Marshall's Farm Natural Honey

Going to the San Francisco Wine Festival this past year was a fun event. ONe of the vendors that we saw was Marshall's Farm which sells honey. It was the first time I ever tried blue cheese and honey. EXQUISITE!

Sometimes, You Figure it Out

117, 187, 194

Not bad. I missed the 500 series by 2 pins. I ended up using the Infinite One from Ebonite. In the first game, I tried to bowl from the middle of the lane. That did not work as well as it should have. So, I went instead to bowling from the outside lane. I ended up controlling the ball through 5-11 oclock and 6-12oclock holds.

Peste

My mother used to tell me stories about napepesteng manok. Now I understand just what that meant.

Birthmonth

Another year and another birthmonth has passed. Life has been pretty darned good lately. That might be because I have been trying to control my thoughts and going for endorphins instead of cortisol. You know the drill. Don't wallow in self-pity. Improve yourself 1% each day and pretty soon, you will be a good human being.

On Sunday, we went to a bridal fair to try and get the business going. There were many lessons to be learned.

1. Don't be too shy.
2. You are offering a service. It's okay to talk to them.
3. Don't take photos of bride and groom. They are just not ready for it on a Sunday.

The experience made me think about selling and interacting with people. Photography deals with a lot more of selling yourself more than anything else. It's difficult to change, but you pretty much have to. I have to change. The world has already changed from an income based world to an asset based world.

In some ways, it will be easier to sell myself now as a photographer than if I have to work at the age of 65. I better change my philosophical framework now.

I Was Not Alone

Apparently, there are a lot of nasty, evil people out in the world of the sciences.

I'm still recovering from my experience with two less than worthy individuals during my post-doc years at Cal. I can only hope that justice has beaten them back and that I can find the will to forgive.

Sweet Merlot

The law firm took all of its support staff to the racetrack two weeks ago. It was fun stuff. Although I wish we could have seen the horses up close and personal. The company gave us $2 tickets to bet on horses. I ended up choosing a horse named "Sweet Merlot" because of its wine connection. The horse ended up paying on 11:1 odss. That was pretty good and I ended up with $60.

I could see why gambling on ponies is so addictive. You have this instant of anticipation at the start where everything is possible. In the middle of the race, your body sags from exhaustion because of all the adrenaline that is being pumped through. But at the end, you find yourself again and root, root root for the home team or your chosen pony.

Golden Gate Fields was quite beautiful. Lush greenery set in the middle of the track. I was wondering if they could get an aquatic park going on in the middle of it all. We were placed in the clubhouse where all the swanky people stayed. Some of the mail handlers were even wearing pearls! Talk about a classy snazzy joint. Woohoo!

We might try to go again this Saturday. It's supposed to be dollar a day. Dollar for everything. Entrance, fried chicken, etc, etc.

Argentine Tango

One of the things that I did two years ago was Argentine Tango

Ethanol as a Fuel Alternative

I remember as a child something of the energy crisis at the pumps in the Philippines. I remember the long lines. The interminable long lines. I remember the promise of ethanol as an alternative to gas. They called it gasohol.

Thirty years later, in America, we are still waiting.

While watching the West Wing, I was surprised to hear from the show that ethanol production costs more to produce than actual gasoline. I was intrigued so I did a search. I found The Ethanol Page.

What piqued my interests were the scientific studies.

You decided what is what.

New Year's Resolutions

It has been a while since I have tried implementing into my life a new year's resolution. Partly because of a lack of discipline, I often rebelled against what I set out to do. Talk about destructive tendencies.

This year's top ten goals are:

1. Prosperity in the mind, body, spirit and finances for me and everyone I know. Spread the word that prosperity lies in the mind. Prosperity is a choice.
2. Continue to improve my health by walking in the morning and or evenings.
3. Continue being selective about my food choices. Tasting delicious Pinoy food is on the books. Just don't eat it for seven straight days. Choose leafy vegetables.
4. Continue to bowl with a goal of a clean game. The physical activity does me good and it will allow me to bowl with my father in law.
5. Let go of some of my older clothing. Donate them to the Philippines. It is nice to remember the good times. But, it is even better to create the good times in the present.
6. Become a teacher who changes lives. I began teaching at a law school in Southeastern los Angeles. I hope to affect the lives of my students for the better. I take the plane for the 3 hour class and I come up the same day.
7. Plan for the start of children in our lives.
8. Begin preparing for the next purchase of a house somewhere in Alameda. I already saw the Kapitolyo, the model house where I hope to live someday. It was about 3.4 million. I figure with a side business, maybe we can achieve it in five to ten years.
9. Continue to promote and explore my photography and consulting for college job.
10. Have fun!!!

Pioneers of Philippine Art

Tonight, it was off to the relatives on my father's side for some partying. Before getting there, we went to the Filipino exhibit at the Asian Art Museum. The exhibit was titled Pioneers of Philippine Art.

Twenty five years ago, as I began studying and questioning America my new homeland, I came upon the question of identity. How do I place myself in this new land. I of course wanted to prove that a Filipino was just as good as anyone born in the United States. I thought that I could reach that equality by going to the museum to see all the Filipino things there. But in Los Angeles of the 1980's, there was nothing Filipino being exhibited.

This led me to begin questioning the validity of Philippine achievements. In my young mind, the lack of Philippine representation in the museum showed that the Filipinos were backward and not worthy of anything. Colonial mentality was forged by my very own mind.

It is with great pleasure to say that twenty-five years later, I finally went to a major exhibit in which the subject was Filipinos.