I figure after a two-week break from the boards during a whirlwind east-coast holiday tour (wasn't really planning on it, just running around a lot & didn't feel like having to keep tapping out iPhone replies) this is probably the place to ramp back up to my usual speed in dealing with you motherfuckas.

Anyway, whazzup y'all?

Happy New Year.

Hope everyone had a good Christmas/Channauka/Kwanza/Festivus/etc.

Mine was tremendous, got to meet my new nephew & actually really talk with the older one for the first time.

Uncle Bomby's gifts for the kids (like all other gifts this year, done on Christmas Eve while being driven by old friends with bar stops for some grub & pints of Guinness between stores) were based on the usage data of the following week the hits of the season.

My sister & brother-in-law dumped the kids in South Jersey while traveling to Dublin, Ireland for a wedding (my sis spent a year of college at Trinity over there & still keeps up with a few people over there) the day after Christmas and left an 8-month & 2-year-and-9-month old for my parents to deal with for the following week (or should I say my mom, since watching my father magically disappear for long stretches only to pop up from time to time to emit his trademark bellow that at times scared the babies gave me a chance to get some grown-man insight to my early childhood).

That made the last week.......interesting. Did a lot of things I had no intention of doing until I made some of things on my own: bathing, feeding, memorizing the entire On-Demand season of Little Einsteins, yes even unfortunately diaper-assistance (pops claims to have retired from diapers after the early 80's, my mother claims his diaper career was mostly a figment of his imagination to begin with & I tend to believe her).

Managed to still slip away from all that babysitting enough to hit up DC, Philly & NYC for some fun.

Stopped into Dream Puffz http://www.dreampuffz.com/ the other day with plans to get the perfect photo of Bomb, Zoubek, my boy (wearing a UCLA hoodie) & some Cream Puffs for a post Longo, Basa & Coolidge could have thoroughly enjoyed but alas, Big Z must have decided that December 30th was a day he'd rather have the college-kids behind the counter than manning the shop himself.

Great trip overall except that my folks' house should have been quarantined, at some point during my stay everyone in the place was sick (probably from the little disease-factories young children can be) but myself & my mother fought it off gamely until about New Year's when both of us realized our shared usual method (pretend nothing is wrong & eventually we'll be able to trick ourselves back to good health) was not going to win out.

I flew back into LA at the crack of dawn yesterday, landed at around 9 & since I park my car in my garage at work when I go to LAX anyway I attempted to roll into my office ready to get back to work like nothing was wrong.

My boss took one look at me, told me to go home & stay home tomorrow too.

So now I'm laying on the couch in/out of cold sweats, coughing, blowing my nose, drinking tea, scarfing Vitamin C's, just listened to Skip Bayless still talking about Lebron's lack of 'clutch-gene' & figuring I'll pop in one of these movies my sis bought me (True Grit or the second Sherlock Holmes) in a minute but wanted to check in with y'all first.

It's 2013.

What's on your plate for the new year?

Gotta few plans of my own in the works but I've taken up enough space in this first post already.

>Stopped into Dream Puffz http://www.dreampuffz.com/ the other
>day with plans to get the perfect photo of Bomb, Zoubek, my
>boy (wearing a UCLA hoodie) & some Cream Puffs for a post
>Longo, Basa & Coolidge could have thoroughly enjoyed but alas,
>Big Z must have decided that December 30th was a day he'd
>rather have the college-kids behind the counter than manning
>the shop himself.

if zoubek were wearing some kani jorts with microchips in them.

anyway, i'm re-writing my syllabus, getting ready to deal with having classes that end at 5:45 next semester (only positive is that no athletes + fewer students in general in that later class). trying to get back to actually doing social things once in a while now that i've been teaching for a semester.

oh yeah, and a wedding. fuck an invite list. fuck my mom guilting me into inviting her friend, fuck my girl's family for not providing a list so it looked like I had twice as many invites as she did, and fuck how expensive this shit is. otherwise, i'm really happy i'm getting married.

thinking of doing a south america tour for the honeymoon. buenos aires for a big city, a beach in uruguay for some beach time, and a ski mountain in chile or argentina for some skiing. anyone got advice?

-----------
It's only funny till someone gets mad. Then it's hilarious.

We did the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica. I cannot recommend Costa Rica enough. It was so incredibly awesome with great food, great people, and TONS to do. I could give you some recs but ConcreteCharlie is your dude for South/Central America as a whole.

not sure what it is about that place since I've never been myself but obviously it's got something.

He went there, fell in love with it, and opened 2 businesses while there and never looked back.

I couldn't live there myself, but I absolutely loved the country and the people. Granted, I lived like a tourist for 6 days - going ziplining, white water rafting, waterfall rappelling, eating amazing food, etc - but I can absolutely see why someone would just love that part of the world.

I was there a couple of Summers ago, and it's a pretty nice place.

If I'm gonna live on an island, I want a lush, tropical island with grassland, forest, beaches, etc.

Curacao was great, but was dry and rocky as shit.

building solar farms/home photovoltaic systems.

Went there 10 years ago and loved it there. Absolutely beautiful and people are cool as hell. They really need to fix those roads though. Yeah, yeah, yeah, they don't want tourists to completely overrun the country, but it got really annoying. We caught two flats in the same town while there.

And what'd you think of zip-lining? I thought it was cool, but not mind-blowing. I now can't take it seriously at all after that South Park episode.

We did the SkyTrek one in Tabacon...for me, totally mind blowing to see the tops of trees I know were REALLY high and I was WAAAAY above them. I think it was 6 or 7 total lines, the longest being nearly a mile long. It was awesome.

I did a two-stop tour (4 nights on a beach on the Amalfi coast and 6 nights in Rome) and I think if you go for a third city, your time in each is too short, not to mention the hassle of packing and unpacking, plus the added travel.

maybe be there for a day. I just want to get my meat sweats on down there...hmm.
-----------
It's only funny till someone gets mad. Then it's hilarious.

I actually did the same basic honeymoon as Kosher- we did Sorrento for a few days and then Rome for a few days. And we daytripped to Capri/Positano, Naples and Pompeii from Sorrento. If you find a good base, you can easily break stuff up that way for the first part of teh trip, and then make the second phase your chillout.

*the palio wound up being an overnight trip because the last train out of town left before the race started, so we hung out for a while, then took turns sleeping until the first train of the morning came.

we don't really rock the day trip, but we're good with the 2-3 days in one place.

a lot to think about here. thanks for the advice.

-----------
It's only funny till someone gets mad. Then it's hilarious.

>I figure after a two-week break from the boards during a
>whirlwind east-coast holiday tour (wasn't really planning on
>it, just running around a lot & didn't feel like having to
>keep tapping out iPhone replies)

I think my only extended break from this place was on my honeymoon. Every time I go on vacation, I still check my iPhone/iPad and reply. Hell, I was in line at Chipotle in Barstow on my way to Vegas last week replying in that "biggest hoe in the NBA" thread.

This is a sickness.

>>I figure after a two-week break from the boards during a
>>whirlwind east-coast holiday tour (wasn't really planning on
>>it, just running around a lot & didn't feel like having to
>>keep tapping out iPhone replies)
>
>I think my only extended break from this place was on my
>honeymoon. Every time I go on vacation, I still check my
>iPhone/iPad and reply. Hell, I was in line at Chipotle in
>Barstow on my way to Vegas last week replying in that "biggest
>hoe in the NBA" thread.
>
this was easily my longest of flat-out not even checking to read (because reading would have just lead to replying) in awhile.

My longest break from this place was still Ricky Manning Jr Exile but even then I was lurking a bit & sending an inbox here or there.

By the way, every time I see the word Barstow I shiver......spent the worst weekend of my life there against my will.

Maybe sometime this month I'll have the mental fortitude to tell that tale as it deserves to be told but today is most certainly not the day.

