bit parts What I like about the Sopranos is that for most of the supporting cast, this is the only acting gig they have. So theoretically they have all that time to fully invest in their character and make it their own. The writing wouldn't be as brilliant without the actors making it happen. The facial tics, gesticulations, jersey accent... all of that contributes to the authenticity. Take the past week's episode, the main plotline being Artie and his restaurant. Guy does a tour-de-force performance showcasing a wide variety of emotions. (okay he does mostly "pissed off" and "crazy lunatic with balls of steel", but it was still notable.)

I'm not sure exactly why but the way they film this show is just fascinating to me. Every shot seems like it was done with specific purpose. It's all in the details and I love to analyze the minutia. How the old guy counts the money in the envelope, nods, and walks away. Then the wiseguy steals a sausage from the pizza on the countertop. Even the throwaway jokes and gag are meaningful in some respect. The guest stars superbly parody themselves, i.e. Ben Kingsley and Lauren Bacall dropping F-bombs.

The end is drawing near, I can't believe that its been 7 episodes already with 5 more to go (then 8 more in 2007). Hopefully big things are in store and the pace will pick up soon enough.  ¶ 1:09 AM 0 comments

  Random pet peeve When I ask someone how to do something, and am told "oh it's really easy/simple/a moron could do it."

That's not really answering my question is it? I know it is f--king simple. Most everything in life is simple. Just show me how to do it and I will shower you with appreciation for showing me this simple task.  ¶ 7:39 AM 0 comments

  blowfish review My buddy was in town for training so another friend and I got together for dinner/drinks. I wanted to go to Masa since my bro keeps raving about it but we decided to go to Blowfish (in Santana Row).

Needless to say, the fish was exceptional. Instead of a precision cut maki, they make it more like a goop of sushi. It's hard to explain, but it's sushi done even more artistically. The sashimi combo comes in a nice presentation with dry steam causing steam to billow out. They've got an assortment of specialized maki like every sushi joint. Unfortunately they were out of toro, but the sashimi I ate was very tasty. Atmosphere-wise, it was very dimly lit, with an abundance of young people enjoying the loud music. Similar to the sushi bar/clubs in Scottdale, with the exception of the hired gun waitresses they have there.  ¶ 10:47 AM 0 comments

  more book I have decided to go the Good Will Hunting route and make use of the public library system. Compared the good ol' days as a youth, the system has sure been revamped for the better. Everything is catalogued online, and they even do email notifications if your book is available. I was pleasantly surprised to find that most of the best sellers on Amazon were available. Nowadays everything is automated with self-checkouts, you walk in and out in a matter of minutes.

Ever since I was small I was able to speed-read proficiently. Then for a long while I lost interest in reading. A year ago I labored through a CINEFEX article on Revenge of the Sith. I did blaze through the four books I previously checked out, so hopefully it's coming back to me. I've tried to balance out my booklist so I don't get bored, although a fair amount deals with economics and business.

Looking to get inspired!  ¶ 9:21 PM 0 comments

  books Did fairly well on a beta test (187 questions, 4 hours allotted), managed to leave with an hour to spare. The main reason I took it was to get the fleece jacket awarded to those who pass. After, went to the library to pick up some books. Nothing too literary, Phil Jackson's book ripping Kobe and three other books on Michael Jordan(Playing for Keeps, One Last Shot, When Nothing Else Matters). One dealing with his successful career which was published in 1999. The more interesting ones are the two concerning his final comeback with the Wizards. Jordan is, perhaps, more fascinating as the bad guy who rips teammates even as he is hobbled by a bad knee in the final days of his career. I enjoyed reading Sam Smith's The Jordan Rules, and this book is perhaps more interesting since it deals with the twilight of MJ's career. Just reading about the day-to-day situations, flow during the actual games, the fact that his knee was screwed up the whole time and he kept it from the media, going up against pierce, t-mac, etc.

Kwame was his potential nightmare. Kwame might be his Ishtar. Kwame, he knew, might be the only thing people remembered of his executive days, if they weren't all careful. Why couldn't the kid handle the ball? he asked people in his entourage. Was it just his imagination, he asked, or did Kwane's hands look small? What the hell was happening?

