Breakin' in the Leather

Packing up

2007-08-02T13:11:00.000-07:00

I was told bigger and better things await me over at Wordpress, so I'm making the switch. You can now find me at stvmllr.wordpress.com. We'll see how long it lasts.

As for the real world, I've moved back into Portland. This time on the east side of the river in the Belmont neighborhood (south of Lloyd Center, between Burnside and Hawthorne). Give me a buzz if you're in the area.

Hold the whipped!

2007-07-01T00:19:00.000-07:00

I just have two requests.

First, can we give the male servers a break and not call them Baristas? Baristos will do.

Second, can we also make the Double Chocolate Chip Frappachino look and sounds more masculine?

Thank you.

It's neither foggy nor Dec. 24

2007-06-30T23:59:00.000-07:00

First I was mistaken for a clown, then I was asked if that's Mars on my nose. Nooooo, it's a zit. Probably the result of stress, or maybe consuming to much greasy food, or indulging on chocolate, or maybe that 50-gallon drum of mixed nuts is to blame.

I've ruled out barometric pressure and the high pollen levels. Currently, I am testing a hypothesis that assumes this pimple is the result of watching so much Major League Baseball on TV. The theory is that the extensive viewing has made my body want to mimic different physical features of a baseball diamond, stating with the pitcher's mound.

So no, I don't have a stop sign on my face, nor do I have the red planet orbiting around my face. It's a zit in the form of a mound....I can live with that.

Thank you...

2007-05-06T02:13:00.000-07:00

...to that girl whom with nothing happened, but our encounter last night seemed more awkward than Spock stripping at a Star Wars convention.

...to the former prom date who still lets me show off that I actually had an atractive, non-related female accompany me to the biggest night of my life...so what if it's five years later and we've never been romantically involved? That's beside the point.

...to the inconsistant bartenders, epecially the ones that thought a rum and coke should be see through. I should have tipped you better.

...to the cook at Ringlers that made those tots inhalable.

...to the girl who didn't go ballistic when I cut in line with two other people and accidentally hit her with the rope holder thingy.

...to the residents in the apartment two blocks away who were playing The Stills - "Allison." I totally caught it and recognized it and pranced home singing it.

Misspelling strikes twice.

2007-04-30T14:05:00.000-07:00

I came across this at the hospital where I was going through occupational therapy for my smashed thumb injury at the frame shop. I was very reassured that the people helping me rehabilitate my thumb were professionals that didn't know how to spell or notice little details, like the misspelling of one word, two different ways. Come on!

Let me tell you about me and skatebording...

2007-04-29T22:55:00.000-07:00

I suck at it. And my wrists hurt (Thanks Chris). I've been defeated by a plank of wood attached to four plastic wheels. By the way, that is the lamest form of transportation, but I envy those who have conquered it.

Four letter word.

2007-04-21T00:24:00.000-07:00

Why is it that when I tell people I have a BLOG they look at me as if I just confessed to a priest that I watch PORN? Yes, it's a website, but it doesn't have boobs on it, just words...and they're all small. Quit judging me!

Reinforcing my decision

2007-04-17T23:41:00.000-07:00

I recently took an ad sales position at a local publication. Two days later I quit. I was told that I should be more patient. But in the situation I was in, I could not see myself spending another second there. I had to go with my gut. It was not what I wanted to do.

So I went home, and started looking for a new job. And just as often as I breath, I check my email. As I was looking at my inbox I noticed one of those ads that's generated based on the content of your emails. It immediately made me feel better about my decision. The weird thing is that none of my messages mentioned anything about cold calling to my knowledge.

I can only dream.

2007-03-27T00:42:00.000-07:00

The ad below comes from a Folgers Coffee campaign that I somehow missed. But today, two guys came in to have it framed. Supposedly they were the creators of this masterpiece, hired by Saatchi & Saatchi NYC (the agency of record). I didn't ask where these guys work. Just check out the ad, it's crazy!

I found this ad and many others here.

Where is the restroom in the TV Funhouse?

2007-03-27T00:32:00.000-07:00

Because this little piece almost made me wet my pants. Funny, funny stuff. It's just sad, but not surprising that I knew what they were making fun of.

The music will get me through this.

2007-03-19T23:14:00.000-07:00

Some hard times through the Steve Miller camp. I'm a little stressed out about my financial situation. I mean there is rent, bills, student loans, food, gas. Where did all these obligations come from?

I didn't used to have to worry about this stuff. Rent: Used to be covered by the folks, then Uncle Same, now me. Bills: Same. Student Loans: Uncle Sam. Food: Folks & Uncle Sam. Gas: I've always had that...it came from the food and now the stress of all this.

Through all this, the music has kept me going (and my friends, but that's expected). My new favorite song is "Ruby" by the Kaiser Chiefs. Sounds like some old Tears for Fears or Duran, Duran maybe. Also, my coworker introduced me to Manu Chao. Great sounding latin/funk/reggae. And those are genres I don't usually listen to. Check out "Me Gustas Tu." Ahorra! Andale!

Buffalo Exchange 2, Stv Mllr 1

2007-03-06T19:56:00.000-08:00

It's come to the point where I've squeezed every penny I can out of Buffalo Exchange with my current wardrobe. Here's how I came to that conclusion:

-LESS THAN TWO MONTHS AGO: My sister and I each lugged in a garbage bag full of old clothes into the Hawthorne store. In the end, we split $30 in store credit. She bought a handbag, I picked up a pair of hardly worn shoes, they made $8 out of the deal, and we made two generous deposits to their donation bin.

-LAST WEEK: I haul a mesh laundry bag full of more rags into the Burnside store. I was confident that the buyer at this store wouldn't be picky with my treasures. She must've been the manager, and yes, she was picky. She probably snatched no more than five articles and returned to me the burden of these faded fashions. On a good note, I made about $50 in store credit, with which I purchased a retro Adidas track jacket and a couple shirts, and I walked out with eight bucks! ADVANTAGE: BUFFALO EXCHANGE

-TODAY: There was still a mesh bag almost full of clothes in the backseat of my car. So I thought I'd take them back to the Hawthorne store, which hadn't seen these selections yet. ADVANTAGE: STEVE

Things felt good when I walked in. The buyer was a dude, who I thought would surely appreciate my offerings. As he looked through my garments, he sorted them in two piles. The stuff I expected him to take went in to one pile, and the crap went into the other. But once he examined the last piece of clothing, he put it in the "NO" pile, and then like a magician, he consolidated the two piles and shoved it all back into my bag. "I didn't see anything we need, but thanks for stopping in," he said. I walked out with the same feeling of rejection that's overcome me recently after every random job interview and personality test. ADVANTAGE: BUFFALO EXCHANGE

My apologies...

2007-02-27T16:42:00.000-08:00

Sorry for all the posts accompanied by videos. I'm supposed to be a copywriter, but I'm copping out with all these embed YouTube files. I'll get back to displaying those original thoughts of mine shortly.

Duh! Moment: The 2007 Academy Awards

2007-02-27T16:36:00.000-08:00

I tuned in to the second half of the Oscars last weekend, and I'm glad I did. Ellen proved to be a funny host and Martin Scorcese finally got his trophy. But I was distracted by these little tidbits of artistic genius. Unfortunately, this was the only example I could find, but when I saw it, I almost stopped breathing. I thought it was incredible. This act for The Departed was very impressive, and the one for The Devil Wears Prada wasn't bad either. It was just one of those things that made me hit my forehead very hard with an open palm.

Patent pending

2007-02-27T16:19:00.000-08:00

This is proof that a quick trip to YouTube country provides a rewarding destination for wholesome entertainment. (I just ordered a kit to retrofit my mini-fridge.)

