As I blog more and more, especially for clients, I become busier and busier. Furthermore, I have found the tumblr system easier, as I have started doing more from my phone and less through my computers. I feel this will keep me from focusing on becoming rhythmical and more spontaneous which is more how I am. Also, this helps me keep my New Years resolution of blogging more. So thank you to all my readers and I look forward to blogging more often.
In what has clearly become a National holiday, I say clearly because even Kether (my fiance) was watching, the Super Bowl brought the masses. Whether it was stormy and snowy in your area or it was 76 degrees and not a cloud in the sky – if you are American, you are tuned into Fox.
The Lombardi Trophy
This year, Super Bowl XLV, featured the Green Bay Packers facing the Pittsburgh Steelers. This was a decent game, I honestly had zero interest so I never truly thought it was a great game, but it was becoming more and more decent as the Steelers climbed back into it. However, this is not really about the game but more about the holiday that it has become.
Here are the facts:
1. People bring plates of finger food to the party
2. People socialize and have a great time
3. The kids run around playing with each other
4. Beer is being consumed
5. Football is on the tube
Now, I ask – how is this not just like Thanksgiving?
However, instead of sitting around the table saying grace and consuming large entree filled plates, we sit around the tv still thanking God (albeit, for football reasons) and consume plates of food. (I believe I consumed enough lil’ smokies and nacho cheese dip to keep me robust through May.)
The commercials I found to be the better form of entertainment, as for a favorite? I don’t know that I had any favorite. However, one that did stick out in my mind was the child Darth Vader for Volkswagen, come to think of it – I liked all the Volkswagen commercials tonight, they had humor and great content.
Funny shit, drinks, tasty treats and family is why I now declare the Super Bowl the new Thanksgiving, the Thanksgiving of finger foods!
CES (Consumer Electronics Show) is the type of event that will make you lust for tech goodies, no really, it is. I could hardly contain myself over the obvious direction that technology is headed – phones that talk to cars, appliances and just about anything you could imagine, Skype that goes everywhere, and gadgets, more gadgets and even more gadgets.
CES is by far the best thing in the world for a tech/gadget junkie, it single handily keeps us in that kid that needs toys stage. Well this year did not hold back, delivering on more than one could anticipate. So without further hesitation I give you the toys that made my spine tingle:
1. Samsung’s CY-STC1100 Skype TV camera
Hi, Mom!
This camera is a tv set top camera so that when you have a Skype application opened up on your Samsung television you can video chat with your awesome friends that you just can not get enough of – except in 720p HD, giving you amazing clarity. (You know, the ones that would steal your food, clothes and unsuccessfully… your girlfriend, in college -ya awesome roommates huh?) In my case, we use Skype so that my daughter can visibly see my mom who lives in Oregon. Skype is the clear leader in video chat technology if you ask me – Facetime seems too similar to Facebook, Gmail video chat is limited to computers and really I don’t know of the others. For me – the force is strong in Skype. Plus it works on the iPhone 4 over 3G, meaning you can video chat anywhere – More on the iPhone topic later.
2. Visteon iPad Vehicle Console Interface
I see this epic idea as the future of auto consoles. So long are the days of basic instruments that barely tell you anything. Hello to the super techy, super detailed console that tells the driver very in-depth information. No more will the consumer have to pay someone to get a simple diagnostic when the iPad will report it to you. Plus the console can control your media for you as well as the outside weather. I get excited for vehicles that work more efficiently with the driver!
3. CBS content coming to Boxee
For me, any device that takes the power away from giant conglomerate cable companies gets me thrilled. I feel the typical cable company is outdated and has lost touch with the consumer. They force you into large packages that do not accommodate your viewing pleasures and charge you insane rates. I ditched cable a long time ago for the awesome and FREE viewings of Hulu and my $9 package at Netflix. Really, it just had to be done.
community such as Bozeman, Montana I can see this being a MASSIVE success. Shoot film at Bridger, get home, load the media, stream to your tv and watch how you did in 3D. I am not a huge 3D proponent, it’s just that this is an epic amount of fun for anybody, no matter how experienced, or not, you are.
5. Tesla Model S (as in aweSome, or Sustainable)
Tesla, a new auto company, builds electric vehicles, but not just any electric vehicle – more like the Ferrari of electric vehicles. This Model S brings the price down to affordable for most families, plus has the room to fit them. At a price of $49,900 people may cringe, however when factoring in $7,500 in govy incentives plus gas savings (factoring in a future price of $4/gal) this new whip is similar to the price of gasoline car that rolls of the lot for 35 G’s. Now raise your hand, because you know you want one!
