Storm Wipe Out bowling ball

source: Storm Bowling

Yesterday, I fought traffic on 19th Avenue to make a visit to my Inner Richmond pro shop, All-American Bowling and Trophy to order a new ball.

With an almost unused 2-year old $30 All-American gift certificate won in a league banquet raffle, a small raise at work and a birthday in 2 weeks, I decided to reward myself with a new weapon in my league arsenal, a ball from Storm Bowling's Hot Line, a 13-pound Wipe Out.

The Wipe Out will be my second ball from Storm. My first Storm and current strike ball is a blue and orange Tropical Heat, purchased in December 2012.

The coolest feature of Storm bowling balls are their scents. My Tropical Heat had a orange creamsicle scent, the Wipe Out, in spearmint.

This will be my fifth bowling ball since I began league bowling in 2008. My first 2 bowling balls were drilled with a conventional grip. Since 2010 (at Jeff's suggestion) I switched to a fingertip grip. Nearly all experienced players bowl with a fingertip grip.

So what's the difference?
Conventional grip - finger holes are fitted to the second knuckle.
Fingertip grip - finger holes are fitted to the first knuckle.

Think of a fingertip grip in the same way you'd shoot a basketball or throw a softball or baseball - from the fingertips, with a relaxed hold and a snap release.

I'll pick up the ball next week. Like I have whenever I get new bowling balls, I head to the lanes within 24 hours to practice with them.

Basketball 101

source: Wikipedia

Tonight was Game 2 NBA Finals between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors. As it was in Game 1, it went into overtime. A very physical, bruising game with the Cavaliers emerging with the win, 95-93. And if you weren't a Cavaliers or Warriors fan, I don't blame you if you turned off the TV or changed channels. Because the officiating, or lack thereof, made the game hard to watch. 

So, taking a page from Dummies.com here are 2 non-foul violations not often called during NBA games.

Traveling: Any time a player possessing the ball is not dribbling, he must keep one foot (known as his pivot foot) planted on the floor. He may move the other foot in any direction and as many times as he desires. After a player establishes a pivot foot, he may not move it, or the referee whistles him for traveling.

Three seconds: No part of an offensive player may remain in the free throw lane for more than three consecutive seconds unless the ball is being shot. If the shot hits the rim, the player standing in the lane gets a new three seconds. Thus if you happen to be camping out in the lane for two seconds and the shot hits the rim, you may remain in the lane for another three seconds.

While we're at it, let's reacquaint ourselves with the definition (Breakthrough Basketball) of a personal foul, which is any type of illegal physical contact such as:

• Hitting
• Pushing
• Slapping
• Holding
• Illegal pick/screen -- when an offensive player is moving. When an offensive player sticks out a limb and makes physical contact with a defender in an attempt to block the path of the defender.

From Wikipedia: players routinely initiate illegal contact to purposely affect the play, hoping it is seen as too minor to be called a foul. The threshold is subjective and varies among officials and from game to game. 

The last sentence is what drew the ire of many viewers in tonight's game.

Extended Weekend Family Visit

source: High Line Hotel, New York's Chelsea neighborhood

I returned this morning from a long weekend trip to New York for a family gathering at the High Line Hotel in Chelsea. I shared a suite with big sister Cindy and Mom's younger sister Mary. As I get older, these kind of gatherings become much more meaningful.

It was a fun and memorable event, right down to the flights to and from New York.

• No airport parking needed. Roommate let me park my car in his garage and gave me a ride to the airport.
• No shoes, jacket or laptop to remove during screening process. TSA is under a trial prescreen period which expedites the process to get to the gate. 
• Wide selection of in-flight entertainment. Flight time goes so much faster when there's a good movie to watch.

I only hope my next trip on a plane will be as painless.

Stephen Curry's pre-game workout

source: Golden State Warriors/YouTube

Tonight, the Golden State Warriors go into Game 4 of the NBA Western Conference Final versus the Houston Rockets. The Warriors are currently 3-0 in the series. A win tonight will put them into the NBA Finals which begins June 4.

If you've watched any of the Warriors post season games, it's not (pun fully intended) rocket science to see why Steph Curry was selected this year's MVP. So far, he's broken Reggie Miller's record of post season 3-point goals and scored 30 or more points in his last 4 games.

Steph's defense isn't exactly shabby either. In Game 2 of the Western Conference Final, Chef Steph and teammate/fellow Splash Brother Klay Thompson prevented Houston Rockets guard/MVP runner-up James Harden from scoring to end Game 2 with a 99-98 win.

