Earthquake

http://web.me.com/hydra9/Site_5/Blog/Entries/2009/3/30_Earthquake.html

Based on the Facebook status, it turns out there was an Earthquake and I was not aware.
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsus/Quakes/nc40234037.php

Last night I had a dream being at the beach and seeing a Tsunami. Probably related.

Having a bit of writers block. Some days I feel far more inspired than others and remember the tiny details of what happened. But right now it is not flowing.
Was in Borders and saw a book about flow. I did notice Barnes and Noble removed a lot of their chairs from the store.

On the way into the city I noticed they were filming a movie. Not sure but I am sure it was exciting.



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Marcus Zack Ronaldi
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Banana Green Tea Smoothie

http://web.me.com/hydra9/Site_5/Blog/Entries/2009/3/26_Green_Tea_Banana_Smoothie.html

For a short time this morning, I believed that I had invented a new type of smoothie but a quick Google search revealed that it was fairly common.
I wanted a smoothie but I had no milk or juice on opposite of fred.
Then it hit me! I could add antioxidants with no calories!
Made my concoction which was pretty good but could have gone with less tea (too watery)


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Power Cords

So it turns out I had grand plans of working from a cafe (which is a bit odd since I am not drinking coffee) but I had little cash and they had fewer electrical outlets.
I had forgotten to turn off my laptop and it was drained to empty. Right now I am at the Daly City library because 1) free wireless internet access 2) power cords

Earlier I had a field trip to check out so called Co-working spaces which are drop in centers to do work (If I do not want to be at my house or drink loads of coffee or fight over power cords)

Aviva, one of those rare super impressive people you sometimes meet, introduced me to the concept of coworking.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coworking

Turns out she arranged the New York Times to do a story on her roommate about building Jellyfish tanks (which are different from normal fish tanks)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/14/technology/start-ups/14startup.html

Stopped off to pick her up to check some of these units. It was in a way like scouting hostels.

I also ate a super hot pepper....




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Marcus Zack Ronaldi
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A red letter day of getting my brakes changed

http://web.me.com/hydra9/Site_5/Blog/Entries/2009/3/23_Entry_1.html

I was regaling my sister Andrea about my exploits involved in getting the brakes changed on the Marcusmobile. She said that it sounded like a red letter day but I have no idea what that means.
I also do not know what it means to be dressed to the nines.

Anyway I had a Citibank credit card that gave money towards either the purchase of a new car or the the repair of an existing car. My ambition is to keep the Marcusmobile for a long long time as I do not want to spend money on car payments. Lately my car has been giving me a high pitch noise and it was a matter of time till you are grinding metal on metal which costs WAY more. Took the car into Goodyear and walked back.
Got the oil changed, two new tires and the brakes done which worked out to $390 (I had a fifty dollar coupon). So the rewards card will cover that cost. What makes it AWESOME is that I was given a mail in rebate for $25 so at the end of the day, I come out $25 ahead!

Speaking of $25 I went to Longs Drugs and used my $5 off a $25 to buy various items including shampoo, liquid soap, oatmeal, green tea and garbage bags. That store will be turning into a CVS which does not have those coupons.

Read the New York Times and I liked the article about one guys pursuit of a song. It took me almost a decade to find Billy Don't Be a Hero so I could relate. Now I have three versions.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/22/magazine/22lives-t.html

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Stop Hating on the White Album

http://web.me.com/hydra9/Site_5/Blog/Entries/2009/3/19_Entry_1.html

Twice in the last week I have heard two separate incidents of hating on the Beatles White Album.
Not their greatest work, it would probably fall behind Sgt Peppers, Abbey Road, Revolver and Rubber Soul BUT if those discs were recorded by any other two bands they would be given way more credit. In fact I would place the White Album above any work by the Rolling Stones except for Exile on Main Street.

Went for a run along Ocean Beach and as expected the week after a blood donation not the best running. Will also be swapping out my fred containers.

The Academy of Science was sold out so I decided to go to 1) The Urban Diversion Happy Hour (Did not Drink) and 2) A fundraiser for Girls on the Run. I planned on parking in a free spot that was accesable to both places but I misjudged where my second stop was which was about a mile and a half away.

Tomorrow is the Snuggie Pub Crawl and one of the people at the Urban Diversion pub crawl lamented not being able to get a Snuggie. I took $20 from her, walked across the street and got the Snuggie from Walgreens.

Then made the trek to North Beach for the fundraiser where I won a size small woman's T Shirt which I re-gifted. They had loads of cupcakes. It has been fairly easy giving up processed/refined sugar. I find that I am less irritable/grouchy but this was the first time I had felt tempted since the start but like the drinking hiatus, if I poked holes it would become silly. One cupcake drives the desire for a second. My nametag said Cosmo which meant I would not like recycle bins tossed into the woods.

