Guy Smiley's Guts

Happy Valentines Day, Everyone!

2012-02-14T09:03:00.000-07:00

Today is February 14th.

So whether you feel like it's this:

Or this:

Or maybe this:

Or just a good excuse to eat a crap-ton of these:

I hope it's a better day all around than you expected or hoped for!

Happy Valentines Day, everyone!

February Photo-a-Day: Week 2

2012-02-12T22:00:00.000-07:00

Feb 6 (Monday) - Dinner

Short on color, but long on taste

Feb 7 (Tuesday) - Button

Only 2 out of 5 buttons on this coat. Oopsy!

Feb 8 (Wednesday) - Sun

No sun today, just rain and a chance of snow.
So the underside of my massive golf umbrella is as close to sun as I got.

Feb 9 (Thursday) - Front door

Not my door, but isn't it a great yellow door

Feb 10 (Friday) - Self portrait

Smile wrinkles and a 29 o'clock shadow

Feb 11 (Saturday) - Makes you happy

Especially the 4 hybrid

Feb 12 (Sunday) - Inside your closet

My suits: wet, Elf, and church

Two weeks down, a couple to go!

Flashback Friday: Tysman Rap & Mormon Rap

2012-02-10T07:30:00.000-07:00

Since this is the first week of my Flashback Friday series, I figured I'd throw in a bonus post.

I grew up in Utah, and my parents are both BYU alumni.
My dad took us to BYU football games, and we loved seeing the "QBU" passing attack shred opponents.

Though I was pretty young, I still remember watching Ty Detmer pass his way to the Heisman.

My dad followed that year with the same fanaticism that the BYU faithful followed Jimmer Fredette's senior season. All the publicity and staggering statistics made for lots of excitement.

As a natural result, my dad's football-loving sons were all about Ty and how great he was.

Ty Detmer, BYU's Heisman winner

And when it was clear that Ty Detmer was leading the Cougars to a special accomplishment, some guy seized the moment and wrote one of the worst raps in history. Which I loved back then, by the way.

The Tysman Rap.

Yes, it's pretty bad in retrospect. But at the time, I thought it was the bee's knees.

A couple years later, I guess some other guys figured white people (other than the Beastie Boys, of course) deserved another chance at rapping about something totally not-rappable.

The Mormon Rap.

It's so bad that it's good. Also, many of the references are still surprisingly relevant.

That's kinda scary if you think about it.

I hope we (meaning BYU and Mormons) learned our lesson and don't try any more rapping like this.

Or perhaps there actually are some decent raps by/about these topics now.

Nah, I doubt it, and it's not worth the time or effort to research.

Flashback Friday: ColecoVision

2012-02-10T07:00:00.000-07:00

The header to my blog used to mention some influences from my youth, like the movies Sandlot and Labyrinth. Now my header is more brief, so people can get right to the meat of posts.

In order to hearken to the olden days, I'd like to start a series that will highlight topics from my childhood.
It will be called Flashback Friday, and will be posted on, you guessed it, Fridays.

To start, I was thinking the other day about my family's first video game console.

ColecoVision.

Did you have a ColecoVision? Or did your friend from Mrs. Jensen's 3rd grade class have one?
Perhaps you're too young to remember anything before Nintendo, or even SuperNintendo?

It looked like this:

Yes, now it looks positively archaic. But it was cutting edge at the time.

It made having an arcade game possible in your very own home. No more dropping quarter after quarter into that slot, wasting all the loot you earned by taking out the trash and drying dishes.

And I think I can speak for the whole Smyth family when I say we loved the Smurf game the most.

Not The Smurfs or even Smurfs, but simply Smurf.

Over the past 20+ years, I'm sure my mind has greatly romanticized the quality of gameplay.

In fact, playing it now would probably frustrate me to no end.
Those stupid fences, stalactites/stalagmites, and bats always got me.
But I'd also love every second of it.

Memories can do that. Even if technology has been innumerable improvements, those memories still make the experience wonderful and exciting.

Anybody got an old ColecoVision laying around that I could borrow?

If you have any suggestions for other Friday Flashback material, I'd love to include them.
And believe me, I've got a bunch already listed out to start with. This will be a fun trip down memory lane.

These Optical Illusions are Worth the Headache

2012-02-09T07:00:00.001-07:00

Here are some brain-benders to liven up your Thursday morning.
They blew my mind and I hope they're interesting to you, too.

The instructions are pretty clear on this one.

For this illusion, just focus on the cross in the middle. Though all the dots are purple, it'll appear that a green dot is moving around the circle.

Last one for today.
Focus on a single image on the wall. Nothing moves. Now look around the wall. Craziness!!!

I don't know how they work, but I know that I was so fascinated that I had to keep doing them.

Anybody got some Excedrin for my headache now?

Blog Change: Switch from LinkWithin to Outbrain

2012-02-06T21:00:00.000-07:00

Hi friends,

Just a quick heads-up on a change I made to my blog. Under each blogpost, I had installed the widget for LinkWithin, which was supposed to suggest other blogposts I'd done that were similar.
However, I noticed that LinkWithin was only giving about 10 different options, and they were all from right around the time I installed the widget.

Not acceptable.

After checking the interwebs for another option, I'm going to give Outbrain a shot.

One additional benefit of Outbrain is that this widget allows for ranking of blogposts. Hopefully this feedback will let me know what you guys like so I can tailor my topics a little more to my audience.

Of course, I'll continue to be fairly random in what I talk about here and share, based on whatever is going on or decides to pop into my little noggin. But it's always good to know what you like, so I can keep you all as happy as I can.

I guess that's the middle-child peace-keeper in me.

Anyway, let me know what you think, either by commenting on this or other posts, or by ranking posts. If Outbrain turns out to be rubbish (which I hope it won't be), then we'll go back to the drawing board.

Thanks and I'll catch ya later!

-Guy Smiley / Aaron

PS You can get Outbrain for your own blog by clicking [here].

The Super Bowl Snack Stadium

2012-02-06T07:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a great game.

Though I was cheering for the Patriots, I appreciate an exciting game and give props to the Giants and Eli Manning for pulling out the W. They deserve to celebrate.

My friend Staci hosted a Super Bowl party, and she made sure the food didn't disappoint.
But her display of the food was right on par with the quality of said vittles.

Behold the Super Bowl Snack Stadium in all its glory!

Let's just say our tummies were fat and happy by the end of the game.

And did you notice that the goal posts are made out of Slim Jims? Nice touch.

How did you celebrate watching the big game (and/or commercials)?

February Photo-a-Day: Week 1

2012-02-05T22:00:00.000-07:00

Want to see my results from my first week of the February Photo-a-Day Challenge?
Here you go:

Feb 1 (Wednesday) - Your view today

Looking upward, in multiple senses of the word.

Feb 2 (Thursday) - Words

I love cashews so much, I'd still almost rob the truck.

Feb 3 (Friday) - Hands

Pruney hands! Augh!

Feb 4 (Saturday) - A Stranger

Katelyn was very nice while not letting us go on the best ride in the waterpark.

Feb 5 (Sunday) - 10 am

Doesn't matter how cold it is. Hit the road, jack.

Can't wait to see what's in store for week 2!

The Challenge and its rules

Oh, Fuuuuuuuuuuuuudge!

2012-02-05T07:00:00.000-07:00

Did you think of this scene from A Christmas Story?

I do, every time I hear the word fudge, actually.

This puts a sizable dent in my diet and health goals, but I just couldn't help myself.

L-R: Top - peanut butter, cookes and cream, caramel cashew,
Bottom - chocolate caramel nut, vanilla and red hots, raspberry chocolate swirl

I was just going to get 3, but then the guy behind the counter informed me that I could get 6 for the price of 4. What?!? That's a steal of a deal! My inability to resist a big per-fudge price discount took over.

Muchas gracias, Great Wolf Lodge.

Let's hope my roomies will chip in and chomp some.

Or let me know if you want to come over and have a little. There's plenty to go around!

Disney Fashionista Drawings

2012-02-02T08:19:00.002-07:00

A friend of mine posted these fashionista drawings of various Disney characters.

They were created by DeviantArt's viria13, and they're pretty well done, don't you think?

Yes, the artist recognized that Anastasia isn't a Disney movie, but thematically she fits right in.

Oh, and I didn't know who Tiana and Kida were, so I had to Google them.

Guess I need to watch some of the newer Disney movies, too, but I just prefer the classics!

Which one is your favorite in the drawings? Which outfit(s) would you wear, ladies?

February Photo-a-Day Challenge

2012-02-01T12:08:00.001-07:00

Since I clearly don't have enough on my plate at the moment, I'm going to add one more thing.

The February photo-a-day challenge.

Here's what I'll attempt:

Here's how to play [from fat mum slim's blog]:

1. Use the list above as inspiration and take a photo everyday. For example for number one on the list, 'your view today' you'd take a shot of whatever it is that you can see today. This would be a wider shot of your office space, where you went for a walk, or whatever it is that you can see!

2. Share on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, your blog or where ever it is you want to share. If you're sharing on Instagram or Twitter use the hashtag #FEBphotoaday so everyone can find them. There's a great community around the photo sharing, so do share!

3. Check out everyone else's pictures. I do it before I go to bed each night and it's so fun to see how different everyone's photos are. There are people from every corner of the world playing.

Instead of a new blogpost each day, maybe I'll just do one each Sunday with the pics from the last week.

Thanks for making me aware of this, Rachel!

Anybody else want to join in?

That Sweet, Sweet Devil Juice

2012-02-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

No, I'm not referring to SoCo 100, which Urban Dictionary informs me also goes by the nickname "devil juice".
Nor do I mean an alcoholic drink mixed with energy drink. Or any alcohol at all, in fact.

I've got a thing for Dr Pepper.

It's sooooo good.

When I'm training for something, I try to avoid carbonation.

But once in a while, I just need a fix.

The cute note she attached made this can of devil juice even sweeter.

I Just Can't Dislike Taylor Swift Anymore

2012-01-31T08:06:00.000-07:00

Believe me, I've tried.

From when she first came on the scene, I didn't want to like her music.

My defiance said that all her music sounds the same.
That her tunes are stuck halfway between country and pop, and thus shouldn't be accepted and loved by fans of either genre. At least not to the degree that it has been.

