Another interesting horoscope

Libra - Friday August 13th, 2010

You can still feel the pull between your own personal needs and those of your friends and workmates. You may attempt to redefine your values and your current situation, but the more you look at all your options, the better the status quo appears. If you aren't sure what your next action should be now, try checking in with your friends, for they can be the source of profound advice at this time.

via Tarot.com

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All Signs Point To The Sunset Becoming Trendy

The more I walk around the Sunset District, the more I see gentrification slowly creeping along. There are signs of modernity and trendy places along parts of the Inner & Central parts of the Sunset District.

A few examples:

• New Gastropub "Social Kitchen & Brewery" (@ 9th & Irving)
• New Wine Bar "Inner Fog" (@7th & Irving)
• New Upscale Day Spa "Revel Spa" (@ 7th & Irving)
• New Create Your Own Sushi Bar "Let's Roll!" (@ 23rd & Irving)
• New Cereal Cafe "Schweet Boks Cereal Eatery & Fresh Roasted Coffee" (@ 22nd & Irving)

Kinda excited to see what comes next to this foggy part of town. I'd really love a kick ass Single Drip Coffee House a la Blue Bottle, etc.

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Bowling Pushups

So what does it look like when a 300 lb guy tries to do a pushup because he lost a bet?
Like the above. I went bowling with Cindy, Jack and Dan once a long time ago. Probably 2005/2006?
We played a game of bowling and the person with the lowest score had to do pushups. Guess who lost? Me!

I attempted to do a pushup on my knees. I don't think I could even do one. Now I can do plenty. Anyone can really do what they want to achieve, as long as they put in the effort. :)

Cindy sent me this photo yesterday and helps me remember how far I've really come. Really really far.

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10 Things Dieters Need To Know About Metabolism

I saw a really interesting article on Discovery Health's website that talks about metabolism. It essentially shatters and confirms all the myths about metabolism.

Original Article Link via Discovery Health.

As someone who's seen a drastic change in weight over the years, I intuitively knew a lot of this information. It's not completely a shocker, but it's a good list to keep in mind when you're trying to achieve a weight goal.

1. You can't change your metabolism, but you can influence it
2. You can calculate your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)
3. "Fast" metabolism is (mostly) a myth
4. Exercise boosts metabolism
5. More muscle mass means faster metabolism
6. Healthy sleep means healthy metabolism
7. Metabolism slows with age
8. Slow thyroid means slow metabolism
9. Caffeine (may) boost your metabolism
10. Calories trump metabolism for weight loss

When I lost 120 lbs in just over a year (circa 2006-2007), I relied upon 4, 5, 9 and 10. I vaguely knew about muscle mass improving metabolism. So my strategy in my early exercise days was to build a ton of muscle in my legs, as it was probably the easiest place to start. With the boost in metabolism from muscle gain, I was able to supercharge my workouts in the future. :)

 

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Big Thanks To Josh T.

When I started at Google nearly 5 years ago, I was struck by a very passionate fresh college grad out of UCLA who was a temp with me in AdWords. He had a keen interest in design and doing good for the world. His name was Josh T. He kept it real, said what was on his mind and most importantly was out to make sure everyone succeeded.

He also was on the heftier side, like myself. When I first started Google, I was nearly 300 lbs. I'd imagine he was somewhere near that range as well.

One day, Josh and our temp teammate, Greg, started to work out at the corporate gym during lunch. They became workout buddies. I noticed Josh slim down a little and thought... "If he can, Why can't I?"

Josh was a "thinspiration." I jumped on the bandwagon after a reality check (well, two really --- 1. Not fitting on a ride at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk and 2. Being told by my friend Jack's mom that she'd like to see me thin.) I was then in search of a workout buddy. A new guy had just joined the temp team. His name was Nai. He sat in the same cube as me. He was from Oklahoma. Within 30 days of working at Google, Nai put on his "Google 15."

I asked Nai if he wanted to start to work out together. We did. We started slow since we were both severely out of shape. Nai was 30 lbs heavier than when he started college. I was a good 100+ lbs overweight. Getting me to lift any weights or do anything on a cardio machine was a challenge.

We stuck with it. I suppose in my mind it was a mini-competition between Greg and Josh vs. Nai and I. It was a supportive one at that. Josh and I would regularly check in with each other to see what kind of progress we'd make or any roadblocks we'd hit. We were in it together as well. I mean, how could you not be?

It finally got to a point where Josh and I reached our weight loss goals. Then we focused a lot of our conversations on work and dating talk. We'd also talk about fitness goals beyond losing weight. He got into running long distances. I wasn't about it. I remember once when he told me he walked from his home in Cupertino to San Francisco. I was floored. He also started to train for a marathon. I was super supportive because I know how hard he worked to get to a point to where he could even run a mile.

