The down side to this performance was the family atmosphere that merely used Lemo for background music. True, some were bobbing their head and tapping their feet Read the rest of this entry »
Swarms of low riders flow like ooze into Downtown San Jose’s streets. The feeling in the air is not a joyous celebration. It is more of a chance for ghetto thugs and losers to tromp around making the area even less attractive to anyone looking to enjoy the night, visiting restaurants and local bars meanwhile contributing to our local economy.
To top if off Read the rest of this entry »
“We’re proud to be called Barbers. Most want to be called stylists,” said Julian, a 43-year Camden Barber Shop veteran barber.Camden Barber Shop, one of the longest standing barbershops in San Jose first opened their doors back in 1966. Family owned and operated since day one, this great place boasts quite the history and remains a San Jose Gem – untouched by time.
Julian told me that a haircut in 1966 would have only cost $1.99 and $.92 for kids. While the price of a man’s haircut has since grown to a mere $14, this minor inflation is still the best deal in town. For such a quality cut, great ambiance, and even better company, this is a nominal fee, which I am more than willing to shell out including a tip.
Supercuts is no comparison to these guys. Being able to understand your barber is also one of the finer points of this establishment. Read the rest of this entry »
Check out this awesome video recap on Cinequest 19:
I spent some time with Inside Cinequest during the film festival and had the honor to see, first hand, interviews with producers, directors, and everyone in between.
So far I have had the privilege of meeting with Jeff Lam (Producer) and Timo Chen (Music Producer) from the film Why Am I Doing This, Mary Haverstick (Director/Producer/Writer) and Michele Mercur (Executive Producer) from the film Home, as well as Wayne Lachman (Director) and Scott Macgregor (Executive Producer) from the documentary film Life For A Child. One thing each of these people shared was a personal passion of the art of film making and conveying a message.
Cinequest is a great launching point for many films. While speaking with the Director of Corps Run (John Michael Thomas), he mentioned that just by being a part of Cinequest, his movie was going to gain traction it wouldn’t achieve by any other method. The recognition and prestige of having a film at Cinequest is something in and of itself.
On average there are 3000 independent films made each year – of those, only about 1000 find their way into a festival. Beyond the 1000 in festivals only a 100 get any sort of recognition. Only a few, maybe 1-5 of the top films get distributed to the rest of us once passing the rigorous battery of judging sessions and peer reviews.
Films like Slumdog Millionaire are an example of the top percentile that truly makes headway into the big time blockbusters. However, can we really call films with huge 10+ million dollar budgets, Indies? It’s a tough concept to lock down but some have characterized it by the amount invested to create a film, others have defined it by a film, which isn’t supported by a major studio. The definition isn’t as clear as one might think but one thing we can agree on is that Indie films are becoming more the rave than anything before as the big studios and actors are taking on Indie film roles to gain popularity and grab a piece of the growing audience.
One thing we can be sure of is that Cinequest 19 has been one of the best we’ve seen. To top it off, it was just a few steps from out backyards – or balconies for those of us in high-rises.
Keep in touch, as I’ll be writing more about the experience and the films I’ve seen along with my experience hanging out with the crew of Inside Cinequest.
Are you looking for quick and easy Downtown San Jose transportation? You’ve got to call Eco City Cylcles.
I’m telling you, this is really is the greatest thing to hit the Downtown area for quite some time. These guys are really the nicest guys and gals you’ll ever meet. Just flag them down, call them up, hop in, and pay a nominal amount for a calm and casual ride to your destination. Fees are negotiable because the drivers work on tips. Depending on the distance, the cost can be between $5-10, a bargain to show your date a nice time.
Not only is it romantic fora date, it’s relaxing and allows you to really enjoy Downtown. Who needs a horse carriage when you’ve got these guys?!
Here are my ‘Top 5 Reasons’ to use Eco City Cycles:
My personal experience:
I believe it was last summer when my girlfriend and I were headed across Downtown. I don’t remember what we were going to but I do remember THE HEAT! It was so hot I was already not looking forward to the event we were headed to. Then a glimmer of red hope caught my eye.
I don’t remember his name but I do remember they were just getting started and he was giving out free rides. My girlfriend “S” and I jumped at the fun chance to try out this new San Jose featured. We hoped in, he asked us where we were headed and we were off in a flash. He was real chatty, a great guy, and really knew the town well.
We got there 3x faster than we would have if we walked. We just had to tip this guy for saving us like that. We were so grateful that we gave him a $20. It really was the saving grace of the day and we couldn’t have been happier. We only wished he was there when it was time to head home!
We’ve since used Eco City Cycles about 15 times. It really does add a nice ambiance to the evening when headed to or from a romantic dinner. They really are a great way to travel to a Sharks game too.
So why not give them a call this weekend on your way out with friends. Got more than two people? Give them a call and they’ll send out more to you. Treat these guys well, they work hard for you.
Thanks Eco City Cycles, this town needed you!
If you’ve taken a ride with Eco City Cycles, comment and tell us about it!
Santa Clara street during Mardi Gras - busy but not too bad.
It’s true, San Jose’s Downtown Mardi Gras was absolutely boring. Sure it was a Tuesday night but come on!
Not only did the police OVER populate and ruin any chance of a good time, most of the stores closed early, and there really wasn’t anything exciting going on.
I spent about an hour scoping the scene with some friends trying to find the fun stuff to do. Unfortunately for us, we aren’t really the “thug money” types that head into Tunes and get plaster faced while getting man-squished by “Man Jose’s” residents and visitors.
To add to the boringness, SJ Bar and Grill, Gordon Biersch, and other regular fun spots were either closed or just not exciting. In the whole night I could probably count only 30 beaded necklaces. San Jose definitely doesn’t hold a torch to… I won’t even say New Orleans because it’s obvious we don’t come close. Modesto probably had a better time!
I do have to say though, I am excited at the small fact that the place didn’t get torn up. Sure some police horse poo on the ground, dumbass flyers of stuff we could care less about littered on the ground, but that’s a given on just about any night.
All that seemed to walk the streets tonight was the police, the gangster wanabes, and the drunk girls with short skirts that couldn’t entice a goat.
That’s my opinion. What’s your’s? And here’s some photos of downtown as we saw it:
