End of Summer 2k11 - Wisdom, Wagers and Hip-Hop

Love the Patriotism today on the 9/11 anniversary. It's humbling to see how far we've come in 10 years. Remember and Represent, Represent.


Is Summer really over? Have we passed Labor Day? Is it COLD!? August not only flew by (like we all know it does) but it was one of the most amazing months of my life. Hurricane scares aside, New York (and Vegas) is an amazing time to PBS. 


Side Note: I don't know when Leggo became an acceptable saying in our Pop culture, but..#LEGGO!

Fall Previews - While the end of Summer can be a major downer (fact: NY'ers love to complain about every season change, myself included), there are many things to look forward to in the Fall. Especially for guys. Things I'm looking forward to are A) Football Sundays B) The Dallas Cowboys inevitable 2011 NFL Championship C) Fall Bowling Leagues D) Giving up on "that diet" and E) Wearing blazers as jackets for those 3 weeks when it's not too cold to do so

My August highlight was traveling to Vegas. I'm convinced Vegas is the only place on Earth where the only way to fully express your emotions is by repeating that place's name and smirking uncontrollably. Looking at your friends and giggling "New York..." or "Damn, Boston..." just doesn't have the same effect, does it?

I've been to the Sin City before (Re: Poor, but 21), but let's just say that things become a lot more interesting when you actually have money to blow/gamble with. There is nothing worse than losing your money and having to "conserve" while all your friends play around you! Let's add that to life's list of worse possible scenarios, right behind the dinner party with not enough food. It's taken me some time to fully appreciate and understand my lessons learned. That and I had was too drunk all the time to remember had unfinished business to take care of. Lessons?


Lesson 1 - Go to the day pool parties. When people ask me about the trip, I always try to respond honestly and skip around the mandatory "IT WAS AWESOME" brags. That being said, the most shocking time in Vegas was the day Pool Party at Tao. And It Was Awesome. The best way to describe it is LFMAO's "Shot, Shot, Shot" music video, except in real life. Seriosuly, the pool party has no rules. Splash fights? Check. Rocking Jesus-Pieces? Check. Pouring Ice on Strangers? I didn't do it, but Check. Shouts to Roger Ebert for always pushing the limit!


Lesson 2 - Learn How to Play Blackjack. Playing cheap Blackjack is a fun way to kill time during the "day" in Vegas (a.k.a. that awkward period after brunch but before dinner where you are too full to drink but too excited to nap). It's not that hard too stay fairly even as long as you remember to play by "the book." Asking the dealer for advice is encouraged and extremely helpful. But anytime someone doesn't play by "the book"? Constant, relentless ridicule is required. In fact, blaming your friends for losing is both strangely satisfying and agonizing..whether it's their fault or not.

Typical Blackjack Table Interaction:
Me: "What do you think?" (translated: should I hit?)
Friend: "Dude, I'm feeling this one" (translated: obviously, you idiot)
Dealer: "Sorry, you bust!"
Me: "Oh well, it was the right play I guess.." (translated: I hate you so much..)
::everyone does a collective head shake::

Lesson 3 - Don't Be Afraid to Take a Crazy Chance. There are cliche sayings about Vegas, but my advice would be to never hold back!. Whether it's that bet that GUARANTEES a loss ($10 on a number in roulette, Casino War, only putting $20 in a slot machine, etc.), or the words you probably shouldn't say - sometimes, it feels good to go all out. (See: Beast Mode. WAB.)

Shouts to Zordon, Birdo, Apollo 11, Doctach, Ms. Cooper, Roger Ebert, Cornhell, Robin, W. Wonka, Diddy and everyone else. We'll see each other again, I promise.

Over Labor Day weekend, I went to Rock the Bells - the annual hip hop festival held on Governor's Island. I would never consider myself a hip hop "elitist" but anytime you can see Nas performing, attendance should never be in question. This year's lineup featured some of my previously-mentioned favorite performers (Big KRIT, Joe Budden) and some artists who I had wanted to see live (Childish Gambino, Roc Marciano). Besides the nightmare transportation situation and having to stand in the sun all day - Rock the Bells is a premier event for featuring the right mix of old school/new school hip-hop. Highlights include Lauyrn Hill regaining some credibility by performing "Killing Me Softly" (it was a bit touching) and Slaughterhouse coming onstage to a raging chant. Let the record show that 99% of Joe Budden's fans are guys. Maybe hip-hop isn't dead after all..

In my first Gambino sighting, I cannot disagree that Donald Glover is an exciting up-and-coming artist, but let's not anoint him yet. At least not until he gets a more respectable wardrobe. He has a killer flow, good energy and is a metaphorical/lyrical phenom, but he still needs to pay his dues and serve some jailtime before I respect him. Shouts to Bosi, H-Money,  Yoko, Ms. Cooper and DKNY!