Funny enough, once I shunned running long distances as it wasn't for me. I was an elliptical boy. Now I just finished my first half marathon a few weeks back. It's funny how things change sometimes.
I guess the point of this entry is one of thanks. Josh has always been there for me. I'd always be there for him. For that, I'm eternally grateful.

I visited him a couple of weeks ago and he broke the news that he was about to leave the GOOG. He got a new design focused job as the CEO of a startup in Half Moon Bay. I couldn't be more proud of the guy. He can do anything he puts his mind to. I'm also glad he's getting back to his roots and his passions.

He sent out a mass customized email to what would be a select few letting him know his last day at GOOG was on Monday.

Here it is:

Hi Will,

After four and a half years and 13 managers at Google, the time has come for me to move on to my next adventure. I had plenty of adventures during my time at Google from beginning as a temp reviewing AdWords ads "in the bin" to leading the company's customer email marketing efforts, sending more emails in more languages than I could count.

Being able to share those adventures with you—whether launching an email campaign to a million users from the base of the Himalayas, riding the conference bike with Conan O'Brien, or hosting Authors@Google events in Mountain View—was the highlight of working here. For that, I am nothing but grateful.

Perhaps, none of those experiences influenced me as much as my trip with fellow Googlers to Tanzania, where I met an artist whose work I was able to bring to a greater audience with the help of Google. It embodied what I felt was at the core of Google's vision—to use technology to better—really better—the conditions under which people live, no matter how remote they might be from us—technologically, geographically, or culturally.

It's that end to which I hope to direct my passions for technology and design in the coming years, as I'll be devoting more time to running my nonprofit, BRUTE LABS, and a new incubator for socially responsible, design-oriented businesses.

And although I'll no longer have the privilege of working closely with you, I don't doubt that the people I met here will continue to be a great inspiration to me in my new work. And if any surfers want to come to Mavericks, my new office will be there. Surfing or not, I'll hope you'll stop by or keep in touch!

On to my next wave,
Josh

I plan on visiting Josh in Half Moon Bay once he's all settled. He's one of the few people I can honestly say changed my life. He's made me a better human. He also helped challenge my original thinking of it's only worth doing if the impact is "large."
Good luck on your next wave, buddy.

Circa August 2006 - Nai, Me, Josh & Greg



Circa May 2008 - Ayumi, Me, Tinwin, Nai, Josh & Greg

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My Incredible is a brick

Man, I really loved my Verizon HTC Incredible (the first time, before it was stolen during a mugging in NYC). My second one has been nothing but trouble.

I'm now suffering from what is know as the "Low on Space" error that basically makes your phone a brick.

Essentially, upon startup, I receive an error message that states, "Low on Space" when I have over 6.5 gigs still free. From doing research the past few days, it seems the only cure is a hard reset, which wipes all data. People have deduced that they think it's an issue with HTC's Mail Client as the error seems to be popping up on Windows Mobile Phones made by HTC as well. Both HTC and Verizon aren't owning up to the issue and it's getting really annoying. People are hoping a Fro Yo upgrade will fix the issue. Here's hoping, b/c I don't want to clear my data with a hard reset...

On ZDNet: Is your Droid Incredible low on disk space?

On Android Central: HTC Mail Memory Leak/Big ("Phone Storage Getting Low")

 

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A semi work reunion

Today I had a semi-impromptu reunion with some old teammates, some of whom are still at Google and some decided to leave. We were all part of a team called the "Workflow Team" that focused on a variety of functions but never really had an identity. We then split into two different teams, but always stayed close.

Pictured above is me, Erin, Britt, Tolu, Renee, Ziv & Vickie. It's been probably been a year since we got a group of this size together. Here's what we originally looked like:

See and download the full gallery on posterous

We basically just shot the shit and caught up with each other at the "hidden" Starbucks --- aka, the one near Best Buy and not 7-11. We're a fairly gossipy bunch. It's always fun because we're all don't take ourselves too seriously. Tolu and Renee are now married (albeit, not to each other). It was fun to hear about wedding life and honeymoons. It's also nice to get an outside perspective from former Googlers, because it keeps in check with reality.

I think we all feel like we're on the game show Survivor. Who'll be next? What if we all rigged the game and walked out together?

Let's be honest. People are dropping like flies. I'm getting upwards of 2 to 3 "Bon Voyage" emails a week. It makes you really think...

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Sometimes...

... I feel like I'm up against Jesus.

... or Goliath.

-David

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Girly Lunch(es)

I love having 1:1 lunches with my girlies. I used to do it ALL the time in Mountain View. Now I'm lacking girlies in San Bruno.