Ad Crush: Domino's Pizza

2007-02-21T21:29:00.000-08:00

This ad seems to keep me very entertained every time it airs, but I can't pinpoint why. I guess it's just because of how funny their exaggerated features look. I've always kicked around the idea of the human body, maybe a specific part, evolving because of a product. In this case, four different guys have different, yet abnormally large, sense-receptors. However, they never truly connect the pizza to the increased size of their eyes/ears/mouth/nose. I do remember a print ad for Verizon Wireless on the topic of text messaging that showed a hand with the tip of every digit being a small hand. I just ressurected an idea that I helped develop in Portfolio class for HybridCenter.org. I need to go write it down and see if I can use it for something.

Java art

2007-02-15T15:04:00.000-08:00

Mike and I grabbed a cup of joe at Coffee Time on "trendy first" last night. A fairly productive evening unfolded as we brainstormed for a new campaign and a new product, Lucky Tiger. The most creative thing that spawned from that night was captured in the picture. Our barista guy took an extra five seconds of effort to transform a dash of whipped cream into what you see above. So while the brewmaster created a portfolio-worthy work of art in my mocha, Mike and I are still throwing mediocre ideas into a black hole. Maybe I should get intoxicated instead of wired tonight.

Hopefully those stalkers won't come a'knockin'

2007-02-12T22:03:00.000-08:00

Tonight marks the one week anniversary of me moving in to my new place, even though it's only temporary. Those are the street signs. That is not the apartment. More to come.

Thrift Store Discrimination

2007-02-07T11:24:00.000-08:00

I went in to look for a sofa. Found one without a price. Asked the lady, who asked the manager. The Manager asked, "I this for you." I said, "Yeah." Then she put a $95 price tag on it. All the other couches were $55 or $60. I think the price was determined by college sweatshirt I was wearing. To that I say, "Hey lady, I may have gone to Oregon, I may have graduated from Oregon, but I make slightly less than Phil Knight, so cut me some slack!"

Ad Crush: Rolling Rock

2007-01-30T19:53:00.000-08:00

I stumbled across this fairly current campaign for Rolling Rock beer while I was searching for a billboard that I saw on the freeway. I have no idea what the billboard says, but it looked funny (I am going to try to take a picture of it). I think these spots are part of the same campaign.

The Man Thong ad:

The Apology:

There is more stuff about the man thong on this website, including a Map of Man Thong Tolerance (genius!) and another round of ads featuring a Beer Ape.

The Commute

2007-01-29T23:32:00.000-08:00

This is the drive I get to look forward to every day this week. It's only 33 miles but it takes about 50 minutes to acheive. The good thing is that I'm able to listen to a whole CD each way. What's even better is that it's only for this week. Once I'm in Portland, it'll be about a 10 minute commute.

Ear Candy: The Shins

2007-01-29T23:06:00.000-08:00

My CD Player is in love. I introduced it to The Shins' new album "Wincing the Night Away" Friday and it has been spilling sweet sounds ever since.

I'm never very good at describing or comparing but others have said it sounds like Morrissey with a hint of Simon and Garfunkel. As someone who hasn't listened to a lot of Shins in the past, I think it sounds distinctively similar to their older stuff.

My favorite song is Track 5; it's got a great beat. I also like 2,4,7 and 11.

It's a sign of the times

2007-01-19T12:10:00.000-08:00

While watching my daily dose of the History Channel, I came across a show called Our Generation and the subject of the day was Disco. It was going into how it started, what it was like, who did it and so on, but what I found most amusing came right before a commercial break when they announced AARP as one of the program's sponsors. Too good!

Snow-covered slip and slide

2007-01-17T16:20:00.000-08:00

Check out this video of a large accident in downtown Portland due to the recent snow storm.

Take a hike!

2007-01-17T16:01:00.000-08:00

William Sullivan's "100 Hikes in the Central Oregon Cascades" turned out to be one of my Christmas presents after I redeemed a giftcard at a local bookstore. It's a great handbook for the a beginning hiker like me. Just the Table of Contents is handy; it tells you the difficulty of a hike and if it can be adapted for backpacking (something I plan on getting involved in soon).

So far I've done one hike-Spencer Butte. Both trails are considered easy, but the shorter trail is a steeper climb and a tougher scramble at the top. I definitely wasn't ready for that, but after a few breaks I made it.

I can't wait to conquer some of the other destinations which include: Mt Jefferson, Three-Fingered Jack, The Sisters, and Silver Creek Falls. I also can't wait to check out some of his other books that feature hikes in NW Oregon, Southern Oregon, Eastern Oregon and SW Washington.

Yum

2007-01-16T12:57:00.000-08:00

It's inevitable that I'll become a regular at Buffalo Wild Wings now that I am in Portland. It doesn't get better than cold beer, a plethora of screen displaying various sporting events, mini corndogs, potato wedges and buffalo wings at BWW. So far the only location in the Northwest is at the Streets of Tanasbourne in Hillsboro, which is close enough. If you haven't been, I highly recommend trying it out, and I'll even tag along, but I won't be trying all the spicy flavors. I'm a wuss when it comes to heat.

Goodbye Eugene...

2007-01-08T18:20:00.000-08:00

Hello Portland! It's official. I'm moving to downtown Portland, Oregon the first or second week of February. Until then I'll be living with the folks in McMinnville (Lafayette to be exact) effective January 15th. A friend of a friend is going to sublet his studio for $300/month. Can't beat that! I'll have residence for sure, now I just need work. Send any leads my way; I've gathered a few already. Let me know if you're living in PDX or at least visiting.

Disconnected, but not dead.

2007-01-04T17:27:00.000-08:00

My laptop died the other day and now it is in the careful, and probably greedy hands of Mac Store technicians. It's going to cost be $45 to diagnose the problem, and then who knows what it's going to cost to fix it. In an ideal world, I'd just go out an upgrade. Eventually I will, but for now she's all I got. My advice to you would be to shut your computer down every day or two. I think my problem is a result of leaving the computer running for five days straight without even putting it to sleep. I'll probably be getting a lecture from one of their lab-coated, mother-board molesting iGeeks next week about that exact thing. They'll pompously say, "It's like wearing a retainer: on at night, off during the day, except the reverse." Thanks Waldo!

Toyota RAV4 spot (New Zealand)

2006-12-27T23:34:00.000-08:00

Happy First TD!

2006-12-19T11:50:00.000-08:00

I'd just like to congratulate Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Demetrius Williams, a former Oregon wide receiver and 4th round pick last year, on his first NFL touchdown against the Cleveland Browns. The sure-handed wideout was a weapon here and he should become a weapon there. Way to go D-Will!

Knock out the faux-Foreman!

2006-12-12T23:52:00.000-08:00

I present to you the worst grilling machine ever. The Hamilton Beach POS 5000. The two grills plates are set too far off of one another, making it impossible for both sides of the hamburger patty to be cooked at the same time. The whole point of these so-called miracle appliances is to prevent a lazy, yet health-conscious eater like me from having to dig for a spatula. I spent 10 minutes flipping when I could have been watching syndicated Will & Grace episodes. George would be dissapointed if this had his name on it. Now I know why it doesn't.

Stick this in your chimney and smoke it.

2006-12-12T23:18:00.000-08:00

My sister asked what I wanted for Christmas. It's funny, when you aren't put on the spot you always want a million things. Then, you get asked and you feel like you have everything. I think that just comes with being as privilaged and blessed as I am.

What's in a name?

2006-12-11T13:22:00.000-08:00

A couple weeks into working at Beard's Framing, they had a nametag engraved for me. It's a pretty nice one too, with a magnetic backing on it so you never puncture holes in your shirts (those crafty framers!). Well, a few days after I got it, I lost it, and I have been working nameless for the last two months, which is totally against company policy.

SIDE NOTE: Do you ever forget to take your nametag off after your shirt? I always do that, and then either walk into a restaurant or a grocery store with it on. It's pretty much a sign for the cashier to rip you off because you've been working all day and you're not very alert.

So back to the nametag situation. After checking every coat pocket, pants pocket, shirt pocket, and sock pocket I couldn't find it. The mountain search and rescue party couldn't either. The infared helicopters couldn't see it. Even the magnet-sniffing dogs were stumped. Then just the other day I found it in my laptop bag pocket (I sometimes take my computer to work on slow days). I guess the magnet was attracted to my hard drive, which is probably bad. But the good thing is that I don't feel naked anymore. If I ever get robbed, I'm sure the nametag with deflect the bullet or blind the perpetrator with its brushed aluminum shine. The most important thing is that a customer can call me by name now, even though they never do.

SIDE NOTE #2: I hate it when people call strangers "Boss" or "Guy." It's always a guy calling another guy that. I hate it. Sir, buddy, chap, dude, homie, bro. I prefer any of those over boss or guy. My dad uses "guy" ever now and then. No mas Dad!

For all you haters:

2006-12-04T23:33:00.000-08:00

Ads spur eating disorders, premature drinking, docs say

Boxers or Briefs?

2006-12-04T14:38:00.000-08:00

Boxer briefs. But the more important question: Coke or Pepsi? More and more, I am developing an infatuation with Coca-Cola Classic. It's just got more punch. And I'm not necessarily talking about the caffeine (that's a hard word to spell), I'm just talking about the taste and the thrust it adds to my burping. I also just noticed that little graphic on the can, and I really like it.

Dream Job #1

2006-12-04T14:33:00.000-08:00

Winter's got a new little film project going on with his roommate Jordan called Urban Freedancing. No, I don't want to be a professional dancer (but stay tuned, because I may be making an appearance in the next video). I was listening to some new tunes, and I thought some of the tracks would create nice moods for certain scenes in the videos, and I thought, "damn, this would be cool to do as a job." So if you see any opening for TV/Movie Scene Song Choosers, let me know.

Snowman-ia!

2006-11-28T11:07:00.000-08:00

It snowed about an inch last night in Eugene, so my roommate Kim, her boyfriend and I made a snow man, with an old western theme. Meet Sheriff Snowball. Putting him together was quite a workout. I felt like I was climbing Everest or something, when really I was just rolling a ball of snow up and down the hill in our front yard. I wonder how long he'll last...

What I'm thankful for...

2006-11-22T16:03:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is still a day away, but I'd like to share a couple new things I am thankful for. First, the new Brand New album called "The Devil And God Are Raging Inside Me." I forgot they released it yesterday, but my beautiful and reliable sister had already bought it (cover art above). So far so good. I'm not very good at reviewing music, but maybe I say a little something about it after a few more listens. One thing's for sure, the new My Chemical Romance CD is awesome. Their sound is fairly unique and the songs are catchier than a velcro fishnet.

I am also thankful for the 2GB memory card I just got for my camera. Now I don't have to download pics every 10 shots, and I can do longer videos too. Saweet! Time to go condition for the big feast tomorrow.

Jackpot!

2006-11-20T14:12:00.000-08:00

I found four dollars in my pocket!
That's more satisfying than eating chocolate.
This cash'll have a nice home in my wallet.
I certainly don't want to...lost it.

Taking the air out of my tires

2006-11-16T13:57:00.000-08:00

Apparently I have offended the Car Gods in some way. In the last few months, my automobile luck has been in a nose dive. First, it was the collision I was involved in toward the end of the summer that required a week-long stay at the body shop for Guadalupe, my beloved 1996 Volkswagen Jetta GLX VR6. Less than a week after I get her back, the ingition coil goes bad. (I could easily get in to one of those Mastecard price breakdown things.) Just the other day, my car wouldn't start because my battery cables were dirty. And then the night before last I drove right into a newly developed pothole at Patterson and 18th. Below is the quick fix I put on the next morning.

Check out the clearance between the tire and the fender! MASSIVE!!!

I think this car is jinxed. Thus, I'm looking for a new one, which I probably won't be able to purchase until after the new year. My dad thought I should consider something like this. It's practical and dependable, but for the price and the mileage, I'm not sure it's the one. Plus, it would definitely DEFLAT my coolness rating. I am thinking thinking about something more like this, this, this or THIS.

T.O. the author?

2006-11-15T00:35:00.000-08:00

Are you serious? Terrell Owens is now the proud author of a children's book, and supposedly there is going to be an entire series. This is a sign of the apocalypse.

A pinch of testosterone-soaked reading material adds a flavor of masculinity to any household dominated by females. It's a good thing.

2006-11-09T18:08:00.000-08:00

Men, do not be startled by the warm violet tones, charming candles and sweet potpourri. There is an SI. You are safe here.

Leftovers

2006-11-08T16:23:00.000-08:00

Here is what remains in the candy bowl. There are five of us under this roof, so I am surprised there is still anything left. I've cut back since I started noticing my zit count increase proportionally to my chocolate intake.

Notice the packet of saltines. Those were donated by yours truly, and there were a total of five, but four of them were taken by eager trick-or-treaters. Hopefully that generated a laugh or enhanced a hot bowl of chili.

The Maiden Capture

2006-11-08T15:31:00.000-08:00

Brown (UPS) just dropped of a new toy that I ordered this weekend from Amazon.com. It is a Canon PowerShot SD600 Digital Elph. This buy was partially influenced by me obtaining my very first credit card and partially influenced by Russell Davies, who suggested that anyone with any desire to be interesting should do 10 things, one of them being carrying a digital camera at all times and taking at least on picture a day. (I think he secretly works for a major digital camera company.) So with that, here is the first picture I took with my new baby:

And here is a simple map of where that lamp is located in relation to a couple other things in my room:

(This was approximately the 26th picture I took with my new camera.)

The Halloween Candy Championship Bracket

2006-11-01T18:30:00.000-08:00

Something any sports lover and/or sugar lover can appreciate in the spirit of Halloween. The guys of ESPN's Page 2 put this together.

Rodeo King

2006-11-01T18:01:00.000-08:00

Here is a demonstration of my Halloween costume for this year. I placed in the Top 5 of a costume contest at a local bar. The hat and bandana came with the original costume. I eventually accessorized with a sturdier hat and more authentic bandana. Cowboy up!

They won't be asking for S'MORE

2006-11-01T17:35:00.000-08:00

A marshmallow gun. Fierce! I've exprimented with homemade potato cannons, but never anything that was completely premanufactured. It must work good, right? It's been quality checked.

I GOT ONE!!! My roommate Kim works at REI and she found a Marshmallow Blaster in the return bin. The people must've returned it because it doesn't work. I'm going to yank it apart and see if I can find the problem. The company is pretty serious about this stuff.

Goodnight John-Boy!

2006-10-12T18:56:00.000-07:00

First is was Kyle's old room. Then we got the boot and it became me and Andy splitting a room in the Soccer House. Then the lease ran out and it turned into me and Cody in a concrete walled basement. So after those three living situations in the last three months, I have my own room again. It's great. I can finally sleep with the sheets off and the tighty-whities on.

Grocery shopping: My other part-time job.

2006-10-12T18:47:00.000-07:00

In two days I got groceries from two different stores. But to get those groceries I had to fork up $80! That's just for me, and I'll probably only last a couple weeks. But a lot of it is healthy and high quality so it costs a little more. But what really jingles my keys is how I have to go to all these different places to get exactly what I want. I couldn't get my little orange juice boxes at Trader Joe's cuz they aren't organic, and I couldn't get them at WinCo because they're not sold in bulk. Oh, and is it just me or does the OJ with the extra Vitamin C taste like butt dust?

Recent grad starts at very bottom*

2006-10-04T11:35:00.000-07:00

EUGENE—A recent graduate of the University of Oregon is on the loose in Tracktown, USA according to friends and family, but nobody knows exactly where he is.

Stephen Robert Miller, 22, earned at degree in Creative Advertising in June and finished the last of his required classes over the summer. He also wrapped up a stint at the Oregon Daily Emerald student newspaper. But after that, Miller vanished.

"I think I've seen him a few times at the bars, said Nichole Blake, a former Duck and Miller's high school prom date," but he hasn't shown up in any pictures. He was always a little camera shy."

Miller's disaapearance has instilled fear in the individuals and institutions he has been involved with recently, as he was somewhat notorious for his mooching habits.

"He knows he can come home at any time," said his mother Virginia Miller, "but he doesn't want to lose his coolness factor from being independent, and I'm afraid that he's going to take advantage of his friends."

Viriginia said her son no longer has medical insurance, and she is worried that he will develop a heavy flem buildup in his throat or a severe papercut.

"I know he'll be looking to borrow nail-clippers and toilet paper," said Virginia. "Well, he won't be borrowing the T.P., he'll be using it."

University officials recently tracked Miller using the student tennis center and a computer lab in the School of Journalism. They are telling campus-area residents to stash all blank printer paper and to not leave pitchers of beer unattended.

The campus computing center believes Miller is using the login name "Cantaloupe Eyes" for instant messanger and E-mail.

Although this may break the inverted triangle format, Miller is 5-foot-11 with shaggy brown hair and chubby cheeks.

An anonymous source with the first initial "A" and the very uncommon last name "Lucich" said Miller had lived in three different locations over the summer, and at one time shared a room with him briefly. The source thinks Miller is living in a friend's basement trying to finish his portfolio.

"We have one of the only student houses with a basement, but I don't think he's living here," Blake said. "Oh wait, he is."

Miller is expected to visit his parents shortly before relocating to trim his finger nails, snatch a roll of toilet paper, collect any misdirected mail and eat one last free meal.

*Based on true events.

Root, root, root for the Dodgers!

2006-09-28T19:13:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time winning was something I vaguely remembered from childhood memories and old video clips of Kirk Gibson. The good old days of Tommy Lasorda, Bret Butler, Eric Karros and Mike Piazza are long gone, but a new era has come with Jeff Kent, Nomar Garciaparra, Rafael Furcal, Wilson Betemit, Greg Maddux, Russell Martin and Grady Little. Oh, and did you catch the newbie, James Loney, knock in nine RBIs? The Dodgers are back. They were nothing in the first half of the season, and now they're either going to take the division back or settle for the wild card, and then hopefully dominate all the way to the World Series, and then dominate there! Go L.A.

I became a foreign film connoisseur in four weeks.

2006-07-27T19:32:00.000-07:00

I took a condensed, upper-division Scandinavian cinema class this summer. It wasn't fun writing papers on films, especially when you're like me and you get caught up in the story more than the cinematography. Anywho, I found out the Danish film industry is a respectable one, behind Hollywood and Bollywood. If you are interested in contemporary film movements, check out some Dogme 95 films like "Celebration (Festen)" or "The King is Alive." One of best films we watched in class was a Swedish film called "Kitchen Stories." It's dry, simple, original and readily available at video stores. A great Danish film (non-Dogme) was "The Green Butchers." This was a surprise, dark comedy about two men who start selling human meat. A couple other really funny and light films were Upswing and Jalla! Jalla!, but they were not distrubuted to the U.S. If you want to feel like a well-rounded foreign film buff, without watching a bunch of artsy-fartsy crap, check out some of these films.

They're pirating our money.

2006-07-08T13:35:00.000-07:00

Helena, her mom and I went out to see Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest because it was one of the only "good" movies in the theatre right now that we hadn't seen already. What we didn't know was that this thing has blown up into another nerd fest. People were camping out 10 hours in advance and dressing up like their favorite peg leg. Who knew that pirates would be the new preteen sorcerers or lords of rings? The two things that bugged me most were the girls in front of us in line that insisted on singing and humming like harlots and the fact that every nerd in the theatre found it necessary to laugh at every little thing Johnny Depp did. For me, this movie was like a repeat of the first one (I've only seen it once). I'd wait until it goes to the dollar-fifty to see it.

Why I Do What I Do

2006-06-27T12:06:00.000-07:00

I've found the simplest way to show people why I want to get into advertising. This may offend some people, but for most, it's just a clever play on words. I found it on The Ranch.

All Ducked Up

2006-06-24T15:47:00.000-07:00

The Oregon football team uniforms just went through a severe makeover. Supposedly, these threads were designed by the players. We got a preview of this at last year's Civil War. I noticed that they changed the number that looked like they were made of yellow duct tape. The new font is called Bellotti Bold. I think it is one of the biggest things that makes these unis look so awkward. The one thing I really like is the diamond plating on the shoulders. I love them if they continue to play at or above the level they did last year.

Play Ball!

2006-06-24T15:20:00.000-07:00

The Class A Minor Baseball season just started and the Ems have their home opener tonight. Unfortunately, I can't make it. But I do plan on attending Sunday's 4:05 game. I don't know anything about who's on the team but so far they're 4-1. That's making my decision to move into Cody and Andy's place look even better since they live 30 paces from the gate. I am going to try to make it to quite a few home games, so if you're interested, give me a buzz. This looks like the year I buy a hat and maybe even a jersey. Welp, I better go stock up on the peanuts and Cracker Jacks.

Nocturnal Species

2006-06-23T23:46:00.000-07:00

One closed road. Six guys. Seven blocks to the bar. Numerous cans a beer. That spells trouble. Or just a fun, summer night for us. Ike did a stellar job at setting up the auto-timer. Cody is either feeling tipsy, trying to get closer to me, or just making sure he's in the shot. You decide. By the way, all of us wearing khakis cargo shorts was just a coincidence.

This is art?

2006-06-22T21:17:00.000-07:00

Helena and I saw a lot of cool art at the museums in NYC, but I just don't see what's so special about this one. I stood there forever and I couldn't figure out what the hell it was. It just looked like a wall. Helena thought she'd be the funny and snooty "artist" and just take a picture of me looking stupid. Why don't we just stick that up on the wall? I hate art!

The Big Show

2006-06-20T23:54:00.000-07:00

A bunch of us took a trip to NYC last month to be part of the One Club College Exhibit. We got to see plenty of work from the "competition" and have a little fun too. I had never been to the big Apple before. It was awesome! The hot dogs are amazing, the public transportation is dirty but useful, and the possibilities are endless. The only thing is that the real estate is mucho dinero. I saw an checked out an awesome agency, visiting a few tourist sites and discovered a future home. I give a lot of the credit to Deb Morrison for motivating me and my classmates to create some great stuff. This is a group photo of all of us at that show after some wine and a couple beers. I guess that makes the work look hotter. Check out that big red one with the question mark. Hey Tex, move that huge lump on your shoulders!

Welcome

2006-06-20T22:49:00.000-07:00

So just like Facebook and MySpace, I folded. I'm creating a blog. Not because I'm a conformist (entirely), but because I'm a cheapskate with the idea that this might be more cost effective than buying a web address for my portfolio site. We'll see if this can handle it though. For now, enjoy the minimal amount of stuff I do on this thing and thanks for visiting.