The World's Most Brilliant Idea

I've always wanted to do this. I know some of you have as well. When we go there, we always think, man, this place would really be awesome to stay at. That's right. I'm talking about Ikea. For those of you who have no idea what Ikea is, its a giant scandanavian based furniture store that exist all over the United States. when finally, One person finally had the idea, guts to ask to live there.

Its the same Mark who went to 151 starbucks in one day. Only in NY. Now he's living in Ikea from the 7th to the 12th of January. So he'll keep us all abreast of goings ons there.

http://www.marklivesinikea.com/

For your enjoyment: Time Laspe Photography

it never ceases to amaze me...

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=684920

Page 23

Its kidna old on the blogosphere, but i'll do it.

1. Open the book you are currently reading.
2. Turn to page 23.
3. Type the 5th sentence.
4. Post the text of the sentence in your journal along with these instructions.

at the moment, i'm reading "A Pattern Language" by Christopher Alexander, Sara Ishikawa, Murray Silverstein, Max Jacobson, Ingrid Fiksdahl-King and Shlomo Angel

"Physically and genetically, we appear best adapted to a tropical savanna, but as a cultural animal we utilize learned adaptations to cities and towns."

kinda boring.

I can sooo relate to this... hehe

The best of craigslist has done it again. They've managed to find the inner tickilings of San Franciscian hatred of SoCal behavior. And this guy manages to express it just right.

You came into Royal Grounds, Russian Hill

You are the 30ish, 5'5", 120#, “Blonde" girl with the spackled foundation and knock-off bronze-metallic Prada bag. You were on your cell, blabbing with an artificial "Laguna Beach" accent and blissfully absorbing the "attention" of everyone else in the joint. You’ve been in line for about eight minutes.

I'd like to inform you of a few things:

1. We are not staring at you because you are hot or cool, or interesting. We (read: everyone else in the joint) are trying make you burst into flames by focusing our searing hatred toward your shellacked mary-jane wedges. Believe me, most of us could care less about your insipid desperation to appear cool. We care much more about you leaving. Now.

2. Royal Grounds does not serve “venti latte’s”. You’ve gotten all dizzy and come to the wrong place. You’re looking for McDonald’s, or Jenny Craig, or Fresh Choice. Stupid twat.

3. Make a decision before you get to the front of the line, bitch. I know… you’ve got low blood sugar so its haaaaard to decide, but settling on a fat-free muffin and a low-fat latte shouldn’t take one hundred twelve seconds at the counter. Especially since you’ve been in line for eight minutes saying, “I knoooow. Ohmigod, I KNOOOWWWW! Really? I know…”. Its not like you’ve been on hold with Comcast. You’re in line for coffee at 7:55am. Die. Now. Or at least spontaneously bleed or do something interesting and painful like a seizure.

4. Leave a freaking tip. That little jar isn’t there to TAKE CHANGE FROM. If you need change for the bus, simply ASK the nice gal behind the counter. Don’t dig around in her tip jar for quarters while drawling about losing your Muni Pass to your feeble-minded phone-mate. We all know you lost your Muni Pass along with the tattered remnants of your shriveled dignity at the Royal Joke last night at 1:12am. It is just at the end of Bonita Street under that pile of wadded Kleenex. You know, near where you woke up, skank.

5. Get your fucking bag off my table! Damn, now you’ve done it. You’ve taken me from focused disgust to personal rage. Just because I’m seated at the table next to the no-calorie sweeteners doesn’t mean I want your greasy, cum-stained whore-sack on my paper; nudging my coffee and getting dangerously close to contaminating my bagel. Not even an “excuse me” or a “do you mind/”. In fact, I might have let it pass with simple hatred had you bothered to engage some semblance of decency. But, there you go, no concern for my space or belongings.

6. It was not an accident that my coffee “fell” onto your feet while you were adding the Spleda to your beverage. I purposely removed the lid. I carefully planned knocking it “just so” in hopes of getting at least one of your feet covered in scalding bean juice. Did that burn a little? Don’t worry about the shoes. Pleather cleans up nicely. The sugar should get nice and sticky soon. Kind of like your thighs and tits felt before you used a handi-wipe on them this morning when you came to.