You will get street credibility..one day. maybe.

Finally, Mud Run frenzy has officially taken over!! (Jump on the bandwagon while there are still spots available). It may not be an official "hobby" just yet, but I signed up for another run in a few weeks. I had such a fun time winning finishing surviving the Warrior Dash, I couldn't wait for another chance to test myself. But this time, I want side-bets (the key to any organized activity with friends). Don't call me a gambler, but I'm willing to put up a little humiliation (or slaps) this time...

In honor of the pain to come, I present the official Mud Run theme song of 2011. Incase you didn't know, I'm a Warriorrrrrr.

Peace & Love,
MKP

This Weekend, I tried to be "Hip" and listened to Watch the Throne

Watch the Throne Album Cover

Musical Aside (Yes, I'm "theatrical" now. See below): I'm writing this post as I take my first few listens of Jay-Z and Kanye West's new collaboration album, Watch The Throne. FYI the first single, "OTIS," has special meaning to me as my boy O.K. coined this catch phrase years ago when Otis Redding randomly came on during an iTunes session. In the years since, I have taken this phrase GLOBAL. If you ever hear someone yell out "OTIS!!!" - think of me.


Obviously, this album is downright Amazing. Beautiful. Classic. There hasn't been an album this hyped in the past few years (No, Drake's Thank Me Later does NOT count) - and it's refreshing to have music not only live up to its hype but surpass it.


Initial "Watch The Throne" Thoughts:
1. Kanye's musicality shines through each song on this album. Whether it's the smooth "Made it in America" or the downright epicness of "Lift Off" - every song has its own unique 'Ye vibe. Take it to the stars!
2. By sound alone, I truly believe that this album couldn't wouldn't exist without Kanye's debatable hit, 808's and Heartbreaks. He seems to have channeled everything he learned from that experience and multiplied it by 10 - drumkits and all. I will defend 808's to my grave - so for all the haters, at least it made Throne possible.
3. Jay-Z still has it. As if there was ever a doubt. Call him Harry Potter, he's a wizard with words.
4. "Murder to Excellence" is my favorite song on the album. If  we could go back in time to when Mount Vesuvius erupted and a sea of lava was spilling towards Pompeii - this song could be played and the hot, molten lava would acquiesce to the greater Fire that is this song.

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Early August is upon us, and the constant partying that is summertime in NYC has been starting to drag on me (tragic, isn't it?). As it isn't quite time yet for the "24 hour champagne diet REMIX" associated with the end of the season - I've been looking for new ways to explore the city.

It's a well known fact that I never rarely travel above 14th Street on the weekends. I can be a lot of things - stubborn, "crazy," lovesick, funny - but "Hipster" has never been one of them. Eager to see what it's like, I took Urban Chique (patent still pending) to Williamsburg for Mr. Hyde's birthday. Degenerate stories aside (Oh, there are a LOT of them), here's Where Brooklyn's At:

Pros:

• I'm pretty sure Brooklyn is the only place where you can play classic 80's video games at a bar (Well, besides Dave and Busters, I guess. But I go there too much anyway). For our first stop, we stopped off at Barcade - whose name explains its very existence. Needless to say, the Iron Lung and I have googled how much it would cost to buy one of these machines for the apartment. We have to spend our bonuses somehow..
• Beer, beer and more beer. If you like to drink the potion as much as I do, this is the place to go. Dark Hofbrau!?! On Tap!?!? REALLY??
• You can wear as much plaid/flanel as you want and nobody will judge. Hell, I can even rock that backwards hat look I love and not get stares. #Win!

Cons:

• I don't know whether it was our group of downright degenerate Asian men or the lack of female companions, but I couldn't shake that feeling of being out of place. Remember on Nickelodeon they had that show about The Rugrats when they were in high school? Yeah, that's how awkward it felt sometimes.
• People in the BK must love to walk because places can be VERY FAR AWAY FROM EACH OTHER. Annoying? Check. Tiring? Yes. A walk that seems 10x longer because some friends need to be carried on a stretcher to the next bar? Duh.

While I had a good time in Williamsburg, I think I'm Manhattan to the bone. It's not so bad - At least we have Artichoke!!!

In MTN, in today's class Kru Phil Nurse gave us a speech about digging down and finding that inner energy that can propel you past your normal limits. Whether it's called chi or adrenaline or even rage - it's a place I want to get to. UFC champions like Georges St.-Pierre and Jon Jones have experienced what it's like to reach that place under Phil's tutelage and I want to accomplish the same.

