Harlem Days

busker in harlem

2011-11-09T08:04:00.001-08:00

busker in harlem, a photo by Monster Pete on Flickr.

at the 125th street station. dig the foot contraption!!

Brandy Hot Chocolate recipe

2011-11-05T19:48:00.000-07:00

Two cups Almond Breeze unsweetened vanilla almond milk
cinnamon
hot chocolate powder or chocolate
cayenne pepper
Raynal brandy
mini marshmallows
fresh ground nutmeg
agave nectar sugar (optional)

Warm the milk in a small pot. Add thickener like cream or soy creamer if wanted. Grate in the nutmeg, add the spices, and stir. Meanwhile, in the cup, stir together 1 or 2 shots brandy with chocolate powder.

Before it boils, pour the liquid into cup. stir. Add marshmallows. Enjoy!

Old woman in line at post office in a large town

2011-08-25T09:30:00.000-07:00

So I got a notice from USPS that a package was being held at the local post office. I went at the prescribed date and time and got in line. In front of my was an elderly woman in a wheelchair pushed by a younger woman. The older one asked me how much stamps were and I hazarded a "44 cents?" She replied she hadn't been in a post office for a long while. Then she said, Can you believe what they're wearing?" Incredulous, I just looked at her. She then referred me to the two somewhat overweight women at the counter, not five feet in front of us. "If I looked like that I would hide myself," she said, and proceeded to remark that she looks better than they do, even now. She dances, too, she said, except for her bad leg. She used to do them all, the mamba, tango, everything. She turned 97 yesterday. Good for her. She was pretty hot, too.

Bum's Rush

2011-08-25T09:15:00.000-07:00

My first blog entry from New York will be about how I got here. Specifically, how I got into the 125th Street branch of the NYPL. It's pouring rain outside. I arrived at the library door at 11:53AM, but it was locked until noon. Around 11:57, the various characters, ranging from muscled juice heads speaking Spanish to tattooed skinny young guys nodding off, hustled from under the nearby vacant marquee to stand right behind me at the door. Soon, the rain hastened and the characters got closer to me, and more vehement in their demands the doors open soon. When Brit and my old landlord told me to be situationally aware in NYC, I think this is what they were speaking of. I gently touched my laptop through my backpack, making sure it was secure, and turned toward the doors, peeking through the glass with the hope of seeing an employee headed our way. "I'm going to be soaked," said one particularly incensed man in the queue. I envisioned myself as a headline in the NY Times, "Man Crushed in Stampede to Read." I got the feeling they had done this wait before. Like every day. Because when the librarian finally headed towards us, someone behind barked, "Move back, he's got to open the door outwards." And so he did.

Once inside, I saw what the rush was about -- not just getting out of the rain, but getting in line to use the computers. Librarians pleaded for calm as the men, about eight of them, and no women, hustled toward a terminal.

So here I sit, in probably the only public library I've ever entered without a public restroom, having to pee and writing while several men gingerly one-finger type on public laptops, given to them after the desktop terminals were all occupied.

moo-ving

2011-06-16T08:35:00.000-07:00

so i know it's been a while since i posted. it looks like i'm moving to NYC with B after the Bar. Unsure what the goal is of taking the CA bar, i guess it's an eventual return to Cali. Anyways, who knows what I'll do in NYC. Maybe pursue my dream of being a writer, as so many have before me, including my second cousin who failed at writing, evidently, but did bring back a chihuahua.

So, I'm looking for success, but maybe I'll find some sort of chihuahua. Wouldn't be s bad.

Can you Compost a Brick?

2010-12-26T15:49:00.000-08:00

I learned San Francisco composts 600 tons each day. I wonder how many bricks that includes?

dinner

2010-12-16T22:01:00.000-08:00

i made stir fry and orange chicken... stir fry with olive oil (from Rainbow), onions, garlic, carrots, orange bell pepper, ginger powder, 2 eggs, spinach (at least i think it was - a leafy green from our CSA), soy sauce.... in more or less that order. it turned out well, especially with the Trader Joe's orange chicken, crispy as all heck, after i just about smoked out the whole apt.

dessert: kahlua hot chocolate and mandarins.

brit's away.

updates

2010-11-12T19:20:00.000-08:00

skipping the annual auction/party at my law school, and the 40th anniversary of my old jobsite... being a bum, watching jeopardy instead. it happens.

hit the Off the Grid food truck party last night at Stanyan and Waller. i snapped at keith when he started going on about how this is part of a nationwide trend. i should be more accepting of my friends. even when they're pontificating.

baby spud not happy, want num num

2010-08-12T21:50:00.001-07:00

baby spud not happy, want num num
Originally uploaded by Monster Pete

i took this, then sliced it. It was happy, then sad.

Peanut Butter Moo'd

2010-06-22T22:16:00.001-07:00

Peanut Butter Moo'd
Originally uploaded by Monster Pete

bday/anniversary

2010-06-21T11:08:00.001-07:00

had a nice birthday party at the giants game. bleacher seats for 9! so many friends...

then anniversarsy: massages at the olympic club, Ted's sandwiches for lunch, and Chin's sushi for dinner. not too shabby.

Weasel Walter/Mary Halvorson/Peter Evans live DVD excerpt

2010-06-05T20:53:00.000-07:00

what i learned at my internship, part II

2010-05-26T13:58:00.000-07:00

From UC-Berkeley Police Department police report form (check boxes):

78. Hair Style
A Unknown
B Afro/Natural
C Braided
D Bushy
E Crew Cut
F Greasy
G Military
H Pony Tail
I Dred Locks
J Straight
K Punk
L Other

82. General Appearance
A Unknown
B Conservative
C Dirty
D Disguised
E Flashy
F Good Looking
G Military
H Unkempt
I Unusual Odor
J Well Groomed
K Casual
L Other

what i learned at my internship

2010-05-24T13:52:00.000-07:00

Tickler file: a date-labeled file folder organized in a way that allows time-sensitive documents to be filed according to the future date on which each document needs action. Each day, the folder having the current date is retrieved from the tickler file so that any documents within it may be acted on. Essentially, a tickler file provides a way to send a reminder to oneself in the future—"tickling" one's memory.

Doodle 4 Google

2010-05-18T22:53:00.000-07:00

Does anyone else find this a little disturbing?

"Over 33,000 children drew doodles for our homepage."

How would we feel five years ago if Microsoft did this? Or Nike?

Or is there a Google exception -- they're too big, too good? Then maybe they should be treated like a public utility.

Doc fest: The Buck Stops Here

2010-04-26T10:00:00.000-07:00

Finally saw Atomic Cafe and it was all that. It makes me question the current "dirty bomb" scare. The propaganda is truly stunning. I was surprised at how well the US Military propaganda films got the opposition's arguments. Maybe they're more effective than I give them credit for. They present the arguments unadulterated, gaining traction with skeptical viewers like myself, then ending with a pro-nukes punch line, i.e. "If you love communism so much, why don't you move to Russia?" or somesuch nugget. There's a nice moment when Kruschev puts it in Nixon's face: "All [Americans] know about communism is fear of it."

Also, Screamers (2006) was shown in combination with Armenian Genocide remembrance day at my law school. It's got a bunch of System of a Down concert footage, plus some nice Dennis Hastert harassment in favor of genocide recognition. However, Q: If SOAD is really the main vehicle for the recognition movement in the world today, as some Armenian organizers suggest, what does that really say for the movement?

