Unpredictable

I definitely failed at keeping this blog up.. I think I'll just post when I feel like it so there's no pressure.

I just wanted to simply say... Life is so Unpredictable.

Pain

Sometimes the physical pain that you go through reminds you of the past mental realities of life. Why do certain things happen. If it crosses the line, you need to react. Even if it hurts, time does not stop...you must try to endure and make it another day. Forgiveness will come..?

Organic Cotton Promotional Products

Today we received the 100% Organic cotton bags for Morris and Terry. It is a one-color screen logo print. This turned out so cute! Check them out at www.morrisandterry.com

SF GIANTS WORLD SERIES CHAMPS!!

Congrats to the SF GIANTS!!! WOOOOHOOOO!

I'm thinking about going to the parade on Wednesday!

ORANGE BABY :)

Doing Too Much

Spontaneously decided to throw a Halloween Party at my and Oscar's place, upstairs and diagnol from me. We plan to use the stoop too, I just hope it's not too cold outside. I need a fire pit!!

Now that I think about it, I'm quite overwhelmed! Why in the world did I decide to throw a party, this is kind of crazy. I also have a concert to go to the next day, GORILLAZ!! I'm pretty excited about that. I wonder what kind of costume I should wear to the concert, I'm not sure about going all out. I'm excited tho to wear the costume on Friday nonetheless.

Today was a good day until the City inspector couldn't wait five minutes. Seriously, these guys are lazy and difficult. The system they work in is not efficient and it wastes alot of time and money. I plan to write a complaint to the supervisor of community development. The are suppose to provide us with a service. Yet, there is none. It's a complex process to discuss. But a permit should not take 2 weeks to approve. I can get it over the counter at the County of Sac. Inspectors should also try to contact before arrival, it makes it helpful to provide proper access.

On another note, I hope the weather is good tomorrow so I can install a sign. Just give me at least four hours of clear skies. I also need to get up early and do some random stuff. Few meetings and I'm giving Will some of those RGB leds I have so he can do some promo thing at the IMAX for the movie premiere of Tron or something like that.

I'm off to make a quick to do list for the next few days. This will help me organize and de-overwhelm!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE :)

no lap top

Im currently blogging from my phone! this should be interesting... haha Since I dont have my laptop Ive been able to learn more apps and effects on this Droid! I love this phone, pretty awesome; its like a mini computer! So here's a picture of the progress of the counter.. still a work in progress for sure!

Its been awhile...

Wow. Haven't blogged for a few weeks. Alot has happened, more memories were created. I will just discuss my day at work. I think I need to figure out a mobile way of blogging conveniently. I think I will update more. It's takes too long to link or upload.

Anyways, I'm watching Dancing with the Stars. This show is pretty cool haha. My mom got me on it. My sister says that she lets them stay up at night if they're watching this show. Apparently this show has been on for many seasons! haha a lot of celebrities were actually on it! I had no idea.

At Cal Signs, we finally built that counter in the back warehouse! I'm very excited for this. We're going to use our own supply and just build it. It's cheaper. I want to light up the counter with these indoor lights that change color. It's really exciting! :) I'm really happy about it. Tomorrow I have to cut some half inch boards to build the counter top. I think we should also overlay it with this alupanel board. It will give it a nice finish. I dont think we necessarily need granite. That stuff is really expensive.

I also think a fence along the wall to hang the apparel and hats on will work fine. Rack displays are over $250. I think it will have this nice urban look to it! There's still so much to get done. We are also pretty busy at the shop with sign projects. Currently working on Java Time Donuts illuminated channel letters exterior sign. Mike at Exotic Body Tattoo is ready to go with this cut out brushed aluminum light box.

There are a lot of small vinyl projects. Lee has a full wrap that he's working on for Arctic Heat and Air. It looks so cool! Can't wait to share some picture once we get it installed. We ordered the Arlon wrap kit which has the wrap material and an overlaminate. I think we will begin output this week on this project. We definitely need to add more wraps to our porfolio. The guys (Danny & Duc) do an amazing job. They are great professionals to me. We've made errors and learned from them.

I feel we are advancing and sustaining. It's tough in this competitive and crazy economy! Team work, trust, quailty, and creation!

Good night.

before The Social Network

Trying to get in a blog before I head out to watch that movie The Social Network. Its based off the mass popularity of Facebook. I remember when it was just for college kids. I used to use it for notes if I missed class. People were always so nice to help out and it was a good tool that way. I was more stuck on the whole Myspace hit. Myspace was huge back in early 2000. Now its all about Facebook!

Anyways, I actually saw the creator of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg on Oprah a few weeks back. He usually doesn't like to be in the public eye. I really enjoyed his interview. Mark came off real and very grounded. He lives in a normal home that he RENTS! He has an asian girlfriend and is currently learning Chinese. That is just too cool. He also is donationg 100Mil to the Newark schools.

He said something about the movie. That his life isn't that dramatic haha. I heard it was a good movie so yeah. Better head out now! Tell you what I think when I get back!

*************************************************************************************

Alright, my review of the movie. I give it two thumbs up! I know an exaggerated movie concept based on Mark Zuckerberg but the details of it are pretty accurate. Funny and made me motivated to think beyond and see where ideas can take you. Money changes people. People change people. Just change yourself if you choose.

It was interesting to find out that Napster creator, Sean Parker was a part of the starting of Facebook. He now still owns 4% of Facebook and Facebook's worth about 11+ billion! That number is just growing as I'm typing this...AMAZING!

the weather is nice at 1am not yesterday

I'm up watching Jimmy Fallon. I still can't believe he got The Roots at the house band!

Today was a very interesting day. I woke up and found out that there was a crazy fire at the neighbors house! The whole house is burnt down and it also damaged the recording studio for Tesla. Its the place of the bass player, but he was out of town. It was a pretty crazy fire. Everyone got out safely and they were able to save most of guitars at least..Here's a video of the event that I found on youtube:

Fire Tears Through Tesla Studio

27th St Studio Fire

Today at work, we installed the sign for New Era Beauty Spa. It looks good, I need to go by there and take a picture. I actually need to update our sign portfolio. I will add that to my list.We also have a new neighbor that moved in and we put up their sign. They are a family business called LM Auto Parts, Inc. They got radiators, auto glass, and more. Coming soon.

Lynne came by today to talk to me about promotional products that Cal Signs is looking to offer. She brought me tons of catalogs and pens haha She is so great! We talked about how this stuff all works. I feel more confident that we can offer this to our existing customers. Tomorrow I plan to meet the screen printing and embroidery contacts. Let's see how this will work out :)

A few notes:

-Don't go over your minutes, that is expensive

-Need to Invention to Innovation for marijuana

-Be real and grateful to yourself and others

Burning your hand is not the business : Also I've been eating a whole lot of sushi!

You know how after you do the laundry everything seems to be wrinkly. Well.. I did one morning and decided to iron out some wrinkles. Some how as I was trying to unplug my cheap lil hotel iron from the outlet, I burnt the corner of my right hand. Not the best feeling in the world. I didn't feel it at first, but the burn settled in. I first thing I did was lick it, than ran to the bathroom and ran water over it. Do not lick your burns, it might cause irritation or germs.

Here's yesterday picture and today's picture with a sad worried face. This is gonna scar. Aloe ver and vanilla extract is good to use for burns. Dammit. Also last week I burned my should with the curling iron. NO MORE IRONING for a bit.

I noticed I've been eating alot of sushi. Went to Kru Sushi with Mindy. Always nice to catch up. I ordered this Jade roll which had lobster and this yummy sauce. Billy the owner is so sweet, he gave this raw fish that was amazing as starter! Also my friend Nghi works there! I had no idea haha, he actually had this roll. I hope to stop by this week if not for sure next week. We gotta support our local businesses!

Eileen and Nai came by to make dinner. We made sushi and it was delicious! They dogs were here too. They were a handful. Tito pee'd on me shirt and top right when he came into the house. I think he was excited to meet Tofu. Freddie pooped on my rug, then after dinner Noodles poops too. Too many accidents! haha It's okay tho. Dogs like to mark their territory, but dammit its my territory! :P

Happy Birthday to my friend Yujean. He had a surprise birthday at Ninja Sushi. He was definitely surprised and he looked like he had a blast! Cheers!

