's? shoot - nothing has really risen above anything else

- went to Yosemite, saw Half-Dome and ran the other direction

- played some more golf

- declined a job with yammer...we'll see how i feel once they get acquired

- 2 goals i had whilst unemployed: clean out my closet and watch the wire. i went 0-for-2

- visited a chiropractor a few times, but i stopped because my insurance lapsed lol

- had a personal high of 181 bowling, including a 4bagger

- started hooping and going to the gym [somewhat] consistently

- went to Kauai for the first time - place is beautiful!

- congrats cheryl/nate on the nuptials!

- rocked out at rock the bells 2011

- accepted a job offer at Axiom Law, started this past monday!

Another Alert

2011-03-25T12:14:00.000-07:00

Hehehe...think I went over my Strip Club budget? Darn you Las Vegas - and it wasn't even a bachelor party weekend! Honestly this is real frivolous spending for someone on pending unemployment =/. Should've just went to Chinatown as the cabbie mentioned. Oh well! But seriously, this is primarily the alcohol purchased, like for real, and for dances bought for other people whose names are going to be withheld, for real real. And for argument's sake, let's ignore the reciprocation and gentlemen factor when someone gets you an LD.

Oh yeah here's another sexual word! It was a d'oh one too.

suc·cumb

–verb (used without object)

1. to give way to superior force; yield: to succumb to despair.

Reeg's usage: She didn't want to swallow, but I knew she was going to eventually succumb.

Yeah sorry guys, that was way too easy.

Man-Crush Alert

2011-03-17T11:27:00.000-07:00

Honestly I don't even remember the shot he's talking about - stuff like that is 2nd nature to a baller. Ain't nothing to a bawse. Let's go Gauchos!

Self-Audit

2011-03-15T12:41:00.000-07:00

As most companies with a calendar year-end are wrapping up their 10-Ks, I am as well. This was the first year in quite some time that I wasn't bombarded with an overload of work, so I was like let me run my own comparatives YoY [year over year for the unenlightened]. Essentially I need to explain the variances if the delta is above a certain threshold. The "Comparison" column represents 2009 figures while "Spending" represents 2010. Note I'm just providing the Expense section of my Income Statement - I'm not showing you guys the revenue part!

SHOPPING

Wowsers a 917% increase from '09 to '10? Deloitte would definitely ask about that. Then the following would be my variance analysis:

- In '09, Reeg completed Phase III of liquidating his shoes, hence the credit here. This did not net against revenue because shoes were originally expensed from 2000-2008 and were not considered COGS [cost of goods sold].

- In '10, an increase of $2.6K was primarily attributable to the purchase of timepiece and multiple sunglasses, as the latter included the replacement cost due to the extraordinary loss in August 2010 after his car was broken into.

- Reeg needs to read more books.

HEALTH & FITNESS

- Golf spending decreased by 21% due to a once in a lifetime trip [okay, maybe once every 10 years] to Pebble Beach in May 2009. 2010 expenses are still over-budget as $200/month was allotted to Golf based on his Annual Budget.

- Gym spending increased due to Reeg believing he could actually finish the P90X program, thus splurging on weights and a pull-up bar. Expect costs to revert back to the $20 annual fee he spends for his 24 Hour Membership.

- Health Insurance spiked in '09 due to the multiple visits Reeg made to his physical therapist for his lingering back problems. This amount represents the total of his co-pay.

BILLS & UTILITIES

- Television/Internet costs increased by 43% due to Reeg no longer receiving promotional fees from Comcast. He plans to call them shortly to play the unemployment card to again get his rate lowered.

- Mobile Phone expenses decreased by 33% despite Reeg having the same phone/plan due to him finally realizing his brother works for AT&T and he's able to go on the family plan. He wishes he realized that earlier. Doh!

Then after Deloitte would sign-off on our audited financial statements, I'll have an Earnings Call with investors to discuss Reeg, Inc. The future is bright yall!

On a side note, I'd recommend Mint.com to all! It's like my own cloud.
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Sacrifice

2011-03-14T15:50:00.000-07:00

Roots - Sacrifice

This song is from a personal classic [aka an album not critically acclaimed, but you love it], but yet this post isn't about the music. Are you with me? So last week we us Catholics started the Lenten season. Each Lent we try to give-up or sacrifice something, and I always try to run the gamut and try to cleanse myself of as many things as possible. With that said, it's also good to even do something more. Here were/are my goals and the statuses after 5 days. 1/8 of the way there!

Soda - This is almost the standard generic sacrifice. Like if there was an equivalent of asking you how you're doing and you say "cool," then this is it. I've kinda started prior and slowed down my soda consumption awhile go, so I'm drinking more of nature's beverage. I just have to be weary of those Jack and Cokes I enjoy. Just give me scotch on the rocks next time.

Volunteering - No silly, I'm not gonna stop volunteering, but while I have volunteered a little over the past few years, I figured I could do more, especially if I find something I enjoy doing. Some people spend their time at food banks and pet shelters, so why can't Reeg volunteer at a golf course? I signed up for the First Tee of Oakland program, where you could teach under-privileged youth golf and life lessons. My app [no iPhone] is currently under review, so cross your fingers for me!

Clothes Shopping - I used to justify buying stuff by saying I can't pass on this deal! But you know what? The more you look, the more deals you'll find. So conversely, if you stop looking, then you won't find any deals! I've unsubscribed from a lot of email distro lists, and I don't care if you're offering free shipping both ways. That was another thing that got me. I hate hate hate paying for shipping fees, so I always tried to spend the minimum to qualify for free shipping. Say I just wanted a $25 shirt from UO , I'd would find other things to qualify for free shipping lol. That's my fiscal kryptonite.

Online pr0n - Disclaimer: not like I peep this a lot [yeah right], but I just wanted to see if I could do it. I actually was inspired by this Details article when the author just quit cold turkey [probably needed a cold shower too] and he hasn't looked back. I would link it but you probably wouldn't click on it haha. Anyway I didn't violate this yet, and this is limited to the online world so I could still go to strip clubs in real life!

Getting More Flexible - I see my pull-up bar everyday and I try to use it everyday. I'm going to pack resistance bands on my upcoming trip since we have 54 holes to play, and I'm not talking about 18 girls. I think I need to first increase my limberness then work on the strength aspect, since I'ma pretty brolic dude already [/sarcasm]. I should be toned by summertime. Notice I didn't specify summertime of what year though.

Okay, that list seems reasonable and doable. Wish me luck!
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Midori Fa So La Te Do

2011-03-14T14:42:00.000-07:00

Where: Midori Sushi

When: March 10, 2011

Who: [starting clockwise] Reeg, Nick, Dennis, Tiff, Trish, Dan, Anthony, Benjamin, Stephanie, Mike, Kevin, Kathy, Jeff K

What: Sushi [duh]

How Much: $30 with tip and drinks

It was a drizzling day but definitely not as bad as the prior foodie edition. But that didn't deter us from having the best foodie ever! Just browsing the menu was enticing, as for some reason we ordered a Crazy Horse roll and a G-Spot roll, the latter that Kingsbury couldn't locate haha. And we already consumed an armada of sushi boats by this time.

I didn't try anything else besides the sushi. [FYI side-story: Whenever my old co-worker wanted sushi, she always asked us "is anyone down for soosh?" Like who abbreviates that?! Lol I told her never to say that again, but apparently it didn't register.]

The dinner was going as planned, and since Ant [the chooser] was flirting with the owner, we were able to get free Sake and ice cream! Because Jeff was the only other guy with hair on his chest, just me and him did a Sake Bomb. I think I beat him too!

We were such gracious diners they wanted to capture our meal for perpetuity and asked to take a picture of us. We now have our Foodie Christmas card, so toodles if you weren't there!
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Dinner for Schmucks

2011-03-14T14:21:00.000-07:00

Schmucks in this case being myself, Jeff and Michelle. This past weekend we decided to test out our cooking chops and came up with the following menu: braised short ribs, mushroom risotto and a green apple crisp. I would say it was a rousing success. And we celebrated afterward if you catch my drift. And that's not the only thing drifting.

Anyway I wanted to super-slow cook the ribs, but I only had 4 hours instead of 8 hours, so I used this recipe instead. I used farm-raised short ribs from the best grocery store in the east bay - Berkeley Bowl! And nope, it's not a bowling alley as I initially thought. More legit than the Savage [a reference only Bay Area hip-hop heads would get]. About to eat the leftovers for dinner tonight!

2011 Rankings, Part II

2011-03-10T14:54:00.000-08:00

For Part I, peep here or just scroll down a little bit you lazy bum. Just kidding, I shouldn't offend my 3 person readership lol.

9. Olivia Munn - Now that she's dating Mr. Shuester, I'm not sure if that should increase or decrease her stock. But the fact she embraces her Asian heritage, is a geek at heart, and has freckles makes here a Top 10 candidate. Plus I think her puppies got bigger!

8. Jessica Biel - Will she be the highest Jessica on the list? I guess you have to wait to find out. But she's hypnotizing, especially for a white chick. I still can't recall a movie she's been in besides that Chuck and Larry one.

7. Vanessa Hudgens - Aww, lil Gabriella is all grown up now. Well, if you saw her nudes from awhile back, she's been grown for a minute haha. Now she's a free agent, her stock should rise. I could watch HSM without feeling guilty now. I just hope she trims now.

6. Kristin Kreuk - I still can't let her go even though she's been off Smallville for like 5 seasons [FYI - that show's still going on!] I was all ready [not already] to retire her, but then she made a recurring cameo on Chuck last season, so here she is. She might not be top 5 status anymore, but she is a surefire HOFer.

Okay - I think I have my top 5 figured out, so stay tuned.
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Toilet Seat Covers

2011-03-10T14:02:00.000-08:00

So as long as I've been comfortable enough dropping a deuce in a public restroom, I thought I knew how to properly place a toilet seat cover. Conventional wisdom was that you would perforate it, then have the flap part hang closer to the tank. However this weekend, courtesy of Alan, I learned that the flap part should be hanging FROM THE FRONT! So it's like you're taking a piss onto it, and the urine would slide off.

This totally makes sense now, as you don't want your junk potentially touching the porcelain, and you don't want toilets with automatic sensors to flush without you yet handling your business. This has happened to me quite frequently too. Can't wait until I try this.

Along those lines, I had aggregated some poop tweets that weren't kosher for Twitter, but totes appropes for Blogger hehe:

- Don't you hate it when you're leg falls asleep while deucing? At least it gives you time to finish that article you're reading.

- You know you really really have to go when your poop comes out before your piss. The turtle is severely poking out it's head.

- I hate washing my hands all thoroughly, then have to turn a knob or pull a handle to open a door. They should have hand-sanitizers outside a doorway.

- I never use those loose rolls sometimes placed near a toilet. I can imagine the prior pooper using his hand as a rod, so no beuno to that.

- Ever just see a log floating in a toilet, but no TP around? Don't you wonder if that dude even wiped his ass?

Haha that above reminded me about that scene in Alpha Dog, when Justin drops a deuce in the dude's living room. "So how are you gonna wipe?" Okay, I think I reference that movie way too much.
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Tahoe 2011

2011-03-07T15:15:00.000-08:00

This was my view for most of Saturday. Northstar was more like Lonestar for Reegstarr.

I fell like 50 times, but got up 51. Considering it's been 3 winters since I last went, I still thought I would perform at least decently. On the contrary haha. Snowboarding however is something that I enjoy doing even though I suck at it. Kinda like photography, so that image above is twofold. Snow Club came through, so thanks Alan, Richie, Royce, Rach and Sheryl for riding with me! And shouts to Mark, Phil, Trish, Jeff K and Dennis for making the trip too.

If anyone else is down for another run this year, I think I'll give it another shot. Should be an extended season too!

Anyway still glad I went boarding. Since my board is in my room, I look at it every day lol. The rest of the weekend was grand as well - starting off with Chick-Fil-A and ending with a Pazookie.

So in all the emails I sent, I reminded the group to bring swimgear for potential hot tub use. And naturally I forget my ish. Alas I still jumped in that bad boy.

Game of the trip - Slide 5. I might actually buy that one now.

So thanks boarders, fishers, gamblers, gamers and cooks for the fun weekend!
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A Couple Add-Ons

2011-02-23T14:34:00.000-08:00

I forgot one more word. I first heard it watching an episode of HIMYM and Marshall even said "that's a good word." Then that episode aired a few nights ago. Here it goes:

in·ef·fa·ble
–adjective
1. incapable of being expressed or described in words; inexpressible: ineffable joy.

Ted was breaking up with this chick, but he didn't have a solid reason and said it was ineffable. The girl was like "so I'm not effable?" hahaha hilarity. Please watch that show.

***

Random thought. I named my blog "ReegSpeak" but my domain name is "www.reegsta.com". Shouldn't it be named "www.reegspeak.com" instead? Hmmm, good thing I didn't renew that name yet.

***

I put up a Justin Bieber pic last time, and my sissies now think I'ma a fan. They then asked me if I wanted to watch his movie along with my nephews. Ummm pass. But here is a cool pic lol. He probably got that Caribbean fever too.

When Keeping it Internet Goes Wrong

2011-02-17T16:35:00.000-08:00

1:48:05 PM Darlene: ummmm he probably would but i'm supposed to go to vallejo for a wake and he was gonna be home alone w/ the kids
1:54:03 PM Regan: oh word
1:54:10 PM Regan: who passed
1:54:45 PM Darlene: oh my godfather
1:54:54 PM Regan: you mean - omg-father?
1:55:06 PM Regan: sorry couldnt pass it up
1:55:39 PM Darlene: omg
1:55:45 PM Darlene: lol you're frickin crazy lol
2:01:58 PM Regan: sorry
2:02:09 PM Regan: totes inappropes
2:02:47 PM Darlene: i know but it was funny
2:02:48 PM Darlene: thanks

I can make light of any situation, called me Thomas Edison.
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Godfather Part III

2011-02-17T15:18:00.000-08:00

And if you think this post is about the movie, then you really don't know me haha. Anyway I was the Chosen One [no Lebron] for the third time for lil Sebastian! He joins the ranks of Isaiah and Brandon as being on Team Godfather Reeg. After much bartering, Ryan and Kimi finally chose me...and my sister! She already has like 20 godsons/daughters, and she didn't have to do jack to get named one again.

The baptism was held at Saint Monica's a few weeks ago. Here are the pics for proof! After looking at the pics, I totes forgot to use a tie-bar =/

Making it Rain, parts 1 & 2

2011-02-17T15:04:00.000-08:00

Is it cheating if I posted these on Tumblr? Hmmm...well I guess it's like people overlapping their tweets and status updates, so be it. Anyway - mis'fits from the last couple wet days. And no, that's not me pitching a tent on the second pic. It's just naturally like that *WINK*. Click on the pic for the deets!

Sexual Words

2011-02-17T14:56:00.000-08:00

Ever notice how indirectly sexual some words are? Or maybe I'm just a perve? I'm sure it's a bit of both. Off the top of my head, here are a few, along with their definitions. Consequently, these are some of my favorite words to use!

a·breast
–adverb, adjective
2. equal to or alongside in progress, attainment, or awareness (usually followed by of or with ): to keep abreast of scientific developments; keeping abreast with the times.

Reeg's usage: I am abreast of her breast augmentation.

cock·sure
–adjective
1. perfectly sure or certain; completely confident in one's own mind: She was cocksure that she was able to do the job better than anyone else.

Reeg's usage: Mandingo is cocksure of his ability to perform in front of the camera.

sex·tu·plet
–noun
1. a group or combination of six things.

Reeg's thought: Seriously though, why couldn't they just call this word sixtuplets? I swear the word originator here just had visions of an orgy. Hornball.

puss·y·cat
–noun
2. Informal . a person or thing not at all threatening: a pussycat underneath all his gruffness.

Reeg's thought: I think the word "puss" is gross, because I think of that stuff oozing out. But if you just add a "y" to the end, then it looks 10x better.

ha·rass
–verb (used with object)
1. to disturb persistently; torment, as with troubles or cares; bother continually; pester; persecute.

Reeg's thought: I'm not the only one who thinks of this as "her ass." Who else changes pronounciations of things? No Rajon, no Armen, no Gadzuric.

a·nal
–adjective
2. Psychoanalysis . a. of or pertaining to the second stage of psychosexual development, during which gratification is derived from the retention or expulsion of feces.

Reeg's thought: If I hear that someone's anal, I first think "so they like to take it up the poop shoot?"

vag·a·bond
–adjective
1. wandering from place to place without any settled home; nomadic: a vagabond tribe.

Reeg's thought: Yes I know this means nomadic and stuff, but let's break up the word - "vag" is self-explanatory, and "bond" for this context means hold together. So guys, you gotta ensure you have a vagabond chick.

On a related note, I always laughed at Andy Roddick's surname. It's almost redundant haha. But since he's married to Brooklyn Decker, then he's a winner in the game of life. Imagine though Andy giving Brooklyn the business, and he's like "yo girl you want that raw d*ck in you?" Brooklyn hears "Roddick" and is all thinking "there he goes talking about about himself in 3rd person again," but he really wasn't. Hmmph.
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Sushi Bay-Bay

2011-02-17T14:20:00.000-08:00

So I went to my usual fast and cheap Japanese spot on Kearny called Sushi Bay, but ironically I wouldn't ever order sushi from here haha. I keep it simple with the ___katsus for like $6 flat. Not even an upchage for brown rice! Anyway I was like "yo give me the curry tonkatsu special" and proceed to bring it back to my desk.

To my surprise, I see a side of spaghetti! Look, it's in the lower right hand side! It's mediocre, but I thought Flips had the exclusive rights to serving this with their dishes? But what can I say...we're trend-setters. Next thing you know they'll cook it with some ketchup too.

2011 Rankings, Part I

2011-02-15T15:50:00.000-08:00

Now is probably a good time to drop my new ~~Top 25~~ Top 15. I've included pictures, hence the truncated list. Hmmm, it's only been 6 years since my last ranking lol, so I guess I'm due like a library book. In some particular order, here it goes:

15. Katy Perry - What was my 2010 Commercial of the Year? This Pro-activ one, like seriously. And who cares if she sometimes looks like a skinny Rosie O'Donnell. She's pretty even without any make-up on.

14. Natalie Portman - I can't front - I wasn't even that big a fan of SuperNat during her stint for the Star Wars trilogy. Norm was mad trippin' off her though. But with these last 2 movies I've seen her - No Strings Attached and Black Swan - she's made a meteoric rise up the rankings. I can dig a chick in a button-up, and are those French cuffs? Gasp. For the record, I didn't even watch these movies, as this is just based on trailer footage. Like my Photoshop job? I should offer lessons on SessionSpot.

13. Megan Fox - She fell off a bit, but she's still Megan Effin' Fox. This scene from Transformers still brings out the lil boy in us perverts. She acts as the bridge to connect my generation to our subsequent one.

12. Kim Kardashian - I rarely drop my jaw after just seeing a JPG of someone, but after I first saw KK's pics, my jaw was floored. This was pre-Ray-J, pre-Reggie, pre-Miles, pre-Kris, and she was just known as the hot chick that hung out with Paris. I still got love for her, fake butt and all.

11. Alicia Keys - I thought she would fall-off after giving birth, but she actually improved. I don't know if it's because she's standing next to Swizz's broke looking self, or if she actually got hotter. If she starts breast-feeding, it could help her out a bit upstairs.

10. Scarlett Johansson - This was from like the 2006 Golden Globes, where she let that one gay designer touch her boob. Well, I'm just assuming that he's gay. Anyway, Scar-Jo is like a flyer Quin Fabray. You look up voluptuous in the dictionary, and you'll see it's definition [duh], but also a pic of her.

*EDIT* This is taking longer than it should [TWSS], so I'ma keep it a few at a time. Plus it'll give you a reason to come back!
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Wipe Me Down

2011-02-15T15:34:00.000-08:00

I hate this. I yoosh don't let little things like this bug me, but this irritates me. I got Sen-dog an oil change yesterday, and the dude parked my car. I came back with the wipers all angulated. It takes like 2 seconds to return them to their normal home. Grrrrr.

My Last

2011-02-14T15:39:00.000-08:00

This track is getting mad spins from me - I even shouted it out on Twitter. If you like shallow raps Sean, and mediocre voiced Chris, and a past-his-prime NO I.D. with a late 80's New Edition Sample, this is right up your alley.

Damn, I still owe you guys a 2010 Music in Review. Ahh...still letting the Q4 stuff soak in. See - I have an excuse for everything!
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I Hate it When...