But I just can't do it anymore.

Her newest song has taken my last bit of anti-Taylor resolve, melted it down, and added it to my musical affections in the same way that butter is added to red velvet cupcakes (and who can resist those?).

And yes, I can admit I got a little teary-eyed at that ending.

You win, Taylor. And I'm glad about it.

Beware the Vengeful Friends of an Ex, Including Me

2012-01-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

It's frustrating to get dumped.
That's an established and widely acknowledged fact.

But what about the way someone can feel towards a person that spurned their friend?
I bet you've seen and/or experienced that powerful spite in some form, haven't you?

I have, and here are two examples (one from each side of the spectrum):

Example #1: I'm the recipient
This girl *Lisa that always gives me crusty looks because I didn't keep dating her friend *Vivian.

Funny, because Vivian and I never even reached the hand-holding stage, let alone serious dating.

Lisa doesn't know why I didn't keep asking her friend out, and she likely never will.

But if she wants to be crusty, that's her choice. No skin off my nose.

Example #2: I'm the giver

My buddy *Chris was head-over-heels for a gal named *Jenny.

I don't know why they broke up, but I still kind of harbor negative feelings for her.

She's a fun, friendly girl, and fortunately I don't run into her very often anyway.

My choice is to be nice to her when I do run into her, even though I'm still a little bitter.

Turns out forgiveness isn't just for the people that were in the relationship.

Sometimes (often?) it's also for the friends and loved ones of those who broke up.

So I'm letting go my bothered feelings towards Jenny and others who've hurt my friends.

Man, I feel better already.

How about you? Any unnecessary vengeful feelings holding you down?
I encourage you to let them go. Isn't it about time?

*Names changed to protect both the innocent and not-so-innocent.

A Message From the Avett Brothers to Revenge-Seeking Movie Characters

2012-01-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

The Avett Brothers make great music, coupled with emotive lyrics.
And sometimes their words are perfectly appropriate for telling revenge-seeking movie characters that they shouldn't go killing more or getting locked up.

I really like this set of lines near the end:

Make sure my sister knows I loved her
Make sure my mother knows the same
Always remember there was nothing worth sharing
Like the love that let us share our name.

Beautiful poetry.
Remembering the love for a lost person is really what brings healing.
Don't forget that, revenge-seeking movie characters.

First Picture Taken with My New D3100

2012-01-26T13:00:00.000-07:00

Remember how I bought myself a Nikon D3100 camera as a late Christmas present to myself?

Well I had been delaying using it until I could take a great first picture with it.

I don't know why.

Guess I just thought it had to be some monumental (pardon the pre-meditated pun) event, like how a store has to open with a ribbon cutting and possibly a reception with éclairs (mmm, éclairs).

Anyway, I finally decided to just get it over with so I could use the camera on a more regular basis.

So I chose to take some pics of the Washington Monument.

This is the very first picture taken with my new D3100

While it isn't the greatest photo, it's a start.

And after fiddling with the settings and ~20 mins of unsuccessfully trying to get video for a project I'm working on (which I'll share with you when it's done in a few weeks), I snapped a few more shots.

My favorite of the second batch

They aren't anything phenomenal, but these pics mark a new era in my friend historian skills and general photography abilities. Let's hope it's a long, improvement-filled road from here!

Lost Art: The Wave

2012-01-26T07:00:00.000-07:00

Lately I've noticed a few types of waves that aren't done as often as they used to be.
The decline of all three makes me sad.
Let's all work together to bring them back. Wavers unite!

Passing other runners
Unless you're a super hardcore runner in the middle of your speed workout, you should wave hello.
You're not too cool to show solidarity for a fellow athlete. You just aren't.
If it helps motivate you to wave, feel free to consider raising your hand as an arm-toning move.

Sports games
Memories from my childhood fuel my sadness at the struggle to get sports fans to do the wave.
Going to BYU and UofU football games with my dad and brothers, we loved watching the phenomenon going around the stadium, and we excitedly popped up and flung our arms in the air.
I hope parents are still teaching kids to do this, because it's a grand tradition at games.

Waving at other cars
Oh, you just let me into your lane? Then I'll give you a courtesy wave.
Would you like to come into my driving lane? Sure, I'll wave to let you know that I acknowledge your coming over and that I'll give you plenty of space to do so.
Not something I learned in Driver's Ed class. My folks taught me this, and I'm grateful for that lesson.

Jon Stewart on Newt Gingrich's South Carolina Debate Answer

2012-01-25T11:00:00.000-07:00

Note: I'm not a super political guy. I have my political preferences, and I have friends that are extremely into politics (on all different sides of the issues and aisles). Due to its high humor factor, this merited sharing.

If you watch the Daily Show with Jon Stewart, then you saw this.
If not, you should take 9 minutes and watch the clip below.

He makes both hilarious and spot-on comments about Romney and Gingrich, and it makes for great TV.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Indecision 2012 - The Gingrich Who Stole South Carolina

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show Full Episodes

Political Humor & Satire Blog

The Daily Show on Facebook

I love when comedians point out the absurdity of politicians and the political scene.

Because the more I'm around it here in the Washington DC area, the clearer their absurdity becomes.

Most Women Have Two of These Three Traits

2012-01-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

Comedian Tucker Max said* that the majority of women fit into two of these categories:

Hot
Sane
Single

I'd say he's right. Most girls only have two of these.
Fortunately, I've been lucky enough to have dated some girls that had all three when I met them.
Including my current gal, Emily (she's down to two now, since we're dating, and thus isn't single, right?).

Guys, if you find a girl with all three, and she even kinda likes you, don't hesitate.
Ask her out, keep asking her out, and don't shy away from some commitment.

The triple-threat girl is rare and her value should never be underestimated.

*Warning: though funny, a lot of his quotes contain adult topics and foul language.

Metallica Monday (PvZ Edition): Creeping Death

2012-01-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

Special theme for this week's Metallica Monday: Plants vs Zombies.

My brother Adam and my nephew Gunner introduced me to this game, and I'm hooked.

It's incredibly fun using plants of varying skills, defenses, and attacks to repel hundreds of zombies coming by land, air, and sea. Well, it's more swimming pool than sea, but that doesn't sound as cool.

Beyond the action of the game, the scenes between levels also have some great humor. For example:

So make sure you've got plenty of sunflowers so you can plant corn cob missile launchers and lots of spikeweeds, because if you don't, the zombies will eat your brains!

All these zombies reminded me of the song I chose for this edition of Metallica Monday:

Creeping Death
I found this YouTube video where they dubbed the song over Ten Commandments clips, which is an extra bonus since this song was inspired by the Biblical account of Moses and the first Passover.

Great video with a great song, isn't it?

So watch out for the creeping death of the plagues and zombies this week!

Happy Birthday, Marcus Lane

2012-01-22T10:58:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to give a quick birthday shout-out to my buddy, Marcus Lane, today.

We've been friends since we served our missions together for the LDS church.

2004 mission reunion: Marcus Lane is top row, 5th from the right (wearing horizontal stripes)

He's a funny guy and a blogger, too, who regularly shares entertaining stories and great pictures.
Plus, he loves Movember and ugly sweater parties and running and all sorts of other things like I do.
Except he has a wife and kid (soon to be plural... kids, not wives) to add to his bag of available blogging material. And believe me, that's a deep well of material, which I look forward to having someday.

Anyway, if you want to read his blog, you can [click here].

Happy birthday, Marcus Lane!

Say It Ain't So! [Etta James]

2012-01-20T10:52:00.000-07:00

It's a sad day when a music legend passes on.

Probably best known for her hit song "At Last" (video below), Miss Peaches came on the scene in 1955 with her breakout song "The Wallflower".
Despite/through bouts of addiction, she's been performing ever since.

She even won 6 Grammys during her lifetime and earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

I won't attempt a comment with the clever use of "at last" being at peace or being able to rest "at last".
Her voice and music were/are too powerful for that sort of pithy punchline.

RIP Etta James.

Happy National Popcorn Day

2012-01-19T08:31:00.001-07:00

I don't know how they come up with "national days", but I'm on board with this one.

My favorite is kettle corn, but there are some other flavors on popcorn.org that are really tempting.

For example:

Bacon and cheese
Cherry almond
Chili lime
Nutty chocolate caramel
Sesame mustard
Spicy cajun
White chocolate peppermint

Is your mouth watering yet? Mine sure is.

Enjoy National Popcorn Day, everybody!

I'm a Freak. I'm a Weirdo. [Vibram FiveFingers]

2012-01-18T09:00:00.000-07:00

I now own Vibram FiveFingers shoes.

Don't judge.

Even though I used to.

Alright, go ahead and judge.

I've run a few times in my new KSO's, and there's definitely a difference.
Stabilizing muscles are getting used that aren't accustomed to being used while running.
This is a good thing, as I hope it will strengthen more of my leg and make me less susceptible to injury.

Don't worry, I'm easing into them, as I was instructed to do.

Honestly, I think my body will adapt to them long before my brain or pride does.

Making the Plate Straight

2012-01-16T09:00:00.000-07:00

I've had a couple ongoing projects, but this was a quick one I hammered out a little while back. Literally.

During the most recent Thanksgiving trip to Philly, someone (we figure a drunk person) tried to pull my license plate off. They succeeded only in breaking the license plate cover and bending my plate.

I figured it was about time to straighten the plate, so I used a screwdriver to remove the plate (what the Philly person should have done). Neither a hammer nor pliers properly bent the metal without disfiguring it more in other areas. Eventually, due to its pliability, I decided my bare hands were the best option.

Worked pretty good, right? Not 100% back to its original shape, but close enough. Especially when I put the new BYU cover over it. (Thanks for the Christmas present, mom!)

Though just a little project, it feels good to have Mindy Mazda looking spiffy again.

Now Available: Gluten-Free Sacrament

2012-01-15T17:00:00.000-07:00

Each Sabbath day, Christians around the world take the Sacrament/Communion.

This act reminds believers of the Savior's sacrifice for them and is a renewal of promises made.*

In my church (the LDS/Mormon Church), the Sacrament consists of bread and water.

Recently I joined a new congregation, and I was somewhat surprised to see this in the announcements:

Do you see that? Gluten-free sacrament is available! How cool is that?!

