My Mother's Birthday Party

My mother celebrated her 60th birthday on Halloween Eve. My family arranged for a dinner party at the local Italian/Brick Pizza Brick Oven restaurant called Dees on Metropolitan Avenue in Forest Hills.
Most of our extended family was there from my mother's father, sister and cousins. It was good to see everyone together as it has been awhile for me to see them all.
There was about 18 of us at the very large table setting the restaurant arrange for us. The food was really delicious and plentiful. Everyone was taking lots of pictures for this one time event and catching up with each other lives. I had lasagna with a nice bolognese sauce.
My nephews handed my mother the present me and my brother picked out, a Wii with a Fit -Wii accessory. This was something she really liked and intends to use.
During the dessert, the nice service staff brought over my mother's rice pudding with a candle as we all song 'happy-birthday'. A very nice treat.
Can't believe my mother is 60 years olds as I always remember her being a young women even since I was a kid. I know there will be many more and hope to come home for more birthdays in the future.

Heading Home to New York City

I'm flying home to New York City for some needed break from my job/next-opportunity search. Also it will be my mother's birthday and will be the first time celebrating her birthday in a very long time.
While I am there, the new Navy ship, USS New York will get her commissioning near the Intrepid Museum on the Hudson river. The bow of the ship was made of steel from the World Trade Center. There is a lot of sentimental reasons I wish to see this new ship.
Can't wait to eat my familiar New York style pizza.

Informational Interview for LEED/Green Industry

I have been thinking about changing directions in my career and thought about going into the "green industry" and earning a LEED(Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification to rate builds on how well they meet "green" standards.

Of course, I know nothing of this so I asked the building manager at my former employer to explain what is LEED and how to obtain a certification. We met at that modern establishment where all important things are talked about, Starbucks.

She showed me reference material from a Brightworks workshop she had gone through recently to obtain her certification. There is lots of name of standards which need to be memorized as the test is all rout. She explained that there are different areas which LEEDS cover from home to site certification.

I noticed in my recent search for new opportunities that certifying new construction as being "green" under the LEED's definition will be in high demand. I wish to pursue something more flexible in nature then relaying totally on project work which can end withing fiscal years and leaving you looking for another job.

During this informational interview, I was given much to think about and a point to explore further. More information from the US Greenbuilding Council This line of possible career is very interesting to me and will definitily gather more information to determine what needs to be done to enter this field.

Half-Moon Bay Pumpkin Festival

On Saturday 17 Oct 2009, I got up early and drove to the annual Half Moon Bay Art and Pumpkin Festival in the coastal town of Half Moon Bay. To get there from San Jose, one has to drive through highway 92 which is the only road that cuts across the Santa Cruz Mountains into the town. Getting there early is the only way to avoid the huge traffic that always occur in this event.

After paying $5 dollars to park my car at a town parking lot, I walked to the event center at about 7am. The downtown had its street closed and lined with arts booth being set up this early in the morning. Some of the food venues were open and I purchase a cup of coffee and a pumpkin roll, to be in tune with the festival.

I walked up and down the early morning, misty streets observing all the booths being set up for the days events. Very nice quality items, more then I find in other arts festival. In one parking lot, some of the competitors of the biggest pumpkin were on display. These things were huge and a looked like they were squashed one side. The weight of these gourds won't allow them to grow round.

As the morning progessed the sun burnt off the morning hazy and mist revealing more people were arriving at the festival. I grabbed some more coffee from different charity vendors to show my support and to get warmer.

In the main side street of Miramontes, the winner of the pumpkin contest was being ready for people to purchase photos along side the king. For a charity donation of $12 dollars was going to the Cabrillo Education Foundation. As I was waiting in line to take my picture with the winner, I attended about data on the pumpkin. He said it weighed in at 1,658 lbs and it came all the way from Iowa. The rules state that the pumpkin must be grown in a 12months period. Well I took my picture with the winning pumpkin but found out later that I had lost my photo. I went back to retrace my steps but could not find it. Upset was putting it lightly but I gathered my self and said lets not ruin a great day.

I had a great morning during this very nice autumn festival.

Photos can be seen below:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=35213&id=1507778102&l=3e95909619

Attended SME Dinner on Centrifugal Casting

On 14 Oct, I went to Michaels Restauarant in Mountain View where the local Society of Manufacture Engineer Chapter 98, was co-hosting a dinner and talk on centrifugal casting by Johnson Centrifugal, a job shop in Wisconsin.

The night started with meeting members of the ASM and SME. Rather interesting to meet these folks although must have been retired for a very long time. Did finally get to meet the president of the local SME also met someone from BAE Systems who remarkably did not get laid off. Afterwards there was a catered dinner with some very nice food. Got to talk with the other SME members as I haven't been to one of these functions in a long time. Know that I am "in between jobs" there was no excuse not to go.

