★ RACINGMIX Digital Lifestyle & Global Vision

ZTY Beats, Emcee T, Deep House Soldiers Media

2008-11-25T17:05:00.000-08:00

Fixed Gear Bike Broakland 92510 Wheels of Steel

Discotech excerpts DJ eHash & Metro

Click Above to Stream M3U Playlist

METRO ZTY BEATS
Studio Quick DJ Mix
Deep House Soldiers
ZTY Beats 2008

Glass of Milk (Closer)
Emcee T & Oolz
Unreleased Promo Video
Live Performance Footage
ZTY Beats 2008

Goapele Live Pushin' the Bay TV
Recorded Live September 2008
VIP Party @ M1 Promo
Pushinthebay.com
Live Performance Footage
ZTY Beats 2008

EMCEE T STUDIO SESSION
ZTY Beats 2008

MUSIC VIDEO PREMIERE
Thizz, Thizz, Thizz
Emcee T feat. Ray Luv
ZTY Beats 2007
ZTY Media

MUSIC VIDEO PREMIERE
Wiggle Out
Emcee T feat. Block Promotaz
ZTY Beats 2007
Director: Jono Schaferkotter

The Emcee T "Wiggle Out" video shoot was electric! Talent flew in from six states across America. An amazing production by Emcee T Staff and ZTY Beats - thank you to participants and the Santa Cruz crew. Press: Wiggle Out Animated Behind-the-Scenes, Campfire Media Photography at Emcee T's Video Filming, Emcee T Official Site, ZTY Beats.

Things That Matter Most

2008-11-23T14:02:00.000-08:00

I'm excited about today's opening of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China. From what I've heard from friends in Beijing, Shanghai and Hangzhou, they are excited just to have the Olympics over with as the publicity and fever tension of the marketing campaign is exhausting. Either way, having the Olympics on 08-08-08 at 8:00pm is about as blatantly "lucky" of a moment one will ever witness in this lifetime.

Yahoo's Flickr photo hosting website canceled one of my freshly paid pro accounts with no advanced notice, literally erasing 2 years of titles, tags, descriptions, groups, sets, and connections. Of course I have the original photos, but the order and the information I attached to each photo was lost. The portfolio had 400 photos and was viewed over 50,000 times. It consisted of photographs of custom design furniture after it had been delivered to the customers home - a real portfolio of original photographs. When is a collection of photos not a portfolio, not selling something (your lifestyle, skills, style, view, yourself?) The official response from Flickr was: "Don�t use Flickr for commercial purposes. Flickr is for personal use only. If we find you selling products, services, or yourself through your photostream, we will terminate your account." If you surf around Flickr and through your contacts, you'll find that the majority violate the terms and that's not a bad thing for the Flickr community. When my Flickr renewal notice came up, best believe I thought doubly about renewing my RACINGMIX Flickr pro account. History of image production output 2006-2008, especially in 2006 when Mr H. Saba sponsored RACINGMIX. Psst: Zen Photo. - wilson@racingmix.com 080808

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"Hip Hop used to be about being fearless, standing out. Now it's all about fitting in. Hip Hop is like a big high school. That's why I respect people who can do whatever they want to do. - Kanye West, November 19, 2008, MTV Raw.

We now have a "Clean House Depression" - you know that TV show where pack rats fill their houses from floor to ceiling with junk they never use or even know they have. The US has plenty of houses, cars, computers, TV's, Appliances, Cell phones, Game consoles and other Junk, most of which were made in China. Some people actually managed to own their junk by runs around the system - most bought their junk on credit that will never be repaid. So we can turn off the Chinese Factories for 10 years until some of the junk wears out. But all those workers will starve. The solution to the infamous depression was to blow up the world's cities and put people back to work building new ones. A mismatch between productive capacity and consumption. Computers and robots will do all the work but robots don't buy the stuff they make, they work 24/7/365, plus faster than humans. - Jet, Nov 22, 2008.

"John McCain said he can�t even send e-mail! We need a President who can send e-mail. I think that sort of thing is important, don�t you?" - DJ Z-Trip, 944 Magazine with Shepard Fairey.

"At the end of the day, we are responsible for our own lives. Once you learn that, you're on your way." - Isaac Hayes (1942-2008)

"But I know that time reveals truth and heals wounds. I definitely do miss the Fugees. We were a crazy bunch. We used to do some wild things, we had a lot of fun. But the funny thing about liberation is that once you get it, anything other feels awkward." - Lauryn Hill, August 26, 2008.

