Pistahan Festival 2012

Went to the Pistahan Festival over the weekend which is the the largest Filipino celebration over the weekend which is the largest Filipino celebration outside the Philippines. Had a great time. Ate some great food, some great dancers and heard some great music:

The crowd at the Pistahan Festival

People enjoying themselves at one of the many booths

Love the jewelry being sold

Filipino dancers-they were good

The boy band-Legacy doing their thing

MMM-Lunch 

Normally, I do not like being involved in pics but I ran into journalist Jose Vargas. His cover article in  June 25th, 2012 Time magazine "Not Legal, Not Leaving" was one of the best I have ever read. I told him so and he insisted that I take a picture with him. Mr.Vargas is really nice guy and it was great to have a chance to chat with him:

With Jose Vargas (right)

Hot Diggity Dog

The sign does not lie

Those who know me, know that I like a good hot dog. I have for most of my life. Over the years, I can tell a good hot dog joint from a bad one. One of my favorites is Top Dog in Berkeley. It has been around most of my life and I have been going there since I used to hang out in Berkeley back in high school. It has not really changed much-good hot dogs at a good price. I usually go to the one on Center St. near the Downtown Berkeley BART station(next to Cal) which I thought was the only one. But doing a little research I have found out there are five of them in the Berkeley/Oakland area. Wow.

The inside of Top Dog

One of the things I like about the place that it fits into my quirkiness. The one I go to is small and cozy. It is something I like. There are great things on the wall to look at:

Love this poster on the wall at Top Dog

Love Top Dog's posters on the wall

Also there is a great view of Center St (next to Cal) where you eat your dog and enjoy the sights and sounds of the people walking by. It is always a motley crowd that goes by especially if Cal basketball or football is going on:

Eating my dog and waiting for the people to walk by

Again, all of the "stuff" that a joint has goes for nothing if the food sucks. Top Dog does really well in that category. You can say how can you screw up a hot dog/sausage, but some places have managed to do it. I can say in 30 years I have never had a bad dog at Top Dog:

Dogs waiting to be someone's stomach

My dog and bun-almost ready

I guess I am different as I hate mayo and can not stand mustard. Give me some onions, relish and ketchup and I am good to go:

My dog-exposed

But the coolest thing is that they have the best deal in town-A dog, a bag of chips and a soda for $4.75:

The combo meal

And they have a huge variety in their dogs:

Top Dog's Menu

And they always take care of the tax because (it is their sign on their outside menu):

A's vs. Angels 8-7-12

My ticket

I won a couple of tickets to the A's-Angels game for last Tuesday (8-7-12) for a suite. I had a good time and the A's won. One thing I found it that it is easier getting pics of the players on Saturday's for some reason:

A's Pitcher Travis Blackley

That is Albert Pujols leaving batting practice

The Angels taking batting practice

More Angel batting practice

The view from my seat-The bases are filled with A's

What A Time for a Card Show

The Baseball Card and Sports Memorabilia Show at Bayfair Mall-San Leandro

The other day my son wanted to get a new A's hat, I guess his dome has got a little bigger, but anyway we went to Bay Fair Mall in San Leandro and there was a real live Baseball Card and Memorabilia Show going on. I got a little jazzed as it brought back a lot of cool memories of my high school years and early 20's when hanging out at the card shop was an everyday experience and going to local card shows was a regular occurrence. I even helped put one on for a benefit for our college radio station.

A table at the card show

I know that I am geeking out here, but this was the first card show I have attended in about 17 years. I thought it was a pretty cool deal. This one was small, but good. The dealers/vendors were really cool to talk too and had good stuff. Back in the day going to these things, part of the attraction was talking to people and seeing what they were into, looking at what other people collected, etc. It was like a little community and then it got (in my opinion) sucked up by fame and big money. I know that money has always been a part of the memorabilia business, but I think it is going back to the grassroots with people who truly love sports and collecting and the that was the vibe I got at this small show.

Got to love the bobbleheads

The backbone of shows-Trading cards and searching for the players you want

And besides cards there is always really cool stuff. Some say it is oddball, but to me it was (maybe is) the stuff I think is the the coolest:

2002 Keebler San Francisco Giants-You could only get the set on baseball card day at  AT&T

An original 1992 Dream Team Pennant

Love the pins

A 1970-71 Pittsburgh Condors Schedule-Super Cool

I had a great time and I guess I scored a couple of more points with my son as he saw my inner geek be let out a little more. I can't wait to take in another show.

The Bard's Favorite Bookstore

The front of Shakespeare & Co.

I love to read and I love bookstores. The older and the funkier the better. One of my favorites is Shakespeare & Co. on Telegraph in Berkeley. It is not a superstore like some used bookshops are but a homey place that feels warm with classical music being played in the background:

The inside of Shakespeare & Co.

It is a small store, but everything is well labeled and you can easily find the genre of book you are looking for:

Another view inside Shakespeare & Co

Inside Shakepeare & Co

One of the cool things that I really like about this place is the display of old Look and Life magazines that are for sale. I love looking at them as people forget that before the 500 channel cable universe and the internet that people got their society news from these magazines:

Magazines from back in the day

Also, there are display tables of books that the owner finds interesting and that his readers might find interesting:

A Shakespeare & Co display

Another thing I like (and people will say I am being goofy again) is that Shakespeare & Co has a large collection of old sheet music and songbooks. Even though I can not play an instrument or read music I find old sheet music cool to look at especially the covers:

Decided to go a little modern here-John Lennon sheet music in the middle

So if you are on Telegraph, head over to Shakespeare & Co. The books are priced reasonably, the atmosphere and vibe are cool and place is pretty neat.

A's vs. Blue Jays 8-4-12

My ticket for the game

Headed out to the yard to see the A's play the Blue Jays last Saturday. I love heading out to the Yard. I guess I will just focus on the players that I got pics of before the game:

The A's pitchers getting their work in

Jarrod Parker doing some throwing

Blue Jay pitchers getting their work in

The Blue Jays' pitcher Steve Delabar

Blue Jays pitcher Darren Oliver

J.A. Happ getting some bullpen work in

Coach Don Wakamastu and Hayward native

And I might as well include a little game action:

And the ball gets away

And there was a giveaway:

I needed a new lunchbox and water bottle

So even though the A's lost I did enjoy my day at the yard: