eBay Live 2006 viva Las Vegas

I am having a great time in Las Vegas and saw a surprise concert by Davey Jones of the Monkees after the eBay Live keynote address. Enjoy the video! I will be publishing more posts that will cover the past events of the last 4 months soon. ciao

New York City - The party never ends

Life in New York City can be like a party that never ends. There is something going on everynight you just need get to know the right people. After work today, I met up with my friends at Nobu 57 . This restaurant has a great bar scene. During dinner one of my friends showed up and invited us to hangout at the "Rooftop" at Bed. At Bed, he introduced us to some new friends and they invited us to the Pink elephant. At the Pink Elephant, my new friend is a model and the women line up to say hello and he buys a couple of bottles of vodka for everyone. A friend of his shows up and buys a huge bottle of champagne pours drinks for everyone and then drinks out of the bottle himself. It is really entertaining to watch a guy in a suit drink from a magnum bottle of champagne.
In New York City the party ends only when your ready to go home!

The Art of Rock Balancing

 
In Sausalito we met David Yu Rock Balancing guy and he explained how he balances the different size rocks on top of each other. Sounds like a relaxing way to spend your day:-) 

Robert Mondavi Vineyards

  

A visit to San Francisco...Napa Valley... Medicino

I have been having fun in San Francisco the past two days learning about real estate. Robert Kiyosaki outlined the cycle of Real Estate.
1. Financial Disturbance - dot bomb, 9-11, war, etc.
2. Expansion of prices - easy credit, greed, huge buyer demand
3. Euphoria - overestimate future returns, no concern for fudamentals,fools rush in
4. Financial Distress - prices reach peak, nothing is cheap, insiders take profit
5. Market Reversal - prices start to fall
6. Financial Crisis - panic rules the market, tightening monetary policy
7. Lender of last resort comes in

Marshall Sylver had a great Hypnosis show. He explained how to use subconscious reprogramming to achieve greater success in life.
1. Self Mastery
a. what you believe is true nothing else.
b. logic is backed up by emotion.
c. an object in motion stays in motion.
d. no risk no goodies
e. burn the boat - never go back
f. fail foward fast
g. reality is created by validation.
h. luck is when preperation meets opportunity.
2. Tools - Eat less move more
3. Action
a. ability to take action now
b. thoughs who are afraid to buy are afraid to sell
c. moldable talent
d. act as if it is true already
e. money is math
He also gave us a list of the highest paid professions.
1. Public Speaking
2. Real Estate
3. Stock Market
4. Internet
5. Network Marketing

I also watched Donald Trump Speak. I agree with everything he had to say.
1. Love what you do!
2. Never give up
3. Stay focused
4. Be paranoid
5. Momentum - know when you lost your momentum
6. Go against the tide
7. Be careful
8. Luck - the harder you work the luckier you get
9. Get even
10. Make employees respect you not like you

I ran into some old friends at the real estate expo Kate, who had been a waitress at my bothers first restaurant(which was sold), she is now in the shoe shine business with her boyfriend, so I bought a shine to support them and Sean Jacobsen, I have not seen him since he went off to Harvard business school.

I also visited Patrick Evan's salon, We shared thermal reconditioning stories. He owns a nice salon in downtown San Francisco.

I picked up my girlfriend and we drove across the Golden Gate bridge to Sausalito We met the rock balancing guy.
We then drove to the wet yet beautiful Napa Valley. It rained everyday but we still had a great time. We stayed at a bed and breakfast. Had dinner at Mustards, Had lunch and some wine at Auberge du soleil Toured the following wineries Schramsberg vineyard's Robert Mondavi, Dutch Henry. Everyone who served us wine during the tastings would romance the wine look at the wine with their eyes wide open like they were in love. They would salivate and swallow a few times till they could not resist anymore and they would then pour themselves a glass. Then next day We drove to Calistoga, saw the gyser. Then Medicino, nice peaceful place but all the restaurants are closed till dinner. We then drove back to San Franscisco. I will update date this post with pictures and more stories in the near future.

Happy Birthday Liliam!

The proper way to celebrate a birthday is with champagne and a chocolate cake from Fauchon 

Protect Your Health Freedom Rights!

As Americans struggle to eat a healthier diet, the FDA has taken draconian steps to suppress information about foods that reduce disease risk.

