As Seen On TV

What Is This?
This is me outside Staples Center, home of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Hate It Or Love It?
Don't you love it when a place you see on TV lives up to its billing in real life?

TV makes things look good. Usually, that means expectations are set high and the thing in real life can't possibly live up to what you've built up in your head. It's kind of like the Great Gatsby syndrome (if you didn't get the reference, read the book. It's good). But on the rare occassion something lives up to its billing, its a great feeling.

For those of you who don't know, the Los Angeles Lakers are kind of like the New York Yankees of basketball. And Staples Center isn't just an arena. It's a Mecca of sorts for basketball fans around the globe.

Did You Know?
The L.A. Lakers are named the "Lakers" because they are originally from Minneapolis, near the Great Lakes.

On Friday night, I actually got to go to Staples for a Lakers game. Let me tell you this: Staples is all that it's cracked up to be, and then some. The rundown buildings on the outskirts of Downtown L.A. miraculously transformed into the blaring music and flashing lights of L.A. Live within a city block. The whole scene had me at hello. This was the place I'd seen on ABC and ESPN for the past eight years. There I stood, across the street from the holiest place in basketball, eyes like saucers and a jaw that might as well have been unhinged. The night only got better from there as Selena and I witnessed Kobe Bryant do his thing and the Lakers dismantle the Philly 76ers. I'm proud to say I soaked in every minute of that night; the Lakers game experience definitely lived up to the hype.

Sometimes, you just have to be there.

Basketball fans: Kobe or Lebron? What about Kobe or Michael? Let's hear it.

But It Looked Sunny Outside...

What Is This?
This is my view from my room on Dykstra 6 when I got up this morning.

Hate It Or Love It?
Don't you hate it when it's sunny outside when you wake up so you don't bring a sweatshirt out and then it turns out to be pretty cold?

The first thing that happens when I step outside is that I get hit by a blast of wind. I groan to myself. Yeah, it's one of those sunny-but-cold-and-windy days. But when this happens, I'm just too lazy to go back inside to get a sweatshirt. Come on, who ISN'T lazy in the morning? It's a decision that I'll regret five minutes later but whatever. Time to shove my hands in my pockets and just hope it warms up later in the day. And the next morning, when it's sunny out again, I bring a sweatshirt just in case. This time it's actually pushing 80 degrees at 9AM. Bummer, another dead weight in my backpack. I guess I'll always be one step behind Mother Nature.

A Battle With My Subconscious

What Is This?
The top picture is a picture of my middle and ring fingers in all their glory. If you can tell, they both have double nails growing on them. The bottom picture is a promo poster for Saw II. I couldn't help but draw the comparison.

Hate It Or Love It?
Don't you hate it when you can't stop subconsciously picking at an abnormality on your body?

I think we all have a fascination with abnormalities. We scratch scabs. We pull at hangnails. We tongue canker sores. And in this case, I pick at my double nails. Most of the time, I pick at them without even knowing. It's an involuntary nervous tick. After I realize what I'm doing, I tell myself to stop, but then five minutes later I find myself doing the same thing again. In fact, next time you get a scab or hangnail or canker sore or (if you're as lucky as me) a double nail, I challenge you to try to ignore it. Good luck, my friend, because a battle with your subconscious is a battle you won't win.

Now I'll include some FAQ about my double nails, since you've all been dying to know about them!

Question: How'd that happen?
Answer: Well, to keep it short...I flipped over my bike handlebars and broke one finger and sprained the other. The nails on two of the injured fingers grew back like that.

Q: Does it hurt?
A: No. It's completely painless to the touch. It feels to me exactly like any of my other fingers.

Q: Will they go away?
A: Fortunately, yes. In fact, they have almost completely grown off. Anyone want them as a souvenier once they fall off?

Q: Can I touch them?
A: No.

Q: WHAT? Are you wearing acrylics???
A: For the last time...NO!

Learning "French"

Selena Kuo filling in again. Short and sweet this time or else blog boss Bryan might fire me!



What is this?
This is a decoration in our hall that I walk by everyday. Look really really closely and you can see that someone has written “That hoe!” on the side. (Don’t read ahead until you figure out why)

Hate It Or Love it?
Don’t you love it when you finally figure something out and you’re like “OHHHH I GET IT!!”

Be it a really hard question on a test, a funny joke, or even a little scribble on a poster, it’s a great feeling knowing that you now understand something that others are still pondering about. It’s like you have suddenly learned French and can now sip wine and nibble on cheese with the locals because you’re in. I guess in this case the "French" are the people who listen to Soulja Boy, but you get the point.