6. The Recon-Zeal GPS goggles
These goggles give the skiers and snowboarders of Bozeman a HUD (Heads-Up Display) in their goggles. Tightly woven into this great piece of tech are maps, altitude, speeds and more. Never get lost on Lone Peak again while trying to juggle the miles of trails in Moonlight Basin and Big Sky, instead stay up-to-date on all the elements. I don’t really snowboard too often, but I see this is a great investment.
For lack of a writing spirit I will do the monotonous, cliche New Years Resolution post. Not because you care, you don’t, but because I feel like I need some way of holding myself accountable. I feel resolutions are silly, maybe 5%-7% actually commit to them, but this year I want to truly embrace the whole concept and see if I can be one of those resolutionists.
Resolution 1!
READ MORE BOOKS.
Reading stimulates your brains.
I’m not really too keen on reading books, however I have recently picked it up. I haven’t truly read since 3rd grade when I used to bring my books home from the library and cruise through them. The first real book I can remember reading, Tom Sawyer, and when I finished it I saw the play in Portland. It was terrific. If not for me, I want to for my daughter.
Who has more to be proud of?
A) Daughter who says, “My dad watches so much tv, he’s so savvy on the TV Guide!”
B) Daughter who says, “My dad reads a lot of books, he has a large vocabulary!”
It’s no trick friends, just as I do not want to become the dad that folded after having kids and stopped caring about how physical appearance and well being, I don’t want to be the dad that just slouched on the couch watching television. Don’t get me wrong, I will still watch television, I just find a deep hypocrisy in teaching my daughter, Madeline, that reading will stimulate her mind and educate her while I turn on the boob tube.
*Reading stimulates the brain and the creativity centers.
*There is never anything on the television anyways.
*I’ve never heard that books rot your brain.
If cable didn’t come with the apartments we live in, we would not have. I can’t commit myself to spending my family’s finances on something so obsolete as TV. In my mind, that’s like buying a CD player. Kether and I get all our TV from the internet, with: Hulu, Netflix, and all the stations own websites. Can i ask, what is the point in spending money on such a fossilized media outlet? They rape you in the billing charges, stick you with contracts and it’s all on their schedule, unless you pay $20 extra for on-demand.
With several great reads out now I feel I could easily finish this resolution, plus it will be cheaper than cable.
In case you were wondering, I will finish my current book, The Social Media Bible, then move on to my new favorite genre… the biography. Starting with Keith Richards’ new book.
Resolution 2!
Liberty of London gardening tools
Become a Gardener. All year-long I have said as soon as we get out of our apartment here in Bozeman, I would garden. I really want to get into this hobby, something screams accomplishment about gardeners. I watch them all the time, Kether’s mom mostly, and you see the fruits of their labors come to fruition and how proud they are of being able to supply their family with these rewards. I have heard from a wise lady that the hunters actually didn’t supply the tribe as much as the gatherers. I’m not against hunting, it’s just not really my thing, so I would like to bring some awesome, home-grown fruits and vegetables. Plus it’s also an added benefit to know who the food was coming from.
Plus it has beneficial rewards from building flower boxes and buying cool gardening accessories.
Is it traditional for the man to wear a gardening hat? I Hope so!
Resolution 3!
Education can save you from embarrassment.
To Educate Myself. Whether it’s taking a few night courses at the local university or researching marketing related information so that I continue to get brighter. Too many people I graduated with have settled into their jobs and stopped informing themselves, essentially, letting the competition get the advantage.
I am competitive.
Especially when I feel I know what the hell I am doing. I don’t like to see potential clients get worked for cookie cutter work and low brow concepts. I like the accomplishment of success, I suppose this could go back to the gardening resolution as well… that sense of accomplishment and being a finisher. When I was in the military, we would never have gone on cruise without the proper education and readiness. Why would I compete without the proper education? So I will continue through 2011 to make myself stronger intellectually.
Resolution 4!
Blinkin' Blog!
Blog more. Blogging is my writing, writing is just as peaceful and beneficial as reading or gardening. If you were to look back over the past year and a couple of months you would see my blog, and the seldom I wrote. However, as I continue through my second year of blogging, I feel that I should blog on anything and everything. Clients, media, DIY projects, styles, interests, feelings and more. Right now, it seems my blogging has been devoted to clients, well this year will be MY year to blog for me.
This is the blog that I hope when Madeline is old enough, she will want to read.
This is the blog that can give her an idea as to what was in her father’s head.
