Big Tony

Good movie, but Nicole Kidman had a hard time selling herself in some of the more intense scenes. Have always seen her as more a melancholy and passive character. Sean Pean looked too pensive at times, but definitely still performed with a great deal of rebirth from sadness.

A movie with friend Tzong, after messing with my computer all day, was a relief. Tho, several times during the course of my battle with my Dell, I had panic attacks where I found myself swearing at the monitor.

I now have a @hsiehs.com domain. My personal is Tony@Hsiehs.com and work is NewVenture@Hsiehs.com Sh_Service@Hsiehs.com is reserved for the property services business. Battle with the yahoo registration service, and setting up pop3 outlook download with ypop.exe and filtering directly into my inbox subfolders. Then I setup password protection, added ad-aware, and defrag my drives.

Time went too fast for me to work out, but weird as it is, I think my brain is trying to get me to find work where possible. I worked on the installations from 10 to 6:40pm without leaving my dinning table seat.

Going to the city tomorrow, maybe I will get a hair cut and work out. Maybe it will be a more exciting day?

Heard, property is slowing down in Shanghai like no other right now, and people are dumping second hand brand new apt on to the market.

Lets see if it turns into a buyers market in 3 month. Mean while, it will be good, to work on a USD mortgage. Still need to put a good chunk of funds into play. Can’t really wait for bank interest rates.

Smoked a couple of cigs, and promptly put them out. Although still have a mental urge, my body is beginning to reject the cancer sticks.

Need to make sure I keep with my health routine.

Bro came home with some yummy lunchbox, and we discussed the reason for having siblings.

Episode 17 of Lost was at least 50% in Korean. This is quite a change for US prime time programing. Some 18 million viewers tuned into to the show. US is going through a tipping pt for Asian American Programming. The success of BET, Spike, Oxygen and the Telemundo channels have driven advertisers and studios to support minority programming. Although Jin is still portrayed as the mis-understood quiet but strong asian male, at least, the basic mentality of the Asian culture is shown.

Although the story is a complete cop out. If I was beaten mistakenly, and my wife lied to me about being able to communicate with the rest of the stranded passengers, I would probable not take it as well as Jin had.

Sun being an asian female is automatically mistaken as a victom. Even she believes she is. A lack of communication is consistently effecting the relationship. Part of the problem, is the asian male’s wish to shelter the female, and do the right thing for her. 

The programming is a first. The first time, I have seen a Chinese male, not in an effiminent role, a pastor, a Kato, or a triad.

Hooking up my computer S-Output to my brother’s massive HD back projection TV. Wide screen movie quality TV show, from my computer. Rescue Me, Lost, and the new Ghost in the Shell movies. Great stuff.

Have realized a key to successful relationships. It’s been said that at any time, for a relationship to work, on average, positive emotions between the 2 people must be 5 time the negative emotions. 5 affirmations, for every one negative comment. Key to a long lasting marriage.

I have realized sometimes, that although we become diplomatic, we sometimes, still show disdain, discomfort or distrust through our body language, tones, and underlining meanings. This is something, I must learn.

The research is from the book Blink. Funny the book is about instinct, and subconscious observations and decisions, yet, as aways, it is used as method of prophecy. Much as tipping point was meant to predict trends. 5 positive for 1 negative, much like 3 recovering years for every 1 year of cancers inducing smoking.

I can’t believe I considered liposuction, in the past. Truly, 4 weeks of healthy living has already produced enough results to toss out that option.  I have decided that I will take a min of 2 personal vacations a year. One at least 2 weeks long, and another at least 6 weeks long. Both will be used for a physical tune up, and stress relief.   4 month spent in US and 6 month spent in China. How this is to be done, has yet to be seen, however, my lifestyle goals are becoming more and more clear.

Well, this is the first day of my 31st year on this planet.

Elaine , Grace, Danica, Tzong, hung out with me, while my brother had a little wine event on Sunday, with old friends Jerry and Greg chatting old times, and hamster cages until 4pm.

Found out that I actually do have broadband in one corner of the living room, and that my Dell has a S-Cable out that connects to my bros big screen HD TV. With Tzong’s 20 gigs of downloads in my laptop, Elaine and I were glued to the tube watching "LOST" marathon style.

232.2 lbs down to 229.6 lbs.

27.2 down to 26.8% but non fat mass from 169lbs to 198lbs which means, I haven’t gained muscle mass.

The goal is still to get down to 20% body fat, so to be in the healthy range. This means 210lbs. (Which means I still need to lose another 19.6 lbs, or gain another 10 lbs in muscle mass, and get down to 219lbs, which seems much easier.