--Skuo


P.S. Please tell me that it took some of you kind of long to figure it out and I’m not just really slow.

We're Up And Running

Hate It Or Love It?
Don't you love it when an assignment turns into something you legitimately enjoy?

It's been two and a half weeks since the birth of Hate It Or Love It. I've worked out the kinks, spruced it up a little bit and most importantly, kept it alive (my biggest fear was that it would fizzle out within a week). So far, I've really enjoyed writing these posts. I think it's good to have something to work at every day. And I don't mean work from class or work from your job. I'm talking about a personal project or a hobby. These simple daily goals will help you go through your day with a different outlook. Instead of just getting by, you go through each day with a purpose. It's funny how something so small can make all the difference.

Now I'd like to ask a favor of you. Yes, if you're reading this post, I'd like you to help me out.

I want this blog to be more of a conversation. Your thoughts are just as important as mine. Since I've only been doing this for about two weeks, I'm still trying to figure out this blog's direction. If you think the posts need to be a little bit more unique, say so. If you'd like them to be longer or shorter, say so. Should I relate more of my posts to the deeper aspects of life? Even if you like it and don't have any commentary, just tell me "I like it" so I know it's headed in the right direction. You can post a comment here or email me at bryan.yasukawa@gmail.com. I can't stress this enough: feedback is one of the most important things for this blog.

Check back in tomorrow, as Selena Kuo will be making her second guest blogger appearance. If you have a hate it or love it idea during your day, just let me know and you can guest post as well.

That's it for now. I hope you're having as much fun reading this blog as I have writing it!

The Elevator Routine

What Is This?
This is the other guy on the elevator.

Hate It Or Love It?
Don't you hate how awkward it is when you get on the elevator with someone you don't know?

Get on the elevator with a stranger and I can almost guarantee you that this is what's going to happen:

1. They'll pull out their phone, flip it open, and pretend to check the time or their texts. Sometimes, they might actually start to text someone before they delete the half-written text after they get off.
2. If checking their phone does not kill enough time, they'll turn and stare at the blinking numbers as the elevator goes up floor by floor. This is about as exciting as watching seconds go by on an digital clock, but hey, it's better than looking awkwardly at your feet.

The problem is, elevator rides are too long to do nothing and too short to actually start a conversation with the other person.

Top 5 Alternative Elevator Activities To Add Some Humor To Your Day:
5. Silently pass gas, and then as you walk out, call "doorknob" and punch the guy in the arm.
4. Press the button for every single floor and then look at the other guy with a big grin.
3. Copy exactly what the other guy does. Movements, speech, everything. Get off at his floor and keep copying him until he asks what the deal is.
2. Pretend to talk on the phone and throw in some hacking coughs. Really loudly say, "Bad news, the doctor said it was swine flu and that I'm highly contagious."
1. Take one look at the guy, make your eyes really big, button-mash the "Door Open" <| |> button before the elevator leaves the ground floor and then sprint out without looking back.

We'll also turn the list into a Monday Contest. If you're brave enough to do one of the five on the list within the next week, then do it and write your story about it in a comment (we're going on the honor system here). Best story wins.

Just In The Nick Of Time

What Is This?
This is the #12 Santa Monica Blue Bus that we just barely got onto.

Hate It Or Love It?
Don't you love it when you get somewhere just in the nick of time?

Getting to class right when the bell rings, getting to a basketball game right at tip-off or getting to a movie right after the previews finish is cool. You feel like you did as much as you could beforehand without missing any of the action. But what I'm really talking about are the bigger things.The things that you actually sprint to when you're late. The things where either you're in or you're out. Like getting to a restaurant a minute before they stop serving. Or a high school dance right before the doors close. Or submitting online homework at 11:59:59 (turnitin.com, anyone?). Or in this case, getting on a bus right before it leaves. It's not so much happiness as it is a sense of relief. No one wants to get left on the outside looking in. And if you get there just in time, it's not called almost screwed. It's called perfect timing.

In a totally unrelated thought, if someone would like to suggest an academically acceptable, one word synonym for the word "screwed", please post it. It's been bothering me for a while.

Ice, Ice Baby

What Is This?
This is my empty cup of soda from Tommy's Tacos.

Hate It Or Love It?
Don't you hate it when restaurants fill your soda cup up halfway with ice and then don't give free refills?

Okay, I know this one might sound a little whiny. But I'm sure some of you have had the exact same thought at one point or another. You just grumble a little to yourself, forget about it and ask for no ice the next time. The trouble is, the next time you ask for no ice, they put in the same amount of soda and fill the rest up with water! It's like they're determined to not give you that full cup of soda! If you consider how much soda costs for restaurants, I think it's pretty ridiculous.

