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October 31, 2006
October 30, 2006
Face to Face - DVD
It happened so fast.
It was all such a blur…
But we found it!
The much anticipated documentary on one of the greatest punk bands there ever were was recently released (almost two weeks ago)… and today, finally, after searching high and low, Lisa and I got our hands on two copies. (these things, you just can't share them)
Three hours later, we assembled the crew, ordered way too much take-out Thai, and watched in awe.
October 28, 2006
A New Day. A New Mug!
With endless possibilities and new opportunities nothing is as beautiful as a new day... especially when drinking my morning coffee from my new Incredible Hulk mug!
Lisa, you rock! You just moved up two notches on my Friend List.
October 26, 2006
… are you kidding me?
So… granted, I start my days earlier than most. And although I’ve been known to drive 90 mph before officially waking up, I had to pinch myself this morning when I heard the following little tid-bit of news:
Boy Scouts are trustworthy, helpful, and now respectful of digital copyright laws since they can earn an activity patch for learning about the downside of downloading pirated movies.The Motion Picture Association of America and the Los Angeles Area Boy Scouts of America have introduce the program to help raise awareness about respecting copyrights.
The curriculum is part of an ongoing effort to educate kids and change attitudes toward intellectual property theft, the MPAA said Friday.It also aims to teach kids how to identify counterfeit CDs and DVDs, the consequences of film and music piracy, and why protecting copyrights is important to them and to the local economy.
Troops will choose from a number of activities that qualify them to earn a "Respect Copyrights" patch. Activities include creating a public service announcement demonstrating the importance of copyright protection or visiting a movie studio to learn about people, time and costs required to make a movie, as well as the economic impact the movie industry has on the state of California.
thanks to kpbs San Diego
October 21, 2006
Older than dirt… not just an expression anymore
I know this guy…
His name is Sean, and today is his 28th birthday.
Normally, I’d take this opportunity to roast Sean like a fat hog (I've done it before)… but since it’s late, and since I’ve got no interest in picking on a defenseless geriatric that lives over a thousand miles away, I think I’ll just leave him alone for now.
Besides, who wants to make fun of a guy that’s been so hapless and shamelessly pursuing the fountain of youth under the front of working for the Peace Corps in South America for the past two and half years? It’s pathetic, really. I mean common… everyone knows the fountain of youth can’t turn back time, it can only hold it still (which means you’re too late), and everyone also knows that the Corps is just another division of the CIA… sent to spread the loyal word of Democracy NOW for your commander in chief.
(haha! just kidding sean-er)
Instead, I will save my punches for another time… so here’s to you old buddie: HAPPY BIRTHDAY SEAN!
And just for kicks… remember that time, waaaaaaaay back in 2000 when your piss-poor college buddies all pitched in to buy you a BMX bike because yours got stolen?... you were the only guy I knew that wanted a bike that would ensure that no girl on campus would talk to you for fear of mingling with a high school stray. (of course, in the end the joke was on me, since you somehow always somehow managed to date really hot chicks)
...lest we not forget your past birthday annoucements:
2004
2003
Keep searchin’ for that fountain Sean… and maybe one day, just maybe, you won’t always be older than ME. Ha!
October 20, 2006
Creativity Comes in Many Different Flavors… Now in 1100 Calories!!
Art. What is it, and who’s to say?
Some people paint, while others dance. Though, in my humble opinion, I’ve always found these traditional forms of ‘art’ uninteresting and passé. I mean, who really cares how lifelike Michael Angelo can paint when a 6 mega-pixel camera can be purchased for less than $400.... and I'm sure I'm not alone when I say: Ansel Adams is no artist. (... just as pilots are nothing more than glorified bus drivers; but we can exlore more on this another time)
Instead, I prefer to experiment with more edgy, risqué forms of artistic expression; ones which flirt with concepts even this sleaze ball wouldn't hit on.
These concepts are not something that can be taught in a classroom, so I guess you could say I've been blessed since my inspiration just comes to me... without even trying. For example, it was 1:30 this past Friday morning when an extraordinary idea struck me to cook the best burger there ever were. But not just any burger... a sweet onion, mushroom, and bacon cheeseburger (laced with a ton of freshly ground black pepper and an obscene amount of garlic).