7. It was funny to watch you drop your phone into the bus-tray, prance on your little feet, and protest with “Ohmigod! Ohmigod!” while everyone else took delight in your suffering. Did you believe me to be sincere when I said, “Oh, wow. That must hurt.” Notice how I didn’t apologize? Of course you didn’t.

8. Yes, I purposely chose that moment to get up and leave. I definitely meant to bump you ever so slightly with the table and knock your bag to the floor with my laptop and paper. I admit it: I wanted to cause you as much inconvenience as possible without actually breaking any laws.

9. The people behind you in line were purposefully rude in pushing around you to get lids, sugar, cream and stuff. They grinned when they observed my work. They wryly smiled. They hate you as much as I do. Probably as much as your mother did when she dropped you off at the orphanage.

10. Even though I had significantly slowed the pace of everyone’s day, there wasn’t a bit of anger directed at me. Rather, there was joy, gratefulness, even one woman who mouthed, “Awesome”. You are disgusting and unwelcome. Move away. Get crippled. Go blind. Just leave.

http://www.craigslist.org/about/best/sfo/327033558.html

What to think about during a fingerbang

From here

What the study showed was that lesbian women also tended to have the more "masculine" arrangement - that is, they had shorter index fingers.

But the ratio of finger sizes in men was more complicated. Comparisons between all men showed no differences. Only gay men with several older brothers had an unusually "masculine" finger ratio - in other words, they had significantly shorter index fingers.

Having a large number of older brothers had previously been established as a factor predisposing men to homosexuality, and like finger length reflects prenatal androgen exposure.

Homosexual men without older brothers had finger length ratios indistinguishable from heterosexual men, indicating that factors other than hormones - such as genetic influences - also contribute to sexual orientation.

Cool Sleeping Photos

http://www.bunrab.com/photohutch/ichioka_photos/ichioka_phgal.html

The truth about the Temperance Movement

The world now as well as the world back then was and always will be filled with hypocrites.

Recently, I believe last year, you know how every single faction is struggling with each other for a voice in the nation? Well it kinda exploded with a little pop over a whole BART incident. Living in the Bay Area, there are many signs promoting abortion and of course, it brings up complaints, but the Dems get to keep them up because of the free speech clause of the 1st amendment. But when the pro-life faction decided to post a pro-life poster in several BART stations, there was a call from the liberals to have all the posters removed. Well isn't that hypocratic of them? They fought for their voice and won, yet they attempt to stifle the voices of the other. Republicans are wrong! Dont believe a word! Give people a choice! Our choice! The right to abortion! We are right! Forget the saving of the child! It's a big battle, and it'll keep going on as long as i'm alive and then some.

But I was reviewing through my library today for a book to read on the can, and there's alot of book I have not read. I came across a book, "Years of Conscience" which was pretty much an anthology of several works written by muckrakers of the 1900s. But one article really pulled me in.

The "Patent Medicine" Curse
By: Edward Bok

It was an article pretty much outlining the truth about the magic cure-all tonics of the early 20th century. It's amazing how quickly we fell into the trap as ordinary consumers and people. None the less, people were ingesting alarming quantities of opium, cocaine and alcohol when taking these mystical medicines. Around the same time, women began their protest against the evils of alcohol and spirits. In a letter to the magazine that Mr. Bok wrote for, he made a letter obvious how the women protested at his magazine for printing an ad for Root Beer (which contained no alcohol of sorts) yet these same women would chug bottles and bottles of this stuff thinking it helped them get over the Winter bug or the many maladies that apparently attacked many of the women and people took.

Heaven forbid should a temperance movement woman should come across a child drinking a beer! But come winter and the cough that comes along with it, a little of tonic or bitters are prescribed to little junior to cure him.

In a chemical analysis provided by the book, most beers and spirits contain at that time, about 2 to 5 percent alcohol (which is a bit hard to believe, but what the hey, he researched it) whereas some of these miracle medicines contained as much as 50% alcohol. Not to mention uncounted amounts of cocaine and opium. What would mother more likely turn to to help her child? Mothering? or the Cure all?