>This is a sickness.

Get Up, Come On, Get Down With The Sickness!(c)Disturbed

But even then, I couldn't completely log off. I'd set aside a half hour or so to go down to the lobby of the condo complex to e-mail my folks or surf the web in general, then check in; I can use being a mod as an excuse.

But then I broke the "no-posting" rule when the A's won the West on the last day of the season. I'm in a grocery store, searching the salad dressing/condiment aisle in search of cocktail sauce to with shrimp we're going to have for dinner while my wife waits in the car, standing in front of the mustard, and posting my sincere congrats to the team for pulling off a dream season. It just seemed like it was really important to do at the time.

>By the way, every time I see the word Barstow I
>shiver......spent the worst weekend of my life there against
>my will.
>
>Maybe sometime this month I'll have the mental fortitude to
>tell that tale as it deserves to be told but today is most
>certainly not the day.

Wait, I think I remember this story. I'm pretty sure you told it in the Lesson. This is when you went to Rock the Bells 2007, right? The one where all the Nazi skinheads showed up to see RATM and Cypress Hill? And then you got caught up in traffic and your car broke down in Barstow? Can't believe I remember this shit.

>>I figure after a two-week break from the boards during a
>>whirlwind east-coast holiday tour (wasn't really planning on
>>it, just running around a lot & didn't feel like having to
>>keep tapping out iPhone replies)
>
>I think my only extended break from this place was on my
>honeymoon. Every time I go on vacation, I still check my
>iPhone/iPad and reply. Hell, I was in line at Chipotle in
>Barstow on my way to Vegas last week replying in that "biggest
>hoe in the NBA" thread.
>
>This is a sickness.


When I try to explain it to her, I realize how silly it is, but then sneak in a reply anyways.

At this point, I don't know how to explain. I'm pretty sure she knows that I'm a mod on some website, but she doesn't know anything about what it actually is. I'm pretty sure that I'm going to keep it that way. I need one place I can go for privacy.

she still doesn't really get why I spend so much time here, lol.

it was funny at the Roots Holiday Jam, though, because ppl were coming up to me like "hey, it's KosherSam!" I felt like an internet celebrity.

I walked into the room when my sister in law was changing my nephews diaper and I nearly passed out..

I kid.

the first time I had to change my god daughter, I also felt weak at the knees when I saw a huge square block of shit just laying there in all its stinking glory.
now I have a two year old, so of course, it's no thing. Dads who don't partake in the diaper changing are a special brand of asshole, imo.

Not purposely ducking UCLA's ugly bowl loss, it just happened to work out that way since I was taking a redeye to Chicago that night and I don't like posting to these boards from my phone (can't someone do a mobile version? Probably best that they don't).

Either way, UCLA's Holiday Bowl performance literally made me puke, as I was drinking whiskey with my old college roommate since about 6 that day before getting a ride to LAX (that game was so ugly I didn't feel bad about ducking early), only to find that my flight's been delayed two hours. My original plan was to drink enough watching the game to pass out quickly on the plane and get some sleep, but with a very heavy handed bartender feeling bad for us stuck there until 2 AM, the Vomit Comet landed at LAX.

Chicago was great though, it wasn't quite as bone chillingly cold as I expected, and I definitely overindulged myself on a variety of Midwestern foods and beers. By NYE, my boy (Chi-Town native and now of LA) and I were basically crying for vegetables and some sort of physical activity. My one attempt at using the hotel gym resulted in me huffing and puffing from 15 minutes of exercise bike and straining myself doing a sit up. My actual NYE involved catching a friend's band at the Metro and then attempting to kill three band's worth of venue provided alcohol with one band (+ friends), resulting in me stealing a bottle of whiskey for the road and having mimosa flavored puke in the morning.

I don't know when this turned into a post mostly about my vomit. After another delayed flight caused by a flight attendant having a seizure at the gate (probably caused by some of the worst screaming toddlers I've ever been on with on a flight), I bumped into the violin player in my friend's band at baggage claim, where naturally our conversation turned to our most colorful pukes (me: orange glowing Tommy's chili, her: blueberry blue after last year's NYE).

Anyway, in 2013 I'm looking forward to a more streamlined, productive year. Not that 2012 was unproductive, it was definitely one of the better years of my life, but there's a lot of time I could use better, things here and there that could be cut down or out. Including Internet and sports. I don't really miss it much when I'm out of town. OKS is about the last place I'd cut out since y'all are family and actually entertaining, but watching a random TOR/DEN game or getting into increasingly stupid arguments on team boards? Click, close.

No wedding or kid news here like most of yall seem to be having, but probably gonna have a new job before the end of the year, playing in two different musical projects (one new and could lead to more, the other restarting an old one), trying to do some travel to Europe or Asia... looking forward way different in 2014 than 2013.

What are we wearin??

Nah I'm not an accessories/jewelry person.

If I have anything other than the stones in my ears I feel like this

http://collider.com/wp-content/uploads/300-movie-image-rodrigo-santoro.jpg



______________________
Young Jeezy- It's Tha World
Raekwon - Shaolin vs Wu-Tang
Obie Trice - Cheers

http://www.shopping.com/Casio-Casio-Men-s-Ultimate-Pathfinder-Watch-PAW1500-1V/info

one day ill get a real rolex or omega.

In the meantime, i wear this with everything except super formal outings. I mean for a regular suit work day, I have no problem rocking this big ass watch.

http://mmwatersports.com/images/nixon/watches/nixon_capital_automatic_watch_all_black.jpg

Love Nixon watches, and it's replacing an old ass Duke Nixon that still rocks their old font.

http://www.nixon.com/mens/watches/the-unit-A197.html?sku=A197000-00

Ed O'Bannon is at work EVERY. GOT. DAMN. DAY.

Dream Puffz on the other hand is a half mile from my folks' house & we were already at the 7-11 around the corner.

Picked up a dozen of those puffs & a bottle of wine on our way up to a day party in NYC, the final verdict amongst those guests lucky enough to sample the pastry wares.....GOOD!

I partied with him a few times at Duke, but now that I'm gone, it'd be great to have one photo with that goofy lookin motherfucker.

Did you have any of them puffs? How were they?

I'm more a Gummi Bears, Twizzlers, sour candy type so I skipped trying one.

I bought a mixed box of em to bring up to the place for the spread more for novelty/comedy reasons but they did all get eaten before I left.

The presentation was well done.

The girls, in particular, were big fans.

The Duke jersey's up there on the wall along with his Haddonfield jersey, a framed national-championship newspaper headline & that photo from the White House posing next to the Lincoln portrait.

The whole thing is hilarious.

That shit was awesome, as was the 7 day cruise we went on for the honeymoon. Then we got home to drama & bullshit.
Some of you know I’m in the process of getting custody of my sister because of said bullshit.

It’s going OK so far, but dragging time wise. What’s insanely apparent to me is the difference in my sister. The first home they put her in was fucked up. My sister was acting out, and the foster parents blamed her for all of it. I figured she exaggerated some things, but when they put her in the second home, it was a night and day change. She doesn’t even *feel* angry. No behavioral issues whatsoever. She feels happier then she has in ages. The FP just treats her well, gives her her space, feeds her (which was a major issue both with my mom/ her dad and the previous FP) and the home is quiet and calm and there’s no drinking going on 24/7. She’s doing far better than expected.

It’s also obvious how much she has lacked over the years. We went to IHOP for one visit, and she had no clue what to do with the menu. She was highly concerned about the cost of her meal because she was worried about whether or not we could afford $9. She was worried a $4 burrito at Taco Bell one day was too much. In years past she never really took me up on invitations to restaurants, the movies, etc, so it’s not as though the opportunities weren’t there. I remember feeling the same way as a kid, thinking people who could go to Denny’s were rich and all. She was kind of disappointed we couldn’t get her a Christmas gift, but I explained we just bought her bed ($500 right there) to get her room started and her eyes lit up.

