Snakes on the Plane

I was thinking that the plane ride down to St. Louis would have been much more interesting if there were in fact Snakes on a Plane.

Summer Reading

I'm a little disappointed that I only read two books this summer. My summer reading record, probably disappointing to some, was 11 books which included a few of Daniel Quinn's books, a re-read of all of Alex Garland's books, and 5 or 6 Star Wars novels (read "nerd"). Usually the summer serves as the perfect time to read all the material that doesn't pertain to work or school--as I'm usually away from one or the other, both mentally and physically--and the summer weather makes for an excellent outdoor reading environment. My schedule this summer was hectic and most of my reading was left to either late at night when I suffered from bouts of insomnia or while traveling to and from Seattle.

"The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien

I spent the first half of my summer reading this book. It was recommended to me back in college from my old roommate who was an English major first and a History minor second. He recommended the book not because of the great story telling but based upon the war stories of the soldiers of the Vietnam War. I enjoyed this book even though I’ve probably read over everything that makes this a repeated best-selling book. What I enjoyed most were how well the stories were told—I’ve never been a soldier and I’ve never been to war, but while reading this book I somehow felt as if I was sitting up in the trees or somewhere in the back of the pack witnessing first-hand the emotions of horror and mayhem the soldiers were going through. It was through O’Brien’s surrealistic tone and recollections from memory that made this book chilling and exciting.

"The Devil in the White City" by Eric Larson

I'm deeply fascinated by architecture, especially the history of architecture in the United States. This book was recommended to me in college as supplemental reading material when we discussed the White City and the formation of urban planning. The book was also recommended by girlfriend who knows about my fascination with architecture. Anyhow, this book is chalk-full of architectural history mostly pertaining to Chicago, the 1893 World's Fair, and the White City. From what I have been told, the architectural accounts of the book are all researched facts. At over 400 pages long, the amount of study and detail put into this book is incredible.

Did I mention the serial mass-murderer in the book? In this great account of U.S. architectural history, the author inter-weaves a serial mass-murderer into the storyline. As gruesome as the murderer was, I tended to gloss over his murderous ways in favor of the history. Yes, I’m a nerd.

Fallingwater

I've always wanted to visit Fallingwater. I'm a fan of Frank Lloyd Wright and Fallingwater is probably the most recognized Wright home. It's also one of my favorite examples of a home built into its environment. Unfortunately, this animation is probably as close as I will come.

At the Show

MxPx in Bremerton Tonight

Be there or be square.

Continuum

I have a love/hate relationship with John Mayer. Actually, I can't say that I love the guy, but I do like what he does. I like his guitar playing--he is a very talented and technical guitar player--probably one of the best of the singer/songwriters out there right now. I hate the lyrics to roughly 80% of his songs--save 3-4 songs per CD (prior to "Continuum"). I like his voice--it's very smooth and soulful, he knows his vocal range and doesn't overestimate his ability. I hate the face he makes when he sings--I don't know if he needs his meds or if he just shit himself. I like that he "knows" music and talented musicians. I hate that he's arrogant about it.

With all that said, I'm really enjoying his new album "Continuum." Mayer has come along way from the days of "running through the halls of my high-school." This album is a more mature Mayer exhibiting the higheset level of his guitar playing ability, song writing finesse, and ear for producing. There is substance to this CD that was lacking on his previous studio albums. I can't quite put my finger on what it is, but it's there. Of all the Mayer albums, he gets this one right--the CD speaks for itself and I highly recommend it.

Douchebag Until Further Notice

I shouldn't even be posting the video as it's title puts off the very city I am working in and trying to make a better place, but maybe if enough viewers e-mail the creator or reply to the video and help him realize that he is upset with a person and not the City that he might change the title of his video.

Your e-mail to him might go like the one I sent him earlier,

Hi.

There is a lot taking in place in Bremerton to help "right" the "wrong" impressions people might have about the city. If you don't believe it's taking place, I invite you downtown to where the change is starting to take place.

Bremerton has historically had an issue with slumlords and your issues with the Iguana's is no exception. A lot of the agencies who are tied to the cities revitalization are working to oust these slumlords in attempts to make the city more attractive for people to live in.

I ask that you reconsider the title of your video. Maybe if it were re-titled, "Joe Iguana is a douchebag" or "Joe Iguana is a rapist" it would degrade the Iguana's rather than the city.

Thanks for your time.

One Year Ago

On Sunday, my girlfriend and I reached a milestone in our relationship--we celebrated our one-year anniversary. Although it might not seem like such an accomplishment, it really is. Especially when you consider that my girlfriend and I are complete opposites--she, unorganized, messy, highly intelligent, and attractive and me, organized, clean, smart (ass), and odd-looking. For all my lacking qualities, she has, and visa-versa. The saying is true, "opposites attract."

For our first real date one year ago, that was outside of work, I asked my girlfriend to the Bumbershoot Music Festival with the promise that a bunch of my friends were going to attend and that it would be a lot of fun. Fast-forward to the day of the show and only one of my friends decides to show (I begged him to come with me the night before). Fast-forward to when we get to the show and somehow my only friend disappears into the Beer Garden an hour into the show only to return home 3 hours later without explanation of how he got home, with his departure I thought for sure I would be in "awkward silence hell."

Fortunately, we connected. We talked the entire time, we found we had similar interests (including music) and similar goals and dreams. It was unreal.

To celebrate our one-year anniversary, we went back to Bumbershoot. This year's show was just as special as the previous year. None of our friends came and like last year, we talked the entire time. This time around I was welcome to hold her hand, give her hugs, let her use me as a giant pillow, and kiss her when I wanted.

The last year has been without a doubt the best year of my life and I owe it all to my girlfriend. We have done a lot in the last year and we have great memories to carry with us. I don't know what's in store for the next year, but I am definitely looking forward to it.

The Roots on Letterman

Tight, Tight, Tight!

Personality Test

My Personality

Neuroticism	64
Extraversion	52
Openness To Experience	75
Agreeableness	33
Conscientiousness	93

Test Yourself Compare Yourself View Full Report MySpace Stuff, MySpace Codes and Personality Test by Pulseware Survey Software

iPod

Late last week I finally broke down and bought an iPod video. It's the 30GB model, black, used--came loaded with the finest R&B hits from the last 20 years and few episodes of Family Guy, and doesn't feature Bono singing.

I might be the last person on the internet to buy a mp3 player and if it weren't for the excellent price I got on the iPod, I probably would have never bought one. Now that I do have an mp3 player and have spent some quality time with it, I have to admit that it is quite handy. It comes in convenient in a lot of places I didn't think music would be, namely the toilet.

Car and Driver Review of '94 Ford Probe GT

Before my car was a piece of shit, it was a really good runner.

Wedding Season

Two weddings in two weeks.

On August 5th, I was on hand to see two of my good friends married, Erin and Olof.

There is something special about weddings that I can't place...they are better than any Holiday gathering of friends or family, better than any graduation ceremony, better than any award banquet, better than any random last-minute get together, etc. No matter if you are unfamiliar with the two who will be tying the knot or if you are the emcee hosting the reception or the catering company that has the responsibility of cleaning tables--everyone has a good time.

I've attended 3 weddings this year so far and have atleast 1 more to attend in November. Needless to say, I'm looking forward to it. I'm at that age where friends are maturing to that next level, they are getting serious by either getting married or having kids. In the next 10 years marriages and babies will probably become everyday occurances, but again, I look forward to it.

My parents are hermits. They won't admit to being hermits--they very rarely go out for dinner or any form of entertainment. They are entertained by their lawn, garden, and shop projects. The only reason they leave the house is to go to work. Really, that's it.

My parents at my cousin Charisse's wedding. See, they are having a good time. My dad is a freakishly good dancer. Maybe he practices his dance moves in the shop?

I brought my lovely girlfriend to both weddings. Here she is below showing my two aunts how to do the "elbow" or the "car wash."

Group photos are a given at a wedding. Bride and groom with groom's best friends, bride and groom with groom's family, bride and groom with male cousins, bride and groom with people age 50 and over, (you see where I'm going with this).

Endfest 15

Will Ferrell - Actor/Comedian

Chad Smith - Drummer for the Red Hot Chili Peppers

Seperated at birth??? The similiarities are uncanny.

This weekend my girlfriend and I were fortunate to see the Red Hot Chili Peppers, LIVE, at the White River Amphitheatre. The Chili Peppers were amazing! They performed beyond my expectations and seeing Flea, John Frusciante, Chad Smith, and Anthony in their element was a sight to behold. Saturday night's performance will go down as one of the best concerts I have ever seen.



Originally, we planned on not attending due to the lackluster line-up (see Wolfmother, The Subways, Rock Kills Kid, etc.), however our indeciveness and love for a band that has reached that magical age where rock musicians get too tired to tour--we decided that it would be in our best interest to catch them before they disappear.


I remember reading about how the Mars Volta walked off the stage during a concert because the audience wasn't listening to them perform. On Saturday, the Mars Volta opened for the Chili Peppers and I was looking forward to their performance. About 2 songs in, Cedric (the lead singer) began making fun of himself for the way he dances on stage but then also made fun of some of the kids that were in the pit slam-dancing/mosh-pitting. I believe he said something along the lines of, "my dancing might be out of date but not as bad as, well, it's 2006 and we still have these fucks who slam-dance!"

After the 3rd song, Cedric warned whoever was in the crowd throwing "shit" at them to go get lost. Fast-forward to the middle of the 4th song, Omar began banging his guitar into his guitar cabinets and the song halted. Cedric told the crowd that they were not going to play anymore and that the crowd find the kid throwing urine at them, bring the kid to the Mars Volta for a lynching, and that they would receive anything they wanted.

What the hell is the world coming to when people are throwing urine at bands at shows!?!

UNCHI DETTA

I'm the kid at the end.

More Sloppy

Last week we celebrated the topping out of our 6-story condo project. In part of the topping out tradition, the office staff served the construction workers lunch, Bar-B-Q in fact, and one of our staffers caught me in my finest form. My girlfriend suggested that I do this.

The View From Down Here

I took these pictures a few weeks ago. Local businesses were promoting a Monster Truck show by strategically placing monster trucks throughout the town to help promote the show.

A few days before the truck show, I was heading home on a bright and sunny afternoon when all of a sudden I thought I saw a CJ Jeep that had run on-top of another vehicle. I began to slow down and when I got closer I noticed that it was just a monster truck that was sitting next to a normal passenger car.

Being the car lover I am, I had to snap a shot of my car next to a monster.

Gameshow

My post the other day about "America's Funniest Videos" and men being hit in the genitils doesn't even compare to this. The 60 second AFV video montage of men being struck is painful and funny, but this video is downright corrupt and hilarious.

Go Kart Accident

I've been holding on to this video for a few years--I just recently got the motivation to transfer it to the computer. Anyhow, my dad built this go kart using scrap parts from around his shop and from some motorcycles that had been donated to him.

Like all of my dad's hand-built projects, the go kart is superbly-built. The motor on the kart is a Kawasaki 750 GZP, the frame made from scrap tube-chasis framing, the seat is from a Subaru Brat, the axels were custom made, and the brakes are from a Kawasaki bike. The kart screamed! Believe it or not, after the accident the only thing that needed to be replaced were the front steering linkages.

Since the ending gets cut-off and all you can hear is the noise of a wreck, the guy who was riding the go kart ended up hitting a curb which launched him and the go kart into a wire fence. When they ran to help him, the guy was found in severe pain laying on the other side of the fence in the grass and the go kart was wrapped in the fence. The guy riding was rushed to the hospital and ended up dislocating his shoulder, broke his knee and wrist, and had minor bumps and bruises all over. Luckily, he avoided head, neck, and back injury. He still laughs about the accident to this day.

After the accident my dad ended up putting a harness on it and requires anyone who dares to ride it to put on a helmet. The kart hasn't run in about a year--after showing this video to anyone who inquires about riding it, they change their mind.

RIP Sam

1998-2006