2011-02-08T12:04:00.000-08:00

I remember in my blogging prime I used to comprise lists of things I hate. Nowadays if something comes to mind, I'll just send off a random tweet. Twitter won. Anyway, since I am completely useless at work, I'd figure I'd compile another list. This was inspired by a recent tweet too:

- I hate it when packages take like 2 days to arrive cross-country, but take 3 days to get sorted and delivered. I want my IIIs already!

- I hate it when you look up a word in the dictionary, then the definition has another word you don't know the meaning to. I swear them mothereffers do that on purpose. Look up "sycophant" and you know what I'm talking about.

- I hate it when you click on a top 100 or top 50 list, and you gotta keep on clicking "next" to get to the following one. I understand pageviews and ish, but damn that's annoying. Can't they just keep it on one page? Or maybe 5-10 items on a page as a happy medium? For reference: Complex's Top 50 Bay Area Rap Songs

- I hate it when ninjas announce they're gonna defriend people on Facebook. "Oh no - there's about to be a purging!" Just go ahead and do the damn thing. These are probably the same folks who get butt-hurt when they find out they got defriended too haha.

- I hate it when I see a half-empty ream of paper near the printer. Do you not realize the whole stack can fit in the tray? I think I voiced this sentiment somewhere before.

- I hate it when PDFs are from scanned copies and not converted from Word or whatever. You totes can't use the Crtl+F option. I just had to scan a 100 page agreement for a little clause for our auditors. Bastards.

- I hate it when you do your laundry and you wash your towels. Then you're halfway asleep during your morning shower and you realize you have no towels in the bathroom. Then you gotta run to your closet all dripping wet to retrieve one.

- [from MethodMik's twitter] Hate walking into a smelly ass bathroom and everyone thinks u did it cause you're the only 1 there

- I hate it when you see ish on clearance, but they only have like XXL's and XS's left. In abundance. Yall need to allocate better. [Or maybe I should've bought it when it was regular price lol].

- I hate it when fans of teams hate on a rival squad for beating them. Case in point: the Spurs beat the Lakers last week on a tip-in at the buzzer. Countless "I hate the F^$*king Spurs" posts ensue. Yall should've hated on your team for not boxing out!

- I hate it when folks be hating on Justin Beiber and the Black Eyed Peas. Obviously their music is not my cup of tea, but they stay in their lane. Justin had a photoshoot with Kim, and the BEP are more hip-hop than me and you. They inject some positivity into the culture, so I can't hate that.

I just can't hate on this, but I have to applaud him!

Kick your Game

2011-01-14T17:02:00.000-08:00

I've been in the market for some new golf kicks for awhile, and I think I found them! I was thisclose to getting some Ecco's [echo echo], but I'ma Nike head. I wear chains that excite the feds. So...might cop these for the up and coming [pause] golf season! Well at least before my birhday tourney and subsequent golf trip.

I Just Wanna Be, I Just Wanna Be...

2010-12-28T17:42:00.000-08:00

Successful.

I feel pretty weird jacking this off a Tumblr blog and putting it on a Blogger one. It's like putting on a Lacoste jacket over a Ralph Lauren shirt [you thought I was gonna use a Nike/Adidas reference huh?] But really, that ish don't matter. I don't give people funny looks anymore when they do, even if it happens with socks and shoes.

All My Plaques Still Say...

2010-12-28T10:43:00.000-08:00

If you misspell it, at least misspell it correctly! Rarely do I get this sabotaged version.

How come I thought of this first though - a Raglan Tee.

Mental Notes from the Past Year

2010-12-27T13:25:00.000-08:00

After reading my 2010 resolutions [for some reason I didn't make a 2009 list - no wonder!], I'm not sure if I still should be concocting these blog posts haha. But I'm slowly chipping away at personal goals that so happen to coincide with the new years timing. This part of the year is like your annual check-up - but instead of being a physical, it's a mental. I asked myself during this time - what have I accomplished this past year and what I do I want to accomplish in the following year.

Let's review the first half of that last sentence. Umm...I kinda wish I took a mulligan this past year. Too bad there's no mulligans in life though. The past 12 months were a blur, but I'm not sure what I have to show for it. Okay I have a lil more bread and am flyer, but that's expected with age. While convenient to blame my impending lay-off as a reason, the onus ultimately falls on me. No one else is making my bed. Truthfully I wanted to ride out the year and have a succession plan. Well Reeg, the year's over in a few, and the succession plan is not exactly in place. I think I expect too much from me, but there's a reason why I have broad shoulders. I don't know exactly what I yearn to do...I just want to leave my mark on this world somehow. Have a legacy. Achieve greatness. Become Legendary [oh wait, that's a Jordan commercial]. I believe I have the foundation to perform such feats, it's just a matter of what/when. Pisces are dreamers, and I'm no exception. I just want to be exceptional. That's not asking for too much!

Don't get me wrong, this year wasn't a waste by any means. I grew spiritually, reinforced what I want in regard to my personal life, became closer to the familia, and realized what's truthfully important. Once you cut out all the BS then you have a much clearer mind. I built and continue to harness these pillars that I can rely on and to be able to weather anything. I feel I'm in a good place, but if I'm questioning it, it's not yet where I want to be. Which is totally acceptable, so I think I constantly strive. Never just be complacent yo. So as I'm running this marathon called life, I can only ensure I got the proper equipment during the journey. At least I'll be prepared.

My bad, this blog was kinda heavy lol. Guess I'm rocking the retrospective Reeg hat today.
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Elimination then Consolidation

2010-12-22T11:22:00.000-08:00

I'm not talking about journal entries, but rather my systematic method of reaching my goal of under 100 by the end of 2010. And I'm almost there! I no longer became a shoe enthusiast - rather, I became a shoe whoreder [whore hoarder haha]. And you know what? I don't miss any of these kicks I got rid of. I primarily sold them, bestowed them to siblings, or just donated some unwearable ones. I peaked at almost 200 at one time - so that's almost half of my kicks gone! How come no one told me I only have two feet?? So it took 3 phases over 2 years, and right now I'm hovering around 100 since I did add a select few over the past several months.

I'm not sure if I could get much lower though. There are some that are sentimental, some permanently deadstock and some permanently beaters. I just gotta learn how to let go. However, I'm thinking of doing the In-N-Out method. If a pair comes in, that means a pair would have to come out - animal style. Maybe down to 75 by the end of 2011?? Hmmph.

"X" marks the ones that have found new homes. Remember these pics? haha

Live Fast, Die Young

2010-12-22T10:31:00.000-08:00

I swear for as often as I log into my Mint account, you would think I have a lot of money there lol. But tell me why my Facebook password is more cryptic than my password here? Anyway I was reading their blog about minimizing your 2010 tax burden, since that's what old people do now. How do I reduce my tax bill come April 15th?

I chuckled when I saw this suggestion:

10. Die

If you’re lucky to have enough assets to be eligible for the estate tax, remember that right now there is no estate tax. And if Congress doesn’t do anything about it until the end of the year, on January 1, 2011, estate tax will be back. Will Congress do anything? Maybe. The bottom line is, after the end of 2010, no one knows exactly who it is going to apply to or what the rate will be. Last year, people joked about hanging on a few more days until the tax expired. It turned out not to be a joke. I suspect this won’t be, either.

Totally makes sense. Every time I fill out a tax form, they prompt you and ask "did this person die in this year?" Dead folks gotta file taxes too. However not as your tax advisor, I suggest you don't do this. Leave it to your heirs to figure out.
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It's Dior Homme, not Dior Homie

2010-12-22T10:20:00.000-08:00

Probably my favorite G.O.O.D. Friday track, and I'm kinda glad it was left off the album. Funny anecdote: Pusha and 'Ye performed this song on a radio show, but they had to read the lyrics off a telestrator lol. At least it wasn't in front of a crowd. I guess that shows you have quickly these ninjas churn out music.

Listening to this song makes me want to get a pair of jeans. And John Legend should mimic Nate Dogg and release an album with just him on the hooks - that would be an instacop.

2K10 Music Year in Review post coming next week!
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My Holiday Wish-List, the Budget Version

2010-12-22T02:10:00.000-08:00

Disclaimer: I'm not that materialistic. Okay, maybe a little bit. But hey, stimulating the economy creates more jobs and a better GDP, which would lead me to a job, which in turn leads to higher morale, which leads this world to a better place. See - so there's a reason to go out and buy this crap. While my original wish-list might have some items that are far-fetched, here are some realistic items that Reeg could use for a sub-Curtis Jackson. And I'll probably just take care of the original list myself lol.

Sensor Soap Dispenser
BBB has this for $40, and that's before the 20% discount! I remember when these came out a few years back, and they had some motion detection issues. I assume now they've improved on that, so now it's time to improve on that plain Palmolive bottle. [Side note - I hate how dish-washing soap is either 1. tough on grease, 2. anti-bacterial, 3. anti-odor or 4. for dry-skin. I get so flustered when it's time to buy soap again. Why can't they just be all of the above??]

Hooded Moto Jacket

I cheated a bit. This retails for $58, but there's a 20% floating out there, bringing this to $46.40! I'm digging the asymmetrical zipper and the wine color. I'm probably never going to ride a motorcycle, but at least I could rock the outerwear lol.

Decoded - Jay-Z
For the list price of $35 [and absoltutely no one pays MSRP on a book], I could add this to the coffee table. Not really an autobiography, this book is a book of rhymes [no Nas] and memoirs. Since it's selling for less than $20 here, might as well add The Big Payback to the cart too. That's another book I want to peep. Uh-oh, I might as well get an iPad now lol.

Titleist Pro-V1x Personalized Golf Balls
If I could afford it, this would be my ball. But at $50/dozen, that averages to over $4 a ball. My game doesn't justify that price point, as I currently play a $2.50/ball [Nike One Tour Ds]. It might not seem like a big difference, but it you play often the cost of balls could add up. Or I could just get better and stop losing them lol. Right not personalization is 20% off, so I could get them stamped REEGSTA for only $40/dozen! Or maybe GETAJOB instead hahaha. Tempting.

PlayStation 3 Dual Shock Controller
Currently $44, I figured if I have a controller, it would really really expedite the purchase of a PS3. The default system only comes with one you know. Then again, not sure if this really works. I used to buy vinyl back in the day in anticipation of getting some turntables. And I still don't have my 1200s. I guess I can't really fool myself.

Giants World Series Collector's Edition 2010
I can't lie, I bought this as a gift for someone and I kinda want to keep it. I probably wouldn't even watch it, and I sworn off buying media, but this should be the exception. I got it below $40, but now it's $45? Just like the Giants, they probably have a dynamic pricing model haha. Now if only I cover find a newspaper cover for my edition of the Chronicle.

New Era Golden State Warriors Fitted Hat
That's a fugazi link, as I couldn't directly find somewhere to buy this particular colorway. While typically not a fan of hats that aren't the teams primary colors, I figured if you already have that taken care of, why not get alternate color schemes? But rival teams are a NO-NO, like a SF hat in the A's green/yellow. That's just nasty. 7 5/8 please, and this shouldn't retail for more than $35. Use my Lids card for an additional 20% off!

Kenzo L'eau Par Pour Homme
Before I settled on getting my YSL fragrance, this was a close runner-up. And why not have a rotation of colognes? I seriously think I still have Polo Sport and Issey Miyake in my bathroom somewhere haha. Quick tip to the gents out there: for your scent to last longer, you should moisturize the areas about 5 minutes before you apply the spray. I can't help you if you want other things to last longer though. Cool looking bottle too huh?

Andis Cordless Beard Trimmer
If I had a stocking, I would want you to stuff it with this $22 trimmer. If you have seen me in the past couple weeks, I've been rocking the facial hair. Partly because I didn't feel like shaving after my tooth extraction, partly because it's winter-mode, and partly because I'm about to be laid off and I'm prepping for my unemployed look. While it was cool after a week, it just became nappy afterward, if that's even possible. Why this particular brand? Uh because theStyleBlogger uses it.

If all else fails, I would gladly accept gift cards to the following [in order]: eBay, Nike, Apple, *insert golf course*, Golf Mart, Nordstrom, Macy's, Chevron, Lucky's, Amazon, Target, Bloomingdales, BB&B, J-Crew, H&M, Coffee Bean, Peet's, Red Robin and Sizzler. Just not Best Buy because I effing hate that store. [But I probably would still use it if I had one lol.]

See, contrary to belief, I'm not that difficult to shop for!
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I Wear my Sunglasses at Night

2010-12-21T14:01:00.000-08:00

You know how they say it's best to buy items off-season? Yeah that doesn't apply to sunglasses. With the calendar year winding down and having some excess cash in my flex-spending account, Reeg was on a journey to find a optometry spot that would allow him to use his money on some non-prescription glasses. Gosh - I really hope WageWorks doesn't read my page. Anyway, I had an eye appointment last month, and my Doctor was all like "yeah, you totally could use it here!" Eye doctors I'm learning are as much as salespeople as Dentists - they'll do what it takes to get that buck.

I didn't mind however. It's not like I wanted a 3 year supply of contact lens solution haha. Before I used to throw on any shades that I had, and I've pretty much worn only brown frames/lenses for the past couple years. I so did not accessorize appropriately. StyleBlogger stresses to coordinate your accessories to your outfit, like don't wear black frames with a brown suit - think of it like a belt and shoes. The belt and shoes part were pretty obvious, but to push that further, it could be applied to watchbands and sunglasses too. Hence my visit here. I needed some black frames, and I was only gonna choose from their selection. I was thisclose to getting some Tom Ford's, but that would require some out of pocket cash, and I couldn't really justify spending that much fromage on some glasses.

So even though they sold for full retail [$240], I was able to get them for 30% since I got regular specs too [but those aren't as fun]. THEN I got to use my flex-spending on them, which is all pre-tax earnings for roughly another 30% savings! [If you bought them regularly, you would use your post-tax income so really you wouldn't be saving that much.] And since this money was set to expire at the end of the year, it was totes a no-brainer. I'm never going to Sunglass Hut again.

I ended up with these! Askmen did an exhaustive review about them, but I only read this after looking for an image of them haha. Felt most comfortable and fit my face, and their polarized lenses would be useful for those bright golf rounds. Yes, all my purchases circle back to golf somehow.

Death of a Sneakerhead

2010-12-20T14:15:00.000-08:00

Confession time guys. ___ and I have joined forces like Voltron to make our own Tumblr page. Inspired by Ty and Nacho, this page showcases our pick-ups and sartorial conundrums and essentially anything else related to gear. Honestly I've been blogging here for a second, hence the crickets on this page. Like a battered wife and/or a Warriors fan [they get treated the same anyway], I'm still loyal to Blogger. Tumblr is dope, so follow us!
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Kufuya, Kufuya Roll Call

2010-12-20T13:54:00.000-08:00

Where: Kufuya

When: December 16, 2010

Who: [starting clockwise] Reeg, Tiff, Nick, Dennis, Sarah, Sarah's BF, Trish, Amy, Dan, Annora, Mike, Jaxson, Rach, Mark, Anthony, Stephanie, Benjamin, Alan

What: Shabu Shabu

How Much: $30

So from Brazillian barbeque to Shabu Shabu, I guess the prevailing themes for year-end foodies is all you could eat! 2K10 was no different, as the crew headed to this establishment to celebrate the holiday in addition to having our gift exchange there. Mike ended up the big winner [or is it big weiner? dadadum!] But Shabu Shabu to me is Japanese comfort food. Comfortable setting, good folks and ideal food considering the weather.

Out of all the Shabu^2 places I've been to, this spot is P&G's shampoo above the rest, as it is Head & Shoulders above the competition. Okay fine, I've only been to like 2 other ones, and the broth and Gatorade and sauce at their price point [$23 per person and $6 for AYCE sushi, but we opted against that option] make this better than Shabu House or Shabuan or Shabba Ranks [just kidding! making sure you're still with me]. Plus it has Trish's co-sign, and once you get a Japanese person to approve it, then it's definitely legit.

This foodie also marked Benjamin's debut, sp welcome to the club lil B!

So not only did I enjoy a good dinner, I also won a preparty! As in 10 of Dan's K-Townphilly's for whenever I choose. Too bad I didn't get Agent's Zero signed shoe. Well it was an Adidas one anyway. He better be open for Christmas mwhaha.
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Life Has It's Hurdles

2010-12-20T13:35:00.000-08:00

This dude's an inspiration. Eff jumping over my obstacles - I'ma pummel through them. And I thought I didn't have any hops. Guaranteed the best 36 seconds you'll have today haha [or 2nd best, depending what you plan on doing later.]

Yes I'm bored right now.

eBay Inbox, volume Winter of '10

2010-12-20T13:04:00.000-08:00

I wanted to unload some gear and build on some feedback for my secondary eBay account for unforeseen reasons, so here is another volume of what's inside my eBay inbox.

***
Dear twpwarrior,
Do you know if this is the kind of jacket that can be zipped into the snowboarding shells? I bought a shell on eBay not knowing that it wasn't insulated and I'm not sure what is supposed to be used with it. It doesn't really seem like a fleece and the shell would keep me very warm on the slopes...? Thanks for any advice..Tanya
- teadkin

Dear twpwarrior,
I have to say that I love your taste in clothes!! You either live in Atlanta or went to Georgia Tech? I call Atlanta home, if you are from there, do you know Moores Mill Road? That is where my husband and I lived after our first child..we happen to have four teenage boys and three of them are 32x30, so I will definitely come back later tonight and bid on some more of your items. One more thing..I lived in Atlanta for years (nurse next to West Paces Hospital) but only went to the Varsity once! Is it still there? If you don't live in Atlanta or never did...disregard all of the above? I was just a huge braves fan, was there when they won the bid for the Olympics and had my first son there, so it was a great place to live while I was there! In regards to the jacket, is it very thick? I wish I hadn't bought the H.H. shell, then I could bid on your Columbia jacket! Tanya
- teadkin

OMG I know no one really needs a blog, but Tanya has a lot to say! I kinda feel sorry for her hubby. She must chew his ear out everyday. I imagine her voice being really loud too. I like how she was able to incorporate her whole life story through a simple question about a Helly Hansen fleece. With all the info she provided I probably could stalk her if I wanted to haha. But I do appreciate she loves reegsta's taste in clothes circa 2006-2008. Wait until she sees me now!

***
Dear twpwarrior,
I don't know how but my bid was 15.52 for some reason it shows 1,552.00 there's no way I'd pay that for a shirt. Sorry!
- fireman2155

Maybe buddy because you forgot to hit the decimal point. It was an awesome polo shirt that you missed the boat on. Cheapskate. It was totes worth that bid original bid - uhhh it came from my closet!

***
Dear twpwarrior,
Please excuse me for winning your auction. I'm sorry but I was honestly mislead by way of your listing appearring after I believed I had filtered out all of the "used" shoes. I may understand the Jordans you're selling have been cleaned up and good to go, but I simply can't affored to play him in the shape he's in. They just won't fly while they're not brand spanking new. I know we both can pride ourselves on our records alone, please let me know how we can continue from here. Hope all is well, please excuse me, Happy holidays.
Sincerely,
Cohentrue
- conhentrue

I had to reread "can't affored to play him in the shape he's in" like 10 times. Cohentrue - are you aware this auction is for a pair of shoes and and not for Steve Francis [a washed-up former NBA player currently balling in China. Not Starbury of course.] "They just won't fly while they're not brand spanking new" - it's not like they don't have wings anymore! I only stated "shoes have been worn less than 5 times" [yes, reeg does have an odometer on his kicks.] Damn those tricky eBay sellers =/.

***
Dear twpwarrior,

Sorry but I did a surge on what a b grade is and it's a shoe with damage, I know I was the only person that bid on them but I don't think is fare for me to pay that kind of money for this type of shoe. Sorry for the bid I put. Good luck

- miguel8272

LOL I did a "surge" - what did you power yourself up to attain enough power to Google that information? Hope you didn't electrocute yoruself Miguel. It's not a shoe with damage, rather it's a pair with minor comestic flaws. But yes, it's not 'fare', nor is it 'fair', but why do you think they were discounted in the first place duh? Uhhh dislike deadbeats.
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Need a Mint Alert - Gotta Stay Fresh to Death

2010-12-20T11:34:00.000-08:00

Mwhaha if only Mint knew what my shoe spending habits were before I started using their software. And while December is typically a cheap month for golf, golfers typically make up for it by purchasing items off-season. At least that's my justification for me so I could sleep at night.

Seriously though, I might return a pair after seeing that. And that's why we have alerts.
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My 2K10 Holiday Wish List - Make it Happen

2010-12-16T16:59:00.000-08:00

Hello Blog. Since I had some down time for the past 3 months, I figured it would be a good time to update this piece before I forgot my password again. Although my postings have been few and far between – one entry is for certain – no, not an entry about death and taxes but rather my 4th annual Holiday wishlist of things that I'm not gonna get! Check here for last years, and I still didn't get a PS3 readers. I guess my tastes haven’t really changed over the years – I usually want tech gear, golf gear, gear gear, and a random pair of kicks – they’ve more so evolved as I get older. But just because you age doesn’t necessarily mean you’re more sophisticated, so I'm not trying to front.

Anyway, this list is in no particular order, just when it came to mind.

Nike Wool Destroyer Jacket
I could've asked for the Leather Version, but this is only $175 vs. $340! That's almost half for the math-impaired. I like how the blue zipper sets it off, and I don't like how the zipper is blue. I am a walking oxymoron. But I love the constrasting charcoal arms and black body. Plus it doesn't even look like a Nike jacket. [But that leads to the question - would I still want it if I wasn't the Swoosh? lol] Can't wait til this hits the outlets!

Polo Richmond Quilted Jacket
But in green and not navy! I repeat Green! Why would I want a jacket that looks like it's inside out? Because all my other coats already look normal duh. I like the textured look, brass buttons and corduroy collar. I actually tried this on at the Polo store downstairs, and frowned when my Polo gift card was only $20 and not $200. I mean I couldn't even get socks with a $20 GC to Polo? Why even bother having that amount in this denomination? That would probably cover the tax portion of this jacket haha.

Dyson Tower Fan
Why the heck do I want this? Simply because it's cool looking. Yall buy Dyson products that suck, while I could get a Dyson that blows. And what words are both antonyms and synonyms? Suck and Blow. "That sucks" and "that blows" can mean the same thing. Can you think of another set of words with those characteristics? Anyway, this thing is bladeless! And if you drop the "l"s from 'bladeless,' it almost resembles 'badass!' How awesome is that.

Nike Stab Dave Whites
The first sneakerhead probably said "once a sneakerhead, always a sneakerhead." While true that Reegsta bought more desert boots than sneaks in the past year, it doesn't mean his love for kicks is any lesser than it once was. Bobbito is one of the most revered shoeheads ever, and dude has less than 10 pairs of kicks. I want these in a sz 10. And there's only 400 of these out there released only in one store in the UK, so act quick!

Bedding Stuff
Confessions - I only have one set of lavender sheets with a bleach stain on it. Well, at least I hope it's a bleach stain. I have blue walls, a silver bed frame, and a tan duvet - so I guess any color would match my setup. I think I just picked this Barney Stinson inspired image to match the kicks above. I could use a QUEEN SIZE sheet set, or new pillows, or both! I really need new pillows - the ones I currently own have more than seen their useful life. They've probably seen their second life too.

Callaway Golf uPro GPS
I know I asked for one last year, but it was a SkyCaddie and that recurring fee kinda scared me away. I think the Cally is only a one-time fee. One-time! Plus this looks sleeker, is H20-Proof [no Ras Kass], and is consensusly the better device. I know this isn't gonna make me a better golfer, but at least it would be a welcome distraction. I did get a new driver recently, so I want to measure them bad boys now!

Nike Extreme Element Carry Bag
Okay promise this is my last Nike item I'll put on the list, but this is probably the coolest bag I've ever seen. If the neon Air Max 95 was a bag, it would be this. This retails for $160 and I actually found one for a good deal that I might just pull the trigger on. I know my golf buddies would be relieved. Although I walk like once every 5 rounds, but my current carry-bag is like 14 years old seriously. I think I have a coupon book from 1997 in there. Luckily no old banana though.

J. Lindeberg Golf Jacket

If you don't know me and you're just basing my personality on the imagery of this items, you might think I'm very monochrome. Quite the opposite! [No, not stereochrome hahaha.] I just have mad pastelly crap and need some muted stuff to balance that out. With that said, this jacket is pretty fresh. I saw it at Golfsmith and scoffed at the $250 retail, but luckily for you, I found it at Zappos for almost half-off! Extra Medium please.

Tag Heuer Carbon Fiber Strap
For the low price of $375, I could remove the bracelet from my current piece and add this one on! Hope it looks as dope as I'm envisioning it. But it's carbon fiber, which can match my engine, my driver, and some kicks that I have. Hypebeasts and carbon fiber go together like kare kare and bagoong. For that price it's probably bulletproof too, or maybe I'm confusing that with a Kevlar strap. You know, for all thhose times I explore the hood. I do live in the East Bay afterall.

Filson Messenger Bag
I easily could've put a LV Damier Graphite bag here, but to stray away from the black and gray color schemes, I wanted to put something realistic in case Kris Kringle[s] reads this! Plus I think any dude with a Louis is questionable, unless you're Pharrell, and you can't rock that bag with a Land's End vest you heard. Anyway this is StyleBlogger approved, looks versatile and definitely isn't a man purse. It could hold a laptop that has mega-gigabytes son!

Okay I think that's it for now. So think of me when you finalize your Christmas shopping!
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Brokestarr

2010-08-16T11:41:00.000-07:00

I know I’m in a blog rut, but that doesn’t mean I needed a wake-up call like this! So a week and a half ago, Blackstarr got his window smashed and I had my backpack taken from the backseat. I was a victim of a hate-crime – they be hating on savs! Hahahaha jp. I know that it’s not wise to leave items exposed, but really, I have a black interior and tinted windows, so you had to peer inside to see what’s in there. You gotta stare into the window and practice looking hard [E-40 reference if anyone got it.] And it happened on West Portal and Vicente, in front of a Starbucks where there’s usually mad cops and there was still sunlight out.

I guess it could’ve been worse…I had my Beats right under my backpack, but those remained [but my neoprene case was in my backpack grrrrrr]. I also had my golf set in the trunk [since it was a quick smash and dash, they didn’t have time to explore. The actual frame of the door was unharmed, as “only” my window was smashed. And no one got hurt blah blah. Then my coworker told me she got her windows smashed 2wice in a weekend, but that didn’t make me feel better. The motto here kids is it could always be worse.

However the stuff I’ve accumulated in and had in my backpack is staggering [exaggeration for emphasis]:

- Prada Sunglasses [ughhh had to buy them again…if I lose this pair, I’ma just go sunglass shopping at gas stations]
- ReegPod [ughhh all my Ne-Yo play counts – POOF!]
- Brooks Brothers Collar Stays [in my dope lil casing too…oh well time to upgrade to metal ones!]
- Book of Forever stamps [forever my ass…damn false advertising]
- Resumes [I keep them handy, more on this later]
- Address labels [I *unheart* writing out my return address]
- Beats case [I know I mentioned it, but I’m saying it again]
- Credit Cards [cancelled them within 2 hours of the incident, and charges already came through at Colma Bart and Shell]
- $15 iTunes Gift Card [that’s what I get for bootlegging all my music in 2010]
- Stonetree Gift Card [I haven’t even played at this course yet! Hope Play Around the Bay will honor a replacement]
- $75 Acuvue Rebate Card [ughhh if they just sent me a rebate check, I would’ve cashed it already!]
- Prayer of St. Ignatius card [I had that since Freshman orientation back in 1993!]
- Citrix Access Reader [oh well, work was able to replace it the following day]
- iPod Shuffle charger [I have 10 other iPod chargers but they’re all for the normal sized ports =/]

Shoot that’s all I can remember for now. Oh yeah it occurred during foodie, making this the 2nd foodie casualty I think? We went to Bursa, which was Mediterranean Food. They messed up our order, and we scored a free halibut entrée that we turned into an appetizer. I ordered the spicy beef kebabs, which was sufficient for 2 meals. It was delightful. But I'm just sticking to the foodies we have in Bayview and the T-Loin, while avoiding hood spots like West Portal and the Marina.

So on the following Saturday as I was taking my frustrations out at the Rancho Solano Golf Course, I received a voicemail from the San Mateo Police Department, who mentioned they have some personal items belonging to me. Stoked, I called them [but not before our meal at Chick-Fil-A!] and was like ‘you have my backpack?!’ They’re like no – we have a Macy’s credit card and a stack of resumes in a file folder. Me: =|

I get my window fixed and I think I’m finished with this whole ordeal, then I see this appear on my online Bank Account:

Bastards hit me where it hurts! If this was like 2003, then it would’ve been a legit charge. But it’s the year of the Double-Dime Dime [2010 - I just made that up], and I don’t spend my cheese like that anymore. Wack dudes probably ordered some Spiz'ikes or something. Ugghhh. I talked to my bank’s fraud protection, and there were several other attempts to use my card - $200 at Lids, $1200 for some paintball place, $xxx at another online retailer. Luckily none of them went through for whatever reason. Maybe because it wasn’t their card!

I didn’t cancel my debit card because it was in my possession at the time of the break-in. But the other lesson here guys is just to CANCEL everything. I was actually waiting for my new car back luck to happen - it just happened when it wasn't new anymore lol. The yellow tape indicates the scene of the crime:

Droppin' Bombs

2010-07-02T13:38:00.000-07:00

Dropping a deuce then subsequently wiping with a sprained wrist isn't as fun as it sounds. I kinda sprained my wrist last week during our football game, so each wipe this week kinda hurt. Today I tried just using the other hand, but it wasn't as effective - I couldn't get that friction. It's like masturbating with the opposite hand - almost unnatural and you think you're cheating the primary one. Hope my wrist heals in time for my next golf round though.
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Back In The Day

2010-07-02T13:20:00.000-07:00

No Ahmad, but I was just perusing some of my old blogs, as I like to do once in awhile. One of the virtues of having a blog is you can pinpoint your mindframe at a certain point in time. I think I reached my blogging peak in the summer of 2004 though. Here is a random excerpt from July 14th, 2004:

"pimples are outgrown thingys on your face (or butt). but if you turn the "p" clockwise into a "d," and therefore dimples, they are ingrown thingys on your face (or butt). anyone else notice that symmetry between the words?"

"feel bad for ursher. first he wants to leave the first chick he's seeing because of her friend (u make me wanna), then after talking to this girl, he's thinking about someone else (u got it bad), but then, he can't get with her because it reminds him of the 1st chick (u remind me), then his current chick starts ignoring him (u don't have to call), which is okay, because he'll be alright tonight. Just when you think he's figured it out (my way), he impregnates a chick on the side (confessions) and his girl leaves him (burn). and just in case we didn't get the point, he tells us again (confessions II). (yeah!)"

LOL I make myself laugh sometimes. But then again, after reading the blogs that particular month, I also wrote some dumb crap. Going forward I just want to provide more insight instead of recap, treat this more like a diary [no Mad Band] than a journal. Be more Mr. Belvedere rather than Doogie Howser. I skipped over all my show recaps, because N.E.R.D. [No one Ever Really gives a Damn].

Hopefully I can carry this blog momentum going forward!
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Reeg Da 5'7"

2010-07-02T13:09:00.000-07:00

The title is a obviously a play on Royce Da 5'9", the Detroit MC who was BFF's with Eminem, then frenenemies, then back to being in the studio together. Boooom.

Not that I would want to, but before if I could change any part of my physical appearance, it would be my height. But I’m sure most people wouldn’t mind being some inches taller. Kinda like money I suppose….you always could use a little more [unless you’re Manute Bol – RIP]. Anyway after some time I’ve embraced my height, as really I had no other choice haha. I can’t rock Air Max 95s and their thick midsoles all the time. Unless you’re a Fortune 500 CEO or US President, then it really shouldn’t matter. During my quest to validate my height, I was researching notable 67 inchers. I know a lot of people inflate their height, so I tried to get accurate measurements as possible. Here are my findings:

Manny Pacquaio – an obvious 1st choice. We’re essentially the same build, but he has slightly more muscles and I have more fat. So if he ever needs someone to portray him in a biopic, I would be a natural choice. I'm a lefty too!

Mandingo – Don’t ask me how I know his height though haha. I remember reading his bio [don’t ask why again] and it said he was 5’7”. And if you don’t know who this person is, go ahead and google him, but not at work or if kids are around. And God bless your innocent self.

American Boy – you know, that song from Estelle? “I just met this 5 foot 7 guy who’s just my type.” So when she sang that song that one time we saw her live, I was like “yo that’s me!” [Are you singing that song in your head now? It was a catchy tune.]

Tobey Maguire - Only the standard superhero next door. You see how easily he scales those walls of NYC?

Timbaland – Real talk, I never really considered one of the greats, but after reviewing his top 25 beats, then he merits consideration. I think it’s because he produced the worst song on The Blueprint. I swear I skip over “Hola Hovito” I play that album. Damn that song and damn Jay for tryna cater to his Spanish-speaking fans. I hate that #$$^%@ song.

Lionel Messi – probably the best striker in the world at the moment [if female rosters were incorporated, then that honor would go to Ronaldo, who’s about to inherit Jeter’s throne], and his 1.69M frame allows him to make some spectacular goals. Okay, this is all I know from watching a SportsCenter piece comparing him to his coach Maradona. I can’t even watch a full futbol game haha.

Bruce Lee – it’s probably not fair to put another Asian dude on this list, but it’s Bruce Lee Foo! Dragon was my favorite movie of 1993!

I'm sure there's plenty more, but I'll just keep it at a lucky 7.
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Blame it on the Name [yeah yeah]

2010-06-30T13:58:00.000-07:00

As I referenced here, I have a co-worker who never was able to get my name right. I guess the right squiggly line doesn't show up in Outlook for proper nouns. Anyway - look! She finally got it right! Good thing because we're out in a few...

It's That Time of the Month Again...

2010-06-29T10:54:00.000-07:00

"I want to write the blogs, that right the wrongs, right on."

You would think that after an extended absence I would be chock-full of material to provide, but sadly that isn't the case. As almost with anything, once the ship passes then it's on to the next. I mean have you ever seen a boat trying to do a U-turn? Anyway here's a quick highlight reel of the past month in reverse order since it's easier for me to remember that way haha:

- Co-ed Flag Football started! New league, new field, new faces. So after a multi-season hiatus, our squad is back rejuvenated and refreshed. Currently we're in 1st place and on a winning streak and on pace to go undefeated. We're 1-0 haha.

- Father's Day. I had no idea PPQ had an upstairs. So when we made the reservations for 17 people, I thought we would take over the restaurant. As far as roasted crabs go in the city, I would go like this: Tanh Long > R&G Lounge > PPQ > Crustacean. I'm sure I'm missing a few others. Thanks to the "sissy", here are pics of that day [don't ask why the 'phews are holding hands]:

- Santa Cruz. I tagged along with Jon and Dar's fam for a lil day trip down to the Beach Boardwalk. I don't even remember the last time I was on a roller-coaster but it was good to get my adrenaline flowing. That's probably how Vinny Chase felt after the season premiere of Entourage. It's fun though to channel that inner child that we all have, so thanks for the invite! Or did I crash? Haha jp. Contrary to belief, we did not request the pink cart, and since Diggy wanted to ride with Dar, it left me and Jon together. All good, he was a better soundboard for top cleavage viewing anyway haha.

- Pebble Beach. My first ever Major Championship! I've seen golf tournaments before, I've seen Tiger before. But I've never seen him in a major. It's like watching Jordan in the NBA Finals [except Jordan would never lose one]. Mike and I headed down to the Monterey Peninsula for the opening round. They didn't allow any phones or cameras or outside food or anything, but being the sneaky person I am, I found a way to get my phone in. Having it though felt like I was concealing drugs on a plane or something. Here is Tiger lining up a birdie putt over the scenic 10th hole. It's really him!

Note to self: remember your exit, but don't leave the premises accidentally and try arguing with the security to let you back in with your sneaked-in possessions...don't wait until the end to take the shuttle, or else you'll be part of a mass exodus of people trying to hop on the few buses left and you end up leaving the course at 11p when the last putt dropped 3 hours prior...bring your Amex card to get free crap...yell "Woods!" since everyone else is yelling "Tiger!"...don't expect any dimes at a golf tournament...rock the sunblock...get a lil useful memento at the merchandise tent...and if you can, sneak into the player's potty areas rather than the general publics.

- In the Heights. This was a fun musical about a close-knit community that shows the struggle's of the inner-city life. This made me think about being an understudy for one of the main characters, but then I realized that would require to sing and dance, which aren't my strong suits. Anyway thanks T, T, R, and N for the company!

- Healdsburg. Nick's annual birthday weekend was another success, except for the golf part. Apologies to those with whom I play board games. If you want to see my morph from Bruce Banner to the Incredible Hulk, challenge me to a word game haha. It's wonderful to get away from the urban life to a quaint little retreat area, devoid of cell phone service, television and dirty air. I look forward to the next one.

Whew, this took me all morning to write, so let me stop here. Rather than just telling you I want to write more, I just gotta do it. Be bout it bout it, like that No Limit shirt I used to rock back in the day haha.

Blogger True-Life: I'm Addicted to...

2010-05-24T11:23:00.000-07:00

Tailoring. I think thus far in fiscal year 2010, I've spent more money on tailoring my existing wardrobe than actually on new threads. This makes sense if you think about it. It's more prudent to spend $12 altering a shirt than spending $30-$50 for a new shirt ya dig? Yes, I *heart* being financially responsible! So I've been going to Vivien in the Mission at GJ Cleaners on the recommendation of one of my sisters maybe a year ago, and I haven't looked back. My tailor bad, my tailor hood, my tailor do stuff that you're tailor wish she could. Okay I primarily go here because it's mad cheaper than the tailors around Union Square for comparable jobs. Isn't an original hem job for $20 and an original hem job for $10 still an original hem? That's my thought process.

Anyway but yeah, I probably visit her once a month to stitch up and surger [not really a word, but I wanted to verbalize 'surgery'] whatever clothes I have on the chopping block. She breathes life into clothes that I haven't worn in ages since they no longer fit [I've lost about 15 lbs over the past 3 years]. I partly blame the Dressing Better thread on NT, as Kram can attest to, since I've been following it about 500 pages ago. Plus I think it's a natural evolution for a vain mothereffer like me. It's funny because I brought it a pair of pants that I got tapered and hemmed, and the job cost more than the actual price of the pants haha [I got them @ Marshall's awhile back]. I even brought a polo shirt in to get tailored for a trial run. Who gets polo shirts altered you may ask? Why stop at slacks and button-ups? But if you think about all the different body shapes out there, and there's typically only 4 sizes of shirts made, it totally makes sense to get them fitted to your specs. Sometimes I just make sense. Watch me start bringing in my basketball shorts lol.

I've actually referred a co-worker here after he asked my about my threads. Hope he wasn't checking me out! And I did refer him to the spot above and he also was satisfied with the job done [although Vivien charges him more mwhahaha]. So if the ploomy-generation of males want to efficiently upgrade your wardrobe, bring your salvageable pieces to a tailor.
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Le Bien, Le Mal

2010-05-21T14:15:00.000-07:00

Where: Gamine

When: May 20, 2010

Who: [starting clockwise] HappyHaplo, theuglystick, JmKingsbury, Methodmik, F171615, SuperliciousSherylism, UCDLax5, kram, NYCRachelli, tifflam1799, Dimpulse78, reegsta

What: Francais Food

How Much: $23-$35 [no dessert, included a glass of Rose]

After much deliberation of when to have her foodie, Rach finally settled on this date. I still don’t know if it was her original pick, or if it was meant to be for someone else. Before we rarely ventured into the Marina for dinner, but after the last experience, it was a welcome change. Maybe except for Mike, who might still be looking for a parking spot haha. So our reservation was upstairs in a private room meant for probably 8 diners, but since we all apparently don’t mind intimacy, 12 of us squeezed onto the table. We're in the middle of discussing everyone’s diets, so we naturally ordered some rich appetizers: the baked cambozola, which is a fancy fromage, and the French fries [isn’t that redundant? I was totally expecting to see les frites on the menu] with aioli. Bad joke time: What did the challenger say to the flamboyantly dressed Bruce? Aioli! [reads "Ayo Lee!" harhar]. But yeah, both apps were delish and we looked forward to receiving our entrees.

Reading off our receipt, you would’ve thought there were only like 3 dishes to choose from. 4 people ordered the Tilapia, including 2 pinays, which prompted the following comment from Mike – “damn you really are Filipino!” Oh yeah Jeff did too, but he’s white anyway. Ugly and Method got the special, which was a lamb stew brined for 2 days or something, or what I just call leftovers. Tiff apparently has been eyeing the spaghetti carbonara with prosciutto, which I was fortunate enough to taste. It wasn’t too rich, but then again I only had a bite. And I couldn’t wait for her to write her review because I’m tryna step up my taste bud game. I haven’t even talked about the Pork Chop, which is what me and Trish ordered. It was tender and grilled well, and I don’t know how else to describe it haha. The mustard sauce was a perfect complement, as it wasn’t overly [*insert term for mustardy*]. And if you just hide the veggies underneath the slab of meat, they'll be sure to get eaten.

Even though Gamine literally translates into childish, there’s nothing immature about this bistrot. So what if I had to look that up. But if you can’t tell already, I did take trois annies of French. I would totally comeback just to try their burgers, as our server was raving about them, sans ketchup though. Oh yeah as an added bonus, they didn't include a fixed gratuity despite our party size. Lastly, "Le Bien, Le Mal" has no significance regarding the restaurant, but it's the only French hip-hop song I know. Oui Oui.
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Bridging the Gap

2010-05-20T16:28:00.001-07:00

The longer the gaps I have between blogging, the harder they are to create. Anyway while walking to lunch today, I was brainstorming subjects to discuss right here. Sometimes you just need to simplify things…you’ll get a greater appreciation for everything. So without further ado, here’s some random crap that I observe that puts a smile to my grill.

- Seeing a thugged-out dude on the bus give up his seat for an elderly person or a lady, or an elderly lady. No, the thugged-out guy wasn’t me. You could tell his mom’s raised him right.

- Seeing a person reading a Library book. That means he/she has a library card, and it’s good to know that people still frequent here. I still wonder if they still use the Dewey Decimal system or is it all computerized?

- Seeing a beat pair of my kicks on someone else. Bonus points if it’s on a homeless person. I’m glad they put miles on classic footwear, just how their meant to be enjoyed. What especially makes my heart go squish are original colorway Jordans I through VI.

- Seeing a pregnant person. I guess depending where you are and how old they are, they’re typically glowing. Usually I see them around downtown/Union Square, and pending motherhood is amazing. However it’s quite the opposite if you’re in the inner-city and see preggy girls…its almost disheartening.

- Seeing someone pick up litter that wasn’t theirs. I’m glad they’re doing their part to make our cities cleaner.

- Seeing a father and son on the golf course. It reminds me of my youth, and how I begrudgingly went along [well really, I didn’t really have a choice lol]. I totally understand now.

- Seeing a friend with a new blog. We all have voices, and we all share this same medium. I like to see what’s on your mind.

- Seeing someone singing their lungs out in their car and/or picking their nose. Maybe because I’m guilty of both of these, but you just don’t give a *expletive* since really, who cares if they see you? 99% of the time you don’t know them.

- Seeing a dude who’s clothes are perfectly tailored for him. As I alluded to before, I can appreciate a dapper dude. Our bodies are blank canvases, and it’s up to us how we want our paintings to be presented. Okay that might be meant more so for tattoos, but it works here too…possibly?

I tried to think of 10, but I suppose 9 will do. As I think I mentioned before, lists don’t always have to be a rounded off number! There’s harmony in asymmetry.
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Who Stole My Last Piece of Chicken?

2010-05-07T15:40:00.000-07:00

Where: Auntie April's Chicken 'n' Waffles

When: May 7, 2010
Who: Tiff, Louise, Sheryl, Jeff, Nick, Reeg
What: Fried Chicken & Waffles
How Much: $14 [but we over ordered on the dessert]

As with Nick’s typical Foodie selections, restaurant goers risk life and limb to venture into the less-frequented parts of town [how’s that for a euphemism?]. Yesterday’s choice was no different, since we dined on 3rd and Newcomb, home of Lil Fly’s legendary Playaz Club in the heart of HP. Despite the historical significance of the geographic location, the location was pretty no frills. I walked in and it felt like a sauna, as they apparently didn’t realize you need ventilation when your primary item is FRIED CHICKEN. Also it was ominous as we were the only diner’s there. Was this a popular drive-by spot? Did Sheryl really see some guy urinating out the window? Were these two guys really pushing a car where I parked on Oakdale Ave? Despite these little hiccups, we sauntered the longest one block walk ever to the destination. After finally settling in, we browsed the menu and ordered the following:

- Fried Chicken, which was PIPING HOT. It had a nice crunch too it, but wasn’t overly battered. I had the darkness, and thoroughly enjoyed it even without gravy.
- Waffles, which were solid. Whomever thought about this pairing should get a Cupid award.
- Cornbead, ehhh…it was pretty underwhelming due to the dryness and blandness. I think I’ve had too much jalapeno cornbread from Farmer Browns prior.
- Oxtail, and whenever a menu has oxtail, I often try to order it. Wasn’t as tender as Hard Knox’s or my mom’s Kare Kare, but it was decent. The sauce was good but I could’ve gone with their version of white rice. And I didn’t even want to touch that elbow pasta doused in mayo they called macaroni salad that came with it. Who ordered that?
- Sides: Cinnamon with dose of Yams, [funky on the mic like an old batch of] Collard Greens, and Mac-n-Cheese, which was the best out of the 3 but they sold out like Air Yeezy’s.
- Desserts: Peach Cobbler, as this was warm and gooey, just as I like it! [I’m talking about the dessert here] They also had some Red Velvet Cake, but I hold RVCs up against my Sister-in-Law’s and they usually aren’t up to par.

All in all, we received an abundance of food for a bargain. Maybe I'm just comparing it to my experiences at Roscoe's, but April's chicken tasted a lot better and I didn't have food poisoning after eating. I guess their rent mustn't be that high. I definitely would go back, but only in broad daylight haha. True foodie-goers will venture anywhere regardless of locale, or maybe we might just be a little off-kilter.
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Yoga Flame

2010-05-04T17:03:00.000-07:00

I had my first official Yoga experience yesterday, since I don't think Wii Fitness counts. I went with a couple neighbors who I met through the carpool lane, and naturally I carpooled with them to the location in Oakland. Of course they didn't mention it was in East Oakland, smack dab on Interational Blvd. I recognized the area from when we got lost once after a round of golf. Yes - we reeeeallly veered off course that time. Anyway despite the surroundings, the studio was all calm and serene with candles all lit. I was wondering where the rose petals are? Mad romantical and ish. The folks running it were friendly and easy-going, as the instructor had a really good zen-like vibe about her. I really don't know if zen and yoga go hand-in-hand or if they pertain to different practices, but from my perspective it's essentially the same idea, word to Phil Jackson.

We started off in the traditional pose with palms facing upward as meditation music was playing in the background. I was really hoping not to rip one since i had some aphritata from lunch, and it was quite filling. I really had to focus on my exhaling and inhaling since that was stressed throughout the session, and I'm hoping that just becomes routine after awhile since I can't focus on that and the actual stretches simultaneously haha. The instructor was all Gumby-like, whereas I felt more like Mr. Potato Head when it came to the exercises. It didn't help that I was in front right next too her. I swear she could've been an extra in a Ciara video or something. I did each one, errr attempted each one, albeit not as fluid as the rest of the people in the class! I doubt anyone else there played 36 holes within 72 hours before, so that was my justification for feeling kinda sore. But all good, it was my first time.

Yesterday's session focused on core strengtening, so suffice to say, it was mad streneous on me since that's an oft-ignored area. My [physical] therapist and other fitness fanatics stress yoga, so it was definitely worth the questioning of my madhood. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to gain flexibility and strength, as it would for sure help my in the gym and golf course [and bedroom too!] Shoot I need all the competitive edges I could get haha.

So with all the corks and trees and wheels and planks and other common nouns used for yoga techniques, I definitely felt something beneficial, even if it was only one session. I guess sometimes you just need to reflect and unwind to release all the negative energy inside you, so that was reason enough to go. Oh yeah I even saw a girl there whom I went to Santa Barbara with...what a small world. And I didn't even mention the 8-to-1 girl to guy ratio, as it got me feeling like Oz in American Pie when he was doing choir...untapped resources!

[And if you thought I didn't have a hip-hop referenced title, guess again. Lupe has a joint of his latest mixtape with that name, as this is a semi-ode since he's in town today.]
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Everyday Struggle

2010-05-03T16:44:00.000-07:00

That's not just my favorite Biggie song, but sometimes I feel that way when I'm looking for topics to write about haha. You shrewd hip-hop fans probably noticed that my subjects usually refer to rap songs, lyrics or just allude to them. If you don't know now you know...ninja.

Anyway, the other day I was asking a friend to describe this guy, since she was friends with his fiancee and was going to their wedding. And she's like "ummm, he's nice." I guess that's the default answer when you don't have anything else to say about someone haha. So I've been trying this new thing, if I meet somebody for the first time, my goal is for them not to say I'm nice if someone were to ask about me. It's like that Entourage episode when the boys were waiting to talk to some producer, and everyone asks for water except Drama, who requests an Diet Orange Crush or something random haha. He goes "you gotta give them something to remember you by." And while it does sound silly by nature, it's actually true.

I probably used this reference before, but it's like when the new Jordan pictures are leaked. They always evoked a strong reaction, like either "those are heinous!" to "OMG when do those drop?" The shoe makers know that everyone's not going to love their product, but they for sure know at least they would be talked about ad naseum, and I think that's the first time I ever used that latin phrase. This is one of the initial steps on the way to become legendary, word to the latest Jordan campaign.

So hopefully I get described as dope, fresh, funny, witty, interesting, thorough, cheesy, fly, dorky, caring, sharp, versatile, unique...just anything but nice, at least not initially haha. No wonder nice guys finish last, as there's no way for you to separate yourself. Despite the Biggie references in the opening, this post is dedicated to Guru from Gang Starr, who's first joint was aptly called No More Mr. Nice Guy. Thanks for the inspiration.
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Everyday I'm ____

2010-04-29T11:07:00.000-07:00

Blogging? Granted, it's been twice, but once things become a normal occurence, then they become routine [theoretically]. Anyway I realized I don't need to come up with a heartfelt entry each time. So with that said, let me spotlight a couple blogs that I've been following lately. I know the personal level blogosphere dwindled [hello Fifth Dimension?], but at the same time, the specialized blogs have entered into another stratosphere. Here are a couple entertaining blogs for your amusement:

Ben Baller - One of Niktalk's most infamous. I first was following him under his old K-Town Hu$tler moniker as early back as 2002, where he and a couple others generated the Nike Dunk SB hype, buying out all stocks in Southern California. I used to drive around LA hunting for a pair of Supas, but this mother effer always beat me to the spot. And I still don't have a pair haha. Anyway I eventually bought some other kicks when he sold off his collection [he rocks a 10.5 also], but that's not the real reason I'm reading his ish. The first ever picture I saw of Kim Kardashian was via K-Town, when she was just a friend of Paris' [he was connected through the music industry]. This was circa 2003 or so? Whenever he posted something, I was always hoping for a pic of KK haha. Anyway, his blog is a good read, and it inspires me to get my grind on.

The Style Blogger - This cat won Esquire's Best Dressed real man competition last year [I guess celebs didn't count], and he could pull off a variety of looks and offers good advice to dude's tryna step-up their fashion game. And he owns Jordan IIIs! It's funny, I check out dudes almost as much as chicks walking around downtown, just to see what their styles are - what works, what doesn't, what should be done differently. Okay that sounded funny - I don't really check out dudes; rather, I notice what they rock. I'm not the only heterosexual one who does haha. Maybe I'll start incorporating here pieces I've added to the wardrobe? I think it's the natual evolution of a sneakerhead.
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When Life Gives you Lemons...

2010-04-28T16:05:00.000-07:00

...you make some champagne and figure out how you did it, then toast with that champagne to the good life. Okay that was lame, but I'm trying to make this a true no-pressing-backspace-unless-its-a-typo blog where I just blog about what's going on between the ears. So the other day when I strolled in late to work on my usual Monday morning, we were greeted by a unplanned meeting. There was a buzz going around the office, which is typically a good thing. But these buzzes turned into stings when we found out we're being acquired by another bank for merely $318M. [Even Gilt Groupe is valued more than us.] Anyway this is probably more beneficial to the revenue-generators than the back-office administration, which typically gets swallowed [har har] once the bigger company realizes we're disposable.

What does that mean for Reeg? Whoknows? I'm like Britney, Bone Thugs, and Baron - aka at the Crossroads [that's a reference to an old MosJef joke - Brit starred in a move of that title, Bone did a song, and B-Diddy went to that school]. So I'm well into my 30s, and thus far I've had jobs, and don't really think I've found a career. You may say I'm good at Accounting, and while true, it's easy to be good at something that you've spent the last 9 years doing. And truthfully I'm wired that way. We're a risk-adverse group, and to do something different would go against my persona. However, that's what I'm fighting with. My goal is to make it rain, but it's somewhat difficult when you've been in the desert for your whole life.

I just reread the last time I was in a job transition, and I'm grateful I could replay a few episodes of my life with this blog here. I vividly remember writing that post too, and just realized recently that Just Blaze produced "Touch the Sky" off that Kanye album I've referenced **hip-hop cred drops a notch**. But that's besides the point. I realize I have the same mentalities as almost 5 years ago, and realize that I'm almost in the same situation as I am 5 years ago. Does that mean I haven't progressed in almost 5 years? Umm I would say yes and no. Granted I'm not where I envisioned myself to be at 31 years of age, but *expletive*, that's life. In current sight [there's foresight and there's hindsight, is there another word for current sight? hmmph] I guess that's not a bad thing. Who wants to watch a movie that you already know the plot for? We all have detours in life and no matter how safe you play it, you're not going to be an exception. I should know!

While I didn't really say anything breathtaking here, I need some e-space to get my mind right, focus on the task at hand. Thinking of a master plan...yes, life can be summarized by hip-hop lyrics, at least for me. Well if the acquisition is scheduled to go as planned, I guess that means more time for blogging!
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Power in Numbers

2010-03-15T13:54:00.000-07:00

Hello BlogSpot. My bad I channelled my inner Tiger and went into e-hiding for a minute. I would attribute it to self-reflection and pondering, but really it was just laziness. I wish I could churn these blogs out with the consistency of Lil Wayne's mixtapes, but I prefer to have quality posts. I can't dilute the product. Anyway while at work, I stare at numbers and think about girls pretty much all day. And when I'm not at work, I think about numbers and girls too. Suffice to say, I like numbers, and here is how I like them applied to women:

3 - most number of pierced spots, word to paul. left ear, right ear, belly button or tongue [taking it back to circa 2000]. any other spots I'd have to question.

4 - minimum number of Sacraments you should have received, which would be Baptism, Confirmation, Reconciliation and Communion, which is basically how I would quantify a Catholic girl

5 - ideal finger size, because chunky fingers means chunky toes, and I want your feet to look cute in sandals.

6 - most number of siblings you should have, since I'm already dominating that category and I don't want to be going to a kid's party every weekend, provided they have them and such.

7 - ideal shoe size, because with anything smaller I think of bound feet from my Asian-American studies courses, and only the guy should have a double-digit shoe size

9 - most number of partners she should have, as I would be number 10 and I wouldn't want them to start counting on their well-shaped toes. I'd rather be the index finger than the big left toe ya heard.

20 - most number of miles you should live away from me, one way. Anything more I would have to categorize gas as a relationship expense.

25 - the youngest age I'd probably go for, as this number would remain constant even as I get older mwhahaaha

32 - number of teeth she should have. her smile should look like this "=D" and not like this "=@", where @ denotes a missing tooth.

34 - ideal bust and/or hips size

50 - most number of shoes you should have, since if we eventually co-habitate, then I want to ensure there's space for my kicks. and you definitely can't have more than me.

69 - yes

72 - if you see this number, the first thing you should think of is the Rule of 72, which essentially tells how long an investment would take to double.

115 - ideal weight in pounds, give or take 5-10 ounces. Nothing personal, but I just like you porportional to me.

700 - minimum FICO score. really, it's not that difficult to maintain good credit. just pay your bills on time and pay above the minimum. you could be thousands of dollars in debt but still maintain a decent score. its really not that hard

800 - maximum amount of Facebook friends you should have. I don't want you to be e-sloring yourself out.

1200 - mimimum SAT score. as a HS freshman I scored this on a preliminary one, so this isn't asking for too much. and if you're with me I want you to connect with me on a mental level, so I want to make sure your aptitude is up to par. oh yeah this only applies to the old school scoring system - would need to readjust appropriately for the current version.

2005 - latest year of College Graduation, because 1. see above, 2. that's within 4 years of me, which sounds about right

See I'm not asking for too much, just a couple requirements here and there. Oh yeah this post is dedicated to Flappy Lives, who thinks I'm too picky. Please.
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That Moded Feeling

2010-01-27T15:33:00.000-08:00

Sucks huh? I think I get one of these moments pretty often. Anyway if you've had any of the following, then you once felt moded:

- open up your mailbox, only to find it empty.
- wash all your dishes and wipe everything down, only to see that you missed up a couple.
- dropping a deuce and commence wiping, only to feel something brewing.
- folding your laundry, only to discover your missing a sock.
- setting your alarm earlier than usual, only to wake up later than usual.
- talking to and cheesing at a girl, only to discover you had something in your grill.
- wearing your nice kicks to the club/bar, only to get them jacked up.
- calling your credit card company to get your late fee reversed, only to find out they don't do courtesy reversals anymore [grrrr!].
- bringing your return back to the store, only to not have your receipt.
- farting in an empty elevator, only to have a group of people there when it opens.
- making a grocery list, only to forget something off the list.
- spending mad time on a spreadsheet, only to have Excel crash.
- DVRing a show, only to have it cut off early. Week after week after week.
- sprinting for a train or bus, only to miss it and be out of breath. And hae your backpack open and the contents spill [that was back in HS though lol].

Okay those were the first to come to mind, but I'm sure there's countless more. The lesson here kids is don't take yourself too seriously. We might have all these mini-FMLs, but they're not really FMLs. *hops off soapbox!*
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You Got to Read Between the Lines

2010-01-27T12:44:00.000-08:00

If you're successful at reading between the lines, then you have an exponentially better chance to read between the sheets. I know dudes over-analyze any type of communication with a female, and I'm no exception. it's hard enough to read when the words are there, but what do they really mean? Here is a brief sypnosis of what a girl's response to your text really means:

generic text sent by generic guy: "hey you - what's good?"

A chick can respond to this in a number of ways:

1. No response - This is probably the most chilling. You double-check your sent items to see if it was actually sent. You kinda wish there was a text receipt as there are email receipts [even though those are mad annoying to the recipient]. You check your watch…and see that only 5 minutes elapsed. Relax...and if she doesn't hit you back within an hour, make alternate plans. If she doesn't respond ever, then On To The Next One.

2. "Hey! I'm busy…I'll ttyl" - Obviously you're gonna talk later, since a text convo isn't actually a live convo. Dumb broad. And she's not really feeling you but she's just trying to be nice. Most girls are cognizant of another person's feelings, because it's likely they've been in that situation before. I'd chalk this up as an L.

3. "Nothing. What's good with u?" - ahhh…a question to a question. She wants to engage in conversation, so you naturally play along. Just make sure you're on an unlimited plan yourself, and it's helpful to know the girl's text plan, since overages for text messages b[y]te [haha I make myself laugh]. If you're way over on your texts and way under for your minutes, you need to talk more! Unfortunately in the electronic age, that's usually the case.

4. "Hey! I'm doing well!! Wanna kick it? ;)" - That flirty wink! Sometimes I think "did she just mean to send a :) instead of a ;) because she kept her finger on the shift key too long?" See what I mean by over-analyzing? Anyway, I wish there was a formula to determine how interested a chick is in you based on their response. It would contain the # of "!" used, a multiplier for which smiley [":)" would be like x5, ";)" would be like x8, and "=|" would be minus 10 haha], and the time variable of response time less sent time. Maybe something like this:

[# of !s] * [smiley multiplier + (# of "lol" or "haha"s)]/ time elasped [in hrs] = your score

If your score is above a 100, then maybe she is digging you. If its closer to zero, then probably not so much.

Let me analyze a recent text *scrolls down ReegPhone*: [5] * [8 + 1]/(1/60) = 2,694!!!! OMG I think she's in love!!! Or my formula is inherently flawed, which is more likely. Darnit!