In Game 3, Steph followed his own missed shot and boxed out Rockets center Dwight Howard for the rebound. Curry is 6'3", 185 pounds. Howard is 6'11", 275 pounds. Howard is a 4-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

To get a glimpse of why Steph is a megastar, you have to watch (in awe) and appreciate his pre-game routine. Greatness doesn't happen without practice. Lots of it.

2015 San Francisco USBC Tournament

Today, I finished bowling 3 squads (all doubles) of the Chinese-Japanese Spring Invitational at Cloverleaf Bowl in Fremont. Like my results from the USBC Women's Nationals in Reno, I only bowled 1 series above my average. From a half-full glass standpoint, the total pins of the 9 games bowled came very close to my regular season average.

Last week, I bowled 3 squads at the San Francisco USBC Championships at Sea Bowl in Pacifica. It was probably the best I bowled in a tournament. Although my lowest series was team, our team, Friends, is currently in 4th place. There was a session that bowled today so I should know final results within the next few days.

If it holds up our team will cash out. I may end up getting some cash for the other events I bowled as well.

****UPDATE, MONDAY, MAY 18****
Unofficial final standings came in.
Team: 6th place. Missed cashing out by 31 pins.
Doubles: 18th place.
Singles: 24th place.
All events: 37th place.
Overall, it was a very good showing considering how many teams and number of bowlers with higher averages and tournament experience we competed against.

Team name: Friends, 4th place

Singles, 18th place

Doubles, 14th place with partner Jason Wu
Teammates Walter and Monica Kwok, 13th place

All events, tied, 21st place
Teammates Walter Kwok, 14th place, Monica Kwok 15th place

Stephen Curry, 2014-15 NBA MVP - full speech

source: vibe.com

Last week, as many of us here in the San Francisco Bay Area knew would happen, Golden State Warrior point guard Stephen Curry was selected by the National Basketball Association as this season's Most Valuable Player.

In my opinion, it couldn't have happened to a more likable, hard-working, humble guy.

If you're a Steph Curry fan and have 40 minutes to spare, watch the full version of his acceptance speech. It's clear how grateful and appreciative he is to current and former coaches and teammates, Warriors staff and management, friends, and most of all, his immediate family.

Again, congratulations, Steph. We couldn't be any prouder.

Asian Pacific American Heritage Month - East of Main Street

source: HBO

The month of May is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.

If you're a regular follower of my blog, I've written about numerous documentaries and films that highlight the Asian-American experience. 

In my August 29, 2012 entry, I wrote about an excellent HBO series called "East of Main Street" by Jonathan Yi.

The latest film in the series, "Taking The Lead" was released this past week. It features interviews with leading Asian-American actors such as Daniel Dae Kim, Lucy Liu, BD Wong and Aasif Mandvi.

Here's the trailer:



If you're an HBO subscriber, the other short films in the series previously featured are also available to view.

2014 versus 2015 USBC Women's Championships

My results for this year's USBC Women's Nationals came in. Compared to last year, we did almost the same, but slightly better. We bowled this year in one of my favorite bowling venues, National Bowling Stadium.

In the Singles, Doubles and 4-person team, I should have been but wasn't satisfied that my 9-game average was 2-3 pins below this season's 2-league averages. It's probably because the last time I bowled in the Stadium I did better.

2016's Nationals will be held in Las Vegas at South Point. This will be a brand new venue altogether, so I need to remind myself not to expect too much.

Year     Team    Doubles   Singles    Pin Total
2014     1732      814           405           2951
2015     1752      775           433           2960

San Francisco Giants World Series Ring Ceremonies

2010 World Series Ring Ceremony
source: AP

2012 World Series Ring Ceremony
source: AP

2014 World Series Ring Ceremony
source: AP

Today, the San Francisco Giants held their third World Series ring ceremony.

For each ceremony, the Giants wore special edition home uniforms with the lettering in gold.

You'll notice all of them are familiar yet different takes on their regular home uniforms.

Some of the players in the photos include:

2010: Aaron Rowand, Cody Ross, Andres Torres, Mark DeRosa, Aubrey Huff.

2012: Barry Zito, Tim Lincecum, Ryan Vogelsong, Javier Lopez.

2014: Hunter Pence, Sergio Romo, Gregor Blanco.

Stephen Curry, 2014-15 NBA MVP?

source: ESPN

As of this writing, the Golden State Warriors are 65-15, mostly due to a baby-faced point guard named Wardell Stephen Curry II. Chef Curry has been a one-man highlight reel all season. On April 9, 2015 game against the Portland Trail Blazers, Steph scored 45 points and broke his own 3-point goal record.

