Meals

I guess if I had a choice for a last meal these would be it... Or rather maybe if I were stranded on an island and a magical fairy granted me one meal, these would be the top five. Mom and Dad's meals have been reserved for a future list.

5.Filet Mignon (Mariposa - Neiman Marcus Honolulu) - Truth be told, I'm not really an expert in the ways of the Filet. But this one was special. The color at first seemed a little too rare for my liking, but it was so incredibly soft - without a hint of chewyness.. It was succulent. It would have been a sin to have it over seasoned, but it was great. I ordered one of their special martinis for an apetizer, it came with a piece of ginger.

4.Pizza (Little Star - San Francisco) - Corn meal crust, good tomato sauce.. Yummy. But I like pizza so much, any decent franchice would do really. Also in San Francisco is Extreme Pizza - Excellent topping offerings!

3.Braised duck (Absinthe - San Francisco) - I love duck, fatty - juicy.. mmmmm. It's been awhile since I've been there, but I remember it being superb. Slightly tangy and sweet sauce with perfect sides. If it weren't so expensive, I'd dine there more often. Excellent martinis there also.

2.Sushi (Okina Sushi - San Francisco) - Best kept secret in San Francisco. Just happened to be a stones throw away from where I lived. I've eaten a lot of sushi in my life in many different places.. This is THE best. May not be glamorous, it may only seat about 12 people, but the chef is a blast. Classic old japanese man. If you spend enough time there and get to know the old man, he's the best. I have never had better cuts of fish than I've had there. Even the egg (tamago) is out of this world. Reasonably priced as well.

1.Tri Tip Steak (Ruth's Chris Steak House, Honolulu) - No doubt, my absolute favorite meal ever in the history of the world. Yes, it's a $30 steak, but my goodness - it's perfect. Pefectly cooked, perfectly seasoned, perfect side choices. I could not imagine a better steak.

Honorable mentions - Brother in Laws, San Francisco - Good ribs. Tacos Uruapan, Corvallis, Oregon - awesome tacos. Q, San Francisco - So much good home cookin style meals here (try the meat loaf). Mikis, Honolulu - They used to open at 4am and close whenever they ran out of food, but I think they open at midnight now. Try the shoyu fish and beef stew. Sonoyas, honolulu - two words, Katsu Curry.

Liquor Drinks

I'm leaving whikeys out for this round, I think I'll do a separate one later. As you will see, my tastes aren't too sophisticated (as none of my favorites have really cool names ).

5.Manhattan (whiskey + vermouth + bitters + cherry) - I have to admit though, I can only usually tolerate one of these. By the end, the taste usually becomes too bitter.

4.Rum and Coke - When all else fails, when nothing seems particularly temping, there's always rum and Coke. A staple if you will. It even tastes ok warm (if someone were to perhaps sneak it into a movie theater or something).

3.Cape Cod (Cranberry juice + vodka) - This one always seems like the perfect drink to begin with, but it gets old kind of fast. It's the same effect as drinking too much cranberry juice, after awhile it becomes too sweet and too tart.

2.Gin/Vodka and Tonic - I've lumped these toghether since I enjoy them equally. Even greater if using premium Gin or Vodka.

1.Vodka Martini (dry with two olives) - My favorites being Ketel One and Chopin. Although really, any of the mid-level vodkas are perfectly fine with my unrefined palete (absolute, Stoli, etc.)

Colors

5.Orange - If utilized correctly, it's powers (especially combined with red) are unstoppable.
4.Green - Green is quickly becoming the new black (which was replaced by white, then blue)
3.Black - It's becoming more of a safe color, when all others fail, but it'll be back.. just watch.
2.White - iWhite is quickly destroying it's beauty, or rather utilizing it to it's max.
1.Blue - Still my favorite... Just not in cars.

Superhero power I'd like to have

These aren't powers I'd use to better mankind, or make the world a better place to live - These are simply powers I'd like to have because it would be super cool.

5.Teleportation - I always find myself somewhere really tired , or have been drinking for awhile thinking... Man, I wish I could just teleport myself back to bed. Or I would just finish a huge meal, and I'll think.. Man, I wish I could just teleport from this chair back to my chair back home. That would be cool.

4.Complete control of senses - Right?... Imagine this one. Every meal would be better, or conversely, a night in the sewer would be a piece of cake (controlling sense of taste and smell). I could eaves drop on anyone if I wanted to, or shut out noisy neighbors stereo (while my own stereo is on of course), in complete silence by muting my hearing. So many unidentified goodness' can be achieved with this power.

