DanWorks

It’s been a while since I updated, this shirt was made...

Tue, 12 Jun 2012 16:26:10 -0700

It’s been a while since I updated, this shirt was made almost a month ago. It was a request made by my friend and co-worker. The design and concept came with a story that forced me to think not just about the art but also what it means. The image is of the Azadi Tower in Iran, which was built originally built to commemorate the Persian legacy, it was renamed Azadi (Freedom in Farsi) in 1979 after the fall of the shah of Iran. I learned that my friend still has a lot of family in Iran, and participated in protests which not prevent her from visiting them again under this current regime. With the current struggles in Iran and the Mid-East as a whole I thought it was relevant and touching, and was proud to design this shirt for her. Especially on this day which marks the anniversary of the 2009 protest following a rigged election that kept current Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in power.

A little about the design. Colors were created with a double split screen of green, white, and green again (colors of the movement). I had to do about 8 test pulls before the colors blended correctly. The Farsi words below from right to left read Azadi, which means Freedom.

I don’t like to be publicly political but by virtue of this design, I felt compelled to provide a context and story that I hope you all enjoy.

Cheers!

Limited Edition Elsie-May Team Gear! Because I love my new...

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 23:51:00 -0700

Limited Edition Elsie-May Team Gear!

Because I love my new little niece, I decided to make “Team Elsie” shirts and onesies that put to shame anything Edward or Jacob could throw at us. Team Elsie members include her two loving parents, all four grandparents, and her two uncles (one of which is me!). The green logo represents Greenbaum, which is German for green tree, within the tree is her Chinese name which means Lovely Silk (“Yee” Ai-Shi). The men’s heather shirts are the result of a two step printing process. The green logo was printed first, which is relatively small on it’s own since it was intended to fit on a onesie. As a result, I created what you now see as the blue and white split fountain image flanking the green tree to beef up the design. With the women’s coral shirts, I printed the green tree below the left shoulder and the split fountain image on rear lower right waist. And of course the onesies!

I am quite pleased with the results! All for you Elsie :0)

I experienced love in a new way this weekend. In a way that is...

Sun, 15 Apr 2012 22:38:08 -0700

I experienced love in a new way this weekend. In a way that is undying and and has no horizon. Love can get sappy, and even annoying sometimes, but true love never gets old, just wiser and deeper. I love you Elsie!

Congratulations Joyclyn and Jay, you both did a great job in creating a little person that I can love with all of my being!

These are the shirts I made during my last two screen printing...

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 22:55:02 -0700

These are the shirts I made during my last two screen printing classes. I was able to make a larger image by stacking two 5X7s. However, this led to poor registration, but I’m happy with it nonetheless! The design is of Progresso lentil cans, it is my parody of Warhol’s Campbell’s soups. I think the reason the Campbell’s pop art became so famous was because it reminded that generation of their childhood, growing up on Campbell’s soup stuck in their memories as a simpler time, but here it was in bright and new colors! For me Progresso lentil soup reminds me of my childhood, I have a specific memory of my mom making it for me after I got a cavity filled, and I continue to eat it today because of this memory.

Lastly, a picture update of my garden, I’ve been diligent of watering it and aside from a few insects gnawing at some leaves, its doing beautifully!

The March Merchandise is in for my non-existent brewery! Get it...

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 23:18:03 -0800

The March Merchandise is in for my non-existent brewery! Get it while it’s NOT!

The product of last weeks screen printing class, I did a two color of the hops logo I made, and printed on shirts, and aprons for Karthik and I to use while brewing. We got to test them out last Wednesday while making my (but not Karthik’s) first all grain mash for our Leap Day Midnight Stout!

The first image has my 4 panel black and white of pictures from...

Tue, 28 Feb 2012 23:33:05 -0800

JTree12

Shake Ginsu, Shake!

The first image has my 4 panel black and white of pictures from my recent camping trip to Joshua Tree. I also made a couple of t-shirts one a couple of sweat stained old hanes shirts. One of which I gave to Rob (teeth-brusher), who was apart of the art.

The second is the digital image I made for our grayscale dither project. Screen printing with a grayscale image was difficult because it responds drastically to uneven pressure in pulls. I had some success but didn’t bother to take and pictures of the final product.

Crafts & Projects for 2012

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 18:08:00 -0800

My broad resolution for this year has been to implement past projects, delve into my creative side, while maintaining my previous interests/hobbies.

The last category consists of surfing and brewing. Keeping up with surfing is relatively easy, but Karthik and I have yet to brew in this new year. There is finally space in the kegerator again, now all we need is a whiff of inspiration and time.