I got to have lunch with my work wife, Cheryl, last friday in Mountain View. It was good to catch up (which we had LOADS to catch up on) as well as try food at a new cafe. Afterwords, I carpooled with friends down to LA/Riverside for the weekend.

Today, I got to catch up with my old teammate, Brittany, in Mountain View. We worked back in 2007/2008 on the same team as well as spent 3ish months in Ann Arbor together. We got to quickly catch up on boys, work, personal life, vacations and well, gadgets. :D

She recently took a vacation to Hawaii and Mammoth. She's also been with her guy for over a year. Boy how time flies! :D

I think I do so much better with 1:1 interactions than anything else. Anything more than 4 or 5 people and I tend to take a backseat. Anywho, I'm now of the philosophy there isn't a reason why you need to schedule lunch. Just do it! No reasons are needed. :)

Late night convos

Yesterday evening, after a long drive from Los Angeles, I had my college friend Vince let me know he was in Nor Cal on a whim. Turns out he was staying with family in Fremont but was up here learning more about an organization that devotes getting new technology resources for undeserved schools in the Philippines. He wants to volunteer with an organization that helps his home country and has an educational element to it.

Turns out that the timing was perfect as I was in the South Bay and he was on his way to drop off a friend in Millbrae. We met in Millbrae and I drove us to YouTube in San Bruno for a late night chat/coffee sesh. We'd last seen each other a few months ago during his last few weeks living in Hawaii. He spent 4 years going to school and teaching there. Now he's back in Southern California while studying for graduate school exams.

We had a lot to catch up on --- personally, professionally, etc. I love the simple act of a late night conversations. The tiredness ads an element of delirium and realism. People tend to be more honest. Usually settings are more quiet and intimate.

I'm proud of him for the goals he's set out for himself as well as a making a few personal strides in being comfortable with himself.

He was one of the first people I ever came out to and I will never forget that moment in West Hollywood (@ the Target off La Brea & Santa Monica Blvd.). It's an awesome story.

It's funny how we've known each other for most of our adult lives and it seems like yesterday we were taking business classes together at UCR. Crazy how time flies.

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The Gay Mexican

Well, in a sense, I'm a gay Mexican. But that isn't what this entry is about.

A few weeks back, I was in a bar in the Castro while waiting for friends to arrive. I used to clam up at the thought of being alone in a bar, but I got over that over time with an improvement in social skills and self esteem. So while alone and sans alcohol, I just observed the crowd and listened to some good tunes [*untz untz untz*].

Next thing I knew I felt my chest being groped. I looked to my right and this man in what appeared to be in his late 30's had a grin on his face. I'm not gonna lie, he looked like a creepy guy slash potential child molester.

There was something about him that made me want to talk to him to see what he had to say. Normally, I'd just scadadle on my merry way after asking their name and politely finding an exit strategy.
The mystery man was like, "You [pronounced like "Jew"] have a nice chest. Are you from here?" I said yes and asked where he was from. He was from a small town a few hours from Mexico City but used to be a professor at Diablo City College in the North Bay of San Francisco. He hadn't been to San Francisco since 2002. He was here for a conference on the "Law of Attraction." Okay, first sign he wasn't a total creepster just out to touch man pecks.

I asked more about his background and it turns out he has a Ph.D. in Electrical or Computer Engineering. He asked me about myself and my background. I let him know that I'm also Mexican but that I was curious as to what it's like to be Mexican and Gay, in Mexico. He said it was hard because he's in a smaller town and there are no gay specific bars. You kind of have to guess who's gay and hope you're right. Otherwise you could totally offend someone and pay the consequences. He also said it's kind of fun in a sense to guess. It's always a mystery. He also said most gay men to try assimilate into a masculine sensibility.

We probably had a 30 minute conversation. He even asked why I was single. He kept on saying, "You look like Ricky Martin. You are so handsome." He repeated that a few times throughout the conversation. Funny enough, that's not the first time someone thought I looked like Ricky. I don't really think so, but I find it flattering.

He finally asked me to dance, but I didn't really feel like it at the time.

In the end, I learned a lot that evening, quite unexpectedly, mainly because I didn't discount someone purely based on appearance.

The Gay Mexican re-invigorated my passion to learn more about my Mexican Heritage and finally travel to Mexico. It's too bad there is so much political instability in the country, or I'd be there on a plane tomorrow. NPR reminded me last week of this with their story, "Amid Mexico's Drug War, A Rush for Bulletproof Cars." I'd like to practice my spanish and learn what the local culture is about. I'd be curious to see what being gay is like in the country as well.

