Eating a fish taco and so happy!

Finally!

Iam so excited. In February of 1992, a girlfriend of mine
introduced me to a little baha style fish taco place in San Diego.

She was in school there. I was visiting. After one bite of a Rubios fish
taco I was a changed man. I had a new religion. I ate at that Rubios
every day while I was visiting. I couldn't get enough. Eventually I
had enough of the girl. She wanted me to be more into her religion.
But I did keep the religion of the Rubios fish taco! I used to seek
them out everytime I visited Southern California.

When I moved to San Francisco I have had to drive 30 minutes away on
the other side of the Bay to get a fish taco fix.

But today the angels arrived. They opened up a Rubios about 12 minutes
away near the campus of Stanford in Menlo Park. I came today and had a fish taco
plus their mushroom and roasted poblano taco. Delish!

Over the years, I have tried many fish tacos, including making my own. I still think that Rubio's does it best. Even better than another chain called Wahoo Tacos. They have the perfect mix of using a fresh corn tortilla, shredded cabbage (not lettuce. Very important), lightly battered fried fish and the "white sauce."

Read about Ralph Rubio here: HISTORY

Make your own fish tacos with this recipe from THE PAUPERED CHEF

And to add to the marvelousness, next door to Rubios they opened a
Peets coffee. My favorite taco and my favorite coffee next door to
each other? Can life get better?

(Hmmm. Perhaps! If I could have 10 restaurants in a row what
additional places would I add? Check back on my website www.fridayinthecity.Blogspot.com
to see my list. And tell me what your list would be!)

It is a great Friday!

OUTDATED TOYS

In 1996, I cut out an advertisement from Inc. Magazine. And I placed it in my journal. I found it interesting in 1996. But I wondered in years to come – how the add would remain relevant, but with different answers.

So – I ask you – how would you replace the ad?

Here is the advertisement:

And so, how about if we look at the questions again for 2009!

1. What are the three things that kids don’t know about – that we know about from our childhood? Or our parents childhood?
2. What are his parents toys – in other words – OUR TOYS that one day, he will laugh at?
3. And what do you predict his toys as a grown up will be one day?

Before you read on to see my thoughts – take a moment to answer yourself! And either include them in the comment section at: http://www.fridayinthecity.blogspot.com/. Or drop me a note!
Here are my thoughts:

THREE THINGS kids doesn’t know about from our childhood: Walkmans, Netscape and a 35mm camera with “rolls of film.” Leaded gasoline.

OUR TOYS that they will laugh at? The IPhone, thumb drives and Flip Cameras. Perhaps even Sim cards or USB drives. Projection TVs, antennas and “dial up” connections. Flat screens.

OUR KIDS TOYS that one day his grandkids might laugh at? The Wii, cell phones, keys, coins, books and newspapers. Maybe gas stations. Keyboards. DVDs. MP3 players.

What do you think?

What are you doing on 09/09/09?

Have special plans this 09/09/09?

09/09/09

It is described as a “calendrical anomaly. “

Did you do anything today to celebrate or commemorate?

Did you do anything at 09:09:09am? (I was sleeping. Perhaps I will make a toast tonight at 09:09:09pm)

Did you know…

09-09-09 is also the last of the single-digits dates for quite a while - 92 years to be precise

It is also the upside-down number of "the beast" - satan = 666, of course. Did that bother you or anyone you know?

The day itself falls on a Wednesday and both Wednesday & September have 9 letters

Wednesdays are not usually popular days to get married in China, but September 9 is special because it is the ninth day of the ninth month of the year 2009. So it is no surprise that a record number of couples are tying the knot throughout China on Wednesday. So far 7,728 couples have registeredThe number "9" in Chinese is pronounced "jiu", which sounds the same as the word "forever", and that is why hordes of couples wanted to get their marriage certificate on Wednesday, September 9.

Historically, ancient Chinese emperors associated themselves closely with the number nine, which appeared prominently in architecture and royal dress, often in the form of nine fearsome dragons. The imperial dynasties were so convinced of the power of the number nine that the palace complex at Beijing's Forbidden City is rumored to have been built with 9,999 rooms.

Japanese emperors would have never worn a robe with nine dragons, however.
In Japanese, the word for nine is a homophone for the word for suffering, so the number is considered highly unlucky - second only to four, which sounds like death.