Highlight of the Class: Finally being able to land a spinning back hand punch during some light sparring. Watch out, Warrior Dash. Hey Troll, Lovebird, Workaholic, Big Game Hunter, Ghost, Blackout and Femme Fatale - Get ready to lose this weekend. All it takes, is all you got.

Finally, I've booked tickets to see "Sleep No More" later in the Fall. How can anyone say no to voyeurism, masks, and Macbeth? Stay tuned for my transformation into an "arts lover" now that my attempt at being a Hipster was a fail. Stay tuned.

Peace & Love,
MKP

This Weekend, Armageddon Hit NYC

Note: I finally understand why people pay Geek Squad so much money. Fixing your computer (Windows errors, hardware errors, viruses, etc.) is not only a SOLID TEN on the annoying scale (right above doing dishes), but it's also one of the most confusing things on the Internet. Lessons Learned? 1) Reading technical forums is horrible. 2) Dealing with any kind of "service manual" is harder than sitting through Ashley H's constant insecurity on The Bachelorette. 


This past weekend reminded me of the Lloyd Bank's classic, Fire. Banks' lyrics - "We on Fire / Up in Here, it's Burning Hot / We on Fire" - perfectly describes what its felt like to live in New York as of late. Can anyone imagine being in Times Square in 100+ degree heat? Not even Chicken & Rice would be worth it. Now, I don't want to be that guy who says "called it" out loud (do I do that?), but we are definitely in Stage 4 of Summer - see an earlier post for reference.

While on the Hip Hop note, last week I went to an old-school Joe Budden concert in Brooklyn. While he definitely mailed in his performance a bit (had a fan rap a whole song for him), I can't deny that I had a good time. He might not be the best lyricist, or have good radio "musicality", but he's someone hip hop fans can and should appreciate. Can't wait for Rock the Bells in September or the release of Watch The Throne - The initial reviews on the Jay-Z, Ye album (released at a party earlier this month) were craazy.

In MTN, my weight-loss goals are starting off to a good start. I am starting to get more serious about it -along with the sport as a whole. Especially enjoying learning all of the Muay Thai techniques now that I can finally handle the cardio aspect of the classes. All I need to do to reach my goal is continue to tell myself my new motto - "All it takes, is all you got." (Warrior Dash 2k11, here I come. Taking bets as the 4:1 favorite.)

Finally, I'm not sure whether or not True Blood has gone off the deep end a la "jumping the shark," but it's certainly getting close. While the past few weeks episodes have been entertaining - they also been somewhat disturbing (in a good way?). Normally, there are very few things to get excited about on TV in the Summertime - no football/basketball, most shows going off the air, etc. But to a TV junkie like me, it's nice to know there can still be things to look forward to. I'll be watching next week.

TV Quotes of Summer 2k11:

• "BREED, GHOST DADDY. BREED." (True Blood)
• "I'm doing this, FOR ME." (Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition)
• "These men go through the toughest training the world" (Surviving the Cut - every episode. The show details basic training for some of the US military's most exclusive units. Very inspirational.)
• "I'm definitely falling for Ashley." (Every Bachelor in The Bachelorette)
• "I just can't get over Bentley." (Ashley H, The Bachelorette - it's messed up, I know.)

Peace & Love,
MKP

Today, Follow my Lead

Note to self: Next time, take better care of your computer!! Remember all of those times that Windows told you NOT to shut down because it was doing something important? I somehow seem to always blatantly disregard the warnings...


The end of the 4th of July marks the last "work" holiday for the foreseeable future. It's a sad, sad time for all post college adults as they realize that an awesome vacation will probably consist of a 3-day weekend trip that always seems to last a day too short until Thanksgiving (shouldn't we schedule "catch up" days into our vacation plans anyway?)

For my 4th of July weekend, I did not make the usual trip down to the Jersey Shore (although from what I've heard it was too serious for me anyway) and instead went to Orlando with my family. I've been to Orlando, literally every 2-3 years since I was a kid for one reason or another (#X-10) and in that time period have ridden/seen/visited every attraction possible. (Rankings? #1. Universal. #2. Disney. #24. Sea World). But Alas, I discovered two new things:

1. Harry Potter World is amazing. Butterbeer is as good as they describe it in the books.
2. Americans love $3.99 all-you-can-eat breakfast buffets. Including me, although I can't pound pancakes like I used to.