5. "This is good" *image attached* - If you get the sext reponse, you're basically in the money. You've must've done something right to obtain that privilege. Kudos to you and I should be reading your blog instead!

So the above just proves that we read into not just texts, but any type of communication overall. Or maybe it's just me? Whatever the case, it's just a stupid game that boys and girls play.

I'll Get the Nine Cuz I Don't Know About the Internet

2010-01-22T15:47:00.000-08:00

E-40 didn't know about the Internet back then, but I did. Let's take a trip:

circa 1990 - My fam installed Prodigy on the home computer, and my moms was chatting with her coworker over a modem. I was flabbergasted.

circa 1992 - The start of the message board era. People discussing hip-hop and sports online? It was awesome. It was pretty early when I knew not to catch feelings from total strangers. Someone badmouthed the Fab 5 and my brother got all pissed. He wrote a expletive-laden response and our account was banned. This also birthed the hip-hop nerd.

circa 1995 - Got my first email address! I forgot the name, but I know the end was @ix.netcom.com hahaha. Silverylining was my first email buddy!

circa 1996 - One name for yall: Patricia Ford. My [and I'm sure a host of others] first cyber-crush. Naked. Pictures took like 10 minutes to load and I took less to unload.

circa 1997 - My first mp3 downloaded - Hit Em Up by 2Pac. [Still don't know why this wasn't on the double-disc]

circa 1997 - The birth of my AOL SN - reegsta. And I'm still online!

circa 1998 - The birth of my eBay username - reegsta. Buy ish from me.

[Okay it the cyber-age just blew up expontientally in this era, so lets fast-forward.]

circa 2002 - Wrote my first blog. [Scroll down to when it says 'the reegsta's random ramblings'].

circa 2003 - Signed up for Friendster, and I wonder if its still in beta-mode.

circa 2007 - Late pass on Facebook, but I put my first status update up. "Regan is thinking about stuff to blog about."

circa 2008 - Got my first article published on Ploomy.

circa 2010 - I fought the urge to limit my cyber footprint, but now I'm on twitter. So just ignore this post here. Holler @reegstarr if you're on!

So yes, the whole point of this entry is to tell you to follow me like Uncle Kracker. Don't fret my comment section is about to get overhauled, since the provider is going under.

Have a good weekend!

The Blogger's Soundtrack

2009-12-30T14:08:00.000-08:00

The title alludes to Skyzoo's "The Shooter's Soundtrack" which was one of the top hip-hop releases of the year. Straight up gully beats and lyrics - no guest spots and nothing radio friendly about it. However rather than making a traditional 2009 Music Year in Review, I just want to recap my personal playlist of 2009:

Keri Hilson/Kanye/Ne-Yo - Knock You Down - Fell in love with the track after the first leak. "Til I met this pretty lil missile that shot me out of the sky"

Kid Cudi - The Sky Might Fall/Soundtrack 2 My Life - The Emo Hip-Hopper's Anthem. "I got 99 problems, and they're all b!tches"

Alicia Keys - Try Sleeping With A Broken Heart - hahah don't look too much into this, but this is a jam, as Al, Ar and Rol can attest to. I think we listened to it like 15x straight. Too bad the video is freaking weird.

Flo-Rida/Ne-Yo - Be On You - last year's camping song was Weezer's Heart Songs, and this was the dilly this year

Angels & Airwaves - Everything's Magic - because we rock out to this on Rock Band. Evokes memories of Sugarcult's 'Memory'. It's a hard-hitting Alt-Rock joint

Beyonce/Kanye - Ego Remix - I fault Mr. West for increasing the size of my ego, as well as every urban kid under 30, errr 35, for thinking that they posses mad swagger. For real though, I need to have humble pie for dessert once in awhile.

Jay Sean/Lil Wayne - Down - Only because my lil godson Isaiah goes bonkers when this song comes on haha. He made Fel replay it like 10x in a row once.

Drake - Best I Ever Had - Las Vegas July 2009 - where a group of men became legendary.

Jay Electronica - Exhibit C - Helped me believe in hip-hop once again and cemented Just Blaze's legacy in the pantheon of beatmakers.

Jay-Z/J-Cole - A Star is Born - To continue with the Jay theme, this song probably got the most play from me on BP3. I like nostalgic verses.

Trey Songz/Ma$e - I Need a Girl Remix - I never really was a fan of Mase in his heyday, but he came through on his few guest spots this year.

Mayer Hawthorne - Just Ain't Gonna Work it Out/Maybe So, Maybe No - these pretty much personifies my 1st half of 2K9, and they're back to back tracks on the album!

Ne-Yo - Easy/Move Along - you didn't think I would leave out him yeah? But these were 2 unreleased joints retrieved from 2DopeBoyz weekly R&B post. I *heart* them.

So here is what's been dominating my earwaves in 2K9. Maybe I'll come back with the traditional categories later on.
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Giving 'em Eargasms With My Mellow Accent

2009-12-30T02:17:00.000-08:00

Ever since my Bose earbuds died on me [note to readers: Bose doesn't make good earbuds], I've been half-heartedly looking for a new set of either earphones or on-ear headphones. While there's way too much information on the web, I scoured head-fi.org and decided I was either going to cop the Klipsche or Sennheiser earbuds. They tested the best, had the most bang for the buck and most importantly, were available at the Apple Store since I had credit there. If you've seen the Beats By Dre buds, they're obviously an upgrade, but we all know how overpriced Monster products are and you could get equal if not better quality for a fraction of the price. Being a financially shrewd person, these were definitely not an option. Besides, I only had $40 store credit, while the buds I wanted ran around $80 for a total OOP cost of around $40 for the math impaired.

So I perused to the Union Square location and I mess around with the various headphones on display. I checked out the Sennheisers, and yeah they sounded clean. The overpriced Beats By Dre Solos were right next to them, and almost had a certain glow to them, so I just peeped them too - I had to ensure my due diligence was complete. It should be noted when Norm visited last week, I tried on his BBD Studio editions, but those were too heavy and fragile for my sake. Plus they were $300! Anyway the Solos had recently came out at a much more modest $180 [it sounds a lot by itself, hence the comparison to the studio editions lol] and once I put them on, I felt like this dude here:

They sounded clean. I primarily listen to Hip-Hop, R&B and Glee V1 and V2 so these are optimal for those genres. However I told myself I wouldn't fall for the hype. Cons included sound leakage [but for real, I would be the ones wearing them, so that's almost moot. I remember when I got Sen-Dog, and a con was rear seating. I'm not gonna be sitting back there ya heard.] My OOP budget was like $50, and these would run an additional $150, so the Klipsches are looking more promising. I probably spent more time at peeping how I looked in them rather than the actual acoustics, but it only took me one song [Cudi/Ye/Common's 'Make Em Say' - the selections were limited] to know that I wanted them. If I were to cop the Sennheisers, I would've settled. And Reeg doesn't settle. And Reeg gets what he wants. And these were what I wanted, so I got them. It seems like I need to justify my purchases, but the bottom line is that I dig it. Once a hypebeast, always a hypebeast.

My Christmas Wish List 2K9

2009-12-26T02:53:00.000-08:00

I should've came with this list prior to the 25th, then I probably would've received something! Seriously though, even if I had this up for awhile I still wouldn't have got anything related. Anyway I wanted to do daily updates, and I just realized it's been over 3 weeks since my last entry. My bad. Please note everything not obtained from my prior year's [see my 2007 and 2008 ones here] still are to be desired, but they won't be represented coming up. So here it is - my retroactive wish list:

Motion Sensor Garbage Can - My garbage can sometimes smells since it's not covered, but at the same time, I'm not sure I want to have it exposed. When your garbage requires batteries, you're on some next level ish.

Sony Playstation 3 - I think it's time for a new console, but not for gaming purposes. Although my screen has 720p limits, Blu-Ray still would look fresher on it. I kinda dig the sleeker refresh of it too.

D Collection Toggle Coat - I need a heather coat, preferable a short form-fitting one with toggle connectors and a detachable hood. And I think I found it! I did try this one, but it fit a bit snug. I guess I should just go up another size?

SkyGolf SkyCaddie - My depth perception seems to go away when I play courses that have heavy topography. I would be a more disciplined golfer. Only drawback is that it wouldn't help me around the greens.

Jay-Z Tickets March 24, 2K10 - I've never seen Hova show, as the Fade to Black DVDs don't count. In fact, I don't even think I've seen a show with any of my brothers. Maybe we could make it happen!

Nike Air Stab Foot Patrol - Yes these done came out 4 years ago but wasn't feeling them too much. But now I'm on a hunt for them. I mean pairs are available, just haven't really been on my grind. One day.

Wustof Classic Black Knife - I bought a block of 1 man Henckels, and while they've done their job commendably these past few years, I feel its time to upgrade. "All I need is one knife* /Nas voice.

I have a precedent for obtaining about half of my wish lists, so by the time the 2K10 holiday season rolls around, don't be surprised if I get these! My bad this blogging session was uninspired - I have a tee-time in a few hours and wanted to knock this out. Merry Christmas everyone!
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Graze Anatomy

2009-12-02T14:45:00.000-08:00

What's one of the first things I notice in a chick? It's probably not what you think. It's weird, when I was younger I zoomed in on the chesticles and the cheeks. But now, if she has a pretty face I go straight for the hand - then the T&A stuff. I dunno, I guess subconsciously I want to see if the girl is taken or not, since you don't want to get caught playing catch in another man's backyard. Don't get me wrong, I'ma still be staring, albeit discreetly, if it's warranted even if she has one on, as I can get in beastmode sometimes.

So yep, here are the body parts in order of my noticing: face, left hand, hair, grill, rack/buns [interchangeble, as I'm neither an assman or breastman, but rather a hybrid of both], hips, drumsticks [if she has chicken or turkey legs], toes, stomach, feets [would be higher, but not always noticeable], clavicle [if it's exposed], arms, and then ankles, but that's not to say the latter parts aren't important. Since I'm a great observer, I could process all of those after a few seconds. It might seem like a lot, but it's not really - think of the domino effect, as that's what the f__ I call a chain reaction.

Oh man, what a clever title name too.
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What Time is It?

2009-12-01T13:23:00.000-08:00

So I've been looking at timepieces lately, well, because theuglystick has and I follow him. 4runner? check. Mizunos? check. Taylor Mades? check. Ping putter? check. iPhone? check. Whatever SLR I'll cop [whenever that may be], I'll probably ask him what he got too! However he's more Asus than Apple when it comes to computing needs, and I'm more Samsung than Sony when it comes to televisions.

Anyway while window shopping on TimeZone [yet another zone to be in!], I noticed the following pic in the trading forum:

FYI this isn't the piece that I want, but I do what a chronograph automatic on a bracelet. But for real, look at that Owner's Manual. It's bigger than my whips! I'm not sure what I'm getting myself into. I don't know how the manual could almost resemble a phone book. I thought you could just set it and forget it. When its time for DST, you would just pull the knob and crank it forward or backward. If you want it to illuminate, then just depress a button. Maybe if you're paying that much, there's some crazy secret ish it could do. If I already have issues with my digital Nike sports watch, then I might have migraines if I get a grown-up piece.
Maybe there's different languages? It must contain every one, possibly even Hieroglyphics. Sigh...so much to consider.
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Resolutions volume 2K9

2009-12-01T00:57:00.000-08:00

Okay I'm trying to get a head start on these new year's resolutions. Previously I tried to delay my actual new years to coincide with the Chinese folk, but that never really worked out. I could easily blame Holiday hangover and year end work stuff, but really those are just convenient excuses. So let's switch it up and be proactive rather than reactive. Plus I'm ready for the year to end so I figure why not? If companies can have fiscal year-ends in the butt crack of summer, then my new year's could be a month ahead. Man it's past 1am and you might think I'm having problems sleeping. Hardly. I'm just waiting for Olivia Munn to appear on Fallon. She's so fly. And she just referenced Kid Cudi. I *heart* her.

Anyway I was brain-storming some resolutions, and aside from repetitive ones from prior years, it was more like a brain-sprinkle. I was stumped like a cut-off tree. "Resolutions" has a root word "resolute," which is derived from the word "resolve," which has Latin origin meaning "to loosen." And you just thought I was good with numbers. But yep, I need to loosen up - break the monotony I've created. In sports terms, being "in the zone" is a good thing. And having comfort sounds well, comforting. However, this comfort zone I presently find myself in is more like the twilight zone, and hell no I'm not referring to the movies. I'd guess I would be on Team Jacob though, or whomever the beast is. Ironically, my comfort zone is actually uncomfortable. "You gotta git up, git out and get something...don't let the days of your life pass you by" - first heard as a 15 year old listening to OutKast's first album, and it still rings true today.

Seriously though...I'm open to suggestions. Maybe I need to do something I've never done before, like work-out, or rock some Reeboks, or something crazy like that. I don't feel confined, yet I need a sense of liberation. I guess for anything new, I'd be Down like Amel Larrieux, Blink-182, Chris Brown & Jay Sean [the artists with said title currently in my iTunes. I probably should've just said Down, Down Down like DJ Quik - he's the only artist with that song name.] Anyway, I guess it's not good if your annual resolutions are recurring - what the heazy was done in the prior 365 days? You [me] need a way to hold yourself accountable, or at least see yourself make progress. Here is where you play a part - check up on me periodically please. I dunno, it seems the most successful sites are user-driven, so maybe i'll take a [foot patrol] stab at it. But for real, I have serious resolutions that I have that I probably won't share here. I know - I'm such a tease. But you probably could figure some out if you know me well enough!

The gym bag is packed. See you in my next installment.
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Who's the Mac?

2009-11-27T10:46:00.000-08:00

I don't like it when people say they can't cook. If you can read and follow instructions, then it's pretty simple. It's like if you could talk you could sing and if you could walk you could dance [word to Kweli via an ancient African saying]. Anyway since our Thanksgivings are generally potluck, I wanted to contribute the Mac-n-Cheese. After skimming through countless recipes and recommendations [sorry Tiff I opted for something else!], I decided on this one courtesy of Ina:

Grown Up Mac-n-Cheese

After seeing the title you might think it's a little too foo-foo [not sure of that spelling, but just say it phonetically], but it's not after making a couple adjustments. I didn’t follow the recipe to a T, as I didn't add bleu cheese [too stinky] and just used gruyere and extra sharp cheddar. And I substituted Panko instead of white bread crumbs. After incorporating my renditions, I've renamed it Grown Folk Crac-n-Cheese, and when combined with my Super Smashed Potatoes, makes for a lethal 1-2 punch. I can't lie, it was probably the best mac-n-cheese I've made, and I've made a few. And despite it's name, the kids loved it as well. Just a warning - gruyere is like $16/lb and the sharper the cheddar, the most pricey it is too! And when you got to feed an army, this was one costly dish! I spent more on this than the deep fried turkey I got last year haha. It was definitely worth it, as it complemented the other great dishes we had.

As a segue, I want to introduce my sister-in-law's and her friend's food blog:

It's So Yummi

Pay them a visit!
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Lay[-off] Away and Away

2009-11-25T10:20:00.000-08:00

So yesterday we had even another round of lay-offs, making this about 5-6 within the past 24 months. Yep I already lost track. While I'm grateful that I wasn't chosen [again and again], it makes you ponder what if. I already got let go once and it was a sucky feeling. If I wasn't in the wonderful world of accounting in the financial services sector, what would reeg do? First of all, I need to identify my passions. I kinda believe that cliché if you find out what you love, you'll never work a day in your life. Here are my choices off the dome:

Warriors Statistician: I could inflate my own fantasy teams' numbers, and at the same time discredit my opponents. My fear though is I would have to sign a disclaimer stating I wouldn't have any fantasy teams, since that would be a conflict of interest. So that got me thinking of being a Super Stat Geek, similar to what Daryl Morey does, and use those metrics of new age numbers to help the W's out.

Hip-Hop Historian: I was watching one of those VH1 behind the music shows, and there was a dude there. Underneath his name, it said "Hip-Hop Historian." Ever since I was like, how do you get that gig?? If I had a focus, it would be east coast, circa 1990's. I would do my thesis on that geographical area's era. This decade though I probably listened to half hip-hop, half other, but I was like 99% rapped up in the 90's.

Shoe Analyst: I could survey your kicks, tell you what to unload, what to keep, and what you should get. Critically analyze what you have and try to fill in the gaps. I figure a shoehead's girlfriend would be my target customer. She would say, "hey - I totally want to surprise my BF but I don't know what to get him! He currently has such and such." Then I come in, provide my fairness opinion, and the boyfriend would be totally stoked on Christmas day. I would also get a finder's fee if can provide the kicks.

I-Tunes Organizer: How many people have jacked up I-tunes catalogs? Naming conventions are all off and what not…the ish is irritating to look at. I could charge like $4.99 per 100 songs to clean up the titles, and I would add the artwork for free! I'll service both PC's and Macs even.

Golf Instructor: It may not seem like it lately, but I really do understand the mechanics of a textbook golf swing…I just can't translate it into my own performance. However I can easily see swing flaws of anyone, and can provide my 2 pesos of how they can improve. My approach would be more Phil Jackson and less Hank Haney, since golf is a very mental sport. Sometimes habits are really grained in, so I would try to fix certain hitches rather than reinventing your whole swing. Not everyone's jumper looks like Ray Allen's.

If you see my as anything else, I'm open to ideas!
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Confessions of a Sneakerhead, 2009 version

2009-11-23T22:54:00.000-08:00

Yes I'm still a shoehead, even though this is the first new pair I copped in fiscal year 2009. So Kram and I met up during lunch, strolled over to NTSF and bought our 10.5s. It felt like I was in HS getting the same pair as a friend haha. But I don't care, I wanted these ever since the final sample pics were released. Plus I didn't want to relive the fiasco of the original Bacons, where I strolled into Hazard Shoes on Burlingame Ave sometime in 2003 and had the shoes on my feets. At last second I didn't want to pay the $90 for some pink based kicks. Then if I listened to myself in 2005 when I wanted some pink kicks, I would've paid around $150-$200. If you click on the link, you'll see X's - but they were the bacons, the linens and the Dunkles. Now sellers are charging up to $600 for a pair. Don't they know we're in a recession??!

Anyway fast forward to 2009, and I'm not a fan of hybrid kicks or secondary collaborations, of which these both are. But these resonated with Reeg, and despite the inflated price tag of $120, I got them. As I was lacing them up moments ago, it woke up the [hype]beast in me. So welcome Air Max 90 Current Huarache PR to the fam. One day I'll have them OG bacons to join you though.

4 Months

2009-11-23T13:55:00.000-08:00

Wow it feels wierd to be in this area. Once my comments section started to spam out, I figured I should revive this spot. Plus I've been talking to my blog crew and little by little they're unknowingly providing me with the energy necessary to update this lil page. Plus the boss is out, it's a short week, so here I am - trying to shake off the blog rust.

Where have I been these past 120 days? Probably in Emeryville. Oh you meant virtually? I've been around, occasionally updating my FB status whilst fighting the urge to sign up for a Twitter account haha. But I've been here, feeling an array of adjectives - comtemplative, retrospective, joyful, regretful, despairful, hopeful - I guess a lot more but these were the first to mind. But you know how some people have a woe-is-me attitude? I'm trying not to be like that, although I can't front - I'm guilty at times. Play the cards you were dealt yeah? Nope! Here goes my obligatory Kanye reference:

I ain't play the hand I was dealt, I changed my cards
I prayed to the skies and I changed my stars

So yep, my cards were changed, my prayers were voiced and I'm waiting for my stars to align. Of course it's never fast enough, but as long at it happens right? Instant karma's gonna get you, word to Mr. Yoko Ono. "A lot of your outlook depends on your attitude" - I got that off someone's page, and it's pretty apropos. When I look into my own crystal ball, I know I won't fall. After 30 years I'm built to be the dopest person I could be, in whatever capacity. I'm destined to shine!

Apologies on the jibberish that I call this entry, but at least I know what I'm talking about. I think I wrote a couple sentences...worked for a bit...added a few more lines...then finalized it. So my bad for the staccato flow.

Hope to see more of you soon, with the regularly scheduled updates.
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Rafting & Camping by the River

2009-07-22T16:33:00.000-07:00

Alas, I long overdue blog of my unfiltered thoughts. Remember the 3rd week of the month is the lull period where I can go home at the usual time, hence the blogging spree. So here is another E-Go Tripping installment [egotrip was an old hip-hop mag; these entries are online entries about my trips, so that's how you get e-go tripping].