3.Invisibility - Everybody wants this one at one point in their lives. There's the whole voyerism thing... but the bigger attraction is doing all the things you're not supposed to do. I could fly for free. I could irritate people who irritate me by flicking their ear if they deserve it. I could walk completely naked while eating all sorts of food at the grocery store. I could walk into a bank vault, pee, then leave, just because I feel like it.. in fact, I could pee just about anywhere.

2.Flying - Yeah, I used to always dream I could fly. I had the technique down. I lean forward a bit, arms bent slightly upwards with my palms facing towards the ground. Then slowly lean my body towards the ground until I could lift off. It's hard to explain. I also remember in one dream, that I had trouble landing if there were no frozen ponds around (I have no idea what that was about). Anyway, having the ability to fly could be troublesome - just because it's so visible. The others were fairly safe in keeping it from the public (clark kent style). The difference between this and teleporting is that flying would just be flat out a cool thing to do... Teleporting somewhere kind of takes away the fun.

1.Fireball from palms - I have no real explanation for why this is my top choice for superpower. I just think it would be cool. These fireball are about the size of a flaming baseball. So compacted and dense that when hitting it's target, it's like a short range missle. I'd have control over the size and speed of course - and this is where it becomes cool. I could shoot "mini" fireballs like flaming marshmallows all the time - fire them at rude people... Or maybe just exterminate ants (cause I hate ants). Then when all else fails and I'm so mad at someone... flaming missle baseball styles right past your head... that'll learn ya.

Headphones

I've always had a thing for good headphones. My brother had some Sennheisers long ago, and I always enjoyed listening to music on those as opposed to any speaker system we had. So fast foward a couple of years and after some research, I discovered they were Sennheiser 414. It was a rather low-end headphones in the audiophile world, but it sparked my interest. If a low end system, just imagine what better "cans" could do.

5. Sony mdr-v6 ($90). I purchased these way back on impulse while at Fry's electronics. They were the most expensive at the time, so they must be the best right? They do sound good. I started noticing that a lot of radio stations and music studios used them as refrence cans - meaning they will acurately reproduce the source music. Well, as my tastes became more and more refined, what I've discovered is that they're actually a bit "cold" and not a headphone that I want to listen to for more than an hour or so. Good bass, clean crisp highs define these headphones.

4. Sennheiser hd280 pro ($150 at the time). So after getting tired of the sony, I started researching for new headphones. I stumbled upon head-fi.org, a headphone forum... now these guys are hardcore! Anyway, these senns were fairly new at the time and good reviews were pouring in. I purchased the first set I could find. After all of my research and $150 later, I really wanted to love these, but I didn't. They were good but not great. The best thing they offered was noise reduction. These seal out a lot of outside/unwanted noise, but like the sony's they don't offer a pleasing sound. They have characteristics of the sony, clean crisp highs - they have a slightly laid back but accurate bass. Tremendous amount of clamping force lends to it's great noise reduction qualities, but it's also unbearable to wear for long periods. Still, for certain situations, I wear these when I want to hear everything clearly.

3. koss ksc35, ktxpro, ur40. Three different headphone, but they all have the same drivers. This is the absolute best buy in headphones. I got the ksc35 for about $11 on sale. The ur40 were a little more, but basically because of it's form factor. Great amounts of bass, nice midrange, and sugary sweet highs. Definitely not a refrence headphone, but very enjoyable to listen to. The ur40, though not as punchy as the ktxpro or ksc35 are so incredibly light, is a joy to wear for long periods.

2. Audio Technica a700 ($170). These things are huge. I believe you have to order them from Japan (I got mine from audiocubes.com - great site!). Like princess Leia's hair in Return of the Jedi, these aren't something you want to wear in public. But the sound and feel is bliss. Absolutely warm mids, clean crisp highs and abundant yet clean bass. It's size and price holds it back from being the top gun.

1. Grado sr60 ($70). These are a great introduction into high quality headphones. They don't look like much, but they are incredible sounding. Punchy as heck. Bass that you can actually feel. Nice rolled off highs and non-piercing mids, these are my favorite cans. Some claim that they aren't very comfortable, but the headband is just a simple wire that can be bent to fit any head like a glove. I could listen to these for hours... and I do.

note: I listen to all of the above headphones off of a computer, with a Turtle beach Santa Cruz sound card to a preSonus headphone amplifier.