Did You Know...
The most expensive part of your cup of soda is the cup itself. Soda is also a restaurant's biggest profit margin.

Sometimes, I ask for a water cup and get soda. Do you think that this is morally wrong? Is this robbing restaurants and ultimately screwing them over? Or is this not a big deal because soda is so cheap? I'd like to hear your thoughts. And if you think it's wrong, I'd love for you to convince me why it is.

And your entertainment for the day: Alex Frost and a 12-inch steak burrito (the bottom of the burrito is where his pinky is) from Tommy's Tacos. It's the Holy Trinity of food: great amount, great taste and great price. Congrats, Alex, you're officially a man.

My Thoughts Exactly

What Is This?
This is Steve asking if I want to get some food at De Neve Late Night.

Hate It Or Love It?
If we're talking about Steve, then I'm not so sure. But we're talking about what's going on here. Don't you love it when you're going to ask someone to do something with you but they ask you the exact same thing first?

Here's the story behind the picture: I'm really hungry so I want to go to Late Night. I leave my room and see Steve walk out of his room on the other side of the hall. Before I can yell "LATE NIGHT??", Steve points towards the elevators and says, "DUDE, LET'S GO!" It's kind of one of those you-took-the-words-right-out-of-my-mouth moments. All you have to do is stop mid-sentence, smile and go. I guess great minds really do think alike.

I Can't Feel My Tongue!

What Is This?
It's a latte from Bruin Cafe, and it's hot.

But before I talk about that latte, I have a burning (no pun intended) question: why do drinks taste good hot or cold but bad at room temperature?

Hate It Or Love It?
Don't you hate it when your drink burns your tongue but you keep on drinking because you're thirsty or the drink is just too good?

I don't have very much patience. When I get a hot drink, I have a hard time waiting until it cools off to take a sip. I know it's going to be hot but I drink it anyways. Ouch. There goes the feeling in the tip of my tongue. But for some reason, I just don't stop there. It's either so good or I'm so thirsty that I keep taking sips. Who am I kidding...like blowing on the drink is going to help. And after I'm done, I know I won't be able to taste food for another 24 hours. At least I'm not suing over my hot coffee.

Top 5 Stupid Lawsuits That Won Money
5. Honda Hybrids
4. Too Much Texting
3. The McDonald's story referred to above
2. Convenience Store Robber
1. Exploding Adhesive

A Friend, A Razor And A New Look

What Is This?
This is me after getting my hair cut by floor barber John Tran.

Hate It Or Love It?
Don't you hate that itchy feeling on your neck and back after you get a haircut?

Yeah, I know girls or guys with long flowing locks of love have no idea what I'm talking about here. But the average guy does. It's those 1 millimeter pieces of cut hair that are the worst. They're glued to your neck and your back and without a doubt they itch the most. What's worse, they're almost impossible to brush off with your hands. Luckily, there's a really easy solution: the shower.

And the winner of our Monday Contest is...Andrew Shu!
Answer: The streets in the neighborhood around Cupertino High are curved in weird ways because the architects wanted to make it difficult for robbers to leave the neighborhood and find a highway. This techinque was also used for some neighborhoods in richer areas, such as Woodland, CA and Los Altos Hills, CA.

Home Is Where The Heart Is

First of all, I'd like to encourage you guys to check out the "Link of the Day" on the right sidebar. It's a page that's connected to my Twitter (follow if you have an account!) and I think it'll be worth your while if you check it daily.

Today I'm going to change things up a little and post a photoblog entry. These are all pictures from my hometown, Cupertino.











Top 5 Underrated Things I Love About Being Home
1. Two-ply toilet paper (vs. one-ply toilet paper)
2. Not having to climb a ladder to get to my bed
3. Showers that stay warm longer than five minutes
4. Driving!
5. Not having to wait for the laundry machine

And now, for your Monday Contest!
The streets in the neighborhood surrounding Cupertino High School are curved in weird directions on purpose. If anyone can guess why the architects of the neighborhood designed it that way, they'll win $5. And if you don't know, just take a stab at it; you might get lucky!

Men Are From Mars

Selena Kuo filling in for Bryan!



What Is This?
This is Bryan watching the NBA All-Star Game during our Valentine's Day dinner together.

Hate It Or Love It?
Don't you hate it when the person you're eating with watches the TV more than they converse with you when you're at a restaurant?