The most recent court date was troubling though. The lawyers for my mom and sisters dad recommended overnight visits and weekends, unsupervised. I currently have no say in any of that. There’s NO way that should happen. I know for a fact they still drink heavily and the environment is identical to the one that generated this whole mess. The judge didn’t accept that request but determined that reunification services would be given. This is after the judge acknowledged the long ass history of this bullshit. She’s been in 4 drug treatment programs that she never completed, been arrested handfuls of times , ALL alcohol or drug related. She lost 5 kids and reunified with only one before having him removed soon after for more drug activity (he’s now bouncing from prison to county to mental institutions).

Hell, Christina was removed at birth due to meth in her blood stream. She was the fourth of my siblings (4 of the final 5) removed at birth for that exact reason. WHY the FUCK are they still trying to work with her and giving her more chances after having 11 kids, two SIDS deaths, all but one going to foster care at one point or another, and 23 documented years of the same bullshit over and over again?

Further, they recommended an inpatient drug treatment program for my mom, and in court she was all up for it. She gets home and tells my other sister there’s no way she’s doing that because she won’t get to see Christina (the one in foster care). I mean…. This is indicative of the whole damn problem. Anyhow the overall process is going well but the holidays were a bad time for getting shit done. Once I have her in our home though, my wife and I will be fighting tooth and nail for legal guardianship.

My brother hung himself on Christmas Eve, but was found in the bathroom before it was too late. He’s all kinds of fucked up right now. He’s on some GTA shit with a biker gang (Vagos) wanting to kill him for suspected snitching, an affiliated skinhead group that happened into the situation during a fight, a latino gang trying to kill him for allegedly killing one of theirs (that’s a mess all by itself and connected to the Vagos situation). It’s real, real fucked up. He’s burned all of his bridges, barely eats, sleeps wherever the fuck he can. He told me he just wakes up and walks in one direction until he can’t walk anymore, turns, and does it again. I hate this situation and I love him to death but there’s no way I’ll have him around my wife and daughter and I know he and I will come to blows at some point. I tried as much as I could for a long time and gave up for good a couple years ago after getting burnt one time too many.
I’ve given him cash a time or two, bought him an mp3 player and whatnot but that’s where my involvement ends.

Anyhow I talked to him for like an hour last week and talked him into finding a halfway house or SOMETHING and he finally got into Christian men’s home. We can’t talk to him for 30 days I guess but hey…. So long as he’s safe and in an environment that can actually help him, IDGAF what the circumstances are. I’m incredibly thankful for that because every single days since Christmas Eve I’ve been waiting for a phone call saying he’s been murdered or killed himself. Just a real heavy burden on my heart and that's been pretty hard. Then I think about Radin, and I’d kinda like to beat the shit out of the next person that says “kill yourself” to me online, but I digress.

It was such a fucked up postweding letdown, in the holiday season no less, but there were definite bright spots through all of it. We got my daughter a little Elmo table and chair set. I’ve never seen a kid like chairs so much. She sits in a kids chair and this smile of contentment and joy is unlike any smile I’ve ever seen on her. We also got her a small play tent that she loves. I got my wife a juicer and a Kindle Fire and she’s ecstatic. I got… lol I ain’t get shit but a 17.99 Playstation Plus membership which is fine. I’m just happy to have my own family and watch them enjoy themselves over the holidays. My wife dealt with all the bullshit like a champ and when I went through like two weeks of increasing frustration and just vocalizing every feeling of anger and pain and resentment she just listened and let me get it out. I think in years past I’d be a complete wreck right now, but today not so much. I’m still kind of fucked in the head because it just keeps piling up but I’m holding it together remarkably well in context of the circumstances, and my wife and daughter are 80% of my ability to do that.

prayers that everything works out. At the end of the day, at least you know you're doing what you can for your loved ones. Most people couldn't handle doing half of what your going through, let alone all at the same time.

-----------
It's only funny till someone gets mad. Then it's hilarious.

>Most people couldn't handle doing half of what your going
>through, let alone all at the same time.

The situation I spoke about is just one of many. In all honesty it's just par for the course and I've got a thousand similar stories going back to my childhood. There's just a lot of awful, awful shit that's happened to my siblings and I from the beginning. Our family is a disaster.

Point being, I believe many people would be able to handle it. We tend to adapt to our surroundings and develop survival mechanisms and learn to cope.

I'm often told by those who know me intimately that I am unique in the way I've turned out in spite of the childhood I had, but.... I dunno how true that is. I can't say I've come across many with stories that add up to mine, though I've met people who make me ashamed to say I've had it rough, and that's saying something. It's always a mixed bag though. Every last update I've gotten regarding other kids I was in foster care with is a bad one, but on a professional level (I worked for a Foster Family Agency for several years) I've seen quite a few amazing success stories.

My own family is a mixed bag with about 4 doing reasonably well, three struggling and 2 being a lost cause that I sadly can't even hope for anymore. I have one sister who had to move back in with my mom for a few months, so she's actually living with all this crap right now. She's one of the 4 and on her way out next week, thank God.

I think people who are already reasonably well adjusted with a support system in place would likely handle it quite well, for the most part. I think people such as myself who have always been a little unhinged/unstable and sort of walking that thin line of sanity.... I think that's where the waters get murky and things are harder to read from person to person.

Not trying to be contentious or anything, that comment simply gave me food for thought and I felt like chewing the fat a little :).

though, damn man--take a compliment :)

i'm watching my fiancee's family implode over a situation maybe half as bad and far more "normal" (in that it's not surprising her 90 year old grandpa's health is failing and he's doing dumb stuff), so I might have a lower view of people's ability to handle shit right now than you.

>Point being, I believe many people would be able to handle it.
>We tend to adapt to our surroundings and develop survival
>mechanisms and learn to cope.

handle, yes. handle well? that's i think what i was trying to get at.

>Not trying to be contentious or anything, that comment simply
>gave me food for thought and I felt like chewing the fat a
>little :).

no doubt. it's an interesting abstract debate. it might also have to do with how situations get sprung on people--you've been handling this for a long time. but if all of that fell on my lap right now, even with all of the privilege and status and success i have (that didn't sound dickish at all, did it? but hopefully you know what I mean), I'd probably be handling it much worse than you are. bottomline, while I see what you're saying and you very well may be right, and it's good to be humble, it's also ok to be proud of doing as much as you are doing.

-----------
It's only funny till someone gets mad. Then it's hilarious.

>though, damn man--take a compliment :)

Ha. Point taken.

>handle, yes. handle well? that's i think what i was trying to
>get at.

>no doubt. it's an interesting abstract debate. it might also
>have to do with how situations get sprung on people--you've
>been handling this for a long time.

Good point.

>but if all of that fell on
>my lap right now, even with all of the privilege and status
>and success i have (that didn't sound dickish at all, did it?
>but hopefully you know what I mean)

LOL nah man I get you.

>I'd probably be handling
>it much worse than you are. bottomline, while I see what
>you're saying and you very well may be right, and it's good to
>be humble, it's also ok to be proud of doing as much as you
>are doing.

I suppose you've got a point there. I used to be pretty prideful about it. It got to be pretty obnoxious and two things happened:

1. I lost all empathy for others in some sort of struggle, because my mentality was nearing that "Oh yeah? Think that's bad? Fuck your 'struggle', here's mine.

2. Whenever people share, say, a Christmas story and it's my turn, I got nothing. Oh happy childhood memories? Nope. All I really got are those really, really fucked up stories that suck the air and joy right out of the room.

That said, I've made an effort to try to keep on the humble on the subject. You're right though, there is a balance. I think when the abnormal becomes normal, you (erm, I) tend to lose perspective on both ends.