Cereals

Im going back in time on this one. The following may not be what I'll currently yearn for, but they're what I would bring to my deserted island.

5. Cap'n Crunch - Good ol' cappy. There's a certain scientifically proven moment when the individual crunch bits stop mutilating the top of one's mouth and reaches it's zenith. The perfect texture when enough milk has been saturated, but still retains just a bit o crunch. But sadly, that apex is just a few mili-seconds long and all your left with is really sweet gruel.

4. Honey Nut Cheerios - This was actually a recent re-discovery of sorts. Perfectly sweetened, great crunch throughout the cereal eating experience. It's simple texture is refreshing.

3. Frosted Mini Wheats - I didn't think I'd like this one, probably because I tried the non-frosted version when I was a child. But it's really good. It's all about the frosting on this one. This one has a rather pleasurable zenith as well, the frosting stays crisp longer than the wheat and it's rather great. But, like Cap'n Crunch, the moment doesn't last, and it turns soggy. Still a current favorite however.

2. Fruity Pebbles - Ahh, such good memories. One of few cereals that I enjoy eating quickly, no waiting for the legendary zenith. Soft enough to not leave scars in mouth, yet delightfully light and crunchy. Artificial sweetness at it's best.

1. Honey Bunches of Oats - This is the current reigning champ. Many many trials and studies have been conducted. So far, this is the perfect cereal. Diverse enough in texture and taste to keep anyone coming back for more. Never too sweet, never too boring.

Honorable mention - Grape nuts. With a spoonful of sugar, this is surprisingly wonderful treat. Ultra crunchy to start with, which is refreshing compared to everything else on the market.

Top Five Appliances/tools

Here are my top five purchases in recent history... lets say.. 10 years ago till now. What make it a good purchase to me? It just has to serve it's intended purpose without any faults... it's surprising how few products fit into that category.

5. Bosch coffee grinder. I had another grinder before, Black and Decker I think. That was horrible. But this one was cheap, looks good, and just plain works. Nothing special, but just nothing bad. This was probably about $13.

4. Oral B Sonicare electric toothbrush. Who knew brushing your teeth could be an experience. I take it on vacations for over a week and it lasts just fine. There's a timer that lets you know when to switch locations... fault proof brushing! A little pricey at about $80, but still a great buy. Leaves my teeth feeling immaculate.

3. Snap-On wire cutters. Such a good tool. Again, quite pricey for a some clippers you could get from Craftsmen for about $8. I think these were about $35, but through the years, they just work.. I've used them so much but they still feel exactly the same.

2. Delta Multi-Head Handheld Showerhead. The first thing I usually buy for any new dwelling is a good showerhead. It has to be overly powerful and abundant in flow. I've actually modded a few showerheads by drilling out larger openings to increase flow. I can't deal with weak, sissy flow. This was a good buy. A little expensive at about $45, but worth it.

1. Dirt Devil WindTunnel vacuum cleaner. Now, I'm sure there are many many other vacuums out there that do a much better job at sucking, but for $69? I was surprised at how well this thing cleaned both my domicile and my car. Haven't had a problem with it yet. This was sort of an impulse buy at the time. I doing some random shopping for some random thing, happened to pass the vacuum cleaner aisle and picked up the cheapest bagless model. I didn't really think much while purchasing it, but after the first use I was hooked. Seeing how much dirt and dust it collects after 1 week is amazing. (edit - I actually have no idea why this fascinates me so much, but it does. Every week, I'm amazed when dumping out the canister).

Top 5 Video Games

For this one, I'm going for "all time."

5. Tetris - NES. Wow, I spent so many hours on this game. Not much to say about this one that hasn't already been said.

4.Resident Evil 1 - ps1. This is the game that turned me into a "gamer." Spent 14 hours straight, missed a day of school.. and it was worth it. The first time the dogs jumped from the windows... scared the bejebus out of me. A whole new gaming experience was unfolded for me.

3. Forza Motorsport - xbox. As an automotive enthusiast, driving games naturally attract me more than others. So far this is the most sim-like, most immersive driving game to date for me. I have gran turismo 4, but the physics in that game just don't do it for me. This is the current game that I can still play for hours even though I've beaten every track multiple times.

2. Street Fighter - arcade/SNES. I don't even want to imagine how much quarters were spent on this one. I got to be fairly competitive with it too, entering a few small tournaments. I remember thinking to myself when it got ported to the SNES, "man how can the graphics in gaming get any better..." I was just a little wrong on that one.

