kicking the habit...step 1

it seemed only yesterday when we hopped that fence. it was an unusually cold and bitter night during our high school days where the only thing on our minds was drinking. we didn't know it then but every time we hopped that fence, we left a part of our innocence behind on the other side of the fence. being underaged and all, we needed a secret spot where we can just kick it and drink and not be bothered by anyone. it was there behind the snow covered brush ... among the fallen pine needles on the ground where we found our comfort ... a place where we experimented with alcohol and put our young livers to the test ... a place where we would trade bullshit stories around about almost anything ... a place that lives in high school infamy... a place we like to call "the hill".

now, it was that night at "the hill" where i tried my first cigarette. i'm not even sure what prompted me to try smoking and even more clueless as to who provided me with butts that night. but you ask any smoker. no one tries to remember their first smoking experience. it's something we, smokers, try not to reminisice about. it's not something we're particularly proud of anyway. in fact, i dont know one smoker who doesn't wanna quit.

anyway, for as long as i can remember, i've always hated the smell of cigarette smoke. my dad used to smoke heavily and still does but has cut down dramatically over the years. kent 100's soft pack. i remember when me and my brother used to steal his cigarettes and destroy them, usually drenching them in water. but there i was that night, puffing away at a seemingly harmless marlboro menthol that got me hooked on nicotine still to this day.

it's not something i planned on either. i would much rather sit here and tell you that i'm smoke-free now. i want to tell you about being able to hustle up stairs, or that my clothes don't stink or how good food tastes, but in reality the biggest thing about being smoke-free, aside from physical health, is purely psychological - i want to be free from an addiction. i want my life not to revolve around smoking. that speaks louder than anything else.

you have to want it more than anything else. most people who smoke like smoking, even if they really can't see why anymore. the satisfaction factor for their cravings has earned the title of "something i like to do". and for a long time, it was something i did enjoy doing.

but all that is slowly changing for me. though i still continue to smoke and have those urges, i now have a strong desire to quit. it's just something i don't want in my life anymore. but i'm not going to start today or tomorrow or next week for that matter. the time is nearing soon though. i've been told by an exsmoker to take it one step at a time and that my friend, i am. as ironically pathetic as it sounds, this blog entry will be my first step in kicking the habit for good.

i want to do something RANDY today. something SICK RANDY.

today is definitely a lazy day.

"Can I help you?!"

miss venezuela is miss universe 2008

the 57th miss universe beauty pageant, was held at the diamond bay resort in nha trang, vietnam on July 14, 2008 where dayana mendoza, miss venezuela, was crowned by last year's titleholder riyo mori of japan. eighty contestants competed in the event which was broadcasted and distributed globally in more than 180 countries.

the pageant was watched by a live audience of 7,500 and nearly a billion television viewers worldwide. this is also the first time that the miss universe pageant was broadcasted in 1080i and man, i wish i had HD down here. oh yeah, my man, jerry springer and melanie brown, a.k.a. “scary spice” was holding it down as the presentors in this year’s competition which was pretty entertaining. there's really not much to talk about here except this is just gonna be a picture entry.

Final Results

Miss Universe 2008
Venezuela - Dayana Mendoza

1st Runner-up
Colombia - Taliana Vargas

2nd Runner-up
Dominican Republic - Marianne Cruz

3rd Runner-up
Russia - Vera Krasova

4th Runner-up
Mexico - Elisa Najera

Finalists
Australia- Laura Dundovic

Italy - Claudia Ferraris

Kosovo - Zana Krasniqi

Spain - Claudia Moro

USA - Crystle Stewart

Semifinalists
Czech Republic - Eliška Bučková

Hungary - Jázmin Dammak

Japan - Hiroko Mima

South Africa - Tanzey Coetzee

Vietnam - Nguyễn Thùy Lâm

Ain't representing without giving props to my girl, Miss China, Ziya Wei.

waikiki beach?

this morning i had a very amusing conversation with this really cool lady from hawaii. the first thing she asked me was if i was originally from hawaii. strange enough, this has been like the 100th time someone has asked me that. i shook my head with a smile and told her i was in fact from the cape cod area. she continued to tell me that i would fit right in hawaii, because i look like the majority of the people there: asian, tanned, and very friendly. it is the "melting pot of the pacific": delicious asian food, the most beautiful beaches, warm weather, and great night entertainment. i think this lady just talked me into going to hawaii this year! has anyone ever been to waikiki beach?

though i was raised in jewton, i was never taught to be a jew.

let me explain the situation first.

it's friday afternoon in hyannis. i'm working the front desk alone. a bit bored for the moment because there wasn't really much going on. in comes a couple of young love birds . . . typical of a 2 nighter king reservation. when i asked for a credit card for payment, they looked at each other dumbfoundedly. an awkward moment of weirdness then took over the mood.

the guy then sacrifices his pride and dignity and asks if they can split the room payment between him and his girlfriend. sure no problem i politely answered. the frugal nature of this guy disgusted me. sadly, this wasn't the first time some cheap ass loser asked me to split the bill between him and his girl. it's a true yet disappointing trend we have in society nowadays. i shook my head in dismay again while at the same time trying to come to terms with his jewish mentality. i just couldn't.