Take the "Favorite Prescription" for example and from the ingredients contained, there was about

1/2 fluid drachm of Tincture of Digitalis
1/2 fluid drachm of Tincture of Opium
8 drops of Oil of Anise
1 1/2 ounces of Alcohol

*All this is in 9 oz of the aforementioned drug*

These same women who protested the advertising of rootbeer with out any alcohol of any sorts, were chugging at least a bottle or two of this stuff a day. You could even say the temperance movement was one that drank behind its back. Very hypocratic indeed...

So, i'll present a list from the book:

Lydia Pinkham's Vegetable compound 20.6% Alcohol (by volume)
Paine's Celery Compound 21.0%
Dr. William's Vegetable Jaundice Bitters 18.5%
Whiskol, "a non-intoxicating stimulant" 28.2%
Colden's Liquid Beef Tonic
"Reccomended for treating the alcohol habit 26.5%
Ayer's Sarsaparilla 26.2%
Thayer's Compound Extract of Sarsaparilla 21.5%
Hood's Sarsaparilla 18.8%
Allen's Sarsaparilla 13.5%
Dana's Sarsaparilla 13.5%
Brown's Sarsaparilla 13.5%
Peruna 28.5%
Vinol, Wine of Cod-Liver Oil 18.8%
Dr. Peter's Kuriko 14%
Carter's Physical Extract 22.0%
Hooker's Wigwam Tonic 20.7%
Hoofland's German Tonic 29.3%
Howe's Arabian Tonic, "Not a Rum Drink" 13.2%
Jackson's Golden Seal Tonic 19.6%
Meensman's Peptonized Beef Tonic 16.5%
Parker's Tonic "Purely Vegetable" 41.6%
Schekck's Seaweed Tonic "Entirely Harmless" 19.5%
Baxter's Mandrake Bitters 16.5%
Boker's Stomach Bitters 42.6%
Burdock Blood Bitters 25.5%
Greene's Nervura 17.2%
Hartshorn's Bitters 22.2%
Hoofland's German Bitters "Entirely Vegetable" 25.6%
Hop Bitters 12.0%
Hostetter's Stomach Bitters 44.3%
Kaufman's Sulphur Bitters "Contains No Alcohol"
As a matter of fact, it contains 20.5 percent
alcohol and no sulphur at all 20.5%
Puritana 22.0%
Richardson's Concentrated Sherry Wine Bitters 47.5%
Warner's Safe Tonic Bitters 35.7%
Warren's Bilious Bitters 21.5%
Faith Whitcomb's Nerve Bitters 20.3%

So what these people assumed as safe or more wonderful than going to the doctor turned out to be nothing more than repackaged alcohol in dangerous levels. Imagining ingesting any of this garbage and expecting it to work. I can only assume people took the stuff because the alcohol did most of the work. Thanks to the muckrakers, this nation has increased since, its at tentativeness to watch out for dangerous products and to keep the people of this nation informed and safe.

Top Seven Cars I want to drive before I die

It's every man's dream. To drive damn sexy cars. And I too am one of those kinds of guys. With that lust for metal and machines. But I decided to come up with a list of cars I definetly must drive before I die. So let's go on and start up with number seven

Number Seven:
Cadillac Escalade
Model: (Second Generation)

Why: Ever since the second gens came out, I just had a look at it and I knew I had to drive that. The bold definitive lines, the grill, the roomyness. The sheer magnificence of the word: Luxury SUV. Although, I feel it's rather unnecessary to drive such large cars now.


Number six:
Fiat Balilia
Model: Saloon or Spyder

Why: A little handsome car produced in italy during the war years. The spyder model is the one I want to drive. But lord knows how hard it'll be to get one of these.