Peace to you and yours though.

______________________
Young Jeezy- It's Tha World
Raekwon - Shaolin vs Wu-Tang
Obie Trice - Cheers

Count on it!

Couldn't have been easy. Through it all, you know you're there for those who love the most. Keep your head up and wish you the best for 2013.

>Couldn't have been easy. Through it all, you know you're
>there for those who love the most. Keep your head up and wish
>you the best for 2013.

Thanks. I have big things planned and I will keep folks up to date if and when those things come to fruition.

I hope the unburdening was at least a little helpful. Sometimes it's good to just be able to look at and say, "so here is all the stuff."

Anyhow. Good luck.

>I hope the unburdening was at least a little helpful.
>Sometimes it's good to just be able to look at and say, "so
>here is all the stuff."
>
>Anyhow. Good luck.

>I hope the unburdening was at least a little helpful.
>Sometimes it's good to just be able to look at and say, "so
>here is all the stuff."

Yeah. Right now I have an unburdening of a different sort... I need to kill that attachment somehow, emotionally speaking. He left the home and I kinda figured he would. He's saying his PO demanded he leave because he wants him to "do it on his own", which nobody believes. He's already stolen some things and appears to be using meth again. SMH.

So, I need to find a way to remove that attachment. It hurts knowing his situation, but damn if he doesn't keep doing it to himself, and I don't want to be too concerned any longer. for now, the burden remains but I'm working on that.

the rest is stressful to an unreal degree I'm sure, do whatever you can to help but don't let those concerns consume you so much you ever lose sight of how blessed you are about the first two things.

Those two are your biggest assets & priorities from now until the day you dip out of your earthly form.

Congrats again & good luck.

>the rest is stressful to an unreal degree I'm sure

Eh I wish I could say that. These are a little bit extraordinary, but not so far out of the realm of it simply being another day. My brother got stabbed in the head few years ago and always has a fresh knife wound and bruises from getting jumped and/or arrested. The incident that lead to my sisters removal is a regular occurrance. All of these things are normal, so... I dunno. I'm always stressed I guess but I'm used to it. That's what I need to change in 2013.

>whatever you can to help but don't let those concerns consume
>you so much you ever lose sight of how blessed you are about
>the first two things.

Yeah. That's been a real help, to be honest. Outside of the major events I'm a non-entity in their day to day lives for the most part, and it's precisely to shield them from all of this drama. I kinda feel bad that my wife married into this shit though.

>Those two are your biggest assets & priorities from now until
>the day you dip out of your earthly form.

Yessir!

>Congrats again & good luck.

Thanks. Peace man.

That took a lot to share. Best of luck.

Though... it's nothing for me to share like that. I think I'm an open book to fault sometimes, lol. Dunno quite what to make of that :)

I know too much (TOO MUCH!) about some of the bullshit you're describing (a couple close friends do social work for a living, been known a girl who grew up with foster kids in and out of her home). it's not easy, but focusing on the bonds that truly tie is what will see you through.

>I know too much (TOO MUCH!) about some of the bullshit you're
>describing (a couple close friends do social work for a
>living, been known a girl who grew up with foster kids in and
>out of her home). it's not easy, but focusing on the bonds
>that truly tie is what will see you through.

Yep. I'm learning this. It's amazing how different it is. If you know social workers and people who grew up with these kids.... you're familiar with all this. It's a fucked up part of our world man.

I ain't got much else particularly meaningful to say but you should be commended for dealing with this day by day and continuing to fight that fight. Glad you have your own family, its important to draw strength and comfort from them with all the fuckedupness of your biological links. Best of luck bro.

But you're a courageous cat

----------------------------

Young Broadway Star Urgently Needs a Bone Marrow Donor. Is it you? http://MatchShannon.com/







O_E: "Acts like an asshole and posts with imperial disdain"




"I ORBITs the solar system, listenin..."

(C)Keith Murray, "

I kinda dig it.

However....







now you know.....




































Why I'm so mad. lol.

no words. just thoughts to you and yours.

It's sad anytime an adult's drama and bullshit affects a kid's life. I hope everything works out for you and your family, man.

We were very close until she was about 6 and became a complete brat, lol. Still, I'm perhaps the only person she truly respects and genuinely looks up to, so I think we're a good match.

But in general, it's kind of therapeutic to write that out and receive so many well wishes and kind words. That's something that gets lost in all the agenda warz and trash talking and ugly exchanges, OKP is a place full of human beings who actually treat each other like human beings.

it's telling that there's such a separation between what's "real" in terms of our actual lives and the "kayfabe" of trying to out-snark each other over our favorite teams and players.

Thanks to everyone with a kind word. It goes a long way toward reminding myself what's important, and that things aren't so bad even when they are.

Update on my brother though:

He left the home and by all accounts is back on his bullshit (c) Busta

I need to remove this attachment I have to him. I gotta learn to not care as much, perhaps. I've done a reasonable job with being out of sight, out of mind... but for a man who repeatedly fucks off every chance to start building a decent life for himself, it's harder and harder to feel bad for him. It hurts to see this, so I mean... peace to him but I gotta divorce myself from those feelings. I don't even know how much of his story to believe any more.

I'm sure I've mentioned on here before, but in March I will be in LA for The Sweet 16/Elite 8 games at Staples. Inexplicably, this will be the 12th straight year I will be attending either a 1st or 2nd weekend of the NCAA tournament. What started as an excuse to get together with a couple of HS and college buddies in my new city of StL in 2001 has turned into an annual tradition that doesn't seem like it will end anytime soon. Another cat from the JO was added somewhere along the way to make 5 total.

What I'm looking for is advice on where to stay. We usually get a couple of hotel rooms in a hotel close to both nightlife and the arena itself. But we also usually go to towns where the options are limited or the answer is obvious: i.e. Miami-South Beach, or Tampa- Ybor, etc. LA is a bit more complex because its so spread out, and none of us have much of a background there.

We are also debating renting a house, this site seems to have some pretty good options that seem reasonable (although they are asking for full week, vs the 4 nights we need Wednesday-Sunday) Thoughts on going this route? Hotels seem more hassle free, but this would be pretty cool if the right place. Note I didn't pick these, one of the cats FF these as examples

http://www.vrbo.com/284358
http://www.vrbo.com/399245
http://www.vrbo.com/276403
http://www.vrbo.com/360735
http://www.vrbo.com/303173


A bit more background on the group to get an idea of what areas might make sense:

- 5 total: mid 30s
- Demo: 2 black, 2 white, 1 asian (lol, this is a typical NBA post %) | 60% married/shacked up
- No longer bout the night life but all about getting some good scenery, also at least 1-2 strip club trips are a must for the married set
- Games are Thursday night and Saturday during day, but proximity to Staples not a must, but a nice to have. I hear downtown LA has been upgraded a lot in recent years
- Some beach time would be good

Any thoughts would be appreciated, this is late March, if that matters. Feel free to ask me questions if that helps pin-down recs.

Hollywood and Downtown will be the easiest for getting to Staples, you can walk or take the Metro to Staples downtown, or take the Metro from Hollywood to Staples, and it drops you off right in front of the arena. Driving from Santa Monica to Staples shouldn't be a huge problem during Saturday during the day, but will be a bitch and a half for a Thursday night game. Don't let it sway you too much either way since it's one day, but if you stay in Santa Monica you should hang out in Downtown before the game Thursday or plan on spending an hour plus in traffic.

As far as renting a house, most of those places listed are FAR. Places like Sherman Oaks and Pasadena are far from most of the nightlife and the actual stadium. I probably wouldn't do it for your first time in the city.

As far as nightlife, what are you guys into? I don't think you guys would be into going to clubs any more, but you wanna go to a nice bar, nice restaurant, see a show? Any sorts of things you'd like to do during the day?