Now the implementing past projects includes many things, one of which is to start gardening. And as of today (Superbowl Sunday) I have finally begun! Last weekend while I was at work I noticed some nice wood and pallets in the delivery area of my company and saw an opportunity to make a raised garden bed. I began construction last Sunday and completed it yesterday. So as not to settle and just being content of its completion I made sure run to the Home Depot garden center to pick up soil, plants, and fertilizer to fill the damn thing. The starting line-up includes Swiss chard, spicy globe basil, orange bell peppers, black krim tomatoes, and ichiban eggplant.

Salvaged pallet and wood.

Completed garden bed.

Garden bed in action!

As a kid I always enjoyed drawing and trying to be creative but never found a true outlet for it. Now that I’m older, more patient, and have the means to feed my interests I hastily decided to sign up for a screen printing class at the UCSD Crafts Center. I had flirted with the idea of making my own t-shirts in the past, but never gave it more than 5 seconds of thought, this class came to fruition through boredom, timing, and class availability and the 3 classes that I’ve had so far have been a blast.

In our first class we randomly ripped paper to create a negative (orange ink) for a design on cardstock. Our homework was to create a stencil to overlay the first design.

The left card is a result of the my original stencil. We had time to print a second color in class so I tried to make a complementary design which didn’t turn out the way I wanted (right).

In my third class, we were given the task of stenciling on Rubylith, which is a plastic film overlaid with a red emulsion to create a positive image instead of a negative like my first stencil. I decide to make a logo for Karthik and mine’s brewing endeavors. I’ve been imagining this hop flower design for a while now and was glad that I could finally get it made. World, I introduce you to DK Brewing!

Anyways, here’s to a crafty 2012!

In a turn of events„ I came home the other and saw on the...

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 22:44:33 -0800

In a turn of events„ I came home the other and saw on the house bulletin/white board a note that read along the lines of “Daniel, the neighbor came by and wants you to come over again”… not knowing really understanding what it could be, I went over tonight.

I rang the doorbell and was greeted by the wife first and then the elderly man came. He had a smug smile on his face and reached out his hand. I put out my hand to shake his and was pulled in about a foot at the same time. Mike, as I later discovered was his name, apologized for the other night and explained that he was thinking clearly the first time I came over. He said that he went to the trash can the next day and fished out the soggy red envelopes and retrieved the money inside. He told me he had to dry it out and smiled again as he produced it and handed it to me. I thanked him and rambled about how that I had already put the loss out of my mind, but that it was a pleasant surprise.

I went back home feeling a lot better about how this year is unfurling, and since I already came to terms with the loss of this money, I felt like it could be put to better use than buying my next meal, beer, or whatnot. Instead I want it to be used to directly help brighten a person/persons day. So I ask you this, what would you do with $20 to help brighten someone’s day?

I will be thinking about this too and update when I’ve done it.

Suggest a Radiolab Tour Stop - Radiolab

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 01:03:40 -0800

Suggest a Radiolab Tour Stop - Radiolab:

Help me vote to get RadioLab Live in San Diego!

No. Luck! but there is hope in site!

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:01:48 -0800

No. Luck! but there is hope in site!

Happy Chinese New Year?

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:41:00 -0800

I am not having the most auspicious start to this New Year of the Dragon. This morning I woke up with some New Years snacks to take to work and wanted to display some Red Envelopes. I had remembered that they were in the breast pocket of my jacket but when I reached inside I found only 2 of at least 10-12. I gave it not much thought and assumed I had left them back in LA.

When I got home this evening I decided to go for a run after two weeks of athletic protest (by sheer laziness), and when I got home was greeted by two of my roomates, Will and Jess.

Will wastes no time and says: I don’t mean to sound racist, but this morning I saw a bunch of red envelopes on the neighbors driveway.

Before he can continue I grimace and say they were mine.

Will: Well I picked them up and handed them to the neighbor, since they were in his driveway.

I think, no worries, I can just go over and ask for them back.

I walk next door and ring the door bell. I am greeted by an elderly man and explain the situation. He takes a moment to respond, before he states that he kept the two dollars (Yes, two dollars for my family), that Will and shown him in the morning, and threw away the rest. With my luck today happened to be trash day, and it was early enough in the morning that they were in before the trash was picked up. My neighbor then disappeared, and re-emerged with the two dollars that he had kept. He said sorry, and I said it’s alright.

I calculated in my head how much money had literally gone in the trash, and estimated it was about $30. Now, I’m not so concerned by how much it was, but more by the fact that as a second generation Chinese-American, I can’t help but consider this as a sign of misfortune and foreshadowing of what this year will bring… or potentially lose.

In order to test my fortune I decided that I’d take my two returned dollars and buy some lotto scratchers… I have yet to go and buy them, but I will update you all soon.

Since I was still dirty from my run I proceeded to shower. After showering I felt that my contacts were dry and decided to take then out and put in some eye-drops. As soon as I took out my left contact it popped off the suction cup and dropped straight down the drain. While I’m not one to publicly complain about my misfortunes, I thought these sum of events warranted committing to the web and my first post in the Year of the Dragon.

Anyways, here’s to a great year to come! Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Oct 1Lunch at shake shack- shackburger and s’mores custard...

Sat, 08 Oct 2011 22:09:00 -0700

Oct 1

Lunch at shake shack- shackburger and s’mores custard ice cream
Screwdriver in central park and the MET
Shopping in soho
Corn at Cafe Habana
Dinner at mono+mono: 2 Bengali tiger IPAs, 2 shots of lychee soju, mung bean pancake, seafood pancake, bulgogi skewers, foie grais meatball, 3 shots of grapefruit soju
Caracas arepas: Los muchachos arepa
Mcsworleys: 2 half pint darks, 3 half pint lights
Boka: 7+ shots of soju, 1 titanic
Artichoke pizza: half slice of artichoke pizza, half slice of margherita pizza
Taxi back to Brooklyn by 4 am

Oct 2
In Brooklyn apt: raisin bread, orange juice, coconut water, spinach mushroom onion con huevos
Revive Jess: back massage, head massage, blow dry hair.
3 pm to Chinatown:
Xi’an famous restaurant: spicy flower tofu, cumin lamb noodles, oxtail noodle soup, lamb sandwich
Chinatown ice cream factory: black sesame and ginger ice cream
Chelsea market: Sunday NY times crossword puzzle with Ashwan, Iwen, Jessica, and Alice.
Chelsea highline in the cool rainy weather
Pure Thai restaurant: skate Thai spices over rice, Thai seafood and fermented tofu noodles
Whole foods purchase: bite size brownies, le monde trupel, ommegang three philosophers, NY local
Reality check by crack addict on the subway
Washington heights relishing over our friendship with Chua, Jess, and Joe
3am subway adventure back to Brooklyn

Oct 3
11 am rendezvous at google office
Google lunch: BBQ chicken, salmon with horseradish sauce, sautéed cauliflower, brussels sprouts and yams, mushroom polenta, green beans, lentils, bean salad, isreali cous cous, caramel pecan swirl, chocolate covered strawberries, lychee mango juice, and ice coffee.
Chelsea high to send off Jess
Soho for failed shoe shopping
Xi’an famous restaurant pt 2: stewed pork burger, liang pi cold skin noodle, spicy cumin lamb noodles
Dumplings: 5 potstickers for $1, 4 soup dumplings for $1
the Moth: at southpaw bar in Brooklyn, theme: wisdom
St. Marks for Mamouns Falafel and failed attempt at Angelshare speakeasy, Decibel sake bar instead: Dassai 50 (750ml), plum wine+soda
Failed attempt at pomme frites, Cheeps for $2 falafel sandwich and Belgian fries and mango chutney mayo sauce instead

Oct 4
Press 195: belgian fries with red pepper mayo, half a turkey, mozzarella, sweet onion jam, and mushroom sandwich, and half a mushroom, goat cheese, and arugula sandwich
Brownstone bagels and breads: 2 plain, 2 everything, 2 while grain, and 2 raisin bagels for the greenhouse
Venticinque : chai tea latte
2:45 Long island railroad train to JFK airport via Jamaica station

_________________________________________________________________________________

I can hardly put into words the joy I felt being with so many great friends in such an amazing city last weekend. The fact we reunited 2,500+ miles away from where we started is a testament to our enduring friendship. At the same time it is a somber thought that I may never live in the same city, or even state, with any of them again. Nevertheless, I love you all!

Enter the Glowing Green Room

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 21:31:15 -0700

September 28, 2011

Time in: ~5:00 PM

Time out: 7:45 PM

I almost didn’t go in today, it didn’t look particularly interesting, but the sets were consistent. Today almost ended on a sour note when I collided with a guy paddling out AND the dumbass who dropped in on me, after which I tweaked my elbow. The same guy dropped in on the very next wave which I called him out for, but that all didn’t matter, because as the sun crawled under the purple horizon and the nocturnal stars came alive so did the water I was surfing in. A fury of bioluminescence outlined each kick of a foot, paddle of an arm, and swish of my board; a visual metaphor for the energy exuding from my body. Dinoflagellates, most likely a species of Pyrocystis has been a blooming and a brewing for the past few days and decided to make my dream of a night surf session come true. My first wave in darkness was a tube of glowing teal that barreled me in my crouch. I caught two more lefts and ended on a right that left me knowing that this was one of the most ethereal experiences of my life. At dusk there were four of us in the water, near the end I was the last one left to share an intimate moment with the ocean and the billions of glowing algae surrounding me.

Until next bloom!