A: Er...that it's really strong, I guess. Right? Guys? RIght?

Either way, I suggest all bone up on the first Genocide. Here are some resources:
Armenian National Institute
New York Times articles published during the Genocide

"OBAMA - Commander and THEIF"

2010-04-16T12:20:00.001-07:00

"OBAMA - Commander and THEIF"
Originally uploaded by luna715

Check out the Teabonics gallery in Flickr. I can't resist.

Envious? NVS Rules!

2010-03-21T15:56:00.000-07:00

Last night, NVS and Audible Smoke Signals played to an enthusiastic crowd at the House of Shields, an old, wood-paneled bar in the middle of the Financial District. The odd surroundings, with the Palace Hotel across the street, only emphasized the near-naked intensity of frontman Walter Campbell. His vocals gained from the band's move toward more rock and funk than punk-based rhythms. He gets to settle down a bit and explore tonalities. The lyrics are clever as ever. "And the best I could do was the worst you could ever hope for."

The light show was disappointing, as I told Tre. He's set the bar high for himself from his Monster Pete and The Chiefs days, with the foot activated light inside the bass drum, for example. But showiness was not a problem overall, with at least two of the five (six if you include Bunny, who sat on the bass amp, professing that she liked the vibrations) finishing the show topless.

Micah adds a steady beat and helps the funk songs, and Tre added nice textures with his pedals of wonder. The fans went crazy the whole night, even the military dudes in the back. It was a great rock show.

music in my face

2010-03-21T11:45:00.000-07:00

i've heard/seen some good shows lately. first off, Marc Flury took us to the Berkeley Art Museum to meet up with CansaFis and see Caroliner. Check out the video: I swear that was the loudest thing I've heard in a while, amplified by the concrete bunker that is the Berkeley Art Museum. The visuals were ecstatic, orgiastic and scary. Then today, we traveled a bit closer to home to hear the wonderful SF Quartet. They played a bunch of cartoon songs, including Under the Sea, The Pink Panther, and Powerhouse, more or less the Elmer Fudd theme. They had some sweet unconventional bowing techniques, i.e. the chicharra and some basic percussive sounds. The songs were technically impressive, jumping genres, and it was disconcerting (so to speak) to hear Disney tunes from a worldly string quartet, but kind of in a good way.

Hakeem Olajuwon NBA Superstars

2010-03-02T09:06:00.001-08:00

check out the Dream Shake in action

Def Poetry

2010-02-27T20:55:00.000-08:00

Brit has brought the joys of the late Def Poetry slam into the Inn. We had a session this afternoon. Here's my poem:

Left-Handed

Left-handed, branded -- "You always have to be different, don't you Peter?"
Well yes, but I don't blame tame cats for being the same.
Guitars, gloves and notebooks are cheaper,
if you buy ones for right-handed people!
But sometimes my hands don't feel right, stuffed into gloves whose minds are tight!
Lefties unite!

The Great Pillow Fight of 2010

2010-02-19T10:02:00.001-08:00

The Great Pillow Fight of 2010
Originally uploaded by Monster Pete

yippee. my face hurt for a while.

long live howard zinn

2010-01-28T15:33:00.000-08:00

he died today. i met him when he came to speak at northwestern. we had dinner, and he less than half-jokingly accepted my offer to buy him a drink, just before he was to speak. the crowd was packed into one of the school's bigger auditoriums. he talked about how war breeds terrorism and post-9/11 atmospheres; this was probably in 2002. as we were walking toward the auditorium, I asked if he was fairly busy these days. yes, he said with a laugh, war is good for business.

it's his cheeriness that i remember, as i never read too much of what he wrote. he also loved him some dunkin donuts coffee, like a true man of the people. rip

Great Falls at Paterson, New Jersey

2010-01-18T11:49:00.001-08:00

spring break!!! not really

new york. the lights will inspire you.

2010-01-11T16:21:00.000-08:00

Pictured: me and britt at Rockafella Center. We had an awesome trip to NYC and Jersey. Didn't see many Jersey Shore types but did see Mikey Sherman. Stayed in Queens (Jackson Heights) in an Uzbek-Bangladeshi household in an Ecuadorian-Colombian neighborhood with great Indian food nearby. I love New York.

Ghostbusters 3 on the Way

2009-12-18T10:39:00.001-08:00

Alright so I'm psyched. Anyone want some thai food? (There's a line in the first movie about Thai food). Ivan Reitman Confirms 'Ghostbusters 3' Rumors - Inside Movies

A Tribute to Luna- I Believe in Nargles

2009-12-15T21:03:00.001-08:00

i do. do you?

band names

2009-12-09T13:46:00.001-08:00

tilted ark

peeking

2009-12-05T21:12:00.000-08:00

my girlfriend checked my "history" to find the gift i ordered for her online.

is this the new "shaking the box"?

wesley willis, rock star, movie star

2009-12-04T12:32:00.001-08:00

there's totally a shout out to Gand Music and Sound.

band names

2009-12-04T12:06:00.000-08:00

The Outward Swinging Doors
Jehovah's Attorneys
Butters in Bali
Waiter, There's Soup in My Hair

word of the day

2009-12-03T21:50:00.000-08:00

approximeeting: Getting together with one or more people by first arranging an approximate time or place and then firming up the details later on, usually via cell phone.
—approximeet v.

In a sentence: "I called my future self to approximeet sometime in the next 6 months to discuss my career plans."

cutting flowers

2009-12-03T21:48:00.000-08:00

i turned in a 29 page paper the other day. i thought it was longer but i had the margins wrong, and changed them at the last minute after cutting most of my inspired turns of phrase from the paper (because i thought it was too long). se la vie.

gigging!

2009-11-16T09:40:00.000-08:00

i played a violin gig last night, my first for money. Previously I've only entertained grade-schoolers. The kids are more excited than the adults, I can say from experience. Here's what happened: This guy dropped into the music store where I take lessons looking for an "intermediate" violinist, evidently. I got the call and rang the guy up. He gave me this 30 minute spiel about how he's trying to smooth over a "rough patch" with his gf, whose parents hate him, evidently. Poor chap. So I learned "At Last," put on a suit, and played for him and her at a restaurant in San Mateo. The manager took my cards, and asked my rate. I said $50 per half hour. Not bad right? HIGHlarious. I gotta work on my Italian tunes...it's amore.

The Hurt Locker / Gunner Palace

2009-10-18T15:10:00.000-07:00

Most Iraq war movies focus on how dishonest the push to war was, or how hopeless the fight is. The Hurt Locker assumes both, then dismisses them through a protagonist addicted to war and its adrenaline-inducing chaos. The movie is hard to watch if you actually consider the cost of supporting people like him, with its minimal ROI, and as displayed in embedded documentary Gunner Palace, about a squad living out of one of Uday Hussein's palaces just after the "victory" in the war in Iraq, around 2003. But Hurt Locker is easy to get pulled into, if you've ever enjoyed an episode of GI Joe.

The main character is a bomb, or IED, defuser. He's old school, doing such gallant acts as throwing off his communication devices and forgoing use of the bomb robot; if you can imagine an action hero star who prefers analog life (see Die Hard) you'll get my drift. So this flawed hero ignores his family, rides his men, and never gets hurt. Nearly everyone else does. How is he such a superman?