 
Download now or listen on posterous

NPR_-_Amid_Mexico's_Drug_War_-_A_Rush_for_Bulletproof_Cars.mp3 (2741 KB)

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Yelp Review: Intelligentsia Coffee & Tea (Silverlake, CA)

I've never had the often raved about Chicago-based Intelligentsia Coffee before, although I have been inside of their location on Abbot Kinney in Venice, CA. This location is in hipster-ville/gipster-ville in Silverlake (LA's answer to San Francisco's Mission District). It's surrounded by gentrification --- fancy pupusarias, brunch spots and shopping. More importantly, it's also across the street from an El Pollo Loco.

I was originally going to meet my friend Paul at Casbah Cafe for a cup of coffee but I got a text from him exclaiming, "The coffee at Intelligentsia smells good." So we made a quick change of plans.

Upon entering, you'll notice the cute outdoor seating area. Once you enter it was semi confusing on where to go as the interior layout is sort of like a gay bar, but taking into account nicer materials and the fact you can see people in the lighting. It sorta reminded me of a coffee bar in Rome with the bar style seating that was available as well.

I ordered my friend an Americano while I had to ponder for a minute on what to get. My take on a good coffee house is drip coffee straight up. No cream, no sugar. They had 4 drip coffee specials today starting at $3.50 and going up to $7. I asked the barista which one he liked. He suggested the most expensive one, that being $7 for a cup of Joe. I said, okay, what the hell? I think it was some sort of reserve coffee called La Tortuga from Honduras. However, I wasn't quite paying attention, but that's what I deduced from their website. He described it as any gay man would, "lush" and "bold."

I finally sat down with my friend and sipped on my $7 drip coffee while we caught up on life. Holy hell it was like heaven in my mouth. I hadn't quite tasted anything like that before. It started out super light but finished bold and smooth. Maybe lush. If it weren't for the fact I could have gotten a meal at El Pollo Loco for the same price as an exquisite drip coffee here, then I'd place it at 5 stars. So i had to knock it down to 4.

Now go rush there... and have a gay barista suggest the $7 drip coffee. Mmmm... lush.

Link to my Yelp Review

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A YouTube Without Colin

I'm really going to miss my coworker Colin and his positive upbeat spirit. He's one of the most amazing people I've met here at YouTube. There was a period of time when he was working from Australia because his wife earned a Fulbright scholarship there, but he never felt very far. I specifically make an appearance in the video below at 8:05 wishing him the best and letting him know what I learned from him. The theme of this 11 minute video is "A World Without Colin." He was the master at creating help material for YouTube users. He's made the product easily understood for millions of people around the globe. :)
Bon voyage and good luck in New York City in business/film school at NYU!

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Smiling again

It's no secret if you've been around me for the past month (or even longer) that I haven't been the most jovial guy out there. I'm going through a fairly large rough spot in my personal life. In the end, I think I'm using this time for self reflection and self improvement which will in the end make me a stronger human.

Last week, specifically on Wednesday, I was feeling upbeat and energetic. I think I had this realization that I'm starting to remember who I am and most importantly, why I kick ass. It was also a great day because of a judge striking down Prop 8 in California. I also got to spend time with my BOLD intern Charleton. I later celebrated in the Castro with my roommates, Kevin and Michael. I don't think I've been that happy in a while.

Most importantly, I wasn't faking a smile or pretending to be happy. I was happy.

It was interesting because the next day I pinged my roommate Greg, who knows exactly what I'm going through right now in my personal life. He was like "I was just going to text you to tell you something. How funny." He was going to tell me that he doesn't even remember the last time he saw me happy. But the night prior he was really excited to see me truly happy.

It meant a lot for me to hear him say that. I know my mood affects those around me heavily. I don't want to be sad. I understand that I have to have a period of time to grieve. In some respects, I'm not quite done, but I'm definitely on the upswing. Most importantly, I'm smiling again.

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UCR, One of the Top Gay-friendly Schools in the US

I'm so proud of UCR! :) 

It's one of the gay friendliest campuses in the nation! It's one of 19 schools to earn a 5 star rating by CampusClimateIndex.org. It's one of only 3 UC Campuses (UCLA, UCB, UCR) to earn top marks. People often confuse thoughts on UCR vs. The City of Riverside in terms of being gay friendly and liberal. UCR is incredibly liberal. The City of Riverside swings conservative with pockets of liberalism around campus.

Carleton College; Humboldt State University; Ithaca College; Oberlin College; Oregon State University; Princeton University; San Diego State University; Syracuse University; Ohio State University; Pennsylvania State University; University of California, Berkeley; University of California, Los Angeles; University of California, Riverside; University of Maine, Farmington; University of Oregon; University of Pennsylvania; University of Southern California; University of Vermont; and Washington University in St. Louis.

More information on the Advocate: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2010/08/04/UCLA,_Princeton_Top_Friendliest_Colleges_List/

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