The Ocean

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 00:17:00 -0700

The reason I am so fascinated by the ocean is because it is beautiful, gigantic, and constantly moving and changing. Each ripple in the sea is as unique as a 20, 50, or to 100ft face of a wave crashing down. I want to be like the ocean :0)

Mind dump of the day

Sat, 21 May 2011 20:12:44 -0700

I don’t think I’ve felt comfortable with my life since graduating college. Every year has been something different, the place I live, the things I do, and the people I hang out with. And while I appreciate the diversity of experiences I am gaining it can feel tiring and occasionally lacking a sense of progression at times.

I’m just wondering if and when life will feel comfortable again, or will it always feel like we’re chasing a future that will never materialize. It’s like we climbed this steep and windy hill, and in front of us now lies a vast dessert of uncertainty.

On a semi-related note, I am always consciously or subconsciously nostalgic for my days in college, the people, and the consistency of life. Time wasn’t really segregated, and though I wasn’t in control of my life, I was in control of every hour of my day. But I never took advantage of that gift of time, a lot of it was spent doing mundane things with really good friends. I say this with both positive and negative connotation because I LOVED the times I spent doing nothing with friends, nowadays everyone is too busy to not see each other unless its a planned event! I long to go back to those days, but since then, I’ve developed a lot more interests and hobbies and have also become one of those people too busy to just do ‘nothing’ with.

LIFE = Catch-22.

Sometimes when you’re at a museum or out on a hike or just in daily life, you will see a...

Thu, 28 Apr 2011 23:12:15 -0700

Sometimes when you’re at a museum or out on a hike or just in daily life, you will see a painting, something in nature, the way a piece of trash blows in the wind that grabs your attention and you can’t help but stare at it because it has captivated your mind, imagination, or consciousness. It may not be clear what you’re looking at, and you want to make sense of it, but no matter how much you stare and analyze, the only thing you know is that you can’t take your eyes off of it.

at the end of the day, we can endure much more than we think we can

Thu, 17 Feb 2011 00:26:44 -0800

I’ve always wanted to write a song, well, here it is :0)...

Sat, 15 Jan 2011 22:07:10 -0800

I’ve always wanted to write a song, well, here it is :0) Unremarkable

My Amorphous Manifesto

Sun, 02 Jan 2011 23:53:00 -0800

I’ve been meaning to write something to reflect on all the amazing experiences I had in 2010, but the year has passed and all I can do is think about the future, and this is what came to mind.

I know that the world is a beautiful placed filled with pain and difficulties. For everyone, these things are relative to their own lives. For some it is money, health, a roof over their heads, education, or equality and often times the solutions seem bleak. However, I refuse to become cynical and think that I am powerless to do anything.

I am often left wondering, what can I do to help. Yet so far, I have done nothing but live for myself. I am always waiting for that day or moment when I will be enlightened and realize what it is I am suppose to do. But it may never come if I’m not bold enough, courageous enough.

Enable. It’s a word that has been on my mind lately. So many of us hold the potential to really do things with our lives, but lack the conditions, the motivation, or the skills to achieve them. I want to enable myself to do whatever it is that I want to achieve, though I still don’t know what it is or how I will do it. But I will devote my energy towards enabling myself so I can enable others for the better. It might be an idea, more knowledge, persons, or even worse, a huge risk, but I will seek it out, and confront it.

It is easy to get lost and lose site as I get older, and become more responsible over my own life, but I have to remember to remain idealistic. Thus, I will not stop living my life, I will do what I love and what feels right, but also be thoughtful, vigilant, and aware.

Here’s to 2011 and beyond, may we live in interesting times.

Lets Finish This! POD whatever whatever!!!! So a lot has...

Fri, 12 Nov 2010 23:22:23 -0800

Thanks ctam!

Chua is the man

beautiful and foggy SF

We <3 California!

Lets Finish This!

POD whatever whatever!!!! So a lot has happened since we got back. I got a job back in SD and Chua is applying to grad schools. Needless to say we’re busy…

After Davis, we headed for SF where we reunited with some friends: Raf, George, Abe, Yolanda, and Evan and Alice were in town as well! Things really came full circle in on this trip. I learned A LOT about myself, about Chua, and the strength of friendships everywhere we went.The United States is an amazing country, with a diversity of landscapes, people, and cities I’m glad I got to see it and really know what it means to American. Most of all, to know where I fit in in our very very large country. In the end California is home, and I plan on sticking around, sorry Texas :0)

In the end I realized I just spend 24/7 with one of my best friends for almost 6 weeks straight (39 days to be exact) and I couldn’t have asked for a better person to do with. We got some stories for our kids to come man!

Lastly, I want to thank everyone that made this trip possible, the new friends I’ve made, and old friends that became even better friends all of you are welcome to stay with me when you make it Cali!

Cheers!