�Respect is not creative...Chanel is an institution, and you have to treat an institution like a whore � and then you get something out of her ... I�m only interested in my own opinion. If I have a project, you like, or you don�t like. There is no second opinion. If you�re not 100% sure about what I want to do, you ask someone else.� - Karl Lagerfield, August 24, 2008.

"I guess it's bittersweet, you spend half your life trying to become larger than life and the other half trying to just live a real life again." - Kanye West, July 6, 2008.

"Please note that saying 'someone' needs to do 'something' will not be any more helpful on that issue. We are already well aware of that." - Michelle, Drupal.org, June 19, 2008.

"U.S. officials repeated their call yesterday for China to stop subsidizing fuel for its citizens, arguing that it contributes to surging demand for oil and thus higher global prices. Since Chinese citizens pay a fraction of the market price, they have less incentive to pull back in their use of gasoline and heating oil. But while China's population is larger and consumption is growing at a much faster rate than in the United States, the Chinese note that the average American consumes about 14 times as much oil as his Chinese counterpart." - The Associated Press, June 18, 2008.

"Pay respect to the elders and take the suggestions of the intellectuals; treat them as your teachers. Consider those who will not flatter but always criticize you. Because good and bad, kind and evil, and right and wrong are not easy to tell apart. Some things are similar in appearance but different in nature. For example, green bristle grass seeds can look like rice. The hide of the cow is the same color as the tiger's. Bone can be mistaken for ivory and worthless stone for pure jade. All of these are apparently right, but actually wrong. So if you want to distinguish between them, you must observe them carefully." - Duke Wei-Wen, Tang Dynasty Official

"Gavin Newsome + Mary Jane = True Love" - Sarah Hromack, April 16, 2008

"The foolish and wicked practice of profane cursing and swearing is a vice so mean and low, that every person of sense and character detests and despises it� - George Washington

"...Boning you on my helicopter." - John Mayer, March 7, 2008

"Real mixtapes. Once cassettes died, the music started dying, both literally and figuratively. Mainly, the cassette tape forced the listener to appreciate an artist�s entire album of work. None of this skipping-around CDs introduced. And now, you can completely ignore a musician�s finished volume thanks to iTunes and single-downloading. You can even forget about the artwork, since the music vendors are threatening to pull tangible CDs off the shelves. So yeah, let�s bring back the cassette. The only problem: No one has a tape-player!" - Bobby Hundreds, April 4, 2008

"As humans, we are subjected to an overload of sensory stimulation every second of everyday. We are bombarded with millions upon millions of images and sounds. Yet, we can only comprehend things as they happen. There is so much to take in, even when things seem calm...that is when I wonder, what is important? You can hear, see and feel the most incredible things when nothing is happening at all. The most common occurrences can become events of such magnitude that seem as if they taken years to orchestrate, and who is to say that they did not? Thoughts move through my mind too fast for me to get them down on paper. These thoughts end up manifesting themselves in dreams that make sense only to me. When you spend enough time watching, listening and thinking, you can almost transcend to a place where you believe in anything. It keeps me continually engaged with the pleasures of life." - Jacob, designer & photographer.

2008 US Vote

2008-11-21T11:11:00.000-08:00

Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State is the dream everyone believed in when this record turn out all began. Amazing, I can't wait for an Obama Clinton presidency.

"The true strength of our nation comes not from the might of our arms or the scale of our wealth, but from the enduring power of our ideals: democracy, liberty, opportunity, and unyielding hope." - Barack Obama, November 4, 2008.

OBAMA Obey Giant Art Poster

Electrifying the world with Obama and Clinton going head to head igniting the "first African American" and "first woman" Democratic President possibilities followed by Shepard Fairey's HOPE poster artwork campaign, to Barack Obama in Shanghai, to Matt Damon's furious condemnation of Palin, to P.Diddy's YouTube under the sheets horror video about Palin, to Palin's spoof by comedian, Tina Fey, on Saturday Night Live, the 2008 US vote has created a record-setting Rock the Vote.

A black man and woman as Presidential candidates! A first for the USA!

Matt Damon Rips Sarah Palin

3rd 2008 Presidential Debate McCain Obama

Below is the 411 on how to get your official vote in.

First, I suggest registering as a "permanent vote by mail voter". This allows you to vote at your own convenience by mailing in an absentee ballot, thus avoiding the commitment of time and commute to your local polling place. As each state is different, set up your registration by searching for "your home state, register to vote".

Once registered, you'll receive the voting materials by mail, written bilingually in English and Spanish (California specific). The Secretary of State will also mail you materials covering each of the measures specific to your county/state so you will be informed when voting. Fill in the official ballot with a black pen (multiple choice). Fold, place in envelope. Stamp the envelope 59 cents for the US Postal Service to deliver. You've just participated in the 2008 vote!

