I’m sorry little blog. I’ve been neglecting you for far too long. I would like another chance to rekindle my spur of the moment antics and venting sessions on you if you let me. I’ll be good I promise. I won’t disappoint!

Love, me!

My online portfolio has finally got a full revamp. Worked out most of the kinks and started adding in all my work that I’ve done in the past. It’s going to be a bumpy ride since I have crap all over the place. Meaning in CDs, thumb drives, work computer, personal computer, yeah… I’ve got my work load cut out for me. Then it will be time for me to focus on my online magazine! WOOHOO!

www.adanrico.com

Taking this little guy to the vet! This is Hercules, a dachsund/shitzu mix. Sister adopted him a week ago. He’s getting his immunizations and scheduling his surgery. Dad is driving like a crazy person!

I have had this silver chrome uncomfortable to sit on chair in my cube since day one that I worked here. It’s a nice sturdy chair and I like that it’s a nice place holder for my bag. So I got curious and walked around the office and saw that there’s a lot of these scattered around. I soon forgot about them until I saw them being shown in a few shows on TV and in some music videos. You know, where the slutty songstress starts strip-dancing and making love to the chair? Anyway, I got back to work the other day and stared at this chair. I finally decided to just flip it over. Surprisingly light by the way. I see the label or brand of the chair and I google it. Emeco… to my surprise, they have a website: www.emeco.net

Ok cool! I take a look inside and start to look for my chair. Found it: My Chair! Oh and look a the price tag:  $415.00 USD!!  OMG!

Dont believe me? See more photos after the jump!

From outer space!

I’ll stop there! And I have started blogging again. Yes, it’s true. 2009 was a year full of ups and downs and now that 2010 is here, it’s time to change things up and start finishing the things I’ve set myself up to finish in the first place! Lots of plans this year!

First, ciaopanda.com is now ciaopanda.net because those bastards snatched .com from right underneath my nose. Ciaopanda.net is returning with all new writers, reviews, and something else. It’s a secret for now. But in reality, I don’t know yet what is that “something else”… I’ll figure it out or find it when I get there!

Second, adanrico.com is getting a full revamp! FINALLY! OMFG! ABOUT FREAKING TIME!

Third, going to Miami in march for some great music and vacation time. Upon my return, it’s off to Coachella music festival for 4 days. WISH ME LUCK! Then, if all goes well, you’ll find me in Mexico for a week in June to visit family and vacation. Not sure about late summer and fall at this point but I’m sure it will be worth it.

Would like to squeeze in some Japan time some where this year but that all depends on other stuff at the moment.

Currently, still working full time as a Web Developer for Smith+Noble! Going to the Art Institute of Pittsburgh: Online Division for my Bachelor of Science in Web Interactive Media & Design. Live in Newport Beach, CA with a very close friend of mine who saved my life (more on this later) but will soon move to Irvine, CA in April.

The movie HACKERS, that starred Angelina Jolie and Jonny Lee Miller, was in theaters in 1995. The movie was ahead of it’s time and well, didn’t really reflect the life of a real hacker. It was exaggerated but it’s a movie and I loved the concept of it! I first saw the film in 1998 when it was at the local block buster and rented the VHS tape for kicks. To my surprise, this movie launched me to computer nerd world. I got my first computer soon after and it’s been history since then. One thing I enjoyed from the film was the summarized reading of the Hacker’s Manifesto. And I finally found it!

This is our world now…the world of the electron and the switch, the beauty of the baud. We make use of a service already existing without paying for what could be dirt-cheap if it wasn’t run by profiteering gluttons, and you call us criminals. We explore… and you call us criminals. We seek after knowledge… and you call us criminals. We exist without skin color, without nationality, without religious bias… and you call us criminals. You build atomic bombs, you wage wars, you murder, cheat, and lie to us and try to make us believe it’s for our own good, yet we’re the criminals.

Yes, I am a criminal. My crime is that of curiosity. My crime is that of judging people by what they say and think, not what they look like. My crime is that of outsmarting you, something that you will never forgive me for.

I am a hacker, and this is my manifesto. You may stop this individual, but you can’t stop us all… after all, we’re all alike.

You can continue reading here.

Ciaopanda.com was hosted with godaddy.com and I said enough, so I’m waiting for godaddy to release my domain so I can re-purchase it using the love of my live, dreamhost.com! Because that’s where adanrico.com and this domain, lifeonfile.com, are being hosted at. I want it to be simple to manage all three domains. I really need Ciaopanda.com back because I have, finally, WRITERS!! Yes, can you believe that? People who are willing to write for my online magazine. It’s unheard of and exciting. Must get to it! Pray that no spam lover steals my domain and uses it for only god knows what. I PRAY I TELL YOU!

