Life of Zane

2009-10-08T17:40:00.003-04:00

(In reference to this.)

LDH: Maybe I should have moved to San Jose or Orange County
so I can become the leader of a politically charged minority/GANG LEADER

me: More opportunity for--exactly

LDH: ROSA PARKS2K9

me: Maybe I should move there to become leader of a politically charged minority--to OVERTURN PROP 8

LDH: LOL

me: HARVEY MILK2K9

LanDHo12: LOLOLOL

The shape I'm in

2009-09-23T20:34:00.003-04:00

Things that I'm thinking about:

- Tumblr is pretty cool. It's almost as if a picture says 1,000 words?

- I'm kind of sick of the Internet. It's really good for getting infatuated with something, because there's always more information about that thing to be found. But I'm finding myself tired of being infatuated with things that don't "matter" to me. That is, if it doesn't have to do with the business, exercise, books, food, movies, or (some) music, then I guess I don't really need it right now. Also, I'd rather experience things, I think.

- I feel very good about my life. I guess I always have, but now seems like a good time to grow, to be inspired by things, to cultivate something that belongs to me.

- I'm also feeling very good about getting rid of people/habits/thoughts that aren't good for me. I had one of the most stressful weeks of my life recently, and I more or less coasted through it because I was riding a high from a book I've been reading. I'd prefer more of that, and less dealing with negative thoughts/people/activities.

- I think it's time to start eating better and working out differently. Again.

2009-09-07T15:44:00.002-04:00

Topics for hilarious things to write about:

- Breaking my iPhone

- A peanut is neither a pea nor a nut

- Being delirious after working a 21-hour day and having nearly everything in my business fall apart

- Being a celebrity; How it's more or less the recipe to becoming insane

- Teddy Pendergrass

- My business partner has never heard of The Smiths

- How it's important to be self-aware, especially after you're around people who aren't, and how you think they're awful

- I really, really like hamburgers

- I have not read the news in weeks; I believe there's something going on about health care at the moment, but I only know that due to Facebook updates

- Sly Stone: how he's from Denton, TX; a celebrity; and insane

2009-08-23T16:48:00.002-04:00

They were careless people, Tom and Dasy--they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made. . . .

(The Great Gatsby, pp 180-181)

Day five - Successful coffee trip!

2009-08-21T16:18:00.002-04:00

On Tuesday I was finally successful in hunting for great coffee in NYC. I started out at Macchiato, in Midtown. The place was VERY modern, house music on the speakers, a packed house, and sleek design everywhere. I had a tasty cappuccino there with nice latte art.

I continued by jumping on the subway and roaming around like a fool for about 40 minutes, which didn't seem like a promising start. But after a couple of wrong turns I lucked out and ended up exactly where I wanted to be: just a few blocks away from Cafe Grumpy.

I had a really nice cappuccino there, and chatted a little with the baristas about their coffee. They use multiple roasters and feature a "guest espresso" on rotation, which I thought was a pretty cool thing to do.

From there I went on to Chelsea where I visited Ninth Street Espresso in Chelsea Market. Wandering around outside the Market, I encountered The High Line, an amazing example of adaptive reuse and sustainable landscape architecture and design. From there I wandered around some more and ended up doing some window shopping.

After that I met up with Lan and Dan to watch cartoonist and humorist Michael Kupperman perform at The Strand bookstore. Fun, hilarious, and I got a signed copy of his new book Tales Designed to Thrizzle, vol. 1.

From there I left the group to meet up with Wade at a bar called Gatsby's. We had a couple of drinks, then went for a slice of pizza. Not a lot going on in the area, so we went back to Greenpoint (Brooklyn), where Wade lives. We popped into a couple of bars, but ended up at a really nice place called Black Sheep. The owner was there, so I chatted with him a bit about craft beers and the Brooklyn bar scene. He gave us a bag of Doritos, and then we headed home.

Another great day in New York!

Day four - Failed coffee trip, Rock of Ages

2009-08-18T10:34:00.003-04:00

On Monday I made an effort to check out a bunch of different coffee shops around town. I pretty much failed. This was the first day I was on my own. Lan had to go to work, so we had a quick coffee at Oren's (a cappuccino--way too foamy) and then I set up my game plan. They didn't have any outlets at Oren's, so I tried to make my map on my phone, which didn't work out too well.

I got on the subway and rode back and forth for about 40 minutes for what should have been a ten-minute ride to Counter Culture, a coffee roasting company originally from North Carolina. Counter Culture is one of the most respected coffee roasters in the country, and I was really interested to see their setup in NYC. It turns out it's really just a training facility. I talked with a girl that worked there named Meister, who was super friendly and extremely helpful in getting to know some good coffee places to check out here in town. I promised that I'd see her again on Thursday night for the latte-art competition.

