DigiCam 2.0
Posted by: j_john
My life in pictures is back. Having spent the past couple months without a digicam after losing it at a Blazers game, I am now the proud owner of a Canon PowerShot SD450--which unfortunately arrived with a dead pixel :(
Now I can rejoin my friends on Flickr, document the exciting upcoming LA E3 trip and my cousin's wedding, and generally feel connected again.
First shot with my new camera was my new all-black adidas Rod Lavers, followed by the trippy new TOOL CD packaging.
From: January 23 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Found In Car
Posted by: j_john
Last night I found a note stuck in my driver's side door. Finding a note can be a fun occurrence. Could it be a secret admirer or some old friend that wanted to say hi? Oh the mystery, until you open the note...
Which reads:
Ryan, Why did you bother asking me to hang?
You officialy suck!!!!
I've been caling since 6:30, camedown here @ 7:45 (got mom's car)
and waited until 9:15--going home now--u suck!
Typos and awesome spellings have been left intact. While this may not qualify for found magazine, I thought I'd share.
From: January 23 | Comments (2) | Permalink
Ultimate Inspiration, More Videos
Posted by: j_john
Over at Ultimate Blogger 2 HQ, the dudes are apparently drawing inspiration from so so deep. Check out the 4th Challenge. Three photos showing different sides of their personalities? Sounds a lot like my recent animated gif!
Plus, I'm pretty pumped they followed through on my dunking idea.
Finally, I put up a couple more (older) videos Water Hazzard and Elmer On The Go on vimeo.
From: January 23 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Stolen Soothers
Posted by: j_john
Hopefully Steve won't feel like I'm encroaching on his net-niche, but I figured I'd finally join vimeo (I think it didn't like my prior attempts to sign in under various forms of "J_John") and post a clip of video I took last week at the Seattle Aquarium. To accompany the visuals I decided to use a recently acquired track of the menu music for the Nintendo Gamecube. The audio had some hiccups, so I just ran with it and used it as a beat, adding a bit of echo and panning the sound. Uncle said it soothed him, so I guess I done good.
From: January 23 | Comments (3) | Permalink
Chchch Changes
Posted by: j_john
After this week's big Willamette Week cover story on Urban Honking, (in which the print edition contains an exclusive press photo Daniel took of me awhile back) I took a long, hard look at myself. 2005 was spent growing my hair out with no set goal, and a couple months into 2006 I wasn't feeling it anymore. So, I present a metamorphosis of myself within a two-hour period.
The nice lady at Rudy's who cut my hair seemed to have fun clipping off the locks, but her co-worker was trying to convince me to keep it long. I was reassured by my stylist who said "everyone is growing their hair out now, so therefore you should get it cut."
Also, she didn't know what a blog was, but we listened to some old Cure and all was good.
From: January 23 | Comments (3) | Permalink
A New Course
Posted by: j_john
Wow, this internet was totally dead. First, a self-imposed exile, and then a server move and some personal turmoil, and here we are in the middle of February, Two-Thousand and Six. I have some catching up to do, but as a dedicated documentarian I will get back on course, and as you can see, I am already at work:
From: January 23 | Comments (4) | Permalink
Victory!
Posted by: j_john
It's been a slow few weeks here, but in my defense I was waiting with baited breath to find out the results from the mustache competition, and it turns out I won!
Check out all the details on the new Make It Happen site.
It feels great to finally win something this year (after losing the Sexiest Indie Gamer Contest, and coming in second in both the Pizza Challenge and the FIFA Videogame Tournament). However, I would have appreciated this victory even more if I had gained the validation of my mustache-wearing family members during the recent Thanksgiving holiday:
Instead of acceptance into this exclusive club, I was informed I would be denied entrance, due to the insincerity of my growth. These hairy-lipped lifers saw through my 6-week charade, and after a few too many comments I left the ultra-manly lifestyle and returned to my usual non-stachin look. (Although I got the sense my father was proud to have borne a son who could achieve such thick growth).
From: January 23 | Comments (2) | Permalink
Freelance Copyediting
Posted by: j_john
While perusing the CNN web site yesterday I noticed a typo in the title to the article Mars rover begins descent from summit--the word "descent" was missing its "s", and it was really weird and obvious to me.
I decided to see if I could take care of this mistake, (utilizing an inside connection of mine), and sure enough, 5 minutes later "decent" was now "descent"--small work, but fairly gratifying.
From: January 23 | Comments (5) | Permalink
The End
Posted by: j_john
Phew! I made it to the end of the blog-a-thon. I am quite ready to have a break from writing, but I must admit that it challenged me to create content I might have avoided. Here are a few things I learned over the past week:
1. Writing about music is tough. I have a new appreciation for what Zac and Steve do on GBOAT, since it took me way too long to come up with one article about The Verve.
2. Films are next in the difficulty department. This is why I watch a lot of documentaries but only blog about a few on MNP.
