Van Damme is still the MAN!

This is too awesome for words!


And whoever came up with the brilliant idea of using Enya's music in the background DESERVES a fucking raise.

Goodbye My Friend...and Thank You

I said goodbye to my 2001 Audi A4 today. 

After 13 years of service, it was time. Things were starting to break down and it didn't make sense to spend money on repairs (such as a turbo replacement) that would be as much as the car is worth. Rather than sell it, I decided to donate the car to Wheels for Wishes (aka the Make a Wish Foundation).

The A4 was my first nice car and he brought me much joy since I bought him new in Dec 2000. I hope he will bring as much joy and happiness to the Make a Wish kids in greater Los Angeles. 

Goodbye my friend. Thank you for everything. I hope I treated you as well as you treated me. You will always be my first Audi, my first European car.

Why I Hate New Car Shopping...Review Audi Beverly Hills

After nearly 13 years with my Audi A4, it's time to get a new car. While my A4 is still running, I've spent a fair amount of money in repairs over the past 12 months and figured I should get a new car before I NEED a new car. Besides, by buying early, I hope to be able to get a little bit more value for my A4 - either via private sale or through the trade-in....and yes, I realize I won't be getting top dollar from the dealer for my trade-in.

I'm hoping to stick with the Audi brand and set my sights on the A3 TDI. Ideally, I'd love to get the "new" 2014 A3 TDI that will be available in Europe.

Pictures from Autoblog.com

Unfortunately, it appears that Audi of America has no plans to bring the new A3 Sportback to the US. In fact, starting with the 2014 models, the A3 will only be available as a sedan in the US. If I want an A3 Sportback, I have to buy it now. And so, I go in search of the A3.

As you can imagine, the A3 TDI's are scarce! Supply is nearly exhausted and dealers want MSRP for their remaining inventory. Undaunted, I contact a fair number of dealers and have visited a handful of them. Today's visit with Audi Beverly Hills stood out as to why I hate new car shopping and I thought I would share. Here's my Audi Beverly Hills review...

I have been exchanging emails with the folks at Audi Beverly Hills. I ask them about a fully loaded A3 TDI they have in stock and ask what's the best price I can get it for. They reply that they will stay as close to MSRP as possible and I tell them that I'll pass. A day later, I receive an email from a manager at Audi Beverly Hills informing me that he'd like to make a deal work. I respond by telling him explicitly that I will not pay MSRP and that I will begin looking at other cars/brands if the A3 TDI doesn't work out. He in turn offers the following: $500 over invoice on any new TDI I pick.

That's a great offer. While I want the best price possible, I also realize that the dealership needs to make some money. $500 over invoice is something I would readily agree to.

I ask what A3 TDI's are in stock and the manager tells me he has only 1 left - the fully loaded A3 TDI I had originally inquired about. I decide to go to the dealership to take a look. Wouldn't you know it, as soon as I get there and meet the manager I had exchanged emails with, he tells me that the fully loaded A3 TDI has been promised to an Audi rep from corporate as it's the last A3 (as configured) in the entire US. (Note: I guess it's more important for Audi Beverly Hills to make corporate happy than to satisfy a customer.) However, the manager tells me that he has two A3 TDI's coming in (the dealership got them from another dealer in Arizona) and should arrive next week. He goes off to check and I end up speaking with the salesperson who initially greeted me when I stepped into Audi Beverly Hills.

As I speak to the salesperson and he helps me to value my trade-in, he offers the advice that I need a reality check. He says to me (and I'm paraphrasing), "It's all about supply and demand and it's not realistic to pay just $500 over invoice on a car that's in limited supply and high demand."

I bite my tongue. I just let him go on with his reality check and I leave the dealership a few minutes later. It wasn't worth my time to tell him that it was the manager who originally offered the $500 over invoice deal. I never once said how much I was willing to pay or what my budget was. Hell, no one at the dealership even bothered to ask!

When I get home, I find that the manager had emailed me to give me the details on the two A3 TDI's that will be arriving. To his credit, he offered either one of the cars to me for $500 over invoice plus $350 for the shipping. Unfortunately, neither of the A3's has the options/packages that I had shared over email that I wanted. It was easy for me to decline with a simple "no thanks."

Audi Beverly Hills probably doesn't really care. At the end of the day, the A3 TDI won't net them much profit, especially when compared to the higher end Audi models (like the TT-RS or R8's) they have in stock and ready for sale. As such, I doubt I will set foot into Audi Beverly Hills again.

Fight On...Always FIGHT ON!

This was quite inspiring.



I've recently experienced some back issues, so I may give DDP Yoga a try.

Fight On...Always FIGHT ON!

