paul johnson...

The new head football coach for Georgia Tech. I'm familiar with him when he coached with University of Hawaii. I'm going to make a prediction right now- he will not be successful with the Yellow Jackets. His triple option offense will not work in major college football. I don't consider Navy being a legitimate Division 1A team.

Man, he's an ugly guy!

swedish clogs...

You know, the ones with real wooden heels? I used to wear them in high school through college @ UDub, then I guess I lost my luster for them.

Just today, I bought a pair from European Cobblery in Menlo Park. It takes some getting used to wearing them again, but I just love them and they make me taller. I'm like Dog the Bounty Hunter. He's 5'7 and wears 3 inch heels. I'm a legitimate 6 feet and I'm about 6'2 when I wear them, it brings me back to the days when I wore platforms. Now, I'm really revealing my age...

Anyway, I thank European Cobblery for having legitimate clogs and I'll always appreciate an old friend from high school- Anthony Petroff for turning me on to swedish clogs. We used to buy them @ Scandia in the U-District of Seattle. I'm sad that shop is no longer in existence.

internet addiction...

I'm @ my sis' house in San Jose until the 2nd of January. I can't complain about the accomodations, except her wifi is slow and it really inhibits me from doing work on my MacBook.

I could probably go without television for about a day(I'm also addicted to the boob tube), but going more than a day without an internet connection is almost unfathomable...

los gatos coffee roasting company...

Probably my favorite coffee spot on the planet. This place was around way before any Starfucks hit the Bay Area.

This is one of the few premium coffee houses that gives you a free refill with a drip cup of coffee. Save your receipt and get another cup. Plus, you can get 25 cents off a cup when you use your own mug.

They've been offering free wifi for more than a few years. I'm writing this entry while sipping on a cup(in a Monte Carlo Casino travelers mug).

adrian oliver... and romar losing his luster...

He was a bust with my Huskies. After watching him for over a season, he just didn't seem like a Division One player to me. It's rumored that he might transfer to San Jose State. If he does, I wish him well. SJSU is probably a better fit for a player like Oliver. But this kid needs to get in the weight room and get stronger and spend hours in the gym shooting thousands and thousands of jump shots. His outside shot is suspect.

I'm thinking that Washington coach Lorenzo Romar is losing his mojo. Only Quincy Pondexter who played with Stanford's Lopez twins in high school is left from his 2006 recruiting class that included Spencer Hawes(now with the Sacto Kings), Phil Nelson(who transferred to Portland State), and Oliver. QP has showed flashes, but he's an inconsistent player.

The 2007 class that includes Justin Holiday, Matthew Bryan-Amaning, Darnell Gant, and Venoy Overton hasn't shown me too much so far. Gant is redshirting. Overton has showed the most promise and probably is one reason Oliver quit the team. Overton out of Franklin High in Seattle basically fell into Romar's lap after he made a oral commitment to USC and then reneged after the Trojans snagged one and done O.J. Mayo.

I consider myself an excellent judge of character. I saw Romar in September after the Dawgs beat Boise State in football and I saw something in him I didn't like. I can't place it? I don't care if he's a christian and whatnot. I hope I'm wrong?

john travolta...

He's in one of my favorite films of all-time- SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER. Last year a photo circulated around the internet with him kissing a guy on the lips.

I have a John Travolta story. Many, many years ago when Travolta lived in the Carmel area, me and my mother saw him in a bookstore in Carmel Plaza being intimate with another guy. This bookstore is no longer in the plaza.

Minutes later, my parents and I were having lunch in the plaza and I mentioned to the server that I saw Travolta with this guy. She said, she always sees him around town with that guy. I said, "he looks good in person." And she said, "you're better looking than him." That made my day...

Man, I still regret not asking the server out and she was very good looking. When you snooze you lose. She gave me an opening and I didn't enter...

My looks have faded, but I still have a vivid memory of that day and it always makes me smile...

talking under the influence of alcohol...

I've been doing more than my share of drinking during the holiday season. On Saturday night, I went out drinking from about 4pm to 1am. I encountered a bunch of interesting people who divulged so much interesting info to me.

A beautiful blonde kept talking about her boyfriend and how big his cock is and how she likes him because he doesn't like getting his cock sucked. She's like porn star Katie Morgan who admits she doesn't like giving blow jobs. I ended up getting her phone number. I'm sure I won't be happy with her...

One more tidbit about the blonde, she came into the bar with her ex-boyfriend and best friend. Her girlfriend hadn't been laid in a year and a half. She tried to fix her up with one of the bartenders @ the bar. He turned out to be gay. Her girlfriend and ex left the bar together leaving her with the bill. Hopefully her girlfriend got laid?

