DANNY CHO'S First DVD is OUT!

For those of you unfamiliar with this talented comedian, here is a little something about Danny:

Danny Cho is an unapologetic comedian who rants about unusual events from his life. He went to school as the only Asian American in East Los Angeles. He recited the Pledge of Allegiance in Spanish. His Chinese best friend's closet smells like moth balls. He even dealt with sexual molestation on a recent sky diving trip.

Two years ago, Danny was just another business consultant stuck in a nine-to-five job, spending his time figuring out how he can miss work and then playing up the different scenarios in his mind. He came up with two solutions. Either get drunk and swerve the lanes of Beverly Hills in front of a cop, get arrested and miss a couple days of work or quit and become a comedian. He chose the latter.
While attending UCLA, Danny started performing stand-up at countless numbers of colleges as well as Kollaboration, the biggest Asian American talent show in the nation. Through the power of Youtube, Danny soon became a star among the Asian American community, and soon thereafter, landed the role of Pongo, the fat, mute Thai movie critic on Mad TV alongside Bobby Lee. Next up was a call from Hollywood, landing Danny a role on the Superbowl's Bud Light commercial and also a NFL Network commercial.

In Watch Your Step, Danny dives into a variety of topics like race, relationships, sex, and various anecdotes that may you cringe but you can't help but laugh.

Get em quick at www.dannycho.com!

Northern Exposure

Your roaming reporter here in the north, and I would like to share with you ,my great finds. If you’re like me, Korean food is the best cuisine in the universe hands down. The flavors and the variety are two of the many qualities that our gastronomy provides. In the next few months, I will share with you where you can get your grub on if you find yourself away from the 213 and all the regular places you patronize. From Fresno to Sacramento, these are the places to visit if and when you find yourself on the opposite side of the state.


Don Day



The first time I dined here, their gimmick was the same as that one place in Ktown in the Nandarang plaza whose name escapes me. They had three different types of flavored Sam-gyup-sal (thick cut pork belly). Wine, dwen-jang (soy bean paste), and one other flavor which seems to elude me right now. Must have not been all that. I really liked the concept and meat tasted great, but unfortunately due to financial issues the establishment did not stay in business too long. Fast forward a few months and a couple of different owners, and we have the current rendition. Although they don’t do the flavored pork anymore, the present Don Day more of a gem for the feast they provide.

From the outside, it doesn’t look like much. Situated on the downtown area of Oakland, it is surrounded by a couple of other Korean eateries, a Korean market, barbershop, and video store (it wouldn’t be normal without one). The inside is very modest as well. Kind of like a mix between an American diner and po-jang-mah-cha (Traditional Korean street-side eating stands), there are a few tables along the length with the cooking area in plain view. But, where it lacks in ambiance, it definitely makes up for in taste.



I am a firm believer that a meal is only as good as the ban-chans (side-dishes) it comes with. There is no shortage in variety here. On average, a dozen will be available to savor, all of which are made fresh. Among my favorites, is doo-boo mu-chim (mixed tofu). Served cold, it has a subtle flavor, but keeps you coming back for more. It seems to be the specialty here, as more than half of the ban-chans were mu-chims. For their dishes, they have the standard offerings: several different kinds of meats and fish, various stews and soups, and ggo-chee (skewers). Among the meats, sam-gyup-sal (pork belly) is my favorite. It is thick cut and freshly brought in on a weekly basis. The meat comes with various vegetables to grill as well and leafy greens to make ssam (Korean wrap). As for the soups/stews, their koeng-bee-jee-chi-gae and al-chi-gae are delicious if you’re into it. lastly, they have several different ggo-chee, but shrimp and mushrooms are the tastiest in my opinion. Soju, beer and other Korean wines are well stocked, so you won’t be thirsty either.

So, if youre ever in the Oakland area and get that craving for some delectable comfort food, Don Day is the place to find it!

Don Day
346 14th St
(between Harrison St & Webster St)
Oakland, CA 94612
Price range: $$

For a good explanation of Korean food and their names, please visit:
http://efl.htmlplanet.com/korean_food.htm

The highly anticipated Hyundai Genesis Coupe

Today is the day that you can place a deposit to reserve your very own Hyundai Genesis Coupe in Korea. To mark the occasion, Hyundai released a new commercial you can watch below. Unlike the 3.8-liter V6 Genesis sedan that Hyundai is selling for about $70K in its home market (the same car is being sold in the states for about $33K), the coupe is offered at a very reasonable price. 25,360,000 WON (about $23K US) will get you the base model with a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-banger. If you want the “Stylish Pack” (funny), it will upgrade you to 19” rims, an LSD, and optional Brembo stoppers for 26,920,000 WON ($24,500 US). Not to shabby for only $1500 more. The range topping 3.8-liter V6 will go for 33,150,000 WON ($30,100 US) and comes with 300 ponies with a full leather interior. The respective list of features and pricing have been included at the bottom.

This car is already being anticipated by many here as a potential tuner car considering that the 4-cylinder motor is based from the 4B11T found in the Evolution X. HKS has already released a shot of what their tuned Genesis Coupe will look like and DUB has already done up a pair Genesis sedans (below). US drift competitor Rhys Millen is going to use a Genesis Coupe for his next ride for the upcoming season.







I know many of you are thinking: “Whatever, it’s still a Hyundai.” But I bet you didn’t know that in a recent interview with Toyota’s chairman Fujio Cho, he told journalists that Hyundai was a “strong enemy” and recently, GM’s "Competitive Intelligence Department" bought an Genesis for their own purposes. Also, the 368-horsepower 4.6-liter V8 Genesis sedan trumped the Lexus GS 350 in a head-to-head comparison. Yes, the Lexus has a smaller motor, but in regards to pricing, they are the closest matched. It seems that they have come a long way since the laughable Excel.



Genesis Coupe 2.0 GL
- 210HP Theta 2.0 TCI RS engine, dual airbags, 6-speed MT, 18 alloys, ABS, VDC, starter button, seat warmers, Bluetooth handsfree system
Options: 5-speed AT, sunroof, reverse parking aid (?) (probably backup sonar), side and curtain airbags
PRICE - 25,360,000 WON (~US$23,000)

Genesis Coupe 2.0 Stylish Pack
- GL base options, 19 inch alloys, LSD, HID headlights, leather seats, full-auto climate control, reverse parking aid
Options: 5-speed AT, sunroof, side and curtain airbags, Brembo brake system
PRICE - 26,920,000 WON (~US$24,500)

Genesis Coupe 2.0 GLS
- Stylish Pack base options, Brembo brake system, active headrests, 6-CD CD changer, aluminum pedals, JBL sound system, Bridgestone Potenza RE050A tires
Options: 5-speed AT, sunroof, side and curtain airbags
PRICE - 30,690,000 WON (~US$27,900)

Genesis Coupe 3.8 GLS
- 2.0 GLS base options, 303 HP Lambda 3.8 RS engine, Brembo brake system, LSD, 19 alloys, reverse parking aid, leather seats
Options: ZF 6-speed AT, sunroof, side and curtain airbags
PRICE - 33,150,000 WON (~US$30,100)

Perils of a Catholic Upbringing

As I walked down the busy sidewalk, knowing I was late for Mass, my eye fell upon one of those unfortunate, homeless vagabonds that are found in every city these days.

Some people turned to stare. Others quickly looked away as if the sight would somehow contaminate them.

Recalling my old pastor, Father Mike, who always admonished me to 'care for the sick, feed the hungry and clothe the naked,' I was moved by some powerful inner urge to reach out to this unfortunate person.

Wearing what can only be described as rags, carrying every worldly possession in two plastic bags, my heart was touched by this person's condition.

Yes, where some people saw only rags, I saw a true, hidden beauty.

A small voice inside my head called out, 'Reach out, reach out and touch this person!'

So I did...





I won't be at Mass this week.

Hope you have a great holiday weekend! Courtesy of Myna T.

What I Saw #1

anyone who knows me can agree that i always have a camera on me. whether it is my point-n-shoot or my dslr (i don't believe in camera phones), i am a closet paparazzi that's ready to strike anywhere, anytime. although by no means is my life adventurous or exciting, i do come across some interesting sights. here is my first entry on "what i saw."

a few weeks back i was asked if i wanted to go check out the local flea market that is held every sunday. thinking that i might come across a good deal and that it may be a great opp to get some shots, i packed up my gear and drove to laney college in oakland.

once i arrived, i was kinda surprised to see the level of "jenkieness" this event had to offer. This is what i saw:


lovely clothing display system


need a replacement remote? have an hour to look for it?


need a new er... used belt? have a few hours to kill?


while i was walking around, i saw these youngsters on their fixed gears. track bikes have been the rage the last few years. how come it was never popular when i use to race track?


a collection of power tools stolen over many years...


this little bugger might have been the only thing worth buying there.


fresh fruit (yes a tomato is a fruit), but now i have to remember which produce is under a salmonella scare.


i guess it is an oakland thing, but i doubt i will ever see mannequins with this much "junk in the trunk" in ktown.

until next time...

out of sight, out of mind? thank God no one was hurt.

The statement from the Dallas Police Department on the above incident reveals that the driver and his 10-year-old son escaped unharmed:

At approximately 3 PM, Tuesday, July 2, a 2008 Dodge Ram 2500, pulling a new travel trailer, hit the corner of the Texas State Bank Drive-In on Tenaha Street, causing the complete awning to come to the ground. Luckily, the driver of the Dodge, Mickey Miller, of Garrison and his 10 year old son were able to exit their vehicle uninjured. Mark Ivy of Texas State Bank stated that the main lobby would be open for business while the drive-in is being repaired.



Source: nextautos.com

funny painting

i was walking along the shops in south lake tahoe during the 4th of july weekend when i came across a gallery with this painting inside.



nothing special, but it did remind of the old eddie murphy stand up "delirious." in it, he asks at one point if there are any children in the audience. probably because he was swearing excessively and talking about all sorts of "adult" subject matter. so, he tells this joke just in case there are:

Public Service Announcement from Ktown213.com

Hope everyone is using their hands-free earpieces with their mobile phones when driving.

Random thought

Random thought for the day:

I guess a lot of fat people is ultimately good for the earth. When they all die and decompose, they may become the fossil fuels for the next line of life after us...

Disclaimer:
The views and opinions expressed on this blog post are those of industry only and do not reflect those of Ktown213.com.