While various agencies of the federal government encourage us to eat more fruits and vegetables, the FDA has issued an edict that precludes cherry companies from posting scientific data on their websites. This censorship of published peer-reviewed studies denies consumers access to information that could be used to make wiser food choices.

Please read the rest of this article on the following link it is very informative:

FDA Threatens To Raid Cherry Orchards

Valentine's Day is Coming!!!!!

Every February, across the country, candy, flowers, and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. But who is this mysterious saint and why do we celebrate this holiday? The history of Valentine's Day -- and its patron saint -- is shrouded in mystery. But we do know that February has long been a month of romance. St. Valentine's Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. So, who was Saint Valentine and how did he become associated with this ancient rite? Today, the Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred.
One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men -- his crop of potential soldiers. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death. Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons where they were often beaten and tortured.
According to one legend, Valentine actually sent the first 'valentine' greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl -- who may have been his jailor's daughter -- who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed 'From your Valentine,' an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories certainly emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and, most importantly, romantic figure. It's no surprise that by the Middle Ages, Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France.
Valentine's Day Trivia

Million Cartoon March 2006

Has the Muslim world really gone that mad? Do a billion Muslims really want to kill a few insensitive cartoonists because they violated their religious sensibilities, however dear they may be?

Luckily, the answer to both questions is no. In fact, what some Islamic scholars are calling "cartoongate"--the publication of insulting cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad in more than half a dozen European papers--actually reveals more about the state of the Western, and particularly European fears of Islam, than it does about Islam today.


Originally published last September in a Danish newspaper, the depictions of Muhammad in the cartoons include some very insulting images indeed: Muhammad with a turban-shaped bomb on his head; Muhammad at the Pearly Gates informing newly arrived suicide bombers that Heaven has "run out of virgins" (an allusion to the 72 virgins that supposedly await martyrs in Heaven); Muhammad menacingly holding a sword with two veiled women behind him, and so on. The images were commissioned because the paper's editor was having trouble finding a cartoonist willing to caricature the Prophet, depictions of whom are prohibited according to Muslim tradition.......

And as the latest protests in Beirut make clear, the reasons behind them often involve issues of class, politics, and religious identity, as the consulates are often located in wealthy neighborhoods where the countries' elites and wealthy foreigners live, and which feature expensive shops far beyond the means of most protesters. And the organizers of the protests are most often groups looking to gain political capital by challenging weak governments at a moment of heightened tension......

Of course, Muslim newspapers have long depicted Jews in similarly hateful ways. Perhaps the uproar will lead them to reconsider the practice--although considering Iran has just announced that its leading newspaper will run a series of cartoons satirising the Holocaust, the chances are perhaps not that great.
Ironically, the same day that editorial pages of American newspapers began criticizing Muslims for their lack of respect for freedom of speech, peace activist Cindy Sheehan was arrested and removed from her seat at the State of the Union speech (she was invited by Representative Lynn Woolsey), simply for the "crime" of wearing a t-shirt under her jacket that listed the number of dead US soldiers in Iraq as of last Tuesday--2,245. A security guard saw the number on the shirt, screamed "Protester!" (perish the thought!) into his walkie talkie, and out she went. Nary a word of protest was uttered by the US media.
For most of the Muslim world, America's willingness to kill tens of thousands of Iraqis and see killed thousands of our own children for a war launched on a series of half-truths and outright prevarications (which almost no one in our own journalistic establishment had the courage to expose, despite clear evidence at the time) is as "crazy" as their willingness to boycott, or even threaten violence against Westerners, because of a few religiously insulting cartoons......
Animation Site.

WWW III an information age war

Imagine for a moment if 12 cartoons could propel us into WWW III. We may need to call in the animators of Disney and Pixar to create new cartoons in Dexter's Lab to counteract the Satirical Dutch and appease the Muslim world. No one enjoys getting disrespected, especially large groups of angry men with automatic weapons and matches. There is a fine line between censorship and freedom. Everything in life is like that cartoon where bugs bunny rolls a little snowball down a snow covered mountain and by the time it got to the bottom it became Really huge. If you try to appease everyone, a Free country can lose its freedom little by little until one day your president is now your king. I am sure if everyone on the planet gets a computer and internet access there will be may jealous, angry, offended people. This is why some countries try to censure the internet and mass media in there respective countries. It is kind of like the Matrix, if you don't know what is really going on you could actually lead a happy life. Many people cannot handle information, they are affected by it rather than seeing it for what it is.... ink on paper or shades of light. You can't make everyone happy but as long as we Americans do not allow anyone to change our Bill of Rights, I am happy.