A doctor who knows a newscaster who I have the hots for and who I casually know said that I was her type. That made my night. But realistically, I don't see myself hooking up with her. Aren't you curious who she is?

This same doctor said he just ended a relationship with a straight guy. He said, "he prefers straight guys." I said, "what, how can he be straight when he sleeps with guys?" Let me preface this. This was a hotel bar in the financial district and the bartender was gay, as was one of the servers. Both agreed with me that you can't call a guy straight when he sleeps with guys.

One more story from the doctor. He said that Woody Harrelson and Owen Wilson are gay.

This other guy who I suspected was gay talking about how he and others enjoy watching a certain individual put on lotion after he takes a shower @ my club. That's one reason I use the second floor locker room. The locker room on the fourth floor
isn't my cup of tea. Hell, most of the time I take a shower @ home after working out...

I have more stories, but I won't divulge them to protect the innocent...

I'm going to say this one more time, people talk under the influence of alcohol and the full moon doesn't inhibit conversation...

mr. wonderful...

My joke nickname for many years. The origin of this name is from a now defunct store in Capitola near the beach. I bought Mr. Wonderful tank tops, shorts, t-shirts, and sweatshirts. I used to give them away as gifts.

I miss that store...

wearing uggs @ the gym...

There's a young lady who frequents my club who doesn't have an ounce of fat on her. Tonight, she wins the prize for the best footwear I've seen on a member in the 5 1/2 years I've frequented the club.

She wore a pair of tan Uggs with her black shorts and black top while working out. The contrast of colors was good, but I think black uggs would have matched nicer...

I actually have a pair of Uggs. Should I wear them while I work out?

loud mouths...

Both places I have frequented today and they are very, very different places, I've encountered a fucking loud mouth who wants every one in the room to hear his bullshit! What the fuck? I can't go to a classy joint without listening to some moron go on and on about himself. BTW, the other place I went to was far from classy, but it's like these two assholes are one in the same person. Thank god I have my nano and I'm drowning out this piece of shit by listening to Earth, Wind & Fire...

faxing versus writing a letter...

I've been told by a prominent businessman that faxing is a very effective way to communicate with a CEO or someone that realm. Definitely better than e-mail. E-mail is just too common. My favorite is writing a letter to get my point across. My letters seem to be very effective. I thought fax machines were basically obsolete? But, what fuck do I know...

remembering names...

I'm horrible @ remembering names. Tonight, I introduced myself to an attractive young lady @ my club and I've already forgotten her name. From now on, I'm immediately going to repeat the name ten times, write it down, and I need to buy a digital recorder to record the name.

brian sabean...

This guy needs to be run out of town. Why is he still GM? Lastest rumors. The Giants are pursuing Tony Clark and an injury prone pitcher who's head case wife gets more headlines than him. Kris Benson is his name. We don't need second or third tier players like Clark and Benson. We've had enough of that shit last season with the free agent signing of Aurilia, Klesko, and Roberts.

Again, why isn't he pursuing any Japanese players? Tadashi Iguchi would have been a good fit @ second or third and he signs with the Padres. Pitcher Hiroki Kuroda signs with the Dodgers. Every team needs quality pitching.

I'm fucking tired of Sabean. The Giants will again be a last place team under this idiot!

recognizing people...

I hate it when a person says, "I never forget a face." That's a bunch of bullshit! I've met so many women who I've exchanged
e-mails with and for some reason we never hooked up. I know the reason. They sobered up.

For the life of me, I wouldn't recognize most of them again. In the past, I would always take a digital picture of them. Now, I need to get back into that mode...

the big four...

Not only is the chicken pot pie sensational, but the venison chili is fucking excellent. The service is stellar and I highly recommend the joint!

The french onion soup is good, but I'm just not a fan of white onions...

the staff of kokkari...

That's the main reason I spend so much time and okane @ Kokkari. The staff is absolutely wonderful! I'll name names.

Amelia, Chris, Dave/Max, Christian, Josh, Frank, Javier, Victor, Michael, Doug, etc...

I'm horrible @ names, so I apologize for leaving anyone out.

I've mentioned the bartenders in yelp.com, but I'll mention them again- Tony, a very good friend of mine, Fatah, a very classy guy, Brett, he's come a long way as a bartender, and Brian, he's the man!

I know this sounds like a lovefest and it is. This my spot in the City...

kokkari regulars...