Destination: Lotus , CA - homebase for Gold Rush Rafting.
Dates: July 18th-19th

- props to everyone showing up at Al's at 7:30a, since I told Jefe that time. And I ended up being the latest one there.
- Michelle - pre-camping MVP as she must've been a really good Tetris player
- Car 1: me, g, al, ar, rol; Car 2: jefe, jeff, mich, tiff b; Car 3: nick, dan, louise, tiff l, alex
- FYI the spots in my car were filled as soon as it was established I was a driver
- we literally drove a mile before we had our first stop - Tennessee Grill!
- had to play "Heart Songs" to start off the trip, as it bridged last year's camping weekend
- I think the Ajoste's fell asleep even before we hit the freeway
- potential song of the trip: Flo-Rida feat. Ne-Yo "Be on You" - not to be confused with Pee on You, which is can sound like if not listening to closely
- the thermometer on Black Starr rises expotentially as we continue on 80
- 2.5 hours later, we arrive at the site without getting lost!
- initial observations - no campfires?! uhhh we'll pass on the s'mores, since they weren't worth the $25K fine
- whoa…we got the whole campgrounds to ourselves
- who decided to build a canopy 2 feet away from the BBQ pit? luckily we easily moved it.
- rol and al pitched tents really fast. hehehe
- dan might outspeak the 2008 version - or not.
- note to self and future campers: make sure you have cooking tools! thanks to tiff l's resourcefulness, we had some tongs
- next time we're gonna have committees, and if they fail they'll suffer from something
- it was mad hot, but the river was mad cold initially. it was like a katy perry weekend.
- kingsbury brought out the whiskey again! but for real, that was pretty tasty. too bad we ran out =/
- dammit alan, you broke another chair. at least it wasn't mine this year
- what - no stories of dwendes?
- it's the return of Rappin' and Dancin' "I'm so horny and I need a hug" Jeff!
- why is everyone sleeping like before midnight, and not just tiff "how am I supposed to sleep?! l"
- I think we had enough space in the man-tent, yet nick stayed in the canopy all night. he was our watchdog.
- I hope Michelle's keys eventually be like the music group and surface
- day 2 was the rafting part!
- the safety tutorial was pretty funny…basically just lay flat on the water since you don't want your knees undercut
- we should've known our guide was a crackhead when his name was Steel
- we got flipped off the raft thrice. and I thought I was gonna die each time.
- once I was riding with the current and this boulder was approaching. due to my sharp survival skills, I eluded it.
- I'll just let the pics do the rest of the talking

Pics from Day 1 of Camping

AND...

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Whoa...it's getting contagious

2009-07-22T15:54:00.001-07:00

Whoa...the sabotaging is spreading. Instead of a Dan, now I'm a verb. I hope people regain spell check on their computers. Grrrrr.

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eBay Inbox, volume Summer of '09

2009-07-22T15:36:00.000-07:00

Life is like a box of eBay emails, you never know what to expect. So here is another edition of my crazy bidders and their comments/questions/inquiries:

Dear reegsta,

i get paid on frii can u hold em till then

- 5719sarah

Dear reegsta,

it must have been a mix up i get paid this fri im sorry lol

- 5719sarah

Hey Sarah, it's not that funny. Show me the $$! It's been like 2 weeks since the auction ended. Grrrr.

Dear reegsta,

can u call me asap at 215 668 xxxx my name is brian cuz i wanna by the case only

- acura7885

Hey Mr. Integra, I'm not gonna call you ASAP just because you want an accessory! Sheesh.

Dear reegsta,

Hey i was wondering if you can do me a favour and cancel my bid if bidding get over $145 i do relize i put my maximum bid at 165 but I don't really want to pay that but if you decide you dont want to cancel my bid when it reaches $145 that is no problem to me i will still pay you what I owe you.

- markjk1441

Yo Mark, please use a period! and I read that like 5x and still am unsure what you're requesting. And you shouldn't tell the seller what your max bid is. *Shakes head*.

Dear reegsta,

Hey hows it going ? First id like to say you have some great J's and I was looking and you sell some straight up solid sneaks. The reason im emailing you is i am (or was) a collector for a few years and i have decided to sell whats left of my collection- I was hoping you could tell me have you been getting fair prices for your J's ? I am a size 12 so im not sure if thats a good selling size or not but I see you have much experience- Thanks David

- shipley954

Yo Shipley, I'm not auctioning off consultations. JP! I actually gave him a legit response. Game recognize game.

Dear reegsta,

Hi Good Morning Reegan,

Sorry for the late reply (again, lol) don't worry just been mad busy at the hospital, too much drama going on. But anyway, will e-mail you FULLY detailing everything including payment schedules etc later this week etc...

Thanks.

(Please don't think that just because I don't commuicate regularly, that we're OFF for the deal... it's not like that at all.... it's just that some weeks ARE real busy for me being a hospital warden on night shifts!)

Anyway, will touch down with you over the weekend again!

:o)
- nike-air-max-95_in_london

Dear reegsta,

I'll happily chuck-on an extra 100 buck so that you receive 400 dollars for the sneaks when I come to pay in about a month or two (well, actually, it'll be 450 including the shipping!).

What do you say? Are you down with that?

You ain't NEVER gonna get some-one paying you even 275 bucks, LET ALONE the crazy sky-high 450 i'm offering you. And that's ACTUALLY true.

It's the time dude... nothing else, just TIME.

It all depends on just how ''desperate'' you are for the cash, because if you can hold-on for until, say, August/Sept/Oct, then that's kool, i'll hit you up for the 450 via PayPal at that time in the future, but if you need the cash RIGHT NOW (and at the moment, I'm seriously out of a dime!) then you're gonna get people bidding for prices MUCH lower than even just 180/200 bucks which is pathetic given the rarity of these 1998 Desert Red's.

Are you ok to work with me on this please buddy?

Please let me know, thanks.

any questions?? ask away!!

:o)
- nike-air-max-95_in_london

Dear reegsta,

Yo Regan 'sup, thanks for your message a couple of days ago asking me to advise you on the payment situation for these 95's - sorry that it's taken me slightly longer than normal to respond back, ut I've been kinda busy and this is the one of the only chances today to actually just sit down for a sec to update you on what's goin' on...

To cut a long story short (I can FULLY explain my financial and personal circumstances in a seperate e-mail after this one if you REALLY want me to....?) I'm abit strapped for cash at the moment (what with the credit crunch and recession etc etc, it's hitting us very hard over here in London), so very politely ask you for a substantial payment time extension to come up with the money for these Desert Red's.

I mean, you know, when I say ''substantial'' i DO mean exactly that... kinda like, about a month or two.

Yeah,I know that might sound kinda crazy to you, but as s gesture of goodwill and as a kinda-like, you know, ''token of my appreciation''

- nike-air-max-95_in_london

Wow. This is probably the longest drawn out eBay message I've seen. I might feel sorry for your HS English teacher. Anyway he sounds legit and I'm giving him the benefit of a doubt, considering he has AIR-MAX-95 in his username and appreciates the rarity of the shoes he's bought. And if he's throwing on another c-note on there, then consider them reserved.

Dear reegsta,

hey there friend

i love those shoes.how much you want for them to buy them right now?i give you 126$

- blakkheim25

Lol the funny thing is the current bid was at $125. and he's offering a dollar more. wow hold the presses. and mentioning we're friends won't get you a discount!

Dear reegsta,

Yo! Whats up man... I purchased some kicks from you in the past. You have some sweet listings but a little close to the first for me. Do you plan to relist if they dont sell? Sorry to see a savvy collector out the game... I feel alone in my shoe game, all the old school is getting out.

- dauniqueone

Dear reegsta,

Hey Home skillet! I thought these sold? I was going to bid when I mailed you but did not want you waiting for a week to get paid! I am watching some items now I dont know what to do.

- dauniqueone

Oh man I think I'd prefer friend moreso than "home skillet". Now I'ma a frying pan…yay. See, these dudes keep searching for advice. I think this dude just needs a hug.

Dear reegsta,

Hey, why are so many of your shoes in 10.5 and where
do you ship from I would like to buy two pairs.

- neazy2

Oh Neazy I don't know…maybe because that's the size I wear?! That's like asking why does Polo only sell Polo clothes.

Dear reegsta,

Yah thanks that'll workout. shoot me your email address. Again Im sorry moneys a little tight right now.

- djes11_916

This dude bid $240 for some kicks but backed out. You should've never bid on them if you don't have the loot! It worked out though, since I actually sold them higher the 2nd time around.

Dear reegsta,

Please cal me about your set of Pings. I have a few questions but I am ver interestd in buying them. I am a very honest and outgoing person and look forward to your call thank you. Ross Blankenship

- rossb03569f1

I'm glad your outgoing Ross. But this isn't a match.com auction, it's an eBay one! And he low-balled me, so I eventually sold it to the highest bidder.

Dear reegsta,

Hello there Regan and hope all is well.

I already sent my payment. Kindly double box the shoes when you ship it out usps express mail. May I also request that it be declared as GIFT and valued at only $30 so I won't have to deal with exorbitant custom duties and taxes. I actually know the customs people in my city and since my uncle works as a customs police, they told me to have it declared that way so they won't have to charge me the taxes but only the minimum $20 tax.

Thanks a lot and looking forward to getting the tracking number. Have a nice day

- saviourfriendjesus

A guy with this username couldn't have been a fraud. He was based in the PI and I felt bad [for like 2 seconds] for selling a $300 pair of kicks over there. But how come every Filipino is connected to someone official? Like a mayor or in this case a post master.

Dear reegsta,

gibt es denn schuh auch in gr. 43,5 ?

- sweet_tlik_choclate

Ummmm yeah. I still don't know what that means.
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Ish I Love…and Hate

2009-06-18T10:49:00.000-07:00

Nothing can ever be perfect, so here are some appreciations and their drawbacks pertinent to Reeg:

Mint.com - love how it organizes all my finances…hate how it reminds me I should be saving more
Travelling with a Golf Set - love to play while on vacay…hate lugging it around and paying extra for it
Coffee - love how it feels when it touches the lips…hate the subsequent coffee breath
Cereal - love the crunchiness and how I never can just have one bowl…hate how I have to scarf it down so it won't get soggy
Facebook - love how a lot of people I know are on it…hate how it's a time-murderer
Kicks - love that I still have 150ish pairs…hate that I still have 150ish pairs
Mexican Food - love the taste when I eat it…hate how my stomach reacts soon after
Photography - love how it can capture the moment…hate that I can't take decent pics
Online Chatting - love communicating with alternate methods…hate how it takes away the face-to-face interaction
Lauren London - love her natural beauty…hate that she got knocked up by Lil Wayne!
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Underrated in Hip-Hop Goes To…

2009-06-03T13:54:00.000-07:00

Babyface! I had this blog for some months in the making, but dude comes hard [pause] since I first heard him bless hip-hop laced tracks. Let's rewind to peep the hip-hop section of his resume:

- This Is For The Lover In You - both the original and remix. "Yo 'Face, on the real was the honey looking laced?!" And if you can have a remix with Ghostface to have a 'Face and 'Face collab [just missing Scarface], then it is indeed official.

- Always be My Sunshine - off the underappreciated In My Lifetime Vol 1. I know Jay made the song, but without 'Face singing the hook, ish wouldn't be the same.

- There She Goes - a Neptunes beat at their peak, and tells the story of a dude falling for a chick. Definitely relatable and one of my fav 'Face songs ever.

- Stressed Out - not of the ATCQ or UNLV variety, but another Neptunes laced song. Not as dope as the aborementioned one, but a decent track anyway.

- Comfortable - yes this track was circulating for awhile before finally officially appearing on the Carter III. But 'Ye + Wayne + 'Face= my favorite song off the best selling rap album of 2008.

Okay maybe his sample size isn't as big, and maybe I'm biased because before there was Ne-Yo, there was Musiq. But before Musiq, there was Babyface! "The Day" got constant spins on the discman. Peep the songs dude has written: Top 100. Ne-Yo has awhile to get to his song-writing level. Anyway, bottom line - more hip-hop artists should utilize Babyface. If I needed an R&B dude to do my hook, I wouldn't call Justin or John L or definitely not Akon, but it would be Kenneth Edmonds for sure.
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Raising Arizona

2009-05-27T10:20:00.000-07:00

Heard it was kidna chilly in the Bay this past weekend, so good thing G and I [no Joe] headed out to the desert to primarily peep the Grand Canyon and see what else the land of the Sun [not the Rising Sun - that would be JP]. Because I can't write full-on sentences just yet, as I'm easing back into blogging shape, here are the Reeg Notes:

- passed the fat test again! had to cinch up the seat-belt on the plane
- I knocked out even before we took off
- Long arse line at Hertz forced them to give us a half-tank return instead of a full-one. Stupid me over-estimates and returns it at 3/4 full
- Why are car rental taxes soo expensive? Booked a $19/day rate, ended up paying ~$36/day WITHOUT insurance
- I still never pay for additional insurance…I think my own policy covers everything when I drive
- If there's no game in town, then PHX seems deserted, and not because its in the desert
- We were able to get a private tour of the US Airways Center since they don't offer public ones
- Stoudemires > Majerles. I think I might need to eat at every NBA namesake restaurant
- Damn its hot
- Not yet ready to check in the telly, we went outlet shopping. I bought a jacket. MLIA
- The Biltmore was a dope resort area. Now recently part of the Waldorf=Astoria collection, no Gossip Girl
- They boast 36 holes, 8 pools, and countless amenities situated on 29 lush acres. We probably ventured over 1 acre
- Is there a grilled cheese renaissance? The one at Roosevelt was pretty tasty
- I can't fathom a car in PHX without AC
- Pretty much an easy 3 hr drive from downtown PHX to the GC. And I'm grateful that the G6 had an AUX output for my iPod. Well G's, since she played DJ on the way up, got my singing musical tunes =|
- Paid $25 for our car for access, which was slightly more than the $12 individual passes. But controlling your own destiny is worth it
- The first view-point was foggy, so that was pretty ominous. Looked like the city of Daly City could fill the Canyon
- Soaking it all in, the Grand Canyon is aptly named. Shoot, they should rename it the Grandest Canyon
- Pictures, maybe even with an SLR, don't do it justice. It's an amazing spectacle
- My folks visited the GC last week. Darn, we could've went together [/sarcasm off]
- Peering off the cliffs made me think how much it would hurt to fall off
- Yes - the sun is coming out!
- Book that caught my eye in the gift shop - "Death in the Grand Canyon" - good thing I saw it after the hiking!
- We only drove through Sedona…wanted to see this sunset there and experience the metaphysical healing of the vortex sites, but there was a downpour compounded with lightning. Doesn't help that you're driving 10mph sideways on a mountain. I wish I had Black Starr
- Delux Burgers - a must stop in PHX. Ish was poppin' on Saturday night and it was in the middle of a strip mall, next to a Safeway haha
- Morning Glory Café - I found a greater Monte Cristo than Mama's. Official like a referee with a whistle, and I didn't care that flies were hovering all over it
- We were lounging by the pool, and there weren't any towels. But since it was so hot, we got up and dried up without the need for one
- G wouldn't let me wear my goggles to the pool, even though I have sensitive eyes
- Next stop: The Botanical Gardens with the Chihuly exhibit. This was situated right next to the A's preseason field, so semi-wood for Francis and Jefe
- Chihuly had dope pieces…I didn't know who he was, but he's the cat responsible for Bellagio's ceilings. Collective "ahhhh" now
- Dinner was mobster-style at Durant's Steakhouse. Nope, it's not Kevin's establishment, but darn good
- Crab Mac N Cheese - yumm. Well you add crab to anything and it'll be better. It's the seafood equivalent of bacon
- Thx Liza & Jeremy for switching tickets! We went from coach to first class in a heartbeat
- Senator McCain was a few rows to the left, to the left, everything you own in a box to the left
- We left in the 8th when the D-Backs were up 7-1. The Padres score 6 runs in the 8th and 9th and win it in the 10th
- Dang the car rental place is far from the airport
- We're back home…nice and chilly when we land!
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Here are the pictures:

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Now it's really sabotaged!

2009-05-27T09:55:00.000-07:00

Again...she can't spell my name right. Now I'm a whole 'nother person!

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I'm Still Alive

2009-05-21T14:47:00.001-07:00

Damn since I have nothing pressing to do at work, I'd figured I'd recessitate this piece. Sorry Reegspeak, you've been treated like the redheaded stepchild these past few months. Not sure what to blame it on - I guess you can place it on the gol-gol-gol-golf. And Facebook too…them are primary time killers.

So let's see…what have I been doing the first months of being 30?? I guess the same crap I was doing in my late 20s, except blogging less lol. Anyway here's a rundown of the past couple months sprinkled with some random thoughts:

- I'm not yet packed for PHX, and I leave in like 18 hours. Got my list ready though.

- Monterey was awesome. Pics are found here:
From Edward
From Gerald
From Henry

- I saw a band live whom I knew virtually nothing about - The Virgins. Kinda Strokes-ish? I'm not too good with my rock comparisons.

- The 2 music acts prior to that were Blu and JEW. I think I need to alternate my black and white music.

- Just created my summer schedule. If you want a piece of me let me know already. Dates are getting filled.

- Thanks to you guys to still visit this page.

- RIP Wayman Tisdale and that Dolla dude who got gunned down at the Beverly Center. That's why I shopped at Fox Hills Mall when I resided down there.

- Kanye coming correct in the 2K9. Sounding hungry like his pre-College Dropout days. The Ego Remix, the Knock You Down song, the Kinda Like a Big Deal verse, Maybach Music II, Flight School, Poke her Face remix and the years not even halfway over!

- Now if Kanye appears on any track with J-Mac aka Jesse McCartney, I think I'ma spaz out.

- And last Kanye blurb - I still want a pair of them Air Yeezy's [the blk/pnk as featured in the Knock You Down vid], but I don’t have $700 laying around. FML.

- Here goes the FML copy-cat site of the week: My Life is Average. Actually some pretty funny stuff there.

- Anybody want to go camping this summer? Was recently looking at pics from last years trip - good times like JJ Evans.

- It seems the 5th dimension bloggers are in another dimension, since it surely isn't the blog zone.

- Fighting the Twitter urge. Sike.
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I'ma Golf Nut

2009-04-24T13:45:00.000-07:00

Check out my scheduled tee times for the next 4 weeks:

Saturday, April 25th - Sharp Park, Pacifica, CA
Sunday, April 26th - Sharp Park [depending how Saturday goes though]

Saturday, May 2nd - ______ [always gotta play the day of a Pacquaio Fight]
Sunday, May 3d - Hiddenbrooke, Vallejo, CA

Friday, May 8th - Del Monte, Monterey, CA
Saturday, May 9th - Pebble Beach, Monterey, CA

Friday, May 15th - Calippe Preserve, Pleasanton, CA

Plus I might get sick *cough cough* during a weekday for another round!

Golf is like crack. You fiend for it [thinking/talking about it frequently], gotta get all related paraphanelia [got new clubs/shoes/balls], steal for it [took clubs out of my dad's garage] and you look for things to cash out to play some more [selling my excess crap]. Oh well, at least its not actual drugs, but it probably costs just as much lol.
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I Either Bought Something Really Useful or Useless

2009-04-23T13:32:00.000-07:00

So last weekend when it was all sunny, we rode along Ocean Beach and mad people were out. Royce had this little speaker thingy that was attached to the water clamp on his bike frame, and I thought it was the coolest thing ever. So I just bought one right now:

iHome Bike to Beach Speaker System for iPod

I don't usually purchase items spontaneously, but considering I've been biking once the past 5 months, I'm not sure how this one is gonna pan out haha. It originally retail for a Benji but I was able to cop it at more than half off, so I just pulled the trigger. But all good, if all else fails I could just use it at my desk, since there's an AC adapter included. Shoot, I used [and still have] my old bike lamp as a flashlight - works wonders. So I think I'll get value out of it.

It'll be like D-Bo's character on Friday when he's on the Cruiser, but not really. I suppose I gotta ride more frequently to get my money's worth!
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Some of my Plaques Still say Reagan

2009-04-20T11:33:00.000-07:00

Grrr, this chick ALWAYS can't get my name right! It's not like I have a Thai last name or anything either. And these were just the last few emails I received...it's been going on for YEARS. I'm gonna start replying to her emails by dropping off the second T. Watch.