MVP. MVP. MVP.
UPDATE****May 4, 2015. Steph receives 100 of 130 first place votes to win the NBA's MVP for the 2014-15 season. He is the first Warrior since Wilt Chamberlain in the 1959-60 (a few months before I was born) season when the Warriors were in Philadelphia. Congrats Steph!

Raising the 2012 World Championship Flag - San Francisco Giants

source: MLB.com/YouTube
L to R: Sergio Romo, Angel Pagan, Hunter Pence, Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Ryan Vogelsong

MLB's 2015 season begins tomorrow. Two years ago today, the 2013 season began with raising the 2012 World Championship Banner at AT&T Park. A repeat of this ceremony to raise the 2014 World Championship flag will take place at the Giants' home opener versus the Colorado Rockies on Monday, April 13.

For all Giants fans like me that feel 8 days is too far away, here's an encore of the video. So comforted to know all 6 players are on the 2015 Opening Day roster.

Play ball!

The New Face of Carhartt - Madison Bumgarner

source: Carhartt

Meet the new face of Carhartt. San Francisco Giants 2014 NLCS and World Series MVP, Madison Bumgarner.

The real Eddie and Louis Huang

source: massappeal.com

On February 4, 2015, ABC debuted the premiere episodes of Asian-American sitcom "Fresh off the Boat".

The TV show is based from the blog and memoirs of Eddie Huang. It took me a few episodes before I became a fan of the show.

Like Eddie, I didn't grow up in a large Asian community. I share many of the same experiences Eddie did growing up in Orlando, Florida as I did in Columbus, Ohio.

To get a glimpse of the real Eddie and Louis, you can go to YouTube's Munchies channel and watch Huang's World. Eddie is the host.

The below video is part 3 of Eddie's and Louis's visit to Taiwan. At the start of the episode, they are on their way to eat at renowned restaurant Din Tai Fung. Currently, there are locations in Los Angeles, Orange County, California and Seattle, Washington. A new location in Santa Clara (Westfield Valley Square) is set to open in October 2015.

The last part of the episode is near and dear to my heart. Eddie and Louis visit Louis's father's resting place. Most of the rituals shown to honor him were exactly what I did at my grandfather's funeral in 2005.

Kevin and Kevin, 10 years later

L: Kevin Briggs, R: Kevin Berthia
source: NPR.org

On March 11, 2005, a distraught Kevin Berthia, then 22, was overwhelmed with his young daughter's medical expenses and recent job loss. He made a first time trip to the Golden Gate Bridge with the intent to end his life.

Sergeant Kevin Briggs of the California Highway Patrol, known as one of the "Guardians of the Golden Gate Bridge", successfully convinced Berthia not to jump.

After the failed suicide attempt, the Kevins did not see each other for 8 years. Then in May 2013, Berthia presented Briggs with an award from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention for his work in saving hundreds who attempted, but did not commit suicide jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge.

Recalling their first meeting 10 years ago, NPR and StoryCorps.org have recorded their story. 

Today, Kevin Berthia is working and has 3 children. Kevin Briggs retired from the CHP in March 2014 and is an educator and speaker on suicide prevention.

I first heard about Kevin Briggs in the 2013 Yahoo film, "Guardians of the Golden Gate". It was featured in my June 29, 2014 blog entry. Poignant and moving, I always have to reach for tissues when I watch.

You can also see it here:

Chinese Noodles 101

Chow mein/source: eat2am

I grew up in the restaurant business. Ever since I can remember, I've been a big fan of noodles.

Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, Italian, Japanese, Filipino, you name it, there are few kinds of noodles or pasta I haven't tried.

For those noodle novices looking to venture beyond chicken or beef chow mein, here's a basic overview:

Filipino version of chow mein: pancit.
Japanese version: yakisoba

beef chow fun / source: eat2am

Chow fun is a flat, wide rice noodle. It's a staple in many Chinese and Thai restaurants.

The Thai version of chow fun is pad see yu. For me, I prefer pad see yu over chow fun because the taste is smoky, and usually not as oily as chow mein and chow fun often can be.

Next, are noodle dishes not as common but those experienced with Asian cuisine will recognize.

Singapore Fried Rice Noodles (mai fun) / source: dishmap

Mai fun, or rice stick noodles, is the Chinese equivalent to Italian capellini (also known as angel hair). It's my favorite due to the taste and versatility.

Soak mai fun in water, it can be used for cold dishes and pasta salads. Deep fry mai fun, it will expand 2-3 times in size. It's often used as garnish for Mongolian beef or Chinese chicken salad.