Unfortunately I can't help you out with any specific strip club recommendations, lol.

The Metro to Staples is the way to go. Lots around there can be at LEAST $10, up to $25...so I'd highly recommend just Metro'ing it for less than $5 for a day pass and you don't have to worry about anything but the line on the platform on the return.

The best metro station is the Universal City one, because it's got a HUGE parking lot that's totally free.

The downside of the Metro is I think it only goes until like midnight. I'd missed it once before at the end of a Kanye show at the Nokia theater and it cost like $50 to cab it back to Universal City. But for the daytime games? No problem at all. Plus there's a decent amount of stuff around Staples/Nokia to drink/eat at.

Downtown HAS improved, but big parts of it are still major shitholes. Once I got off of the subway at the wrong stop and walked 3 miles to Staples for a Clipper game (don't ask me why I didn't just...get back on the subway. I thought this was gonna be faster. This is in the era of iPhones so, I have no excuse) and walked through MANY cardboard cities. Not terribly fun.

Downtown has a few fun areas - like near 8th and Olive you've got Golden Gopher (good drinks, classic video games everywhere), Cole's for food that has a hidden bar in the background called Varnish, La Cita, etc.

I live in West Hollywood and there's a shit ton to do near me, but I'd imagine a house rental would be tough in that area - plus it's not a really fun drive downtown, and it's certainly more for nightlife.

Logistics/proximity to arena isn't a must, we should be able to manage that

Thanks that's helpful. Will take your advice and pass on rentals.

>Hollywood and Downtown will be the easiest for getting to
>Staples, you can walk or take the Metro to Staples downtown,
>or take the Metro from Hollywood to Staples, and it drops you
>off right in front of the arena.

Ignoring the games would you chose Downtown, or is just proximity, Ryan seems a bit more down on it


>
>As far as nightlife, what are you guys into? I don't think
>you guys would be into going to clubs any more, but you wanna
>go to a nice bar, nice restaurant, see a show? Any sorts of
>things you'd like to do during the day?

Good question, less club, more bars, lounges. Restaurants like you said. Anything else you'd recommend, these tend to be pretty bball heavy, as we're usually watching the other games when we're not attending one. Comedy spot would be cool, not sure what you mean by show, but this crew isn't hitting up a play. But any recs would be appreciated

I actually like Downtown a lot, I'm moving close to there in about a month, but it can definitely get hairy if you don't know your way around and get lost. Lot of good stuff right there, Little Tokyo is right there, Gallery Row, all the stuff Ryan mentioned, but you can end up in the middle of Skid Row if you get lost by two blocks... this happened to me once looking for my car coming back from The Smell, a little punk venue downtown, and I remember turning to my buddy Mike like "Uh, I don't think we parked here" after we passed by a dumpster fire and a dude pissing in the middle of the street.

So if the logistics of getting to the games isn't a problem I'd probably stay in Santa Monica or Hollywood. You should be fine as far as finding nice places to stay or stuff to do at either one.

As far as bars... my favorite bars in Hollywood are Power House (total dive somehow right on Hollywood and Highland right across from that ginormous complex, but the cheapest drinking in Hollywood) and Cat & Fiddle (nice chill afternoon/early evening spot, nice patio and ambiance). I also like Thirsty Crow for whiskey if you're willing to venture into hipsterville, and the Virgil (formerly Little Temple) nearby (edge of Hollywood and Silverlake) for a lounge with some great music. Also since you'll be at Staples anyway, the Standard Hotel in Downtown has some upscale bars and lounges with good music going on (I might be biased cause I have a couple DJ friends who spin there). There's like a $20 cover for the rooftop bar on Fridays/Saturdays after 7 so I'd avoid that but it has some great views.

I don't really know the comedy scene to well but Ryan should be able to help you with that. And I've written a lot already but my one restaurant recommendation is Guisado's for tacos. Fucking delicious and they just opened a location up on Sunset in Echo Park close to Dodger Stadium.

If you're looking at a comedy show...here are some on every night of the week. The LA comedy scene is crazy right now.

Sunday: Neal Brennan & Friends @ Westside Comedy Theater (Santa Monica) - $5 I think
http://westsidecomedy.com/show.cfm?id=147938

Monday: Hot Tub with Kristen Schaal & Kurt Braunohler - $5
http://hottubshow.tumblr.com/

Tuesday: Holy Fuck @ Downtown Independent (Downtown LA) - Free
http://holyfuckcomedy.com/

Wednesday: Meltdown @ Meltdown Comics (Hollywood) - $7
https://nerdmeltla.com/tickets2/index.php?event_id=319/

Thursday: Josh & Josh Show @ Bar Lubitsch (West Hollywood) - Free
http://www.facebook.com/TheJoshandJoshShow

Friday: Comedy Store headliners - $15, usually...always good comics but LONG
http://hollywood.thecomedystore.com/show.cfm?id=206959&cart

Saturday: Not sure of weeklies, but the Improv on Melrose in Hollywood often has good shows.

There's a TON of stuff. Check http://www.thecomedybureau.com/ the week of for specifics...they do a great job there.

Couldn't believe how cheap it was.

Also, Drawing Room in Los Feliz (though cash only).

My current supervisor is getting sent back to Japan within the next month or two, and his replacement will be my 9th boss since December 2011. The company is also moving its HQ next month, 15 miles further away from me. When we move, the new office and new desk will be my third and sixth, respectively, in that same time span.

I'm just about fed up.

it's going to be a shitty, shitty two months.

______________________
Young Jeezy- It's Tha World
Raekwon - Shaolin vs Wu-Tang
Obie Trice - Cheers

(you know, after we wipe the hardwood with y'all)

Passed the CA bar and got sworn in a few weeks ago. Still looking for work, though.

Keep a routine and be consistent with it and you should be fine. Are you taking Michigan?

i'm taking the NY bar. hope it's not too rough. good luck on the job trail.

Not trying to belittle you, just really jealous. The CPA exam is at least 2 months x 4 sections. Longer for me since I'm not dropping thousands of dollars on study materials.

in a 2-3 day period.

from what i understand about the CPA exam, you can kinda study for one section, then prep for the next section which you take later, and so on.

the CPA used to be like that, now it's broken up. They give you 18 months to pass all 4 sections, so that's more than enough time. But it's very costly, especially when you dont have an employer to pay for it.

All your horror stories I'm sure will make this decision sit better with me.

I can't walk or breath so I gotta try somethin new. Hope it works.

some back advice.

Good luck, my man.

Doesnt take much for it to go awry.

I had shoulder issues and it was the only thing that worked. 3-6 sessions is usually good.

Never really took.

My ribs pop out so when that happens it basically cripples me.

Well, get better. Hope the chiropractor goes well.

I cringe every time I see someone doing the worm now.

your problem sounds more skeletal in nature, but strengthening muscles around the bone can alleviate a lot of problems. plus, stretching and flexibility are another route to overall stregthening.

it can't cure everything, but steady regimen of yoga can work wonders for a lot of back issues.

Once I can move a little I plan on starting.

Is it something I need to do daily or would a few times a week suffice?

i would find a local studio which isn't too ... weird ... and see what they are offering. i like having an instructor to guide me through class and others to take pointers from while in class. studios can be costly, but it motivates attendance and they will help maximize your experience through adjustments mid-class.

3-4 times is probably the best you could hope for because the body needs to rest, unless you are alternating between different types of class.

i've done yoga off and on for the last couple years and it has helped greatly with my mild back issues. there are others on here who can speak to it in much more detail *coughshellscough* and probably give you more detailed info.

2013 Camry Hybrid XLE

best rated car on consumer reports, and I got a pretty solid price. rear view camera, in dash navigation, pandora/entune

only downside is that the mileage isn't enough to get me a Clean Pass. but it's got a 17 gallon tank, so I will get almost 700 miles to a tank, which is insane.

should be here in 4-6 weeks. Also, I have the best in-laws in the world. I've been borrowing my MIL's car since Sandy, and they're cool with me having it for a whole nother month.

She LOVES that thing & never stops for gas.

they charge $30 a year for full access to the CR site.

when I was looking for access, I googled "consumer reports username and password" and found a very helpful public library in Kilgore, Texas. As a service to their citizens, you can go into the library and use their computer to go on the CR website and learn about products you want to buy.

to save the librarians the trouble of remembering the passwords, they posted the username and password on the library's website for all to see.

CR has a neat car-buying area (partnered with TrueCar, who has been advertising on TV a lot lately) where you put in the car you want to buy, and the specific features you want, and they tell you the price you should pay based on your zip code, and link to participating dealers who will honor that price. I saved about $1,500 off the sticker price (which for a hybrid is good) and paid only $150 more than what CR said I should pay.

off that last year and used same service to negotiate a good deal on an Elantra GT for the wifey few months ago.

Select the car and features you want, zip code, and then you get 2-3 non-negotiable certificates for nearby dealers. They have to honor the price or if you take the certificate to another dealer they may match or beat it.

Truecar.com is free too. Just don't print your certificates unless you are ready to get inundated with calls/emails from the 3 dealers.

as is Cars.com & Edmunds.com oddly enough.

I've put folks at all three of those places in between bullshitting on OKP over the past year or so.

the certificates I got emailed to me from CR had TrueCar on them. lol, i just realized I said all of that in the post you replied to

..great improvement

solid handling, good sight lines (excusing the blind spot 'caused by their reluctance to trim the fact on their rear columns), and great amenities (fully loaded).

the gas mileage is ridiculous.

if you opted for heated seats, you won't be sorry.


-------
"..i was born a free man. nobody beat me accept i beat them right back..."

..and miles to go before i sleep...

and the leather seat package is tied to the moonroof package, which I had no use for, and those two packages cost a little over 2 grand.

I believe the package I got comes with Remote Start, though, so that will heat the car up.

Time to even out some of the tread lol.

Getting some strength back in my foot, can't wait to start my PT and really get my gait back to normal. This really is the most dangerous time because I'm so anxious to start playing sports again but I have to be patient and re-gain my strength, supportive muscles, and proper form.

I put my basketball shoes on for the first time in over 3 months last night...and I could barely contain my emotion. You really gain such an appreciation for the smallest things that we take for granted every minute of every day.

perfect!

but congrats regardless, being ambulatory is never a bad thing.

i was in a boot for about a month over the summer and i couldn't imagine much longer than that. i fucked up my foot right before my birthday, and all the gifts from my wife were foot/athletics related (two pairs of shoes, soccer bag, soccer clothes)...it was goddamn depressing.

took me another couple months before i could start playing again and i was itching every day (esp. game days). one of the best things i did was work my way up from standing one-legged on a foam pad to one of those bosu balls. really helps work all those stabilizing muscles and ligamants in your feet and is something i do now for preventive measures. good luck with the rehab!

I'm putting on some showcases in Santa Monica. Longo's come through to a couple and they've been fun.

Dates: 1/15, 1/16, 1/22, 1/29, 2/5, and 2/12. Some fun ones coming up. 8pm shows, fun theater...good comics. The show is $5, but given what the guestlist sitch looks like for the night I can hook up some people potentially. Inbox for more details.

>I'm putting on some showcases in Santa Monica. Longo's come
>through to a couple and they've been fun.
>
>Dates: 1/15, 1/16, 1/22, 1/29, 2/5, and 2/12. Some fun ones
>coming up. 8pm shows, fun theater...good comics. The show is
>$5, but given what the guestlist sitch looks like for the
>night I can hook up some people potentially. Inbox for more
>details.

I'm usually free of obligations on Tuesdays outside of the occasional band practice, and I will support your local arts.

should be born any day now.
getting it from a breeder and won't have it myself for another 8 weeks.
pretty excited.

http://www.southernheritagekennel.com/AboutSouthernHeritageKennel/

Probably use it to hunt some bears and mountain lions. No big deal.

Despite the short life span and expensive cost, they are ridiculously protective while also breed to be totally silent. So they just creep up on people and scare the shit out of them. Love it.

this seemed like a great option for bouncing around in the woods and mountains, without being too aggressive around the house. not too expensive, either.

i had to get converted to a dog person as an adult. growing up the only experiences i had with dogs were with mean ass pitt bulls and dobermans. some who walked freely around the neighborhood and chased you for fun, lol.

got one of my own a couple years ago (well, my girlfriend who i live with got one, so i basically got one too) and i now love 'em.

i feel like i saw you post that before.

could be wrong.

i feel like my apartment isn't suited for bigger dogs. maybe if/when i get a bigger place with a yard

>Probably use it to hunt some bears and mountain lions. No big
>deal.


______________________
Young Jeezy- It's Tha World
Raekwon - Shaolin vs Wu-Tang
Obie Trice - Cheers

I'm trying not to get on a soapbox here, but I fully support rescues.

i decided i want a pretty specific type of dog, and i wanted to have him from a small pup.

i fully support rescues too, and i'll probably get a rescue or 2 in time, but for my first dog of my own, i wanted a specific dog.

wasn't really possible from a rescue.

i definitely looked pretty deep into it.

Dogs are awesome, and I'm sure yours will be rad.

but i understand a person wanting a pup for their first dog. just hope you researched your breeder an all that.

for your next one:
http://blackmouthcur.rescueshelter.com/

dogs are the shit. good luck!

are in each state.

http://blackmouthcur.rescueshelter.com/Colorado

solid zeroes.

I appreciate the sentiment and the thought, I do, and I gave a pretty diligent effort in finding a rescue.

My next dog is gonna be a rescue dachshound-lab mix though, just a matter of time.

because i didn't go much further than finding that site through google.

it's cool though. all dogs need a good home, regardless of where they come from. if you're doing that, then i'm happy. (because i'm sure you were starting to worry about that, lol)

you seem pretty specific about your dogs. where'd that come from?

and wanting a dog that can potentially go hunting, as this is a hobby i'm looking to get into.

my first dog love is pit bulls, but i can't really get a pit right now for a whole lot of reasons. especially considering there is a real possibility i'll be moving to denver at some point in this dog's life, and as i understand it denver's breed restriction is so severe that pits are confiscated and euthanized.

edit: and my love for dachsadors just comes from seeing one that a hillbilly selling sweet corn had. they're a hilarious little mix.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tmbTJkp6OU

a buddy of mine has a bassedor which is fucking hilarious. perfect mix of basset laziness and lab idiocy ... on stumpy legs.

didn't know pit restrictions were so strong in denver. they're going away slowly in other areas, but it's a struggle.

congrats on new addition!

n/m

----------------------------

Young Broadway Star Urgently Needs a Bone Marrow Donor. Is it you? http://MatchShannon.com/







O_E: "Acts like an asshole and posts with imperial disdain"




"I ORBITs the solar system, listenin..."

(C)Keith Murray, "

She is a saint. I have no idea how she runs it with the million things that are on her plate, but she does and she's great at it. They were recently nominated for a "charity of the year" thing in New England. Here's the website:

http://tinyurl.com/babr35g

That's really dope

----------------------------

Young Broadway Star Urgently Needs a Bone Marrow Donor. Is it you? http://MatchShannon.com/







O_E: "Acts like an asshole and posts with imperial disdain"




"I ORBITs the solar system, listenin..."

