Wild 94.9 Wildjam November 2008

Published
by
admin
on November 13, 2008
in Events and Live Music
.
1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)
0 Comments

woooo, I haven’t been to a big stadium concert in a while. This was a great one to go to, the lineup was just top notch. The radio station over here (Wild 94.9 San Francisco Bay Area) seems to throw these twice a year, maybe thrice. They had one when I first moved over here with Danity Kane and Lil Wayne. The lineup for tonight was Kevin Rudolf, Shontelle, Ciara, Ludacris, Akon, Kardinall Offishall, E-40, TI, and special guest host Cassie.

So coming from San Francisco, there was an accident which made my friend late so we missed Kevin Rudolf and Shontelle which is ok because they both only have one song anyway. I would think Kevin Rudolf would be boring without Lil Wayne and Shontelle’s song is a girl anthem which would’ve been interesting because I think that crowd was 3:1 or even 4:1 girls to guys. (Yes)

Our seats were pretty damn shitty .. 2 rows from the back lol but it was straight cause it was free and the same view as the box seats. So we can just pretend I had box seats for now. Ciara came on and she was…Ciara lol, I wasn’t too excited to see her. BTW, if you haven’t noticed - half the lineup was from Atlanta. I thought she’d do her song with E-40, but no .. more on that later.

Next was Ludacris and I was really suprised they put him before Kardinall Offishall and I thought we had missed him too, but we didn’t ;). Luda was tight but I’ve seen him better … every time I saw him was better actually. My first time @ Tech where I was pretty close to the stage and then in Norway where I swore I was the only American in the audience. Lil Fate was by his side as usual but that was it .. he didn’t bring anybody else or do any collaborations. He also only did like 1 or 2 new songs off the new album. He was added last minute to the program tho so .. wasn’t really headlining.

Alright, next up was the bulk of the show. Akon. Akon is crazy, straight crazy…I didn’t think his live performances would be noteworthy after his whole Trinidad fiasco and then throwing a kid off his stage, but DAMN. Akon went nuts…he kept throwing himself into the audience. I’m sure a lot of girls got to cop a feel tonight. Akon brought on a new act from Kon Live, Flipsyde, which I just learned is from Oakland, CA…they should’ve played to that a bit more. Kon Live is really building up their roster quite well. If Akon plays his cards right, they’re going to be a huge label.

Akon then brought on the MAN, Kardinall Offishall. The crowd LOVED him. This is where the show started to get hype. Real Hype. Dangerous had the girls moving like woah. And then E-40 came out and did his song with Akon. I know you aint used to having real niggas like me around. The Bay Area LOVES E 40 and hyphy music. E40 did his set and I haven’t seen a whole stadium move like that before. It was pretty crazy. Akon said this was supposed to be the livest radio station concert and it may be .. They should’ve moved the chairs from the floor though, floors should always be open at concerts. Anyway, Akon took back the stage after E-40 and continued his shenanigans moving into the crowd and getting stuck in an audience that didn’t know how to crowd surf.

After Akon came TI and the King closed out the show. I thought TI switched a flip and was going to have a more positive attitude on everything but he still has a chip on his shoulder and did all his hard tracks. I guess Shawty Lo really got to him. He did his hype tracks too but didn’t do his songs with Luda…I couldn’t understand that. They each have a song which each other and neither did them. TI gave a nice long public service announcement to embrace haters and live your life (which was the last song performed) and then the lights turned on.

I enjoyed myself, as usual, I love live music but really prefer small venues or at least venues where its general admission and you can move close when you want or far when you want. So I’m looking forward to Youtube Live next weekend :).

A little update on advancescreenings.com

Published
by
admin
on November 7, 2008
in Internet, My Other SItes and Site News
.
1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (No Ratings Yet)
0 Comments

I have really been behind on development of the site. A lot of it has been built out and started, but I need to start completing functions/sections, polishing up the front end, and put it all together. I keep seeing people talk about screenings so I know the demand is still there however I don’t know if users will post content and I need how to learn how to aggregate data from these new screening sources better. I should also look into scraping..but all these things can be thought out for future versions of the project. Really I just need to sit down for a few hours and bang it out.

I did actually create my logo since I couldn’t find any graphic designer to do it for me. Now I need to design the rest of the aesthetics and stylings of each page. This influences the way inputs are layed out and how some functions operate. Not to mention I haven’t even began to think about javascript and the behavoirs. *sigh* There’s a lot to do.