If this doesn’t sound very creative to you, that’s because you weren’t there to see my performance. You see, I made the entire ensemble, sautéed mushrooms and onion, bacon, and the burger… all at the same time, and all in the same 10” frying pan.
It was amazing. Amazing to see how I was able to fit 2 half-pound patties, 5 slices of bacon, and a heap of mushrooms and onion all in such a small circle. Amazing to know that I only had one pan to clean once complete. But most of all, amazing to see that once the burgers were served, not a drop of grease or oil remained in the pan... every last drop, every piece of burned grizzle were absorbed to make a pair of the most prefect burgers there ever were.
Truely a thing of beauty.
Just thinking back on it conjures up feelings of such exquisiteness and splendor that it brings a tear to my eye. The best of it all?... I can still taste remnants of the burned garlic and onions in my mouth this morning.
October 17, 2006
I'm With The Band
Going to a rocksteady show on Saturday night is damn hard to beat. Especially when you know one of the band members / manager!
When you tell chicks you’re with the band, they can’t help but throw themselves at you.
It even worked for Jim!
Chicks love ska music.
When heading to a show, you should always, always accessorize.
Adam thought it would be a good idea to catch a coupla winks before the band started.
Not only am I with the band… but I’m also with the band’s girlfriend! ….you know what I mean.
When choosing your accessories, always pick something that’ll set you apart from the rest.
Doh! Jim brought a mustache too! His is obviously working a lot better than mine.
The band took a break, so Adam decided to re-energize w/ another quick nap. Standing up. With a beer in hand. He’s good.
more pics from the show...
Carlsbad, CA - Sept. 16th '06
Keeping It Real
... since December '04.
M. Schaller
Somewhere in Tucson, AZ
October 16, 2006
so NOT happy
Have you ever seen anyone so NOT happy to be on her brand new shiny orange bike?
Me either!!
…
..
.
Ms. VC everybody!
Huntington Beach, CA - Aug 12th
Caught up in the heat of the moment
…there was nothing more to say.
She was there.
I was there too.
The time was right…
Muah.
Somewhere in Santa Monica… sometime in August.
October 15, 2006
Oh, the horrors of Halloween past!!
With the 31st rapidly approaching, I am embarrassed to say that I still do not have a costume idea for this year’s ghoulish celebration.
Surprised?… no.
Ashamed?… always. Of course.
You see, I’ve developed this dire little habit, and a horrible reputation, for putting together some lame ass costume at the very last minute… every year. The worst part of it is that I go to the same Halloween party every year. So it’s not as if I have a good excuse (you know… i didn’t receive my invitation until late, or, I didn’t know I had to dress up because they don’t celebrate this holiday where I’m from)… for shit’s sake, we usually spend the last hour (albeit, it’s at 5am) of the Halloween party discussing NEXT year’s party. At which point, by the way, I usually have some sort of epiphany, with grandiose ideas of some supreme costume for next year. Of course, remembering such things in this state of mind is something I’ve never been good at. By the time I awake I’m usually lucky if a) I can remember my name and b) my wallet is still in my front pocket.
Anyway… I'm rambling... ever hear that theory that says you can't accomplish a goal unless you tell someone else about it? I think it has something to do with accountability or something... So, let’s do this… let’s take a stroll through my Halloweens of past, with the hope that exposing such utter humiliation will serve as a deterrent from repeating it again this year. Trust me, this will be more painful for me than you…
2000 – The Break Dancin’ Patient
This year was actually not nearly as bad as the years that follow it. You will definitely see a regressive trend as we near 2006. This year however, I at least had the foresight to purchase fake blood (albeit from the Circle K on the way to the party)… though, all the other props were complements of my ex’s mother, who, god bless her, happened to have a plethora of hospital supplies readily available.
What’s not shown here (this is a family site after all), is the genius naked-butt prop I was able to buy at 5:58pm before the costume store closed at 6. I used it to cover my ass… which, believe it or not, came in handy since all of my supposed hetero friends couldn’t keep their hands off my robe ties.