(C)Keith Murray, "

Movement
Compression
Elevation


works


Rest
Ice
Compression
Elevation


doesn't


endocrine system > ice and anti-inflammatory.

nah fellas not like that....

but lately Ive been feeling like I want to live NY and get out of this 9-6 grind everyday. I posted in another post about getting a job in a new field--havent explored it much.

But more and more as I approach my mid 40s I want to live my life. I know I can do that shit when I retire, but I wanna do it now while Im still young.

Im going to start looking into working in international schools. A friend of mine ended up applying for a international school job a few years ago and got hired in Uzbekistan. In some ways I was like wtf... but after talking to her it seems more and more enticing.

Living in the states, and especially in NY, I just feel caught in the hamster wheel and so caught up in this consumer culture--even though Im not even a bg buy everything consumer.

I was channel surfing last night and came accross this show Hawaiilife where couples move to Hawaii. I know Hawaii isnt all paradise, but Im just like how ill would it be to wake up around this everyday--and be able to just do a lot of shit outdoors year round

Another parent from my school moved here a couple years ago from Nepal and just talked about how she missed that life so much. They got paid less, but they needed much less. Thats kind of attractive to me. Of course doing this Id have to give up sports, but hey...I think Im so consumed by sports because its how I get away.

This decision is obviously a lot harder with a wife and 4 yr old, but were smart people, Im convinced we can get jobs anywhere in our fields. Our son will be fine--whatever he could learn in school that year --he could larn in international school or from us--hell even if it wasnt a formal classroom that experience would be just as valuable as 10 minths in any classroom.

Ive grinded it out in NY for 10 years now. I know how to do it here and could always come back.

I think teh hardest thing would be leaving friends behind. if we could get friends to move and do it with us--that would be the nail in the coffin.

partially because we're getting ready to start trying for kids soon.

she's been on some "we should start taking trips and exploring other cities. where would you consider living if it wasn't NYC?"

growing up here, though, I can't imagine ever living anyplace else.

but I know I can always come back to NYC. My network is strong enough and I know how to live here.


International Schools will pay for families to move. If you have kids they go to teh school for free.

Living in NY just doesn't make any fucking sense. Too expensive. If you're not going to concerts, museums, or bars 6 nights a week, the trade offs are not really worth it. (Unless you're super-paid, in which case go for it. But we work in publishing together...)

Still think it's the greatest city in the world, but I'm no longer sold that it's the greatest city for me.

Vancouver comes in at #1 in virtually every "best place to live in the world" list. I need to scout this bitch out...

Vsited twice as a kid. Dont know if I could convince friends to move there.

Met a guy at a wedding this summer, he flew in with his family from Hawaii. He quit a well-paying software job in Michigan to go grow coffee beans (and a little bit of pot) in Hawaii. He had to borrow a tie for the wedding because he didn't own one.

That guy pretty much fucked up my life for a good month. "Why am I not growing coffee beans on a Hawaiian island? Why do I own multiple ties, instead of multiple jet skis? Why am I paying more in rent than that guy spends on his mortgage?"

>Met a guy at a wedding this summer, he flew in with his
>family from Hawaii. He quit a well-paying software job in
>Michigan to go grow coffee beans (and a little bit of pot) in
>Hawaii. He had to borrow a tie for the wedding because he
>didn't own one.
>
>That guy pretty much fucked up my life for a good month. "Why
>am I not growing coffee beans on a Hawaiian island? Why do I
>own multiple ties, instead of multiple jet skis? Why am I
>paying more in rent than that guy spends on his mortgage?"

Everything has to be imported onto the island basically.
School options for kids arent great. I mean I guess you can send them to Private school, but in Hawaii there's also a very strange/strained dynamic between locals and "expats" or non-locals.

Lots of Asian diversity but not a huge population of black folks.

Especially if you're out in the rural areas (which consumes most of the islands).

It's normal for gas to be around $5.

A simple Vitamin Water can be over $3.

But, *you can* build your own home, find a way to supply yourself with water and electricity, and literally live off the grid without paying taxes. There is an area just south of Kona on the Big Island where I witnessed this first hand.

With that being said, there is a strong (and somewhat intimidating) rural element that needs to be taken into account when you get out of the larger cities. Rural, native Hawaiian's generally don't enjoy being in the presence of non-native Hawaiian's. There's also an annoying hippy presence in the zone where people are living off the grid.

But Oahu is pretty dope because Honolulu is about 45 minutes away from any point on the island, and Honolulu is cool when you get out of Waikiki. Chinatown in particular has a healthy scene going on with good restaurants (not all Chinese), lounges, and music.

>But Oahu is pretty dope because Honolulu is about 45 minutes
>away from any point on the island, and Honolulu is cool when
>you get out of Waikiki. Chinatown in particular has a healthy
>scene going on with good restaurants (not all Chinese),
>lounges, and music.

Yeah, Chinatown and Kakaako. Majority of the visiting twentysomethings and thirtysomethings don't hit the good urban spots. But Waikiki has gotten better over the years.

>but in Hawaii there's also a very
>strange/strained dynamic between locals and "expats" or
>non-locals.

The anti-non-local or pro-Hawaiian attitude is strongest among Hawaiians, and only about 6% of the state population are Native Hawaiians and about 25% are part-Hawaiians.

At worst, I'd say the overall sentiment as a state is neutral towards non-locals.

New/newish residents tend to live in certain areas. In that sense, the non-local thing is largely a non-issue.


>Lots of Asian diversity but not a huge population of black
>folks.

The mixed ethnicity thing is pretty amazing here. In 2010, 23.6% of island residents were mixed. In 2010, almost 1/3 of marriages were interracial which is almost 4 times the national average. A lot of the most beautiful people I've met have Hawaiian-Asian-European blood. Lots of people with Portuguese (from the sugar plantation days/pre-statehood/early statehood days) blood here as well.

From the 2010 census (Race alone or in combination with one or more other races):
-Asian 57.2%
-White 42.2%
-Native Hawaiian or other PI 25.2%
-Black 2.9%
-Native American 2.5%

2010 census:
-Latinos 8.8% of state population


This is a great article on the pros and cons of living here (including the cost of living) : http://www.honolulumagazine.com/Honolulu-Magazine/April-2012/Is-Hawaii-Worth-It/index.php?cparticle=1&siarticle=0#artanc

what you're doing right? you're thinking about alternatives. I hope you find the right space for you and your fam.

decent sized house in a decent neighborhood in PDX?

>what you're doing right? you're thinking about alternatives.
> I hope you find the right space for you and your fam.

was actually write down goals for myself for the first time. And that included the normal professional stuff, sure, but I also looked at creative and cultural goals- like make sure that I see a gallery opening every month, and a new band every month, and a play/opera/symphony/ballet every month.

That kind of cultural stuff can pass you by if you lock yourself into the hamster wheel and routine, without consciously looking at what else you can do. And you're in the city to check it out in, because there are cheap to free venues to see all of it in, in addition to the big cultural monsters like the New York Phil.

And the biggest part of that was my creative goals. The cultural thing will get me out more, which will put me in contact with people who can get me thinking more creatively about my photography (which I've admittedly been slacking on), and I actively set the goal for myself of shooting with a model at least every two months, submitting to six magazine projects, and six photo comps. So if I can get on that path, it's totally manageable, and it might inspire me to go well beyond that.

tomorrow, I think they're hitting up the black comic book exhibit at the Schomberg.

and the pace of life and cost of living out here.

it's not snowpacked state a lot of folks think it is. ain't North Dakota.

Denver is a pretty solid city, and there are a few other nice towns along the front range.

Ain't Hawaii, but we get around 300 days of sunshine a year.

There's a lot to like out here.

Adopting the Nuggets for argument purposes of course.

i try to catch a few, even though i don't live in denver.

nugs pelicans should be especially cheap.

I've been visiting Denver regularly for the past 10+ years, time to finally just post up there for a bit.


