Hedwig & The Angry Inch @ The Roxy

Last night I caught a performance of Hedwig & The Angry Inch at The Roxy. The show starred Donovan Leitch as the bitter, "internationally ignored" German rock singer Hedwig.

A friend of mine whom has seen seven different live performances of Hedwig rated the current cast as "good, but not excellent." He felt as though the performers were actors who were merely going through the motions. This was my first Hedwig show and I was extremely entertained. Donovan Leitch had great stage presence and was captivating (due partly in fact that he resembled Brigette Nielsen).

Overall, a great show. If you're a fan of 70's glam rock, angry transvestites, and kitsch, I highly recommend it.

Blessing of the Animals

On Saturday, Catherine and I stopped by Olvera St in downtown LA for the annual Blessing of the Animals. Our three dogs, along with hundreds of other animals (including birds, rabbits, lizards, farm animals) were sprayed with holy water. Supposedly, this is done to ward off evil for one year's time.

Don(pug)is still evil.
Cute, but evil.

click here for pictures.

New Song!

finished a new track yesterday...
with vocals, too!

to listen to "Don't Tell Me", click here.
i'll post it to macjams.com later this week.

i channeled my inner linkin park to crank this one out.

i might go back in a few days and remix the vocals, but for all intents and purposes, this one is in the can.

lunch+beach.

i work across the street from the beach.

i'm very thankful for that.
very.

:)

From The Vault.

Here's a track I recorded in 2003.
I Die:You Die
It's a cover of a Gary Numan song.

I'm gearing up to finishing a new track this weekend. I finished recording the instrument parts last saturday and now need to lay down vocals. I'll post the final track on here and at macjams.com. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this "lost" track!

Big Jiu-Jitsu Event This Weekend In LA.

2006 Pan-American Jiu-Jitsu Championships are being held this weekend in LA. Some of the guys from my school, Beverly Hills Jiu Jitsu Club, will be competing. As this is one of the biggest jiu-jitsu events in the world and draws some top competitors, it should be a great experience. I'll probably stop by for a few hours tomorrow to check out some of the higher-ranking fighters' matches.



Also, the new season of Spike TV's UFC reality show, The Ultimate Fighter, debuted last night. Awesome season opener.

United 93.

I'm speechless.
Read this NY Times article here.
This film should not be released, at least not for the next few years.
I'm tired of this crap.
Every time I'm starting to feel a little better about things, some jerk-off has to drudge up 9/11 and throw it in peoples' faces.
For anyone who finds themselves compelled to see United 93, don't.
Leave it alone.
If you want reality, read this.
My old co-worker Andy wrote this. We were in the office together and this describes exactly what we saw.
When you've finished reading it, read it again. And again.
When you wake up tomorrow, read it again.
In fact, read it every day for the rest of your life.
Welcome to my world.

Latest Batch of Flicks From Chinatown.

Catherine and I spend copious amounts of time and money on Hong Kong/Chinese films. As such, we spend a lot of time in Chinatown in LA and NY and the mecca of all Chinese-American communities, San Gabriel Valley.
This week's finds:

Three Times
Fearless


A Chinese Tall Story


We also picked up yet another Andy Lau flick and some action period piece. I'll add pics & links when I get home tonight.

A World Less Hip.

full story here.

Tomato Fig Sandwich.

Catherine and I went to Surfas this past weekend for brunch. There, we had some great sandwiches, one of which I recreated yesterday as a late-afternoon snack. Here's my recipe...