Number five:

Ford Model A
Any model

Why: Since 2003, I've had a love affair with these depression era fords. In my opinion, one of the greatest cars ever produced by Ford apart from the 1950 custom and Ranger. Just look at it. I always imagine myself behind the wheel of one of these by the end of high school, but I could never see it. Sadly, I'm not too much of a car buff and my parents wernt willing to fund an expensive hobby :P

Number Four:
Oldsmobile 88
Make: 1948 - 1953

Why: I had seen one of these advertised in the SF Chronicle for a low price of 4000 dollars. Black, stick and in mint condition. These cars were truly amazing. One of the firsts to include hydramatic drive and I think the 88s had the Oldsmobile Rocket engines as well. But none the less, the 88's were certainly beasts to be reckoned with

Number three:
Austin Seven
Model: Chummy, Hardtop, pickup, Saloon, Ulster

Why: Just look at it. It's the Ford T equivilent of england. They were small and cute as hell. Imagine being able for you and 3 friends to be able to pick up such a small car. The chummy, I really like because of the open top. Imagine driving about in that. It would be sooo cool. It's not exactly a chick magnet, but it gets curb appeal.

Number two:
Citroën Traction Avant

Why: Damn Sexy Car!

And number one:
Hudson Hornet
Model: 1951 - 1952

Why: I kinda fell in love with the 1951 Model partially due to cars, but also due to the lore of the amazing handling of the car and the fact that it's one of the most influential stock cars of the Nascar eras.

So thats it. That's my list. One day, I'm going to try and get a hudson Hornet and paint it like the Fabulous Hornets of the 1950s. Twin H Power all the way!

The many faces of Zach

So folks, that's me then. Pretty nice looking guy for my age eh?

Well, I found this one pretty cool morphamajig online today through cynical-c and I thought I'd give it a try. And first, I just had to see what I would grow up to look like.

Finding out that you're going to grow up and look like that makes one not wish to group at all.

Of course, I just had to see myself as an indian sub continental person

White Zach.

Now the following, wernt too interesting and pretty put my face behind art. Moldihasomething first


Manga Me looks kinda cool

And one cannot leave out El Greco Zach

Another top list?! Top 10 Composers

So, Why did I bother again to write another top ten? The same reason why people read "Dub" magazine. To look at other people's lives and wish we were living their life. But pimped out cars and baggy clothing aside, I decided to have a little looksie at my top 10 favorite composers.

So how, of the hundreds of composers in the world, did I manage to pick my top ten? First off, i'm very partial to Martial Music. The more he wrote, the more I like him. The better he wrote, the more I liked it. But there were also a few composers in here that dont really fit under the martial music type fellows. But understand, you're dealing with me! Not some schmuck who listens to nothing but raps and shuns every other form of music aside. So let's get started before I diverge.



#10: Kenneth J. Alford.

The man's famous for writing the world known "Colonel Bogey March" featured in the whistling movie, "Bridge over River Kwai." If you noticed, it was mentioned as number uno in the previous post, but I'm not that generous when it comes to non-movie music.

#9: Karl King

The Iowa king of Marches! Although he has written like 50 more marches than Sousa, his marches never acclaimed their fame since he was the more, well how do you put this? Suckier? Not entirely that sucky, but he wrote some pretty worthwhile pieces.

#8: Sir Edward Elgar

The man who wrote that annoying song that us band nerds have to play over and over and over and over and over again at the graduation ceremonies in June. At first, I would have been ready to slap this man in the face, but when I heard his Enigma Variatons, I would rather just hold his hand and commit no acts of violence.

#7: Gustav Holst

Oh man, this guy is so awesome. And the Planets suite? Oh man, oh god, oh yes! And dont get me started on his first suite in Eb for Band. *cough III. March *cough *cough cough * oh, sorry about that, I ought to watch where I'm coughing sometimes *wink wink*

#6: Jan Sibelius

The man at first, seemed nothing more than a pudgy pile of marshmallows until I heard his early work. Finlandia. Ohmigosh! It's so amazing! No words can describe it, apart from Freaking and Amazing.

#6: Richard Strauss

The little known son of the waltz king. I bet if you ever mentioned the Blue Danbue in front of him, he's probably spit and just be all huffy about it. Kinda like Will Ferrell as "Franz Liebkind" when describing Churchill. "YOU WERE LED ON BY THE B-B-C!" Well, maybe not, but he's written some pretty awesome pieces such as that one that was used in 2006 a Space Odyssey.

#4: George Gershwin

The man's got Rhythm. *haha, pun*. Singlehandedly, he's written three of some of my most favorite pieces. Rhapsody in blue, an amazing piece of rhythms as well as harmonies and catchy bits of virtuosity.