We never really find out. He's Daniel Craig style tormented, ripped--diesel, and not afraid to fight. I guess he's the ideal soldier. So he saves a few lives, places too much emphasis on his relationship with a young local boy, to compensate for failing with his family at home, I guess, and the rest of the characters falter and pray for home. He's not cruel, as one of the higher ranking officers in the film is, preferring to let an insurgent die than receive medical care. He's just addicted to war.

So it goes. Hurt Locker dares you to dream of a world where war is sport, and just as meaningless. Go team USA!

Gunner Palace, on the other hand, is more comfortable dwelling in the silent moments, after the enthusiasm wears off, and soldiers are left with only their weak explanations and vivid memories.

The only hint of Locker's addiction to war found in the doc Gunner Palace is when a young soldier exclaims his joy for being in Iraq. From a small town, natch, the young man says that at his age, about 19, he can say he's been in war, with combat experience. How many people can say that? he asks. The expression of enthusiasm on his face proves that the need still exists to prove your manhood or see the world through war. I wonder whether any alternatives can capture the imagination in such a romantic way. That said, there's nothing too romantic about all the raps--literally, mostly African-American soldiers spitting rhymes next to their Humvees, while beat-keepers smack their hands on the hood--that Gunner Palace prominently features. I liked those.

UAF Nanook Hockey Open 07-08 "Highway to the Danger Zone"

2009-10-03T20:26:00.001-07:00

frickin rad. thanks mike sherman.

iran, i was tired

2009-09-27T10:41:00.000-07:00

sorry for the lame joke in the headline.

I saw Peter Broukaert speak at the Ferry Building about Iran, and other atrocity-doing regimes in the world. Iranians from the Iranian American Bar Association showed up in numbers, so it was a nice, spirited crowd. Unfortunately lefties used most of the Q&A to ask about US politics, mainly. The speaker had a European accent, being born in Belgium. It made it all the more startling when he quoted political activists raped in Iranian prisons, who said their rapists told them something to the effect of "You can't even protect your own ass, so how can you save Iran?"

Broukaert warned of a "deal with the devil," whereby the US would turn a blind eye on internal Iranian human rights and political abuses in return for international regulation of their nuclear program.

Closer to home, he said certain Silicon Valley companies, without naming names, are very involved in the sophisticated Internet monitoring by governments in Asia, specifically Burma/Myanmar.
***
On a lighter note, I watched Pi. The soundtrack was a nostalgia-inducing step back into the late 90s, with Orbital, Massive Attack, Autechre and other broken beat artists. The grainy B+W was fun, different, but the story was fairly run of the mill. Independent computer programmer resists the offers of money and religious celebrity, as well as female companionship, preferring to remain true to his pursuit of knowledge.
***
Britt's still gone. Boo hoo. I should try to be nicer to people even though I'm heartbroken.
***
Yesterday, I ran all over town, from West Portal to the Ferry Building, to Menlo Park. We saw Stanford whoop up on the Huskies in football. Dort scolded me for only scalping my extra ticket for $10 instead of $15. Le sigh. It was my dad's birthday so I think he appreciated our coming down. It's crazy to see an actual running game at the Farm. Go Card!

weekend update

2009-09-20T23:22:00.000-07:00

Hiked with Keith and Roz the Dog at Candlestick Point right after the 49ers game. Put out a fire some nitwit started by dumping his barbecue coals into the dry brush. Marveled at the ringing sound of a thousand empty bottles windswept across the littered parking lot.

Went to 10-year high school reunion. The jocks predictably ruined the class photo with a boisterous "U-S-A!" chant. I thought "B-E-L-L-S Go Bells!" was good enough. On the upside, astronomer Shane Bussman clued me into UniverseToday.com as a possible improvement on Astronomy Picture of the Day.

Sent my cousin off to college at Santa Barbara with fancy dinner at Los Altos Grill. For some reason there were several nats flying over our food the whole time.

Talked to Britt, who's in Arkansas.

Working on CV to send to the world

i awoke from a coma yesterday

2009-09-11T08:09:00.001-07:00

Instead of lying on a bed, like most people, my coma activity consisted of playing live online Tetris and reading and studying the law.

last night, my non-coma activity climaxed with a visit to the SF Symphony's annual All Concert, a $10 show for people involved in civic groups in the city. The program was two waltzes, from Liszt and Ravel, then the popular theme from the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical Carousel.

For the second act, guest pianist Ilya Yukushev pretty much ran the whole affair doing Prokofiev's second piano concerto.

We had awesome seats in the terrace above and to the side of the orchestra. I noticed new things, like the harpist covering his ears from the crashing cymbals behind him, the little plastic noise barriers to do the same, and MTT's little glances to the pianist before starting each movement, as if to ask permission.

OK, back to school.

more music

2009-08-14T21:44:00.000-07:00

click to hear some U.S. Americans

Also, friend me on my Myspace. Viva la vida!

i made some music

2009-08-13T01:44:00.000-07:00

Contraband by Peter Loyarpánz

Click the link. I made it on GarageBand using stock bass and drum loops. I recorded guitar and violin parts with the MBPro's onboard mic and line input. Whoopdeedoo. Tell me what you think!

Jury duty

2009-07-22T12:16:00.000-07:00

so I had jury duty, and almost made it onto the case. me and one other guy were the last ones left standing. one of the lawyers had a print out from a Wiki site, "How to Question a Jury" or something. whatever works.

How I met Dave Eggers

2009-07-16T14:55:00.000-07:00

It all started about a month ago, when Britt and I were walking at Crissy Field near the Golden Gate Bridge. These girls come up and ask us if we're a couple. "Yes," we said. They say they're interns at McSweeney's and want to take our pictures for this photo spread they're doing on couples. We obliged. We corresponded with them later by email and verified the paragraph they wrote about us.

A month later we go to a Dave Eggers book signing for his new book. Britt gets him to sign her book, spelling her name out "Brittany O."

"Like Karen O?" Dave asks.

"Yes," she says.

"Cool," he responds.

Then he sees me, and asks, "Don't I know you from somewhere?"

We're in the McSweeney's couples photo thing, we say. He flips out and says, wait for me, I'll be done in 10 minutes, and gives us the address of his office. He was midway through signing Britt's book, but we move out of the way and walk over to his nearby office, which happens to be in the back of a stationary store.

There, we sit around while everyone types away on their Macbooks. I checked out some stuff they had displayed, presumably from the superhero store in Brooklyn, like Time Travel products and different superhuman powers in physical form, like chemical elements. After about 20 minutes, Dave rushes in and whisks us past everyone and into his office in the back. Sweet!

He showed us the photo spread layout. It's a game where they show your pictures individually with a bunch of others on one page, and people are supposed to match you with your mate. The answers are on another page. He said they took the idea from Boston Magazine, but they don't usually do unoriginal things like that. Dave reassures Britt that they chose a good pic of her, and once I tell him I went to Northwestern, he tells me how Northwestern kids used to make fun of him and the other Illinois state school kids when they came to basketball games on our campus. I almost felt bad for him.

Next came the payoff. "Do you guys want anything? Take some books!" he says. We were surrounded by volumes on bookshelves, so I asked him to pick some. He chose "Bowl of Cherries" by 90-year-old author Millard Kaufman, and "The Convalescent" by Jessica Anthony, about a four and a half foot tall Hungarian butcher man, or something, both hardcovers. He also hooked Britt up with the McSweeney's editor, who gave her an assignment. Sweetness!