1. Halo/Halo2 - xbox. Hands down the best gaming experience for me, ever. The first game that I've waited in line for (halo 2) and took time off of work for. Audio, story, gameplay, it was the first game I ever considered "Complete."

Top Five Dave Chappell Quotes

5. Byahhh

4. Yeah.. well some people like their cucumbers pickled

3. What did the five fingers say to the face.... SLAP!

2. Is Wayne Brady gonna half to choke a bitch?

1. Im gonna tell you something about me, Joe Rogan, that you might not know... I smoke rocks.

Top Five Albums

This is going to be tough. But here it goes. How to qualify? I'm thinking of it this way: "If I had to throw away all my music except for 5 albums/cds, which would I keep?" This should be a fairly diverse list as I don't want to get bored with only five cds to live with.

5. A Tribe Called Quest - Midnight Marauders. I loved this when it came out and I think I listen to it just as often. The Tribe at it's best if you ask me. Here are some of my favorite lines. "I skate on your crew, like Mario Lemieux", "my style is kind of fat, reminiscent of a whale", "your style is incomplete, same as vinnie testaverde".

4. Built To Spill - Keep it Like a Secret. Mostly because it contains my favorite bts track "Carry the Zero" But this whole cd is a classic. I used to use this CD to practice guitar to also, that may explain why I'm so intimate with it.

3. The Sundays - Reading, Writing and Arithmetic. The first full realease of The Sundays and slightly less polished than their later albums... but an absolute gem. Harriet Wheeler's voice is angelic.

2. Elliott Smith - Either/Or. Yeah it's the most commercially successful of Elliott's library, and probably not a favorite of Elliott's hardcore fans... But I love it. It contains two tracks Elliott seemed to hate to play live, Angeles and Say Yes ( I guess because they got so popular). If you've never heard of Elliott's work, just re-watch Good Will Hunting.

1. Quasi - Field Studies. My favorite band. Field studies captures Quasi in their still ultra pop mode. Their later releases veer more and more towards rock. Field Studies also has contains some great tracks with Janet at lead vocals. Most have never heard of Quasi, but you should. They are a great live band too.

honorable mentions: Mates of State - Bring It Back, Rilo Kiley - The Execution of All Things, Blake Babies - Earwig, Modest Mouse - This is a long drive.., Pixies - Doolittle.

Top Five Sleeper Movies

So what qualifies? Generally, movies that didn't recieve a lot of fanfare or score big at the box office. This will probably be the wierdest list as I don't see anyone possibly agreeing with the choices.


5. Swimming With Sharks. Frank Whaley, Kevin Spacey. Basically a story of trying to make it in the movie industry and what it takes. Nice twists in this one.

4. RocketMan. Starring Harland Williams. Slapstick at it's best.. or worst, I'm not sure. Harland plays "Fred Randall," a clumsy computer whiz who gets selected to be a replacement astronaut when he accidentilly injures the original pilot. The entire movie, plot, acting is totally ridiculous, which is what makes it so funny.

3. Bring it on. Yes, the cheerleader movie. I must admit I was a little ashamed of purchasing this one, but it was well worth the shame at the checkout line. Kirsten Dunst, Eliza Dushku... brilliant. "Spirit Fingers".... a movie classic. It's a quirky look into Torrance's (Kirsten) struggle as a new head cheerleader. Devoid of any real reality, it's just a fun getaway (and some cheerleader uniforms of course).

2. Major Payne. This was recommended long ago by someone I knew in college (whos name I've long since forgotten). No matter how many times I've mentioned it to someone else, no one else has felt the same way about it. IT'S COMEDY GENIOUS! Damon Wayans as a forced-to-retire Major gets a job leading an ROTC squad. It's all Damon here. If you like his comedy, you may like this one. Bam Bam Bigelow makes an appearance. Also, "Hilary" from the Fresh Prince of BelAire co-stars.

1. Eternal Enemies -Lions and Hyenas. This is actually a National geographic documentary following a pride of lions and a pack of hyenas. This film actually made my eyes well in both joy and sorrow. It's a gripping narrative that got me deep into both sides of the story - both lions and hyenas. Work was done so the viewer gets to know most of the major "characters" very intimately... to the point where I got to start feeling emotional over both the lions and hyenas and their own individual stories. Must See!