Trying Vibram FiveFingers Bikila

I've been wanting to try the Vibram FiveFingers for quite a while now. However, the $85+ price tag has kept me at arm's length...that is until I found these at a Ross Dress for Less store for less than $40! You know I couldn't pass that up. :-)

I've tried the New Balance Minimus and Nike Free shoes and love them, so I'm hoping I like the Vibram FiveFingers as well. However, these won't be for normal walking around. I'm going to use these as my exercise shoe and see if they'll help in my workouts.

The pair I purchased is the Bikila and per the Vibram FiveFingers website these are "designed specifically to promote a more natural, healthier and more efficient forefoot strike." In addition, Vibram FiveFingers claim the following benefits:

1. Strengthens Muscles in the Feet and Lower Legs—Wearing Vibram FiveFingers will stimulate and strengthen muscles in the feet and lower legs, improving general foot health and reducing the risk of injury.
2. Improves Range of Motion in Ankles, Feet and Toes—No longer 'cast' in a shoe, the foot and toes move more naturally. 
3. Stimulates Neural Function Important to Balance and Agility—When wearing Vibram FiveFingers, thousands of neurological receptors in the feet send valuable information to the brain, improving balance and agility. 
4. Eliminate Heel Lift to Align the Spine and Improve Posture—By lowering the heel, your bodyweight becomes evenly distributed across the footbed, promoting proper posture and spinal alignment. 
5. Allow the Foot and Body to Move Naturally—Which just FEELS GOOD.

Since I've been experiencing back issues now and then, I thought these might help.

Wish me luck!

My Current Everyday Carry

I thought I would share the small list of items that I carry on a daily basis.

 These items include:

• Mont Blanc Money Clip
• Prada Credit Card/ID Holder
• Keys on a Tod's Leather Key Holder
• Sypderco P'kal Knife
• Leatherman S3 Flashlight
• Leaterman Squirt S4 Multitool
• iPhone 5
• Glasses (not pictured)

There's not much to say about 4 of these items, but I will elaborate on the knife, flashlight and multitool. The multitool is very helpful when opening packages, needing a small screwdriver, etc. Plus, it's small enough that it won't freak anyone out in today's society since even a Swiss Army Tool appears to be frowned upon as a weapon. The flashlight is for when I need a little bit of extra light or for those night time situations where a light could be very helpful.

The knife, which I keep hidden and never show to anyone, is what I call my equalizer. While I like to think that I can take care of myself should the situation arise, I need something just in case I'm confronted by more than a single individual (which is most often the case in an attempted robbery or while being attacked). Of course, there are times when I won't be able to carry the knife, such as when traveling by air or going into government buildings. In those instances, I carry a thick metal pen to use as a jabbing instrument.

Am I paranoid for carrying a knife and flashlight with me? Perhaps, but I rather have it and not need it THAN to need it and not have it.

3GS...meet your replacement!

The iPhone 3GS was my first iPhone and the initial Apple product that started my descent into all things Apple. I've carried the 3GS for 3 years, but it's finally time to upgrade.

3GS...meet your replacement, iPhone 5!

Saying Goodbye to My Dad

It's a rough start to the Year of the Dragon. My dad passed away recently and I gave the following eulogy at his memorial service.

Dear family and friends. We appreciate you coming to my father's memorial. I'm going to say a few words about my dad on behalf of my mom and myself.

My dad was born in Guangzhou, China in 193x. He was the youngest of 6 sons. His family would move to Hong Kong where it became home and the place where my dad would meet my mom. They grew up together, were deep in love and married.

After getting married, my dad wanted a change of scenery and immigrated to the United States where they would settle in Los Angeles. For a time, both my parents worked for my dad's older brother in a neighborhood market. While working there, my parents would end up meeting their closest & dearest friends.

In 197x my mom and dad had me. Unfortunately, not long after that, my dad developed health issues. My dad sought treatment and would slowly recover, although his health was never the same. He would eventually go into business with another one of his brothers when they purchased and ran a liquor store. My dad worked 365 days per year, at least 12 hours a day, and never had a day off for 10+ years.

It was an arduous life and with his health issues, my dad would eventually suffer a heart attack in 20xx. He would undergo quadruple bypass surgery, go through countless visits to multiple doctors, and made many trips to the hospital. My dad passed away in his sleep on the morning of Jan xx, 2012.

My dad was a loving husband and cared for my mother deeply. I never ever saw them fight. My dad was also a loving father who taught me right from wrong and to always do what is right. He taught me to be compassionate, to be respectful and to be humble. My dad was a good man and lived an honest life. We miss him terribly, but know that he’s in a much better place. He's no longer in pain, he’s no longer suffering.

Dad, you don’t have to worry about mom. We will take good care of her. You can rest in peace. I will always love you and I will never forget you.

I miss my dad. I am the man I am today because of him.

Happy Chinese New Year

Gong Hay Fat Choy!


(Image from Google search)

Wishing everyone good health and a prosperous Year of the Dragon!