Evil allergies?

Allergies got you feeling like someone punched you in the face this past week? Last week allergies came on strong for all those that suffer from allergies to tree pollen. I, like all these folks, was severely limited in how we could breath. My nostrils where completely clogged, yet my nose would still drip like a faucet. Go figure. I literally had to wipe my nose every few minutes. And that's not the exaggerated use of the word literally. Every few minutes, meaning every 2 to 3 minutes, I was wiping my nose. My nose was raw. I tried a couple of over the counter meds. My nostrils still clogged. I even took med that's stated that it was a decongestion. Still mouth breathing and dripping. THEN, I tried this.

Zicam! I was very doubtful. I've used many allergy meds and they worked 70% at best. This actually worked like a charm. I'm not one to rush to put anything up my nose, but I was desperate. A couple of squirts of this in the nose and I was clear. YAH!! Clear! It actually did last 12 hrs. At hour 10 you might start seeing the symptoms start up, but it's not heavy. I coupled Zicam with Benadryl allergy and I was pretty much symptom free. Pretty awesome for someone who was barely functioning from what I can only describe felt like a bruised face just a day ago. I highly recommend Zicam to my fellow allergy sufferers. If you have clogged nostrils, give it a try.

If you're not used to nasal sprays, it may take some getting used to. You may feel some irritation at first, but it fades in 10 or 15 minutes. Then you're clear for about 10 hours. I say it's worth it for some slight irritation.

Locked up...

Today I changed my first lock ever. Yeah, it's a tiny bit crooked, but it works!!


It's surprising how good it felt to take the whole deadbolt lock apart, switch out the cylinder, put it back together, and actually have it work... well... it worked on my second try... the point IS that it worked. Hearing the click of the lock was like music to my ears. Felt like a manly man for a minute there... then I drank my purified water and texted on my iPhone and the feeling faded... my adventures in manly man land were over for this day. Back to drawing fine lines and playing with toys. Manly man land, I'll see you next time... something not too hard to fix needs fixin.

Mmm...

Walkin along 8th Ave in Brooklyn and came across this lovely site.



I first saw the raw chicken in crates out on the sidewalk. Then, noticed the nice man chopping them up right behind the crates... while on a cell phone. Skillz. No gloves, check. Dirty Rite Aid basket, check. Nasty rag, check. Still busy as hell, WINNING!!

There's my iPad 2!!

I, like many others, have been trying to get my hand on an iPad 2 since its release in the states. My initial tries were in DE where I arrived to find myself about 150th in line. That's not strange, I guess. But, what IS strange is that 95% (maybe 97%) of the people in front of me in line were Asian. How many non-Asians can you count in the picture below? I count one. Maaaybe, two. I would dare say that the rest were all Chinese. The strangest thing, there were old folks there sitting in chairs. I mean OLD. Gray hair, hunched over, silk clothes only type of old. OLD. But, of course, they can always be buying one for their kids or grand kids... riiight? Wink wink nudge nudge.

This image is of only one part of the line. The line goes around the corner and up the side I was standing on and out the door and along the building. I'm sure the non-Asians in line were wondering what the hell was going on. Apparently, according to some reports, some (if not most) of the Chinese in line were purchasing iPad2s and reselling them for a profit. Nothing wrong there, right? Who wouldn't want to make a little profit after sitting in line for hours on end? But, when you multiply that by thousands, you have a problem... for the consumers. Apple still makes the sale, but we the consumers are stuck chasing the dream.

Where do they go you ask? Well, as fast as they can walk out the giant glass walls of the Apple store they make their way into the hands of "Apple trafficers". And, off to whoever is above them. Then, packaged (it seems that they package it in roll alongs like the one seen above) and sent back to China for a crazy mark up. From what I understand, the trafficers offer those in line anything from $50 to $150 to stand in line and purchase the iPad2 for them. Little do the people in line know, the iPad2s then are sold for double (more for the 16G and less for the 64G) on the gray market in China. Even the covers and HDMI cables go for over double.

Looks like they made a drug bust, right? But, no, this is the tiny store in Hong Kong that just got their shipment in. I can't say that I agree with what's happening. And, I don't appreciate not being able to get my hands on a iPad2. But, I also can't disagree with people trying to make a buck. I don't know how legal what they're doing is, but if you could buy something and turn around and sell it for double, wouldn't you? If you wouldn't, you're not a very smart business person. In the end, I'm dissapointed that I have to see others wave their shiney iPad2s in front of me as they get their grubby hands on theirs. But, I also can't be upset because those that are getting it before me where either smart enough to buy online, crazy enough to wait in lines at 7:30am (or overnight in some cases), or insane enough to pay more than double. In other words, they worked harder than I'm willing to in order to get their hands on it. I guess I'll have to wait till after March 25th when the international markets are set for their releases easing the demand in the states and the iPad2s will again flow freely. I'm okay with that.