Tomato Fig Sandwich

2 slices (thick) of Beefsteak Tomato
3 Figs (w/ stems removed)
2 tbsp Goat Cheese (Chevre cheese)
2 tbsp Pesto (with or without sun-dried tomatoes)
2 slices of Artisan Raisin Pecan bread (or similar multigrain raisin bread
3 tbsp Olive oil (grapeseed oil can also be used)

1. lightly coat a pan with 3 tbsp of Olive Oil and heat over medium flame.
2. Add 2 tomato slices to pan, evenly cooking each both sides for five minutes total time.
3. While tomato slices are cooking in pan, prepare sandwich. On one slice of bread, spread 2 tbsp Goat Cheese. Gently flatten 3 Figs and distribute on top of Goat Cheese. On the second slice of bread, spread 2 tbsp Pesto sauce.
4. Remove tomato slices from pan and place side-by-side on top of figs. Place pesto-side slice of bread on top and add sandwich to pan to be grilled.
5. Grill sandwich until both sides are lightly browned.

This sandwich is sweet, yet surprisingly hearty; enjoy!

Jacques Barrot.

When a long-dormant addiction to Missile Command eventually comes back to haunt you...
full story here.

Busy Weekend.

Friday night:
Cesaria Evora @ Royce Hall (UCLA).
Great show. If you haven't heard her music, check it out.

Saturday afternoon:
V For Vendetta.
This review pretty much sums it up...

Sunday afternoon:
Gym. Clean apt. Laundry. Rinse. Repeat.

keep drinking.

A report from careerbuilder.com states that roughly 10% of all people currently employed will be liquored-up on company time this St. Patrick's Day (source).
According to careerbuilder.com, there is a 10% probability that this man will be intoxicated at work on St. Patrick's Day.

Another report released today states that every man, woman and child in the United States will now owe this man's company $30,000. (source)
Furthermore, this recent info on economic indicators of how the US trade picture is looking can drive anyone to drink.

Hurray for booze!

Jet Lag.

8:40am, Wednesday.
First day back at work.
Half-asleep.

I had a great time in NY this past week. I saw as many people as time permitted, ate a lot of dim sum, karaoked, and de-stressed quite a bit. can't wait for my next visit in June. next time I go, I'll be an uncle.
cool.

Back In NY.

We arrived at JFK yesterday afternoon after a long and turbulent flight from Long Beach. I'm not a big fan of Jet Blue, but the pricing was good in a pinch. Dinner last night at Schiller's Liquor Bar on Rivington and Norfolk was decent; I had the Pork Milanese with a glass of a decent red. Catherine and my parents had the fish & chips, which was average fare. My sister had rotisserie chicken and my brother-in-law had the Cubano sandwich, which looked to be the best pick at the table. The desserts were amazing; toffee pudding, warm apple crumbler, banana split, assorted fruit. All in all, a nice way to start off this quick visit home.

Company.

A coworker of mine whom I've become quite friendly with over the course of the past few months is a transplanted New Yorker, which makes her, in my books, a good egg. We spend some time everyday immersed in idle chit-chat about the common things transplanted NY'ers discuss, mainly endless comparisons and fault-findings of Los Angeles (but always agree that the weather is nice). Today, things got a bit deeper as we both shared our September 11th experiences.
As an eyewitness, I have the natural inkling to compare others' experiences to my own. This unconscious act of gauging the significance of others' experiences to my own initially leads to one of two feelings. The most common of the two is that I feel resentment towards those who were not in the downtown area. Their experiences seem disingenuous, lacking in any form of substance that would cause them to feel grief or depression. An example: "I was at home in front of the television watching the towers fall. I felt so bad I cried."
On the other hand, when someone who witnessed the event directly recounts his or her experiences, I feel an instant and deep bond. Listening to a person re-tell the event from his or her perspective is a liberating feeling. It is always the same, no matter who is telling the story. The tone of the voice, the look in the eyes as the person fights back the tears, and the nervousness; we all share these feelings. We are all connected by an event that has forever changed the way in which we view the world. It is difficult to articulate to others how a single event that lasted only a few fleeting hours can have such a deep impact. It just does.
My coworker was on 14th street; I was across the street. Our perspectives were much different, but we were both there.
Last year, I moved out to Los Angeles to start a new life. I wanted to live life out of the shadow of September 11th. Being here, life is different. I'm happier. I'm more relaxed, and there are few, if any, reminders of that day. At first, it was a bit strange living in a place that has the exact same weather as that day, every day. I've gotten used to it, and the thought only passes through my mind for only a few brief seconds every day. When sirens screech past my apartment, I don't flinch, as their tone does not have the deep bellow and echo of those amidst the walled-up streets of Manhattan. More importantly, I don't have to relive the same day here in LA. I don't walk to the train station to get to the train that takes me to Grand Central Station to take the 4-5 subway... no more. Most of all, I don't have to look at the Manhattan skyline and see the gap, the missing pieces of a once-complete set.
My coworker gave me something great today. She gave me a connection, a piece to my past. I might have moved thousands of miles away, but i brought with me memories. For as much as I want to live life like a person who wasn't there on September 11th, free from the burden, I feel better knowing that there are others here, like me, who also carry the weight.