3. Video-games are probably the easiest topic to create content for--I'm not entirely sure why this seems to be the case, but I think it has something to do with the culture that surrounds them--there isn't much pretense about gaming, so I don't necessarily have to try so hard to describe why I like or am interested in this subject. I should write more for Game Thumb.
4. Photo-blogging is still blogging. Even if it feels like I cheated and made it easier by not writing so much, I tried to post photos with a story and personality.
Well, I am going to start watching some more of Ricky Gervais' new show Extras. Ben Stiller gets made fun of in the first one, which is pretty damn rad.
From: January 23 | Comments (2) | Permalink
My Stache And I
Posted by: j_john
Apparently I can't get enough of the mustache--I had way too much fun "trying on" different styles with Photoshop for my post last night, then I found out about this application that let's you try out default styles--classics like the Hitler, the English Gentlemen, and the Ben Affleck. It was also incredibly fun, even if it wasn't quite as customizable as I'd like it to be.
However, it does serve its purpose, which is to decide which styles look best on your face--so these are the ones I'm thinking of aiming for:
I guess I find this subject legitimately fascinating, as it makes me question the general assumptions behind wanting to grow facial hair above one's lip. There is probably too much association with a blue-collar, tough-man vibe, but I think it represents an opportunity to be expressive in a way I've never tried before.
From: January 23 | Comments (1) | Permalink
Stache Day 2 (plus)
Posted by: j_john
Whoa, check out the progress I made over the past 5 hours:
You other competitors are done for!
From: January 23 | Comments (1) | Permalink
A Day In Pictures
Posted by: j_john
I had a nice walk in the wonderful fall weather today, and this is what I found:
I've wanted to take a photo of these ads to post to the turtle times forum--I kind of like the campaign (it's certainly eye-catching), but ultimately it seems a bit too silly.
What the hell are these things?! They are everywhere, and are annoying. Anyone?
These shoes were found in the middle of the sidewalk on W. Burnside (by Jackpot Records). Wonder what happened to the owner...
From: January 23 | Comments (4) | Permalink
Sold!
Posted by: j_john
I'm certainly not on my way to becoming a PowerSeller, but I did just sell my first item on eBay. I had previously listed the same video game the week prior and had too high of a reserve price. (This time I set it with no reserve and a slightly lower shipping cost.) Even though it didn't sell for more than I originally paid for (I'm losing a few dollars), it was an interesting experience, and certainly helped by the "sizzle" that Mike helped me add to the description.
From: January 23 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Blog-A-Thon
Posted by: j_john
Welcome to the first entry in the week-long blog-a-thon!
On Friday I was talking to Mike about how I'd like to blog more frequently, if only it didn't take me so long to write, edit, and format my photos. He then challenged me to be more efficient with my blogging--and that is what I aim to do over the next 7 days and 14 entries. I've taken notes about ideas I've been meaning to write about, so hopefully the content won't be quantity over quality (on a sidenote--does anyone remember hearing the opposite of that adage during the lifespan of the Nintendo 64?).
Not only will I be posting to So So Deep, but watch out for entries on Game Thumb, True Fan, GBOAT and MNP (and more?!).
Okay, let's start blogging!!!
From: January 23 | Comments (3) | Permalink
Jona Vs. Crab
Posted by: j_john
A few weeks ago I went to the Oregon Coast Aquarium (aquarium.org?!--whoa!) to see their turtle exhibit. You can check out the photos here-- I also shot some video, most of it didn't turn out that great due to low-light conditions, but this crab sure was a true performer. Mike and I decided to spend some MNP time making this short video:
Also, be sure to head to Astoria on Saturday August 27th for the awesome Catch That Beat festival!
From: January 23 | Comments (5) | Permalink
Found On Ground
Posted by: j_john
In the past few days I have found:
1. One fancy cake cutter with broken glass handle on the floor of the main floor men's room at the theatre.
2. Unopened bag of Reese's bites candy (which I decided I should try) while cleaning up an auditorium at night.
3. Twenty dollars on the sidewalk outside of the Pita Pit in downtown Portland.
From: January 23 | Comments (1) | Permalink
Land O Lakes Surprise
Posted by: j_john
I decided to share some juvenile humor from my youth on the Urban Honking projections page.
From: January 23 | Comments (2) | Permalink
Miscellaneous Matters
Posted by: j_john
Since summer finally hit Portland, I should probably go outside, but I will say a few things first.
I've been posting again to the Middle Names Productions documentary blog, check out my comments on "The Aristocrats" and "March of the Penguins."
After a bunch of recent positive feedback regarding my old yoga mix CD that I've been playing at the theatre (including a guy who wanted one so much he gave me $10) I decided to make a second volume of kind, mellow vibes. Here's the playlist:
01. Franz Pritchard--beings of light
02. Peace Orchestra--the man part 1
03. The American Analog Set--two way diamond I
04. Brian Eno--drift
05. The Album Leaf--streamside
06. Sigur Rós--(intro)
07. Hilmar Örn Hilmarsson--memory
08. Björk--batabid
09. Múm--behind two hills...a swimmingpool
10. Kevin Shields--goodbye
11. Lanterna--smoke
12. Loscil--brittle
13. Four Tet--leila came round and we watched a video
14. Landing--feel, and the seas fill
15. Red House Painters--instrumental
16. Ride--king bullshit
17. The Clientele--prelude
18. Pulseprogramming--line
19. Surface Of Ecyeon--silence beheads us
20. Radiohead--treefingers
21. Slowdive--visions of la
22. Mogwai--radar maker
23. Yo La Tengo--green arrow
24. Lloyd Cole--headlights
25. Jon Brion--spotless mind
26. Aphex Twin--avril 14th
I plan on organizing my Flickr photos into more sets like these turtle and eating ones.
The HottDenn (official residence of SSD and MNP) is combating the rising temperatures surprisingly well--be sure to check out our glorious burger creation.
Stay tuned for a HottDenn historical retrospective!
From: January 23 | Comments (0) | Permalink
SEE-SAW-SPRING
Posted by: j_john
My rad friend Martha is visiting from Chicago, so I made another animated gif:
From: January 23 | Comments (2) | Permalink
Money Made Easy
Posted by: j_john
In early March, after seeing the legendary AC Dickson presentation Ebay Powerseller at Reed College I could hardly contain my excitement. I wanted everyone to know what an inspiring experience it was, and I quickly developed some potential selling avenues I would explore. A couple of months later I have yet to sell a single item on Ebay, but the fever of potential additional income has apparently permeated the Afryl family, as I found myself following my sister Marni to a seminar today at the Lloyd Center Doubletree: "4X Made Easy."
4X is a way of saying "Foreign Currency Exchange" with sexier overtones. Basically we listened to someone talk about how easy it was to make money buying and selling currency using their patented software. All you have to do is follow color coded lines and you will be raking in the dough! There was talk of "pajama trades" made late at night while watching Jay Leno, or spending time at the beach with your laptop making tons of money. It sounded so simplistic and sketchy, but our host kept assuring us anyone could be on the fast track to financial excess.
I wish I had the balls to take a photo of our slick, professional-yet-relaxed presenter--Marni quickly noted "his casual attire is not convincing" but after initially assuming we wouldn't last more than 30 minutes we eventually found ourselves sticking around for the full workshop. At the end they hit you with the total software/support cost of over 6 grand, then make it seem like you can get an amazing discount of 60% if you sign up right away. (Of course the stuff wasn't Mac compatible.)
On the way out, I found myself agreeing with the guy in front of us when he quipped "I'd rather play Blackjack."
From: January 23 | Comments (12) | Permalink
::::::::::::::::::
Posted by: j_john
Another quiet few weeks here, although I did post a recipe of sorts on digest, as well as an entry on the history of April Fools jokes in EGM.
Took a short road trip to Seattle with Josh, Mike and Curt for the EMP Pop Conference entitled "Music as Masquerade: Poseurs, Playas, and Beyond". Despite my extreme tiredness (which resulted in me dropping my digi-cam--sad face), I enjoyed the nerdy discussion and analytical nature of the presenters. For more information, I recommend reading the report filed on kmikeym's blog.
I also attended my first match of the new Timbers season at PGE Park with Ryan, Josh, and new fan Azure.
My free month of Netflix ended on a strong note, as I finished up the UP series and also snuck in a few guilty pleasures. This is what I watched:
--Devil's Playground--good documentary about Amish kids, although the Aphex Twin and Múm soundtrack distracted me.
--Battle Royale: Special Edition--quite enjoyable, despite the poor ending.
--Wicker Park--ugh, forgettable remake of "L'Appartement."
--Before Night Falls--Diego Luna looks real young and innocent.
--The Manchurian Candidate--kind of expected to hate this, but kind of liked it.
--Remember Me, My Love--not as good as I was hoping, but Monica Bellucci made it worthwhile.
--42 Up--the best of the series, especially with the director's commentary
--35, 28, and 21 Up--7 years is enough to make most anyone boring and predictable.
--The Twilight Samurai--excellent realistic samurai film
--Curb Your Enthusiasm: Season 3--maybe not as good as season 2, but still real funny.
--The Terminal--worst Netflix movie by far. Totally awful.
--Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle--FUNNYSTUFF.
--Sherman's March--weird documentary about a man's quest for relationship fulfillment. Good use of the documentary medium, if a bit long.
--Seven Up / 7 Plus Seven--the start of it all.
From: January 23 | Comments (4) | Permalink
UP date
Posted by: j_john
Looks like this blog isn't going to update itself, so let's see what's happened the past month.
I finished February on a bit of a gaming binge--playing through Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door, Resident Evil 4, and The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap. Fun times, but I had to take a bit of a break and concentrate on some other activities.
My iPod shuffle armband finally arrived in the mail, and I was excited to try it out. It works wonderfully well and even fits my small frame--its like a little dock attached to my arm! I've added weightlifting to my regular exercise routine to continue my knee rehabilitation, so if anyone feels like sending me awesome "pump up your life" type workout songs, I would graciously accept them.
I've recently been devouring documentaries at a rapid pace after being set up with a free, month-long subscription to Netflix. Currently I'm watching Michael Apted's "Up Series" that was done for British television. Great use of the documentary medium, but I think I might get more out of them if I had to wait 7 years in between each viewing.
In other media related news, I recorded another contest--this time it was Noby's unsuccessful attempt to beat a local sushi plate eating record. Even though he couldn't make it to 30 plates consumed I think I still have some entertaining content. Look for the video on Panic's web site sometime in the near future.
Other odds and ends:
I won the work Oscar pick pool, correctly guessing 11 of 12 categories. (I only missed best supporting actress.)
Finished reading Malcom Gladwell's "The Tipping Point" which was quite enjoyable and enlightening.
Saw my first show at the new(ish) Doug Fir--the Kings of Convenience. What a great sound system! I had a terrific time even if there was a bit too much banter and dead time, what with the nail filing and the cell phone showing off.
I checked out the NW Documentary screening at the Hollywood this past Friday, and it was interesting to see what the latest group came up with. I've only been able to catch bits and pieces of previous projects, so it was good to see the final results. Inevitably it made me want to tackle another project.
My friend Azure returned from her long stay in Europe (she even sent me a postcard from my native Croatia), while Fiona flew to Spain for a chance to study medicine and brush up on some language skills. With the lady gone, Mike and I are making some good progress in our attempt to complete San Andreas with a 100% rating.
From: January 23 | Comments (4) | Permalink
On The Road Again
Posted by: j_john
Two weeks and $550 dollars later I am no longer confined to the world of tri-met--the Jetta is back. It was actually kind of nice riding the MAX around, as it gave me plenty of time to catch up on some issues of The New Yorker and this great new book that Marisa got me: The Tipping Point.
I had a pretty decent service experience with the folks at the Hawthorne Auto Clinic. Apparently they are rated real high on environmental concern lists, but then again, they're on Hawthorne so what would you expect?
For its first ride after a long break I treated my car to a wash and a Target run. At Target I exchanged some DS videogames for Resident Evil 4--which I am excited about getting into after seeing Cabel jump and scream a lot at all those disgruntled European villagers.
Today I also added some content and spiced up my latest group blog:
Cinema Scope.
I leave you with yet another photo of Elmer, this time she climbed up on her cave!
From: January 23 | Comments (5) | Permalink
UGH
Posted by: j_john
I usually stay away from using this blog for "deep" personal confession, but today I have to make an exception.
Tuesday January 25th began with a doctor's appointment at the Rebound Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Clinic in the Rose Quarter. I had to drag myself out of bed and drive down there because I was late, then look forever for the parking ramp, then rush to the office only to have to wait for over an hour. It was a strange place, mostly full of dudes with canes and crutches. I felt old and wondered if I would be the guy in crutches some day. I would have pondered this possible future more had I not been so tired and began to nod off, only to be awoken to the sounds of "Joseph?"
It took me awhile to realize I was indeed this "Joseph", and I followed the assistant to the sterile room overlooking the parking garage I found so difficult to locate. As I sat down on the examining table the assistant informed me that my x-rays never arrived from the imaging clinic I had visited over a month ago. Great. I asked why such an error could have occurred when I had arranged to have them sent over two weeks prior. His response was "oh, it's not the fault of the doctor's office, it's the specific clinic where the MRI took place. Yeah, this happens about 80% of the time." What?! If it happens so frequently, WHY DOESN'T ANYONE DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT?! OR, BETTER YET, WHY DIDN'T THEY TELL ME AND I WOULD HAVE PICKED THE EFFING X-RAYS UP MYSELF?!
So I basically waited for the new doctor to come in and perform similar poking and prodding techniques as the first doctor I visited, only this time not as thorough. He threw a bunch of jargon around about possible this and possible that ("meniscus" and "PCL" being the most used words), but never said anything that made me feel like he was confident I would be okay. "Yeah, just keep doing the gym exercises and if it hasn't gotten better in 6 weeks, give us a call." GREAT.
Then I had a rather boring afternoon and evening until I attempted to find a parking space in the infamous NW Portland neighborhood I live in...when my car died. I tried the "let it cool down, then try starting it" technique, and pretended to see if I could diagnose the problem by lifting the hood up. I then decided to call (and wake-up) my handy roommate Pete who graciously came out and helped me push my car to a parking space. Oh, and a couple of good samaritans joined in as well (Here's to people helping me out with car trouble!) Who knows what the future holds for my tired body and my tired Jetta. I'm going to bed.
From: January 23 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Happy Holidays
Posted by: j_john
From: January 23 | Comments (5) | Permalink
So So Early
Posted by: j_john
Where do you go when you show up 24 hours early for your return flight from Raleigh, North Carolina?
Gypsy's Shiny Diner of course.
Best shiny diner ever.
From: January 23 | Comments (0) | Permalink
so so blue
Posted by: j_john
Re-design time! Hope everyone likes the newer, bluer so so deep. Just in time for our new election...I voted weeks ago, hope everyone gets out there today if they don't live in the OR.
Also--I totally joined Flickr. Click on the images for a larger version. I'm a bit dissapointed I didn't get to break out the soccer rocker in his full glory, but I'm planning on keeping that character in my repertoire.
Oh, and I'm now an amateur graphic-designer:
Grindhouse Posters.
From: January 23 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Double Rainbow
Posted by: j_john
Totally awesome discovery! Not to be confused with the amazing San Francisco
ice cream.
From: January 23 | Comments (1) | Permalink
New Scene
Posted by: j_john
Thanks to the always awesome Curt Merrill for helping my fight against the neverending comment spam. There are a bunch of things I've been meaning to post, but for right now I just have this:
Some call him Grunty. Steve and I tried to turn him into the "rally cat" to help our beloved Minnesota Twins overcome the infamous New York Yankees, but it didn't work out. Sorry about making you look dumb little dude.
From: January 23 | Comments (1) | Permalink
DigiCam Discoveries
Posted by: j_john
One of the great joys in my life is spending hours on the Web conducting research for my next gadget purchase. I waited not so patiently for the DVSpot review of my camcorder last winter, and now I am back again to find out what digital camera I want.
Two sites I have been using are dealcam.com (for the best prices) and dcresource.com for the most informative, in-depth reviews (the editor writes for MacWorld). I'm leaning towards the sleek Canon PowerShot SD10 Digital ELPH.
While on the dealcam site
I was a bit curious to find out there was a company listed as "Oregon" that made digital cameras, and here is what I found: Oregon Scientific creates a variety of timepieces, telecommunication devices and health and fitness products, and also happens to be a proud supporter of the US Sailing Team. However, what caught my eye was their partnership with Philippe Starck, renowned designer of artistic home and office products previously found at Target stores.
I love this guy's quotes:
"You wanna talk design? I hate that! You might as well go home"
"I'm trying to move towards making objects which are honest, objects for non-consumers, for modern rebels"
"We have to replace beauty, which is a cultural concept, with goodness, which is a humanist concept"
"Everyone should be pondering, asking themselves questions about life, money, desire, war, themselves"
"I create things with which I surround myself, and which allow me to exist. When I Stop producing, I will disappear"
From: January 23 | Comments (2) | Permalink
Blue in the Face
Posted by: j_john
Say hello to my celebrity doppelgänger, Mr. Callum Blue.
While talking to Richard last night at the theatre he asked me if I'd heard of this new show on Showtime, Dead Like Me. I hadn't, but he said he came across a photo of an actor on the show who looked like me. I was excited, because I'd recently been trying to put together a celebrity look-alike section of employees and volunteers at work, and I didn't have anyone yet for myself.
So, what do you think? Mr. Blue is a British man who will turn 27 in two days, and can most recently be seen on the big screen in "The Princess Diaries 2."
From: January 23 | Comments (6) | Permalink
Happy 2nd Half of 2004
Posted by: j_john
I haven't updated for a couple of weeks since the Euros have been occupying a great deal of my free time. Only two more matches left, and there have been some huge upsets so far. I'm probably going to suffer from withdrawl after the tournament is over but I'm also looking forward to taking care of some neglected video projects.
Well, the Crane Off is done and awaits some test audience reactions before we schedule a public screening. Hopefully I can show it at the theatre, if not maybe the Cupcake will let us do something. I'm fairly happy with how it turned out, but after watching the amazing Off The Charts documentary this past weekend there are so many new ideas and techniques I wish I could implement.
From: January 23 | Comments (0) | Permalink
On The Run
Posted by: j_john
I've recently been solicited by finishshots.com promoting a range of photographs featuring myself competing in the Cinco De Mayo run last month. Rather than ordering plaques, wallet-sized and photo magnets I decided instead to head over to their Web site and grabbed these unflattering, poor quality images:
After checking out the "official" results I'm a bit annoyed that my time is displayed after people I passed before the finish line. In addition I was also apparently slower than two toddlers who have yet to reach their first birthday. Oh well, I can't dispute the Shamrock Run results from my previous run in March...I placed 11th alphabetically!
From: January 23 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Additional Archives
Posted by: j_john
Finished moving the rest of the old blogspot entries over. Reminded myself how dissapointing it was to never find a pair of those adidas olso's last summer. Maybe I'll try the ebay.
From: January 23 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Archival Additions
Posted by: j_john
After spending a few hours working my "new job" updating the Hollywood Theatre Web site, I decided to finally add some old so so deep entries from August 2003.
It was especially rewarding to relive the memories of competitive eating. Such a simpler time, ol' August of MMIII.
From: January 23 | Comments (0) | Permalink
The Kindness and Cruelty of Strangers
Posted by: j_john
First off, a big EFF YOU! to the dude or dudes who SLASHED MY TIRES this past weekend. You may have tried to break me, but listen to this:
Overshadowing that painful discovery is the kindness shown to me by my new cute girl buddies from Salem. They saw me with my flat tires and proceeded to knock on my window, jump in my car, and call AAA for me, then wait for 20 minutes until the guy with the flatbed tow-truck arrived. Where did they come from? Who sent them to me? I am forever grateful.
From: January 23 | Comments (3) | Permalink
Smartness in Seattle, etc.
Posted by: j_john
I found this page with graphs that illustrate the answer to such questions as "What city has the highest percentage of educated people?" and "What National League stadium sells the most hot dogs?"
Well they sure didn't get smart reading USA TODAY.
From: January 23 | Comments (5) | Permalink
City Slicker 2
Posted by: j_john
I'm tired and am currently not looking forward to the Cinco de Mayo run tomorrow morning. Regardless, I owe a big thanks to Ms. Stapleton for helping me experience "The Great Outdoors™" the past two days while at Silver Falls State Park.
I can't speak highly enough of this beautiful area so close to Portland--there are 10 waterfalls that you can see in just a few short hours of hiking. Some of which you can walk behind, "Last of the Mohicans"-style. Jenny was dissapointed that we didn't run into any mountain lions, but I was content that the weather was perfect for my first camping experience since I left the Boy Scouts of America about a dozen years ago.
From: January 23 | Comments (3) | Permalink
City Slicker
Posted by: j_john
St. Paul, MN:
Woke up to get the trusty paper, the StarTribune, and was greeted by the local deer population. Later I went for a run and had a lengthy staredown with an emaciated fox. He finally got out of my way but stayed interested in my pace (or perhaps he wanted my iPod). Squirrels with red coats and acorns are everywhere, and it's leading me to think that I need more nature in my life.
Next up, a run around Pleasant Lake.
From: January 23 | Comments (1) | Permalink
(Kelly) Green Day
Posted by: j_john
Another beautiful day in Portland, and since it also happens to be St. Patrick's Day it's another great opportunity to show off the joy that is the color kelly green.
From: January 23 | Comments (1) | Permalink
Tripleheader
Posted by: j_john
Well I finally got to see my Wolves "live" and "in action", although the argument could be made that they weren't much "alive" and "active" in their disheartening 92-79 loss to the Blazers Wednesday night. Jumping to an early 9-0 lead, the Wolves looked on track to victory, only to allow Damon to light up a comeback, which in turn sent me on a search for more beer and some dinner.
I watched a majority of the third quarter on a big-screen TV while my mates Steve and Josh checked out the Irish dancing girls. Then we made the second-half (4th quarter to be precise) sneak to some amazing seats. It was great to be so close to the action even if I knew my team didn't have much of a chance, and I could check out those adidas that KG has been sporting this season. Oh, and the three of us were pretty sure that the lady with lots of love on her fingers and with a little one (and another in the oven) was a player's wife, but the best guess we had for the hubby was Damon. Anyone know the marital status of the Blazers?
After the game I dropped off Josh and Steve and I made our way to the Broadway Metroplex to check out a late show of Starsky and Hutch. We had to detour and stop by Voodoo Doughnuts though, and were promplty asked if we were there to compete in the COCK FEST, which would apparently allow us to celebrate both our love of doughnuts and our manhood. We declined, bought some tasty treats and headed to catch that movie.
Starsky and such was actually kind of fun, considering I'd never seen the show, had low expectations, and was looking forward to anything that would take my mind off that game. Stiller sure does need to get a new routine, but at least I'm not sick of Owen Wilson yet. Snoop stole all the scenes he was in, and there was a terrific small role for everyone's favorite former SNL funnyman. And Har Mar Superstar is in it.
From: January 23 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Something Personal
Posted by: j_john
There haven't been many updates recently due to a deeper concentration on editing the Crane-Off documentary. Final Cut Pro is kind of kicking my ass right now, or more specifically, Live Type is the thing that's most annoying. I suppose I could take a class on these applications, but I can't really justify the expense, so instead I bought a book that is so big it makes it that much more difficult to find the things I need. Despite these difficulties, I'm still hoping to get this thing done by St. Patrick's Day.
Speaking of St. Pat's--I recently made the decision to enter the Shamrock Run this year. I'd talked about it the past two years but ended up not doing it because of finances and the 7:45 am start time. No excuses now. After all, it's sponsored by everyone's favorite kangaroo killer, adidas.
While we're on the subject of adidas, I am really enjoying my brand-new Rod Laver, black "quilted" tennis shoes.
Finally, here's something that I find both scary and awesome.
From: January 23 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Y.A.C.H.T. to the rescue
Posted by: j_john
Ok, so I got this new computer last week--but I'd never had to deal with the concept of transfering files and reinstalling applications, so I was feeling a bit stumped. Well, a quick chat with my old roommate Jona eased my worries, and soon enough (after we got him his Mr. Moto fuel) I had him helping me customize my new computer. This dude can work on two computers at one time! Thank you Mr. Y>A>C>H>T> for making my life more awesome, and say hello to "El Cielo."
From: January 23 | Comments (6) | Permalink
The Importance of Being Important
Posted by: j_john
I'd like to share some "So So Deep Thoughts" courtesy of Mr. Lajos Egri and his amazing book "The Art of Dramat!c Wr!t!ng."
>>Immortality!
Yes, we all crave attention. We want to be important, immortal. We want to do things that will make people exclaim, "Isn't he wonderful?"
If we can't create something useful or beautiful...we shall certainly create something else: trouble.
TROUBLE!!!
Motherhood is a creation. It is the beginning of immortality. Perhaps this is one of the reasons women are less inclined toward philandering than men.<<
Hope you found that insightful. If not, perhpas Erich Fromm's words of wisdom, as found in Albert Low's "Zen and Creative Managment" will inspire you:
>>Are we confronted with a tragic, insolvable dilemma? Must we produce a sick people in order to have a healthy economy, or can we use our material resources, our inventions, our computers to serve the ends of man? Must individuals be passive and dependent in order to have strong and well-functioning organizations?<<
From: January 23 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Snow Day
Posted by: j_john
The Hott Denn is a glorious place to be right now--warm and toasty, with a good view of the action...which as far as I can tell, is a mix of snow, sleet and wind. I recently found out the theatre is closed tonight, so I'm trying to make use of the new-found free-time to finish some old projects. CD's are burned, videogames are played, movies (and commentary) are watched, and the Tetris Video even had some more edits made to it. Thank you Mother Earth for making me more productive.
From: January 23 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Back from the S>T>P>
Posted by: j_john
Here we are at the end of another year. Sure seems cold in Portland--I must have taken the weather from Minnesota back with me. Actually it wasn't bad at all in the STP, especially when I was expected single digit temps and instead was greeted with highs in the 30s. Hell, on my last day it was warmer in MN than in Portland...
Holidays with the family were quite fun--5 straight days and no arguments. Just plenty of food, drink, and Scrabble. My sister found a 14 inch iBook under the tree and I'm the proud owner of a new camcorder. Speaking of awesome gifts, I came across this great article asking NBA players what their favorite Christmas gift were. Looks like Wally World and I have something in common.
Oh, and for the first time in years, my sister gave me a gift that I didn't already have--totally rad!
From: January 23 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Back to the S>T>P>
Posted by: j_john
Just a few more hours before I begin the arduous journey back to St. Paul. Having a connecting flight in Denver will hopefully just allow me more time to get caught up on reading and my latest GBA game Fire Emblem before I have to deal with the cold. Actually, things aren't looking so bad--high in the 30s today. Let's see what my old boss has to say.
Better finish my iPod playlist and pack some stuff...
From: January 23 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Assessing the competition
Posted by: j_john
This is what happens when you wonder how well you are branding yourself:
So Deep Companies
So, Soooo Deep...Creations
Check out what they will sell you:
I, however, will sell you nothing except maybe a good mix CD to use while you do yoga.
From: January 23 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Fake Free Monies
Posted by: j_john
This past week I received both of my rebates for my new cell phone--a fairly prompt response considering those type of things seem to take many months. Forgetting the actual real money I had already spent, I came up with a few items that I want to spend $$ on:
1. GameBoy Player. Mike checked this thing out at Cabel's and said I needed to get it. Mike usually knows what I need.
2. Digital Camera. After being the last person on the block to get an iPod, I am now thinking about how much use I could get out of a new toy like this. My 35mm is dying--it's time to upgrade.
3. More Memory. The initial 256 just isn't cutting it these days when I try to get things done on my vintage 2002 iMac.
4. Camcorder. Talk is cheap. Camcorders are not. Projects would be easier and guilt-free if I had my own device.
From: January 23 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Happy Thanksgaming
Posted by: j_john
Had a great time in Arizona the past few days, the 
highlight being a 4-hour "City Slicker" horseback ride in the desert. Hopefully the folks with digital cameras will hook me up with some photos, since we all looked pretty awesome/stupid out there.
I also got to spend some quality time with the relatives, especially when I showed my 12-year old cousin my GBA SP--he wasn't so impressed with Boktai, but we went deep on Wario Ware, Inc..
From: January 23 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Redesigning My Life
Posted by: j_john
Welcome to my new world. I'm loving my new NES-inspired design that Curt and Mike hooked me up with, and I just added some new electronics to
make my movie viewing and video-game playing more enjoyable.
In other news, to make sure I don't totally get hooked-in to my new electronics setup, I'm currently making a mix CD for someone to use in their yoga class. YOGA!
From: January 23 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Hold on Hope
Posted by: j_john
Damn, why did I involve myself in the baseball playoffs after my Twins were eliminated? Well, because I wanted to cheer on whomever was playing against them, in this case the Boston Red Sox. Now, I have a little bit of history with the Sox, as they were my first baseball team I cheered for whilst living in the extreme Beantown suburb of Nashua, New Hampshire as a youngster. I remember wearing that classic dark blue hat with the ornate red "B" on it, sitting high up in the stands of Fenway, excited to be in a festive environment with thousands of other fans.
Those memories came back to me last night when I began cheering for the Sox to oust the inevitable New York Yankees from the American League Championship Series. I figured they had a pretty good chance, with their ace Pedro Martinez on the mound. They even took a lead with them into the late innings, and I cheered loudly when ex-Twin David Ortiz took David "Sloppy" Wells deep into the stands in right, extending their lead in the eigth inning. Of course the Yankees had history on their side, and eventually came back to win the game in extra innings, prompting me to remind myself why sports like baseball, basketball and soccer are perpetually dissappointing. The same teams always seem to win, yet I will continue to watch the games just in case something unexpected happens. There is always at least a little bit of hope that the Yankees, Lakers, or Man. U Red Devils will lose in the end.
Down with them all
From: January 23 | Comments (0) | Permalink
"Pat Benatar's boyfriend"
Posted by: j_john
Had an amazing time the other night at this Japanese restaurant Bush Garden. Jenny and I were hoping to see Lost in Translation, but plans fell through and we almost opted for a viewing of the Concert for George Harrison film, but instead hit the Garden for some drinks and tempurah. Little did we know that the mostly empty lounge area would soon be overtaken by about 30 Japanese businessmen. They walked in and promptly took over the karaoke machine, singing some great versions of western pop hits, and a lot of stuff from The Beatles. So instead of seeing Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson on screen in the land of the rising sun, it came to us en vivo! Not only that but we got to hear some Beatles songs as well.
Good stiff drinks and cheap chow made it a real winner in my book, and I got to hear Jenny break out some killer vocal cords on a Pat Benatar song. At the end of the night I was one of the few folks who hadn't braved the stage, which prompted some to try and persuade me to get up there, but I wasn't having it--those folks just didn't realize what they might inflict upon themselves. I am quite possibly THE WORST SINGER alive...so so bad you might say. And they called me Pat Benatar's boyfriend........
From: January 23 | Comments (0) | Permalink
It's called Friendster, not "Fuckster" or "Makeoutster"
Posted by: j_john
I realize a post about Friendster is about as new and relevant as Pokemon, but I've been thinking recently about Mike's claim to possibly be the first Friendster. I found an article in the Village Voice which, along with the recent Willamette Week one, mentions "by May, just three months after its beta release, the site had grown to over 300,000 users."
Huh? Where is this information coming from? Three months before May would be February, and I was clued into the F-ster back in late 2002. Sometimes I think Mike is connected to some inner-circle of intelligence which he uses to disperse his knowledge to the masses...
Anyway, after finally fully accepting the concept of Friendster a few weeks ago I have already become somewhat bored with it. I like what this piece has to say about the new less-intense dating applications of it, but who really feels like keeping in contact with 200,000 "friends"?
From: January 23 | Comments (0) | Permalink
The Other Birdman
Posted by: j_john
Wonder if Rob knows about this awesome dude...
God of the Skies
He gives as his short cv: "Military sports school in 1991 after training mechanics (motorcycles); started skydiving in 1986; professional since 1997" He gets paid to jump off stuff!
From: January 23 | Comments (0) | Permalink
Accomplishments of the Underemployed
Posted by: j_john
This is what constitutes a busy day for me:
Friday July 25, 2003--
1.Started blog.
2.Went for a run.
3.Consumed 3 burritos.
4.Finished PS2 game "Onimusha 2: Samurai's Destiny".
5.Continued to inch forward towards the conclusion of "Fellowship of the Ring".
6.Compiled "Best of Bjork" mix.
7.Saw former good friend Starr L'Ahrens (apparently a proud supporter of Cuba).
It's a wonder I'm even able to remember it all...I need to take a break...and I didn't even watch a film..what's that motto again "A Day Without Film Is A Day Wasted"?? Better remedy that.
From: January 23 | Comments (0) | Permalink
The Beginning
Posted by: j_john
Blog begins...now
From: January 23 | Comments (0) | Permalink