However, v1 is still just around the corner, I know it because this is not a difficult site…I’m just thinking too difficult. I can keep the data entry rudimentary and have multiple entries per screening, that isn’t too much of a problem and will look like the site has more content. I also need to write up the help section of the site and educational parts to teach users how screenings work and how to find them to post them on the site. This doesn’t take brains, just time.

Time is something I have, but am not utilizing wisely. Someone has hacked the G1 a bit and learned to tether it for internet, but I haven’t been able to install the app on my phone *le sigh*. With that, I could use the internet while on the train and yes, it’s alot easier to code a website while on the internet…but that’s no excuse. I should be able to do it locally. Right now, I think the problem is not having photoshop to make the design. I need to sit down with the big boy laptop at home but I am just so tired whenever I get home…

There’s the update. Hopefully this gives me motivation to work on the site when I get home tonight. I just wrote these last 4 posts on the train coming home offline and will post them once I get home. Someone make a wordpress app for the G1. *le sigh* so many projects.

Mr. President Barack Obama

Published
by
admin
on November 7, 2008
in Life
.
1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (No Ratings Yet)
0 Comments

Of course I have to write a post about the Presidential elections of 2008. Any election is history but of course this is a momentous one. My President is black and (if you’re in the US) so is yours. It was funny to see and read everyone’s reactions and views. If you know me, you know I don’t vote but that doesn’t mean I’m not political.

I do not agree with the political system of the United States (2 party system and beyond). I am very grateful the public chose Obama (both electoral and popular vote - which I think is very important (the electoral system is plain retarded - another flaw)) and we were saved from Sarah Palin who believed Africa was a country. Now, really, out of all of the millions of eligible people in the United States, we were left with these 4?: Obama, McCain, Biden, Palin. The system is flawed. And then we get into the amount of money that was generated and used for each campaign, ridiculous…all during an economic recession.

Anyway, there are many political blogs and journalists out there saying the same things and different things. My opinion is mine and I live by it. I don’t really feel like using this blog as a way to expose my political views, I’d rather do that in a discussion or debate…because you’re wrong and I need to show you the right way. hah

Girl Talk

Published
by
admin
on November 7, 2008
in Events and Live Music
.
1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (No Ratings Yet)
0 Comments

YES, again! Girl Talk came through San Francisco on his tour after releasing Feed The Animals. And he definitely did just that. As usual, the show was amazing. This was the first time I saw him in a “venue/club” atmosphere and it was great because the venue was amazing. When I talked to Gregg (Girl Talk) at the Y! show, he said The Fillmore was his favorite venue and I can really see why. It has a lot of history and they flaunt it. The opening act was weird…some death metal scream shit wannabe. Whatever. The second act was pretty funny. Two random white dudes singing/rapping about random things. Think Group X type stuff.

At first the venue was empty and I thought San Francisco was lame and let Girl Talk but apparently everyone got the memo on when to show up including a friend from my short stint at Yahoo!, Ross. The place filled up before Girl Talk took the stage and people were ready to rush the stage. He had some cool background visuals and table logo covered with christmas lights. And of course the classic toilet paper attached to a leaf blower and confetti. The music was on point. He had the mixes from Feed The Animals and then brand new songs like Kanye’s Heartless. When I heard that, I almost pissed my pants because it’s my favorite song right now. Girl Talk never fails, the show was amazing but I wish I could’ve stayed till the end. Originally my friend Josh was supposed to come along and I was gonna get a ride back to the South Bay but he actually puts work as a higher priority than Girl Talk, go figure.

Bridge School Benefit 2008

Published
by
admin
on November 7, 2008
in Events and Live Music
.
1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (No Ratings Yet)
0 Comments

So I’ve been behind on my blog posts so I need to catch up beginning with my first acoustic concert. This was like a hidden gem of the area. I heard nothing about it before I stumbled on it on the internet (but maybe because I’m not the target audience and it wasn’t advertised to me). Either way I was really excited about the lineup because I had not seen most of the performers before. I quickly spammed the few people I know around the bay and my friend Zack wanted to go and invited 2 of his co-workers. w00t! 4-pack discount.