Despite my username and background I've actually lived for a bit in the Southwest. Denver isn't perfect, but as far as cities go its really damn liveable. Affordable, good weather and so damn easy to get away from when need be.

.

Looked around and though, "Yeah, I could live here if I wanted."

Iono, I'm still too attached to the Bay Area.

>But more and more as I approach my mid 40s I want to live my
>life. I know I can do that shit when I retire, but I wanna do
>it now while Im still young.

I think a lot of people get this feeling this time of year and its always a good idea for some introspective. The risks of leaving of NYC you seem to have covered such that if it didn't work out you could easily return..., so I would say if you both have the feeling it's better to give it a try than be the guy who always talks about I wish I would've ___________. But that's only if you can truly imagine picking up and leaving

Really changed my entire NYC/BK experience.

What changed when you started working from home? Is it better or worse?

I work from home and have been traveling lately, but am interested in moving to NYC. Not sure what life would be like living in a shitty expensive apartment working on my laptop all day though...

I kid, sort of.


This flu epidemic is kinda serious.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2013/01/11/169122207/feeling-miserable-youre-not-alone-and-the-flu-epidemic-has-yet-to-peak

My girl is an RN and the cases of flu here in the garden/garbage state are ridic, from what I'm hearing and read


How many of you got a shot? I did, even though I know it wont do shit...

I did it just to make myself feel better.
______________________
Young Jeezy- It's Tha World
Raekwon - Shaolin vs Wu-Tang
Obie Trice - Cheers

And after thinking about it, who knows what they gave me. My lemming ass just shows up, lets them inject me and kim.

WTF!! I didnt even check their shit, I could be be monitored by the government for all I know. Makes me leery to do it again.

on the east coast im guaranteed at least one winter week of being knocked out

for the average non emcee i mean. obviously dropping the mic on stage is probably pretty cool. but showing people how it's done in the workplace environment? i find that rewarding.

no, i don't care to provide details to you potential snitches.

My ladyfriend and I moved two damn blocks, which isn't the shortest move I've ever made, believe it or not.

Went from a cool 1 BR that was tiny to a nice little duplex with around triple the space.

Still not all the way unpacked, but the amount of space is just incredible.

I will not do it again. I will overpay to not have to deal with that bs again.

stairs had my knees feeling like every ligament was about to burst.

just shameful, really.

i got a weird thing about paying other people to carry my shit around, though.

>i got a weird thing about paying other people to carry my shit
>around, though.


But its all I could think of while I was making trip after trip.

Every step made me more furious than the last, I still am mad about it.

>i got a weird thing about paying other people to carry my shit
>around, though.

When I moved in with my then girl (now wife), I was literally moving maybe a block total. But since she was moving from like 20 miles away, I had her the movers that she hired move the majority of my stuff into my new loft. Since I have A LOT of CDs and books, doing it any other way would have sucked ass. I moved my vinyl over there myself in a few car loads, but there was no way that I could have moved the case that holds them all by myself. Shit cost $, but saved a lot of hassles.

Trying to avoid having to rent a truck or anything, though I'm having a friend with a truck help me with a bed (which will suck getting up three flights of stairs). Hopefully I can get everything else in a couple of car trips.

But I'm getting my own 1BD for myself! I honestly don't know what I'm gonna do with that extra space.

I will ever have in my life.

I don't ever wanna move again just because this one spoiled me for easiest moving experience of all time.

Had to move mid-week but only to another spot in my same building in Santa Monica.

Still, I was pissed about having to do it during the week while having to work when originally I was supposed to have a weekend.

Unbeknownst to me, my girl came by minutes after I'd left for work & with a bit of help from my building manager moved my entire spot over the course of a full day aside from a couple of the big items that require man-strength or assistance.

Came home thinking I was gonna be up all night moving & got to my spot to a cooked dinner with a glass of wine handed to me.

That was the cool part, the horrifying part was realizing that your girl has likely gone through all your personal shit while racking your brain wondering what evidence you failed to discard.

Thankfully when she led with 'why did you have a Fiona Apple CD in your stereo? I know you had a girl in here!' I knew I was in the clear.

Got a big goofy grin on my face & said 'bitch you know I love Fiona Apple, go check my ticket stub collection she's in there twice'.

'I know, just wanted to see if you'd get nervous'

*clinks glass, plate pass, soon to tap ass*

Anyway yeah, other than that one blissful outlier, moving does in fact suck.

That makes 50 lost since I stopped drinking! :)

I didn't realize I was losing weight until someone I hadn't seen in a few months said "Hey, you look like you lost weight."

I had no idea until they said that then I got on a scale.

>I didn't realize I was losing weight until someone I hadn't
>seen in a few months said "Hey, you look like you lost
>weight."
>
>I had no idea until they said that then I got on a scale.

The pic I used I took back in 2011.

My reminder of what a fat ass I was.

>That makes 50 lost since I stopped drinking! :)

amazing how much that shit plays into it.

The rest eating better, and actually getting a workout in every morning.

I expect to get back up to 175-180 after building up more muscle.

The drinking was the main factor though.

>The rest eating better, and actually getting a workout in
>every morning.
>
>I expect to get back up to 175-180 after building up more
>muscle.
>
>The drinking was the main factor though.

I can wear the 44s and 46s I was used to wearing.

I'll take the "free" inventory all day LOL

It does really feel good.

Still dealing w/ the mental aspect of Alcoholism (I'm sure some of my psots here show that directly), but through everything, it's been great.

And I had no idea I had a support system on here, even. Thought I should have known.

I lost 50 pounds my junior year of college (I broke my ankle and tore a ligament during a senior year basketball tourney in high school - really ballooned after that) & have never looked back man. It changes everything...every minute of every day, I can't stress it to people enough, often to the point of annoyance lol.

Very glad to hear about the reduced (or completely out?) amount of drinking....what a difference it makes, physically and mentally.

http://hedrush.podomatic.com/entry/index/2013-01-25T12_17_14-08_00

Pt. 2 of a two part episode of me talking L.A. hip-hop history with L.A. hip-hop mainstay/Pharcyde's old DJ Mark Luv. Posted the first part over a year ago. Malfunctions prevented this one from going up earlier. Check it out if you feel so inclined.

i saw him in Santa Monica. we made eye contact, i borderline yell 'hey Mike! huge fan!'....

saw him enter a Coffee Bean with his girl. i went in, ordered a drink, and said fuck it, asked him for a photo. he complied, mentioned that i saw him in the PGA Superstore in Scottsdale a few years ago but was too scared to say what up. got the pic, apologized for harrassing him, then left.

i tweeted the pic and him saying thanks for lettin me harass you and get a pic, he tweeted me back. even called me A GOOD FOLK. probably the highlight of my internet life.

I have the usual family forays (Portland, Phoenix, SF) but looks like I'll also be visiting my boy at OSU who's a 3rd year at the med school there and also my boy in St. Louis who is in his last year in med school. Lastly, this years annual boys July trip (Miami 2 years ago, Vegas last) is looking like Montreal...I've heard only great things, particularly about the high prevalence of mixed ethnicity broads and less 'restrictive' strip club rules. Lol. Can't wait (c) B Scott

ho-lee shit

http://jalopnik.com/5979013/1000000-latvian-truck-comes-with-a-jewel-encrusted-snake-and-fake-whale-penis-leather

whoever brings this ride to practice first will instantly be my favorite athlete in the world:

http://i.imgur.com/8OLkVRj.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/ZQEfWpN.jpg

Not me.

Someone I know. Just got privy to the details.

Now,

I was raised by a single mother, so trust me when I say that
I understand that its in place to protect women...but WTF?!?!

How do they expect men to live?

I look at much this nigga has to pay...and I'm like "whoa."

He's stuck with living lower than a college kid.

This is some wiiiiild shit.