There I ordered this roll called flaming roll thinking it was spicy, but it was really on FIREE! I was shocked haha. It tasted pretty good. Spicy tuna with some salmon I think... :)

I guess we can never get enough sushi. It's definitely yummy and making it at home is just as delicious and a money saver for big groups!

CHINESE MOON FESTIVAL!

Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival, also known as Chinese Moon Festival, takes place at the 15th day of the eighth Chinese lunar month. The reason for celebrating the festival during that time is that it is the time when the moon is at its fullest and brightest.

2010 Mid-Autumn Festival will be on September 22, and the China public holiday for this festival lasts for three days from September 22nd to September 24th.

The Mid-autumn festival is one of the two most important occasions in Chinese calendar (the other being the Spring Festival or the Chinese New Year) and it is an official holiday. It is a time for families to be together, so people far from home will gaze longingly at the moon and think about their families.

The traditional food for mid-autumn festival is the moon cake which is round and symbolizes reunion.

TOP History and Origin of Mid-autumn Festival:

Celebration of Mid-autumn festival has a long history. In ancient times, the emperors had the tradition of worshiping the Sun in spring, and the Moon in autumn. The word "Mid-Autumn" first appeared in the famous ancient book "Zhou Li" (The Zhou Rituals, a book telling the rituals in the Zhou Dynasty). However, it was not until the early Tang Dynasty that the day was officially celebrated as a traditional festival. It became a established festival during the Song Dynasty, and has become as popular as the Spring Festival since the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Celebrations has continued ever since and more customs for marking this occasion have been formed.

There are several explanations on when and where the festival began and some of the most convincing versions are as follows:

Version One: Nanjing and Mid-autumn Festival:

A much-told story about the beginning of the Mid-autumn Festival celebration comes from Niuzhu (a place in ancient Nanjing). As early as 1,600 years ago, Nanjing which was called Jianye served as capital of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. On a Mid-autumn night when Xie Shangyue, the governor of Niuzhu, was boating on a river he met Yuan Hong, a poor, frustrated but gifted scholar who had to earn his living by renting boats. Admiring his ability, Xie made friend with him and Yuan had a rise to fame with the help of Xie. Later on, having heard of the story, many refined scholars from all over the country followed suit to boat in the river, climb up the towers, and watch the moon. Famous poets like Li Bai and Ou Yangzhan were all touched by the story, and then wrote numbers of poems about it. Because of this, the tradition of watching the moon on Mid-Autumn Festival gradually came into being.

Version Two: Season and Climate

The Mid-Autumn day is the very moment of rice maturity. And at that day farmers will worship the local God of land, whose birthday is exactly on that day. Mid-Autumn day is possibly an old tradition of telling the coming of autumn. In terms of the seasons in a year, the Mid-Autumn day can be named as "Harvest Day", when the crops sowed in the spring can be reaped. Since ancient times, people would drink, dance, and sing on that day, celebrating the harvest. This scene can be found in the Books of Odes (the earliest collection of poems in ancient China).

According to the previous descriptions, the ancient emperors had the tradition of worshiping the moon, yet the day was initially on the day of Autumn Equinox, and not on the Mid-Autumn day. However, the Autumn Equinox is not a fixed day and there may or may not be a full moon on that day. Therefore, the day for worshipping the moon was accepted as a convention on the Mid-Autumn day, when the moon is in its fullest.

Meanwhile, it's proven by scientific research that the inclination of the earth and the sun will gradually increase in autumn, thus the cool air up in the sky will fade away while the northwest wind is still very weak. In this way, the moisture is removed and the air in the sky would become pure and clean. So the moon would appear to be relatively fuller and bigger. And this would be the best time to appreciate the beauty of the moon.

Version Three: Moon Cake

The tradition of eating moon-cakes on this festival has a long history in China, yet there are different versions of statements about its origin.