I haven't seen him for a while, but this guy lives across the street in the Golden Gateway Apartments during the week and has a home in the Tahoe area where he goes on weekends. I won't refer to him by name, but a famous actor who's in the Ocean's series has the same first name.

Mr. Tahoe is married with children, but he loves talking to ladies. I can't confirm whether it's all talk and no action, but I've heard rumors. BTW, his wife lives in Tahoe full-time.

One thing I've learned from this guy is don't hesitate when approaching women. When he's @ the bar, I must be on my toes or he'll swoop in and start talking to her right in front of my face...

Another guy I don't see there as often is nicknamed Mr. Big. He kind of looks like Chris Noth, but this asshole has a serious attitude. His coworker(who also comes in) is a guy with a face only a mother would love, but he has a beautiful Latina wife. Go figure? Many moons ago, I once partied with Mr. Big's coworker and he joined me to make a booty call after the bars had closed to a chick I knew and her roommate. They wouldn't let him in, but the roomies let me in. I'll just say that I had a splendid time with the roommates. It did cost me, because I got my car towed, but it was worth it...

Mr. Big is also a philanderer. He's married and I know one of the ladies he's fucked. I won't mention her name, but on Gilligan's Island, many prefer Mary Ann, but I've always loved Tina Louise who played ______.

Regular #3 is a friend of mine, so I have to be very careful. I couldn't stand the fucker when I first me him, but we eventually became good friends. Honestly, our friendship is somewhat tenuous @ this moment in time. We argue all the time.

Anyway, this guy has a beautiful daughter. His lives across the street @ the Golden Gateway Apartments and his apartment has a phenomenal view of the Bay.

He's a very macho dude who goes abalone diving. The thing that is more impressive is that he dives with one leg. He lost a leg in a motorcycle accident many years ago.

The guy is also an excellent cook! I could be his agent...

He's snubbing me on Monday December 17, 2007, therefore he can kiss my ass and it's open season. It's funny how things go full circle. You can't stand the motherfucker and than you like the guy, and then you can't stand the motherfucker again!

More Kokkari regulars in future posts...

ferry plaza wine merchant...

I enjoy this place and I really like the staff. One is Ed, who works on Saturday and Sundays and an occasional Monday. Over eight years ago when Ed was working @ Plumpjack Wines, I bought a bottle of wine @ Plumpjack for a picnic. I asked Ed if I could buy a wine opener and he gave me an opener that one of the vendors gave him. I think it said- Arrowood Winery? I didn't know Ed @ that time, but I told him several years later that I've always appreciated him for that kind gesture. Too bad that picnic didn't turn into a whirlwind romance where I married the girl, but it was, what it was. A romantic picnic that turned into a wild romp in the sack...

scla/sf...

I'm getting tired of this fucking club. I get some idiot assistant gm trying to contact me for an incident that happened over a month ago. The imbecile wasn't even working @ the club during the incident, he wasn't even working for the company @ that time. He attempts to say my last name and fucks it up twice. What a fucking moron! We pay champagne prices for this club, but get malt liquor service from the management. I'd expect this from 24 Hour Fitness, but not from a so-called high end club. More on this fucking place in the next few days...

pronouncing my last name...

It's really quite easy to pronounce. Why do people always fuck it up? It's a Japanese name. Japanese names are easy to pronounce- Nakamura, Takahashi, Suzuki, etc... I won't reveal my last name, but it means Mountain Castle in Japanese...

getting out of bed...

All I need is wifi and some food in the fridge and I never have to leave my apartment. Is my world significantly better with internet access and digital cable? I don't know? I used to read more books and I probably had more friends. I used to write on yellow legal note pads. That's when I thought up nynotes. NY being my initials and notes being the genesis of many things in my life...

Today, I just may bring out the yellow note pad...

the mitchell report...

I am one of the nearly two million idiots that downloaded the report. I read through about hundred pages and it told me nothing more than Jose Canseco's book. What a waste of time and money! The report is free via mlb.com. I'm talking about the millions and millions of dollars spent compiling this incomplete report.

I'm more concerned about those lucky fucking players who's names were omitted. ARod, come on, he's obviously on the juice. It's in his eyes...

Here's a list of players who I think took steroids and or human growth hormones who were omitted from the Mitchell Report:

Brady Anderson
Brian Giles
Craig Biggio
Jeff Bagwell
Ryan Klesko
Brett Boone
Nomar Garciaparra
Sammy Sosa- he suddenly needed an interpreter when asked questions by Congress?
Mark McGuire
Juan Gonzales
Rafael Palmiero- he tested postive for steroids after denying it in front of Congress.
Luis Gonzales
Ruben Sierra
Julio Franco
Phil Nevin
Pudge Rodriguez
Albert Belle
Adrian Beltre

I could go on and on...