A Rainy Morning.

After my typical morning ritual was complete and I sleepwalked to my car to brave the rainy morning commute, i once again found myself in the parking lot of 7-11. Half awake, I plodded over to the coffee machine to pour myself the usual.
"I am not going to strip on my birthday," the woman said into her cell phone, precariously held between her shoulder and ear.
"No... umm... hell no..."
I lumbered past her to grab some cream and sugar.
"He said he paid for the room this weekend.:
Stir the coffee, stir...
"How many times... yeah... ok.
Grab a peanut butter crunch Clif Bar, go to the counter, $2.98.
As I walked out, I caught the woman out of the corner of my eye.
She was still standing there with the coffee pot in her hand.
I got in my car and turned on NPR.

Richard Swift @ Spaceland

Last night at Spaceland saw the return of Richard Swift, fresh off a mini-tour of England. He and the band were in top-form as they performed their strongest set to date.
With a packed audience on a Tuesday night, Spaceland was en fuego. The crowd welcomed the band with a warm reception; it seemed as though most were in the house to see Swift and not headlining band Becky. After Swift began the set with the song The Novelist, the train quickly left the station as the band ripped into Holiday. Song after song followed with equal or greater intensity than the last. The performance could not have been more perfect. The levels were amazing, far better than the band's last performance at The Troubador. The crowd responded to Swift's every word, singing along on cue and wildly applauding more and more as the night went on.
Richard Swift introduced a new song that will hopefully be on his next release, slated for early April. He also added an old song to the set that saw Swift play acoustic guitar. Both were incredible and were welcome additions to the familiar Swift mainstays. The night was topped off with the arena-rocking Atlantic Ocean, a wall-of-sound, monster of a closer. Words cannot describe it, other than "...damn."
The audience then demanded an encore; it was delivered. Mr. Swift, welcome to the big time.

Comp ticket weekend.

With nothing planned for the weekend, I called Indie 103.1 to see if I could win some free tickets for something. With luck on my side, I picked up two tickets to see Robyn Hitchcock at the Keyclub. A few days back, Catherine picked up two comp tickets for a Friday night Peru Negro performance at UCLA Royce Hall. Although we are neither Robyn Hitchcock fans nor Peru Negro fans, I'm sure we'll be pleasantly surprised.

All caught up.

late last night, catherine and i finished up our week-long Lost marathon.

so many questions...

What is the deal with the Hanso Foundation? Who are they? Why do they have so much vested interest in the island? Rearrange the letters in the name and it reads "Noahs". Why is it that Mr. Eko did not speak for 40 days? Ana Lucia didn't cry until Day 40?



The Dharma Initiative... what does the name mean and why is the logo based on the Fung Shui octagon, Pa Kua?



What is the significance of the octagonal shape? Vishnu, the God of Maintenance, is generally represented by an octagonal shape. Dharma is generally defined as righteousness or duty (source). Vishnu is worshipped as the protector of the world and restorer of dharma (source). In Fung Shui, the eight sides of the Pa Kua (source) represent the elemental forces of the universe. Why is it so important to enter the code (4 8 15 16 23 42) every 108(the added total of the code) minutes? Does it "restore order", as the Hanso Foundation's orientation film would lead us to believe? And why did the shark that circled the raft bear a Dharma Initiative tattoo?