Keep in mind that this view is what I was looking at for a good 75% of the dinner. The remaining 25% of it was filled with "Hm?'''s, ''Oh yea uh huh'''s and ''Of course I'm listening to you'''s. Oh and at one point I'm pretty sure he actually said, ''Selena, watch there's only 1 minute left!''. I mean first of all, this game was the All-Star game, meaning the result of it doesn't even matter. Second of all, watching TV is supposed to be something to do when there's nothing else to do. Third of all, it's Valentine's Day for goodness sakes! The only upside to this I can think of is that I got to eat more of the fries without him noticing.

For all you girls out there, don't you ever wonder what makes watching sports so appealing to guys? What makes it so that guys would rather watch 10 tall sweaty men throw around a ball instead of engaging in a nice conversation? It's one of the great mysteries of the world. Maybe men really are from Mars!

Hope all of you had a boyfriend-watching-TV-during-dinner-less Valentine's Day!


--Skuo

Welcome Home

What Is This?
This is Jake, my Shiba Inu.

Hate It Or Love It?
Don't you love the way your pet greets you when you come home?

Pets have a special kind of power. Dogs in particular. No matter how bad of a day I've had, Jake always finds a way to put a smile on my face. It's hard not to let his carefree emotion rub off on me and brighten my day. I think it's simple to explain, really. Dogs show the unfiltered emotion that's rarely shown by humans. And that kind of emotion is very endearing.

Did You Know?
Owning a dog can extend your lifetime up to 8 years!

Sometimes I wonder what it's like to experience the kind of happiness that dogs feel. What if your only worries were how many treats you were going to get today or if that squirrel was going to run into the backyard again? I think dogs vs. humans is a great example of the "ignorance vs. experience" debate. Is ignorance really bliss? Is it better to have no worries and be content with your own little world? Or is it better to be knowledgeable and experience many things while sacrificing a level of pure happiness? Personally, I side with the latter. But I'd like to know what you guys think.

Do you think ignorance is bliss?
	Yes
	No

Brain Fart

Hate It Or Love It?
Don't you hate when you walk into a room for something and then forget what you were going to do?

"I knew I walked in here for something..." You look around for a couple seconds. "No, maybe I didn't." And as soon as you get back to what you were working on before, you remember why you went to the other room in the first place. Does that make you feel old or what?

Did You Know...
Our short-term memory (or "working memory") is meant to hold about seven items, which allows us to memorize phone numbers quickly but requires us to have a credit card in front of us when we buy things online.

Ballin'

What Is This?
The game Paper Toss, what else?

Hate It Or Love It?
Don't you love it when you sink a ridiculously long Paper Toss shot? (Bonus if it's in front of five or more people)

There's a sports star inside all of us. Think about it. When you're done with a paper towel in the bathroom or finished with a piece of scratch paper at your desk, do you walk over to the trash can and place it in? Only if you're dunking that paper with authority. You know the drill: You're Lakers star Kobe Bryant, down one point. You run the 3-2-1 countdown under your breath and then let the wadded paper go from way beyond that imaginary 3-point arc. You fade to the side a little and hold the perfect follow through for extra style points. Most of the time, your shot clanks off the rim and you have to do the walk of shame across the room to clean up your miss. But sometimes you bury it. And you feel good not only because you saved yourself that extra 10 feet of walking but also because for a second, you're not a kid done drying his hands or an office worker disposing of his spreadsheet. You're a champion.

Hands Off

Hate It Or Love It?
Don't you hate it when you're walking next to someone and your hand accidentally hits theirs?

This is liable to happen any time you're walking in a crowded area. You're walking at the same pace as a stranger next to you and you're innocuously swinging your arms in step. All of a sudden, your hand hits something and you jerk it back - but the damage is done. You utter an awkward apology and speed walk until you're a safe distance away.

And now, for the winner of our Monday Contest...

Russell Park, with a correct guess of Debbi Peterson! You win a free meal swipe from yours truly! Hope that made your Monday a little less Manic. Check back next Monday for a new Monday Contest

Just Another Manic Monday

What Is This?
This is a second-by-second first person view of my 10AM CS32 class with Nachenberg

Hate It Or Love It?
Don't you hate it when you just can't keep your eyes open despite your very best efforts?

Mondays are tough. Especially the morning classes. Ten A.M. doesn't sound bad, but if you've ever been in college, you know the truth. Computer science is my hardest class by far and if I lose my focus for one second in that class, I'm already behind. And the fact that my professor shoots sleeping kids with an air cannon or takes pictures of them and uploads onto Facebook should be motivation enough. But some days, no matter how hard you try, you just can't keep those eyelids open. Today was one of those days. So if you see any pictures of me on Facebook with my mouth half open, drooling all over the front of my shirt, please let me know so I can untag.

And Mom, if you're reading this: I'm being a good student otherwise, I swear!

