sandstone peak - redux

made the trek up sandstone peak on sunday to gorgeous weather and even better company. arrived at 3pm and made the leisurely 6-mile jaunt in about 4 hours, taking the time to appreciate split rock, inspiration point (yay for gummi life savers) and finally the peak at 3,111 feet.



what was also funny is we kept running into the same couple who were struggling like the dickens, so every time we bumped into them their shirts were a bit more soaked, faces a bit more red, etc. they were great sports about it and we both had fun pushing each other to the top. we all took photos, happily signed the register documenting our experience and hurtled downwards in anticipation for some much-needed grub...

front flip - white lotus

went to open gym tonight at white lotus kung fu studio in northridge, where they have a dedicated section strictly for parkour. there's a big trampoline, makeshift scaffolding, bouncy floors and all kinds of mats and cushions to play around on. also ran into king david, one of the headliners of MTV's ultimate parkour challenge and a founding member of the lost boys family.

and, i successfully executed a front flip, albeit from a raised mat. i don't have the stones to try it from a level surface just yet, but in due time...

the ball street journal - new college basketball venture!

so my friend kyle and i are starting a new online venture set in the world of basketball, where we track the ascent of rising hoop stars on their way to college and the NBA. it's something we've had a strong passion for all our lives, so now is the time it manifested itself in a productive way. based out of southern california, we have access to a lot of games, teams and talent which showcase the best of the best, so we're excited to be bringing our expertise to the rabid fan bases all across the country. it will undoubtedly be a work in progress at the outset, but hopefully we'll gain our footing quickly and be able to provide a unique and comprehensive take on the world of college basketball. without further ado...

http://theballstreetjournalonline.blogspot.com/

japanese tea ceremony

this saturday i had the chance to take part in an authentic tea ceremony - courtesy of my friend heidi - who invited me to be her official guest. now i thought that meant i could hide out in the back and observe the goings-on from afar, but lo and behold, they called me up to participate in actually receiving the tea.



it's actually quite fascinating to see this cherished japanese ceremony up close. to ensure that the guest's cup of tea is the best they will ever receive, there are customs for everything - everything from how one enters the tea room, which step you take when entering/leaving, how to sit, how to hold, raise and rotate the cup (chawan), etc. and that's just for the guest! let's just say i was mesmerized watching her prepare my cup with such discipline and precision. because i typically avoid caffeine, i requested 'weak' tea instead of strong, which caused an uproar in class as i instantly became the laughingstock. the sensei even cried out "wimp!" in disdain...

film review - 'splice'

verdict: 9/10 (but not in the way you think)

some of you may be wondering why in the world i would pay money to see this, but let's just say i was pleasantly roped into seeing this genetic freak show... and was thrilled that i did. words literally can't describe what's up on screen, but comedy or not, this was the funniest movie i've seen in years, '40-year old virgin' included.

i'm not sure what adrien brody and sarah polley's agents were thinking when they first read this script, but i'm taking bets that 'OMG i have to get my client on this!' wasn't the first thing out of their mouth. i really think there's something to this oscar curse, as brody goes from 'the pianist' to this, cuba gooding, jr. from 'jerry maguire' to 'snow dogs,' halle berry from 'monster's ball' to 'die another day,' etc.

regardless, the set up is this: scientists and partners clive (brody) & elsa (polley) create a new organism for the good of science, but when they tempt fate by fusing it w/elsa's DNA, the resulting daughter/thing-a-ma-jig unleashes a series of unimaginable consequences.


and when i say unimaginable consequences, i mean it coming back from the dead to have sex w/clive, have sex w/elsa, kill clive and then impregnate elsa. if you're not sold by now, what can i say, you're no fun...

pangos all-american camp 2010

this past weekend had kyle and i dropping in on the 8th annual pangos all-american camp, which is a national showcase for high school basketball stars and those sleepers looking to break out against elite competition. to give you an example of the talent they bring in, the last 4 MOPs (most outstanding players) at pangos have been harrison barnes (#1 ranked player in the class of 2010 and UNC signee), john wall (soon-to-be #1 draft pick by the wizards), brandon jennings (dropped 55 as a rookie for the bucks this past year) and james harden (prior lottery pick by the OKC thunder).



we'll have a more detailed write-up in a soon-to-be-unveiled basketball site that we're planning to launch (the ball street journal, details to follow), but the pangos camp had more of an all-star game type feel than the more structured AAU teams at the previous weekend's nike EYBL. still, some of the elite players in the country were competing for MOP honors (6'10" quincy miller, 7'0" isaiah austin, 6'3" quddus bello) as well as a plethora of rising and local stars...