Who knows… maybe she will want to take it over for me and I could produce a 100-year-old blog. So for my contribution I will give this greater effort, what a great timeless present to hand to your child – a journal throughout her life.
Well these are my resolutions – It would be great to have my readers comment with their resolutions just so I can see what other awesome ideas people came up with.
On the evening of October, 21, a Thursday, I received a response to my text. However, this response I was not expecting. “I would’ve responded soon, I was in the back of a cop car.” Now, my groomsman, Lonnie Price, is not really one to cause mischief outside of the typical non-sense a 20-something does, so get this response was baffling. More so, this was more eye-opening when he said he truly had not done anything. This has been the fifth time for Lonnie since moving into a certain neighborhood in Los Angeles. When they pulled him over, the LAPD said they had smelled something and that he looked like someone they had been looking for.
So what you are telling me, is you were looking for a man with straight hair that defies gravity? Highly unlikely Mr. Officer. You smelled something? Mr. LAPD, Lonnie doesn’t smoke anything, what were you smelling? Your ideology that prevents you from looking past the hate and the color of skin?
See, Lonnie Price is a black man. He is also one of my best friends, so that allows me the honor of knowing a brilliant man who would never judge you based on your color, monetary status, educational level or any other socially defining line. What the LAPD has done here is demoralize a man who has been an integral part of society, one that has made his mistakes just like the next human being, but also one that holds himself to the highest of standards. LAPD what have you done so great that entitled you to subject a man to such hate, discrimination and public subjection?
This situation makes me reflect upon an old Sunday school song we used to sing at church, it went red, yellow, black and white, they are all precious in God’s sight. What you have done with the legal system by your side is taken the beauty from life because of your hypocrisy. A hypocrisy that allows you to not let a man drive the streets at night because he is black, but your white skin behind that uniform can bear no such treatment? Where was the hate taught? Weren’t you taught love and compassion just as I was? I live by this philosophy – If I don’t want my grandma to find out about it, then it’s probably a mistake. What would your grandma think if you were to tell her you harassed a man whose own grandmother is concerned for his well-being, jut because he was black. Better yet, can you tell his grandmother why stopped him, embarrassed him and put him in your cruiser for no apparent reason. Over a picnic, straight-faced, tell her how your heart is covered in so much anger and hate that you found the ability to polarize a man based on him being black, as if it holds any bearing at all. Is this how you teach your kids to love one another?
LAPD has allowed their barely competent colleagues to circle the streets of Lost Angels targeting certain demographics. I will liken this to a slave owner searching every black person in the south when one of his slaves ran. Except this is 2010, not 1810. It also wasn’t cool then, so what makes the LAPD think it’s cool now? Mayor Villaraigosa, I doubt you will read this, but as a hispanic don’t you think you have a civic duty to understand what it feels like being chastised purely based on your skin tone?
Writer’s Note: This view is a response that happened to a lifetime friend, Lonnie Price, it has happened before to other friends and it outrages me that it still happens.
While in Reno on a visit, me and my friend, Sean Barron, sipped from tasty gin and tonics at the Lincoln Lounge (a bar deserving of its own blog post, trust me) and spoke music. Music is something and Sean and I can easily discuss with no hesitation, we may not know how to play music or sing (Certainly at least on my part) but we do know what makes truly good music. While talking music he inspired me to write about music, so I figured I should allow that to inspire this newest blog post.
#1 – The Arcade Fire – Modern Man
What I liked most about Modern Man on The Suburbs was that The Arcade Fire seemed to actually grasp the essence from the modern era. When I listen to this song, three people seem to pop up in my mind – President Kennedy, Donald Draper and Tom Ford. For me these three men and modern go hand in hand, from there suits to their hair to their essence. Modernism is one of my personal favorite styles of design, so when I hear this song, especially those lyrics, “I’m a modern man,” I analyze what they mean to me. To me it means clean, sharp, cutting-edge and a smoker (not hack-hack smoker, but the smoker type that makes you want to forget the negatives and feel coooool). Cadillac was the car, scotch was the drink and sexy was the significant other. The modern man makes it cool before it could ever be considered cool.