2001 – The Ref
So… let’s talk about how bad this costume was. I arrived as a ref. Not a scary ref. Not a silly ref. Not even bizzaro ref… for fuck’s sake, I’m not even a ref affiliated with any particular sport!!... I’m just a plain, Johnny-dick, generic ref.
So, what of the afro? Well, I had to don something to signify that I was in a God damn costume; otherwise I’d just look like any other jackass comin’ in off the street with really, super bad, taste in fashion. Striped shirts went out with beepers in the mid-90’s fer sure.
Though, I must say, the most embarrassing part of this costume was not the fact that this ensemble was put together 23 minutes before arriving to the party (I found everything in my old dresser drawers at my dad’s house), it was that I wore exactly the same thing in 1999 (not pictured). And it was still lame back then.
2002 – The Dork
Again, let’s talk about how I couldn’t pick a costume to save Ferris. This costume has got to be the opidimy of lame. Let’s evaluate, shall we?... I’m not a funny dork… I mean, people really do look like this, so it can’t be that funny. In fact, I did look like this that night and I had several people approach me and ask why I hadn’t dressed up.
Not only am I not funny, I couldn’t even pull off ironic dork. I mean, with some forethought I could’ve dressed as a famous movie or TV dork. But that would’ve meant planning, preparation, and a little bit of creativity. None of which were available to me at 8:30pm, half an hour before the party started. So, I’m batting 0-fer with funny and ironic… what about scary dork? I mean, it was Halloween, wasn’t it? I guess I was too focused on my beverage to care to score some fake blood or vomit.
I’ll tell you what though, the scariest part of this costume besides the fact that this ensemble was put together 12 minutes before arriving to the party, was that all the props: the suspenders, the glasses, the pocket protector, the clip-on bow tie, the dorky socks, and red shoes were all found… in my closet.
Though, in my defense, individually displayed, each one of those pieces make a very handsome accessory… only when they’re assembled together, all at once, do they make me look like a jackass.
2003 – The I-Give-Up-Being-Lame-This-Year
2003… I actually didn’t attend any Halloween parties this year. Why? Well, I could tell you it was because I had to work late that Friday, or there were no flights back to AZ for ScareAzona, or that none of my friends were throwing any parties… but I won’t lie to you. I didn’t make it out in 2003 because I was SOOOO last minute, (so much more last minute than any of the prior years) that I gave up and decided to stay in with Duke and carve a Jack-O-Lantern.
2004 – the Dude
In 2004 I hit a new low. Lower than low, I like to think that I hit bottom this year, with no possibility of ever stooping this low again. In 2004 I came as the Dude. What exactly was the Dude? …I couldn’t fucking tell you if the real Dude were sitting next to me on the couch, right here, right now.
The Dud was more like it.
wtf what I thinking? I slapped on a nappy-ass wig, pulled over a beanie, and labeled myself DUDE with a piece of Duct tape (though I can’t remember exactly why, I think it was so as not be confused with any of the other real, homeless vagrants that cruise 4th Ave. and often crash Paul’s parties).
The most embarrassing part of this costume, besides the fact that this ensemble was put together 3 minutes before arriving at the party, was that I insisted on not only looking like a jackass, but playing the part as well. Unfortunately, my theatrical interpretation of a California hobo was limited by my experience, and since I didn’t actually know any hobos, I insisted on leading every sentence with ”DUDE”… the entire night.
2005 – Peter Pan
At first glance, this costume may not seem so bad… especially when viewed after the Dude. But don’t let looks deceive you. This is a store-bought, no-thought, I’m-on-my-way-to-the-party-and-I-need-to-buy-something-now, costume.
On a side note, and I’m not too sure about this, it may just be my perception, but for some reason wearing this little kid’s costume made me feel as if every picture taken with one of my guy friends had some sort of homo-erotic inclination… much like the picture above.
Eh, whatever. I’m sure it was just me.
______________________
And there you have it. Five straight years of bad costumes. Not since that time I tripped over a poodle the night before the Austin marathon have I had such a bad run (there's only three of you out there that will get that joke). I guess the point of this self-inflicted intervention (aside from the not so suddle cry for help) was to ensure that I wont repeat my past mistakes... so, if you've got any top notch ideas for costumes this year... PLEASE SEND 'EM MY WAY!
True Bliss
... is an Encinitas sunset (from my bedroom balcony). And tonight's sunset was nothing short of a repeat of every other beautiful sunset this week...
Not Quite Myself (Lately)
Ever have the feeling that you’re not quite running on all cylinders? That your memory is clouded and your ability to think critically is hindered by something more than the normal brain-drain stuff you have to contend with at your life-sucking 11-hr a day job?
I do!... but even more so lately than ever. Alas, I believe I have just just discovered what my kryptonite has been…
I’ve been in the process of painting an accent wall in my room (oh la-la!) for the past week-and-a-half (I am on my 4th f-ing coat!!) and it just dawned on me that even with the doors open and the windows cracked… I’m as high as a kite. By the time I wake up in the morning I’ve probably killed twice as many brain cells as a retarded glue-sniffin' 3rd grader.
On the flip side, I’ve been dreamin’ up stuff even the manic depressed Van Gogh couldn’t have imagined!!
October 14, 2006
Octo-birthday-fest - Big Bear Lake, CA
When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
When in Big Bear for Oktoberfest, do as the Big Bearians do:
Wear Silly Hats
BAQ-BAQ Chicken
The Wiz
Dance…
the Electric Slide!
the Chicken Dance!
the Macarena!
Drink Silly Amounts of Beer from 32oz Glasses
Sing Songs w/ Celebrities you happen to run into (remember the guy from Good Will Hunting?) Jim did!
Loose all inhibitions and experiment in risqué’ threesomes!
More pics from last weekend’s Oktobirthdayfest HERE.
October 12, 2006
Destination Failure
Rediscovered again this morning, from the greatest love song album of all time…
My heart tapped me on the shoulder, And whispered in my ear… Don’t be a pussy all your life.
October 11, 2006
A Great Idea
Great ideas…
They don’t visit me often, which is why I (unfortunate as it may be) rely so heavily on the first-rate advice I (all too often) get from my friends. I don’t solicit this advice, strangley, but they must sense that I’m lost or something because they always offer it. Things like what I should do, how I should do it, and what flavor Ben and Jerry’s I should buy. It would be an understatement to say that they are a major influence in my life.
… which is also why I tend to run in large figure eights so much; with no apparent destination and only a haphazard approached on how I'm going to get there. But hey, they’re just looking out for me, with only the best of intentions in mind… right? (except for maybe that time when they tricked me into thinking it was OK to order a-number-11-HOT-on-a-scale-of-10 spicy spaghetti dinner. that was not cool.)
Dassa Spicy Spaghetti
So, what about my friend’s ideas, you say. (True, you probably didn’t say it out loud, but I’m sure you were wondering.) Well…for instance, I have this one friend, let’s say his name is Jimbo for anonymity’s sake (His name really isn’t Jimbo, but you understand I can’t unveil the sources for all my great ideas, don’t you?)
Jimbo
… Well, tonight Jimbo suggested that (his girlfriend) Lisa, (our mutual estranged friend) Alanna, he, and I get together and do breakfast some time. He was mumbling something about being on a plane, or traveling, or missing us or something… I don’t know, or much care… but getting breakfast!!… now, that’s a top notch idea! In fact, it was such a great idea that I immediately considered rewarding him for having such a great idea by moving him to the top spot on my myspace page (I decided against such a rash move in the end), and insisted that we do breakfast, minus 1 Alanna (I think she moved to Mexico), tomorrow night.
So, breakfast it is… and I can’t wait.
Of course, no one has actually confirmed that they want to do breakfast with me yet… but it’s such a great idea that I don’t care. I’m not going to let this one slip by!! Tomorrow night, come rain or shine, or no one home, I’ll be standing at Lisa’s front door with a can of whipped cream in one hand and a bottle of sweet maple syrup flavoring in the other. I only hope that someone let's me in before the neighbors call the cops.
I love breakfast for dinner.
October 3, 2006
Still working on the comments
Comments still broken... working on them, folks!
October 2, 2006
Stupid 500 errors
CGI scripts are making me sad.