Monday Contest!
Rules:
1. Name a member/former member from the band that sings "Manic Monday"
2. No repeats!
3. Wikipedia or any other resource IS allowed!
4. I'll choose one of the 5 correct people at random and that person will win a prize

Super Bowl Sunday

What Is This?
This is the Dykstra 6 lounge while The Who is performing the Super Bowl halftime show.

Hate It Or Love It?
Don't you hate the fact that all Super Bowl halftime shows have been ultra-conservative after the Justin Timberlake/Janet Jackson incident?

Here's the list of Super Bowl halftime performances, year by year, after the Justin/Janet performance in '04: Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, Prince, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Bruce Springsteen and The Who. Just as a side note, four straight performances since '04 were produced by Don Mischer Productions while two before '04 were produced by MTV. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with any of these acts because there isn't. And I guess you can't blame the big networks with their big reputations to protect. But it wouldn't hurt to have more modern and exciting acts once in a while either. That means you, Don Mischer Productions.

Here's another related thought: Don't you hate the fact that all live performances sounds significantly worse than you expect?

Otherwise, it's shaping up to be a great Super Bowl. How 'bout that gutsy onside kick by Sean Payton? Saints down 1 heading into the fourth. If this Super Bowl turns out to be anything like the last two, we're in good shape.

EDIT:
My Top 3 Super Bowl Commercials
1. Brett Favre 2020 MVP Hyundai commercial. (A well-executed Brett Favre joke)
2. France Google commercial. (Very cute!)
3. "Lost" Bud Light commercial. (Bud Light always puts on good ones)
4. Barney Stinson "Call Me!" poster commercial
5. VW "Punch Buggy" commercial

It's just a bummer that the GoDaddy.com commercials were more censored this year. Congrats, Saints!

Star Struck

Who Is This?
The man I'm standing next to is none other than the legendary tennis icon Pete Sampras.

Hate It Or Love It?
Don't you love when a spontaneous experience makes your day?

So here's the story: I'm walking back from my last class of the day on Thursday and I'm tired. I see my friend, Lily, and she's like, "Bryan! Guess who I just saw??? Pete Sampras! He's playing tennis on the courts across the street!" I ask if he's still there and she says probably, but that it's a private practice and the most you can do is watch. I'm already behind on a lot of work but I decide to head over anyways. Right as I get there, he's packing up his stuff so I run onto the court and meet him.

I think I tend to get through my day by going through the motions. I don't usually pay attention to the little (or big) things that make each day unique. But maybe I should. I think people can be much happier if they break out of their daily routines. Too often do people contemplate doing something out of their comfort zone but shrug it off later. Take a risk and do something to make your day unique. If there's an opportunity, make the most of it. I'd be less disappointed if I tried something and failed than if I didn't try at all.

I'll leave you with a new phrase, made popular by Dead Poets Society and Kobe Bryant: Carpe Diem. Seize the day.

And lastly, I have a challenge for you. Post a story about an recent experience where you took a risk and it made your day. Big or small, I don't care, let's hear 'em.

The Beginning

I'll be honest. I'm creating this blog partly for my English Comp 3 final assignment and partly just for the hell of it. I've always kind of wanted to do this and if anything this assignment gives me an excuse to start.

You know those times during the day when you say to yourself, "Damn, this sucks..." or "Wow! That was great!"? These moments seem too commonplace to mention to anyone, so we usually just keep these seemingly insignificant thoughts to ourselves. My goal is to capture these moments in a picture or video from my day and actually talk about them.

Now that you know what my blog is going to be about, I'll start with my first picture:



What Is This?
It's a shower fondly referred to as LF (Left Front) on Dykstra 6. If you live on my floor and are a little creeped out that I brought my camera into the bathroom, rest assured that no one was in there.

Hate It Or Love It?
Don't you love it when you're taking a shower and a great idea develops in your head?

Showers are physically relaxing, but more importantly, they're a type of mental escape from my otherwise hectic day. Thoughts jumble my head and tend to pile up over the course of a typical day. My mind is always on where I need to go, what I need to do, and how I'm going to do it. But in the shower, great seeds of thought that never got the chance to develop during the day can blossom into wonderful ideas. My mind wanders freely when I'm showering (although my eyes do not). This shower's product: My blog, "Hate It Or Love It".

5 Other Places Where I Get Great Ideas:
1. Sitting shotgun at night in my best friend's car
2. During class, when the teacher begins to ramble on
3. In De Neve's ridiculously long lunch lines
4. Riding my longboard
5. Sitting on a toilet (Yeah, I said it. Obviously someone else had the same idea I had, check the link for your daily entertainment)