#3: John Phillip Sousa

The first thing that comes to mind, when you say his name, The Stars and Stripes Forever should be playing over and over in your head. Forever so to speak. Heh... Well, like I said, I'm a big fan of Martial music and what better than the man who's written in the vicinity of 130 marches. Sure 130 doesnt sound like much, but have YOU written anything?

#2: Dmitri Shostakovich

The man who stuck it to the Stalin Man! Shostakovich is one of those type of composers you either hate or love. And apparently, I love him! His symphonies are amazing pieces of work, espically No. 5, 7, 10, 11 and 13. I have yet to find a copy of 14 and 15. But not only did he write such stirring pieces of music, you can also accredit him for writing very light and bouncy pieces such as his Galop from Cheremushky, and his Jazz Suites. Sometimes, he got quite romantic as seen in the second waltz from Jazz suite no.2.

And topping the charts at #1: Leroy Anderson

The Swedish composer who typed his way into my ears. I first picked up his CD at the San Francisco library and at first, I was kinda reluctant to check it out since I had no idea who this guy was, but I took a chance and listened to him. The first song I scrolled over to, "The Typewriter" was amazing. I had not expected what I was about hear. It starts off as pretty light music then all of a sudden, a typewriter starts playing. I highly recommend everyone to find a copy of Leroy Anderson's "Sleigh Ride" and listen to it. If you didnt know already, he was the guy who wrote the Sleigh Ride piece. That one you always hear in the winter.

"Lets hear those sleigh bells ring-a ling
ring ting tinga ling ling...
Come on it's lovely weather for a
Sleigh Ride together with yooouuuu...."

So that's it. My top 10 composers as of January 2007!

Zach's top 10 favorite Movie Opening/Theme musics!

Number 10: Opening overture to "Battle of Britain"

In my honest opinion, I really like this song even though it's just a movie march. As Will Ferrell once put it:

"Russian Folk songs and French Ooh-la-las! cant compare to the German Oomph Pah Pah!"

And that's really the best way to put it.

Number 9: Theme "The Great Escape"

This is a easily recogonized piece of music. G, c, G, e, d, c, A. Everyone knows the tune as Steve McQueen walks into his nazi holding cell for his bad conduct. Heh, heh, good ol' trouble makers.

Number 8: Theme from "The Pink Panther"

Ooh, sexy. There's not much to say about this piece except it's world wide recgonition and acclaim. You cant help but be sneaky when it starts to play on your MP3 player. Causing everyone about you to wonder what the hell you are doing.

Number 7: Theme from "The Godfather"

Ah, a timeless classic. The one song if ever played, will strike the hard chiseled features of Marlon Brando's face into your mind and cause everything else to just leave. Strikes fear into every non-coreleone member of the family. *rat-tat-tat*

Number 6: The opening song from Disney's "The Adventures of Robin Hood"

Man, No one can forget that singing rooster.

Number 5: Opening credits music from "Games Gamblers Play"

Very few people who are white will know of this movie. So understand, it's sung entirely in chinese and alongside flashing lights and animated chickens, the theme song is really cool. Also, it's written by the actor: Sam Hui

Number 4: Theme from: Aces go Places 1 thru 5

Again, see above

Number 3: Opening music from Disney's "The Aristocats"

Hehe, Love it.

"Oh zer is nuthing like zeh Areeisto-cats"

Number 2: Casablanca's "As time goes by"

Instantly recogenized as the song that we all want sam to play it again. Also, for you BBC buffs, the theme from the TV show... "As Time goes by". Haha!

so, here's that I say: "Play it again Sam"

and last, and definetly not least

Number 1:

*Commercial Break*

Do you need teeth? I am good doctor, needing patients to operate on for practice. Only 9.95!



yeah.

So At number one:

Bridge Over River Kwai: Colonel Bogey's March

One of my all time favorite movies, the Bogey march was written back during the great war by the man behind the pseudonym Kenneth J. Alford who would later write several more influential marches.

So everyone, that's my top 10 and I advise you all to maybe write down your top 10 or so and see how others feel.