Not sure why I'd never thought of it, but surely there are some who need this and I'm glad the leadership here makes it available so that those people can fully participate in this important weekly ordinance.

*If you'd like to know more about Mormon beliefs regarding the Sacrament, you can [read here].

Pink is the New Black

2012-01-15T12:00:00.000-07:00

That's how the saying goes, right? At least I think it is.

Well no one knows it more than my friend Leslie, which is why her birthday party was fully pinked out.

The birthday girl getting her sparkly groove on

Of course, the food and drinks had to be pink, too

The DJ was spinnin' sweet dance beats, as usual

When I dip, you dip, we dip

Our little surprise for the birthday girl: pink silly string!

Apparently my face is amazing when I'm bracing for a blast of silly string

Striking an MJ pose on the dance floor

Always good seeing my Fern house friends

Mike and Dave made and brought a special present

Such a great party, and it all started with a great theme by the birthday girl and her co-conspirators.

What color party should be next? And have you ever been to a great color-themed party?

Why I Love "The Big Bang Theory"

2012-01-13T07:00:00.001-07:00

I was going to use bullet points and all kinds of explanations to describe why I love "The Big Bang Theory", CBS's comedy about four nerdy scientist friends and cool female neighbor Penny.

Instead I'll just share this clip:

I rest my case.

Always the Bridesmaid, Never the Bride

2012-01-12T07:00:00.000-07:00

No, not me.

But thanks for your concern, Mom and Grandma.

I was thinking about sports stars that were overshadowed by someone just a little bit better.
If not for the super-star, these guys would have owned their era, winning championships or tournaments or races all along the way. And their names would be the ones synonymous with excellence.
Note: I'm not saying they aren't champions; they just didn't get the glory they would have received if not for their contemporary.

Here are a couple I've identified [tormentor in brackets]:

Karl Malone & John Stockton [Michael Jordan & Scottie Pippen]
The Utah Jazz stars played over 1,400 regular-season games together and went to the NBA Finals in two consecutive years. Unfortunately, Jordan and Pippen were waiting for them both times, and the pick-and-roll just wasn't enough to steal that elusive championship ring from the Bulls' clutches.

Jan Ullrich [Lance Armstrong]
Everyone knows who Lance Armstrong is. Pretty much only cyclists and cycling fans know who Jan Ullrich is. That's because Jan only won the Tour de France once (1997) prior to Lance taking the cycling world by storm and finishing in the yellow jersey 7 times in a row (1999-2005).

Phil Mickelson [Tiger Woods]
Yes, Phil has had a whole lot of success in his career, and he isn't done yet. Their rivalry has defined an era in golf, with most people remembering Tiger's ability to finish tournaments. On the flip side, Phil too often let leads slip away late in the weekend. Time remains for Phil to catch up, but at present Phil has 4 Major championships to Tiger's 14. Better get on it, Lefty.

Boston Red Sox [New York Yankees]
I have love for both teams, but you have to admit the Yankees have had more success when it really matters: the post-season and especially the World Series. Prior to Schilling's bloody sock in 2004, the Sox suffered an 86-year championship draught, during which the Bronx Bombers won 26 titles. Ouch.

Cameron Brown [Tim DeBoom & Peter Reid]
Outside of triathlete circles, not many people know of Cameron. At the Ironman Championships in Kona, HI, he took top 3 in 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2005, as well as two other top-10 finishes, but was never able to cross that line first. To his credit, Cameron has dominated Ironman New Zealand with 10 wins and 2 second-place finishes from 2000-2011.

All these poor guys/teams sadly had their incredible careers which happened to coincide with other guys/teams at a slightly higher peak. We still applaud their skills and accomplishments, but the rivalry didn't come out in their favor. Tough break, but that's the way sports are.

You Should Follow Ken Jennings on Twitter

2012-01-11T08:39:00.000-07:00

If you're on Twitter and don't already follow Ken Jennings, you're doing yourself a great disservice.

Not only did he dominate Jeopardy for 74 straight games and make $2.52 million in the process [source], but his Twitter feed is hilarious and hits a broad range of topics, from intellectual and political to inane and day-to-day. If you like my blog and/or my sense of humor, then I think you'd enjoy Ken's tweets.

To whet your appetite (not wet your whistle, which is very different), here's a quick sampling:

Included especially for my friend Larissa

Not sure why this is funny? Here's the definition of gamboling

The world is ending! Want another scoop of ice cream?
The only right answer to that question is "yes"

And those are just from the past 10 days! Lots more where that came from.

So if your life could use more smart, mostly-clean humor, you can follow Ken Jennings on Twitter [here].

"The Fault in Our Stars" has Arrived!

2012-01-11T08:00:00.000-07:00

My pre-ordered copy of John Green's new book arrived yesterday. Oh happy day!

As promised, and as documented in countless Vlogbrothers videos, the author signed it.

Turns out I wasn't lucky enough to receive one of Hank Green's Hanklerfish drawings, but that's okay. It was only a 5% chance. So there are 18 more people in my situation for every one person that got one.

Which means... we are the 95%. [Get it?!? It's kinda like those silly Occupy people!]

Anyway, I'm already into the book and it's really good so far. Yay for reading actual, physical books!

On that note, here's an awesome video with books:

And another video that has some books in it, but mainly I just think it's super cool:

Ok, back to "The Fault in Our Stars". Later!

I Got A(nother) Nikon Camera

2012-01-10T07:00:00.000-07:00

Remember a few months ago when I bought a Nikon camera? [post here]

One apparently wasn't enough.

As a late Christmas present to myself, I decided to take the leap and play with the big(ger) boys.
Which means a Digital SLR camera.

So this Nikon D3100 is my newest baby.

If you have tips for me, I'd love to hear them.
Or if you want to go out and do some shooting together, I'd love that, too.

For now, I'll be studying online guides for beginning photographers and learning through experience.

It's Snowing!

2012-01-09T17:00:00.000-07:00

Shut the front door!
I'm both excited and a little dismayed that the white, fluffy stuff is coming down.

A Slow and Sultry Slow Dance Party

2012-01-08T07:00:00.000-07:00

When was the last time you had a full night of slow dancing?
Maybe you got in a few songs on New Years Eve, or perhaps at a recent wedding?

I just had a solid 3 hours of swaying to some chill beats.
My friends Patricia and Danielle hosted a Snow Ball yesterday, and the express goal of the night's activities was to promote socialization through slow dancing.

The Snow Ball's tag line? "Coordination is optional. Awkwardness is encouraged."

Genius.

Emily and I were the early birds. In fact, we were the first non-hosts there.

Normally that might be kinda nerdy, but we quite enjoyed having the dance floor to ourselves.

Phil Collins set the mood for the evening

After a few songs, folks started showing up.

And they kept on showing up for several hours.

And everybody brought their slow dancing skills along. Oh yeah.

Eventually, it was so crowded that you could barely do turns and it was quite loud.
But no one minded, because we all were having fun socializing.

With cute girls like these in attendance, all decked out in their black-and-white stripes, it's all good.

So keep those slow jams coming, DJ.

And sway on, swayers.

The Question Everyone Wants to Know

2012-01-06T13:00:00.003-07:00

Is baby Beyonce born yet? [click on the question to get the answer]

You're welcome.

Also, I love that the site URL uses the term 'babyonce' as a blended 'baby' and 'Beyonce'.

1/7/11 Update: Looks like little Blue Ivy was born today. Congrats to her happy parents!

I'm Not That Aaron Smyth

2012-01-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

If you're reading my blog, you probably know me.
If not, I'm flattered that you're here, and you're certainly welcome to stick with us.

Sometimes I get emails that aren't meant for me, though.
How could that be, you ask? How could someone mistakenly send me an email?

There's another Aaron Smyth.
[Cue your shocked and surprised look, plus an audible gasp. I'll wait til you're done to continue.]

And he's (arguably, though a pretty cut-and-dried debate thus far in life) more famous than me.

I first found out about Aaron Smyth #2 when I got a Facebook friend request a few years ago.
The young lady from the Eastern Bloc was wondering why I lived near Washington, DC, and if maybe I was dancing with a new company something. I had no idea what she was talking about.

So I Googled my name, adding 'dance' on the end.

And I found out that Aaron Smyth #2 is a renowned Australian ballet dancer.

Aussie Aaron was even a top 4 finalist on Australia's Got Talent in 2008.

According to his website, he's currently touring with the American Ballet Theatre in New York.

Now that I'm aware of him, I'm not as confused when I get emails like these:

You can't imagine how tempted I was to have them actually fly me to Boston and then film their reaction when they realized the pas de deux is miles beyond my basic BYU Social Dance 180 abilities.

But instead I just email back and say they're probably looking for Aussie Aaron.
Sorry to disappoint you, Boston Ballet and University of Iowa.

And best of luck to you in your career, Aussie Aaron Smyth!

Action Movie Heroes Never...

2012-01-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

It's been a little bit since I've done a good rant. I'm due, so here goes.

Action movie heroes don't do certain things, which we all do often or would be subject to in their situation.

Use the bathroom
Very rarely does/could/would this contribute to plot development, unless a sweet restroom fight scene is necessary, but it deserves mentioning. Actually, I'm kinda glad we never see Jack Bauer walking out of the men's room. And we all know Chuck Norris metabolizes every single molecule of ingested food and drink, so he has no need for waste facilities.

Eat or hydrate
I know it'd be boring to watch them eating a sandwich or downing some V8 juice, but they all sure spend plenty of time drinking alcohol and having flashbacks or pity-parties-for-one. I wouldn't mind seeing some food on the table while they plan their big heist. Maybe this is why I love Rusty, aka Brad Pitt, in the Ocean's 11 movies [debatable on qualifying for "action" genre]. He eats. All. The. Time. Just like normal people would do when needing strength for high-risk activity.

Break bones (at least not their own)
You've seen the fights these characters get into. Brutal and ultra-violent. Yet somehow, though a knee gets kicked sideways and some massive steroid-fueled villain bends the hero's arm into a pretzel, our star hobbles onward for about 30 seconds and then is able to sprint and leap from an exploding building to grab onto a helicopter at the last second. Granted, they probably have ridiculous amount of adrenaline at the time, but even that can't compensate for compound fractures, can it?