After leaving Counter Culture, I ran across the street to a place called Hill Country BBQ. Funny, right? The sign promised Lone Star, a bunch of Texas stuff, and good BBQ, so I thought I should check it out. I had a pulled beef sandwich, some mac and cheese, and a couple of Lone Stars and they were all quite good. The staff was ridiculously friendly, and we chatted about Texas, BBQ, and what to do in NYC.

From there I got a hold of Wade who was working on setting up the space for his new art gallery. Getting over there was much easier than it was to get anywhere else, and soon we were catching up over a couple of Stellas at a place nearby. It had been about five or six months since I'd seen the guy, so it was nice to hang out. We'll see more of each other this week for sure.

From there I took a cab to Manhattan to meet up with Dan and Lan because we had tickets to see Rock of Ages, a Broadway musical featuring the music of Journey, Whitesnake, Styx, Poison, etc. Before we went, though, we stopped at a food cart called Biryani Cart for some lamb wraps that were pretty great. Apparently Biryani Cart won best vendor food in 2008. I can't really validate that, but the food was pretty damn good.

Rock of Ages was awesome. It was kind of a sleeper thought--the first ten minutes seemed really cheesy and kinda dull, but after that it really took off. It was funny, exciting, and all the performances were really impressive. I have never seen a Broadway show before (well, not on Broadway), so this was a really fun experience.

After that, Lan and I trudged home through Manhattan, had a quick whiskey at the bar around the corner from his apartment, and passed out. Another great day.

Day three - Dinosaur Jr, etc.

2009-08-17T12:18:00.003-04:00

I've only been here for three days and my feet are killing me. I've walked at least ten times more per day than I normally do.

Checked out a couple of spots that I really wanted to go to yesterday. First, we stopped in at Oren's, a coffee shop near Lan's apartment that he frequents. It was reasonable, but I got the impression that great coffee wasn't their main focus. They had an enormous four-group Marzocco (it looked like a GB5, but it was hard to tell). I had an Americano, and the barista waaaaay over extracted the shot. Plus, I have to say that when I got to a place that has frappes and all kind of sweet drinks on the menu, I kind of take it a little less seriously.

Immediately after that we went to Joe, whose tagline is "The art of coffee." I had a macchiato there, and it was really nice. Joe has five locations, and is really well-designed as far as their menu and the layout of the store. I would definitely go back.

Then we went over to Shake Shack on the Upper West Side (71st/Columbus, I think). Wow. As a business, these guys are doing pretty much everything right. They make a great product, the space has a great aesthetic, friendly staff, and somehow they've managed to make being extremely busy and having a huge line part of their image and appeal. I had two shack burgers, fries, and a lemonade. It was all very good.

After eating, we made our way to Central Park, where Saviors, The Walkmen, and Dinosaur Jr were playing a free show as part of their summer concert series. Can't beat that, right? I've never heard of Saviors, but they were a really solid metal band from Oakland with lots of tattoos. The Walkmen were of course great, but Dinosaur Jr. rocked our asses off. These guys are a group of super-talented professionals who know exactly what they're doing. They were totally on fire.

I've had a few recommendations for coffee here in NYC, and I'm looking forward to checking them out today. I really want to check out Counter Culture (and possibly the throwdown on Thursday), Gimme Coffee, Ninth St. Espresso, Stumptown, Kaffe 1686, Stumptown, and Intelligentsia. Any other recommendations are very welcome. Let me know!

Day two - Rockaway Beach

2009-08-16T12:00:00.002-04:00

(This may be a short post, because we're about to go to the Central Park Summerstage and watch The Walkmen and Dinosaur Jr.)

People in New York spend a lot of time talking about where things are and how to get there. It makes sense--the city is so big and there are so many ways to get lost. Plus, it makes you look like you're really smart and savvy. The subway does seem like it's pretty intuitive, and even if you don't know what you're doing you should be able to get around if you pay attention. People here are also a lot friendlier than pop culture would have you believe. When I got off the plane the other day a lady picked her bag up from the carousel, and her bag busted open, strewing her clothes and personal items all over the carousel and the ground. Every single person who was standing nearby grabbed something and helped her get it together. Very nice!

I woke up early yesterday, showered, dressed, and headed to the subway. Lan lives Manhattan, and it's very easy to get around by subway from here. I headed over to LiLi's--she lives in Greenpoint, which is in Brooklyn. Greenpoint is the Polish area of town, and there are all kinds of Polish stores, meat markets, signs, and people all over the place. We headed farther south to meet some of her friends who would then drive us to the beach.