Setup a Credit Union Bank Acct, with Bill Pay, and getting a BOA credit card with Zero APR for 6 month. The Bill Pay will be able to take care of the paying BOA credit card online. The credit card will be used for Pay Pal, and EBay.

Products found with a differential between China and US able to withstand a 18 USD DHL charge, and still have a 20 USD net profit on EBay will be auctioned for 10 days online. Payments to paypal, and eventually transfered to my Credit Union Bank Acct, will then be used to pay supplier in China.

My office in China, will process the shipping and purchasing. The point is to find the right products with the differential.

In theory, this should be the lowest cost business to date, if it could be kept up.

Property is not going anywhere in China or US. The lure of the raising market is really a mirage. No one without inside knowledge can buy now. Investment is rolling to a stop.

Games Co proposal is being developed, but has a May 30th deadline for final decision. A potential Hangzhou tourist project seem exciting, but I was too far away to really look deep enough. Seem the reality shows are taking off. I hope things will work out with both Housefilms and SMI. One of our stocks are doing well, and that’s making up for investment capital expended in the last 3 years.

Not sitting in the driver seat is a change that I will have to get used to. Although watching on the sidelines is less taxing, good stress management, and potentially higher profit margin, because one can manage multiple investment is still have enough time and separation of thought to keep objectivity, it is a bit like retiring into a desk job after active duty.

Not that easy to get use to.

Blink is still amazing. Even tho the idea already make sense to me, the researched examples are still so interesting!  Yeah, for Borders. 

Measuring trust with a brain scan
Researchers peer into minds of people who are sizing each other up

Starting to left free weights again.

I am determined to build my back, and chest to a respectable size. Starting with 185 lbs and decrease sets of 10 lbs, for 4 sets of 10.

An assortment of back exercises should start to show some results in 3 weeks. That would be the end of April. Lets see, what this phase of the fitness plan will get me.

Bike riding is getting to be a bit easy. 30 minutes to warm up at 130 HR, and then after weights, ending it with a 45 minute ride. Reading business material on a bike is right quick. I actually ride faster, when I just read something that’s exciting. Strange.

Bought some exercise shorts, and dri-fit shirt for exercise. Socks too. Even with a 30% off sales tag, the total came out to be 75 USD. I guess, I spent 600 RMB in Shanghai, without blanking. But, how come spending 75 USD seem to be so painful? Perhaps it’s because I am on a monthly budget?

Went across the street and bought a bunch of cleaning aids. Came home and worked on the floor and carpet. Seem the old family business kicks are coming back in.

So, since I decided to book May 11th. I will be back in Shanghai on May 12th, post May holiday. This is so that I can extend my fitness routine a bit longer, without breaking stride. The plan is to lose another 8 lbs in 4 weeks, and gain 10-15 lbs of muscle. At that point I should be 226 lbs, with 184lbs of non-fat mass. That should get me down to 18.6% fat, and within the healthy range.

If I went a bit further to get down to 8% fat, I would have to lose another 20 lbs of fat to get there, but doable. I think, I will need to get down to the low teens, to be able to stay within the healthy range of body fat%. In case weight fluctuates during summer and winter.

The Colliflower, honey ham chowder, came out okay. Healthy, and packed full of protein & fiber, without the fat. That mediterrain cook book, and the veg cook book, is coming in handy. I love Barnes and Nobles. 

So, it is theorized that Black Holes suck everything in, and White Holes spits everything out. So, this mean that it all started with the Black Hole sucking everything, until all full, and then the white hole just spitting it out (going super nova) that is then referred to as the BIG BANG which summarizes the entire universe right now?

All I have to say is that Astrologists have a pretty cracked sense of humor, or is it just me turning Trekky on your ass from living in Silicon Valley?

May be sneaking back into Sh on my original schedule, since it’s getting increasingly hard to change my ticket. Seems May is peak season from US to China, because of student travel. I figured for my de-tox continuation, the less people know the better.

Actually, I may just extend to May 10, and pay the ticket penalty anyways. 20 extra days is not a small amount of time.

Besides, my littel ebay hobby is not completely setup yet.

Just did the Tanita analysis again.

For some reason, my height miraculously grew 1 inch.

But other than that, it’s been really good progress.

Total weight is 232.2 lbs, compared to last weigh in @ 236.81 lbs. (  4.61 lbs difference) This comapred to 240 lbs upon arrival, is a little bit less than 2 lbs a week. (Very healthy progress, I would like to add. )

My clincal BMI still sucks, but it’s improved from 36 down to 34.3.

I should only consume 2187 Kcal or Cal/day now. (Which is still the same eating plan. 5-6 meals, 500 Cal/ meal x 3 and 200-300 for every snack.

My Impedance which measures resistance and converts to fat/ other body mass ratio is down from 406-371.

I am cycling at 40 minutes per workout now, without getting tired.

even tho, running around catching football pulls my hamstring.

So anyways, fat % is down from 33.1% to 27.2%, which is massive.

Apparently I have gained in muscle (158.41 lbs to 169 lbs ) 10 lbs.

My goal was 15 lbs, but I think I will move this to 20 lbs now.

My total body water is up from 116 lbs to 123 lbs, even when my body weight has decreased overall.  This is very very good, as we all need to be above 50% hydration of total body mass.

My healthy body fat is still 8-20% which is 14.8 - 42.21lbs.

My current fat mass is 63.21 which means I still have to lose 21 lbs.

This compared to having to lose 45 lbs from before, is huge.

So, If I gain another 10 lbs of muscle which will bring me to 179 lbs of muscle and about 195 lbs at 8% fat: 223 lbs @ 20% fat.

I am 232.2 lbs now, gaining 10lbs of muscle and losing 19lbs of fat, and a change of 10 lbs in total weight is the next goal. my natural weight will be between 195-223 lbs. A healthy number is probable 209lbs, with 179 lbs of muscle.

I can live with that.

Tony Hsieh

Friend of a friend, who I have met several times just lost his daughter to a sking accident in Swiss Alps this past weekend. Hard to not get a bit religious at times like this. Her dad, an adventuer sports athlete, said she  went out "zhao’ing some gan jue". zhao as in Find, Gan Jue means " the zest, the feeling, the adreline, the thrill, the feeling."

It meant she did not waste her life, and young as she was, lived her life to the fullest.

My friend, an extremely macho and masculine male, who is also an extreme athlete says go out and hug someone. Someone you care about, because life is that short.

It’s hard to not find some meaning @ times like this.

Part of the many reasons, why I have started my 6 month vacation with Cupertino, is to re-connect with my childhood friends, and my brother. Tom is probable close to moving in to marriage, and will most likely be operating as a married team the next time I spend quality time with him.

I will spend more time with Mom and Dad, not because they are 65 and 70, but because I am 31.

Again, part of life, and realizing it, is to balance living life with working to support life. Even if working is as enjoyable as living. It still takes away from spending it with those we care about. Trade offs.

Spend some quality time with someone you care about, and tell them.  Because sometimes, you never know what will happen when people go out "zhao’ing some gan jue".

Tony

Saw Jessica Alba last night. Liked her, but didn’t like the movie as much. Maybe I had too much expectations. Besides, I have always liked her.

My friend Yen is in town yesterday on their way to a wedding in Auburn. (2 hours from Tahoe). She is with her fiance, and for some reason, I guess she is just getting the mom to realize that, she is probable going to walk out of the nest and spread her own wings soon. Her mother is one of the "Superwoman", that we man used to speak of with a hint of fear and alot of respect. Definitely Feeling and Judging, and definitely intuitive with massive experience. Strong personalities, you have to love them, and sometimes you just have to get from underneath them.

Went to Palo Alto to play touch football today. Good turn out of Chinese Americans and a Indian dude exhibiting leadership qualities. Within 7 minutes of running around (more like jogging around), I felt one strand of my hamspring snap, as I made a critical cut to take someone down. (This is not even as dramatic as it sounds), and immediately after, had problems walking or standing.

It was the first time, a sign of age has crepted into my life. I had always assumed forgetfulness, and the tendency to rationalize everything to be just a sign of sophistication overload, but today, I am pretty sure, it crystalized in my mind that I am JUST getting older.

Sure I could have used more warm up, but for f*ck sake, we weren’t even running that fast.

I ended up just walking around the park. (Incidently, it was big, green with big blue sky, and it was nice) But, just "walking’ around the park, give me another empathetic flash. I had always sort of looked down on elder folks taking leisure walks, but today, not only did I understand, I walked, without feeling the urging of impateince embedded in all young males.

There goes the idea of doing 2 hours a day of working out. I will probable have to switch to long walks, and full weight lefting. That hamstring is getting it’s 7 days of rest. F**k.

Funny thing, I had always been someone who says as a response to understanding someone else’s direction, comment or point: I hear you, before saying, I see it, and before saying I feel you. Just a little while ago, I couldn’t figure out the word sake, because my brain intepreted as SAKE the rice drink.  I guess, this confirms that I am more of a audio person when it comes to instructions, and less of a language visual person when it comes to inflections, however, it explains perfectly that my thoughts are no longer being formed in "abc" as internal monologue. I just don’t have much of a affinity for "words".

Good thing, I never became a lawyer, but wouldn’t it be great that I spend more time writting? Doing what you are weak in, definitely brings more balance into our lifes. But then, I guess that is what I am doing now. Writing much about nothing.

Tony