The presentation was hosted by Dr. Arvin Montes, a Senior R&D Materials Engineer at Johnson Centrifugal Technology in Saukville, WI. He explain in very detail the process of centrifugal casting. Essentially molten metal is poured into spinning forming cylinder, which imparts high g-loads to the liquid metal. The form cools and one has a cylindrical form to machine.

Dr. Montes explain the experimentation of using 6061 and 7075 Aluminum in both centrifugal and traditional casting to determine and compare the properties of each. To make a very long and detailed process short, properties of the aluminum cast with centrifugal method has a 85 to 95% higher tensile and yield strength while have a much more homogeneous structure in both the axial and radial direction.

Some of the products that use this process are CRT scanner head, turrets and housing for high-torque permanent magnet motor.

Overall the night was very informative on this process and met up with some leads in this industry.

Star Wars in Concert at the HP Pavilion

On Sunday Oct 11, I headed to the HP Pavilion in San Jose to catch the performance of "Star Wars in Concert" which is a live performance of the music from all the Star Wars movies.

I was really excited to go as I'm a real Star Wars junkie. As I walked to the Pavilion, I saw several kids dressed in costumes already for the event. Inside the arena there were booths with props, customes, story boards from the movies. Each one of the booths had a screen showing the design evolution of the prop and another showing a scene from the movie.

Of course what would a Star Wars gathering be without fans in customes. There were many of the Clonetroopers/Stormtroopers from the the 501 Garrison, a volunteer group who makes up their own customes. Jedi Knights, characters from the movie were all representing. One I found interesting was a women with a "Grand Admiral" uniform. This character only appears in the books series so one really has to be a fan to know this.

My favorite exhibit was the display of the music worksheet which John Williams, the composer of all the Star Wars music, used for one of the movies. I was impressed how large a worksheet is used.

After mingling about the crowded display it was time to go inside the arena and take my seat. My tickets got me to a seat on the left side of the stage, in the middle level. A nice place to view the events. A set of large curtains covered up the stage so the audience could not see it. The announcer kept mentioned that the lights will turn off abruptly. At about 10 minutes after the schedule start, the lights turn off and the curtains covering up the stage dropped. The orchestra played the introductory fanfare to each of the movies. Behind the stage a large 3-story hi-def screen spanning the the stage, was showing seen from the movies. On each side of the main screen and above it were what looked like "chain mail" of low resolution screens, giving an extra dimension to the stage.

After the fanfare stop, everyone gave the orchestra a great round of applause. Then out of the side of the arena step forward the narrator, Anthony Daniels, who played the character of C-3p0 in all six movies. The audience also applauded for him. He started to speak in very dramatic tone on the nights presentation. It was really weird but he speaks exactly like C-3PO, very strange to see that voice outside the costume.

Funny thing happen as when he was speaking, his ear-piece microphone stopped transmitting, the audience grown in sadness of this. Mr. Daniels went around the stage and picked up a hand-held microphone. He said to the gestured to the audience that he is using a "Jedi mind trick" and said "that no one saw any mistakes" , then asked the audience "did anyone see any mistakes", to which everyone replied in unison "NO".

The concert went on with Daniels dramatically telling the themes to each set of music. As the music was played by the orchestra, scenes from the movie appeared on the large overhead screen. The scenes were sometimes from one set of movies and sometimes all blend of all the movies. Daniels performance really gave the orchestra performance a feel of an epic event.

The theme and music in order they were performed is below:

Star Wars Main Title

Duel of the Fates

Anakin’s Theme

Moisture Farm

The Flag Parade

Across the Stars

Battle of the Heroes

The Imperial March (Darth Vader’s Theme)

Intermission

The Asteroid Field

Princess Leia’s Theme

Tales of a Jedi Knight

Cantina Band

Yoda’s Theme

TIE Fighter Attack

Luke and Leia

The Forest Battle

Light of the Force

Throne Room/End titles

During the performance there was laser light, steam and even flames shooting from the front stage floor. The flames was mostly for the scene on Mustafar when Anakin and Obi-Wan were dueling, when the "Battle of the Heros" was played.

In performing the last theme of the night, "End Titles", scenes of John Williams conducting the actual score for each movie was shown on the screen. I truly wish there was more homage to John Williams as he was the man who compose this epic music and brought it to life.

At the end of the performance, the audience gave the orchestra, the conductor, and Daniels a standing ovation in which they had three curtain calls. No one wanted to leave. The orchestra placated our appetite for more by playing a full version of the "Imperial March". It was awesome! The lights came on, people exited the arena, the orchestra backed their instruments all while David Bowie's "Major Tom" was playing over the loud speaker.

It was great night to experience the magic behind the music.

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Life is like a olive tree, bears much fruit but very little shade.