Hehe. Kwame does have small hands. There's also more dirt where he spends all night gambling at the Mohegan Sun. Losing close to 500k before ending up winning money (think $15k blackjack bets). All this and I'm only a hundred pages in. In spite of all thats out there, his enduring image remains the greatest basketball player of all time.

EDIT: Almost done with the first book. The main point the book makes is that MJ's indomitable will to win forced a lot of his mistakes (playing injured, ripping teammates). This and that Doug Collins was his personal beeeyatch. The main thing that resonates with me (again) is the importance of time (and not wasting it). Jordan lamented not playing those years after the 2nd retirement.

Anyways I resolve to be nicer and more humble :p His shoes are still the $hit.  ¶ 6:37 PM 0 comments

  Youtube Great site for finding videos. Very similar to flickr in concept, tagging these videos for better searchability. The UI is better than google video, but the underlying reason for youtube's popularity is content. Lots of stuff that will jog your memory. And it is officially the greatest site because the OJ Outtakes is on it. aka the hardest video for me to find in years. The Oj outtakes was the toughest litmus test for finding stuff EVER. It was never available until now.

Some cool stuff like How to get better at basketball

and I'm sure "porntube" is already in development.  ¶ 6:25 PM 0 comments

  sublety The subtle humor this show exhibits on a constant basis ... freakin' brilliant. Each episode is instantly quotable, the latest gags being a hip-hop/rapper subplot and Christopher's latest moviemaking endeavors (wants to make Saw meets Godfather II film).

- Paulie clipping coupons for band-aids days after a million dollar heist the previous day... he must have read The Millionaire Next Door.  ¶ 2:53 AM 0 comments

  eddie bauer nano-tex wrinkle-free pants What a bunch of crap. My pants are crazy wrinkled and I can't find the iron. The marketing made it clear that I would never have to iron/wash these pants.

...  ¶ 2:34 AM 0 comments

  :) A true friend is one that will drive from SJ to SF at midnight to pick up my stranded @$$ ...

Usually I would drive to the city when going out with coworkers but for some reason I thought I'd be blasted beyond repair by the time things cooled down. Plus I had gotten used to riding it during the Cisco training class. Had some drinks, some great Indian cuisine for dinner (garlic NAN bread), pool, etc. It was not a company-sponsered event but as usual we made it "go away." Around 9-ish the crowd broke up, and I went to have one last round. Bugged my friend for a ride to the caltrain station, he drove me to the wrong spot and missed the damn train. Then he dropped me off at the BART station, I got my ticket and then found out that the fremont line closed at 7pm! Doh!

So I am walking around SF with only an Old Navy fleece protecting me from the wind and rain (surprisingly it was up to the task). I call my brother but he doesn't answer (sleeping). Then I call an old friend who is incredulous at first but agrees to help me out. Now I have to walk 7 blocks back to the caltrain station since its the agreed-upon meeting spot. Tripping over people sleeping on the sidewalk, dodging traffic, jumping over puddles...

For some reason I thought 10pm was the last train, but there turns out to be a 12am training. So I call my buddy to cancel but he says he is already at Redwood City and doesn't mind driving. We had a good chat on the way back and I still had time to kick off those damn nightly migrations.  ¶ 2:13 PM 0 comments

  food New craving: Lee's vietnamese sandwiches (w/ BBQ meat). I can put away two of these easily. For some reason I always remember these being a couple bucks but they are $3. Lee's is another food chain that started in Phoenix, ala PF Chang. I had the "super burrito" this weekend which seemed smaller than I remembered. The burritos are extremely tidy and somehow I walked out of the joint with two for $6.30.

I figured I'd lose weight just by working from home but right now it's pretty even. The eating-out is countered by the "rolling out of bed and not working a single muscle all day." Next week I'll roll to the office and maybe take a peek at the gym. After the drudgery of being stuck on a long project, I am already jumping onto new topics to study. In a couple weeks I have a 4 hour beta test scheduled, and beyond that some week-long training sessions in various parts of the country.

My obsession with gear is going a bit far. While watching Hostel, all that interests me is what kind of jackets these guys are rocking. The brunette looks a lot like a young Monica Belluci.  ¶ 3:41 PM 0 comments