Many Japanese will go so far as to avoid room numbers including nine at hotels or hospitals, if the building planners haven't already eliminated them altogether.

Modern numerologists - who operate outside the realm of real science - believe that mystical significance or vibrations can be assigned to each numeral one through nine, and different combinations of the digits produce tangible results in life depending on their application.

As the final numeral, the number nine holds special rank. It is associated with forgiveness, compassion and success on the positive side as well as arrogance and self-righteousness on the negative, according to numerologists.

Did you know that if you Multiply nine by any two, three or four-digit number and the sums of those will also break down to nine. For example: 9x62 = 558; 5+5+8=18; 1+8=9.

So, what will you do anything interesting?

Do something 9 times and tell us about it.

I think I will just focus on living to be 99. That would surely be a tribute to the number 99!

JAMES LIPTON QUESTIONS

One of the shows on television that most appeals to me is “Inside the Actor’s Studio.” Producer James Lipton, a performance instructor, historian and researcher invites the very best actors onto a live audience of Pace University students who are in New York City. During the one-on-one interview, he seeks to “discover the moments that have led to the actors success.” He chooses only the most accomplished actors. During the one hour show, which has been edited down from 2-3 hours of the live discussion, he brings up elements of the performer’s life that make many of them say, “I should be sitting here on a coach” – referencing the idea of being on the couch of a psychologist.

I partly like the show, because I have a fantasy of being an accomplish actor. I also like it because it is a show that singles out individuals who are beyond box office success. They are performers who are truly appreciated in the trade as some of the best performers.

I also like the show because it is a show about questions. I see myself sometimes in the tough persona of James Lipton – asking deep questions to the actors that are both right and revealing. I have wondered what it would be like to sit in that chair, opposite James Lipton as he asks about my life.

After walking the audience through pivotal moments of the actor’s career, there is a moment in the show in which James Lipton asks the performer ten questions – the same of which are asked to every interviewed guest.

I like the questions for their obscurity. For their ability to make the actors freeze and think. I wonder how many of them think about the questions in advance – and try to act as if they had not thought about them. And I wonder how many wait, and try to answer them spontaneously.

In my journals tonight, I have asked myself these same ten questions. I have recorded my answers. And every year, on this date of September 7, I will again, ask myself the same questions to see if I have changed or remained the same.

How do you think you would answer these questions?

I have a proposition for you. Sit down with a piece of paper. Answer these ten questions. Send your answers to me. And I will immediately send you my answers – and thoughts behind each one.

Want to try to be in the hot chair?

Advice in answering the questions:
1. Don’t think. Just answer the first thing that comes to mind – as if you are sitting in a live interview.
2. Be honest – regardless if your first answer sounds odd or not.

QUESTIONS
1. What is your favorite word?
2. What is your least favorite word?
3. What turns you on?
4. What turns you off?
5. What sound or noise do you love?
6. What sound or noise do you hate?
7. What is your favorite curse word?
8. What profession, other than the one that you have, would you like to attempt?
9. What profession would you not like to attempt under any circumstance?
10. If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say as you arrived at the Pearly Gates?

Tonight, while interviewing Justin Bateman, he asked three additional questions that I will add as bonus questions:

1. Who do you “riff” off of in life? (“Riff” means – who in your life to you turn to to “play of” or “receive inspiration or challenge from?”
2. What is the best and worst of what you do in your job today?
3. What are the three skills that have served you best in life so far?

YOUR FIRST CELL PHONE?

Do you remember when you purchased your first cell phone?

Today, I was reading my journals. In 1997, when I first moved to Austin, Texas, I marveled in my journal how I went the entire day of talking to no one. It took the phone company about three days to install my phone. And at that time, most people did not have cell phones. In fact, during my entire 2 ½ years in Austin, I didn’t have a cell phone. It was not until I moved to Singapore in 2000, and looked around and realized that everyone had cell phones. Back in the states, only a few sales people or “urgency” people had them.

Today, they are necessity for everyone. My IPhone provides me with bits of information all day long. It allows me to feel “connected” – both in the way people can find me – and the way I can find others.

It is amazing to see how much technology has made an impact on us.
I wonder what we will have in ten years that we don’t have today.
Anyone want to guess?

Could it be the “tablet PC?”
Or a “Kindle” like device for reading books instead of buying actual books?
How about a device that places all of your music wirelessly around your house?
Or computers onboard your auto that gives you the internet while you are driving?

Any guesses?