Fill up on gas
Government vehicles keeping gas in the tank makes sense to me. What I don't understand is how when action heroes are forced into a split-second decision about which car to hijack or steal in whatever manner, they never, ever pick a car where the driver likes to run the gas right down to the E line. Maybe I'm the only person in the whole world that ever does that. Even when I mostly try to fill up at 1/4 tank.

Get a flat tire
For all the high-speed chases and ramming and side-swiping, these action heroes never, ever pop a tire. It's a Festivus miracle. Because I know when I run into a curb wrong, there's a chance I'll get a flat. Yet somehow, even when stealing a random tiny car in some European town, the tires are made of steel and can withstand any blow inflicted on them at break-neck speeds. Miraculous.

Anything you've noticed from action movie heroes which I may have forgotten?

Carry on saving the day, heroes!

2012: Another Year Full of Potential

2012-01-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

Happy New Year!

Every 365 days we say this. Why?

2011 was a great year, to be sure. But the next 12 months hold so much in store.

The promise of meeting new people, journeying to distant lands, and learning new things.
Watching children/nieces/nephews grow, and reminiscing on when we were their age.
Taking chances and calculated risks, hoping and trusting they'll pay off.
Despite previous heartbreaks and heartaches, this could be the year for true love to work out.
Not knowing the good or bad that lies ahead, but preparing ourselves for an exceptional year all around.

That is why we love each new year.

And I for one can't wait to get 2012 started.

[Oh, and I hope that Mayan end-of-the-world prediction is wrong, because it'd really mess up Christmas.]

Which Disney Prince are You?

2011-12-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

Do you like taking online quizzes?

While I love trivia- and fact-based games, I don't take too many online quizzes.
I guess they just make me think of those magazines near the checkout of the grocery store.
Not exactly heady or intellectual stuff.

But sometimes they're fun.

Girls like to know which Disney princess they are. This is a fact of the universe.
I wouldn't have gone looking for this, but Emily sent me a link to this online quiz.
Apparently there's a corresponding male version of that quiz to see which Disney prince a guy is.

There are some pretty interesting Disney princes (and pseudo-princes) when you think about it.

Tarzan (not an official prince) is a beast. Sensitive and kind to all living creatures. Innocent and protective.
The Beast, aka Prince Adam, is literally a beast. But the opposite from Tarzan. Angry, violent, cynical.

Aladdin is a greedy criminal, albeit a good-hearted one. A sneaky orphan with a silver tongue.
Prince Charming is well, a prince. Not too chatty as I recall, but was a decent ballroom dancer.

Li Shang is by-the-book, almost to a fault. He's big and strong and keeps his long hair in a ponytail.
Flynn Rider lives without rules. More of a wily, dodgy type and lets his long hair flow freely.

Anyway... my results were:

I'm pretty happy with that description of Prince Phillip, and I hope it's a true description of me.
Brave, noble, willing to stand up for the ones I love. Softer side, and I do like a good smooch!

So guys, which prince are you? Or which one do you think your significant other is, ladies?

Also, if you gals want to find out, here is the quiz to see which Disney princess you are. Enjoy!

Mark Asper: Oregon Duck, Hero, Eagle Scout, Husband, Father, and...

2011-12-29T21:37:00.000-07:00

Mormon.

Of course.

When I read the story this morning on Yahoo News about how an Oregon offensive lineman had saved a choking man's life, and credited his Scout masters and Eagle Scout training, I started to wonder.

When the story then mentioned he was the oldest guy on the team, and that he was married with two kids (both daughters, how cute!), alarms started going off in my head.

So I figured I'd check his Oregon player profile to see if I could get any more info. [Stalker-ish of me?]

When his profile included these tidbits, I determined he's likely a member of the LDS Church:

Attended Bonneville High in Idaho Falls, ID. Not a slam dunk, but there are lots of Mo's in ID.
Majoring in Spanish. That could mean a lot of things, until you factor in the next point.
Redshirted the 2007 season "after being away from the game for a two-year religious mission commitment."

Bingo.

Lots of churches do mission trips, which is excellent and I wish more people had/took the opportunity to serve those in need around the world, including in the U.S., but the two-year part is usually a pretty straight-forward LDS giveaway.

So while I don't really have a horse in the Rose Bowl, I'll be cheering for Oregon's #79.

Not just because he's Mormon (as there are probably some LDS guys on the Wisconsin side, too), but because he's a great guy and a life-saving hero.

Venn Diagrams for Grown-Ups

2011-12-26T15:50:00.005-07:00

Do you remember learning about Venn diagrams back in school?
I think it was initially a way to teach us the color wheel and how colors combine to create other colors.

Here are a couple grown-up versions, which I happen to think are quite humorous.

[Note: I claim no credit for these, as they were found on various sites from the interweb.]

Santa

Men

I sure hope I'm a nerd, or maybe dumb

Girls

Just FYI, that middle piece doesn't apply to girls my friends, family, or I date

Junk Touchers

Grandpa

Star Wars Villains

Firefly

I need to watch more Firefly; shame they cancelled it

Wish I could come up with something as clever as these.

Do you have a favorite, from this list or somewhere else?

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

2011-12-25T07:00:00.000-07:00

Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday season!

We make this look good

Sesame Street Answers "How Does Santa Get In?"

2011-12-23T09:15:00.000-07:00

Do you remember when the Sesame Street characters would ask kids to explain things?
I had forgotten about this, but just felt joy at coming across this video about how Santa gets into houses.

Kids are hilarious, and I'm definitely digging those clothes. Wish I had sweet vintage duds like theirs.

I've Seen Yew at the US Botanic Garden

2011-12-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

There are no misspellings in that title. Keep reading and I'll prove it to you.

Since Emily and I both had the day off (thank you built-up vacation days), we decided to check out some holiday decorations in a little-visited DC locale prior to me taking Emily to the airport.

We took the metro in and saw the US Botanic Garden for the first time.
Kind of tragic since I've lived in the DC area over 4 years and this is my first visit there.

But the decorations made it well worth the wait.
Everything was made of plant materials, and they had both major DC historic buildings and a whole train area with small exhibits of animals/mythic creature habitats.
Sounds weird, but you'll get what I mean in the pictures.

The US Supreme Court

I fit right in with the Monkey Mansion, eh?

With the Mermaid piece

The Peacock Palace, for all the Peacock gals that read my blog

Yes, I'm talking to yew
OR
Here's lookin' at yew, kid

Yes, that is a plant called the "yew". There are several varieties, and they can be quite toxic. Just FYI, in case you thought eating some yew would be a good idea. Because it wouldn't be.

Taking time to stop and smell the orchids

Abe Lincoln looks pretty good made out of plant materials

So much detail on the National Capitol, even down to the statue in front

While it may have taken a long time to get to the US Botanic Garden, I'm very glad this was a first that Emily and I could share. Makes it extra special to see such a cool place that way.

So I encourage you to find some new places around where you live, and share them on your blog or Facebook after you go!

A Red Velvety Big Ben Night

2011-12-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

No, this post is not about "Big Ben" Roethlisberger and his turnover-filled night against my 49ers.
Sorry to get your hopes up, sports fans.

This post is about my mini-date date last night with Emily.

After living in the DC area for over 6 months, the wonders of Dairy Godmother custard still hadn't crossed Emily's lips, so it was time for her experience it. We were lucky to have the extra bonus of yesterday's flavor being red velvet. Definitely the right night for a first timer.

Imagine the famous cupcakes, but in creamy custard form. It's as heavenly as you're imagining.

Next was time to let the creative juices flow. My roommates were in the midst of making gingerbread houses, so Emily and I joined in. After the developer's funding dried up on her townhouse project (and it was subsequently demolished to avoid becoming slums and crack houses), Emily was brought on early as a consultant (and not-much-later as co-owner) in the gingerbread Big Ben re-creation.

Everyone did a great job, and I was impressed by the multiple genres and styles built by our group.

Yay for gingerbread houses and another chance to give that lesser-utilized (by me, anyway) right brain some exercise in conjunction with its left brain counterpart!

This Party Makes Ugly Look Hot

2011-12-18T07:30:00.000-07:00

How do you know it's the holidays? Well, a lot of ways.

But one of the most fun ways is when you attend an ugly sweater party.

My friends threw one as the capstone on our 12 Days of Christmas festivities for this year, so we had to make an appearance. Two of our gracious hostesses, Domineau and Milan (super-cool names, huh?), wrote blogposts about the party, which you can read here and here, respectively.

Earlier in the day, I'd stopped at Goodwill to buy some sweaters, as well as a dollar store for some cheesy decorations. After a good wash and dry (remember: Goodwill), Emily and I went over to my friend Camille's and we all hot-glued the bows, bells, trees, and trimming onto our sweaters.

That's how these beauties were created.

If you thought ours were the only ugly sweaters in attendance, you thought wrong.

Plenty of people were rocking sweaters that would make your 70 year-old 3rd grade teacher cringe.

Impressive work on the backside

Clearly Chris is ashamed for his lack of ugly sweater

Double your ugly sweater, double your fun

Ugly sweater vests: sleeveless, tacky triumphs

If this post and Domineau's haven't satisfied your love of ugly sweaters, check out my friend Marcus' ugly sweater party post for the 7th Annual Neck 'n' Nog.

Tis the season, and it makes me so happy. Do you have a favorite ugly sweater?

Phil's Fancy Toy Party

2011-12-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

I'm used to seeing all my running friends in grubbies and sweaty and gross. That's the normal.

Lucky for us, Phil threw a toy-gathering party, and formal attire was strongly encouraged.

Check out how good we look!

With Phil, the evening's excellent host

Oh yeah, we clean up well. Plus, the kids got a bunch of toys for Christmas. Thanks, Phil!

Amazing Fake Punt

2011-12-16T10:15:00.000-07:00

How did I miss this old NFL highlight? It's from 2009, but I just saw it today.

Blew. My. Mind.

Have a look.

Isn't that amazing?
So many great things about it.

Here are a few that come to mind:

The punter gets a moment of glory and even scores a touchdown. Generally, punters only get noticed for muffing kicks and getting blocked. Or for botching fake punt attempts due to clumsiness.
Those uniforms. Classic. Wish they'd go back to them.
Inventive and daring. Who comes up with this?!? A guy going in motion, then sweeping around the back? If that defender hits the punter, this could easily be a touchdown the other way. Makes it even more impressive due to the risk.
Ball-handling skills. Not until the close-up view at the 2:00 mark could I even tell what the punter did with the ball. Great job of putting it behind his back at the last second and not dropping it.