Players on the San Diego Padres have easy access to steroids and HGH, by simply crossing the border. I can remember a few years ago while walking by a farmacia in TJ, one of the employees literally grabbed my arm and led me inside to see whether I wanted to buy HGH. I didn't buy any, but for a moment there, I was thinking about it...

For the record, I have never taken any steroids or HGH.

post party recap...

Greg's party had a very large turnout. Trainers that used to work @ SCLA came out of the woodwork to honor such a nice guy.

I'm going to have to a take a page from Greg's repertoire and become a better person...

The closeness of these trainers really touched me.

good luck to greg...

In the next couple hours, I will be heading down the hill to go to a going away party for an ex-trainer from Sportsclub LA/SF.
The shindig will be @ The Cigar Bar on Montgomery.

Greg is going back to Brooklyn. The guy is a great trainer and he's already missed @ the club. I wish him well!

being a gentleman...

On my way home, I went to the Big Four @ The Huntington Hotel and I met a married attorney from Chico. The bottom line is that I made sure she got back to her hotel safely. And I didn't make it up to her room. I don't need to be screwing around with a married woman...

writing drunk...

It may be worse than drunk dialing. I've written too many e-mails under the influence and have regretted it the next day.

It's going to be tough, but I will try not compose a missive when liquored up...

blade runner: the final cut...one more time...

Just saw the 1pm showing @ Embarcadero Cinema theater #3.

Simply stated, it was phenomenal!

It is definitely the best cut of this classic film.

sf giants...

Why in the hell don't they pursue a Japanese ballplayer. The Giants were the first when they signed Masanori Murakami way back in the sixties. Tsuyoshi Shinjo was somewhat of a bust in 2002, but he played the best centerfield I've ever seen @ PacBell/SBC/AT&T Park and he had a gun for an arm. He just couldn't hit a lick. But we made it to the World Series that season.

Hideki Matsui would be a good fit to replace Bonds in left field and I'm sure he'd love playing in the City by the Bay. When he first signed with the Yankees, he said that the Giants never pursued him. He thought it was a natural fit to go from the Tokyo(Yomiuri)Giants to the San Francisco Giants. The Yankees are stacked in the outfield with Damon, Cabrera, Abreu, and Matsui. Damon can no longer play centerfield, so Cabrera will the starter in center next season. That leaves Damon and Matsui sharing left field and DH.

A couple weeks ago, my Mother told me that in the Japanese language papers that Matsui might be going to the Giants.

Go to AT&T Park and you'll see a large Asian fan base. When Shinjo was playing for the Giants, his gear was nearly as popular as Bonds'.

The Cubs just signed Fukudome for $48 million. Were the Giants ever in the mix?

Come on Brian(you're overrated)Sabean, step up to the plate and sign a Japanese ballplayer.

Aaron Rowand will do fine in center, but we need more than that...

blade runner: the final cut...

This film is probably my favorite of all time and I can't wait to see the Final Cut. I saw the Director's Cut @ the Bridge Theater in 1992. And I saw the first run version in 1982. That was 25 years ago and I can't remember what theater I saw it @. I do know it was in the City. I still own a VHS copy of BLADE RUNNER. I will purchase the DVD set of all three versions when it is released.

It is now well known that the Harrison Ford's lead character Deckard is a replicant.

lucky...

He is one of the most charismatic people in the City. He plays the ponies and his claim to fame is betting college football.

Lucky is a film buff and he can quote lines from movies from 50 plus years ago.

I'm going to repeat my two favorite lines of his from his days hanging out @ Postrio. One is, "my american express bill was 2 Gs a month from this joint." I've heard 3 Gs on several occasions. The other is, "the bar was usually packed 2-3 deep, you couldn't go home alone."

If you want to meet Lucky, go to Kokkari on a Wednesday night and ask Tony, my favorite bartender and a very good friend, "where's Lucky?"

e-mail etiquette...

Less than a month ago, I met a young lady who said she wanted to have dinner with me in an e-mail and she wrote, "maybe the week after thanksgiving?" I wrote her back, saying, "dinner sounds good to me." I did state that I wasn't going to be back in the City until a week after Thanksgiving and I was heading to Honolulu @ the beginning of December. She didn't write me back after that e-mail. I just returned from Hawaii on Sunday night and I wrote her I was going to be @ Kokkari on Tuesday evening and asked her to join me if she desired. Again, I didn't get a response. Then I wrote, "I'm disappointed you didn't e-mail me back." This one did the trick. She e-mailed me back, but I deleted it without reading it...

sportsclub la/san francisco...