My first love of mai fun came in college when Dad brought me back an order of Singapore style noodles (curry based) when he and Mom came back from Sunday lunch. He ordered for me it so much I stopped eating it for a few years. I didn't have it again until I moved to San Francisco.

gee mein (Hong Kong style) / source: Chinese Cookbook

The last fried noodle from this rudimentary tutorial is the Hong Kong style noodle (also known as gee mein or cake style).

Because the noodles are deep fried and portion size is usually for 2 or more people, I only eat these kind of noodles at group meals or banquets.

Confused? Can't say I blame you. But if this helps you during those times when a pink, red or green take-out menu without pictures is all you've got, then I've done my job.

Goodbye, Mr. Spock

source: Twitter, +therealnimoy 

On Friday, February, 27, actor, director, poet and photographer Leonard Nimoy died at the age of 83.

Taking a cue from the phrase, "art imitates life", here's the eulogy and video clip of Mr. Spock's funeral in "Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan":

"We are assembled here today to pay final respects to our honored dead. And yet it should be noted, in the midst of our sorrow, this death takes place in the shadow of new life, the sunrise of a new world; a world our beloved comrade gave his life to protect and nourish. 

He did not feel this sacrifice a vain or empty one; and we will not debate his profound wisdom at these proceedings.

Of my friend, I can only say this: Of all the souls I have encountered in my travels; his was the most...human."



Rest in peace, Mr. Spock.

2015 Best Supporting Actor, J.K. Simmons, "Whiplash"

source: imdb.com

You've seen him as:

• Dr. Emil Skoda from Law & Order,
• J. Jonah Jameson from the Spider Man films (Sam Raimi's versions starring Toby Maguire)
• Will Pope in The Closer,
• Mac MacGuire in Juno,
• Professor Nathaniel Burke from the Farmers Insurance TV ads.

All great character roles.  

OK, it helps that he spent his teenage years in Columbus (Worthington), Ohio as his father was a music professor at Ohio State from 1969 to 1974.

But tonight, his role as the driven, intense music teacher Terence Fletcher in Whiplash, earns his first Oscar as Best Supporting Actor. 

Congratulations Jonathan Kimble Simmons.

The Redemption Feat: Stephen Curry wins 3-point shootout

source: USA Today

The first time I saw Steph Curry play basketball was in 2008. He was a sophomore at Davidson University playing in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.

What immediately impressed me about Steph was, and still very much is his quick-release, soft touch shooting from 3-point range. His relaxed, enthusiastic demeanor makes it so much fun to watch him play.

When the Golden State Warriors drafted him in 2009, it was exciting news. However, I had some concern that his slight build would not hold up well against taller and stronger players in the NBA.

I'm glad I've been proven wrong.

As the Warriors have started out white hot for the first half of this season, much of it has to do with Steph maturing into one of the best players in the NBA.

And that maturity has extended into competing in the 3-point contest held yesterday. I also think ESPN's Kenny Mayne helped. Shown last week, Kenny enlisted the assistance of a 10-year girl, Jaden Newman, and 3 retired NBA players: Robert Horry, Tim Legler and Steph's dad, Dell Curry, aka Papa Bear, to get Steph prepared for the 3-point contest.

If you're a basketball fan and haven't seen it, it's fun and really shows off Steph's style. I've already seen it at least 6 times.

Former North Carolina Basketball Coach Dean Smith

source: Yahoo! Sports

Today, former University of North Carolina Men's Basketball Coach Dean Smith passed away at the age of 83.

Most know Coach Smith's first national championship came in 1982. Three of the starting five went on to the NBA: Sam Perkins, James Worthy and Michael Jordan.

What I didn't know was in 1964, Smith recruited Charlie Scott, the first black athlete to be awarded a scholarship to North Carolina.

In 2013, President Barack Obama awarded Smith the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Other recipients from sports who have received the award: Jack Nicklaus, Hank Aaron, Bill Russell, and Jackie Robinson.

Rest in peace, Coach. Here's a nice tribute from UNCTarHeels Athletics:

My Favorite Super Bowl Ads, 2015

The talk at work tomorrow for most of us will be everyone's thoughts on today's Super Ads during the Super Bowl.

The overwhelmingly least liked ad this year and one of my favorites came from Nationwide Insurance, headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. My childhood home and our cars were insured with Nationwide and several former classmates currently work there.

The Nationwide ad I did like featured comedienne/actor Mindy Kaling and actor Matt Damon.


My other favorite ad was 'Lie-am' Neeson's Clash of Clans ad:


My all-time favorite (see February 4, 2012 entry) is from Monster.com: