http://dave.multiply.com/ Welcome to my little spot on the web. Be sure to check out <B><A href="http://tracy.multiply.com/">Tracy's Home Page</A></B>. That's where a lot of the pictures of Lyla and Adrian are! Mon, 12 May 2008 07:47:21 -0000 Mon, 21 Apr 2008 20:16:00 -0000 http://images.dave.multiply.com/logo http://dave.multiply.com 100 100 <a href="/photos/hi-res/upload/SAz-wAoKCEEAAHdiCoI1"></a><a href="/photos/hi-res/upload/SAz-wAoKCEEAAHdiCoI1"><img class="alignright" src="http://images.dave.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SAz-wAoKCEEAAHdiCoI1/apr2008%20056.jpg?et=Ns3jouN%2CvS0r7a2h10dbTg&amp;nmid=&amp;nmid=92324907&amp;nmid=92324907&amp;nmid=92324907" border="0"></a>See the photo to the right? Do you know what that is? You probably don't recognize it, but it's matzoh. Homemade matzoh to be exact. That's right, I made my own matzoh, so you'll have to forgive me if it doesn't look perfect. <br><br>Now you may be asking yourself, why would Dave make his own matzoh? He's not the most observant Jew and I've never seen him buy matzoh, let alone make it. Well, I'll tell you why. Because there is absolutely NO MATZOH in all of San Francisco! Seriously. We're talking not a single piece of unleavened bread to be found. The handful of grocery stores that we called put the blame on a distributor. Maybe so, but I can guarantee that they never run out of matzoh in NY. Clearly there aren't enough Jews out here. No wonder they can't make a decent bagel.<br><br>We've already established that I'm not Mr. Super Jew, but Lyla goes to preschool at the JCC and she's been singing Passover-related songs for weeks now. The guy from Comcast Cable got treated to the following ditty l... http://dave.multiply.com/journal/item/81/Wheres_the_matzoh Mon, 21 Apr 2008 20:16:00 -0000 After an Easter egg hunt at Jackson playground and an impromptu dance party over at Steve and Heather's house, we headed over to Vermont street for the 8th annual BYOBW Race. Previously held on Lombard street, this was the first year they were held in Potrero Hill. <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=&ie=UTF8&ll=37.758349,-122.404068&spn=0.004317,0.006759&z=17">Vermont</a>, between 20th and 22nd, is actually the windiest street in San Francisco, despite Lombard getting all the tourist attention. Basically, we're talking about a bunch of adults riding big wheels (or other makeshift bikes) down a steep and curvy hill while dressed like an idiot. Big wheels were meant to be toys for kids and weren't designed to bear the weight of an adult going down hill at top speed while making sharp turns. Needless to say, the course was littered with big wheel parts. There were plenty of wheels making the trip down the hill on their own...no rider or bike to be seen. For those that actually survived the first run, they had two more chances at bodily harm. Great fun was had by http://dave.multiply.com/photos/album/101/BYOBW_-_Bring_Your_Own_Big_Wheel_Race Mon, 24 Mar 2008 16:03:53 -0000 The highlight of our <a href="http://dave.multiply.com/photos/album/99/Lake_Tahoe">trip to Tahoe</a> was sledding with Lyla. A close second, though, was Riaz introducing me to Jose Cuervo Reserva de la Familia. Quite simply, the best tequila I've ever had.<br><br><a href="http://dave.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/R9h@qAoKCEEAAG-ikxA1"><img class="alignright" src="http://images.dave.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/R9h@qAoKCEEAAG-ikxA1/pkt2.jpg?et=WNJbe5AmVrqvvWYGlc5XDg&amp;nmid=" border="0"></a>For the most part, I haven't been able to drink tequila since Senior Dinner at my fraternity house back in 1989. In a spectacular display of binge drinking and general irresponsibility, each senior picks a bottle of booze and calls up underclassmen to do shots until the bottle is gone. If you're going to drink half a bottle of booze, why not tequila, right? Cuervo 1800 was my weapon of choice.<br><br>Side Note #1: Lyla, Adrian - Do as I say, not as I do.<br><br>Side Note #2: See the formative years of the Multiply management team in the photo to the right. Michael and Peter were the first two guys I called up to do shots with me, and it seems like they've been making me pay for it ever since. :-)<br><br>I realize that having a "tequila incident" makes me about as unique as being right-handed or having brown hair. Se... http://dave.multiply.com/journal/item/79/Welcome_back_Tequila._Ive_missed_you Wed, 12 Mar 2008 22:50:00 -0000 Anyone have a recommendation on a good travel pillow? With board meetings every other month now, I see lots of cross-country red-eye flights in my future. I've tried a couple of the inflatable neck pillows with minimal success. My sleep is in your hands. Help! http://dave.multiply.com/journal/item/76/Travel_pillow Mon, 25 Feb 2008 01:38:00 -0000 Watch the video. Pretty cool idea, and a perfect spot to execute http://dave.multiply.com/links/item/15/Frozen_Grand_Central Mon, 11 Feb 2008 01:25:21 -0000 <a rel="nofollow" href="/photos/hi-res/upload/R4bhHwoKCEEAAEyVnII1"><img class="alignright" src="http://images.dave.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/R4bhHwoKCEEAAEyVnII1/beer.JPG?et=rA3cAtDNT06a9RbC%2CS53MA&amp;nmid=" border="0"></a>I saw this in the deli where I buy my lunches. Clamato juice makes for a fine bloody mary, but mixed with beer? Kind of sounds gross. So gross that I was tempted to try. I just didn't want to be that guy walking out of the deli with a tall-boy in a bag at lunch time. :-)<br><br>I might have to bite the bullet one of these days though and have my own little Chelada happy hour.<br> http://dave.multiply.com/journal/item/75/Beer_and_Clamato_juice Fri, 11 Jan 2008 03:17:00 -0000 <a href="/photos/hi-res/upload/RzHX9AoKCr0AAF2KSiA1"></a><a href="/photos/hi-res/upload/RzHX9AoKCr0AAF2KSiA1"><img class="alignright" src="http://images.dave.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/RzHX9AoKCr0AAF2KSiA1/fog%20001.jpg?et=vGaCRnJTPahmIzimYz9tZQ" border="0"></a>Potrero Hill is a relatively fog free neighborhood in San Francisco, but we've become used to seeing the fog creep in to the surrounding parts of the city on many mornings. Earlier this week the fog was snaking right through the buildings downtown. Very creepy effect.<br><br>Today was a first though. I'd never seen the fog come all the way up the hill.<a href="http://dave.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/RzHX9AoKCr0AAF2KSiA1"></a> As you can see from the picture below, we normally have a great view of the entire downtown area and the Bay bridge. This morning we could barely see past our neighbor's house.<br><br>They say that when Potrero Hill is foggy, the entire city is foggy. That was definitely the case this morning!<br><br><a href="http://dave.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/76/20"><img class="alignleft" src="http://images.dave.multiply.com/image/13/photos/76/300x300/20/IMG_6241.JPG?et=WDUgUuZuiKUTALJ45mzJBA" border="0"></a><br> http://dave.multiply.com/journal/item/73/The_Fog Wed, 7 Nov 2007 15:20:00 -0000 <a href="/photos/hi-res/upload/RygA1AoKCr0AABno8a41"><img class="alignright" src="http://images.dave.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/RygA1AoKCr0AABno8a41/San_Francisco.gif?et=W8RU6FQOhOG%2CuqFAa%2BoGpQ" border="0"></a>Got my first taste of what an earthquake is like last night. Its quite likely that there have been many small ones since I've been out in San Francisco, but they've been so small that I was never sure it was actually the real thing.<br><br>No question about it last night though! At first it just started out as a loud rumbling noise that I thought might have just been a truck going by the house. Then I felt a little vibration for a few seconds. After that the house actually started to shake! Not violently enough for anything to fall, but I could definitely see the TV moving. After just a few seconds, the novelty changed into concern that it was going to continue to get worse. Just as I got up out of my chair to go downstairs to get Tracy and the kids, it was over.<br><br>When I got down to Lyla's room, she and Tracy were completely oblivious. They didn't feel anything. At a 5.6, it was apparently a decent sized quake, but our neighborhood is sitting on solid bedrock so we didn't feel it as strongly ... http://dave.multiply.com/journal/item/72/Our_first_earthquake Wed, 31 Oct 2007 04:12:00 -0000 <a href="/photos/hi-res/upload/RxZ4VwoKCr0AAFRyCj81"><img class="alignright" src="http://images.dave.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/RxZ4VwoKCr0AAFRyCj81/wound.jpg?et=AlISP3AVMOPJRf1HnoxNyg" border="0"></a>Started off my morning in fine fashion today. We brought Lyla to the doctor to get a flu shot and on the way out it had started to rain. After getting the kids into the car, I ran around to my side and in my haste to get in out of the rain I opened the door right into my forehead. Gave myself a nice gash.<br><br>Since I was already at a doctor's office, I just ran back upstairs and had her doctor clean me up and tape the wound closed. Not that I didn't trust him, but I then went to a dermatologist to make sure that I wasn't going to have a nasty scar. He said my modeling career is probably over, but the scar shouldn't be too bad as long as I don't mess with the wound and keep it closed.<br><br>My forehead is starting to pulse, so I think I'll go lie down now. Good times. :-)<br> http://dave.multiply.com/journal/item/69/Smooth_Move Wed, 17 Oct 2007 20:44:00 -0000 Last night my friend Shane treated me to a surprise early birthday outing. I was told to wear comfortable clothes and sneakers, and that was about it. Our first stop turned out to be Go Kart racing. We got in two 10-minute races and it was a total blast. I did pretty well on our first run and got a little cocky going into the second one, which was on a harder track. Got my ass handed to me by Shane that time. :-) After a quick dinner we headed on to our next stop .... <a href="http://iflysfbay.com/">indoor skydiving</a>! Shane had been telling about this for a while, and I'd seen some videos online, but nothing can really describe the adrenaline rush this gives you. It was one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had. I highly recommend it to anyone. You get all of the rush of jumping out of an airplane without the risk. I did four 2-minute flying sessions, which is the equivalent of a dozen or more skydiving free falls. Watch the video through to the end and you'll see the instructor get in the tunnel with me... http://dave.multiply.com/video/item/26/40th_Birthday_...._Xtreme_Style Fri, 28 Sep 2007 22:29:49 -0000 Our instructor at the wind tunnel put on a show for us at the end of our session. Simply http://dave.multiply.com/video/item/25/Advanced_Flying Fri, 28 Sep 2007 22:19:35 -0000 I want to get a couple of bluetooth headsets, one for me and one for Tracy. Ease of use and hands-free operation in the car will be most important for Tracy, and sound quality for me. Any advice? The BlueAnt Z9 seems to get good reviews.<br><br>Also, will I be able to use the headset with two different devices at once? At work I'd like to be able to take calls from both my iphone and my laptop (i.e. skype, etc.). <br><br>Thanks!<br> http://dave.multiply.com/journal/item/68/Bluetooth_headset_advice_needed Sat, 22 Sep 2007 15:33:00 -0000 <P>Today marks three weeks out in San Francisco and all I can say is that its been borderline insanity. </P> <P>I got out to San Francisco on the 8th and after one night at Shane's house, I spent the next eight nights on an air mattress in the new house. Just me, one of the cats (Lasher) and a laptop, although my new 46" LCD TV did show up after a few days to keep me company as well! Just minutes after walking into the house for the first time on Friday the 9th, I got a call from the Mayflower driver saying that he would be there the following Tuesday morning to deliver our stuff. I was pretty psyched, as this was the first day in the delivery window they had given us.