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The World You Love

2009-04-03T00:29:00.000-07:00

In honor of the JEW concert like a month ago, here goes something that captures my mindframe:

The World You Love - Jimmy Eat World

I'm in love with the ordinary;
I need a simple space
To rest my head,
and everything gets clear.
well I'm a little ashamed for asking
But just a little helps,
It gets me straight again;
Helps me get over it.

It might seem like a dream
But it's real to me.

Don't it feel like sunshine after all?
The world we love forever gone.
We're only just as happy
As everyone else seems to think we are.

You should see the canals are freezing,
You should see me high.
You should just be here,
Be with me here.
It doesn't seem there's hope for me,
I let you down.
But I won't give in now,
Not for any amount.

Don't it feel like sunshine after all?
The world we love forever gone.
We're only just as happy
As everyone else seems to think we are.
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The Back 9: Golf Etiquette Tips for Weekend Hackers, Part II

2009-03-18T13:49:00.000-07:00

Since I was overdue for a Ploomy piece in quite some time, I felt it was appropriate to finish up something I wrote almost a year ago. Especially since the golf virus is going around, I knew it was time. It might not be pertinent to everyone, but here is is anyway!

The Back 9
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The Madd Blogger

2009-03-13T16:33:00.001-07:00

It kinda sucks that all these micro-bloggers pretty much took over the blogosphere. Are people's attention spans not capable of taking in more than 140 characters at a time? WTF is a tweet anyway? Only Tweet I know is that one singer who Missy put on a few years back. And I know I'm guilty of pasting notes into Facebook, but I've learned. All of you blogless people using FB to put up a pseudo-blogs need to recognize the real. Shoot truthfully if you don't have an actual blog, then I'm not even tryna read what you wrote. Yes I'm mad doggie. I don't know why, but all these 60 second blog thoughts kinda bug me. I know I don’t have anything substantial to say usually, but I've created my own space, generated my own followers and retained my own readership. It's pretty easy to have instant followers when you add everyone you vaguely know on these social networking sites.

I'm tired of reading pointless, forced and statuses that are trying too hard. My ish be more John Blaze than that. Yes I've toiled in the virtual world trying to carve my niche via my weblog, but damn, its getting oversaturated up in here. I liken it to American Idol syndrome, and just because there's a medium, it doesn't mean you could sing! Just as essays morphed into articles, then into blogs, then into status updates, then into tweets, then what? Actually, I'd rather see just one word updates. Maybe it'll improve our collective deteriorating vocabulary. Kinda like how albums nowadays rely on a song or 2 with a catchy hook, micro-blogs are ruining the art for me. Your voice is muddled among the other commoners vying for my attention.

So…I wonder how long it'll take me to sign up for twitter?
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___silog Appreciation

2009-03-11T16:10:00.000-07:00

I haven't concocted a list in awhile, and I figured one about food can help me escape my blog rut. Anyways I've eaten a lot of [fill-in-the-blank]-silog dishes in my lifetime, so I can consider myself an authority on the subject. For those in the dark, Silog is a hybrid term to mean fried rice and fried eggs [at least that's how I understand it.] And my ideal combination is garlic fried rice [typically from the prior day], over-medium eggs, tomato [with them pink salted eggs as a bonus] and with vinegar as a condiment. After you have all that, you could plug in any type of meat or fish and you can enjoy a meal! These dishes are typically meant to be had for breakfast, but thanks to places like Lucky Chances, we can enjoy them 24 hours a day.

Here are Reeg's favs in order:

01. Longsilog - Served with Longanisa, which is a sweet [duh] Filipino sausage. This stuff is potent. You could brush your teeth 3 times and exhale a burp the next day which would smell like longanisa still.
02. Tapsilog - Seved with Tapa, which is a dried cured beef. When I want a somewhat healthly, protein laced meal, I'll opted for this. Avoid if you don't like chewy meat and beware of extra sticking in-between the pearlies.
03. Bangsilog - Served with Milkfish, which translates into bangus, which is not to be confused with BangBus. If I prefer a seafood version, I'll choose this, and I prefer the one near Lake Merced that we had during that one fantasy draft. I didn't eat for 24 hours after that!
04. Spamsilog - Served with Spam. I'll never order this at a restaurant but best believe I'll make it once in awhile haha. I'll include grilled onions and substitute ketchup for vinegar, then I'll mash it all up so I can enjoy a cornucopia of edible delights with each bite.
05. Tosilog - Served with Tocino, which is usually a sweetened cured pork meat. If I'm not worried about my cholestoral count for the day, then I'll order this up. It's reddish in color but it's not red meat. Beware though, since often times pieces could be more fat than meat, but at least you get to enjoy the juiciness of it!

And as a bonus, here are Reeg-approved Silog spots:
- Lucky Chances
- Sinugba
- Ongpin
- that aforementioned spot around Lake Merced

I'm sure there's more, I just can't think right now since I'm pretty hungry. Note to self: don't write about food whilst thinking about dinner.
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The Birthday Recap

2009-03-06T16:05:00.000-08:00

Now I'ma 30 year old blogger. Anyway this past week of birthday festivities was pretty fun and enjoyable. Let's hit rewind to see what happened:

Monday - My old manager and my favorite auditor treated me to lunch at Manhattan Cafe. I didn't even know there was a Cheesesteak spot that was walkable from work! Anyway I didn't have high hopes for this place, but it gets bonus points for serving Coke Zero out of the fountain. To recap: I got a Philly Cheesesteak in San Francisco named after a burrough in New York. Good stuff.

Tuesday - Happy Mardi Gras guys. While trying to enjoy my final day of being in my twomps, I also needed to figure out what to sacrifice for lent. G took me to BIX, where my indecisive self ordered the Prix Fixe menu and G ordered the Kobe Beef. We flanked our order with Truffle Cheese "Croques," which isn't your ordinary grilled cheese! Anyway I had my last Diet Coke to wash it all down while enjoying a fine dinner. It was kind of weird though, since the dude put my jacket on me as we were leaving, like he was Fansworth Bentley to my Puff. Anyway I just slid him a couple Washy's.

So we proceeded towards G's whip and that's where I received my gift. So big THANKS G for getting me an 8GB iPhone and for Jeff for upgrading it to a 16GB! I'm picking it up this weekend guys, so hope these blogs will be more frequent haha.

Wednesday - The Big 3-0 arrived. Honestly it felt kinda weird. The age gap between me and my siblings went away like Keyshia Cole's gap in her grill. We're all in our 30s now! Yikes.

So starting in 2009, our work went away with celebrating birthdays because that $20 cake is killer on the P&L. But since I'm special and all they decided to get one for me haha. It was a mocha-chocolate one from Andersen's [not Arthur] Bakery. I requested to leave early so I could make it to the most crowded mass ever, which would be Ash Wednesday at Saint Augustine. You would think the Pope was there, but nope, it was only me.

G then cooked my dinner that I requested - blackened catfish with grilled asparagus. It was really good and I probably still have crap in my teeth from the seasoning [j/p kids - believe I stay flossin'].

Thursday/Friday - I don't remember doing anything different so I guess it's back to the ordinary!

Saturday Morning- Woohoo time for the real celebrations to start! Thinking about wanting to do something physical for my birthday, I just said screw it and let's book a tee-time. Sorry non-golfers but I'm a grown man now, no need to climb walls and stuff haha. So myself, Francis, UglyStick, MosJef, Down with the Kingsbury, Pan Jr, MethodMik and Team Seabass ventured down to Burlingame to play 18. It was a rough start, as I started in the rough on the first few holes. My score ballooned to a 48 at the turn, but I calmed down a bit and sunk a couple putts in the back, posting a 48-39 for an 87. Guess I'll take it.

But the highlight of the day had to be MosJef jumping out of a haywire cart, slipping on a slope and soiling his pants haha. Damn you had to be there. Luckily Eric had a pair of jeans in his cart so he was able to change. OMG probably the funniest thing I've seen on a golf course.

Another warning: Make sure Mike doesn't drive the golf cart in the parking lot, otherwise he'll run into your parked car.

Saturday Afternoon - Gorrilla BBQ. Hands down the best BBQ place in the Bay Area. It even has G's stamp of approval. Just know that 45 minutes really means 1.5 hours. Go and order the ribs, brisket, chicken and hot links. And even the Mac N Cheese was hella good.

Saturday Night - I wanted to go somewhere simple and nearby, and thanks to Rach's swaying we went to Tropisuneo in Yerba Buena Lane. The food was pretty flavorful and the prices were fair [well what do I know, I didn't pay]. The drinks were good and they even had one named the Duende, which I totally forgot to try haha. Their dessert too was good, and their giant Cinnamon Toast Crunch pieces and Fondue stuff fulfilled me, or maybe it was just the BBQ from the afternoon?

Afterwards we proceeded to Azul, and I don't remember much. Thanks to the pics though, it helped me vaguely remember the evening. I do remember seeing Mike in the bathroom line, and I gave him that "I'ma yack and you hit my whip earlier so let me cut" look. And thanks dude, I think I couldn't hold it much longer. So big thanks to everyone that came out and shared a drink with me. I guess Arv is the only brother who loves me haha.

So we hopped into MosJef's whip and headed out to G's, where we crashed. And I think I got up every hour to go suka. Then G started to frequently suka too! Just like in Stand By Me when they all yacked after the pie-eating contest, but we actaully made it to the toilet at least. So each time we went Jeff had to hear it since he crashed on the sofa haha.

Sunday Morning - My family scheduled brunch at Park Chow's, and I was crazy hungover like a drunk horse. I don't know how I drove there, but I managed since G couldn't make it due to her being gone too. I mean who's birthday was it?! Anyway I get there, can't really eat abut I managed to get some calories in. Ryan gives me a bottle of Grey Goose for my present and I almost yacked upon sight, but I held it in. I also received more Apple money since my Apple fanboy transformation is now complete!

Whew, so that's my 30th celebration thus far. It isn't over until we have a DSK night as the capper.

So thanks guys for the 100 Facebook messages, thanks for coming out to Azul, thanks for breaking bread and sharing a drink with me, thanks for organizing everything for venues to restuarants to invitations, thanks for answering my questions, thanks for making it out to the golf course and the 2 course BBQ meal, thanks to the fam for your presents, thanks for being a homeboy and homegirl, and thanks for making my 30th a memorable one!

Enjoy the pictures! Hopefully they'll be up on FB this weekend.

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Bonus Day

2009-02-27T13:46:00.000-08:00

In one of those questionnaires I've done, I've stated Bonus Day is probably my favorite day of the year. Generally we would receive a Memo sometime in January and we would get a deposit early February. This year January came and went without a memo. Anyway I figured with all the troubles that the financial services industry was having, I should be grateful just to be employed. Which I am don't get me wrong.

Because we have a revolving door of managers here, I got a pseudo-review yesterday from a potential new manager, which seems to be the norm around here. I mean with the way we do things, they should be called previews and not reviews. She didn't have my self-assessment survey [which was sterling btw], so there wasn't really anything to talk about! I wanted to keep my streak alive of being the top rated person in my department haha.

Then we started discussing compensation and we had a raise-freeze, which was expected. The company had pay cuts for VPs, directors, MDs and senior MDs. Thank goodness I'm not one of them [/sarcasm off]. They aren't gonna give people raises when they're getting cuts! Then we discussed bonuses and I actually was selected for one, since apparently discretionary doesn't mean guaranteed haha. Obviously it was a fraction of last year's, which was smaller than the prior year. So it's like decreasing income [which is better than negative income - yes that's an actual term used]. Yay - my bonus jumped into the cold part of the ocean. Part of me is like "woohoo" I got something, then another is like "that's it?" But that's how it is with money though - it's never enough!

In prior year's I was quick to splurge on something, since it always coincided with my birth-month. This time I think I'ma just save it for a stormy day. Anyway I've treated myself to enough toys last year to last awhile.
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Year of the Gentleman Tour

2009-02-26T12:15:00.000-08:00

I'm tryna knock out blogs like I'm a boxer. So obviously this blog is about a month past due, but oh well. Roland, TiffanyBlue, Michelle, G and yours truly attended his show in Oakland a few weeks ago. None of us really venture out to the 'town so we drove through a hood part to get to the Paramount Theatre. Once we got there, it was pleasantly nice, since it was near Lake Merritt around their downtown area.

Anyway the show started with this group called Electric Red or something. OMG they were horrible. They were like 4 Adina Howards, except with a 1/4 of her talent. You know how JJ Fad had that 'Supersonic' song? "The S is for Super and the U is for unique...?" They had a song called 'P***y" I think, that went like "The P is for Power and..." blah blah. OMG they were horrible, both vocally and visually and content-wise. We came too early.

Grammy nominee Jazmine Sullivan performed next, and some the crowd was feeling her. To me nothing really differentiates her from the countless other Neo-Soul artists out there. Yawn.

Then came the headliner! Woo-hoo! Thanks to Share-Bare for clarifying an exclusion I initially missed on my playlist. Anyway since I'm old now, my memory may be a little fuzzy, so if I might have some in the wrong order. His lineup for the day was:

01. because of you
02. lie to me
03. nobody
04. single
05. so you can cry
06. so sick
07. mad
08. stop this world
09. do you
10. irreplaceable*
11. spotlight*
12. take a bow*
13. let me love u*
14. make it work
15. go on girl
16. sexy love
17. miss independant
18. closer

We all bet what song he was going to open with, and Roland actually won. What he won, I'm not sure haha. After a few songs in, it did seem like he was gonna sing the whole YOTG album! Yes, he even performed the latter 1/3 of the joint, of which I don't really play. He had a lil storyline to preface most of his songs, and I pretty much knew what he was gonna sing!

However the more he talked about girl problems, the more I questioned his heterosexualness. I mean I'm sure he's had GF's in the past, but so did Lance Bass. He went on to sing some songs he wrote, which I already knew [duh!]. If you're able to pen "Irreplaceable," how straight can you be?

Then he came with his hits, and his closer was obviously "Closer." Take another look at the list, and I was deeply saddened that he didn't do "Can We Chill!" Grrrrr! I mean he even made a video for it! Considering it was one of his faster paced songs, and he did "Do You" and "Make It Work" from the same album, I was certain he was gonna perform it. But no he didn't =(

But regardless, it was a dope show, like a 100x better than Musiq's. Unfortunately I couldn't boogie as much as I wanted to, since a few rows back my sisters and female cousins [and Lorilie!] were sitting directly behind me! Oh well, at least I came out of there with a free Ne-Yo poster hahaha.
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Happy Birthday Day

2009-02-25T11:37:00.001-08:00

Whoa so its finally here. I just want to thank Tiger Woods for waiting 8 months and debuting again on my birthday. That's a cool gesture Eldrick! I also want to thank the Roman calendar for making today Ash Wednesday, to remind me that I need to fulfill my resolutions and habits that I mentally put forth in the beginning of the year. I want to thank Mark Zuckerberg too, for if we didn't have his medium, then I wouldn't get a fraction of the greetings on Facebook. I thought about giving that up for lent, but I wouldn't be able to function haha.

Anyway, here's some crap I'm trying to do, starting in Lent. Some will be sacrificed these 40 days, other's will try to be a livelihood thing.

- I'm giving up Carbonated beverages! It went from Diet Coke, to soda, to this. I had my last diet coke at BIX last night, and it was $4, so that was a sign haha.

- To exert some physical activity 4x a week. I bought a foam roller, I have the perfect pushup [although mine's probably looks irregular], have a gym downstairs and a gym membership. To be fair, I've included golf here. So what, I'm in my 30s already.

- Not to buy any clothes/gear/kicks. Well let me specify, to not spend add'l money, since I have quite a few gift cards left. I got my birthday 'fit the other day, not to be confused with my birthday suit ladies.

- To sell 40 items already in my possession. I think this is feasible. I have random crap laying around that I could liquidate.

- To commence studying. Well, we'll see about that!

- Try to improve self. Whatever that means I'm for it. It feels like once in your 20s, you could eff around and stuff. But I'm 30 now, and honestly it feels that I need to start playing chess rather than checkers.

Thanks everyone for the greetings thus far! Phone calls, texts, IMs, wall posts and in-person, and even more thanks if you chose more than one avenue!
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Happy Birthday Eve

2009-02-24T13:03:00.000-08:00

So I have less than 12 hours to accomplish everything I wanted to do by the time I turn 30, and boy have I fell short. Slightly disappointed, but then again I did outline some high goals. But I guess it's time to rewrite that goal book or simply turn that 30 into a 35. Or maybe a 33, since that was Jesus's amount of years, and homie accomplished a lot.

But you know what? I think I'm on the right track even though I haven't hit a few benchmarks. A .300 hitter could still be a Hall-of-Famer. It's like running a half-marathon. It would've been nice to do it in sub-2, but I'll take a 2.5 hour pace. What matters is that I ran the damn thing. So my goals are just delayed and are still on my radar, its just a matter of putting the pedal to the floor.

Another thing I just want to emphasize is to focus on what I have rather than what I don't. And I think I have a lot! By no means am I talking about material things, but in terms of stuff that makes me happy - a loving fam, caring friends, being employed now, gas in the whip, matching socks - I'm grateful for that ish!

I think regardless of how old I am I'm gonna be a kid at heart. I often say that I'm always gonna feel like this due to having 4 older brothers. Certain times I need to man up, and I believe I do, but I should let the kid out of me more. I think we all should!

And despite not reaching some goals by the time I was 30, oh well! Think about it - we only chose 30 because it's a round number. I can't think of any other significance there is to it. It's not that much of a landmark year people maybe it out to me. It just has a "0" at the end. But you only turn 30 once! And same with every other year guys.

On the real though, the 20s have been my best decade, and it'll only get better from here.
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Dear ReegSpeak,

2009-02-05T16:19:00.000-08:00

Sorry, I've spending a lot of time with Facebook lately, so I've been kinda neglecting you. Just so you won't feel out of the loop and to the ReegSpeakers that don't frequent FB, here are 50 things folks might not know about me. Most of it is stupid, and some of it is stupider haha. I'll go on a FB hiatus one day...