Resources: California voter registration, Find your voting location, overseas living outside of US voting registration.

Sarah Palin vs Tina Fey on SNL

"This Sarah Palin phenomenon is very curious. I think somebody watching us from Mars, they would think the country has gone insane." - Noam Chomsky, Institute Professor Linguistics MIT, Spiegel, October 10, 2008.

Dragon Motif x Lindsey Whittaker

2008-10-02T13:01:00.000-07:00

Oakland, California. The skateboard shop is defiantly out of place in Oakland's financial district, surrounded by towering office buildings of the pressed white collars where they have meetings about meetings.

Juxtapose the mounting volume of incoming ball bearings spinning, urethane wheels skidding and an ollie pop - US maple plywood � the rebel sound of a skateboard in motion. Inside the skate shop, a wall of shoes, skateboard decks, clothing racks of locally made soft goods laced in metallic silver and gold, adorned with "Love Oakland" and "Broakland", a skateboard half-pipe ramp leading to a narrow hallway opens into a gallery space installation of brightly colored artwork.

A staff note politely asks patrons to resist the temptation to tag the pristine white walls. To the left of the note, "Kakesta" is blatantly tagged � the �Kakes� tag is commonly seen throughout the gentrifying, yet underground, undervalued, Uptown Oakland district. So prevalent is the "Kake" tag, it is considered a landmark - a Flickr photography pool traces the whereabouts and sightings of the homegrown graffiti.

�Oakland is Raw" reads one shirt, but more �Oaklandish� are three rectangle canvases shaped with art deco strokes in a color vibrancy of melting pastel marshmallows. The feeling is legendary old Oakland, gentrified Oakland, and the new vision of Oakland, painted into perspective. The art is by Oakland artist, Lindsey Whittaker. See her collaboration with design house, Dragon Motif.

Source: http://www.dragonmotif.com/uptownoakland/

Everything Old is New Again...

2008-04-30T11:00:00.000-07:00

.. or as Lynn said notably, "The more things change, the more they stay the same (smile)."

First, Happy Birthday to Andy (Oakland, CA) and John (Shanghai, China). Both turn 30, today, April 30th, 2008 and on their 30th birthday, both were in China!

Second, inspired by the passing of 102 year old, Swiss chemist, Albert Hofmann, dug deeper into the spread of the LSD psychedelic counter-culture here in the San Francisco Bay Area in the 1960s, the climax and ultimately, the fall. The truth wants to be found:

73 year old, Grateful Dead's Sound Engineer, Mr. Wall of Sound*, LSD Millioniare, one-time Orinda/Berkeley/Point Richmond/Los Angeles resident, Owsley "The Bear" Stanley:

I always trusted what happened on acid. Everything that happens to you on acid is real. Everything you see, experience and think about is real. The thing about it is, the stuff you see is not stuff you see when you're straight, because when you're straight, you're limited. The acid removes the "filters" and lets the noise through. That "noise" is as real a part of the universe as the other part that you do allow to pass through, it just hasn't been important for you. That's a survival issue, we discard a lot of sensory information to make our daily lives simpler. When you open those floodgates and let it all pass, you let in a lot of stuff that's as real, and often more interesting than the stuff you usually let through. The patterns that you see when stoned, for instance, are an artifact of the way the nerves in your eyes are arranged and mapped into the brain. Beautiful noise!

*The Wall of Sound system was a result of my desire to return all the power and control to the musicians, by putting the speakers behind them.

Source: http://www.thebear.org/GDLogo.html, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Owsley_Stanley

Icer Air 2007 San Francisco feat. Travis Rice

2007-11-10T16:20:00.000-08:00

DHS Wednesdays Uptown Oakland

Illmatic GT 350

Ill Nana Photog

Walnut Shadows Crew Reppin'

Megan, P.R. Icer Air x RACINGMIX

Vinyl Lives!

#1 DJ Mixer in the World

Emcee T Cameo

Mimi in the House!

fluid.focus on Deck

Still Doin' It Poster

DJ Ric in the Mix

DJ Kuze & DJ M

MC Child on Mic Check

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Travis Rice RACINGMIX video, Icer Air 2007, San Francisco AT&T Giants Park. Afterparty Deep House Soldiers and Still Doin' It, at Anu Bar SF.

Fight for Beautiful...

2007-10-06T20:25:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's true, I'm vain. I like to be surrounded by beautiful things. I like designing beautiful things and I like shooting beautiful things/people. I like to be around people with good taste. I love style and style loves me.