#2 The Black Keys – Next Girl
I have to admit, I was apprehensive about getting into the Black Keys initially. Why? Well I don’t know why, maybe because everyone was telling me I had to hear their new album and so I sort of developed this disdain out of trend. But seriously, WTF was I thinking. This album is beyond amazing. From the first track through the last track you will have a smile on your face. I hate that it has to end, but love that it has to re-start. The track, Next Girl on the Brothers album is great. I feel this track embodies that old southern rock-n-roll feeling that CCR and Lynyrd Skynyrd made so popular, the kind of music you heard in Almost Famous. This track also makes me feel like it would be best served in a dingy hole-in-the-wall somewhere in a random town in Mississippi, however the bar would be packed, because they know just how damn good the Black Keys truly are. This track speaks volumes for any mans dating life, because we truly do not want our next girl to be like our ex-girl, that is why she is the ex. It would be foolish to regress, if we did we’d get stuck in a loop. We do not want continue to chase the “same” person, essentially speaking and this sets the scene. Chasing girls, down south good ol’ boy rock, bars that don’t know what a cosmo is and growing older while pursuing “the one.”
#3 Amie – Damien Rice
In my opinion their is not a better lyricist than Damien Rice. If his vocals and lyrics don’t have me choked up then I am not paying attention because this guy knows what it takes to put emotion into into an album. On his “O” album, he has the song Amie and every time I hear it, I inevitably think of my daughter Madeline and just all the changes her and I go through day-to-day. Madeline and I hang out every single day doing random things, but these things (whatever they may be) touch me in ways that nothing ever has. This song makes me reflect on our short time together thus far and how I can not wait for more memories. Being a father is a very special thing and Amie showcases the greatness of it.
Here in Montana the summer seems to last only about a month, sometimes a month and a half. Nonetheless, you must enjoy July while you can, because once it is gone so too is the imagery of my favorite season in Bozeman. Without further ado, photos from my family’s ability to enjoy the great sunshiney month of July.
Wedding Site in Paradise Valley (North Entrance of Yellowstone National Park)
Another View of the Wedding Site
Weddings are a staple of the summer in Montana. I suppose most people like the aesthetics of getting married while surrounded by such grand beauty. We are getting married in the Paradise Valley, about 30 minutes north of the north Yellowstone National Park entrance and 10 minutes away from the Chico Hot Springs Resort.
The County Fair (Madeline and Her Cousin, Sawyer)
County Fairs are part of the Americana nostalgia and kids love every part of them. My cynicism allows me to see the dark side of carnivals (the workers seem eerily creepy); however, Madeline LOVES the animals and I am not going to be the one to step in between her and Kether seeing their share of grass grazers, cluckers and oinkers. That’s a battle that would end up with me being trampled as they rush to the livestock barn.
Madeline Riding Her Horse, Fresca, for the First Time
Speaking of livestock, farms and barns… here is Kether’s horse, Fresca, who obviously has taken to Madeline quite well. We call it Madeline’s horse because Madeline believes that as a princess, she needs to have a horse, a rabbit, five cats and a chicken she sort of just took over from her cousin, Jacob. If there is one definitive thing that Madeline inherited from Kether, it was definitely a love…. no, a lifetime devotion, to our four legged friends inhabiting this world alongside us.
First Brutal Storm of the Summer Brought These Hailballs
These little guys, about the size of golfballs, were literally falling from the Heavens above like little missiles. The storm played out like a Michael Bay flick, just destroying whatever got in its path. These little guys wiped out windows, siding, more windows, various automobile decals and decor, gardens, flower beds, more windows and insurance policies.
I have got to become a better blogger. I do not post blogs enough. Well, whatever I am sure that will change as I get older and more unaware. However, since I have returned from my little Vegas vacation I have gained employment at this e-tailer here in town. It’s called Blue Fade, Inc. and the e-tailer site is coolinflatables.com – go check it out!
The job is great, chill dudes, chill boss and two dogs that fart a lot, no really… A LOT! I rode my bike the ten miles to work today, which was pretty legit. I imagine I will be riding back and forth a lot giving myself a great workout. Cycling is definitely my favorite way to get a workout in, I look forward to the summer getting much better. Speaking of the weather in Montana, sometimes this weather can piss you off. It’s snowing, it’s raining, it’s sunny… repeat. But the last few days have been epic, even yesterday was 91 degrees. Although it is not common for Bozeman, especially not this early.
Next month, I plan to ride my bike around Yellowstone National Park. I imagine it to be a great ride, I plan to do it myself, however if someone was interested I would turn it into a group effort for sure. I hear that biking the park is one of the sickest rides I could ever do, so the idea gets me pretty amped.
Viva Las Vegas! Kether and I are taking our very first vacation together. The destination? You guessed it: Las Vegas! We are very excited, the weather is supposed to be quite epic. The days will be filled with aqua blue pools, tall green palm trees and skin bronzing sun, all the while the nights will be filled with who knows, but who really cares… it’s vacation. No plans, no agendas, no work.
A View of the Strip!
We booked our room at the Hard Rock Hotel. Let me tell you, I am glad! Lot’s of partying to be had along with rest at the pool during the day. It’s a tad off the Strip but it’s right there in the midst of things allowing Kether and I to thrust ourselves into any opportunity of going crazy. We are meeting up with several friends of ours down there as well, so this should make for a great weekend.
The best thing about this vacation is that Kether and I have never flown, vacayed, nor really anything together that wasn’t more than a day or two or related to visiting family. This one is strictly about us! We feel that is important.
Lots of tables to be played, events to see and drinks to drink. We will dance the night away, then rest at the pool, then repeat.
Update: I wrote this last week when the weather was less than mediocre. The past couple days have been AWESOME!
As I write this it seems as though the winter and snow in Bozeman, Montana will never stop. It feels like the sequence goes like this, snow, cold rain, cold sun, snow, cold rain, cold sun. However, over the past month things have been good and a lot has happened.
I have been running a lot. I have also started waking up 6 am now, thus making my days longer and my aura more positive. I like this!
Kether and I continue to prepare for our wedding (in case you, the reader does not know, it’s on July 16, 2011) and it is kind of neat. We really have zero idea of how we want to go about this, but thinking about it seems really cool and I really like design. Both of us do, so we have just been thinking about certain things we can do.
Vegas Vacation
Call me Chevy Chase or Clark Griswald because we are headed to Vegas. Staying at the Hard Rock, booked our room and plane, and we are going to be relaxing poolside May 17-21. I can not wait, it will be AMAZING and fun. Wonder who we will be? Pimps from Oakland? Cowboys from Arizona? Maybe Count Chocula and his vampiress.
Madeline Started Ballet
Madeline has started ballet and she is super nervous about it. It’s very cute because she does try very hard, but at the same time she doesn’t know anyone or a whole lot about how the system works. (She started in the middle of the class, it was a birthday present from my mom).
Madeline Leaning Back During Ballet
A Typical Ballet Class for Madeline
Madeline Turned 3
Madeline is getting so big, very fast. I feel like she is getting big enough to take me down when we wrestle around. I know, not likely. But when she does jump on my back and I am not expecting it, it does rip me down and the next thing I know I have been saddled up and turned into a horsey. She is so funny about it. For her 3rd birthday she had a little party, comprised of mostly adults. She doesn’t have too many friends. Her only real friend is her cousin, Sawyer, Kether’s nephew.
For her birthday she got a new bunny and a bunch of toys.
Madeline With Acorn the Bunny
My Blazers and a Few Rants
Since not everything is about showing off my awesome little daughter I feel I should talk about more important issues, such as the Portland Trailblazers making the playoffs (all while have 30% of their roster injured throughout the season). This is epic for me and I am truly hoping to play the Mavericks in the first round because I feel they are owed an ass whooping. After trying to shove Juwan Howard around the other night, I feel the sweet taste of a bitter sweet rivalry abound. Plus is would make for great viewing pleasure.
So that was not exactly serious business… but I am all about the Blazers.
What Do the Easter Bunny and Jesus Have in Common?
Nothing. Nothing at all. However, people seem to associate the Easter Bunny as the symbol for Easter. They do this for some sort of “equality” for EVERYONE to celebrate Easter. Why does everyone need to celebrate Easter? Not all are believers of Christianity. I don’t feel anger, I feel humor in this situation, because people try to deny Christ, yet they feel the need to celebrate the holiday.
Madeline, Ready for Easter
According to Wikipedia, the Easter bunny has not always been an Easter bunny, but was a Spring bunny that got lumped together with Easter by (greedy, conglomerate) corporations. My belief is that they obviously felt a need to convince consumerists to buy goods during this time, all in the sake of tainting the true meaning behind the Easter holiday.
I asked this question on my facebook, “What do the Atheists and Agnostics do for Easter?” One response was, “So the kids can celebrate it too, even if their parents don’t believe.” So why aren’t the Jewish trying to give their kids Christmas presents? What a ridiculous answer. This is not about equality, this is about watering down a holiday that has been sacred to me since I was a little child and how people have damaged its reason, the resurrection of Christ.
I have never read a biblical story where the bunny went hopping around outside of Jesus’ tomb and I will never compromise the importance of this story for my daughter. She will always understand that the Easter bunny brought candy and eggs, but it will never bring salvation and forgiveness.
And that is the end of my post for today. (I highly doubt anyone read this far, ha ha)