On the way back to the Marcusmobile I walked over Russian Hill. I passed, a place that served slices of pizza and another place that makes homemade ice cream and I passed both but then I saw not one but two grey standard poodles.

Stopped off at the Black Horse which does not have any television sets.
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Snuggies in the Wild

http://web.me.com/hydra9/Site_5/Blog/Entries/2009/3/18_Snuggie_St_Patricks_Day.html

So after Friday the Snuggie will be over. Once an ironic event like the Snuggie Pub Crawl happens it is over.
Wore it to St Patricks Day celebration in San Francisco.
Let my friend Rachel wear it for a spell and she is totally sold on the Snuggie lifestyle. It looks like a silly product but it provides comfort to a nation in need.

Went from Battery Street to Kennedys and then onto another place and then Rogue where we bypassed the line.

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Across the Bay

http://web.me.com/hydra9/Site_5/Blog/Entries/2009/3/16_Emerald_in_the_Rain.html

Between the wine bus, the show and the Emerald across the Bay there was quite a bit going on in my personal narrative.
Woke up to pattering of raindrops which meant that I had the pleasure of running 7+ miles in the rain.
A long queue to get onto the buses but once on the bus, I wanted them to take their time. Did find a bridge that I could hang out under until it was time to start running.

Was not my best run but still had fun with it. I saw quite a large Team in Training contingent. They are individual runs, weeks, months where you will rise and fall. Right now I am a bit slow but able to run the distance.

Got a text from Ron about Brunch at Mercury and figured I would stroll on over.

Afterwards went to the Rainbow Grocery that sells every type of bean. Will eat more beans and such.

Remember how I said I do not like reading the newspaper in my apartment? Went out to San Bruno but it was crowded so went to the Daly City one where I ordered oatmeal to prevent me from loitering.


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Marcus Zack Ronaldi
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Blank

http://web.me.com/hydra9/Site_5/Blog/Entries/2009/3/11_Blank.html

So I have not written a proper entry in the last couple of days but I am drawing a blank on what to write about. I did a Google image search on Blank and found our friend Mr Skeleton.
I am drinking a cup of tea. The whole no sugar or coffee thing has gone well and I am going to extend it until I go to Maryland. I feel far less anxious and jittery. For example it is far easier for me to relax on BART. My thinking is a bit clearer. (But then again I am writing a blog entry about drawing a blank)
They were a few foods that I would eat such as fish & chips or funnel cake and I could predict it would make me feel like it was slug spring break in my belly.
Compare this to how I feel while walking around eating a Fuji apple (if you every are doing Marcus trivia this is a good one to know) Will probably restart my service with Farm Fresh to You in April. Will be hitting up the farmers market tomorrow.
Same thing goes for drinking which in reality is far more expensive than smoking. A pack of smokes goes for $5 and last you all day. Going down to the sports bar, to watch, the game and drink bud light is at best around $3, add a $1 tip and multiply by 5, that is $20. Throw in Nachos and your at $30. Someone yells shots and your closing in on $40.

One challenge from not drinking (except on Saturday) until July or no coffee or refined/processed sugar until April is when you have time to kill and you feel a bit like a snake. Starbucks has oatmeal which I had during the reading of the script. Another quick/cheap thing is Safeway or Trader Joes with either Sardines and/or a bag of carrots.



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Solving Mysteries

http://web.me.com/hydra9/Site_5/Blog/Entries/2009/3/8_Brunch_and_Clocks.html

Went to Hayes Valley for Brunch. Brought my copy of the New York times. Based on the crowd I could fill out my Stuff White People Like punch card.
A sub genre of 1980s TV shows was brought up which was those that solved mysterious that had no direct reason to solve mysterious.
The two best examples was Father Downing Mysterious and Murder She Wrote.

Today was the day of changing the clocks. Not sure why we are still doing that.

Glad I read the New York Times in San Bruno.




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Marcus Zack Ronaldi
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Thoughts about the economy and $100,000,000 Football Players.

http://web.me.com/hydra9/Site_5/Blog/Entries/2009/3/5_Are_Pro_Sports_sustainable.html

First off seeing this article
http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?id=3950727

and then this article
http://www.redskins.com/gen/articles/Big_Deal_Aside__Haynesworth_Looks_to_Establish_a_Legacy_32506.jsp

I am predicting in the next couple of seasons, several teams and possibly a league will become insolvent. Teams may fold or merge.

Professional Sports are simply a conduit to sell us 1) Trucks and 2) Beer. With reduction in ads and less people going to games, that are way too expensive, teams are not going to be able to afford to spend $100,000,000 on one guy.
It is not sustainable. I have no issue with someone getting paid that much.