the guy then starts yapping away about how his girlfriend owes him $15 for dinner the other night and how he owed her $40 for some whale watching tickets. they went on and on about oweing each other money and this and that...plus and minus...carry the 4 and mulitply by 2...whatever. all of it seemed so juvenile...so frickin' petty.

to me, a relationship should be about sharing. of course there are limits to this. but for the shit they were debating about, it seemed hardly worth it to even mention it.. if i ever become like that, please someone shoot me between the legs and inject me with some serious testosterone.

my thoughts might seem a bit exaggerated. it just angers me to see this kind of gypsy-like behavior. if you know anything about me, i was raised to be traditional. so naturally, splitting bills, 50/50, and guys not being gentlemen are alien ideas to me. this pathetic excuse for a guy couldnt even pay for a room that he will spend the next 2 nights with his girl.

in conclusion, this is a lesson to be learned to all of you guys who are reading this, especially to my fellow yellow brothas. it never pays to be cheap... period. it just doesn't seem ethically correct. a man who is proud is a successful and respected individual in my book... once the guy becomes cheap with his girl, all of his pride is then stripped away from him.

and then what else is left? in the end, a guy who is robbed of his pride isn't really considered a guy anymore. instead, he is transformed into a powerless girly man who should be shunned away from pussy for all the days he lives. the end.

How to make a Cape Codder

Want to impress a lady or your friends with a refreshing and sweet cocktail?

For one of the simplest and most refreshing drinks around, nothing surpasses a Cape Codder. Named for the area of Massachusetts where it began as a bar special, a classic Cape Codder is a perennial summer favorite.

3 ounces absolut vodka

4 ounces cranberry juice

1 slice of lime

Combine the vodka and cranberry juice over ice in a chilled highball glass. Garnish with a lime wedge and serve.

"KING KONG... AIN'T GOT NOTHIN'... ON ME! AAAAAGHHHHHH!" -B RAD

Current Feeling: Invincible

90 degree weather all this week... i'm sweating balls.

2008 nathan's hot dog eating contest

what's july 4th without watching a select group of people eat a disturbing amount of hot dogs at nathan's hot dog eating contest in cony island?

ever since i was a kid, i've been watching this contest every 4th of july. somehow, i am just fascinated with people eating massive amounts of food in a short period of time. i'm sure with some practice at buffets and an 8th of weed, i too can eat 59 hotdogs in 10 minutes. this year's contest went into overtime with joey chesnut and my man, kobayashi. i've seen kobayashi eat before. a couple of years back, mtv true life did a skit on him. man, he puts fat people to shame.

kobayashi expands his stomach for a competition by eating larger and larger amounts of food, and then exercises to ensure that fat will not impede expansion of his stomach during a competition. by training with weights and working out, kobayashi has increased his metabolism, which in turn has helped him to burn more calories. this training is used by kobayashi to maintain his overall health as well as helping him to prevent excess calories from being stored as fat. there is no question he is a legend in the world of competetive eating.

however, joey chestnut has reclaimed the top spot this year again after first tying with archrival takeru kobayashi in a 10-minute chow-down and then beating him in a five-dog eat-off. the men tied at 59 frankfurters in 10 minutes, before being made to gobble another five dogs in a last-minute tiebreaker. they consumed 64 hot dogs total and were looking quite peaked after the competition. their competitors also included a pizza cook from new york city, a fishmonger from chicago and a 110-pound mother of two from maryland.

"hot dogs are extremely unhealthy, especially when eaten at high volume," says dr. marc siegel, a professor at new york university school of medicine."they're really processed, they have high cholesterol and too much salt."

and thanks to the quantities the competitors ate, they'll likely suffer nausea, bloat, headache, and possibly high blood pressure for several days as the body slowly digests the food.

"one is bad for you, five's worse and 50 is terrible," he said.

but any gastrointestinal woes won't deter kobayashi. he says he'll be back for a rematch next year. before that, the two, chesnut and kobayashi, will face off again at the krystal square off world hamburger eating championship sept. 28 in chattanooga, tenn.

where's the sun this July 4th?

summer in the cape is in full swing. the real tourists are here, as evidenced by the sheer number of cars and people on main street. the weather is sunny but breezy, which is typical for a comfortable cape cod afternoon. as i gaze out in the outdoor pool and see the little kids playing in the water, i can't but help feel good about myself. the absolute best thing about working here is knowing you are part of someone's vacation and knowing you can make a difference. for a brief moment, i'm at a stand-still.

both phone and online reservations are pouring in. with the exception of june, sales per month are at a dramatic increase. at the current pace, i have set my goal to be a 150k increase for 2008 sales. to do this, i have set aside 2 strategies. in season, i will keep rates high, push for multi-night reservations, and block online third party bookings. off season, i will implement a low price, high volume strategy. both strategeties will constitute me being aggressive and aggressive i shall be.

i'm starting to really notice and appreciate our repeat clientele. it is quite a pleasure to see guests return every year, a positive indication that we're doing something right. i am still quite impressed with the range of guests that stay here; literally people from all walks of life orginating from all parts of the world. definitely a cool scene.

recently, i am proud to say we have completed our 6 room project. we have added 4 two double bedrooms and 2 suites. with the summer demand always at a high, these extra rooms will provide a much desired source of revenue. check it out for yourself:

2 bedroom suite containing 1 room w/ 2 double beds and 1 room with 1 king size bed.

the living room and kitchen area.

renovated 2 double beds.