01. I love leading zeroes and always add them when I can.
02. When I grab a newspaper, I never ever take the top one b/c I'm scared its incomplete.
03. I blogged loyally from 2002 to 2005, then took a 3 year hiatus and started again last year. Similarly Jesus has a few years missing in the New Testament, I have a few years missing on ReegSpeak.
04. I have every SLAM Magazine from #1 [that Larry Johnson cover] to #100, and even the regional covers too.
05. I once shot a 77 at Sharp Park Golf Course in the summer of 1997, but haven't been south of 80 in years.
06. I have long hairy toes, and I was once nicknamed L.T. [for Long Toes] by someone who's actually on my FB friend list.
07. My frosh suitemate was named Keegan. Regan and Keegan - how cool.
08. I love goat meat [Kambing in tagalog]. Like seriously love it. I probably was a hunter in my prior life.
09. I read magazines from the back to front. If I wasn't a hunter, I was probably a Japanese kamakazi in my prior life.
10. I maintain a mental bucket list and only reveal them until the goal actually came to fruition or materialized.
11. I question the 'best by' dates and 'expiration' dates of a lot of food products. I mean if its 'best by Oct-08' that means its at least good by Jan-09 yeah?
12. I have an empty bottle of Cristal in my kitchen that I’m saving for my first rap video.
13. I love watching American Greed: Scams on CNBC.
14. I went to Ballet School when I was around 5 years old, which explains my gracefulness. I was still the hardest dude there though. So yeah, I had ballet lessons and golf lessons as a youngin but not swimming lessons - go figure.
15. Before the Internet, I used to transcribe my favorite rap songs and type them up in WordPerfect on my old 386.
16. At one time, I had every Kenny Anderson basketball card that ever existed. A big middle finger goes out to John Starks!
17. I matriculated at UC-Santa Barbara before even visiting the campus.
18. The Count of Monte Cristo is one of my favorite stories. Something about vengeance makes me happy.
19. I won a burrito eating speed contest b/c I could chew faster than a squirrel. Freebirds FTW!
20. I bought records without having turntables. Buying for the future I guess.
21. The itchiest part of my body are my nipples.
22. I always always need to read something when its time for #2, even if I wake up in the middle of the night for those 4am bombs and my contacts aren't on and such.
23. Contrary to belief, I've never owned a pair of Nike Cortez, Guess overalls, a Starter Parka or Cross Colour jeans. I had them suede Ellesses though.
24. I once got a parafin wax while waiting in the PI and it was one of the worst pains my feet ever felt. They sure were buttery smooth afterwards though.
25. Some may already know about all my kicks, but I also have mad socks too!
26. I really don't have much free time on my hands, but you might think otherwise based on my internet habits
27. One time on the solo drive back to UCSB, I wanted to see if I could make the trip back without getting out of my car. But I really had to pee-pee after drinking a bottle of gatorade. So I just said screw it and took a piss in the [wide-mouthed] empty bottle, which was partially inspired by that scene in Dumb & Dumber. So I never did get out of my car during that trip.
28. I've seen Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera live, but neither Nas or Jay-Z.
29. If kicks/hip-hop/hoops were the only categories on Jeopardy, then I'd be Ken Jennings.
30. When I rap along to songs, I skip the expletives, even if I'm by my lonesome.
31. I once scored a double-eagle on Fleming's 5th hole, which odds are estimated at 1 million to 1. Yes, even rarer than a hole-in-one!
32. I never had my own room until I started paying rent.
33. I haven't used a brush or comb in the past 6 years, nor do I own any.
34. I once acted in a play as the cross-dressing gay Asian version of Anton in an adaption of "Men On Film" from the In Living Color show. I wore some pleather girl pants and some leopard top haha. It was quite possibly the most embarassing thing I've ever done and hopefully will never show up on YouTube.
35. I once plaigarized one of my brothers papers [Ryan obviously] and received an A, after being inspired by Ben Seaver selling Carol Seaver essays from Growing Pains.
36. I have every bank transaction itemized on Microsoft Money since 1998.
37. I've probably seen Spaceballs over 50 times but the Star Wars only once or twice.
38. This numbering methodology was partially inspired by The Roots discography.
39. I once yakked on my roommate's bed. Sorry Eric.
40. My UC application was returned to me because I put "02/25/97" as my birthday rather than "02/25/79." No wonder why UCLA [my first choice] didn't accept me!
41. I brush my teeth in the shower, and sometimes I spit out onto my package, which feels kinda good.
42. I saw Tiger Woods [at a US Open qualifier at Lake Merced] and Lebron James [at a AAU run] when they were both 16 years old. Coincidentally, they share the same birthday [Dec 30th].
43. I once ordered 6 pairs of Jordans from Finishline but received like 20 pairs. I didn't feel bad because its not my fault that had poor internal controls. This was before Sarbanes-Oxley went into effect.
44. I always check for my name on those Inter-Office envelopes that get passed around work, to see if I've been through that envelope before.
45. I once killed a bird on the 3rd hole at Harding with a piercing drive down the middle, and once hit a man on the 18th hole with an errant approach shot. Different rounds however.
46. I met Boyz-II-Men at the Manila Airport, but never saw the pic that we took with them.
47. I probably read every NBA boxscore ever since I could read, as I always read The Sporting Green in the car ride since 1st grade.
48. That above along with watching scrambled television is probably the reason I have poor vision.
49. Thanks to my older brothers [well maybe just Jon], I saw my first pr0n flick when I was 5 years old and wondered why the guy's "pee" was gooey haha.
50. I've never smoked a cigarette or even took a puff of one in my 29 years of living. I'm going for immortality!
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Another Peep into my eBay Inbox

2009-01-29T16:37:00.000-08:00

Man, and I thought I was particular with my threads! Check this one out:

Dear reegsta,

Hi there, sorry for the delay. I've just sent you my payment for the brand new Pac Man Tee via Paypal. I know you have quite a few of these tees, could you please pick the one with the PERFECT quality (no craftmanship defects, good quality print, and graphic is centered, not off the the side, etc.)? PLEASE!! My sincere apology for my pickyness. I really like this tee and want to have the PERFECT one. Thank you very very much for your kindness and sorry for the troubles. Much appreciated!!!

- 501boy

This is in reference to those Pacman shirts that I've been selling. Okay let me get this straight, homie is asking for the perfect mass-produced shirt that was made in China by some pre-teens. Does he want Manny's autograph too? Is he gonna take a measuring tape out and calculate how centered the logo is? Is he gonna test the pigmentation of the various colors? Does he not realize that it's just a screen-printed tee that probably cost $3 to make? If that? Shouldn't he just be happy the sleeves are the same length and the words are spelled correctly? It's not like he bought an Armani piece and is getting an Alfani item instead. But I'll appease him, and give him the shirt that has the gold star next to the "inspected by" sticker hahaha.

Go Pacman!

Here is another curious email I received:

Dear reegsta,

what's up? a friend of mine is doing a blog on bo's and he wanted a couple of pics and pple to talk about their love for his kicks. you came to mind when he asked me if I knew any other bo jackson fans. if your down you can contact him at sneakraddict@gmail.com

- bknowbles

I was like "how do you know I'ma Bo fan?" when I am, but I don't really express it. He came back with:

Dear reegsta,

yeah i always watch different sellers items that ive saved and i see you have alot of heat specially bo's. great vintage by the way so if your interested hit him up at sneakraddicts@gmail.com his name is jaya. thanks

- bknowbles

Apparently what I sell impacts what people's perceptions are of me! Whew good thing I didn't get caught up selling used girl's panties or something, otherwise the Catch a Predator dude would've been on my tail! But anyway I should just forward my Ploomy passion piece about kicks and call it a day. I dunno though, each new time I read that I wish I wrote it differently. Oh well.
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Stuff Accountants Like

2009-01-28T12:29:00.000-08:00

This is one of those "damn he beat me to it" sites! Meaning a rough idea was brewing [I mean I referenced stuff white people like a few times], but it never materialized. Anyhow since I never worked in public accounting [for the better or for the worse?], I can't really relate to a few of these declarations. But for the most part, the list is on point haha.

I could think of 30 other things to add to this list, like loving Diet Coke, using 10 different highlighters and stacking accordian folders, but I'll save those for another day.

Although Kram forwarded me the link, I'ma go ahead and post it since he's still working on his year in review, which will hopefully go up sometime this year. C'mon, the 5th Dimension is collapsing guys!

So accountants and non-accountants alike hopefully will enjoy it. Bookmarked!

Stuff Accountants Like
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Stackin' Dishes

2009-01-27T12:10:00.000-08:00

So G and I had made some sinagang na baboy last week sometime. If you're on FB then you probably knew when I wrote about having some leftovers. It turned out pretty good I might add. I remember first making it during college and having to use a knife to piece the meat hahaha. But now I think I have it down pat, as the meat is tender and the gulay complements well and it has an extra kick of sourness. Really I think eating at Tribu made me realize Filipino food is easy to make, hence the number of dishes I've subsequently made. So if anyone wants to sinagang battle then I'm down!

Here's a pic of the food. I actually prefer it in a bowl, but G likes to drink soup off a plate apparently:

So we're all done eating and she brings her dishes to the sink then I bring mine. Apparently it's a big deal how I placed it in the sink vs. how she did. Who cares when it'll end up in the dishwasher anyway! But it bugged her so much she had to take a snap and send it to her folks. I guess I don't have to tell you what side is mine.

Is it really a fault if her side looks like an actual setting still and mine looks like a rendition of Jenga? Now it makes me want to jack up my dishes because it annoys her hahaha.
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Waiting For the Day to End...

2009-01-23T15:42:00.000-08:00

Jacked from Miss Tiffany Blue:

What color are your socks right now?
Khaki, as they obviously are matching my pants, which elongates my legs.

What are you listening to right now?
Unreleased Lupe stuff on Imeem, and I didn't have to specifically play that to answer this!

What was the last thing that you ate?
Beef Chow Fun from Chung King with The Ugly Stick!

Can you drive a stick shift?
[chick in Boyz N the Hood]I can learn...if you teach me.[/chick in Boyz N the Hood]

Last person you spoke to on the phone?
Tim Zohr, just brokering a customer for his tickets for 2nite's Dubs game

How old are you today?
29, same as the last 334 days

What is your favorite drink?
Freckled lemonade from Red Robin. Not really my fav, but just the first to come to mind.

Have you ever dyed your hair?
Nope, but I have some died hair.

Favorite food?
Totally not a fair question, as I love everything. Although ethnically, I like Filipino food the best, but I'm slightly biased.

What is the last movie you watched?
Uhhh hello I just wrote about it!

Favorite day of the year?
Bonus Day, but I'm not sure if I'm gonna celebrate that in 2009 haha. If not, then the first day of the NCAA hoops tourney.

How do you vent anger?
Generally I'm one to keep it in, or just vent through this very page.

What was your favorite toy as a child?
Legos and Transformers.

What is your favorite season?
Season of Love, word to Rent. But really I'ma summer dude.

Cherries or Blueberries?
Cherries! I went to SI afterall.

Living arrangements?
Messy, but solo at the moment.

When was the last time you cried?
When I cut a really mean onion the other day.

What is on the floor of your closet?
A carpet! haha jp. Clothes closet - a dresser. Shoe closet - shoe boxes

What did you do last night?
Ate at a Pagan restaurant for foodie, then went home and watched The Office on DVR, and received a random call past midnight from an anonymous extended family member who became a fan of my page.

What are you most afraid of?
Failure and loneliness, ironically, I hope to fail at being lonely.

Plain, cheese, or spicy hamburgers?
Cheese and spicy, and might as well throw bacon, grilled onions and some shrooms on there too!

What is your favorite kind of dog?
Maybe a Pit Bull, but I don't think I'd ever own one.

Favorite day of the week?
Hump Day, only because its the only day that has a nickname.

How many states have you lived in?
Only 1 physically, but I have lived in various states of mind [and for the record I'm not talking about drugs here kiddies]

Diamonds or pearls?
Pearl necklace FTW! Naw jp, if Prince could give both then so could I.

What is your favorite flower?
Star Gazing Lilies, since that's the one I seem to buy when that blue moon arrives.
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Slumdog Rupee-aire

2009-01-23T14:58:00.000-08:00

my favorite scene from the movie!

So G and I just had a dinner and a movie night since we're trying save money. But we spent over $100 on food, the flick and the parking! There was probably a reason why I just go to that one Korean BBQ spot if I eat in J-Town, its because sushi there is way overpriced! I think I paid $18.50 for a 4 piece spider roll and a spot aptly called Fuku Sushi - well right back at you! Just now I'm reading the yelp reviews and I saw like 10 1 star reviews in a row. Eff that place dammit. We should've just went to the Sundance Bistro or something.

Anyway we trekked back to Kabuki to watch what all the hype is about. I vaguely heard about the flick's premise - someone from the slum village gets picked on their version of Millionare and somehow keeps on advancing. Then it got all the awards on the Golden Globes which further piqued my interest. Lastly Indians are still Asians so I wanted to support our fellow ethnic people, so it was a wrap! Although Notorious came out the same day, we're waiting for the shootings to settle down before watching that.

I don't want to blow it up or anything, but its pretty much a must-watch movie. The storyline was pretty unique as well. I mean I don't think I ever saw a movie based in Mumbai [fka Bombay], so the setting also made this a stand-out. The character development and plot and acting were all top notch. And I didn't even mention how fly Freida Pinto is! Damn she should change her name to Freida Ferrari.

But don't listen to me vouch for this movie. My former co-worker who was born in India recommends it, so listen to Bheem. I wonder if Anup was watched it too? But anyway, this movie could've very well been set in Manila, so I'm hopeful for the PI to get their Slumdog one day.
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Can't Wear Skinny Jeans 'Cause My Knots Don't Fit

2009-01-22T11:53:00.000-08:00

But I can wear slim-fit pants! So I picked up my first piece of the BR Monogram line this past weekend - I really want to get some fitted brown checkered pants, and I really wasn't gonna settle for something. I came across a random pair at Stonestown, since I believe they don't even carry that line, which happened to be my beloved 32x30 size. And you know when its the only pair and its your size on super-sale, then its a purchase!

I recall tryna find similar pants on the longest shopping excursion ever, which was that day Roland and myself accompanied Weeze and Michelle. [note to self: bad idea.] Anyway the BR associate [not the one who told Rol that the shirt he bought wasn't good with his complexion lol] overwhelmed me with choices: traditional fit, modern fit, tailored fit, modern tailored fit and lastly, slim fit, which I guess is only available as part of their Monogram line.

So on my next time out to the outlets, I was looking for these cuts but they don't have them! Hmmph, I figured I'll just spend the extra loot on a fitted pair the next time I shop. So G and I went to Stonestown Sunday night [I like to go right before closing, as malls generally empty out] and I had a gift card at my disposal. As I typically do, I just bee-lined towards the sale racks and just try to look for my size. Then I found them. I also broke form and actually tried them on, which I rarely do and it just felt like a natural match.

I'm wearing them now and these are like my tightest pants I own. It just feels like I'm wearing some long wool underwear. I'm not used to my thighs being hugged by so much fabric, so I'm sitting at the edge of my chair as to shrink my thigh's girth. Don't worry, my jeans still are normal straight fit, its just my slacks are probably going to be more fitting going forward.
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Boo-Yaa TRIBU

2009-01-21T17:03:00.000-08:00

Where: Tribu Grill
When: January 8, 2009
Who: [deep breath] Reeg, Rach, Tiff B, Steph, Ant, G, Tiff L, Alex, Dennis, Trish, Jeff K, Jeff L, Nick, Louise, Tim, Alan & Arlene [whew!]
What: Filipino Food!
How Much: $20 [but a chance to win a free dinner if you come back!]

Considering the line-up of 17, either people were anxious for the first foodie of 2009 or I made such an inviting evite or maybe they were just plain hongry. Looking at that lineup and we have a set of Tiffs, a set of Jeffs, a set of Zohrs and a set of Ajostes. So if you want people to go to your selection, make sure they have a partner of some sort.

Anyway I guess I've been pigeon-holed to select Pinoy themed restaurants, and since I've never been here, I thought it would be a good choice. And I was right! Eating here inspired me to make hella Filipino food lately.

This was almost 2 weeks ago so I'm going off memory of what table 1 ordered [ed's note: I just looked at the menu online - mucho easier]
- Calamari [thanks to Ant, we endured ridicule from table 2]
- Lumpia Shanghai [yes, China named their city after our variation of the eggroll - go figure]
- TFC [their variation of San Tung chicken wings, which was only okay, but would be good if I never had San Tung haha]
- Pork Sisig [the real ish, with the meat from the pig's face]
- California Sisig [more traditional american parts of the pig]
- Sinagang [Tiff L's only request]
- Ribeye salpicao [their version of bistek, which was aaaaight]
- Crispy Pata [uhhh….dennis was at our table]
- Lechon Kawali [my fav, I could eat this like popcorn]
- Adobo Rice [they didn't have adobo just a la carte, go figure again!]
- Binagoogan Fried Rice [wow this was on point! mangoes and bagaoong on fried rice - nuff said]
- Frozen Brazo [never had it, but it was the only thing Rach ate]
- Turon [okay I'm hungry again]

And that was all washed down with a Mango slushie.

I just realized I really like typing [brackets], since that wasn't really necessary. However I'm lazy to edit it. Anyway, we pretty much ordered the whole menu! Table 2 ordered similarly, except they ordered some kare^2, which looked pretty good.

So Tribu leapfrogged past Patio as my favorite Filipino restaurant on the peninsula. Their prices are fairer, they have more creativity with their dishes and it just tastes better. It felt like your Tita's were in the back prepping all the food. I would definitely come back and recommend this spot for sure.

Personally I'm just glad to see more Filipino restaurants sprouting up. I mean I remember back in the day when it was just Goldilocks, where I try not to eat at until they change that blond chick as their logo. I mean that's like Panda Express since an image of the Little Red Riding Hood to promote their food. Change it to a Pinay chick, and she doesn't even have to be full! Anyway as a note to self, I won't make a foodie post right before its time to eat dinner.
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Work Pet Peeves

2009-01-15T14:04:00.000-08:00

We all have them, yet it seems likely that these annoyances have been heightened. Maybe its because I'm staying longer and thus have more things to be bugged about. I try not to let the small things bug me, but sometimes I just can't help it!

So here we go:
- When you go to the copier and it's on sleep mode, and you have to wait like 2 minutes to photocopy 1 sheet of paper.
- When you go to the copier and someone doesn't reset their settings, so you end up printing 15 copies when you only needed one.
- When you go to the copier and someone leaves it in pdf mode, and you end up erroneously emailing it to the last person who used it.
- When someone sends you a file in .tif format and you are confused what program to open it up with. Aren't pdfs universal already?
- When your controller calls your assistant controller on speakerphone, when he's just sitting next door and both their doors are open. And you end up hearing an echo and it's effin' annoying.
- When someone walks by your desk and throws away something in your garbage can.
- When your controller has a meeting in his office and keeps his door open.
- When you ride an elevator and someone is hella close to the doors when it re-opens. Give me space!
- When people forward you a 10MB attachment that has no relevance to you. I only have a finite amount of space!
- Audit requests. Internal and external.
- When people throw away white paper in the black trash can when the blue recycling can is adjacent to it.

Bonus peeves!
- When you're riding BART and an officer randomly shoots and kills someone. No jp, when you're riding BART and you have the inside seat but are leaving, and the person sitting in the aisle just swings his/her legs toward the aisle, causing you to struggle to exit. Just get up!
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First Post of 2K9!

2009-01-12T23:17:00.000-08:00

My bad readers, I've been pretty busy @ work and don't wanna blog when home, but once I saw this picture I had to post it:

Haha so many things wrong with this picture. First off, he's singing the National Anthem at a NASCAR event. Secondly he actually isn't wearing a hat. He's rocking not only a Louie scarf, but a Louie scarf with a short-sleeve shirt on a seemingly sunny day. Plus he got on a Gucci belt. And why is there a beanie in his pocket??

Haha but despite all this, Ne-Yo remains a Man-Crush. And I'm bout to get tickets to watch him in Oakland on the 6th! Who else is down?
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2008 Music Musings, Part II

2008-12-31T11:25:00.000-08:00

I like how artists just had part IIs rather than a remix, hence the inspiration for my blog title. Anyway I did my post last night half-asleep [wait, is that a pessimistic term? I should've said half-awake] so upon hitting the "post" button and reading RB's, SB's, and TB's list [darn, i'm the only non-B surnamed] I have a few more awards to hand out:

The Chris Isaak Award [meaning you only watch the video because there's a dime in it and don't sweat it if it comes on the radio, word to Wicked Game]

Kardinal Offishall feat Akon - Dangerous. That chick gets the nod for Video Vixen of the Year, but I'm sure King Mag already bestowed that honor to her.

The "When Did That Drop?" Album of the Year
The Large Professor - Main Source. Had this been 10 years ago, I would've been all over this. But I only realized it released last month upon scouring Best of 2008 lists. While his last release was underwhelming, Extra P always has a spot in my hip-hop heart. I'll cop it soon.

The "When I rejoin Columbia House I'll Cop" Album of the Year
Keane - Perfect Symmetry. Only because that's how I obtained their last albums haha. But no joke Hopes & Fears is probably my fav Emo album ever.

Unreleased Song of the Year
Ne-Yo - Together. So I did sone research on this one, and I concluded it is him on the track and Stargate did the music. I have no idea why it wasn't on YOTG, since it gets play than any other song on there, except maybe for So You Can Cry.

The Autotune Song of the Year
Young Jeezy feat Kanye West - Put On. This was the song that gave me false hope for Kanye's joint, but alas I wasn't feeling 808's too much. Anyway this song still gets the spins from me.

The Redundancy Award
Pandora.com. Imeem over Pandora all day for me! And I have a pretty diverse selection of artists, but they seem to play the same 5 songs from any given artist.

The Breakup Song of the Year
Murs - Break Up [The OJ Song]. I was surprised to see him all over MTV and I've only heard this jawn on the radio, but its pretty dope. Past winners include Burn by User and Take a Bow by Rihanna [that was '07 yeah? don't know if it was on the original release, the re-release, or the re-re-release lol]. Anyway this award leads to...

The Stripper Song of the Year
Dream - I Love Your Girl. You get to the club, scour the chicks then identify the one who's tuition payments you want to support. And you know someone's gotta be doing the pipework here, and it's not you. Oh well at least you got a dance.

Freestyle of the Year
Fabolous - Brooklyn [We Go Hard]. Okay I'll admit that I don't listen to too many freestyles, but I've always liked Fab's peripheral releases [mixtapes, freestyles] moreso than his actual albums. This didn't disappoint, but calling it a 'freestyle' is probably a misnomer.

Comeback of the Year
Journey! And it's only because of their new Filipino lead singer hahaha. I really do wish I went to their concert a few months ago. I think Wal-Mart sold the remakes of their old songs exclusively with that dude with the lead vocals. And you probably thought I was gonna say NKOTB!
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