Finally, we ask, can you sign our books now? He obliges, writing, "with love and strength and thanks," in Britt's copy of "What is the What." After reading her friend's inscription, that the book taught him "it could always be worse," Dave says, "Valentino knows that better than anyone." In our new copy of "Zeitoun" he writes, "So good to know you two. Be Human."

So, Dave was pretty cool. Britt was surprised how young he looked, and I noticed how soft-spoken and humble he seemed. I was so star struck I forgot to ask him to get margaritas with us.

goings on

2009-07-13T15:42:00.000-07:00

Life Digest has some catching up to do.

Pete and Britt spent a lovely July 4th weekend underneath, and above, the Golden Gate Bridge at Cavallo Point. This brownfield site was Fort Baker, but is now a fancy hotel/lodge/spa. The weather is surprisingly pleasant for its location on the edge of the Western hemisphere. My father paid, mother invited us. We dined at the restaurant on the grounds. Pete had foraged porcini salad and Point Reyes grass-fed beef, while Britt ate young greens salad with strawberries and wild boat salmon. Yum x 1000 = Murray Circle. Other members of Pete and Britt's casually dressed party of eight pissed off the waiter by trying to pronounce the name of a certain wine, and tried to keep their utensils even though they weren't supposed to, evidently.

This past weekend P+B went to Truckee and stayed with James and Tina. Britt read from the Twilight series while Pete and James hiked. Then everyone watched 16 and Pregnant all night, every night.

Planned is a trip to San Diego, hitting all the sites in between, including the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Hearst Castle, the Mystery Spot, and the Salton Sea.

Sail on!

other worldly films

2009-06-23T22:05:00.000-07:00

A lot of movies have been watched at the Presidio Inn: Woody Allen's older films What's New, Pussycat?, Sleeper, Bananas, Mighty Aphrodite, A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy, Celebrity, and Annie Hall. Also, his recent works Anything Else and Match Point, along with Vicky Christina Barcelona's crazy and/or confused females (plus one-trick pony Scarlett Johansson, so-so in The Prestige, a good film) and neurotic, paranoid, aging males.

You see enough of these Allen creations and the scenes start to overlap -- i.e. the part in Celebrity where Kenneth Branagh interrupts his young muse's theater practice, finding her in the sights of another man, and the scene in Anything Else where Jason Biggs follows Christina Ricci to theater practice, and finds her in the arms of a rival. But, eh... if repetition is the worst thing I can say about such a vast catalog, so be it. Maybe he's just trying to get his point across. Not sure what his point is, maybe that love takes time, and luck, to work.

Also, I finally saw Alex Cox's Repo Man, after multiple people including Mike Sherman recommended it. The film is based on a hypothetical: what would happen if Emilio Estevez's bad-ass, Men At Work slacker character were charged with repossessing cars, not collecting trash, and there were aliens. Harry Dean Stanton swears like a sailor, pouring his heart into his role as Estevez's mentor. Perhaps The Wendell Baker Story could have used more cursing, but that's another blog.

Repo Man is up there with Brazil and Time Bandits in its futuristic-yet-trashy, surfy, surreal, damn-near-gritty Magic Realism. They aren't apocalyptic, a la Six-String Samurai. Perhaps that's because no one ever really got their shit together enough to cause a catastrophe. Maybe it's that apocalypse is too easy. Isn't death by a thousand cuts -- paper cuts, in Brazil's case -- scarier, and more realistic? There's just an overall sense of something having gone wrong, and one man (or, in Time Bandits, a few little men) left to salvage whatever's left. The soundtrack is classic punk rock, with the LA bands Circle Jerks making an appearance, and Black Flag claiming territory. I read that David Lynch is considering the sequel to Repo Man, called Repo Chick or something. Hopefully Emilio Estevez is in it. What a dreamboat.

life digest 060109

2009-06-02T01:40:00.000-07:00

All kinds of surprises are happening around 541 Lake. Yesterday, the hydrant got knocked off by an errant minivan across the street. Pete and Britt had a primo view of the action as crowds grew, cars were confused, and firefighters moseyed on over to put out the water.

Today, Pette and Britte made their merry ways to San Bruno, natch, to celebrate Michael's birthday at BJ's Brewhouse. Pete had the Porter homebrew with fish and chips, sharing the avocado roll appetizer with Britt, who ordered one massive "Classic" baked potato. She ordered it without sour cream or cheese, just bacon. It arrived no bacon, and no sour cream, just cheese. Natch. The place got some pretty bad Yelps though, so the couple was prepared.

Pete reads Lolita, while Britt suffers Atlas Shrugged.

Gabriel heads off to college soon, at Loyola Chicago. On Sunday, she went shopping on Haight St. accompanied by her mom, boyfriend, older brother and his girlfriend. They ate at Citrus Club, which everyone more or less enjoyed, after the wait, and ended at Crepes Express. Britt says the servers aren't very nice there and she didn't like her latest apple-cinnamon crepe. Pete liked his alright, though the whipped cream was rather cheapy and melted quickly.

A&E
Though Pete and Keith dug some of the soundtrack, Pete and Britt concur: "Don't see Medicine for Melancholy." Bad stereotypes of racial identity and dialogue, weak acting, shaky camerawork and too much silence do not balance out the filmed-in-SF fun factor, says Pete. "The NY Times review was on point when saying the film doesn't do the identity-politics discussion any favors. Instead, the movie details what it's like to be a guy trapped in your own notion of what a particular skin color means," Pete adds. "It's not pretty."

me

2009-05-28T00:39:00.001-07:00

me
Originally uploaded by Monster Pete

ben fong-torres and us

2009-05-28T00:25:00.001-07:00

ben fong-torres
Originally uploaded by Monster Pete

The former Rolling Stone writer gave a great speech at the SF State Journalism school graduation.

Photo 215

2009-04-26T00:11:00.001-07:00

Photo 215
Originally uploaded by Monster Pete

tone generator

2009-04-19T00:23:00.000-07:00

Brian and I were talking about a simple music maker that anyone can use online. Ours would have looked like a radar screen, with a revolving straight line that played the notes that you place onto the screen. Some of our ideas were that you could place little chickens on the thing to make a chicken sound, and other ducks that quack and other things beyond regular musical tones or rhythmic beats. I guess placing an object closer or farther from the center would regulate its pitch, timbre or volume. It could also be 3-D with objects placed over one another for some reason (pitch/tone/volume) and far below some water to put the tones underwater (use your imagination).

Then Brian finds this, which is also pretty cool, and a lot simpler:

I've had some fun with it.

LOL Cool J (courtesy of CansaFis)

2009-03-23T00:34:00.000-07:00

So M. Albert Flury is in town and CansaFis we met, who related, at great merriment and laugh-making to all, his latest foray into comic mischief, whereupon I undertook to remember and re-produce for my readers such here:

LOL Cool J:

Q: What's Chris Brown's favorite hip hop group?

A. (backwards) saeP deyE kcalB

food for thought

2009-03-22T18:16:00.000-07:00

I was wondering if eating can make you hungry, and found that it can. Evidently, eating breakfast also helps you lose weight. Who knew? Maybe I can eat off my lawschool/girlfriend pounds :)

Star Trek Messes-Up San Francisco: Skyline Like Hong Kong

2009-03-12T14:51:00.001-07:00

word

spring break

2009-03-12T14:34:00.000-07:00

it's never too late to blog my spring break. so far, i've played hours of New SMB for DS, beating the game once and proceeding to unlock level 4, a couple warp cannons and shortcuts, and catch many golden coins. I plan to continue getting the coins, as they are something I can accomplish without the aid of a walkthrough. This way I still feel I am accomplishing something cool while preserving some sense of curiosity and discovery.