On Friday Night, Tommy Boy, BKing and I checked out some actual muay-thai fights at the Beacon Theater in Midtown. A few people from our school, The Wat, were fighting (and did quite well actually, one of our instructors won his third title belt.) . It was incredible to see people really going at it, and there were definitely some Oooohs and Aaaahs from the crowd. It made me wonder if I would ever get to the point where I would want to fight. A crazy dumb interesting thought?  If I invited everyone I knew would I be nervous? That or supremely overconfident.

Hip Hopically, I just got tickets to see Joe Budden perform on Friday in Brooklyn. I've seen him before as a part of Slaughterhouse, but this will be my first time seeing him as a solo act. No hip hop fan can deny his flow talent and the fact that dude is HILLARIOUS on Twitter (follow him). A few people are amazed he's still around since releasing "Fire" and "Pump it Up" like 10 years ago. Check the dude's mixtapes, he might be the best rapper out there right now. Which is debatable, but I'm willing to defend it.

"Box Update"
The game I learned in Chi and upgraded NYC Style has has officially joined the ranks of the 'Best Games to Play at Parties" list - along with Pong, Kings, Flip, Boom, Never and Buffalo (which apparently has been in play for years by a group of older NYU alum). I thought about posting a picture of it to get people more interested in what it is and how to play - but you'll probably just have to see for yourself. When you play.

Don't blame me, blame The Box.

Peace & Love,
MKP

This Weekend, I Went to Chi-Town City

Have you ever had one of those weekends when you look back on it a few days later and realize the following?

1. I spent more money in the past 3 days than I did in the past 3 weeks.
2. Most of the people I met probably think I'm insane. (For reference, see this Wikipedia definition)
3. I need to invest in Segway (The Segway Tour was the best part of the trip)
4. I consumed > 4,000 calories per day. Including McDonalds. #epicmealtime
5. AND IT WAS SICKKKKKK. (with "SICKKKKK" being defined as a) no puking, b) having pictures to remember and c) having things drawn on you when you are sleeping) 

Usually a "good" weekend in New York may consist of one, two or maybe even three of the above points. However, this past weekend visiting Chicago, I may have pushed the limit. In the end, I think I made some really good friends and have a few craZ stories. (shouts to Spike, Brawl & My Hero for hosting me! Love you guys, I know I'm an absolute terror dream to live with.)

Now that I've had a few days to digest and really think about it, I wanted to try and compare life in New York vs. life in Chicago to see if I could ever live there myself.

IMHO:

#1 - Degenerate (nyc lingo) vs. Delinquent (chicago style)
Fun Fact: Both places have a word for guys who like to party.

The truth is that I'm beginning to realize more and more that Filipinos are pretty similar everywhere. In both places, guys just love to rip-on each other and chill and take whiskey shots. It obviously always makes for a great time. Both Chicago & NYC folk like to party.

(In other news, I learned this awesome new game called The Box that I will soon be bringing EAST! stay tuned.)

That being said, since a lot of people in the Chicago area live in the suburbs and need to drive into the city to party (It befuddles me.). And since we're all responsible young adults (sometimes), NYC wins.


#2 - "Sports Craziness" - Cubs vs. Yankees
One of the first things I did upon booking my trip to Chi was looking up tickets to go see the Cubs play at Wrigley Field. Even though I really don't consider myself a giant baseball fan, I can appreciate its history & significance. The place is really beautiful. Chilling in the park and sipping Old Style was a memorable experience for me.

They were also playing the Yankees which was pretty crazy. There were a looot more Yanks fans than I expected. I wore a fitted cap, but there were definitely a lot of people in full gear. But nothing beats Cubs fans, who love to drink during the games.


#3 - "Fatness"
Chicago deep dish pizza? Probably a bit overrated.
Chicago style hot dogs, mustard, relish, a full pickle, tomatoes, onions and peppers)? Weird, but good.
Hot Dougs? Amazing. (anyone who has ever had it can attest)
Still, can't ever beat Chicken & Rice.


#4 - "Architectural Beauty"
 jk. who really cares. although for the record, nothing in the world compares to New York.

#5 - "We're Just Ordinary People"
It's a well known fact that living in New York numbs you to a lot of things. I honestly believe it's the only city in the world that nothing ever surprises you. Think about it. Homeless man relieving himself on the subway? eh. Couples pushing the limit of public decency in a back alley at 3 AM? big deal. Someone getting mugged/robbed/shot outside your apartment? it happens.

Now, compare this to life in the Chicago where people are just generally nice. Call it the Midwestern charm. But would anyone in New York really go 30 minutes out of their way to drive a friend and his stranger friend home? Doubt it. (+1 Chi-Town)

All in all, I loved Chicago - but I don't think anything compares to New York. 

Crazy start to the summer, I wonder how it's going to end.....

Peace & Love,
MKP