Bouley Restaurant Bakery & Market

Last night we decided to dine at The Bouley Bakery / Café, Market. The third floor dining area is small but the service is excellent. I counted twelve employees and 24 patrons, nice ratio. The food and drinks were excellent and it was fun watching the chef cook our meal. I can't wait to go back:-) or try the Main Restaurant next time. If you don't mind really tight seating, you will love this casual place.

The Bouley Bakery / Café, Market, and Upstairs dining comprise a set of operations sited on three floors of a single, compact building. It is designed to bring together in one location the basic elements that go together to create a satisfying dining experience in a relaxed, casual setting. This includes the prospect of taking home either prepared dishes or the products needed to create meals in one’s own kitchen, recognizing that, in every instance, the starting point must be the quality of the ingredients.
The Bouley Bakery/Café serves as the entry point to the complex, at street level. In addition to the fresh-baked goods that emerge from the wood-burning oven enclosed in 19th century cobblestones, the Bakery/Café features house-made soups, salads, sandwiches, hot and cold beverages, including coffee, cappuccino, teas, iced teas, and juices, and, of course, a full range of desserts.
For the visitor who wishes to eat on premises, there is self-service sidewalk seating at umbrella-shaded tables, and, during daytime hours, the Upstairs dining room is available for self-service seating as well.
In producing high quality baked goods, we begin with a variety of organic flours and other flavorful ingredients that go into our various breads, from garlic bread, to hazelnut bread, to lemon bread, to the basic Miche, a round of specialty French bread, also known as a boule, with a dark crunchy crust.
Bouley Bakery also features pastries, in both traditional and modern French styles along with Viennese, American, and Asian influences, ranging from fruit tarts to chocolate and almond croissants, to enjoy on their own or to cap off and complete the experience of a full meal.

Retire Young Retire Rich

This is a very interesting book that everyone should buy. I believe it will help you make smarter investment decisions and help you give your children better financial advice. I wish my parents gave me this book when I was younger! If you are interested click on the book.

In Warren Buffet Speaks, investment guru Buffet was quoted as saying: "Wall Street is the only place that people ride to in a Rolls Royce to get advice from those who take the subway."


Rich Dad said, "If you want to be rich, who you know is more important than what you know." He explained further, saying, "Business is a team sport and investing is a team sport. The average investor or small-business person loses financially because they do not have a team. Instead of a team, they act as individuals who are trampled by very smart teams."
People in the "E" (employee) and the "S" (self-employed) side of the CASHFLOW Quadrant (right) are taught to operate as individuals so they do not learn how to build a team. They often make less money than they could or would like because they tend to do everything on their own. Successful "B" (business owners) and "I" (investors) surround themselves with a team of experts in every area of law, tax, accounting, insurance, or securities so they find advisors who have assisted other people along their path to success.
An important distinction when selecting your team is that you want advisors who are strategists to the rich, not salespeople. Rich Dad's Advisors counsel the rich, but are not salespeople to the rich. There is a big difference. Strategists get paid for their expertise and advice. Salespeople get paid for selling you something. Always know which type of advisor you are talking to. Also look for professionals who have personal experience in the specific area you are seeking advice. Does your real estate broker personally own any investment properties? Remember, there is nothing better than first-hand experience.

Sunset, Key West Florida

 

Sophia my niece

 
 

New York City Restaurants

This is a list of my favorite restaurants. I will change it when I discover new places that I like and it will evolve over time.