Princess Britt helps me all the time. All of our wrists hurt.

Break has gone well, with wonderful weather and many walks. I visited Menlo Park, where I ate at Hobee's, and picked up some fresh lemons and oranges. Back in SF, I drank a lot of good coffee and got together with friends. Sunday night dinner, with Keith and Arie, was pan-Asian themed, with fish, rice, light salad, Sapporo, soju, instant miso soup, broccoli and cauliflower, and Polly Ann's mango and coconut popsicles from Richmond New May Wah Supermarket. We then watched Waking Life.

On Monday, Britt aced her midterm, she claims. More importantly, I defrosted the freezer, even though this is the kind "you don't have to defrost." Years of ice caked on the elements formed a formidable foe, but I attacked with metal spoons, knife, and can opener, assisted by pots and pans of boiling water, and succeeded in defrosting the lower half. A partial victory, but one I relish. I quit when an ice chip flew into my right eye.

Lukashenko, moonlit trust walks to Starbucks and back, stargazing, and a couple books (White Teeth, Memories of My Melancholy Whores) as well as the BBC version of White Teeth fill my nights.

Off to experiment with bike routes to school!

Journalism for dummies

2009-03-06T00:22:00.000-08:00

Step 1: Don't do this:

Step 2: Copy edit, or at least read, the story you post from AP as your lead story for the day.

Step 3: If you can't do step 1 or 2, maybe you deserve to go bankrupt.

Post Hill 88

2009-03-01T15:48:00.001-08:00

everybody was tired after the hike. even Roz the Dog.

HIking the headlands (Blair Witch style)

2009-03-01T13:31:00.001-08:00

TV Guide

2009-02-27T23:42:00.000-08:00

We got a hotel room in the Marina's Cow Hollow Motor Inn last night for a little vacation. The place is old school, with yellowish flower print wallpaper, hanging lamps, and green 7-Up soda vending machines with both Canada Dry ginger ale *and* Diet Canada Dry. Dinner was a trek. We crossed the street for Amici's "east coast pizzeria." The pepperoni, sausage, sauteed mushroom, bacon and garlic puree was a tasty treat. Good thing we skipped the Grove. The next morning we witnessed a great waterfall coming down onto unsuspecting outdoor seating.

For kicks we watched mucho TV, from the Cosby Show and Fresh Prince to J. Lo's Enough, the Colbert Report, Sex and the City, Futurama, the Smart Guy, South Park (smug pollution episode - how apropos), Wife Swap (not the Steven Fowler episode) and of course the Girls Next Door. Then I saw Pres. Obama's speech to the troops. Why so serious?

check in your bike here, please

2009-02-27T23:33:00.001-08:00

cool new bike rack at the inner richmond branch library

ordered liberties

2009-01-30T11:12:00.000-08:00

hit a car with my car yesterday. it was parked and i was pulling out. i cracked the bumper of the older BMW and dented in my door. i left a note.

last night i got a call from "Steve." FIrst off, he said, he wanted to thank me for leaving a note, something not often done in the city. Second, he was going to give away the "roach coach" soon and didn't need any money from me. Yippp!

saw Milk at the newly remodeled Sundance Kabuki theater. comfy seats, small theaters, a wine bistro up the ticket price but are worth the $3 amenities fee per ticket. or maybe i just say that cuz the film was so good. my hang up with the movie was its addition of a line at the end about the killer's "Twinkie Defense," an overblown sensationalist mantra of the press pillorying the justice system for letting a guy off because he was high on sugar -- though the whole twinkie thing was actually just evidence of Dan White's bipolarism. whatevs. Diego luna was great.

got Mike Sherman's random list of 25 things chain letter on Facebook. i'm happy that he's happy and healthy. he's working out and not lighting things on fire.

saw Across the Universe. Bono's in it, but it's still pretty entertaining, a cute 60s love story, and full of decent versions of Beatles' songs. also, Burn After Reading, Baby Geniuses, Erin Brockovich, Da Vinci Code, Caddyshack, Meet Me in St. Louis, Wall-E, & Angels in America. Obviously, I'm behind on my reading in Property, Criminal Procedure, and Contracts II.

meet my cousin, the atv riding filmmaker

2009-01-21T23:17:00.001-08:00

this is an epic (thanks for the adjective britt) trailer for my cousin's upcoming film about, presumably, ATV riding. he lives in Nebraska and goes to school in Kansas and loves him some ATVs.

northern exposure

2009-01-06T21:13:00.000-08:00

i went to the missoula, MT area for a few days. we flew there and drove through the snow to get to my uncle and aunt's ranch. i almost hit like 5 deer with the car.

other highlights: buying Starbucks inside a Target store, getting a complimentary espresso shot; buying Starbucks across the street from a Cracker Barrel and the C'mon Inn, whose billboard advertised an indoor pool, five hot tubs, and an indoor waterfall; and drinking Irish coffee and other cocktails (pear mojito, sour apple thingy) courtesy of my brother.

i read The Appeal by John Grisham and Barrel Fever by David Sedaris. Reading the two made me want to do a spoof of Grisham novels. The Appeal is more jaded than his earlier novels. Sedaris was fun and evil.

We mostly spent our time eating, reading, and drinking while playing Gin Rummy, pool, and beer pong. I taught my eight year old cousin to play Iron Man on guitar, and how to play chess. He and my uncle beat me.

The Daring Ones on the Flying Trapeze

2009-01-03T17:44:00.001-08:00

Check out this video from our Circus Arts Center flying trapeze lesson. Don't miss my ginormous belly flop.

Thanks to my mom and Gabriel Micek for the footage and Britt the Director for direction/storyboard and music consultation. I produced, engineered, and sound edited. The songs are "Itchy Chicken" by Los Straitjackets, "Electric Counterpoint / Fast 2" by Pat Metheny/Steve Reich and "King Porter" by Jelly Roll Morton.

hep!

2008-12-22T12:33:00.000-08:00

yesterday was our surprise holiday family outing day. the only instructions were to wear gym shorts and shoes, and give up your Sunday from 11-4.

first, we went to the Circus Center in SF for a flying trapeze session with three instructors.

the whole thing is set up in a big old gym near Kezar Stadium. first you sign your life away on a waiver, then, when it's your turn, you climb a 30-40 foot ladder and maneuver onto this little platform. There's a big net below, but not while you're climbing the ladder!

Once you're in position, they say ready, you bend your knees, then it's "Hep!" That means jump! Swinging, you wait for the next cue, to put up your legs. Finally you take your hands off the bar and swing upside down, with back arched, and knees over the bar.

the first time i went up i totally cheated and did all the stuff they showed us without waiting for them to tell me to. i got what i deserved, though, by doing this giant belly flop onto the net while everyone laughed at me. the second time i followed instructions and it was better.

the last time i went it was for the big Catch. The youngest instructor climbed onto another trapeze, swinging back and forth about 25 feet in front of me. he gave the instructions, the timing was perfect, and he caught me as I swung with my arms out!

Rad. Everyone did it except for my youngest sis. We're all paying for it with sore muscles today. Next we went to Andronico's to buy food to donate to St. Anthony's. Finally, we had a big lunch at the Beach Chalet. The view of Ocean Beach was pretty despite the rain.

