You’ve been warned. Source.
Photo of the day #28
Chinese New Year Parade
As part of my many activities in the Bay Area last weekend, Shlomit and I went to San Francisco to check out the mythical Chinese New Year Parade that’s been an anual tradition there for many years. While many dragons took part in it, I was very disappointed to learn that they were not real: they are mostly cloth with people inside. What I did not expect at all was the brief but clear nudity. I did not know there was any in this event, nor am I sure that it was intentional. You can see it in the video I put together, embedded above.
Israel Block Party 2010
After two very tough acts to follow (Berry Sakharof in 2009 and HaDag Nachash in 2008), the annual Israel Block Party organized by Texas Hillel was held yesterday in UT. All in all it felt like it was less advertised, smaller, emptier, and with less energy than the previous years. Even the usual pro-Palestinian protestors didn’t show up! (or perhaps they left early).
They had a pretty good DJ playing but I don’t know who he is or where they got him from. I did not try the falafel but I did get some free tea, pumpkin seeds, and an army dog tag that does not have my name on it, so I won’t wear it to battle. Did you go?
Snow@ATX
My office’s window is turning out to be quite the interesting spot. A few days ago I could see smoke from a plane crash. Today I can see some heavy snow. Snow is rare in Austin, Texas. This quantity of snow is even rarer.
Read more for more photos and a short clip.
5th Annual Kosher Chili Cook-off
This afternoon the 5th Annual Kosher Chili Cook-off was held at the JCAA. This is a probably the only kosher chili contest in the world – blending Texan and Jewish culture together (although I’d prefer a kosher BBQ cook-off).
I promised last year to enter for 2010, but due to unforeseen reasons, I did not. Most of the chilies I tried were not very spicy, but there were some good things out there. I’m warming up to the idea of vegetarian chili. What’s wrong with me? Well, perhaps I will enter in 2011.
I didn’t stick around until they announced the winner, so please comment if you know. In the meantime, a few photos after the break.
Plane crash nearby
This is a photo I just took of what is apparently the smoke from a plane crash on MoPac and 183. I took it from the eight floor of my building at work:
There’s not a lot of news out there but KVUE has a report (with video): Apparently a 1-engine Cessna crashed onto the Echelon building.
According to my calculations, in the embedded map you can see how far from me it happened:
[UPDATE]: Two people still unnacounted for. Let’s hope they’re ok!
[UPDATE 1:13 PM]: There was a big column of smoke I could see from my building this morning (before the crash). It was a house on fire. It’s possible that this is the house of the pilot that smashed a plane this morning, Joseph Andrew Stack. His suicide letter is online on his website.
Kokoloko
While digging through an old little box accurately labeled “Morralla“, I found a Kokoloko token. Kokoloko was the best bar in downtown Monterrey back in the nineties. They were open for a very long time and went through several remodelings (hanging chairs? phone booths? rooftop bar? Star Wars theme?). They eventually shut down and even though they reopened later in other parts of the city, it was never the same. I used to be there on most Fridays.
Instead of money, you used tokens in order to pay for drinks. You’d get a couple at the door for your $30 pesos cover charge. Today, a Kokoloko token is valued at over $40,000 USD (personal estimate). Here’s the photo of a Kokoloko token, probably the only one on the whole Internet:
More fun facts after the break…
Mexico vs. history
Scary post from futbol y más regarding the history of World Cups and the host nation. As you know, the opening match of the FIFA World Cup is Mexico vs. host South Africa. As the table below shows, the host nation has never lost their first match, and they have always qualified to the second round. If this holds true for the 2010 edition, this means that Mexico will not win their first game and since only two of four teams qualify, they’d be fighting for that other spot against France and Uruguay.
| Year | Host | 1st match win? | 2nd round? | # won | # tied | # lost | Group rank |
| 1930 | Uruguay | Yes | Yes | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1934 | Italy | Yes | Yes | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| 1938 | France | Yes | Yes | NA | NA | NA | NA |
| 1950 | Brazil | Yes | Yes | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1954 | Switzerland | Yes | Yes | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1958 | Sweden | Yes | Yes | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1962 | Chile | Yes | Yes | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 1966 | England | Draw | Yes | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1970 | Mexico | Draw | Yes | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 1974 | W. Germany | Yes | Yes | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1978 | Argentina | Yes | Yes | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 1982 | Spain | Yes | Yes | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 1986 | Mexico | Yes | Yes | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 1990 | Italy | Yes | Yes | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 1994 | U.S.A. | Draw | Yes | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| 1998 | France | Yes | Yes | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2002 | Korea | Yes | Yes | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2002 | Japan | Yes | Yes | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 2006 | Germany | Yes | Yes | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Thank you for the alfajor
One sure way to get yourself featured in The MKX® is to bribe the editors with some extremely dark chocolate or a delicious alfajor. This time Vanessa León brought me one (Havana, my favorite!) in her recent visit to Austin. Thank you Vanessa! Come back soon!
Kirsch Industries
A reader sent me this screenshot of TV show Leverage, which I had never heard of. Turns out that my top choice for the name of the online publishing empire I’m building, future parent company for The MKX® is already taken… and they specialize in pigments. Most people think that a last name with 5 consonants but only 1 vowel would be rarer. They’d be surprised.
Feel free to suggest what I should call my online publishing empire, because I’m out of ideas.