That's not so bad is it? When the world is full of harsh realities, man and woman cannot--absolutely cannot--live with function alone. It is a scientific known fact. There must be something there that stirs the human heart and inspires the soul.

So here's to all forms of artists that roam the earth. As we look around us, the war, the money that corrupts us, the heartache that visits us and the people that abandon us, I believe we do have a purpose. We may not be soldiers or curing cancer, but what we've got is essential for the sake of human existence.

- Hazel, Another Fashion Photographer

Lindsey Whittaker
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

SF Nightlife Meetup
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

Metro Tuned Six Pack
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

Slopestyle Whistler 2008
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

Super Gold Track Bike
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

Honor Vitality
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

Claremont Taste of France
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

RACINGMIX Choice
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

TheFACESHOP x ZTY Beats
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

Deep House Soldiers
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

Heidi's Barbeque
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

1978
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

Yuppie War
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

Captain Seahorse at Clean
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

Happy Dog Isabel Point
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

Finest Summer Day
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

Dyno Battle
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

Backcountry Rally Tuning
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

West is the Best
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

30 ft. Fresh Powder
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

Uptown Oakland Skyline
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

Kara Tsuboi
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

Sexy & Sophisticated
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

Stunna
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

Wiggle Out Uptown Oakland
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

Outlook
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

Mother & Daughter
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

All Together Now
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

BART Art Installation
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

Limelight
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

Blazing
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

Assault
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

Emotional Landscape
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

Hint Squint
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

925 Yuppie
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

UC Berkeley Academia
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

Whisper
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

Warhol's Borat
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

7up
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

Phallic Nature
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

DJ: Blowpop Remix
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

Climax
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

Bring Back The Real
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

99 Cents
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

Infiniti: Round Eye
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

Birds
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

Stuck Behind a Bus
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

Jumbotron: Peter Green
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

American Football
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

Em-Squared
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

Scooby Snacks
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

Skinny Dip
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

Wasabi
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

Thank You BART Riders
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

Twice as Nice
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

Pot of Gold
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

Homoerotic Food Play
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

Sutro Tower Pride
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

Compassion
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

Kanye before Kanye
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

9S: Greenlum
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

Rob's Star
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

Ken's Whip: Street Fighter
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

Litespeed Titanium
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

Ebony Carbon Fiber: After
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

Crossroads
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

"Full Frontal" Esteban Sabar Gallery

2007-10-05T15:03:00.000-07:00

Before you come, you may want to evaluate your own confidence and understanding in your sexuality, then check your homophobia at the door.

Six artists come together to reveal the male perception of the male figure in exhibition, "Full Frontal." Show curator, Carl Wolf: "Despite the rapid evolution and broadening of male identities in today�s cultural environment, the image of a naked man remains taboo in our society � especially when it is in public view. Why do we experience such visceral reactions to the image of a naked man? Are we ready to expand our view of men in general and specifically the male figure? And, what are men�s views of all this?"

Artists Featured: Terry Furry (figurative painting), Ross Kennedy (sculpture), Kamal Al Mansour (assemblage), Marty Mccorkle (painting), Russ Osterweil (photography), Fernando Reyes (charcoal drawings).

Come Climax: First Friday, October 5, 2007, 5pm-9pm, at Esteban Sabar Gallery, Phone (510) 444-7411, Address 480 23rd Street at Telegraph Ave, Uptown Oakland, CA 94612.

Sinosplice Propaganda

2007-09-03T23:00:00.000-07:00

Designed in the Peoples Republic of China! Made in the USA! The irony, oh! We are fans of these simple, yet bold, new shirts by Sinosplice:

August Weekends

2007-08-25T23:45:00.000-07:00

The lack of holidays in August means more leisure time. Currently checking in from Vancouver, Canada, with a few images of the historically social month. Enjoy the last weekends of the summer season!

Pups at Play

Stella & Bosco, Doberman & Labradoodle

Garden of Remembrance, Seattle, Washington

Lobster Mushroom, Graffiti Eggplant

Wild BC Salmon, Vancouver, Canada

Jumbo Sea Scallops, Claremont, CA

Chancellor Place, University of British Columbia

Almond Piroshky, Pike Place Market

You, a Museum VIP

2007-05-09T16:42:00.000-07:00

One of the best, feel-good, quality, promotions, I've witnessed in some time! Bank of America card holder? You can visit your local museum compliments (free, comp, hook-up!) of BofA during the entire month of May. San Francisco museums include the: de Young, Yerba Buena, Academy of Sciences, SFMOMA, Asian Art, Legion of Honor. Find your local museum at Bank of America.