You can go to this article to read more. They even have a video. That's where I got my two pics that aren't mine. Interesting article.

Thunder....

Thunder..Thundercats! HOOooooo??


When I saw this I wasn't sure if it was a bad Thundercats bootleg or just some other logo... I'm still not sure. True, bootlegs are usually off, but this is even bad for a bootleg. Who looks at this and thinks "yes, that looks right"? And if this is some other cartoons logo, please let me know. I'd be happy to find out that it's NOT meant to be the Thundercats logo.

Nice package...

After a failed attempt to purchase a iPad2 we went and got some fast food because fast food makes it better...


...I got this ketchup packet with my meal. It's the first time I've seen it out in the wild. Pretty dang cool. Nicely done! Doesn't ease the not having iPad2 disappointment, but neat to see.

What's it mean?

This is what I got when I checked out my hourly weather this morning.



I hope I need the weather past 8am...

Only in Chinatown...

...would you find a bootleg of a bootleg. I am curious to try the place tho...

Fun with bubbles

Enjoyed a day out in Chinatown with friends... one of whom had a little too much fun... with bubbles...

Mmm...Nutella...

I wasn't going to have one because of diet guilt, but...


it's a Nutella frosted cupcake! What?!? I know, right? You cant not try one, right? So I did. Nice! I realize the cupcake isn't very photogenic... but it was quite the tasty morsel. Now I can add icing to the list of unexpected things I've tasted that is Nutella flavored.

Mmmm...?

Went for a random place on 8th Ave in Brooklyn. How bad could it be, right? We stumbled into a place like any other place on the ave, BUT it wasn't. This place was hardcore Fuzhou. Dirty, food dishes everywhere, dirty fish tanks, but this stood out to me...


Anything stand out? Yah, you won't see that at your local Chinese take out. With all that said, the food at the place wasn't too bad. But, we won't be back unless it's with my dad. My dad loves places like this. It makes him feel like he's back in the motherland.

Cha Chan Tang

Checked out a new place on Mott St. In Chinatown.


Named Cha Chan Tang meaning "tea cafe".


We ordered a tomato egg on rice, minced meat spaghetti, and a Hong Kong style milk tea. Not great. Not bad. It does fulfill the craving for "Hong Kong style" foods. Dishes are a little on the heavy side. Drinks are on the lighter side(not so milky).

Final thought, I'd bring people here. Tasty eats at a decent(average for Chinatown, cheap for outside of Chinatown) prices.

Mash up

Hey all, for those that checked out my non-art blogs from time to time, I've mashed them into one. I will be posting all things not art on www.chengsta.blogspot.com. Right now it's mostly posts about apt stuff because the site used to be my apt blog. More to come!



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Xmas 2010

It's been a long time since I've posted something up on this blog. But, I thought it time to pick it up again. I figured this to be as good of a time as any. So, I'm starting it off with my Christmas gifts that wifey got me.


iPod Nano G6! This thing is awesome! Music, photos, clock face, FM tuner, and more! As a New Yorker, I've found this little gadget even more handy. Let me explain. One day, as I was wandering around picking up some last minute gifts, I entered a store pressing what I thought was a stop button on my headphones. I shopped for a bit and made my way to the subway. Next thing I know, as I entered the subway, the radio kept on playing. I came to realize that I didn't stop the radio, but instead paused it. Yes, pausing live radio. The Nano was recording the whole time I was in the store and therefore continued to play the whole time I was in the subway. For those of you in cities that have... more updated subway systems, the New York systems have no signals underground. So, having radio continue as I entered the subway was quite a pleasant surprise. Pausing live radio is only one of the many nice features on the Nano. If you've had an iPod and enjoyed it, I would definitely recommend the Nano.


And, with the Nano, wifey included headphones. These are the Tour series of the Beats by Dr. Dre headphones. It came with all kinds of fittings and what not to make sure the buds fit your ears perfectly. And, the wiring is by Monster Cable and it doesn't get tangled up. Nice! I'm no audiophile, but I do like these headphones. Highs and mids are great. And, of course, the bass is deep and full. On top of all that, it has controls and a mic for use with the iPod and iPhone. This was the button I pushed in the story above. Needless to say, I'm enjoying the combo of these headphones and the Nano. If you like full sound and not the giant head gear DJ headphones, this is for you.

As many have been doing, I'm going to use the Nano as a watch. I've pre-ordered my wrist strap and it should come in... several weeks. Keep an eye out for it.

Happy New Years and may 2011 bring you all great things!