Ah, how I love trick plays in football.

And even more when they actually work.

I Love Tattoos, Just Not on Me

2011-12-15T14:11:00.002-07:00

Have you ever thought of getting a tattoo? Do you already have one?
While I don't have one, I've thought about getting one on multiple occasions.
No, I wouldn't get a tribal armband, or a Fred Flintstone, or anything like that (though I don't begrudge those who do get such symbols/characters, as long as it has some personal meaning).

Great detail and I imagine it has a deep, personal background story

I actually think this is really cool idea (after you're married, of course)

Many of my feelings for tattoos are similar to this person's, actually.
Pain is a deterrent, but I have a pretty good tolerance. Plus, it'd be temporary.
As cool as a tattoo would be, I don't know that I'm passionate enough about something to get one.
And maybe I'm already too old to start getting tattoos.

For years, there have been two tattoos that I've actually considered beyond the "that looks rad" stage.
I'd only get one, and the selected tattoo would have been located either on the upper arm or on my calf. Not sure how I'd decide the spot, but, in my mind and for me, those would be the only acceptable places.

Superman symbol: He stands for so many good things and is definitely my favorite superhero. Sadly, I don't think it'd be personal enough. Plus, I already have a Superman ring that my mom sent me for Easter during my mission. So if I want to rock his style, I can wear that.
Ironman logo: This would have more meaning for me. When I was 19, I set a goal to complete a full Ironman event before I was 30. It was tough, but I trained for and completed the St George Ironman in May 2010. So why didn't I get the tattoo? I don't know; I guess I just felt like so many people had this one, and I don't want triathlon and/or the Ironman to define me my whole life.

Potential tattoo #1

Potential tattoo #2

Pretty much, you don't need to worry, Mom. I don't plan on ever getting a tattoo.

And I know that line just allowed you to stop holding your breath and let out a big sigh of relief.

For those of you who are considering getting one (or another, as the case may be), or those who may just be curious in learning more about tattoos in general, here is a helpful graphic.

But I still think they look pretty awesome sometimes.

Not My Unbirthday Weekend

2011-12-12T07:00:00.000-07:00

Alice and the Mad Hatter can celebrate all the unbirthdays they want. I prefer when it's not my unbirthday.

Like this weekend.

Friday
I took the day off work, and that was a great idea. Might have to make it a yearly choice.

After sleeping in a little, I made an egg-whites and spinach quesadilla, went for a short run around Crystal City, and got a haircut so I'd look sharp for all the weekend fun. I felt like a new man.

For lunch, I met up with Emily and she treated me to American Tap Room in Bethesda. We sat in big, comfy chairs right by the fireplace. Our sandwiches were delicious. Even better, she was super nice and got me some gifts, including Swedish Fish (one of my kryptonites), manly body-spray deodorant, and personalized golf balls (which I'll do my best not to lose in two or three rounds on the golf course). So great!

Later that evening, I picked Emily up from DuPont Circle and we headed to the Kennedy Center for the Nutcracker.True confession time: I've struggled with staying awake in previous attempts at the Nutcracker, but this time I was able to get into the show and keep the eyelids open the whole time. Also, I think Emily's enthusiasm was contagious, so I couldn't help but be excited for whatever dance was next.

Saturday
My roommate Seth had a Groupon/LivingSocial for Skyline Paintball in Strasburg, VA, and he generously offered it for my birthday. We rounded up 16 of us, woke up early, and hit the road.

Due to the cold and our fear of massive welts, everyone was bundled up at the beginning.

The green team (aka Venom aka C.O.B.R.A.)

The pink team (aka Rainbow Brite aka My Little Pony aka they-didn't-tell-me-a-name)

There's just something about holding a gun of any type, caliber, shape, or size that makes you feel tough.

While we all may have started out a little timidly, after a few games our skills had vastly improved. Some excelled at being snipers, while others (I'm looking at you, Mike Merrell) could go on a mad-rush rampage and decimate an entire flank of defenses. Communication and team-work often proved to be the key, and results seemed to vary depending on the battlefield terrains. Not sure why, but maybe woods/towns just suited each team's personnel differently.

Such a great group, and I believe everyone had enough fun that we'll be returning to Skyline Paintball again soon. And this time, we'll actually know what we're doing. Watch out, because we're coming for ya!

You think that's enough fun for a Saturday on a birthday weekend? Perish the thought!

Since Marriott doesn't do a big corporate holiday party, I was very excited to be invited by Emily to join her for her work party. We got all dolled up (clearly, Emily looks way cuter than I do, which is expected), and headed up to Bethesda for an evening of dining, dancing, and raffling.

She is rocking that LBD

The only semi-sad part was that karaoke didn't happen. I think the organizers realized that the space wasn't the best for it, or that they might have too many people interested and it would detract from the popularity of the dance floor (which admittedly is more classy and inclusive for all). There will be other nights for karaoke. This one was plenty fun with all the socializing and dancing we did.

Remember how I mentioned raffling? All of the company employees that had RSVP'ed for the party were entered to win prizes throughout the night. Lo and behold, as we were chatting with Emily's coworker and coworker's parents, we heard Emily's name get called out by the emcee. She was so excited and ran up to claim her award with her arms high in the air. $200 for Lululemon. Not too shabby, eh?

What a wonderful birthday weekend it was. I'm so glad it wasn't my unbirthday!

Celebs Who Share My Birthday

2011-12-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

I probably forget and am reminded every year, but there are some pretty awesome celebs that share my December 9th birthday.

Here are a few of the big ones:

Judi Dench

Known for being James Bond's boss. Pretty sure that's all she's done in her 50-year career, right?

John Malkovich

He'll always be Lennie from Of Mice and Men in my eyes. Yeah, you get to tend the rabbits.

Felicity Huffman

Not a desperate housewife. She is and always will be Dana from Sports Night. I loved that show.

and best of all...

Donny Osmond

Yes, I have the honor of sharing my birthday with everyone's favorite Osmond (sorry, Marie). My two favorite things for Donny are 1) seeing him live in Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat and 2) his singing "I'll Make a Man Out of You" in Disney's Mulan.

So what do I need to do to join this elite group? Is a picture in the same style enough?
I guess that'll do for now.

Not a great pic, plus it's old, but I don't have many profile-view pics laying around

Santa at the National Christmas Tree

2011-12-08T22:49:00.001-07:00

Every year, I love to see the National Christmas Tree, even if it is extremely anti-climactic and there are significantly more impressive trees in other DC locations as well as up in NYC's Rockefeller Center.

More than the tree, this annual excursion is about the people I go with and the jolly fat man we see there.

Yes, it's a little-known fact, but a satellite branch of Santa's workshop is set up right by the White House and you can meet that famous cookies-and-milk-devouring gift-deliverer.

So even if the actual tree isn't all that impressive, I still love going down and braving the DC cold.

Mad Gabs Poetry: Noah Wyle & Tricky Dick Edition

2011-12-08T07:00:00.000-07:00

Do you love the game Mad Gab?*
Do you love poetry, especially writing it?

Last night, Emily and I made up an activity combining Mad Gab and writing poetry.

After playing the game for a few minutes, we held onto the last 5 cards (which is 10 puzzles) and had to write a poem using some of those Mad Gab solutions.

Here are the words/phrases we had available:

bet your bottom dollar
don't talk to strangers
exterminator
big man on campus
Noah Wyle
when do we start
liquid detergent
I am not a crook
Subaru Motors
I Dream of Jeannie

Here's the poem that I came up with:

When Doc Noah Wyle walks into a room,
The ladies may faint or at least start to swoon.
They struggle to walk; they can't find the door;
Like bugs that have been sprayed by an exterminator.
As the hospital's big man on campus, or BMOC,
He's the star, like Larry Hagman, from I Dream of Jeannie.
Where is the patient? When do we start?
Noah asks as the nurses wheel in the cart.
Are you good at your job? Do you stick to the letter?
Bet your bottom dollar, sir, you're gonna get better.

Remember when the show E.R. was a big deal?

And here's Emily's poem:

Bet your bottom dollar
To get ring around the collar
Out of all your shirts you'll need liquid detergent
And dear Nixon should have known
That his scheme would soon be blown
"I am not a crook" he said; a new president's urgent.

Tricky Dick

Fun, huh?

This activity may sound ridiculous (and maybe it is), but you should give it a try. We sure had fun with it!

*In case you're hooked, you can play Mad Gab online [here].

Two Things I Love: Star Wars and Golf

2011-12-06T09:58:00.001-07:00

Just a quick funny video I stumbled upon. I don't know why Spike was advertising this, but I love it.

Star Wars + golf = happy Aaron

The Sharaya Mikael House Show

2011-12-04T10:00:00.000-07:00

Last night, my home had the pleasure of hosting a house show for Sharaya Mikael.

This talented songstress is a Portland native, now living in Nashville. A couple of my roommates met her during her 2010 48-state tour, and she decided to play a real gig at our place during her current tour.

Before, during, and after her set, Sharaya was a delight to spend time with. You can tell she is a passionate person and enjoys life, and that emotion comes through in her music (even the deeper stuff).

But first things first.

The opener for our house show was Shannon Simmons, a local DC artist that I know personally. She serenaded us on guitar and piano -- not at the same time, though that would be remarkable...

While I was tempted to bust out my Flip and get some footage, I hadn't asked so I didn't film any of tonight's concert. If you want to see a video of Shannon singing/playing, I found this one on YouTube.
Note: it's not a real performance [also, please don't be mad at me for finding and sharing, Shannon].

Next Sharaya stepped up to the "stage". She played songs from both of her albums, including upbeat tunes, some melancholy ones, and a cover of CCR's "Bad Moon Rising". The whole show was excellent, and I only wish it could have lasted longer.

If you'd like a little taste, you can watch this video for her song "Far Field".

Good stuff, eh? She's also on Twitter (I'm already following), Last.fm, Facebook, Spotify, and YouTube.

And if you want to buy her albums, you can do so on iTunes and Amazon.

Sharaya and Shannon after their performances

Great meeting you, Sharaya!