I forget that many people don't drive here: When it came up in conversation with people we met on the beach they all seemed pretty impressed. The beach itself was crowded with all kinds of people, and the weather was perfect. After a few hours, we headed over to a popular taco stand and an Italian ice place--each of which were really delicious. From there we headed back to Greenpoint via car/subway and got ready for the second TV Torso show, which was at a place called Sheas Stadium.

There was this crazy art-rock-freakout band from Atlanta there called the Back Pockets that were in parts really great and really awful. TV Torso was supposed to play at 10:30 but ended up going on at 1:30 a.m. In between me and LiLi stopped at some little Mexican bakery and had a torta and a burrito, which I think made me sick later. TV Torso played about half a set--and played like men posessed--after which point we were all really exhausted so me and Lan just trudged back home and passed out.

Now time for Dinosaur Jr. and the Walkmen!

FOR THE FUTURE: I'm thinking about going to this (via Jen Hellow):

2009-08-15T10:43:00.004-04:00

First day in NYC was a good one. Flew Jet Blue, got to JFK early. Met Lan at the Sky Train terminal and headed to the subway. They say the subway is easy to navigate, but I have no clue what I'm doing yet.

We dropped off my bags at his place and then went to a place called The Burger Joint for dinner. The burgers were really good, but probably the coolest thing about this place is that it's totally hidden--literally, behind a curtain--within a French hotel called Le Parker Meridien. We both had a couple burgers and some fries and cokes--it really hit the spot.

Then we wandered over to a place called Billy's Bakery in Chelsea where we were the only two straight men munching on sweets at 10:00 p.m. They also have coffee there, so I got an 8 oz. Americano and Lan got an iced soy latte. They have a cute little dual-group La Marzocco there. The coffee was good, but it didn't knock my socks off like the apple pie did. Wow, it was AMAZING.

Then we went into Brooklyn via subway to watch TV Torso play at a little hipster oasis called Goodbye Blue Monday. Beers weren't too expensive (for NYC)--$4 for a PBR tall boy. Met DO there, who is a pretty great guy--born in Brooklyn himself. TV Torso was awesome, but Austin, the bass player, got shocked really bad by the microphone which very nearly ended the show.

We headed back to Midtown-East to see what kind of trouble we could get up to. For some bizarre reason Lan was hungry again, so the three of us went to Pho 32. A few minutes after we sat down, a group of four showed up next to us and before long the seven of us were belting out Bon Jovi songs in the middle of the restaurant. . . .

Fast-forward forty minutes and we're a block away at a Korean karaoke joint with private rooms rocking out with a bunch of strangers and drinking canned Coors Light. The strangers LOVED Texas (especially Austin), and were down for a good time. When it was time to go it was 5:00 a.m., and me and Lan trudged back to his place where I immediately passed out on the couch. Amazing day.

Today: Going to Rockaway Beach with Li Li, more food and coffee, and then an encore TV Torso performance (get to see them twice here!). More + pics soon!

2009-08-09T20:32:00.003-04:00

Just weighed myself. I weigh 204 lbs. That's the most I've ever weighed, but a lot of it is new muscle.

It's funny, when you meet basketball players, you realize how much bigger than normal people they are. But when I look at the stats of some NFL players, I realized that by the numbers, I'm bigger than they are (and sometimes stronger--according to the number of reps they do on bench press, which is published information).

By no means to I have the talent or athleticism to become an NFL player, but it's still kind of weird to think that I could beat a pro athlete at arm-wrestling. Or at least be bigger than him.

2009-06-26T22:53:00.004-04:00

Michael Jackson, dead at 50. He was like a bodybuilder for the music world--amazing talent, but grotesque to look at. I think I'll go listen to his entire discography. Except for Invincible.

2009-06-18T20:46:00.001-04:00

From a recent e-mail:

It's easy to lose track of the large-scale principals that are important to me amidst all this stuff. I value reading, learning, trying to make myself a better person, and helping others. Making an attempt at a virtuous life has been a consistent desire for me, even when my lifestyle is completely at odds with that desire. Lately I've been trying to keep focused on the important things while cutting out the pastimes and people that don't enrich my life. It's actually pretty easy to do if you know what you want, but I'm human, and although my desire for virtue is real, I have seen myself totally ignore its pursuit for extended periods. I frustrate myself with that sometimes, but one thing I have noticed is that goodness is always an option you can return to even if you forget it for a while.

2009-06-18T20:44:00.001-04:00

"What's that song called, the one where they're driving around like Mad Max in the video?"

"I don't know . . . "

"Oh! 'California Love'!"

"Ha ha, right. The quinnessential white person's rap song."

"I know all the words!"

2009-05-20T01:16:00.003-04:00

"Pain or damage don't end the world, or despair, or fucking beatings. The world ends when you're dead. Until then you got more punishment in store. Stand it like a man. And give some back."
--Al Swearengen

On Image/Identity

2009-05-18T21:46:00.003-04:00

Working as an owner/manager of these businesses has been an intensely rewarding experience for me. I've learned a great deal about myself, others, and business--and I know I've barely grazed the surface. I expect that my next few posts will be experiments in sorting through my thoughts re: the businesses.¹

One theme on my mind lately has been building the identity of the stores. How are we perceived, and how do we consciously create our image?

My feeling is that if you don't consciously build your business's image, the customers will define it for you. How? They'll base their own ideas on what you sell, your prices, your decor, and your location. Of course, those are all things that you choose as the owner of your business, but they aren't necessarily things you consciously choose in service to the image your business projects. (Even if they should be.)

Of course, if you don't have an great location and a halfway decent product, your image will be of a business shutting its doors. But here's an important thing to consider as you define your image: The image you project will determine your customers. It shouldn't be the other way around.

If you're in this situation, it might feel scary to make a change, or to alter the identity that's manifested itself. Do not let this feeling dictate what you want your business to be like.

I mention this from my own current experience. I think we've been more conscious about creating our image and building our own customers at store A than at store AA. Store AA, which has a history of more or less "finding its own way" has an image that has been built by those who simply show up and will take what's available. I admit that allowing that to happen has been a huge mistake, and very likely a significant cause behind store A's relative success compared to store AA.

I resolve to more consciously create the identity of my business based on my values, what I think is best, and what I feel will be most successful. Allowing anything else to happen is irresponsible.

1 Goodbye, anyone who still reads this blog!

2009-05-18T21:39:00.003-04:00

My feelings about writing, vis-a-vis my job:

I am oddly both more equipped and less equipped to provide insight with the written word at this point in my life. Because:

- MORE: I have a job that brings with it a good deal more "interesting" anecdotes, which could be witty and interesting to the right audience.
- MORE: The job also doesn't require intense mental scrutiny for eight to ten hours straight, which leaves me, at the end of the day, more able to think clearly. In theory.
- LESS: The job requires less mental scrutiny, which leaves my powers analysis and intellect dull and useless.
- LESS: The job also lends itself to far more social outings. Meaning: I go out and get fucked up more than I used to. Time spent drinkin' is time not spent thinkin'. I am not comfortable speculating on why people in the service industry spend most of their off time inebriated.

Girls are never this hilarious

2009-02-05T20:52:00.001-04:00

"How did you sleep?"

"Great. I slept like a rock."

"Weird, 'cause I slept like The Rock."

"Is that why you kept calling out 'Can you smell what The Rock is cooking?' in your sleep?"

"I guess so."

"I thought you were just dreaming about food or something."

I'm only 11 years late on this one

2009-02-03T03:43:00.003-04:00

Omaha rapper Big Bear's 1998 album Doin Thangs:

2009-02-02T14:26:00.002-04:00

Things to blog about:

- Columbia, South Carolina
- The Greek system at universities in the South
- Barbecue in Memphis
- Graceland
- Lady at Graceland who told the story about Elvis gave her one of his scarves
after a show in the '70s
- Lady who responded "No, thank you," to a television that was showing an
Elvis perform at the "Live from Hawaii Via Satellite" show.
- Truck stop in rural Tennessee that had graffiti soliciting anonymous gay sex written on the bathroom stall.

2009-01-28T23:11:00.000-04:00

RIP, John Updike.

2009-01-05T20:41:00.003-04:00

Flier by Lydia Reynolds for Clementine's third birthday party:

Post-Irony

2009-01-02T17:25:00.003-04:00

Maybe it's just me, but it seems like the age of post-irony is truly here.

A lot of this, obviously, comes from the earnest passion people felt for voting/rooting for Obama. Most of the other stuff is just incidental: my friends talking about how they feel to each other, being supportive of one another, and generally just not being too cool to be who they are. If that's all it takes, it makes me wonder how deep-rooted the age of irony actually was.

Awesome gun phone

2008-12-29T00:27:00.001-04:00

Worst gift ever

2008-12-25T11:32:00.002-04:00

A pretty funny article in the NY Times Magazine about the worst gift someone ever received, pictured below.

2008-12-19T11:46:00.001-04:00

Bad news. The body spray that smells like a Whopper is sold out.