Last Friday turns out to be just a practice run for what happened about 2 hours ago. Larry and I had one pint of beer at cafe borrone and they looked at me like I sucked on the tap like a infant to a breast. On top of that I was insulted, “Don’t lie to us, how many have you had tonight?” Are you fucking kidding me?! I had ONE. One fucking beer over an hour and a half ago. I swear! Anyways I went through everything in the rookie cop training manual on how to test a drunk fuck except for the backwards ABC thing, I told her I couldn’t do that sober. What seemed like an eternity finally concluded with a breathalyzer test. This contraption was not only bigger and uglier then Sia’s it took a lot longer then the 5 seconds Sia’s required, my lungs actually emptied when the stupid thing clicked. What did I register? The cop’s eyes popped open in shock and the other, disappointed, mumbled, ‘he’s fine’. Well what the fuck did they think I was going to register? Over eager, under paid, under appreciated fucks.

I guess there’s no real crime in Menlo Park, so harass the patrons of local businesses. Thanks for wasting my time.

I have to say I enjoyed last weekend. Sia got his grubby hands on a breathalyzer, and when you add 6 guys and this handy little gadget it equates to trouble. We were unleashed around downtown Palo Alto, grabbing everything we could drink at Nola’s, Old Pro, and Blue Chalk. As the night closed I believe Kam won the BAC competition followed by Sia and the rest of us. I was super hungover when I had dim sum with Jenny and friends the following Saturday. On Sunday morning I met Brooks and Cara, Sia, and Stefano at Brook’s house in Montclair, tooled around with cars and drink beers. Afterwards I shot over into the city to do some quick shopping, take photos and caught dinner with Jonathan and Alicia at Restaurant LuLu. On the way home I stopped by Michael’s Marble Slab Creamery where I helped close, my reward was a pint of ice cream. Sweet huh?

As I’m typing this there was a psycho driving through San Francisco plowing down innocent pedestrians. People never cease to surprise me with sheer stupidity. The guy has been caught and as harsh as it seems…Should be exterminated or taken out of the breeding population.

Anyways…photos from the weekend: “No matter how bad of a situation you are in, just remember there is someone who has it worse.”

The sign says “Homeless HiV Positive Please Help God Bless” - I did not know this as I photographed him.

I asked if I could take her photo, she said yes and tried to smile. This was the result.

-Wallace

Just a friendly reminder to check your local humane society if you’re thinking about adding a pooch to your daily existence.

I ate dinner with a friend last night and had an ephiny this morning. I need to be around more positive people. They don’t need to be full fledged optimists, but there are just too many people who call themselves realists and are just drama queens in reality around me and it’s no wonder none of them succeed. I’m no better then anyone else, in fact I’m probably on the lower spectrum of respectable personalities, however I feel that I am doing more then my fair share to keep the aura around me in high spirits.

We came to several acquiescent points last night, some of them include:

1. Some of the most successful people in business are jerks.
2. I am a jerk, but an amicable one.
3. There is no such thing as ‘try’ you either succeed or fail, there is no middle ground.
4. It’s ok to fail, as long as you know why you failed then succeed eventually.
5. Human capital > Monetary capital
6. Have a ultimate goal, create a path.
7. Forget what you learned about business in school, It’s different in the real world.
8. The best consultant is the one you did not pay for.
9. Be passionate, spread motivation.
10. Whatever you do, make sure you enjoy it.

Business is a world dominated by cut-throat negotiations, a environment that ascertains Charles Darwin’s theory of Natural Selection, later coined ‘Survival of the fittest by Herbert Spencer. Some people just do not function well in these situations. Let me make it clear that it is not their fault, however you do not need to make their problem yours.

My world is very simple; it’s black or white, right or wrong, there is very little grey area or middle ground. One makes a choice and deals with its result. You may ask, “What if the outcome is unfavorable?” The answer is simple: admit fault and follow the correct path, you may have backtracked a few steps but it’s better late then never. To ‘try’ is setting yourself up for failure, it’s never ok to; ‘try your best’ you either ‘give it your best’ or ‘admit defeat before the battle.’ When one ‘tries’ they are mentally prepared to fail, therefore when one fails they are able to say ‘at least I tried.’ In my opinion, this is bullshit, you either succeed or you don’t. You do or you don’t. Simple really.

Why do you slave away at your day job for? To pay bills? To make a living? To get by? Great…I’m not here to judge, but how did you end up with your current job? The majority of us have such ‘great’ jobs due to referrals from friends and family. When your bank account is low and there’s no where else to turn your true friends are there for you. To invest in them is the best investment you can make. This goes the same for employees, treat your employees well and you will notice a change with your ROI.

Where do you want to eventually be? Many of us are just squandering around and haven’t found a calling. That’s absolutely fine, what do you think you want to do? Make that a goal and work toward it, if your thoughts change along the process re-evaluate the situation and plan a different course of action. Time is short, most of my friends are in their mid twenties or early thirties, think about it in another 30-35 years they are facing retirement. You can afford to lose fortunes but you can not afford to lose time. You can re-make fortunes, Donald Trump has made and lossed fortunes many times over, but time waits for no mortal being. Make things count, leave no stone unturned and leave no room for regrets.

Business Antics 101? Forget it, you will be bulldozed over if you operate on what you learned in business school. Learn how to adapt and change. One needs to either lead, follow, or make room for prodigies. Guy Kawasaki makes a firm point about ‘mantra’ instead of ‘mission statements,’ be flexible, know what you want and where you’re going but do not be dead set and in love with an idea. It’s not it ‘might’ change, it ‘will’ change.

Your round table / board of advisers will guide your business in the correct direction, these should be composed of people you can not afford to hire. They are there willing to help and want to see you succeed, however they do not make the best consultants on life, these people are your closest friends and family. Their main concern is you, and do not want to see you fail. Life is a game, and like all games some are better then others. Friends will keep you on path and not let you fault, real friends want to see you succeed and are happy when you do. Invest in these friends, downgrade or cut off ‘friends’ who give you shit for succeeding or give back-handed compliments when you advance. They are insecure and you need to know when to cut them off, even if they are family, otherwise they will keep you grounded. Bottom line is you need to grow, don’t let them get in your way.

Lastly, why does passion matter so much? The majority of people in my opinion lack passion. Why do I buy the things I buy and Why do I do the things I do? Why do I buy Panerai and Audi’s instead of Rolex or BMW/Mercedes? Have you asked a BMW driver why is their car better then a Honda? The answer would be probably something like, ‘Well, it’s a BMW and costs $X amount more.’ However can they tell you the heritage of BMW, did you know they originally built airplanes?, either way they probably purchased it because they were finally financially capable of justifying it and so they do. Same with Rolex. I can tell you exactly why I prefer Panerai over Rolex, and the brief overlap of the two, and I can tell you why in my personal opinion Audi is better then BMW or Mercedes.

Live for a reason, use things with purpose, enjoy life because you were never promised tomorrow.

-Wallace

It’s a bit after noon and I’m dressed in a soft tshirt, cargo shorts, and brown leather flip flops sitting and working from Panera Bread in Cupertino with the help of WiFi and my laptop. Most people have daily routines, and the majority of people wake up, wash up, go to work, bitch about work and life in general, then drive home, catch some tv, maybe dinner, sleep then repeat. Pretty dull and unattractive if you ask me, I prefer working in hotel lobbies or cafes under natural sunlight and a beer on hand. To make any of this possible we depend and have taken certain items for granted such as the hot water in your shower, the bar of soap that awaits you, toothpaste in the tube, fresh underwear, a car that starts, the computer in your cube or office to work correctly and software that you can depend on, a television that shows a picture and a pair of ears ready to hear you gripe and complain at your will. If any of these are lacking you are thrown off balance and for a short while lost.

My laptop died on me last week, which is why you have not seen an update to this blog, oh the things I missed. I was so used to working via cafes, bookstores, and hotels that I griped thinking about going back to my office only to dwell under those artificial fluorescent lights. They arn’t even full spectrum for sakes. I have to say I’m enjoying today, I’m glad to have my laptop back. All I have to do now is get a few programs re-loaded and re-configure some things and hopefully I’ll be back in business, these days are too precious to waste indoors surrounded by grey cubicle walls and artificial lighting. (Not to mention I don’t exactly like talking/seeing/having anything to do with my co-workers)

- Hippy @ Panera Bread

very tired, very drunk, and very sore - sykes hot springs, may 2006

I will be the first to admit that I can be an asshole at times, and it’s usually un-warrented. The targets are usually people who I don’t care about or know. Anyways, I was sorting through old photos today and came across a couple of Jenny earlier this year. I’ve known Jenny for about 2.5 almost 3 years now, I met her when she was an intern at Northwestern Mutual. Appitizers and Marzen at Gordon Biersch then dancing downtown San Jose.

A few of us would meet for happy hour on a biweekly basis, this was just to waste time between our day jobs and the hectic lives we live at home. It was ‘our’ time, a time to bitch about the world, our clients, express our concerns, worries, and insecurities. Most importantly a portal where we could express ourselves without fear of judgement or condescending opinions. It was an open forum. I show up and want a beer, I offer the few there one as well. Jenny declines saying that beer goes directly to her ass, I remark that beer has been proven to enhance the mammory glands on women. With this Jenny exclaims, ‘I’ll take 2!’ She gets her beer and we’re back on track, only as the night grows old I become full of malice. Not really, but I would bag on Jenny’s chest every oppertunity I got. The night soon came to a close and we all bid our farewells. She’s a good sport so no harm done.

A few days later I have nothing to do at night and end up watching ‘Closer‘ with Jude Law and Natalie Portman at night. I could not sleep for the life of me, I felt so guilty for taking full advantage of Jenny’s uncombative demeanor that I fell asleep somewhere between 4:30 and 5am, only to wake up at 7:30am stumbling into the office. I call her first thing in the morning and insist on taking her out to lunch to make up for my jackassery. Of course more for my conscious sake then her benefit.

Lunch turned into a 3 or 4 hour event, we went to Thea’s which served horizontal versions of skyscraper food. Great food, but tiny morsels on a plate painted with sauce and reductions. It was a scene I would of loved to capture on film, just the two of us seated near a wall. a wooden table and crisp white table cloth seperating us in a vast cavernous space. Thea’s ceilings are exaggerated and faux stone runs everywhere. Just us, a tired waiter and the bar tender polishing glasses. I apologized for my actions, she said no harm done, in fact she already forgot and forgave. We moved onto other subjects and her story is one that motivates me, and what I like to see everyone achieve one day. We met a rough two years ago over appitizers and beers, she was full of doubts. Was she going to make it in her industry? How is she different from the others in her firm? Could she survive in such an environment? Doubts and fears, something all of us have to deal with. A brief two years later she is up to six-figures, a new car, a house, and more. Quite the Cinderella story.

The bill comes, I’m shocked. I mean…I doubt we consumed $10 worth of raw food, maybe it was the occupancy or service charge as we were there for an exaggerated amount of time. Either way…it was worth every penny. A turning point in our relationship.

hooray for boobs..eh i mean beer

-Wallace

ps. Before any of you ask: was never, am not, and will never be interested. She’s been with Quang since I’ve met her and I forsee no changes down the road. Our ‘relationship’ is purely on a platonic level. So can males and females be friends? Yes…very rarely.

uncertain

Today has been one of my more interesting days, we biked what I consider our first real ride. A brisk 13 mile average this morning. On the way home I nearly got ran over by a white cargo van (insert joke here), it literally came within inches of me. I can now tell you first hand why cyclists are so paranoid when it comes to motor vehicles. Anyways…you’re all disappointed there’s not a memorial on the corner of Lawerence Expressway and Bollinger Rd. I’m sure.

Later in the day I met this guy Lloyd, who captivated me. Here’s a guy, given that he is much older, who is fully capable of doing what he enjoys doing and not only that, he gets paid for it! I am envious, and have a great deal of respect for this. A brief history lesson taught me that he founded 5 start ups pre-bubble and this seems to have generated enough passive allowing him to pursue his passions. His interests overlap mine; photography, cycling, backpacking, and other outdoor activities. All this and the most beat up Porsche Cayenne Turbo I’ve ever seen, a true baller.

I ended up getting an itch to pick up my camera again, I have not gone out to actively capture images in months. I didn’t get anything impressive, however what I ended up with is depicted in the Photo Blog below.

In other news I think I picked up enough new toys and expenditures this month, time to move my focus back on the condo. It needs new flooring, furniture, and a fresh LCD or plasma television. Not to mention I need to mount that bike rack I picked up last weekend. Oh! Check out this thing…I have to get one of these: Sumo Lounge.

-Wallace

ps. Have a safe trip Boebs! I’m waiting for my peruvian momento. >=) & Happy Birthday Lauren, how was the party at Ruby Skye? Sorry I did not make it, been a bit lackadaisical these days. Zoli - Dinner this Wednesday…Don’t you dare cancel.

Photo Blog:

a moment

paths

going places

serenity

I splurged today. This is going to be one expensive month, I still need tires for the Volkswagen. I just had to have these things. I mean…look at the carbon fiber sole. It’s just sexy.

After a few rides with the toe cages I decided I had enough, I went back to Chain Reaction (this time in Los Altos) and picked up these sweet Nike Altea II’s and a pair of speedplay pedals.

Tour de France here I come

-Wallace

Went to Chain Reaction Bicycles this morning in Redwood City and picked up a new Trek 1500. However this one is special what I mean by that is the components have been upgraded, instead of the Shimano 105 group it’s supposed to come with, this one has a Shimano Ultegra / 105 mix group, even the crank is a hollotech 105. Shibby. Check out the watch for scale.

I was originally set on a ’boutique bike’ such as a; lemond or orbea, or an exotic like cervelo, calfee, colnago, serotta, however after pricing them out my green just stretched further when it came to a big cycle brand, such as Trek. A comparable boutique bike would of cost twice what I spent today, and being new to the sport I just could not justify that.

About the compression shorts, wow…I have never seen myself in such form fitting clothing. Free balling and what feels like a huge diaper under my chode. I just put my ego aside and got out before I lost my balls. After the initial ‘WTF am I doing?’ things got rolling pretty fast. A quick 5 mile ride and I can see myself getting absorbed into this quickly.

A few recent pictures:

Michael opens a Marble Slab Creamery in Redwood City. Google Map

adecadentexistence girl. Many of you asked…I figured one more won’t hurt. I don’t know if the DOF is supposed to look like that or what but it’s not my favorite photo. The one below though…smoking.

This happened last night. True Story.

After dinner I dropped by Joann’s fabrics to pick up some clear vinyl. On my way in an asian woman (this is Cupertino after all) in her mid twenties stops me and says “Oh my gosh your car is soOoooOoo cute.” As hard as I tried to make this VW not ‘cute’ (look the thing has a boser hood and a dumped like euro trash) I still get the ‘cute’ comment. I have come to accept this, ‘fine’ I thought. It was the next comment out of her donkey lips that I did not expect. “Is it a Honda Fit?”

A Honda WHAT?! What did she just call my poor orange colored monstrocity?! She just insulted my poor car! How DARE her! She compared a gas guzzling, uber modded eye sore to an econobox marketed toward the enviromentally friendly!

I was so appaled that the only response I could muster up was, “Nope, it’s just a VW” then turned and walked off in disbelief. Larry tells me she was trying to spit, I’m going to give her the benefit of the doubt on her behalf, but her game was weak.

Time for a new car. First person to find me a Polar White Audi S6 Avant gets a reward. I’m going to dump that thing on bronze wheels with a custom TechArt exhaust / rear valence set up. Psuedo RS6 here I come >=) Mistake this for a Honda Fit.

In other news I learned that diluted cigarettes in water could have enough nicotine to induce cardiac arrest. I only learned this because I nearly drank this wretched brew a couple weeks ago. Long story.

I settled on a road bike, I will be picking it up later this week. Pictures to come.

New watch is here =) It’s orange just like my VW. hehehe…

-Wallace

PS. Boebs! - Wherever life takes you, I’ll visit you…and most likely bring some friends along too. Happy Birthday.