It was a fun day.

cupcakes

2008-12-18T01:01:00.000-08:00

Three finals down, one to go. Contracts, I will break you!! mwahahaha

interviewed for britt's armenian genocide paper. never felt more armenian. forgot to mention a few things, that Borat's co-star is armenian, and speaks it the whole film; that Hitler said, after all, who remembers what happened to the Armenians? before deciding to go ahead with the Holocaust, and other random thoughts.

movies: princess mononoke, finding forrester, the big lebowski, quantum of solace, casino royale, the great debaters, fear and loathing in las vegas, brazil

other: Clue, photoshop, sushi on california (Chin's), Kara's Cupcakes, cold weather, christmas lights, Mario Kart for DS, shave and a haircut

homemade: tortilla soup, massive salads, cupcakes (see picture), artichoke/mayo pita dip (thanks britt) and a Cucumber/oatmeal facial following a milk steam bath/mask. Presidio Inn and Spa is open for business!

goodbye to brian, see you deutschman

wiki'd: ted williams

love Freedom

Microwave "usable", but still needs repair

2008-12-17T13:50:00.000-08:00

George the Landlord and two older Russian gentlemen said the Presidio Inn microwave was still usable, despite its mechanical problems. The three made their way into the Inn on Weds. morning and in short order, diagnosed the gear-grinding type noise as a motor problem. "The heat rays" are not affected, one of the repairmen said with an accent. George then told Peter that the machine could be used.

The repairmen had threatened to break some of the custom woodwork to remove the built-in microwave, but they did not want to hurt such fine carpentry. George agreed to call the original installer.

Later, George told Pete that the original contractor would be out Monday to see it, in the morning or afternoon. He asked that the area of the kitchen be cleared out, "so none of your things get broken."

In other words, clean up yr dang apt!

Photo 179

2008-12-02T22:57:00.001-08:00

Photo 179
Originally uploaded by Monster Pete

me and britt happened to be wearing the same thing, inverted of course. she had been gone for three days, and when i picked her up at the train station, this is what we saw. i think she was mad at me until she noticed our uncoordinated coordination. it's hard to hate your opposite.

HAJI SPRINGER FEAT. CHINGO BLING

2008-11-26T13:24:00.001-08:00

it's here. the tandoori tamale.

beautiful seizure

2008-11-19T12:06:00.001-08:00

the other night, on a crowded BART train leaving a Warriors game, a young man had a seizure. he convulsed and tensed up and frothed at the mouth. i just stood there watching while people around me either left the area or tried to help, depending on their level of medical expertise.

Tina, my friend, a dentist, was the first on the scene. she didn't really know what to do, she said later, but did scream for someone to tell the driver to stop the train because of a medical emergency.

we're in the middle of the tunnel, came the reply from somewhere, and can't stop.

then came a nurse and a young guy and an older man, who i had noticed as very drunk moments before. he stood over the victim, as he recovered from the seizure, with his hand on his neck. in a slurred, overly dramatic way, he said to the victim, "ok... ok... shhhh... shhhh..."

i looked at the girl the victim was with, and she was distraught. somebody came to hug her, and i started to tear up.

deep thoughts

2008-11-16T13:18:00.000-08:00

my parents are probably mad at me for not seeing me in some time. this hasn't happened since i've lived in the bay area. i think it's probably ok b/c after all, i'm all growed up and going to law school, likes they wanted. you can't have yr cake and eat it too.

one more black man living off the government...

2008-11-06T23:00:00.000-08:00

just kidding. i'm learning about his 26-yr-old speechwriter now. karazy!

Exploring Music

2008-10-28T21:40:00.000-07:00

I study the violin. My teacher is Luan. She has been here ten years from Shanghai and is married to a sick old Armenian man.

I teach Luan conversational English and she teaches me conversational violin and Mandarin. She gives me relationship advice but makes me promise not to tell my girlfriend.

I like the Chinese songs she teaches me. They are more fun than the Suzuki, Western (Handel, Vivaldi, Bach) finger-benders. The slides and trills of the Oriental music sooth my nerves. The high notes make my fingers climb the neck and step daintily, taking the body of the violin in my palm. I owe the violin shop all kinds of money for the rental instrument, which I have not paid for in months.

Today, I finished my lesson as the girl after me and her mom looked on. The girl is around 4 years old, with medium brown curls and a 1/10 size violin. They are both very cute. Her dark brown eyes stare at me intently like I'm on trial and she's the judge. I need to play violin to keep from thinking about lawyering all the time.

I played her violin the other day. It was miniature but sounded and looked great. I guess size isn't everything. It depends on how you use it.

Palin 2012 and My Reason for Being

2008-10-22T16:52:00.001-07:00

and this

I'm totally obsessed with PalinAsPresident.com. What will I do after the election? Lack direction and a funny place to retire to online.

Motorcade caught on tape on Lake Street

2008-10-19T00:17:00.001-07:00

Guess who's in town:
A. Your mom
B. Sexy Sarah
C. Tina Fey
D. Diane Feinstein

ack ack ack

2008-10-17T23:02:00.001-07:00

plane flying over boats

2008-10-13T20:16:00.001-07:00

This is an FA-18 Hornet's approach of Alcatraz Island just before striking the key missile placements of a group of ex-US military specialists-turned-kidnappers seeking to restore honor to their fallen comrades.

Oh, wait, that was The Rock.This was just the Blue Angels.

america's next top model

2008-10-12T11:00:00.000-07:00

been enjoying life as much as school allows.

movies - the firm, vanilla sky, mary poppins, the cable guy, control room (doc), who killed the electric car? (doc), smart people, volver

blue angels and the presidio on bike with britt

jack in the box (near the bus station in SF - this place is in another dimension), in'n'out, hamburger haven on clement, chevy's, pizza at 24th and potrero in the mission with Keith

keith's new apartment at 22nd and harrison is rad, empty, and cold. anyone looking for a place? he's got two extra bedrooms.

I acted as an agent for my friend trying out for America's Next Top Model. We stood in a hot line for hours down on Powell and Market. She was fantastic, and Britt and I were her fans. The girls really wanted to be on TV, dancing with the CW sign and all. Aw.

art is in the house

2008-10-10T16:33:00.000-07:00

my girlfriend britt fancies herself an artist. i think she's pretty good.

"in love, in san francisco"

"Brittany Flower"

in the trees

2008-09-24T20:58:00.000-07:00

trapeze baby i'm up in the trees
tight rope walk it, yeah come to me
don't mean it to be hard / i'm just naturally tall
you can fly here while the others fall

skydiving is for the rich and the cool
me and you are jumping in the kiddie pool
i'll take you for a swim at your own risk
then i take you under for a lesson in bliss

no fancy meals its do it yourself
bisquick, tea and throw on your belt
coming and going all day long
no privacy until its dawn

at the inn at the inn, they come and go
me and you is all we know
at the inn at the inn, we feel safe
dishes and clothes all over the place

keith comes to town, chris is down
mike was here, and marc's around
its brian and corinna and oliver too
mia, tina and james and my family--just a few

at the inn at the inn, they come and go
me and you is all we know
at the inn at the inn, we feel safe
strutting around like we own the place

st. great

2008-09-17T21:06:00.000-07:00

The new Metallica record is great. The solos make me jolly and the palm-muted four-tone sixteenth note loops (i.e. the part just before the 7-minute mark of the new "The Day That Never Comes") find a special dark place in me and live there like warm, wet trolls brewing alcoholic soup with steam and smoke rising out of chimneys into the cold afternoon. These are really long songs btw, with a median duration of 8 minutes or so. There are some nice chords in "All Nightmare Long." Kirk Hammet studied jazz at San Francisco State so he knows his fretboard. I also liked Suicidal Tendencies back in the day, so Robert Trujillo's bass is welcome addition. Suicidal actually opened for Metallica when I saw them in like 1996, along with Candlebox. hehe.