Waiting on the World

2007-01-19T11:22:00.000-08:00

One day, my generation is going to rule the population, waiting on the world to change. - John Mayer

Waiting on the World to Change: Inspired by the recent trip to BC Whistler Blackcomb, talking with the Aussie's, Kiwi's, Japanese and native Canadians in the Whistler Village, headline news of the US Iraq War Occupation Violence-Death-Meat-Packing extension, subsequent blue-collar chat on said topic with Rosewood House warehouse manager, Joel, a late-night conversation with Sinosplice's, John, in China, listening to Jin's "Generation-Y" single, and hearing a soulful live acoustic song by John Mayer at the Apple keynote in San Francisco.

President Clinton was impeached from office for getting a blow-job. No international community disliked or disrespected Americans because Clinton was caught getting a blow-job under his Presidential oval office desk. (Don't hate, congratulate.) The actions of President Bush and his administration running the United States of America have led to 3,000+ American deaths, 22,000+ injuries to American soldiers, and have led to a growing international dissent against Americans. Unfortunately, it'd be hypocritical to attack the administration for keeping the oil prices in our country low, wouldn't it? Being that everyone drives, uses gas, bitches and complains when gas goes up 5-cents a gallon. It's about as ironic as seeing American flags made in China.

Baby boomer, Joel, said there are talks in the Latino community of hanging President Bush. Hearing that, I was in shock and awe, but after careful consideration, it doesn't sound like an improbability. The John Mayer song spoke to me with the feeling of frustration, confidence and hope of Generation-Y and I just had to publish some words about it all.

Side note regarding Apple: S. Jobs introduced the horrendous and obscene iPhone. No thanks, there isn't a pressing need to surf on the phone and my email can wait until I get home. And what exactly is "revolutionary" as Jobs claims? iPhone is like Vista, needless. Same shit, new packaging. Apple has bugged me since Jobs returned to Apple; sorry to all the marketing victims out there that support the Cupertino-based company by buying their mp3 players and the accompanying 99 cent music. It's plain to see through Apple's version of the KFC/Taco Bell/Pizza Hut pimping Pepsi cola, business model. Apple?

Moreover, read this morning on Perez Hilton:

Six years ago, we held off [saying anything negative about the administration]. But considering what's happened, I think we're owed an apology. Anyone with a rational mind and a sense of decency is being positioned as a lefty by the extreme right. I believe in the tenets of democracy, and when they get pushed, it pisses me off. - Robert Redford, at the opening of the Sundance Film Festival on Thursday.

What are your thoughts?

10-Year Reunion Miramonte & Acalanes

2006-12-25T12:00:00.000-08:00

December 25, 2006: Merry Christmas, the Miramonte 96 photos have been published!

November 21, 2006: Google breaks $500 a share!!!

Update: Winston Wu at Crash Nightclub SF: "Yo, what's up with the 10-year reunion?!" The 411 on the Miramonte Reunion Class of 1996: it's taking place at The Royal Exchange in San Francisco and costs $70 to enter (venue rental, endless native draft beer, appetizers) Miramonte 96 Reunion. Get some real drinks at the pre-party, hosted at Anu, on 6th between Market and Mission 7-9pm, rip and roll for a deep house set and house-infused cocktails. Between the first and last hours at The Royal Exchange, stop into Nihon for sushi and aged scotch with Scott, Tina, and the whole Hui crew. Sexy back to finish the evening off with a dose of Mel's Awesome Blossom before returning to Ritz Carlton for four star rest.

You're 28 years old. Here's to reaching out to classmates of the Class of 1996 from Acalanes High School, Lafayette, and Miramonte High School, Orinda, California. It's the 10-year reunion, an online search netted nothing for either school. On myspace, there was a banner ad for classmates.com and I found they want $2.46 a month to "contact friends" and "read bios". Classmates.com will let you continue to browse the site as a "free" member but hides your photos and your profile, allowing you to type out an email to classmates but before the classmate reads the email, Classmates.com requires you to sign up for a paid account - cross-out that useless website called classmates.com.

P.S. Everyone knows, Winston Wu!

Rice to Riches

2006-11-27T04:20:00.000-08:00

Here's proof that you can make something sound better than it tastes. It's all in the creative copywriting, describing the many rice pudding flavor offerings: Cinnamon Sling with Raisins, Edge of Rum Raisin, Coast to Coast Cheesecake, Secret life of Pumpkin, Coconut Coma, Gingerbread Joyride, Forbidden Apple, Chocolate Chip Flirt, Hazelnut Chocolate Bear Hug, I'll Take Eggnog for $200 Alex, Man-Made Mascarpone with Cherries, Fluent in French Toast, Old Fashioned Romance, Category 5 Caramel, Stubborn Banana, Corner of Cookies & Cream, Understanding Vanilla, Honey Graham for Mr. Smith, Take Me to Tiramisu, Perfectly Legal Pecan Pie, Sex Drugs and Rocky Road. Source: http://www.ricetoriches.com/ Reviewed November 27, 2006.