So many questions...

Lost.

I haven't posted all week.
Catherine and I started watching Lost.
We're halfway through season one.
Can't tear away from the tv.
Day and night, I've been thinking, speculating...
We've succumbed to the addiction.
Thank you, ABC.

Golden Dragon Parade

This weekend was Los Angeles's Golden Dragon Parade, a Chinese New Year celebration hosted by the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of LA.
Crowds lined the streets of Chinatown to see the spectacle that featured ornate floats, lines of dragon dancers and cars full of local politicians including Mayor Villaragosa (dressed in traditional Chinese garb).

click here for pics.

30 hits away...

I have 1,970 hits on macjams; 30 away from the big 2K.
If you haven't stopped by macjams, please do. The site offers lot's of great free music created by folks all over the world. For me, the site has been nothing short of amazing. My music has reached a huge audience and i've gotten great feedback from everyone.

click here to check my macjams contributions.

thanks

An alien with a beach ball and a chicken cutlet.

My sister recently sent me pictures of niece/nephew TBD.
I'm not quite sure what I'm looking at, but it appears to be a small alien with a beach ball and a chicken cutlet.
Hopefully, the three will get together soon and form a well-shaped human baby.

subversive? nah...

Go to Google.
Type in "miserable failure."
Click "I'm feeling lucky."

Junior's

The perennial favorite of the transplanted Borscht Belt crowd, Junior's offers a great meal that would make your bubbie tsufridn.



Wall-to-wall brown vinyl booths and glass display cases are punctuated by the bustling of waitresses, bus boys and clattering of glasses and cutlery. The menu offers the popular and familiar. Sandwiches are piled mile-high with corned beef, pastrami, or any of the other meats one would expect to be bookended by two pieces of rye bread slathered with deli mustard. The generous portions of matzo brei beam with a familiar glow and taste great with a sprinkling of sugar.

This past visit, I ordered a Monte Cristo with a knish and kugel. The servings are large, so my girlfriend and I split the portions. Note: Although the prices at Junior's are a bit steep, most entrees are large enough to split between two people. The food had taken quite awhile to arrive as the service was spotty (at best). In the meantime, we snacked on the sour deli pickles served when we were seated.

The Monte Cristo is a deep-fried chalah bread triple decker sandwich filled with ham, turkey and swiss cheese. Junior's version is well-cooked and served with a side of powdered sugar and fruit jelly. No Monte Crisco can be complete without maple syrup, so I had to wait awhile longer for the waitress to bring some to the table. While waiting for the syrup, we dove into our knish and kugel. As a transplanted New Yorker, I have grown to expect the quality of knish to equal that of a Yonah Schimmel. To my surprise, Junior's knish tasted as close to the Lower East Side treasure as a frozen, pre-packaged knish could be. With a bit of mustard, it was great.

Here's an indicator of how good the kugel tasted. When I ordered the kugel, the waitress paused from scribbling down on her pad. Taking a step back and looking lost in thought, she sighed and said "Ah... the kugel." She flashed a smile, jotted down the rest of the order and floated off to another table. When the noodle kugel arrived, the plate was almost as warm as the waiter who delivered the dish. One bite revealed a sweet, complex taste not usually associated with kugel. Creamy, sweet noodles slightly seasoned with cinnamon were firm but light-tasting. A layer of raisins lined the bottom of the kugel; raisins are traditionally mixed into the kugel. This simple variation is a magnificent improvement and brought out the flavor of the noodles.

Despite the high prices (sandwiches can cost upto $15) and spotty service, Junior's is a great place to feed your need for Jewish Deli nostalgia. Order the kugel; it'll make your mama happy.