The most common version is that during the reign of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, Taizong ordered his ablest general Li Jing to go for a battle against the Turkic clan in north ancient China to suppress their frequent invasions. The 15th day of the 8th month was exactly the day for the general's triumphant return. In order to celebrate his victory, fireworks were set off and music was played in and out of Chang'an City (the capital of the Tang dynasty), and citizens were happily enjoying a riotous night together with warriors. At that time, a business man, coming from the Tubo Kingdom (the ancient name for Tibet), presented Taizong with a kind of round cakes to celebrate Tang's victory. Taizong gladly received the magnificently-decorated boxes and took the multi-colored round cakes out of the boxes and handed them out to his officials and generals. From then on, the tradition of eating round moon-cakes on the Mid-Autumn Festival was formed.

Versions Four: Wuyan

One of the legends behind this festival tells the story of a plain girl named Wuyan, who was from Qi; an ancient nation in China. Wuyan was chosen for the Emperor's palace because of her outstanding morality but she never attracted the attention of the Emperor due to her appearance.

However, as a youngster Wuyan had worshipped the Moon and this gave her special powers so that on the night of the 15th of August, when she met the emperor in the moonlight, he saw her as beautiful and fell in love with her immediately. Wuyan later married the Emperor and became the queen of Qi, and from this moment on the tradition of worshipping the Moon on the 15th of August began.

However, young Chinese ladies to also worship the Moon for another reason - in the hope that they can become as beautiful as Chang'e, a girl who, according to Chinese legend, lives in the moon.



TOPLegends of Mid-autumn Festival
Almost every traditional Chinese festival has a connection with legends. The most well-known stories of the Mid-Autumn Festival is Chang'e flying to the moon, Jade Rabbit making heavenly medicine, and Wu Gang chopping the cherry bay. Those stories have been passed down from generations to generations alongside the celebrations of the festival itself. Today for young children, listening to the stories is still an important part of their way to celebrate the Moon Festival.

I. Chang'e Flying to the Moon

It is said that long ago there used to be 10 suns in the sky. Each day, one of the suns would travel around the sky on a carriage driven by Xihe, the mother of the suns. One day, unexpectedly, all 10 suns simultaneously appeared in the sky, which instantly dried the crops and caused disaster to the people on earth.
Hou Yi, a local archer, had great sympathy for people's sufferings from the blistering weather and decided to help them out. Houyi climbed up to the summit of Kunlun Mountains and shot down the suns leaving only one to benefit people. After he shot down the sun, Hou Yi became a hero who was revered by local people.

Later, Hou Yi married a beautiful girl—Chang'e. The young couple lived a happy and sweet life.

Hou Yi was so famous for his perfect archery skills that he had a lot of apprentices, including the unrighteous Peng Meng. One day when Hou Yi was on the way to visit his friend, the Queen Mother of the West gave him an elixir of immortality as a reward for his heroic undertaking. Meanwhile, he warned Hou Yi "Do not swallow this pill before preparing yourself with prayer and fasting for a year". Hou Yi gave the elixir to Chang'e for safekeeping and she took it as a treasure and hid it in her jewelry box. Unfortunately, Peng Meng found this secret and made a plan to steal it. Several days later, when Hou Yi and other apprentices went out for hunting, Peng pretended to fall ill and stayed at home. After they left, Peng forced Chang'e to give him the elixir. Chang'e, knowing that she could not defeat Peng, swallowed the elixir herself, and mmediately she felt herself floating up and flied to the sky. With deep love to her husband, Chang'e chose to be an immortal on the moon, closest to the earth; then she could see her husband every day.

In late afternoon, Hou Yi came back and was told what had happened. Heart-stricken, Hou Yi went to the back garden and called his wife's name ceaselessly. Surprisingly, he found that the moon was extremely clean and bright that night; and that there was a moving figure like Chang'e in the moon. Hou Yi desperately tried to catch up with the moon, but he could not do it. Hou Yi then asked servants to set a table in his back garden and with his wife's favorite snacks and fruits on it. In a short time, more and more people heard about the news that Chang'e had become an immortal, and they also put tables under the moon to pray to Chang'e for good fortune and safety. From then on, the custom of worshipping the moon on the Mid-Autumn Festival began to spread in China.

II. Jade Rabbit Making Heavenly Medicine

This legend is considered to be an extension of Chang'e Flying to the Moon. It tells about three sages who transformed themselves into pitiful old men. One day they met a fox, a monkey and a rabbit, and they begged for food. The fox and the monkey shared their food with the old men; but the rabbit, with nothing to share, jumped into a blazing fire to offer his own flesh instead. The sages were so touched by the rabbit's kindness that they sent it to live in the Moon Palace, where it became the Jade Rabbit. Chang'e, who lived alone after arriving in the moon, liked the Jade Rabbit at the first sight, and therefore kept it company. As the time went by, Chang'e and Jade Rabbit became inseparable friends. Hearing about the story of Chang'e and Hou Yi, the Jade Rabbit felt sympathetic to them and decided to make a special heavenly medicine, which could help Chang'e return to Earth. Unfortunately, the Jade Rabbit has still not been able to make it even though he has worked hard for thousands of years. Observing the moon on the Mid-Autumn Day carefully, we can still see the Jade Rabbit making his heavenly medicine.

III. Wu Gang Chopping the Cherry Bay

There is also another story about the Mid-Autumn Festival. Many years ago, Wu Gang, an immortal in Heaven, was punished to chop down the cherry bay in the moon for his serious mistakes. The cherry bay in the moon was extremely luxuriant and sturdy with a height of 5167 meters. It would also heal up as soon as it was chopped, which made Wu Gang's work last for thousands of years.

The mid-autumn festival has many traditions and activities in which people express how much their families mean to them, and how much they miss absent members.

TOPCustoms of Mid-autumn Festival
Gazing at the Moon:

Gazing at the Moon is an ancient tradition from the Zhou Dynasty (around 500 BC) when people held ceremonies to welcome the full moon, with huge outdoor feasts of moon cakes, watermelons, apricots, apples, grapes and other fresh fruits. The popularity of this ancient tradition began to grow during the Tang and Song Dynasties when people of high rank held banquets in their big courtyards. They drank fine wine, watched the moon and listened to music. Common people who could not afforded as big parties as the rich would lay some food such as moon cakes and fruits on a table in the courtyard and pray to the moon for a good harvest. This underwent a great rise during the Song Dynasty, and historical documents tells about mid-autumn night in the capital, where people would stream to the night markets and together with their families admire the beauty of the full moon. There are also many classic songs and well-known verses about this tradition.

Eating Moon Cake

Eating moon cakes while watching the full moon is a central part of the mid-autumn festival throughout China, and is a symbol of family unity. At the very beginning, the moon cakes were served as a sacrifice to the Moon. The words moon cake first appeared in the Southern Song Dynasty, even though, at that time, the moon cakes were not round. Nowadays, moon cakes are given as presents to loved ones and it represent people’s wishes to be together during the mid-autumn festival.

Apart from these two traditional customs, different regions have their own celebrations.

In Fujian Province

In Pu City, females must cross the Nanpu Bridge to pray for a long life. In Jianning, people light lanterns to pray to the moon for their babies. In Shanghang county, children have to get down on their knees when they worship the moon. In Long Yan, while eating moon cakes, parents will dig a small hole in the center of the cakes, which means that some secrets should be kept from children.

In Guangdong Province

In Chaoshan, women and children will worship the Moon. When the night comes, they will burn joss sticks in front of a table of fresh fruits as a sacrifice. At that night they will also eat taros. There are two reasons why people there eat this vegetable. One is that August is the best time to eat ripe taros, and the other comes from a story. In 1279 the Mongols defeated the Southern Song Dynasty and formed the Yuan Dynasty, and they carried out their cruel domination over the Han Chinese. At that time, a well-known general called Ma Fa held out in Chaozhou to fight with Mongols. When he failed, most citizens were killed. Because the Chinese word for taros and Mongols were similar, from then on people eat taros to prove that they will always remember the pain. To eat the taro means to eat the heads of the Mongols.

In the south of Yangtze River valley

In Nanjing people will not just eat moon cakes, they will also eat another famous dish called Guihua Dark. This dish could only be cooked during the Mid-Autumn Day, because it is cooked with osmanthus flowers, which blossoms in August.

In Wuxi of Jiangsu province, people like to burn joss sticks to celebrate this special festival. The burned joss sticks are wrapped in tulle with beautiful paintings of Moon Palace or Chang'e.

In Ji'an County of Jiangxi province, peasants burn pottery jars with straws and vinegar so that the smell of the vinegar can spread all over the villages. In Xincheng County, people celebrate this festival by lighting oil lamps from the 11th day of the 8th lunar month to the 17th day.

In Sichuan Province:

People will prepare a lot of food like moon cakes, ducks, glutinous rice cakes, and rice dumplings. In some places, people light orange lamps, or ask children run in the streets with pomeloes decorated with burning incense in their hands. In Jiading, they worship the God of the Land and play some local dramas to celebrate this special day.

In the North:

People of Qingyun County in Shangdong province worship the God of Land as well as their ancestors on that day. In Lu’an of Shanxi province, parents will invite their son-in-laws to have dinner with them. In Xixiang county of Shanxi province, men usually go boating or climb mountains together, while women will stay at home and prepare for the dinner. In Luochuan County, parents send gifts to their children's teachers to show their gratitude.

Though different places have different customs to celebrate this special day, people all have common wishes of reunion, happiness, safety, health and harvest.

TOP Chinese Ancient Poems and Mid-Autumn Festival
At the very beginning, the Mid-Autumn Festival was not so popular. It was the ancient Chinese poets who made the Festival popularity. They wrote many poems which are related to the moon and the festival, and when reading these poems people became more and more interested in it. Missing Home in the Silent Night by Li Bai is one of the most famous ancient poems related to the moon and the Mid-Autumn Festival.

the HERO & the BEAR! :P

It's amazing how awesome this online videos have become. It's so interactive and personalized. These two video links below will change social media forever! I want integrate the idea of the Bear video to a Cal Signs concept. :)

1) THE HERO VIDEO (hahaha so funny!)

2) SHOOT THE BEAR VIDEO (kinda ming boggling!)

the catcus is blossoming, tofu likes the ducks

Every morning or afternoon, I walk by Sutter's Fort with Tofu. I live close to that area. I enjoy the mini bridge and waterfall. The ducks are nice too. :) There is this really big cactus that is starting to blossom. It's quite beautiful! <3

WORK DAY:
Today was a smooth day. I got estimates out and signed up to possibly start doing promotional products. I also got a great lead on a vectoring site which is based out in Thailand. I am going to test them out and see if they are as good I hear. Thanks so much for your help Lynne! Check her stuff out at www.signatureprintingstore.com

I finished up the step by step menu for Freshmade Yogurt Cafe located at the new Well building at CSUS. They are about 1.5 feet coroplast boards with full color vinyl overlay and double stick tape on back for installation. Moreta, the owner, came by to pick these up and he really liked them! This is always a good thing. :) I really like Morteza, he is a good and fair business man. I've done alot of business with him at Subway. I plan to go out there next week to get some pictures of the window vinyl graphics and also this menu.

We printed two banners for SN&R. We scheduled electrical final inspections on two signs in Rancho Cordova. One for CSLS School and Thai Sky. (This reminds me I need to update our sign portfolio).

I also decided to do fall sale. I made two 4x8 feet banners that says: 25% Off all Banners, Posters, and Decals // 10% Off all Vehicle Wraps & Vinyl. I hope this will generate more sales and promote our wraps! I got a nice deal on banner material so I figure a Sale makes good sense!

Good day, I'm happy tomorrow is Friday. I need a break.

These boots are made for plants :)

I catch myself taking pictures of things I notice on occasion around the neighborhood. One day I think someone is going to get freaked out! haha, but for now I'm going to do it.

Anyways a few days back I saw these flower plant boots at this Victorian house, but I didnt have my camera. This morning on the other hand, I passed by it again and I noticed the owner added some fall decor to the boots. This time I got to take a picture of the boots.

I love how they are work boots that have real plants and flowers growing out of them. Its a mixed concept that I like. Its like two opposites can create something so beautiful. :)

wisdom wednesday::: Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life

Biggie in Red Bandana :)

My latest doggie bandana model:

BIGGIE!

Second Saturday:::Inspiration to Ignorance

Second Saturday Art Walk has taken downtown/midtown Sacramento by storm! I remember when no one really came out to Second Saturday. We used to just set up DJ equipment and had some generic booths outside and we used to call that Second Saturday.

Now, it has blossomed into such a popular event! Hundreds of people flood the streets of downtown. It is full or art, photography, vendors, live music, and food! Local shops and restaurants began to support the culture of Second Saturday.

My friend Karen created a handmade fashion line called Baby Floss. We went by there to support her at Bows & Arrows. Its so inspirational to see people create one of a kind goodies. I really loved the necklaces, so I got myself two at a discount. Cheers! Thanks K!

We then went and checked out more creative vendors down K Street. There were so many custom creations that you can't help but want to go and make something awesome of your own!! We also met this wonderful pottery maker named Graham Fredenburg. We got chatting with him about ceramics and pottery. He apparenly took a class and he fell in love with the art of it. I loved his passion and he was so pleasant! Inspiration was definitely flowing!

The Maiya Gallery had some beautiful paintings on display by J.G. Morales Villanueva (masks)

and Susanne Ventura (circles). I really enjoyed the masks. Masks can change how one carries themselves and also how other see them. Its a way to be someone or something else. I think it relates to Halloween. The only day of the year where you can be someone else. But then again, if you have masks, you can be different everyday!

The best part of the Second Saturday is seeing the live street performers. We check out this great young girl band called "Dog Party" in front of Bicycle Works. We also came across a high school band playing in front of the Maiya Gallery. They gave us a free CD :)

And the best part was seeing Downtown James Brown doing what he does best, ENTERTAIN! I haven't seen him around for awhile and its nice to see that he is still just as happy and energetic as ever! He's a good man. Then headed to Havoc for Turntable Terrorist battle. My dear friend DJ Lahn took the win! Congrats homie!!

After all the positive festivities of the evening, Second Saturday went downhill. Usually after about 10PM the vendors and the bands start to clear out. The families start heading home, and the party go-ers come out.

The ignorant people that stay after do not respect the "art" of Second Saturday. They are only out on this particular day so that can cause ruckus. Around midnight, I hear sirens; one after the next. I think about 8 sirens passed which is unusual because on a typical Saturday night I hear about 2 or 3 max. I thought something has happened, but was unsure.

Come to find out there was a big fight in front of one of the clubs. The fight turned violent when a gun was pulled out. This left 1 dead and 3 injured. The victims were only about 18-19 years old. The gunman was loose and I am not sure if they ever caught him. 5 or 6 blocks were closed down J Street.

I have this feeling the City is going to want to shut down Second Saturday because it is drawing a very immature ignorant group of youths. This is just like the Thursday night markets back in the days of K Street Mall.

Here is a link to the story: Sacramento Midtown Shooting...

Let's learn to respect and love one another. Violence is not necessary. PEACE.

ARG Meets Sleeprockers

Aww nice! I love listening to new mixtapes and this one is dope! I like the transitions and the mixing. Good Delivery by ARG:::Another Rap Group. Check them out at www.argmusic.com!!Good job guys! I love to see the passion and talent in my music friends! :) Check them out at

ARG Meets Sleeprockers by Rated R, Nocturnal & Mr.Vibe

"ARG and Sleeprockers join forces to bring you an over the top mix of classic, rare and unreleased tracks from Another Rap Group. This Mixtape is pure wild style Turntablism at it's drunkest, uhhh we mean finest!

Release date: September 2010

Tracklist

	TRACK TITLE	ARTIST
1.	Keepin On (Unreleased)	Arg
2.	The Revolution (From The Soal)	Arg
3.	Funky (Unreleased)	Arg
4.	No Truth (Aziaddict & Ospis Are...)	Arg
5.	Sacramento Jazz (They Call Us...)	Arg Feat. The Live Manikins
6.	Last Night (Unreleased)	Arg
7.	Sleep Rocker Interlude	Sleeprockers
8.	The Soul ('06 Original Mix)	Arg
9.	Words Of Advice (Aziaddict And Ospis Are...)	Arg
10.	Bothered (They Call Us...)	Arg
11.	Represent Intro (By Dj Mr. Vibe & Dj Rated R)	Arg
12.	Represent (Aziaddict And Ospis Are...)	Arg
13.	Imagine If Remix (Unreleased)	Arg
14.	Breakdown (They Call Us...)	Arg
15.	The Dj (Unreleased)	Arg

Yesterday & Today

YESTERDAY:::

Yesterday was a busy day at work! I had a nice lunch meeting with Leroy regarding the shop progress and what we need to do have a great profit. We discussed our wrap goals, advertising goals, and a sales team. Makes me feel good about what is to come for Cal Signs Inc. www.mycalsigns.com

After work, picked up Terry and headed to meet up Dorothy for dinner. Dorothy is my good friend Dave's mom and she made use some delicious burritos! It was so fresh and delicious. She also made these yummy watermelon lime mint smoothies! We had a nice ladies night.

I noticed three things that I wanted to capture on my mobile phone. The beautiful succulence that surrounds the trees in the front yard of the Icarangals. The second was Dave's 5th grade picture on the refrigerator! haha what a cute chubby lil kid :P Lastly, after dinner I went home and I saw my sisters wearing my old school tshirts as their pajamas haha. Gotta love it! :)

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TODAY:::

Today, once again it was a busy day. The installers headed out to install the Subway sign over at Greenback Lane. Afterwards, we did the installation for Stewart Title. At the shop, we worked on some yard signs, posters for Famous Pizza, and also the letters for new Grimz Gym. We have Grimz Gym set for an installation next Tuesday. Check them out at www.grimzgym.com

Also I am in talks with Vince over at Big Things Limo about some bus wrap work. This is quite exciting. Check them out over at www.bigthingslimo.com We hope to do some advertising on the buses and move forward with some package rates!

Here are some pictures of the Game N Trade signs, posters, and vinyl that we did for Eric. This is for their new location on El Camino Blvd.

Designer Bags, Pop Culture, Shallow Waters

Hmm... I dont own a Coach bag. I dont own a Louie Vuitton bag. I have many bags, most are under $50. I look around and when I do see these designer bags, I can't tell the difference, it's all the same to me. The women carry them around but to me its nothing special. She has one and you have one. Same color, same style, same brand, same price tag.

Popular culture. Reality TV has taken over, so every other channel will have that. Music is saturated with nonsense and mediocre lyrics, this is solely pertaining to pop. Catchy tunes and excessive radio play.

Shallow people and selfish ways. When will we change? Hurricanes are more powerful than nucelar weapons. In other words, mother nature is stronger than anything man-made. And on that note, nuclear weaponry is the most ignorant creation ever.

The earth is quaking.

Back to Work!!

After a wonderful 3-day weekend. It was back to work today. Production began on a few projects and we are booked all week! The UL inspector came by today. We chatted about business and education. He told me about the curriculum that we have to take for the shop. I guess all sign shops that are certified by Underwriters Laboratories are required to take it. This is $400! Good thing he gave me a code for 50% off. Inspection went well. Yes, all Cal Signs products are inspected for safety! We are legit :)

I finally went to pick up that sign permit for Salon ETC at El Dorado county. Check them out at www.etcsalonspa.com. It's always a nice drive passing by the hills with a nice breeze. Nobody really drives too crazy and the weather was perfect for a drive to the woods.

When I got to the Building department, I saw this beautiful Uchikake which is a traditional Japanese bridal dress. It dates back to Muromachi era 1338-1573AD. It is still widely popular in the Japanese wedding ceremonies. I guess this is my random fact for the day.

A few highlights from Labor Day. Went to dimsum and shopping with the family, bought a whole bunch of groceries, and relaxed :)

These Good Good Eat Ramen cracker snacks are really good good to eat! haha

Also check out my generic $2 sharpies, REKORD!