Grilled Stuft Burrito: As I stare at the photo I took while knawing away at a Grilled Stuft Burrito (Beef, $2.29 + tax), first impression was: blood. Not of the human variety, but of the actual medium hot sauce packet dispensing into the center of the burrito. The sour cream and nacho cheese sauce melting together, with stripes of the grade D (not officially proven) ground "Mexican Beef". The flour tortilla isn't satisfying, it nearly gets out of the way and allows something to attach to for the hot sauce. The cheese, half melted, is not really noticeable at all, except everything efficiently melts in your mouth and goes down the throat smoothly. As if you could eat Taco Bell after pulling out ones wisdom teeth - ouch. Satisfying, a once-a-week desire, Taco Bell Grilled Stuft Burrito, watch out! Nutrition Facts: 720 Calories, 50% daily fat, 90% daily sodium, 27 grams of protein. Reviewed November 16, 2006.

Attention to Detail

2006-10-04T00:08:00.000-07:00

Spending a good part of the morning or evening detailing the Volvo S70 sedan, I think I do a better job than 99% of the car owners out there. That is, until I met Paul Dolton - Car Detailer. My detailing job is a "three stage": wash & dry, polish clay bar and carnauba wax, not including the interior, door jams or engine bay. Roughly speaking, it's a three hour detailing job and actually, might even rival Paul's car wash. However, he has 59 stages more than my version of a car wash - he even rubs the wax in with his hands because of something to due with the hands oils and the oxygen in the air. He's the 1% that is enthusiast-spec and he gets paid handsomly - to the tune of $5,000 per wash.

Hero

2006-09-06T09:05:00.000-07:00

Once long haired rock star, went shaved in 1995.

These were the shit when neon was big, homie Nick Padula owned two pairs of these...

...and a pair of the Air Tech Challenge v2.
American Hero: Andre Agassi - like prodigy sports stars, began young, turning pro at 16 in 1986. The most flamboyant modern day tennis player retiring the racquet after 21 years, winning all four Grand Slam championships, and making tennis a bank-worthy sport much like Michael Jordan bling'd out basketball. Agassi is top graduate of the school of John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, Boris Becker, Michael Chang, and his favorite peer, legend, Pete Sampras. His final record stands 870 wins and 274 losses, holding #1 in the world for 101 weeks total. I was touched and cried when reading (yes, reading) his on court farewell speech!

"The scoreboard said I lost today, but what the scoreboard doesn't say is what it is I have found. And over the last 21 years, I have found loyalty. You have pulled for me on the court and also in life. I've found inspiration. You have willed me to succeed sometimes even in my lowest moments. And I've found generosity. You have given me your shoulders to stand on to reach for my dreams, dreams I could have never reached without you. Over the last 21 years, I have found you. And I will take you and the memory of you with me for the rest of my life. Thank you." - Andre Agassi, September 04, 2006

Steve, his American wife, Terri, & sea friend.

The couple entertaining a Burmese Python.

Australian Hero: Steve "Crocodile Hunter" Irwin - what an age to go out at: forty-four (literal Chinese to English translation is "die-die") - arguably the prime age to go out, doing what one loves, recording a television stunt for daughter. I watched a few episodes in the past and Steve impressed with his enthusiasm and balls-deep attitude in the wild - a definitive Australian hero. Please contact me if you have access to Steve Irwin's death video: it's the video of Steve pulling out the stingray's barb from his own chest before collapsing to death and apparently there has been a call to destroy it. The video would be way more rock-star than Kate Moss doing lines of coke in the studio.

Thank You BART Riders: A personal reflection of the latest BART advertising campaign that thanks BART Riders.

I've been on a carless commute (equipped with my bike) for the past few weeks, it's been great, instead of high speed freeway maneuvering (read: controlled wrecklessness and speed engagement) and shaking my head to bad drives, I get to zone out and reflect on the latest things in my head - consider it personal time.

I found the personal time aspect to be the best thing about public transportation. Though BART has a long way to go before it reaches the convenience and accessibility of, say, Shanghai or Hong Kong's, public transportation system, BART has a great foundation to build upon - use it or lose it.

... new 'ish

Oakland Art Murmur: Rosewood House neighbor, Esteban Sabar Gallery, has published an online art map for the first Friday evening art walk in Uptown Oakland, off of Broadway, to the side of North West Lake Merritt. It all begins as early as 6pm and goes beyond 10pm.

Art & Fashion Photography by Campfire Media & Rosewood House: http://www.pbase.com/jarconcengco/fword

John's Chinesepod (Sinosplice) podcast: http://www.chinesepod.com/podcast/2006/08/09/%e4%b8%ad%e9%ab%98%e7%ba%a78-discussing-photography/

Free Credit Report & Credit Card Tips

2006-08-02T08:30:00.000-07:00

Lower your Credit Card APR:

On a phone call to the credit card company, I lowered my credit card annual percentage rate (APR) from 17.7% to 9.9% with one question: "Can you lower my APR, please?" It is a double-whammy though because you get a lower APR so long as you don't make late payments or carry balances. Do everything you can to pay your full balance on time, every time, all the time. These factors help a lower APR request: length of time with the card (+ longer), credit limit (+ higher), unpaid balance (+lower), late payments (+fewer).

Get Your Free Credit Report:

Are you curious about your credit but don't know where to begin? Do you know where to get it but don't want to fork up eight or nine bucks? Searching for housing on Craigslist? Is a landlord or agent requesting $25-30 for a credit report? That's not needed.

The FACT act was passed to allow all Americans a free credit report every 12 months from the top 3 consumer credit companies: TransUnion, Experian and Equifax. Access the free credit report portal: Annual Credit Report.com.

My experience with the portal was successful with Equifax but the other two failed. Here's why: Experian gave me an "Unable to perform at this time" excuse - there was no way to continue. TransUnion asked for a number of "verification" questions such as SS#, address and credit card account number but it got tricky when TransUnion requested further "verification" by asking for account numbers on revolving cards for Target, Best Buy, Macy's, etc. -- types of cards signed up at time of purchase to get a discount but destroyed or have not used since. So I couldn't continue with TransUnion's verification process, for a total of 1 out of 3 successful "free" credit reports. Tip: print out the report or copy/paste/save the text as it's only viewable for the current session.

Resources for further information: The Truth About Credit, Fight Identity Theft, Craigslist Credit Check 411.

About the FACT Act:

The Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act (FACT Act) was enacted in 2003 and amends the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), a federal law that regulates, in part, who is permitted to access your consumer report information and how it can be used. The FACT Act entitles consumers to obtain one free copy of his/her consumer file from certain consumer reporting agencies during each 12-month period.

A credit report contains information on where you live, how you pay your bills, and whether you've been sued, arrested, or filed for bankruptcy. Nationwide consumer reporting companies sell the information in your report to creditors, insurers, employers, and other businesses that use it to evaluate your applications for credit, insurance, employment, or renting a home.

Free reports will be phased in during a nine-month period, rolling from the West Coast to the East beginning December 1, 2004. Beginning September 1, 2005, free reports will be accessible to all Americans, regardless of where they live.

Made in the Shade

2006-07-20T01:11:00.000-07:00

A declartion to avoid relationships for the near future:

"With my life as it is now, it would be very hard to have somebody -- for them and me. I'm never in one place for longer than three or four months and have been living in hotels for seven years. Plus, I find that the work takes a certain amount out of me. As much as it would be nice to have somebody pick me up a little bit, sometimes I just want to be on my own with my own thoughts. I've been lucky enough to have been in love a few times and I've felt how wonderful it is. I find that the work takes a certain amount out of me. It comes with a lot of responsibilities and pressures. It's better for me, at 30, to be on my own."

Brilliant marketing strategy. People always want what they can't have. Some women are suckers for a sob story, and some think they're the "special one" who will change his mind. This guy is made in the shade. Posted By: leilah, July 19 2006 at 05:45 PM

On the critical inch:

"I was burning the candle at both ends and the flames met in the middle. It just caught up with me. It was a long time coming but I had my ass handed to me on a plate. I have a new-found appreciation for my life. I never had much of a will to live a long time. Now I want to watch my son grow up, be his friend and his father, and hang around with him. So he's the greatest priority in my life."