Afternoon coffee is great. that's one thing i enjoyed in bolivia, having the coffee lady come around every afternoon with your favorite cup. they drank it pretty sweet, generally, but for some reason it was a much better, richer, fuller sweet than our saccharine selections. Not sure why. But coffee makes more sense to me in the afternoon, when you have time to enjoy it and a full stomach to combat, than morning cuppa joe. Who has time to stop for coffee in the AM? Certainly not me.

What's facebook for? Keeping in touch. I think it's silly that companies would force you to join. If you see peoples' faces every day, why would you want to see their facebook too?

volcano! - Africa Just Wants to Have Fun

2008-09-15T19:03:00.001-07:00

fantastic... aaron takes a walk in the park. he says he didn't get a cold, despite singing half naked in the rain, but did get "plenty of bug bites."

Also, he adds, "that milk smelled like ass. milk sux." well, it looks good on you.

Way Down Low in Soma

2008-09-15T17:42:00.000-07:00

the penny dreadfuls, dustonius maximus, the obsessors at Beale Street Bar, Thurs. Sept. 11

Cheap live entertainment in San Francisco is hard to find without either a giant wait or no parking. For its well priced offerings and generous cocktails alone, the Beale Street Bar in SOMA demands attention. But its architecture too draws your eye. Surrounded by shiny, tall, buildings, the squat two-story structure with its moat of patios and parking lots makes a statement. Not one but two staircases, one of them circular, make their way to the rooftop stage. It's survived redevelopment and is here to stay.

The show cost $5. It was worth every dreadful penny. The Penny Dreadfuls opened with their mix of rock'n'roll, emo, punk and pirate tunes. They were very energetic. The vocalist Brian, who my girlfriend says is "pretty hot," is a journalism major at the Univ. of Nevada-Reno. The band hails from the "biggest little city in the world." Some say they're too emo, but I think they don't whine too much. They spin pretty catchy, energetic anthems.

Next up was Dustonius Maximus, presumably named for lead songwriter Dustin. The new band plays largely instrumental, jazzy, rockish, ska-ish songs. Kincaid (sp?) fronted with a lyrical trumpet, alternating between bluesy and jazzy and high and low. He actually smiled a lot, too. He and sax player Dan did a nice backing vocals job on one song, a rootsy Jamaican/Chris Murray/Jack Johnson type chill out island riddim, ska/rocksteady thing. The most fun, though, was the closing cover of Tom Waits' "Down in the Hole." Dustin's low voice easily slips into the gravely garble of Waits, and the arrangement was respectfully playful. Dustin actually lives not far from the crooner, in Petaluma, Calif.

The Obsessors closed the show. Ducky my pal played drums. The lead singer got in the crowd's face, and the guitar section - one gorgeous white Keytar played by an equally gorgeous woman (think Lisa from weird science, the TV show), and a straight-out-of-the-80s rocker dude with long hair and a white Flying V - backed her up with brass knuckles.

boli looks for new via

2008-09-13T20:38:00.000-07:00

Three American ambassadors to Latin American countries were expelled in the past week or so. bolivia, venezuela and honduras. the first two i understand - the US is none too pleased with indigenous-people-liking, state-power asserting honchos with their hands on plenty of gas reserves -- petrol in Venezuela and natural gas in Boli.

Bolivia is seriously threatened with secession of the eastern states. They are the ones rich in oil reserves. They oppose Evo Morales, the first indigenous leader of the country's history, who wishes to spread the oil wealth to some of the indios, the indigenous inhabitants of the western states.

My friend Numayr sent me a PDF of propaganda from Bolivian politicos aligned with Evo Morales, the coca-leaf-grower turned president. Incidentally, Morales spoke to our class when I studied abroad there in 2001. The PDF doesn't show much proof of US conspiracy in the secession of the eastern states, but gets the point across that Goldberg, the former ambassador, has a little too much knowledge of how to split up states for coincidence. He played a lead role in the breakup of Serbia/Montenegro and Kosovo.

here's a decent commentary in Alternet from some Venezuelan gov't PR hack

mightymorphin night ranger

2008-09-12T21:16:00.001-07:00

Friday night is geek night at the Presidio Inn. Check out our latest creation.

mightymorphin night ranger
Originally uploaded by Monster Pete

playing conductor

2008-09-09T16:03:00.001-07:00

School is cool, not too hard. at least not yet.

I went to the SF symphony with Dort, to the community "All Concert" for senior groups. Michael Tilson Thomas (MTT) picked out a somewhat experimental program, in keeping with the philosophy of the city, he said. We explore "new ideas and languages" through listening to music, the conductor said. The program began with Lontano for Large Orchestra by György Ligeti, which Dort correctly identified as movie background music. "Sinister," she called it. Ligeti's music has appeared in Kubrick films like The Shining and 2001, according to the program. I liked it.

Before the cacophonous piece started, MTT hummed a lick he said we'd hear in the piece. He has a good voice. Who knew. I never heard the melody, though.

I wonder if Metallica will ever play with the SF symphony again. Somehow I doubt it.

The next piece was more conventional, a bit jazzy. It was Concerto in D minor for Two Pianos and Orchestra by an "urbane, insouciant" Parisian, Francis Poulenc. Sisters Katia and Marielle Labéque played grand pianos across from each other. One was more showy than the other. I tried to imagine which I would be. I'm a gemini, though, so I get to be both.

The second half of the show was just one raucous Prokofieff opus, Symphony No. 5 in B-flat major, Opus 100. It was all brass and drums, with some clutch reed and flute loops. If you doubt its badass-ittude, just know that it won the Stalin Prize in 1946. When it debuted the year before, gunshots of celebration could be heard as Prokofiev raised his baton to start the performance; Soviet forces had just crossed the Vistula River en route to victory over Germany.

No encore needed.

On Weed

2008-08-31T21:52:00.000-07:00

"Sometimes, San Francisco works really hard to maintain its reputation." - Chris S., upon smelling marijuana smoke as we left the Giants baseball stadium.

Court date

2008-08-31T18:36:00.000-07:00

As my girlfriend defaced a 100-year old structure in the gorgeous hills north of the Golden Gate Bridge, a park police officer stopped his SUV on the nearby road while looking in our direction.

This date just took a turn for the worse, I thought.

But, like most things lately in and around the Presidio Inn on Lake Street, the good times continued to roll.

The Giants scored enough runs to win Wednesday night. I took in the game at AT&T Park with Chris, the Inn's most recent guest, along with friend Jake and his bro and bro's wife. The sauerkraut Italian sausage was great, but the bun lacked moisture. Chris said the veggie dog was okay.