Balthazar - french - fun - late night - soho
Pastis - french - packed - loud - meat packing district
Brasserie -french - cool - midtown
Bouley Restaurant Bakery & Market - french - packed - entertaining open kitchen

Caravan of Dreams - vegan - east village - unique menu - live music on sunday
Angelica Kitchen- vegan - busy - crunchy-granola lefties - east village(http://www.nationalreview.com/dreher/dreher071202.asp )
Hangawi - vegetarian - very relaxing take your shoes off kind of place - midtown
Candle Cafe - vegetarian - busy - upper east side

Nobu 57 - sushi - fun bar scene - artistic decor - DJ - midtown east
Buddha Bar - sushi - asian fusion - fun lounge - dining room - DJ -meat packing district
Buddakan - Modern asian cuisine - fun - busy - DJ - huge -meat packing district
TAO - sushi + asian fusion = fun - restaurant - lounge - DJ - crowded - midtown east
Sushi Seki - great sushi -very busy - upper east side
Blue Ribbon Sushi - late night - soho
Blue Ribbon- american bistro - soho

Teodora - Italian - authentic - Midtown East
BaBBO - Italian - authentic - Mario Batali - Greenwich Village

The Catholic Church...What would I do?

The church needs to change its focus back to the basics...Healing! and maybe even saving the world environment. Yes! Healing People and Healing the Environment. Priests have plenty of time to educate themselves on Holistic healing. They can then teach people how to heal themselves of their illnesses. They could work on projects that help clean and repair the environment. They need to preach love and happiness rather than sin and punishment. Maybe more people would actually decide to become priests again. I don't understand why priests can't marry. I don't remember but I believe that some of the original priests "the apostles" were married. If I were the Pope this would be my focus.

Avenue Q

One of the funniest Broadway shows I have ever seen is Avenue Q The Musical. You can find the lyrics to all the music which is really the screenplay here.
http://www.stlyrics.com/a/avenueq.htm

The transit strike has been really annoying to the rich New Yorkers and one of the most ignorant, inconsiderate things that one could do to all the poor hardworking people of New York City during the Holiday season. Many business owners rely on this season to bring in the bulk of their revenues for the year; luckily we don't, since we are busy almost everyday of the year. We have been kind of slow due to the strike, so some of us decided to go see Avenue Q. Luckily they had tickets available at the last minute. It was great, go see it. Also we ate at Joe Allen that was very good too. Use the following link to order tickets at great prices!

New York City Transit Strike

The Peter Louis Salon Is Open.
I Think the TWU is in a difficult Situation. I don't think the strike is wise and I don't think they realize why. Of course everyone deserves to make a living but, if the workers get a raise that the MTA can't really afford and the city and state budgets get affected due to the strike. The city and state officials and the MTA will probably do their best to Automate the whole system reducing the need for employees.

Hair Extensions at our NYC Salon

I am currently working to put some new hair extention pictures on the following weblog

http://hairextension.blogspot.com/ The transformations are amazing!

we use Great Lengths. Great Lengths' birthplace is London, one of the world´s fashion centres. David Gold, founder of Great Lengths, had set himself the goal to develop a hair extension system as simple to use as cutting or drying. When in 1991 he had developed and patented the Great Lengths principle he had simultaneously discovered the first method of thickening thin and fine hair in a very simple way.
This invention set off a revolution in 1991. For the first time David Gold could offer hair extensions and hair thickening in one system. Great Lengths has become a sign of our times: men - and particularly women - have started preferring non aggressive technical solutions and natural products.

In this context Great Lengths has also been one step ahead from the start: so far no other system has developed a similarly non compromising technique of attaching additional strands to the customer´s own hair. It goes without saying that only perfectly 100% natural highest quality human hair is used.

It is therefore no wonder that Great Lengths should have established itself on the worldwide market within a few years. Today top hairdressers in Great Britain, Italy, France, Austria, Germany, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Holland, Belgium, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Luxembourg, the U. S. A., Canada, Brazil, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates, South Africa, the Caribbean, Japan, Mexico and many more countries are offering Great Lengths with increasing success.

Free Worldwide WiFi hotspots

The Wi-Fi-FreeSpot™ Directory is a listing of Wi-Fi enabled locations that offer Free Wireless High Speed Internet Access. USA State-by-State listings come first with Europe and other regions of the World listed further down the page.

Whether you're a local resident or a business or vacation traveler just passing by, The Wi-Fi-FreeSpot™ Directory will help you find all types of Free Wi-Fi locations. You'll find cafes, restaurants, coffeeshops, libraries, downtown business districts, malls, stores, laundramats, auto repair shops, RV parks, airports, Hotels, vacation rental properties, etc. that are open to guests, customers and/or the general public. Read the Interesting Faqs to learn more about Free Wi-Fi and using these Wi-Fi-FreeSpots.