</P> <P>The goal of me being out in San Fran by myself was to get the place as ready as possible before Tracy and the kids arrived, and I certainly did the best I could. I had painters out to paint the kids's room, an electrician out to fix wiring problems, I installed custom closets, had a security system installed, had all of the utilit... http://dave.multiply.com/journal/item/67/Chaos_by_the_Bay Thu, 30 Aug 2007 23:06:00 -0000 We've got this nice spacious two-car garage waiting for us in San Fran and it needs some automobiles to go in it. At this point, we're just going to get one for Tracy and probably get one for me down the road a bit.<br><br>We're looking for something a little bit luxury, a little bit SUV and a lot safe. It seems like cars are far more expensive now than when I last bought one. Oh well.<br><br>The three cars on the radar are the Lexus RX350, Acura RDX and Nissan Murano. We looked at the Mazda CX-7, but Tracy was a little unimpressed. Really like the Volvo XC90, but unless we go pre-owned it's way too much money and kind of a gas guzzler.<br><br>Anyone have opinions on these cars, or any others that would fit the bill?<br> http://dave.multiply.com/journal/item/59/We_need_some_wheeelz Mon, 30 Jul 2007 14:55:00 -0000 <a href="/photos/hi-res/upload/RoGBBwoKCr0AAGoPREo1"></a><a href="/photos/hi-res/upload/RoGBQQoKCr0AAG2-csU1"></a><a href="/photos/hi-res/upload/RoGBcQoKCr0AAHAUFHU1"><br></a><a href="../../photos/hi-res/upload/RoGBcQoKCr0AAHAUFHU1"></a><a href="/photos/hi-res/upload/RoGBBwoKCr0AAGoPREo1"><img class="alignright" src="http://images.dave.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/RoGBBwoKCr0AAGoPREo1/adrianjune2007%20017.jpg?et=FWma9TbInKIXp09YhTQ6cA" border="0"></a>Little Adrian was born Sunday night at 9:24pm, he weighed in at 7.2oz. and&nbsp; measuring 20 inches.<br><a href="../../photos/hi-res/upload/RoGBcQoKCr0AAHAUFHU1"></a><br>Apparently Tracy knows something about birthin those babies, because Adrian popped out just 3.5 hours after her water broke, and just over two hours after we got to the hospital. Given how fast Lyla was born, and hearing how second babies can come much faster (like Chloe Pezaris!), you'd thi<a href="../../photos/hi-res/upload/RoGBcQoKCr0AAHAUFHU1"></a>nk we would have booked it straight for the hospital as soon as Tracy's water broke. Getting there with two hours to spare doesn't seem like it's cutting it all that close, and it really wasn't, but unfortunately for Tracy it meant no epidural.<br><br>Tracy had been taking heparin<a href="../../photos/hi-res/upload/RoGBcQoKCr0AAHAUFHU1"></a> during the pregnancy, and it had to be out of her system in order for her to get an epidural. Unfortunately, we didn't factor in the time it would take to get her blood tested to verify this. By the time the results came back, it was too late. Not even 15 minutes later, while waiting for anaesthesia to arrive, she got hit with ... http://dave.multiply.com/journal/item/57/Adrian_West_Hersh Tue, 26 Jun 2007 21:06:00 -0000 <P><A href="http://dave.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/RnNXnwoKCr0AADjuD1I1"><IMG class=alignright src="http://images.dave.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/RnNXnwoKCr0AADjuD1I1/double%20001.jpg?et=bn3GFH%2CKhJMow4MDrpLXkA" border=0></A>I don't bring my lunch all that often, maybe a couple of times each week, but I'm still amazed at how often I get the "butt" end of the loaf of bread. Michael (who shares the office with me) often speculates about how much bread Tracy and Lyla go through at our house because I seem to *always* have a butt end on my sandwich.</P> <P>Although they tend to be thicker than a regular slice of bread, I don't really mind them that much. However, there were many occasions where I'd get a double-butt sandwich, and frankly, that's just too much to handle! After being mocked by Michael, and getting a few gentle complaints from me, Tracy has tried to eliminate the double butts. Last week though I got one again ... maybe just for old time's sake?&nbsp;</P> http://dave.multiply.com/journal/item/56/The_Double_Butt Sat, 16 Jun 2007 03:22:00 -0000 http://dave.multiply.com/video/item/21/Lyla_at_AudraRox Mon, 11 Jun 2007 00:03:07 -0000 http://dave.multiply.com/video/item/20/AudraRox Sun, 10 Jun 2007 23:58:46 -0000 <A href="http://dave.