Junior's (2379 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90064 ) is located on the corner of Pico and Westwood by the Westside Pavillion. Valet parking is available at the restaurant.

UFC Plans California Debut

UFC has finally been sanctioned by the California sports commission to stage live events. This is huge news for fighting fans in the US. In the past, UFC's largest shows were held in Las Vegas and typically accomodated crowds of 10,000. With new venue opportunities opened in California, UFC can theoretically host shows of over 20,000.



Read the January 17 LA Times article here.

Sakagura

New York has some of the best Japanese restaurants in the US: Honmura An, Nobu, Kai... too numerous to list, all unique and stellar in their own right. Among these is a hidden gem in Midtown Manhattan, often overlooked by the casual diner because of its offbeat location.

Translated into English as "Sake Storage", Sakagura is located in the basement of a building (which it shares with numerous foreign embassies) in Midtown Manhattan. Meticulously decorated, Sakagura is a pleasurable, unique dining experience even before the first glance of the menu.
The food is of the highest calibur; one will not leave the restaurant disappointed. A safe bet is to order multiple small dishes; Hirame Carpaccio, Nasu Dengaku, and Sanma Onigiri are among some of the many wonderful selections.
As the name suggests, Sakagura prides itself on a fine selection of sake. Although it might be a daunting task to make a selection based upon the tome-like listings (grouped by Japanese region), the sake sommelier will guide you in the right direction.
Dessert is a highlight and should not be missed. The prix fixe dessert is the best bet. This includes Black Sesame Creme Brulee, Green Tea Truffles, homemade sorbet and more. Order a dessert sake to accompany (ask the sommelier for assistance) to round out the meal.

It is not often I have such strong feelings for a restaurant, but Sakagura is one of the few places I have been going to for a few years and have not grown tired of. With every visit, I appreciate this restaurant more and more... and that's not the sake talking.

Sakagura
211 East 43rd Street, B1
New York, NY 10017
(Between 2nd & 3rd Avenue)

Region Free(dom)!

The region-free dvd player I purchased five years ago for $250 recently died. As half of my dvd collection is Region 3 (Asia), the death of the dvd player was a major inconvenience.

Enter... DVD Unlocker.
A Globalization color-by-numbers set.

With the inexpensive program, i was able to make a cheap Toshiba DVD player region free. I can again watch weird Asian horror movies without hassle; nice!

Where The F!@#$ You Been?!

Happy New Year, Happy Haj, and Happy Feast of The Epiphany.

Where have I been lately? Hmmm...

I started training at the Beverly Hills Jiu-Jitsu Club. Although I'm a bit rusty, my first few sessions have gone well and I'm slowly returning to old form. I'll start competing in June if I can remain injury-free. As I am at the gym more often than not, I'm in the best shape I've ever been in. I've spent the past six months strength training and cardio conditioning, so I expect the hard work to reduce chances of injuries.

Lyrics are so damn difficult to write, but I'm working on it..
I have new songs written and need to record vocals. I've hung up the electronic music hat; time to focus on songwriting, vocals and guitar/bass/drum playing.. The new approach is influenced by Coldplay, David Bowie, T. Rex and the new Neil Diamond album.

Catherine and I were watching The Happiness of The Katakuris last night when I realized how frustrating it is that I have a basic understanding of the Japanese language and have yet to continue studies. I checked online for some local schools and tudors, sent out many emails and expect to hear back from some places by the end of the day. The schools are in the $200 range for 8-week sessions; not bad.

Other odds-n-ends:
Pride's New Year's show was awesome... Christmas Day lunch at Tung Lai Shun was great, but the service was spotty... Can't stop listening to the new Neil Diamond album... la.foodbloggers are planning a monthly get-together; check the forums for info... my sister tells me there will be new pictures of niece/nephew TBD soon... LA Steve saw Richard Swift in LA and SF two weeks ago and swears that he is genius (and I agree)... I'm enjoying the 80 degree weather this week...