Me and babeskins and Chris and friends ate at Herbivore on Valencia St. on Thursday. We were exceptionally late, which the married couple didn't appreciate, though they had beers, and each other, so I don't see the big deal. I had the vegetable lasagna. It was a little spicy and the cheese (fake) was not really very creamy, unfortunately. But it was filling. Babeskins got the ravioli, again, spicy, but pretty filling and good. Food came quick. Chris's vanilla milkshake was good but i wouldn't pay 4 whatever for it, and it wasn't very thick. The salads were great. I'd probably go back there with other vegan eaters.

Finishing law school for the week, I settled in at the Inn on Saturday. Today, I went on a date. It started with an errand, taking back Legally Blonde and Borat to the video store (remember those?), and got better. Jamba Juice (Razzmatazz with soy for me) and then the Marin Headlands.

Skins and I had already exited the vehicle once in the Headlands, taking in the breathtaking views of the entire Bay Area. The second time we parked, we did so with the intent of checking out the outlying gun turrets and bunkers overlooking the Pacific Ocean's entrance to the Bay.

We got an unexpected history lesson after my GF wrote "I (heart) Pete" on the wall of a bunker.

"These are 100-year-old structures," the park trooper told us, and defacing them is a felony. He took our IDs to check our criminal histories, and asked us repeatedly whether we had weed, reefer, marijuana, or alcohol -- you know, "IPA, PBR," he said as I opened my trunk to be searched. If he weren't an officer of the law, I'd say he was jonesin'.

We didn't have any warrants out on us, the car checked out, and the marker was washable ink, meant for writing on windows.

"Have fun," the officer told us, as he handed the marker back.

And did we ever. We petted some horses, drove through a one-lane tunnel and then hit Sausalito's main drag. On the rocks near the bay, I did my best to give my girlfriend crabs. Those little suckers wouldn't sit still long enough for me to grab them, though.

The Bridgeway Cafe served us hamburgers, juicy with strong buns. The staff was friendly, and once the SUV moved, our sidewalk table had a great view of the sunny Bay.

A butterfly fluttered past us as we walked to my car. Stopping by the water's edge, not wanting the date to end, I tried once again to get crabs, but failed. Oh well, maybe next time.

summer movie round up

2008-08-22T19:39:00.000-07:00

The Dark Knight (2008) -See RealGoodBuddies

Clueless (1995) - See for stoner humor, Alicia Silverstone (whither?), computer-assisted clothing ensemble choices, and heavy doses of before-its-time environmentalism, in the form of global warming and Pismo Beach Disaster Relief work.

Gummo (1997) - See for parentless Kids, self-destruction and depressed Southern life. Directed by Harmony Korine, who wrote the Kids screenplay. The backstory is that a town destroyed by a tornado still suffers its effects, with father- and mother-less children, etc.

I like the idea of a look back at a neglected town, but this movie leaves me feeling pretty hopeless. You get the feeling these people did not exactly have perfect lives before the event. There are touching moments, like when quiet Solomon works out with jury-rigged dumbbells in front of his basement mirror while his mother tap dances in her deceased husband's tap shoes. This movie makes me miss basements (see Chicago). But the only time Solomon smiles is while he sweet talks a mentally-handicapped girl he (or maybe his friend) paid to screw. I'm not sure what lessons I'm supposed to take from that.

The film makes good use of music, specifically black or death metal, arranged to cat-killing scenes. It was scary.

Wherever I may (not) roam

2008-08-18T23:35:00.000-07:00

SF Chron: Singer's metal fence has heavy impact in Marin

I dreamed about seeing Metallica last night, then I see this in the news. It's a sign. Don't go to Marin.

tao of pilaf

2008-08-15T22:27:00.001-07:00

tao of pilaf
Originally uploaded by Monster Pete

yin yang. i made dinner for my gf. we had pilaf, mandarin orange chicken, cream corn, and leftover pizza. plus vino (barefoot pinot grigio). dessert? rocky road peanut butter cookie sandwich. mmmm.

society

2008-08-12T11:11:00.001-07:00

Empty Room Society, with Security:
Coatholding Society (dan's just a guest member):

fun times dudes and dudettes

2008-08-12T10:46:00.000-07:00

I quit my job last friday (yay!) but start law school soon. I've been fooling around in The Grandpas and writing and photographing.

keith tanner came to stay and we saw the giants beat his dodgers nicely on sunday.

work had a nice going away party for me with Rocco's italian food delivered. i got a pen in appreciation for my five years of work and to inspire me to keep writing.

ate veggie (but you'd never know it) vietnamese at Golden Lotus in downtown oakland. we did not get robbed. it was fun, with brian and corinna, both soon to move to Germany. aw.. :(

did i mention i quit my job :)

incoming

2008-08-12T10:43:00.001-07:00

incoming
Originally uploaded by Monster Pete

penguins are pretty friendly. they played with us through the glass at the newly remodeled california academy of sciences. the place opens to the public next month. click on the penguin to check out my Flickr page with more images.

Back to Bach, my Fort-e

2008-07-18T14:39:00.000-07:00

I finished a Chinese song in violin, and moved back to Bach's double violin concerto in D Minor.

Had a scare - I thought I lost my HD but really just moved my entire user's folder into some obscure place on my computer. Don't do that. And back up!!! Thanks Apple Store genius guy for finding it.

Made a nice fort with Britt in my living room. We used a circus-tent type roof with a main pole for support, secured with ropes, pulleys and copper wiring around a chair, a doorknob and the Eiffel Tower; inside was a loft, and grass, fire, stars and lake. Ground padding not very comfortable - will bring inflatable mattress next time, and camera.

Posted some Flickr items: mac dre in memorium, Little Saigon celebration.

Going to USF Law School, unless Hastings hastily lets me in.

Enjoying handing out What Now My Love EPs. Get yours while supplies last!

Reading: Nonrequired Reading 2007 and The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz, old Tape Ops, Cosmo
Watched: Good Shepherd, Breach

Richard Snakedick and the Snakedicks

2008-07-14T21:07:00.001-07:00

Our debut performance in Sunnyvale, CA. Richard (James Stewart), Monster Pete, Cory McCullough and Micah Turney do Depeche Mode, Black Sabbath, the floor, and AC/DC.

Weezer - El Scorcho

2008-07-14T19:07:00.001-07:00

I unearthed some lost video from B's Pseudo Bachelor's Party 2008. Lights my fire.

So 2.0

2008-07-09T16:22:00.001-07:00

Check out my first SFist thread

what's done tasted good

2008-07-08T00:07:00.000-07:00

On June 28th, Fresno was the place.

The next day, San Jose showed me the way.

The 30th of june, I helped britt move

First of july, same, dude

july the two, played a tune. (still doing the Chinese thing in violin)

third of july, out with work crew. (julie's supper club and extreme pizza and sex in the city (tv) and scrubs at james').

fourth of july, never left the house. explosions in the sky were all about.

fifth of july, you don't need to pry, we walk through presidio to GGBridge to Crissy Field under a beautiful sky. Ate many free wild blackberries, so ripe and moist and warm, foraged along the road in presidio, yummmmm.

blackberry
Originally uploaded by Monster Pete

saw stanford basketball players running on the sand; cold feet were part of the plan.

cold feet
Originally uploaded by Monster Pete

baby phat

2008-07-02T22:31:00.001-07:00

baby phat
Originally uploaded by Monster Pete

at a Fresno car show, 6-28-08. photo by brittany owens.

Q: What do you call a hippy's well-kept time card?

2008-07-01T23:36:00.001-07:00

A: Good times

My company's installing a palm reader to keep track of your hours. It's kinda creepy.