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/RmyOHAoKCr0AAF@x6-k1"><IMG class=alignright src="http://images.dave.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/RmyOHAoKCr0AAF@x6-k1/lylajune2007%20025.jpg?et=khFvrDNAZ4TiKbE2VL%2Ca5g" border=0></A>This past Sunday afternoon, our favorite "kids" band performed on the pier in front of our apartment building. Any parents out there already know that all your cool music has gone the way of Laurie Berkner, Dan Zanes and the theme song from every show your child watches. AudraRox is by far the best of the bunch though and, believe it or not, I've actually been really looking forward to seeing them play. They're a Brooklyn-based band and they have regular "Kidpalooza" shows over there, but this was a rare show in Manhattan. If you didn't listen too closely to the lyrics, you probably wouldn't even think that they were a kids band. <P>They put on a great show and interacted a lot with the kids in front of the stage. Anyone local should definitely check them out. For the rest of you, I would recommend picking up their CD "I Can Do it By Myself" for the kids (and you!).</P> <P><STRONG>Official Site:</STRONG> <A href="http://www.audrarox.com/">http://www.audrarox.com/</A></P> <P><B>Listen to AudraRox on Napster:</B><BR><A href="http://free.napster.com/player/tracks/18155514" target=_blank><IMG src="http://free.napster.com/images/buttons/btn_play.gif" border=0>I Can Do it By Myself!</A><BR><A href="http://free.napster.com/player/tracks/18155515" target=_blank><IMG src="http://free.napster.com/images/buttons/btn_play.gif" border=0>Hope My Mama Says YES!</A><BR><A href="http://free.napster.com/player/tracks/18155516" target=_blank><IMG src="http://free.napster.com/images/buttons/btn_play.gif" border=0>Where's M... http://dave.multiply.com/journal/item/55/AudraRox Sun, 10 Jun 2007 23:48:00 -0000 I recall someone mentioning this to me before, but didn't believe it at the time. A headline on CNN.com today made me think about it again though. Apparently the lady who was severly injured in a freak accident at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade back in '97, was also the recipient of an airplane engine in her bedroom when Cory Lydle's plane crashed into her building. I could be wrong here, but I'm thinking this lady needs to leave Manhattan http://dave.multiply.com/links/item/12/Bad_luck_strikes_twice_for_New_York_woman Tue, 1 May 2007 17:50:11 -0000 For all you New Yorkers, or anyone who might need to rent a car in the city, this site is definitely worth checking out. I always rent from here and get much better rates than going directly through the rental agencies. I think they're mostly geared towards renting cars overseas, but you'll see links on their home page for "U S A - Alamo" and "U S A - National". I always go with Alamo because, in addition to the great rate, you also get a free tank of gas. Only downside is that you have to put down 15% of the cost when you make your reservation, and depending on how far ahead of time you cancel your reservation you could lose all or part of it. In my mind though, the great rates make it worth http://dave.multiply.com/links/item/11/Whizz_Holiday_Car_Rental Sat, 7 Apr 2007 00:01:57 -0000 <P><A href="http://dave.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/RfqjCgoKCr0AAAzvbvw1"><IMG class=alignright src="http://images.dave.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/RfqjCgoKCr0AAAzvbvw1/bald.jpg?et=XFBk1rka1sM2a4kTdI5MmQ" border=0></A>Its amazing! This camera takes pictures of what you'll look like in the future. Based on my current hairline, I'd say we're looking about three years out....if I'm lucky! ;-)</P> <P>I've been to this building three times now and every time the photo comes out like this. I think the combination of the camera shooting up at your face and a super bright light pointing straight down at the top of your head creates a perfect storm. Or, in my case, a nice bald head.</P> <P>Well, at least I no longer have to wonder what I'll look like when I'm bald(er).</P> http://dave.multiply.com/journal/item/54/A_camera_that_can_see_into_the_future Fri, 16 Mar 2007 05:55:00 -0000 I don't think this movie could have been done any better. It is a must-see, but be prepared for a very tense and often very brutal two hours. As you can imagine, things build to a climax at the very end, and the movie ends the only way you could really end it. No Hollywood ending here. Unlike <i>World Trade Center</i>, which came off like a <a href="http://dave.multiply.com/reviews/item/31"> TV movie of the week</a>, this movie came off as being incredibly authentic. The irony of course, is that WTC should have been very accurate, as almost all of the primary characters in the story survived. Instead, the movie has been widely criticized for the inaccuracies in its representation of the events. United 93, on the other hand, was largely fictionalized out of obvious necessity. It's hard to imagine, though, that the events that actually took place on the plane could have unfolded much differently than they were depicted. The fact that the flight didn't make it to its target is testimony enough to the fact that the passengers on board were hero... http://dave.multiply.com/reviews/item/33 Sun, 11 Feb 2007 03:15:05 -0000 Man, was this place a disappointment. Despite getting good reviews on CitySearch, our dining experience here pretty much sucked. It all started bad when we didn't get seated for almost an hour, despite having reservations. We ended up taking a table in the bar area near the front of the restaurant where it was so cold that Tracy had to wear her coat during dinner. The ambiance was OK. Nothing too special. The nail in the coffin though was the fact that the food just wasn't good at all. Tracy had the Halibut and said it was OK, but my rack of lamb was really bad. Tasted like a piece of chicken fried steak that you'd get at a rest stop on the turnpike. Stay away from this place. Best upscale Mexican (i.e., not a burrito joint) we've had in the city is Miracle Grill (locations in both the west and east http://dave.multiply.com/reviews/item/32 Thu, 1 Feb 2007 16:03:34 -0000 In a nutshell, I think this movie is definitely worth seeing, but despite that I can't help but feel that there was something too TV-movie-of-the-week about it. This movie is about two Port Authority cops who were trapped in the rubble of the twin towers. On the positive side, the movie definitely gives you a first-hand look at the chaos of that morning. As an example, the PA cops, having arrived at the site after both towers had been hit, still didn't believe that there was a second plane involved. Clearly there was a tremendous lack of information/communication. The movie also does a great job of showing you what an unbelievable ordeal these guys went through and how lucky they are to be alive. Nicholas Cage and Michael Pena did fine jobs in the two leads. Something about the movie, though, felt a little flat. Maybe some of this feeling comes from the fact that we're still too close to the real events of 9/11. Maybe no dramatization of the event is ready to hold up yet. Or, ... http://dave.multiply.com/reviews/item/31 Mon, 8 Jan 2007 19:02:03 -0000 <a href="/photos/hi-res/upload/RZ-9GQoKCr0AAG6r7oY1"><img class="alignright" src="http://images.dave.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/RZ-9GQoKCr0AAG6r7oY1/weather.JPG?et=9IZvDWntPy8UMH65GhKJGg" border="0"></a>January. New York. 70 degrees. Something just isn't right here! But, I'll take it. :-)<br><br>For those that care, here's an interesting article in New York magazine that explains the strange weather we're having. Its mostly due to the return of El Niño.<br><br><br style="font-weight: bold;"><a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://nymag.com/news/features/24364/index.html">The Five-Year Forecast</a><br><br><i>Unseasonably warm, with freakish snowfalls and chance of cyclone. This winter will be weird, and the weather will keep getting weirder.</i><br> http://dave.multiply.com/journal/item/53/How_about_this_weather Sat, 6 Jan 2007 19:43:00 -0000