I was cleaning my car this morning and I take everything out, wash, dust and clean everything. I can’t seem to know how I forgot but there was a small little hatch in the back that I remember putting stuff in. So I opened it and to my surprise there were some useless but nostalgic stuff inside. I threw away the items that I would never use again. Such as a mobile phone car adapter for a mobile phone I no longer have, some dusty ear phones, a mobile phone audio enhancer that never worked if I remember correctly and one item that I will surelly keep forever and happy to have found: A CD WALKMAN! My first ever CD Walkman that I bought myself when I was 15 years old back in 1999. I had my first time working in a small market as a bagger and what did I do with my first paycheck? Bought me this:

White-Westinghouse personal adido-cd player, or walkman as they were known in the 90s. I was so thrilled to find it. Batteries are dead but I was excited to find out that it still works. There was a CD inside!!

I was a big J-pop fan when I moved to California around 2000 and a I burned a CD, took forever too. Take a look inside:

Here’s an angle shot!

After work yesterday, I made an appointment with the good people at the Apple Genius Bar so I can get my MBP looked at. My battery performance has been really low and I’ve only had a good 30 minutes, fully charged, to use without the power source. Not good! Waited for about 10 minutes after I checked in. Apple looked at my laptop stats, saw I had the extended protection plan, swapped out the battery for a new one and done! I was impressed! So far, my experiences with them have been excellent. But it’s only one location. Other Apple Store locations have not impressed me as much as this one. I will keep going to them for my future Apple product needs.

As I was there, I picked up a few things. I need a car charger for my iPhone and iPod so I found one that has an fm-tuner radio in it, works great. I love it. Sound is not 100% and it doesn’t match a usb ready or auxiliary in/out ported car radio but it’s cheap, fast and just right for me. Also got an anti-glare/screen protector for my iPhone. I love the feel. It’s got a grainy touch but visibly the same, just with limited glare. Also, no nasty finger prints.

At the bookstore, I got myself a green-tea ice latte and some books. An Harley Quinn comic, hardcopy, Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips (to replace the copy my brother lost… that goon) and Fables Vol. 3!

After basically living in Japan for a month this past May/June, I discovered that there’s things I should also have with me when I’m out and about. A few items are duplicated but usually I would only take one with me when I left the apartment. I hope this helps anyone who is planning on visiting Japan in the near future. Of course, items do vary from person to person so please don’t judge me if I would take something that you wouldn’t.

The Goods

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Detail shot of the items.

1. LapTop/Notebook
I took my 15” MacBook Pro, but I left it in the apartment almost everyday. Though it did fit perfectly in the bag with the other stuff but it was overkill.

2. Mobile Phone
I had my Japanese mobile phone or “keitai” with me all the time. I left my American mobile phone at home because it was useless to me there.

3. Multi-Fit Card Reader
This was a blessing in disguise. No more USB cables for digicams and it came in handy when someone with their camera took a photo and I wanted it.

4. First-Aide
Essentially, it’s small but that’s just me. I cut myself, I let it bleed and I use a paper towel. But in those rare cases, I’ll use a band-aide. I also had with me: Sleeping pills, Advil, Advil PM, Benadryl, Vicodyne (because of my ankle), chapstick, neosporin, different size bandaides, and cortazone! If you’re going to Japan in later spring or summer, TAKE BUG SRAPY/CREAM! So important! Unless you like being eating alive by bugs.

5. Utencils
I bought myself a spoon, fork and hashi (chopsticks) set and they were very usefull and eco friendly. They come in handy when you live off of Konbini (Mini-Marts) for breakfast, lunch and dinner. After these photos were taken, I bought myself a small lunch bag with a inu (dog) styled washable napkin.

6. Ear Phones & iPod
MUST HAVE! At least some form of MP3 entertainment for those long shinkanses (bullet train) and metro-rail rides. I had my small inner-earphones but tired of them so I bought a pair of full-earphones from Harajuku. They were HEAVEN in the plane ride from Okinawa to Tokyo; destroys all outside noise and I loved that they didn’t hurt the inside of my ear!

7. Flash Light
A MUST if you’re out in the country and alone at night! My apartment in Yoron (North of Okinawa) was in an area where they turned off all outside lights at midnight. It came very usefull

8. Wall/Passport
DUH! Do I need to say more?

9. Notebook & Notepad
My notebook has a detailed journal of what I did while in Japan. I shall transcribe them someday. Its good to jot some new words down and also write something that you thought was usefull, insightful or amusing. The notepad was great to get maps drawn out for you and jot down directions really quickly. Which brings me to my next item.

10. Writting Utencils
Pen, pencil and highlighter. JUST take them, you’ll thank me!

11. Eye Glasses
Not a whole lot of people put on their “stunner-shades” (sunglasses) in Japan but if it’s sunny and you have a pair, put them on. Reading glasses or contacts and all the essentails. I just took my reading glasses because I didn’t want to deal with brining more crap for my contacts.

12. Gum & Candy
Because after eating some delicious meal you don’t want to offend anyone, right? Also, good to munch on if you’re bored on the train and you forgot your ipod at home

13. Guide Book
It does come in handy. I used it to put tickets, flyers, notes and receipts of the places I went so that when I go next time, I can go back to those places.

14. USB Flash Drive
I used it a lot since I was teaching English. But otherwise, not severly important to take with you but you never know.