The venue was the Mountain View Amphitheater (the same place I went for the WildJam ComedyJam). It’s ridiculously close to my apartment which is nice. I literally hop on the 101 from the 237 then hop off 1 or 2 exits later. Anyway, the concert was cool. Very mellow, very relaxing, but we definitely didn’t come prepared. Other people brought their blankets, lunches, drinks, etc. It was a whole day affair. We came to late to see Cat Power but that’s ok, because I don’t know who they are anyway? Wilco was playing as we walked in. Then Death Cab For Cutie. The atmosphere was amazing, people were just talking/hanging out .. and then the live music was in the background. A real nice experience with a group of friends. It wasn’t like a stand up and rock out concert, it was a set up a picnic and enjoy life concert.

After came the bigger names. Smashing Pumpkins, Josh Groban, and Norah Jones. It was really great to see real musicians with real instruments. Even though our society has moved to other forms of musical entertainment, it’s nice to see, hear, and feel something real. Throughout the evening, performers performed with each other. Josh Groban came out with Smashing Pumpkins which I don’t think was a great move but whatever lol. Neil Young (who organizes the event every year) performed with Norah Jones and then Jack Johnson. I had never really listened to Jack Johnson before but knew he had a huge following for this kind of stuff and he was great. I’d definitely go see him again. *wink wink* Steph (lol if you actually read this). It got ridiculously cold and I was just wearing a T-Shirt so we went to get hot chocolate for $4.50 a cup and it was the shittiest hot chocolate I had ever had in my life. No I did not give them the left over $.50 as tip, I should’ve took back my damn money and through the hot water (yes, it was basically water) in their face. *sigh*

All in all, it was a great experience, as you know I love live music and I love experiencing all types of music so now acoustic is off my list.

Old Posts

Published
by
admin
on October 19, 2008
in Site News
.
1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)
0 Comments

I just updated my blog (by hand) to include all of the old posts from before I started in San Fran. I figured the point of the blog is to keep track of all my adventures. I actually didn’t remove the old posts on purpose, I just wanted to start ‘anew’ and have a new design so I quickly installed a new blog without realizing i would loose all my old posts. Luckily, I didn’t overwrite the database. So I took the wp_posts table and combined it with the existing one.

This post is actually a test to make sure the auto_increment still works and the blog doesn’t break, so let’s see :P

Red Bull Soap Box Derby and Estelle, Gym Class Heroes, and The Roots Concert

Published
by
admin
on October 19, 2008
in Events, Life and Live Music
.
1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (No Ratings Yet)
0 Comments

So yesterday was a fun filled day. I started off by missing the CalTrain by 1 minute. It was literally one of those run after the train as it moves off. Luckily my friend Alex was heading to SF so he gave me a ride. I showed up to the Red Box Soap Box Derby and met up with my friend Gonzalo. There was an estimated 60,000 people who showed up. That’s CRAZY, the park was packed. It was held at Dolores Park in the Mission District. I think that’s where I would want to move when I move to San Fran. I gotta keep an eye open for deals…

And if I move to San Fran, I think I have to copy my friend Gonzalo and get a scooter. He got a Vespa and can just wiz around town no problem (and park almost anywhere). Driving as bitch was pretty scary though, no lie. I thought I was gonna fall off and get bruised up (that was my first time on a scooter) and that thing hauls ass..

Anyway, Gonzalo gave me a ride to CalTrain and I headed to the Palo Alto station where my friend from Tech Crew, Josh Vose, picked me up. This was the first time I saw him since he moved back out here to work. He’s the only one I know so far on the west coast who listens to Hip Hop, isn’t that sad? Anyway, we headed to the San Jose State Event Center where I saw young people again! Working in the “real world” I feel like I skipped 10 or 20 years. The kids at the concert looked young as hell though.

The concert was tight. I love live music. I haven’t been to a show in quite a while. I had already seen Gym Class Heroes and The Roots together in the Netherlands but I loved their show so I was glad to see them again. Estelle is now added to my list of artists I’ve seen. She was good and gritty. I love British accents, yeh? It’s so cool innit? She told me to have sex (and everyone else in the arena) lol…Gym Class Heroes pretty much continued their show I saw last time with the new additions of their newer songs. Their pianist/2nd guitarist looked so depressed the whole show though, it was weird. The Roots put on like always. Listening to them is like going to a jam session. I wish they had a longer set like in the Netherlands to have more solos by ?uestlove and their guitarist, Captain Kirk. They are truly amazing. Most Def came through and performed with them. He wasn’t drunk off his ass like at Rock The Bells in Miami so I could actually understand him that time. I love live music. love it love it. Can’t wait for what’s next…

My Reality is Dreams

Published
by
admin
on October 13, 2008
in Life
.
1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (No Ratings Yet)
0 Comments

I just came to the realization that I just want to dream. I don’t want the stress and responsibility that comes with almost anything you do in life. I just want to dream of what could be. I don’t really care if they come true or not because even if they did or didn’t, i would just dream of something else. Something more or something similar.

You can’t control the world especially the people within it. And I’m never satisfed even when things do go my way. I always want to keep going but in the respect, I always keep dreaming. Things work out, they just do so no worries. I have the fundamental base that will support me throughout life so I’m not worried. But I don’t seem to have the drive or ability to take risks that turn dreams into reality. When things do “just happen” it’s great .. but I really don’t find enjoyment in it. I’m happy with dreaming of what I can do next.

Blogging from Jamaica

Published
by
admin
on October 11, 2008
in Family and Life
.
1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (No Ratings Yet)
0 Comments

I haven’t been back to Jamaica in 2 years so I thought I’d write at least one post. I just woke up in my cousin’s new room in my family’s newly renovated (currently being renovated - it’s not done) house. It’s quite amazing, the house has probably tripled or quadrupled its square footage. The room I’m in now never existed and is on top of what was a carport (garage). The new house has 7 bedrooms and I think each has it’s own bathroom.

But enough about the house (eventhough it makes me want to make my own dream casa). I’m not here for vacation, I’m here for my grandpa’s 85th birthday. It’s a surprise party but I’m pretty sure I can spill the beans here because he doesn’t know how to use the internet and no one reads my blog anyway lol. I might start posting here more, advertising it a little bit and get some links in, blah. Oh, and friggen 1and1 auto renewed my notsoheadlinenews.com so I need to put something on that within the next year to not have it go to waste again (and waste 6 bucks).

Anyway, back to Jamaica, we’re goign to hellshire for lunch today, then the party is tonight, and then we fly out tomorrow morning. Bright and early. Then I embark on my journey back to the west coast. Lol, I wonder how many people go from the west of the US to Jamaica for a weekend. My dream is to fly down to hellshire for lunch. That’s it. Have enough mula and free time to be like, hey, (name of some girl), wanna go to Jamaica for lunch? And this probably means I have a private jet, which is another one of my goals.

This is also making me want to travel again and go on vacation. This is not a vacation because I am really only here for the weekend. It’s like a pop in and say hello trip which is good cause you never know what’s going to happen and I haven’t seen some of my relatives in years.

The Social World

Published
by
admin
on October 1, 2008
in Internet and Life
.
1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (5 votes, average: 3.8 out of 5)
0 Comments

So people complain that the Internet has separated people and made them antisocial. On the other hand, people praise the Internet for making the world smaller and bringing people together. How can both of these ideas be true? Technology has gone a long way in disrupting and then complimenting life. At first, only a few could harness the power or know what was going on. Nowadays, everybody is on the net and if you aren’t then you aren’t cool. At the same time, having a social networking life is as important as having a real social life.

I just got back from Mashable Monthly in San Fran. It was pretty interesting but I don’t think I’m ready for Mashable parties yet. Unlike most of the people who attended, I am a developer making a product rather than a PR person trying to push a product or find a story. I don’t think I had any reason to be there. But in the end, I talked to a couple people and saw what that world was all about. I asked one girl (naively) what she does. She said, “I’m a girl here, obviously I’m in PR.” As the night when on, I realized how true that was.

Anyway, I came home and signed up for 2 more sites, strands (another social aggregator - side note: aggregator is not in the spell check)  and akoha (a pay it forward game). Akoha (i hate the name) is pushign the limits on having users interact in the real world…that’s the point of the game and I think it’s really cool. You have sites like upcoming and meetup which tries to use the internet to get people to come together. You also have sites like Mixx? (I can’t remember the name because it’s private beta and I’m not in) and Ignighter (great marketing - they invited me after I tweeted about their competition) which are doing group dating using the internet which I think is the perfect stepping stone.

People are still afraid to meet psychos, I mean people, over the internet. So if you get a group of friends to meet another group of friends, at least you got protection, right? Too bad I still don’t have a group in Cali. Either way, the social world is incredibly interesting and to make a successful product in that field is very hard to do. You have to figure out why people are using the Internet and then how much they would want to merge that with their real life. Some people use the Internet to get away from that real life, others use it to manage it.

Anyway, it’s always great meeting the people behind the sites. I need to find more techie meetups though. And still need to come up with that killer idea…