Big Burrito Futbol

2006-07-09T11:30:00.000-07:00

Photos by Henning:

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At Saturdays lunch with my Rosewood House Summer Sale crew, I was pounding a 2 lb. Al Pastor (BBQ Pork) burrito yesterday with some hot avacado chunk salsa and fresh tortilla chips (warm)...when upon the TV came the 3rd place match with Germany and Portugal. The big names from both teams are German goalkeeper, Oliver Kahn (37) and Portugal winger Luis Figo (34). It was also sybolically revealed that this match was their "last game" in the international sport. Here's a toast to their retirement from international play. And another toast to the fans of the sport:

Like most Americans, I don't follow the worlds largest sport, but I recall the names Kahn and Figo because they were so engrained in my head during my residency in China. From pirated jerseys to television coverage, those were the two big names being sported on the streets in 2002.

Further readings: Euro Chicks

eBay - Monopolizing & Greedy

2006-07-07T10:58:00.000-07:00

eBay bans Google Checkout

Online auction site eBay has banned its buyers and sellers from using Google's recently launched online payments service, Google Checkout, in a move that is designed to protect its own PayPal operation.

eBay and Paypal used to be two unique companies, then eBay purchased Paypal in 2002 for $1.5 billion and increased user fees when one would think the ideal situation would be less fees for a streamlined process.

The news came as eBay announced Jeff Jordan, head of PayPal, will leave later this year to spend more time with his family.

Any seller caught offering Google Checkout to prospective buyers faces having their listings cancelled, forfeiting their fees or even having their entire account suspended.

The decision to exclude Google's newest venture is yet another indication that Google is encroaching on areas that other companies consider to be their turf.
Having created the web's most widely used search engine, Google has moved into email, instant messaging, word processing, spreadsheets, price comparison and now payments. Companies from AOL and Amazon to Microsoft and now eBay are finding Google on their patch.

Google started marketing its payment service to online retailers last month, having previously made it available to buy adverts from the search engine or videos from Google Video.

eBay believes that Google Checkout lacks a track record as a reliable and secure payment mechanism. But Paypal's method of tracking isn't what tells a buyer or seller about trustworthiness, it's through their eBay record. Paypal is just a form of payment or receiving of payment, thus Paypal vs. Google Payments is basically a difference between paying a fee and not paying a fee.

Las Vegas Virgin

2006-07-04T17:52:00.000-07:00

Happy Independence Day!

Las Vegas Virgin
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

Las Vegas Photos Up...

Tai Bros & Sister!

2006-06-26T21:20:00.000-07:00

Tai Bros & Sister!
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

Tai Bros (and Sis) in the House!

Longest Day of the Year

2006-06-21T03:00:00.000-07:00

June 21st is the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere, commonly known as the "Longest Day of the Year."

100 Awesome Videos - June 21, 2006 - Pitchfork has 100 Awesome Music Videos - 10 pages with 10 videos on each, with a concise paragraph describing the videos and definitely putting the viewer into multiple hours of lost life, position humped over the desk watching and reminiscing what was in your mind and life during that videos prime playtime on MTV/VH1. Video/music provided by San Mateo, California's YouTube. Great to see such a wide variety: 80's A-Ha Take on Me, to 94's Dr Dre. Nuthing But a G Thang, to 99's Juvenile Ha, to 02's Nas One Mic. Ever since diving into the underground House movement in 1999 and spinning 2001 and on, mainstream music has been a disappointment for the most part and as Andy (DJ J-Spec) and I have said in unison quite often, it "just doesn't do it for 'ya, does it?" Watching these videos re-instills those emotions that made music so great - the pioneering visuals that presented the audio that changed the way you thought.

June 19-25, 2006: DESIGN WEEK IN SAN FRANCISCO as declared by San Francisco Mayor, Gavin Newsome.

Whereas, design has proven an effective means for businesses and organizations to affect positive change, and

Whereas, design in and of itself represents a cultural force, and

Whereas San Francisco is home to the greatest number of designers per capita in the United States, and

Whereas the city of San Francisco, California recognizes the power of design to shape our economy and culture

Now, Therefore be it resolved that San Francisco, California proudly proclaims June 19-25, 2006, as "design makes a difference" week in San Francisco.

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June 3, 2006: Twenty-Eight! For your ears: an 80-minute listening, produced after last nights party in uptown Oakland.

I've made changes with site hosting so many photo galleries linked to wilsontai.com will be down temporarily. Until the transfer is complete, catch the latest imagery here.

Oakland Art Murmur

2006-05-18T00:12:00.000-07:00

Touched in Oakland
RACINGMIX Photo by RACINGMIX.

First experience of First Fridays in uptown Oakland, California. There are over a dozen images from the past First Friday evening, and I must thank the galleries for opening their doors. Lots of single speed mod bicycles parked on Telegraph with lots of creatives wandering the streets between Grand and 26th, Broadway and Telegraph, amazing to see this part of Oakland alive after 5pm. Rock on. More to come.