I use this blog to vent. This club is raising its dues again. More than 10%.

The customer service sucks @ this supposed high end gym. When I first joined, there was this young lady who knew just about every members name that came to the club. Now, you'd be lucky to get a smile out of most of the front desk employees. There are certain front desk people who I truly like. Then there's a front desk person who screwed up validating my parking pass and I ended up paying $20 instead of $3 or $4.

The GM who has been @ the club for about a year, isn't very friendly @ all. Hell, I used to go to the club everyday and I am very friendly with several trainers and other employees of the club, but I haven't gotten one hello from her.

This fucking club recently let go a trainer who I respected for his craft and he's truly a good guy. His dismissal seems to be a lawsuit in the making...

I'm about ready to relinquish my membership!

giving...

This is going to sound like a bunch of bullshit, but I really do enjoy giving over receiving. I'm not going to toot my horn about what I've done, but people who know me, realize where I'm coming from...

location, location, location...

One must be in the right location to meet people. The past few days @ Honolulu International Airport and Perbacco, I've been in the right location. It really is location, location, location...

perbacco...

I love this place! I go there to see Asian bartender extraordinaire Scott Wolf. Is it Wolf or Wolfe. The other bartender who use to work @ Balboa Cafe is Zeke. These two make quite a team...

kenny g...

Not the Kenny G who plays smooth jazz and is good friends with that no talent Michael Bolton, but the Kenny G who works @ Rosenblum in Alameda. He's quite a character. A mix of Rodney Dangerfield and Jackie Mason. Not only does he work for a winery, but he also works for a Chinese restaurant- go figure...

BTW, back @ UDub, the sax playing Kenny G was in my Japanese language class for one year.

honolulu marathon...

On Sunday, my Mother and I actually woke up @ 4am to watch the beginning of the Honolulu Marathon that started @ 5am.

It was raining like cats and dogs, but it was worth checking it out. I even braved the liquid sunshine to see the women's winner.

rain, rain go away...

I've been in Honolulu since Sunday and it's rained every single day. And hard I might add. There was a few hours of decent weather on Thursday. Not that i want to get a suntan, but I'm actually fading during my visit to HNL. I'd like to see one decent chick in a bikini...

referring to yourself in the third person...

First of all, what the fuck is that all about?

It reminds me of a Seinfeld episode where this idiot named Jimmy kept referring to himself in the third person.

NY needs to go to sleep...

rock-za...

I really used to like this place. Now, I really think this place sucks! Enough said...

honolulu...

I've been here for three nights and four days and I have yet to see the sun out on a consistent basis. It really isn't that crucial to me because I try to stay out of the sun. I still wouldn't mind strolling down Waikiki and checking out the sights...

kahala mall...

I'm sitting in front of the Apple Store in Kahala Mall hooking up to their wifi. There's a children's Christmas show going on in the stage area and guess who's watching it? Dog the Bounty Hunter with his wife. The guy wears 3-4 inch heels, so he appears to be taller than his 5'7 or 5'8. I don't condone what he said in a private phone call with his son. However, he does seem like a good family man.

monday night football...

Unless I'm @ a bar and I can't hear the audio- I refuse to watch MNF with that idiot Tony Kornheiser on the broadcast team. I don't know who's worse Dennis Miller or Kornheiser? Miller was on MNF for a couple of seasons.

He has a face for radio, but I wouldn't want to hear that fucking nauseating voice on the airwaves.

Kornheiser pissed me off several years ago after writing in ESPN the mag about the battle of Korea. He was referring to the Kariya brothers playing against each other in the NHL. The Kariyas are half Japanese-Canadian and not of Korean descent.

The guy knows nothing about football. Why, why, why is this piece of shit on television?

keeping hydrated...

When I go to my favorite spot in the City- Kokkari, I always have Panna still water with my vino.

When I used to frequent Postrio- the bartender who will remain nameless always made sure I had a full glass of ice water with my drink. He'd generally give me tap water, but once in a great while when he was feeling generous he'd bring out the Voss.

If you drink too much, no matter what, you're going to feel like shit the next morning or afternoon or evening. However, if you're drinking somewhat moderately- having a glass of water with your cocktail will definitely help.

As we all should know, part of having a hangover is being dehydrated.