I do think things will improve. Call me crazy but I am optimistic about the future but this set up makes as much sense as average home values being around $1,000,000.
If the average mortgage is greater than the average biweekly paycheck, it is not a sustainable market.



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Power Cord Madness

http://web.me.com/hydra9/Site_5/Blog/Entries/2009/3/4_A_good_day_when_I_found_my_power_cord.html

Yesterday it was rainy, I went to Costco and Best Buy, got stuck on a train, had my worst experience ever with eBay, left my power cord at a Night Club, and really did not do well at the Pub Quiz but it was a great great day.
First off I had to get a PC quickly as I started a new project and it required a PC environment. My first plan was to get Windows Vista on eBay and use Parallel Windows but the guy sold me an upgrade.
So I decided to get a low end PC laptop, with Wireless which took me first to Costco and I called Best Buy that had a better deal.

Took the train into town for Lay Off Camp so I could network and find me some great candidates and some other good connections.

They had these sessions where people could talk about their area of expertise. So on a whim I volunteered to talk about getting your resume found
http://web.me.com/hydra9/Resume/Getting_your_resume_found.html

I was expecting about fifteen to twenty, maybe but the room was PACKED and I think I did a good job (the feedback was really positive)

Was doing some work in the desolate and sad ghost town of the Metreon when I noticed that after only five hours, I lost the power cord. All he heard was Radio Ga Ga.
So I had to go back to the event and beg my way into the lower level of the venue and luckily it was waiting for me. I was planning on pretending it did not have a cord ; ) Turned out well that I returned.

On another note, I am pleased with the no processed/refined sugar. I am much more relaxed, less jittery and I do not miss it. Slowly putting it in the same category as cigarettes, soda etc...

Was on the BART and there was some nonsense on the train but it was OK. Made my way to the pub quiz but it was not our finest hour. The Music round was not my genre.






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On not drinking

It is not March 1st which is the end of my annual hiatus from the sauce. For the past four years I have taken around two months off from drinking and it has become easier. I have also noticed quite a few people who have taken a hiatus.
Except for anything related to "Strong Beer Month" I did not like feel like I was missing out. The hardest bit came when I arrived early for something and had time to kill before whatever starts. (and it was later so I did not want to drink coffee).

Thought of a few advantages of not drinking. They are not in any order.
1) Money
Drinking is an expensive habit. I remember one time I went to a dollar beer promotion with my friend Gwen. For the first hour, beers were a dollar and then it raised to $2 and then $3. Afterwards we went for thai food which was OK. Turned out we both spent around $60. I did the math and if I did that twice a week for a year, that is around $6000.
The last few years I have made it a point to avoid being on a tab and getting my drinks at a bar. Last year some of my work people went to a place near toiling. I had one vodka tonic on special while quite a few others were a bit more celebratory. The next day they each spent around $150. "Let's do shots!" is a good way to be broke.
2) Hangovers
I am going to breakdown health impacts into immediate, accidents and long term. Hangovers suck. Dry mouth, headache, stomach ache, bad sleep. Every drinker, myself included, have a whole list of hangover remedies. One of my favorite is drinking water between each drink. They also sell a bunch of hangover remedies but none beat the amazingly most effective and cheapest, not drinking.
3) Long term health issues
My car is a 1997 Nissan Sentra that I bought the second day in California. If you treat a car well then it will reward you with preventing another trip to the dealer. It has lasted longer than I could have ever hoped for. That is because I make sure I change the oil and maintain the car. A friend of mine said, that a new car would make you happy for about six months but then it would no longer be the new car.
The same goes for taking care of yourself and heavy drinking on a regular basis is a good way to age quickly and have a host of health issues.
4) Accidents
When you drink, the chance of you becoming familiar with a pole or a tree goes way up. The same goes for falls, trips and shouting nonsense.
5) Nutrition
Not only is beer loads and loads of calories but I find that when I drink, I make really poor food choices right afterwards. There is a worldwide economy of late night kabob, pizza, fish & chips, Fast food drive through (Taco Bell's fourth meal) Dennys targeted at feeding drunks.
Also the next day I crave foods like Pizza and such.
http://alcoholism.about.com/od/nutrition/a/blniaaa060217.htm

So if someone would have come to me and said, I can tell you something simple that will save you a tremendous amount of money, makes you feel better, lowers your chance of running into a tree and improves your health I would say sign me up!
I personally do better with a well defined rule than a vague goal. Based on my success with this, I have decided to give up processed/refined sugar and coffee for the next forty days (partaking in Lent which is odd). I am now six days in and its been easy.




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Marcus Zack Ronaldi
http://www.marcusronaldi.com

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