I believe I can speak for all of the DC crowd in saying we look forward to seeing you back here again soon, Sharaya. You're always welcome!

DC Hot Chocolate Run

2011-12-04T09:00:00.000-07:00

My apologies, but I'm going to do some complaining before I say anything positive on this one.

Now I've done a fair amount of races in my day, and it's normal to have a hitch or two in the race for whatever reason. But the DC Hot Chocolate Run was a total CF. Note: if you don't know what CF stands for, you are more pure of heart than me, and I'm not going to spoil you. Let's just say it isn't good.

My issues with the race planning started with waking up at 5 am to make the shuttle from Crystal City.
Well, that would have been okay, except the 7:30 start was delayed a solid hour. An hour!

That extra hour was worsened by the cold weather. I know they can't control the weather, but it accentuated the terrible effect of having to wait for so long after having already shed clothing and left it at the bag drop.

Once the race finally started, they goofed up on the route and had it doubling back at one point. Luckily it was sorted out by the time I reached that spot. But the correction didn't fix their course design and having the last half mile be a big hill. Brutal, uncalled for, and unnecessary.

Ok, I'm done being a negative Nelly.

Here's the happy stuff.

I didn't have to drive, and my shuttle was one of the earliest, so I arrived on time.

The race organizers provided plenty of port-a-johns, which some races sorely lack.

My Buddy the Elf costume made a lot of people (including myself) smile.

See? Here's "proof" I ran as Buddy the Elf

The views along the harbor were lovely, and the spectators cheered and made us feel loved.

I ran a decent race, considering I've got plantar fasciitis and how terribly out-of-shape I feel. Note: I'm not looking for sympathy. I know I'm still in decent shape, but I'm a long way from my Ironman conditioning of 18 months ago.

I vow to get my 5k time back under 22 mins by summer 2012

The post-race chocolate fondue and hot chocolate lived up to their billing. Delicious!

Many friends were there, from multiple friend-groups, which always makes a race more fun.

Fellow hashers

Colonial friends

All in all, I had a good time. Just don't expect to see me at another RAM Racing event anytime soon.

Farewell, Movember 2011

2011-12-01T07:42:00.001-07:00

I know some people had been awaiting the last day of Movember with bated breath.
Well the time to shave finally came.

My facial hair went from this beloved look:

To this clean and responsible look:

The 'stache will be missed.

Hasta Cinco de Mustache (aka Cinco de Mayo), mi amigo!

Should I try a different style instead of the horseshoe for the next time?

What James Bond Wants for Christmas

2011-11-29T12:48:00.001-07:00

If money were no object, I'd want one, too.

Imagine the pilot (Yves Rossy) in a black tuxedo. Perfect, right?

Now imagine yourself strapped into that baby.

Oh yes, that'd be sweet.

Merry Christmas, 007.

Movember Meet-and-Greet

2011-11-27T23:00:00.000-07:00

Some elements are essential to a good party.
Comfortable location, fun friends, something to eat and drink.

And some elements contribute to a great party.
A large wall hanging to sign, mustache tree, fake mustaches, a photo booth.

The Movember Meet-and-Greet had all these things.
Plus, we were raising awareness for prostate and testicular cancer, as well as men's health in general.

With my wonderful co-hosts

I have to give a special shout out to Camille and Lindsey, without whom the party never would have been nearly as fun as it turned out to be. No one could ask for better co-hosts and friends.

Speaking of friends, there were lots that came over and celebrated with us, many rocking either their own or a felt die-cut 'stache for the evening, having some snacks, and taking advantage of the photo booth.

You know a party is a big deal when Mary makes an appearance.

A triumphant trio of horseshoe mustaches

I imagine this is what a European Union meeting looks like

Sometimes things get a little weird... just how we like it

Gotta represent with the real 'staches

I love this pic; all around great stuff

Yes, that's a Movember cake; thanks, Camille!

Hide yo' kids, hide yo' wife

Thanks for coming, friends! You love Movember and it loves you right back!

Until next year!

Movember Stache Update: Only 4 More Days

2011-11-26T11:43:00.001-07:00

This morning, I decided to go all out for the last few days of Movember.

So I took this full goatee...

...and shaved it into this beauty.

Love it? Hate it?
How is yours (or your significant other's or your friend's) coming along?

Philly Me Full of Turkey: Remix

2011-11-26T09:00:00.000-07:00

Thanksgiving in Philly is becoming a tradition. Last year's excursion to the city of brotherly love was great.

I can say without a doubt that this year was even better.

My drive up was vastly superior, as Emily came and we chatted and did a little sing-along. This was Emily's first time visiting Philadelphia, so she was really excited to see the sign, meet my brother Pete and his wife Jordyn, and take in the historical sites we all hear about in school.

The fun began right when we arrived. Pete and Jordyn hosted a pie night at their house. About 10 people came, which was nice because we could socialize with everyone easily. Plus, that meant there was no shortage of pie to chomp. And chomp we did.

I was so proud of my little brother for his sweet cooking skills. Check out this banana creme pie!

The next day, we took our time resting and getting ready in the morning, and then assisted Jordyn with making these delicious stay-puft rolls. We still don't know what made them get so puffy, and maybe we'll never know. We do know that the massive rolls were quite tasty.

Jordyn's stay-puft rolls

The rolls accompanied all of us to Jordyn's coworkers' house, where we enjoyed a delicious spread for Thanksgiving dinner. Some of the dishes had a little different flair to them, which added to the experience. For example, the stuffing had spicy sausage included. Yum!

After eating a meal like that, we were all stuffed (pun semi-intended). Since Jordyn needed sleep for her 4 AM work schedule the next day, the rest of us left the house to go see the new Muppets movie and give her some peace and quiet.

How do I express my love for the Muppets? The movie was so funny. I grew up on the Muppet Show, so seeing them back in action was terrific. Afterwards, I learned that Bret from Flight of the Conchords wrote the songs for this movie, and that totally makes sense. Clever, ridiculous tunes throughout the movie.

The next day, Emily and I did some sightseeing. Pete was kind enough to go with us, and he'd study his law stuff while we went into the locations to get our history on. We started with the Liberty Bell, followed by Liberty Hall and finagling our way into a tour 3 hours before our originally assigned time. Never hurts to ask, right? I'm glad we did, because otherwise we wouldn't have been able to see many other sites.

After touring Liberty Hall, our tummies were grumbling something fierce. Pete recommended a place nearby called Sonny's for Philly cheesesteaks. It's not Pat's or Gino's or Jim's, but it was quite tasty.

Emily couldn't bear to watch the meat being sliced and grilled

Delicious, but I doubt she'll have another one anytime soon

Gotta energize for tour guiding and reading law materials

Before moving on, Emily and I did a quick stop at the Betsy Ross house tour. I had no idea she was such a businesswoman and hadn't realized how much she risked in making the American flag.

No first visit to Philly is complete without the LOVE Park right next to City Hall. Next time we'll plan for a few extra minutes to play with/on all the big game pieces, but this time we wanted to hit up the Philadelphia Museum of Art before darkness set in, so we had to move along quickly.

And why would we want to reach the Museum of Art before dark? For the Rocky steps, of course!

Her southpaw cross is devastating

The boat houses and Fairmount Park are right around the corner, so we took a few mins to walk over and get pictures from the nice gazebos. Also, seeing that glassy water really made me want to waterski. But that'll have to wait for another time and another place, I suppose.

When we got back to the house, Jordyn was rested up and told us all about her crazy day at work. We socialized and ate and then the time came for Emily and I to hit the road. Our drive home took about half as long as the drive up (2.5 hrs vs 4.5 hrs), and Emily was really tired so I let her sleep while I drove.

Not sure if next year I'll have Thanksgiving in Philadelphia, but I'm excited to see what it entails if I do!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T07:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!

I hope you're safe and happy and healthy wherever you are.
May we all remember just how blessed we all are in our lives.

That little girl is completely right. And just like Christmas isn't the only time to think about our faith and the Savior, Thanksgiving is also a one-day reminder to be grateful all year round.

I'm not going to enumerate, but my family and friends would definitely be right at the top of my list.
Love you all!

The Friend Zone

2011-11-23T09:40:00.000-07:00

Today the hilarious site Doghouse Diaries shared this little bit of wisdom about the human experience.

I was talking with a friend the other day and she was wondering if she could do anything to get a guy she likes to ask her out, when she's pretty sure that he's already placed her firmly in the friend zone. While clearly it's different from each gender's position (based on the standard gender roles, which aren't necessarily correct but nonetheless are generally followed), it got me thinking.

So my question to you in the blogosphere is this:
Is it possible to move from the friend zone to the dating zone?

A few years ago, I tried to subtly take the first option from the comic strip by asking out a girl that I'd been friends with for a long time. She accepted the date but then DTR'ed me even before we went out, letting me know she couldn't ever see us being more than the friends we were/are.

Things were awkward for a while, but we're still friends. However, I kind of decided at that point that I was done attempting to escape the friend zone going forward. Pain and rejection can be harsh teachers.

Any of you have stories to the contrary? Or is it just romantic comedy movies that this works in?

Comparison Graphics [Harry Potter vs LOTR, Women colors vs Men colors]

2011-11-23T09:13:00.001-07:00

I'm working from home today and loving it. Not battling Thanksgiving traffic makes me so happy (at least until tonight), and not traveling got me started working earlier. With being so productive, I had time to find these two gems to share with you all. What do you think of them?

1) Comparison of Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings (written 1995-2007 and 1937-1949, respectively).

You've been busted, JK Rowling!

2) Women colors vs Men colors. Yes, this is a broad stereotype. And yes, I mostly agree with this one.

Should I paint my room Teal or Sky? Definitely need girl help on that choice.

Thought provoking graphics, eh? Okay, maybe just more humorous than anything else.

Off to Philly tonight for Pie Night and to see my bro and sis-in-law. Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!

Time to Occupy Detroit: A Win-Win Situation

2011-11-22T11:10:00.000-07:00

Note: This post is meant to be humorous. Please don't take it too seriously.

The Occupy Wall Street (OWS) crowd is getting run out of cities left and right these days.
Seems major, thriving cities don't like shanty towns, no matter how noble their intentions.
There has to be a way to avoid the arrests, injuries, and pepper-sprayings.

So I had an idea.
How about shifting the movement to Occupy Detroit?

It makes sense if you think about it.

It's unlikely Detroit would kick you out. That's a major plus.

In fact, I bet OWS could get preferential treatment, including the use of abandoned homes and businesses in which to set up your society and be able to organize and run meetings in proper circumstances (instead of the lobby of the Deutche Bank building in NYC).

Just look at some of these available locations:

The David Whitney Building

Michigan Central Station

United Artists Theater

Also, the city of Detroit would benefit. A new influx of people would provide for opportunities to set up small business to sell necessary food and supplies. These would be passionate people who would likely vote for change and could get involved locally to improve the city.

So think about it, OWS.

Isn't it time to Occupy Detroit?

Weather Staining a Patio Set

2011-11-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

I've been feeling very crafty lately.
If you didn't see my cardboard tommy guns project for Halloween, that post is here.

My most recent handiwork was weather staining my friend Sandi's patio table and chairs.
It's a simple set from IKEA, with a metal frame and wooden slats. Our plan was to redo the slats.

Here's what we started with and then the end product:

From this...

...to this. Much improved, eh?

My dad let me know the materials needed, which include:

screwdriver
rags/towels
100-grit sandpaper
paintbrushes
a small can of weatherproofing wood stain
(optional) breathing mask or bandana
(optional) drop cloths

For the sandpaper, paintbrushes, and can of wood stain, I paid less than $10 at Home Depot.

Let's get started! The slats first need to be removed from the frames and cleaned.

Use your screwdriver, then wet the rags/towels and wipe off dust/dirt.

Now it's time to use the 100-grit sandpaper. If you're sensitive to sawdust, it might be a good idea to use some sort of mask. Plus, I'd recommend doing this outdoors for easier cleanup.

After sanding, make sure you wipe off any remaining dust. Then it's time to paint.
Note: I thought I'd gotten a waterproofing wood stain that would show the natural grain. However, the paint can wasn't labeled very clearly, so I ended up with a white stain. Oh well; the white made for a fun look, and if the set were painted another color later, the white will serve as a good base coat. So just be careful which paint can you pick out.

Drying after the first coat, still some wood grain showing through

The second coat makes them completely opaque

Once everything is dry, you're ready to put the slats back onto their frames. Get that screwdriver.

And you're done! Enjoy your new, vibrant patio set as you sip hot chocolate and discuss heady topics.

The craft bug has definitely bitten me. Hmm, what shall I do next? What are you working on?

An Expensive 48 Hours

2011-11-17T11:34:00.001-07:00

Are you usually pretty good about saving, and then you'll just go on a quick spending spree?
I guess that's my style, and it's been an expensive last 48 hours.

Here's the rundown, in order of purchase.

100 die cut felt Movember mustaches - Etsy: $20

1 round-trip ticket to Utah for Christmas - kayak.com: $695
2 Nutcracker tickets - Kennedy Center: $240

1 Deco TV stand - Craigslist: $70
2 fancy massages - Groupon: $105

That's a grand total of $1,130, or almost $24 per hour.

Ouch.

Looks like my dinners will be based on tuna fish and Top Ramen for the next couple weeks.

Runners Crawling to the Finish Line

2011-11-17T10:13:00.001-07:00

On Tuesday, Christian Bergeron, a cross country runner in Lousiana, showed some serious guts and determination in finishing his final high school race. He was in 13th place and only 25 yards from the finish line. Then his legs gave out.

Dehydration robbed him of his ability to physically function. After multiple attempts at standing up and finishing, he crawled across the line and into his brother's arms. Here's a local TV station's recap:

If you've never seen the following videos from some of the Ironman championship races, they are incredible. These are finely-tuned athletes, who do their best to optimize performance through training and nutrition over months and years. But sometimes their tanks just get down to zero.

Wondering about that "spirit of Julie Moss" mentioned at the end of that clip? Here's her finish in 1982.

As heart-breaking as these clips are to watch, I'm inspired by their desire to finish and how nothing, not even the inability to put one foot in front of the other, was going to stop them from crossing that finish line.

I honestly get choked up every time I revisit these.
Man, I love sports.

Meeting BoMF (Back on My Feet) Founder, Anne Mahlum

2011-11-16T11:22:00.001-07:00

Marriott is a pretty big company, so sometimes celebrities and other community figures stop by headquarters, deliver a speech, and/or shake hands for a little bit.

Yesterday, our visitor was NFL football player Brian Orakpo.

The Washington Redskins' linebacker came in for a kick-off event for a partnership between the NFL and Marriott's Courtyard brand. He was well-spoken when answering questions, and I can confirm that he is just as large of a man in person as he looks on TV.

These pictures don't do the man justice. He's very, very big.

However, today we had another guest that I was probably more impressed to meet.

Back on My Feet (BoMF) Founder and CEO, Anne Mahlum.

Anne leading some BoMF participants

If you've never heard of BoMF, you should check out their website and learn more. In short, Anne's nonprofit organization "promotes the self-sufficiency of those experiencing homelessness by engaging them in running as a means to build confidence, strength, and self-esteem." How cool is that?!?

I first learned of Anne and her organization in Runner's World magazine in January 2009 [you can read the article here]. Her initiative, determination, and unique approach to helping the homeless struck me.

Anyway, Anne was here today, and it was awesome meeting her. She and her associate (the CFO, I believe) were friendly and we all chatted about racing and marathons and fund-raising for a few minutes. I came away even more impressed with her and the BoMF program, and wanting to help.

So I signed up to give a donation, and they were very grateful even though I'm sure they regularly receive much larger donations. If you'd like to contribute to BoMF, you can do so at this web page.

Can't wait to see who the next awesome person to come to headquarters will be!

My Onion News: NBA Lockout Contributes to Family Togetherness

2011-11-15T11:22:00.001-07:00

With baseball having ended and football primarily on the weekend, local area men are emerging from their man-caves and seeing the female counterparts and little people they once knew. In a joint study, social scientists from Harvard, Yale, and Pasadena City College have determined the rare phenomenon's cause to be the disruption of the standard overlapping of sports seasons, due to the overwhelming greed of the NBA owners and the NBA Players Association.

One local area woman was surprised and elated to be taken out to dinner at a local sit-down restaurant, instead of having to watch hoops on TV that evening and endure Bill Walton's inane blathering. Another family discovered a local park equipped with swing sets and a soft, green material called "grass".

In a related study, single females also noted an increase in the willingness of single males to "do something" and/or "hang out" on weeknights, with a slight statistically significant increase in the number of dates experienced by said single females.

Bravo, NBA! Thank you for your unorthodox and unexpected method of saving and creating families!

Note: I claim no affiliation to the Onion or any of its workers or affiliations. I just applaud their sense of humor and ability to make people (namely me) laugh.

Happy America Recycles Day!

2011-11-15T07:01:00.000-07:00

Did you know that since 1997, there has been an America Recycles Day each November 15th?

http://americarecyclesday.org/

I didn't until recently, so this year I joined in. At work, they're accepting donations of old denim jeans, which can be used as insulation. I took in a couple pairs, and I'm glad I could contribute.

My family has been recycling formally (sorting the trash, dropping off at the grocery store bins, etc.) and informally (re-washing bags, some hand-me-down clothes, reusing Halloween costumes, etc.) for years.

Also, I recycled in my last apartment and my new house has multiple recycling bins for us to sort into. We've only got one Earth, so I'm happy to do my part to preserve it as much as I can.

Do you recycle? Is recycling available in your area, whether through regular city pickup or drop-off spots?

Movember Mustache/Beard Guidance

2011-11-15T07:00:00.001-07:00

We're half way through Movember, and I'm betting you've got some mildly decent (like me) or wildly impressive (probably most of you) facial hair growth by now.

If you haven't already, it may be time to consider some grooming, in lieu of shaggy all-over growth.

Here are a few graphics to keep in mind as you choose your style, especially if you still want to be date-able and/or not scare mothers and small children while walking around the neighborhood.

Does clicking on this make it bigger? If so, it's worth reading the descriptions.

Is it cause for concern that I currently have the 'goatee + mustache', but I think it's more fun to have 'the horseshoe aka the Hogan'? You should talk me out of shaving my chin.

My dad has pretty much always been in the range of Tom Selleck to Burt Reynolds.
Great choice, dad. A classic 'stache.

The Holstee Manifesto

2011-11-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

I had never heard of the Holstee Manifesto until my friend Bree posted this video on her Facebook page.

From what I can tell, Holstee is a super-hipster company that sells some interesting stuff, but what I'm really interested in is their inspirational message in this video.

We all need to live life, be creative, and do more with the valuable time we've been given.

Here's the Holstee Manifesto in one graphic.

To the degree that you currently can, I hope you join me in heeding its charge and spirit.

So what is your passion, friend?

Dressed to the Elevens

2011-11-12T16:47:00.000-07:00

What's that? You say the subject line is confused and should be "Dressed to the Nines"?

Not so, friend. At the Mt Ida Elevenses (11-11-11) party, we were dressed even better than that.

We were dressed to the elevens.

Exhibit A:

Emily and I looking smashing in our cocktail attire

Exhibit B:

The lovely Mt Ida hostesses

Two of my friends played bartender, and they came up with some very tasty mocktails and a couple different non-alcoholic shots, which added to the festive atmosphere.

The bartenders, serving up some fierce ginger-loaded shots.

This group denied that they were being intellectual. I didn't believe them.

Check out this good-looking foursome.

Each hour on the 11 (8:11, 9:11, etc), people performed short acts for our entertainment. Songs, poems, reflective thoughts, etc, were among the talents shared.

Emily helped me put together a quick little poem after the 10:11 acts, so that I could share it right after the 11:11 countdown and celebration. This is what we came up with:

It's 11-11-11, here at Mt Ida,
And so, briefly, I just wanna try da
Share a few words from the bottom of my heart;
How grateful I am before we all depart.
Our wonderful hostesses, or is it hostess-eye...
Uh oh, I just used ellipsis, hope that doesn't make Amber cry.
We've had great entertainment, from reflective to funny,
While these gals stuffed shots into our tummies.
Handsome fellas abounded and ladies pretty as the heavenses;
Thank you all for coming to Mt Ida to celebrate the elevenses.

Nothing fancy, but I was happy to contribute and be involved in such a numerologically significant party.

See you all on 12-12-12!

11:11 am on 11-11-11

2011-11-11T09:11:00.000-07:00

Not sure how we got to the subject, but my friend Amber was telling me* how much she loves 11-11 and that she and her mom always call each other at exactly 11:11 in the morning. Aw, isn't that sweet.

Anyway, that got me thinking about how rare a day like this is.

Think about it; the next sequence of all the same number will be over a decade from now on 2-2-22.
But if you're a purist (are there numerology purists?), then that date might be considered 02-02-22 and wouldn't count. Then the next one wouldn't be until a century from now.

So I'm gonna make my wish, enjoy this magical day, and hit up the Mt. Ida Elevenses Party tonight.

*Note: I wrote this in October, but scheduled it to post on November 11th.

It's Nigel Tufnel Day! Crank It Up to 11!

2011-11-11T07:01:00.000-07:00

Today is a special day for Spinal Tap fans.
11-11-11 is Nigel Tufnel Day!

So why does this lead guitarist of a made-up band get his own day?
Because his amps don't just go to 10. He cranks them to 11!

In case you don't remember the scene from Spinal Tap, here it is:

So to celebrate Nigel Tufnel day, do what you do today with a little more zest and a little more zeal than you normally would. Crank it up to 11!

PS: Is Nigel looking kinda familiar to you, but you don't know why because you've never seen Spinal Tap?
Perhaps it's because Christopher Guest is also the six-fingered man from The Princess Bride.

Yeah, those worlds just collided. You're welcome.

Say It Ain't So! [Joe Frazier, Joe Paterno, Lindsay Lohan, Notre Dame Football, Duggar Family]

2011-11-10T06:53:00.000-07:00

Lots of craziness lately, so I figured I'd stuff them all into one post and just keep each short and sweet.

RIP Joe Frazier

His professional boxing career began right after he won the USA's only gold boxing medal in the 1964 Olympics. He dominated most matches, eventually becoming the official world heavyweight champion in 1970. Perhaps his most famous bout was against Muhammad Ali (pictured above), which he won to retain his title. Frazier lost his 29-0 win streak and the championship belt to George Foreman in 1973. He had a couple comeback attempts, most famously the "Thrilla in Manila" against Ali, but Frazier never regained his former glory or the title. Diagnosed with liver cancer in September of this year, he passed away on November 7th. RIP, Smokin' Joe.

RIP Joe Paterno's Coaching Career

Due his assistant coach being charged in an alleged child sex scandal, the legendary coach of the Penn State football program was fired effective immediately. He holds the record for most wins by a collegiate coach (409), but his failure to report knowledge of the sex scandal to legal authorities appears to have been deemed by the Penn State Board of Trustees as too large too overlook. While I loved him as an icon and coach, I have to agree with them. Farewell, JoePa, and best of luck in retirement.

Lindsay Lohan Continues Streak of Terrible Decisions

It's official. Her career is in freefall. The latest is that she's posing fully nude for Playboy. After her theft of a necklace from a jewelry store, she now has to work at county morgue for 12 days, and is required to attend 18 psychotherapy sessions along with her 53 days of community service [source]. Though unlikely, I hope even the paparazzi will start to pity her and leave her to fight her demons in peace.

Notre Dame Football Fashion Faux Pas

The Notre Dame football program has a proud heritage of excellence. They inspired the movie Rudy, for goodness' sake! When they already have great helmets/logos (solid gold helmets, the interlocking "N" and "D", and the boxing Irishman), it's just lame to use these shamrock helmets [source]. They must be hoping their next opponent's uglier helmets (poor Maryland) will be more distracting than theirs.

Duggar Family Resumes Energizer Bunny Impersonation

They just keep going and going and going and going. 20 kids? Really?!? I'm just flabbergasted by these guys. These guys aren't LDS/Mormon, just in case you were curious (I clearly was). They're conservative Baptists. I've never watched their show, but I've got to imagine it's a madhouse. Are any of you, my friends and readers, from a large family? Maybe 10+ kids? I'd love to hear your thoughts on the Duggars.

I Got a Nikon Camera, I Love to Take a Photograph

2011-11-09T13:04:00.001-07:00

You may not have noticed, but I couldn't take very many pictures over the past couple months.
The faded red (some called it pink, much to my chagrin) Olympus Stylus died back in July, and I'd just been using my camera phone since then.

Well, no longer! The friend historian is back in the game!

I went to Target a couple weeks back, picked up this Nikon Coolpix, and I've resumed my documentarian ways with a vengeance.

Aaaaah, it feels good to be whole again.

PS: Thanks to Paul Simon for inspiring this blogpost's title.

How to Hand-make Cardboard Tommy Guns

2011-11-07T11:42:00.001-07:00

I am not the necessarily the crafty type. At least not as much as I'd like to be.

But once in a while, my mom's craft-making skills shine through, and I get the urge.

With Halloween approaching, I was trying to decide what to be. In my closet, I re-discovered a fedora hat and an old-ish pair of pants with suspenders. The idea of being a 1930's mobster started looking pretty good. But I would need a tommy gun to complete the costume.

So I set to work, and I ended up with this.

All you need are:

large cardboard box
duct tape or glue
pencil or pen
box cutter

Here's how I went about making my own cardboard tommy guns.

1. Found a stencil online. I don't think I used this exact one,
but they're all pretty much the same.

2. Sketched the stencil on cardboard. Didn't worry about being too precise.
It's just cardboard, after all.

3. Cut out the stencil. Try not to waste too much extra cardboard above/below,
because that will allow for more cut-outs per box or sheet of cardboard.

4. Wrote on one so I'd know it was the original ("OG" = original gangster).
Stencil and re-do until you've got 10 copies.

5. Either glue or use duct tape to secure 5 of your stencils together.
6. Optional: spray paint this whole piece black or silver,
maybe using brown for the handles and stock.

7. Find a large circle to stencil for the drum (round bullet clip).

8. Cut out ten of the circles.

9. Make a notch in the circles that fits snugly around the gun frame assembled in Step #5.

10. Tape or glue 5 circles together with the notches matching up.

Now you've got your gun frames and bullet drums, and the final step is...

11. Tape or glue the drums to the frame, and you're all done!

Voilá! A cardboard tommy gun, and the perfect accessory for that 1930's costume.

P.S. I'm kind of embarrassed to ask, but is this post worthy of Pinterest?

The Happiest Homicide Song [Foster the People]

2011-11-04T00:42:00.000-06:00

If you know me, then you know I love music.
I listen to it all the time.

Frequently, words and phrases in everyday conversations trigger song lyrics in my brain, which then gets the tune stick in my head and foot a-tapping to the beat.

Do you ever notice when a song's music doesn't quite seem to fit with its lyrics?
Not in terms of rhythm; I mean in its message.

One of the current hits is "Pumped Up Kicks" by Foster the People.

I'm hooked on the song, just like a lot of people are.Such a happy tune. Kind of beachy-nostalgic style, and the lead and back-up voices match well.

But have you noticed the lyrics? Really listened to them?

In case you didn't quite catch them, here's the first verse plus the chorus:

"Robert's got a quick hand.
He'll look around the room, he won't tell you his plan.
He's got a rolled cigarette, hanging out his mouth he's a cowboy kid.
Yeah, he found a six shooter gun.
In his dad's closet hidden with a box of fun things, and I don't even know what.
But he's coming for you, yeah he's coming for you.
All the other kids with the pumped up kicks you'd better run, better run, outrun my gun.
All the other kids with the pumped up kicks you'd better run, better run, faster than my bullet."

Yes, this song is about a kid planning to take his dad's gun and shoot his classmates.

Pretty dark stuff for such a chipper, upbeat tune. That's why I was so surprised when I realized what the lyrics were saying.

Do you know of any other songs that have lyrics that don't match the music style?

What's Scarier to Adults than Halloween? This.

2011-11-01T19:27:00.001-06:00

It's always frightening when the gas light comes on.

Well, my new car goes one step further and tells me exactly when I'm about to run out of gas.
That's a good thing, but apparently I am taking too much advantage of this feature.

Oh the horror! The horror!

So far, I've gotten down to under 1 mile remaining on two occasions.

Time to get back into following my dad's advice of filling up at 1/4 tank. He's a smart fellow.

It's Movember. Time to Grow the 'Stache, Fellas!

2011-10-31T09:00:00.000-06:00

Yes, it's that time again.

Time for gentlemen to start growing the 'stache to raise awareness for prostate and testicular cancers.
And time for you ladies to encourage this behavior and discussion of Movember's purpose.

So if you've always wanted to look like Tom Selleck, Hulk Hogan, Groucho Marx, Mike Ditka, Salvador Dali, Ned Flanders, Rollie Fingers, Yosemite Sam, or another of the countless famous mustached men, now's your chance. And it'll be for a good cause, too.

The Harvard Sailing Team, one of my favorite comedy troupes, said it this way.

Here's a somewhat less-entertaining, yet very informative, video about Movember.

How to participate:

Shave tonight (October 31st) or tomorrow morning, and start growing the facial hair.
When people ask about your facial hair, tell them you're raising awareness for prostate and testicular cancer, and encourage them to spread the word.
Ladies, give a mustached man a smooch, or at least a compliment for his mustache-growing efforts.
If you'd like, give a donation or attend a Gala event if there's one happening near you.

I'm shooting for something in this range, if not even better.

PS: I may throw a Movember party on November 18th. Location and time TBD.

Halloween Weekend

2011-10-30T09:00:00.000-06:00

Halloween math: 3 parties, 2 costumes, 1 great weekend.

"Samhain" Running Group Party
My friend Anand hosted this shindig. Lots of fun costumes of all different types and genres. While there were a ton of great ones, here are some of my favorites.

Flo from Progressive & Eagle Scout

Calvin & Hobbes

All great, but especially loving the Nyan Cat & Barney Stinson on the far right

Celebrity Island Party
We all know Elvis and Tupac aren't dead. They and all their celebrity friends just leave public life to spend the remainder of their days on Celebrity Island. Check out how good they all look:

Bonnie & Clyde

Amber as Amelia Earhart

Allstate Mayhem Jogger

Such a great Lucille Ball impersonation

Crikey! It's the Crocodile Hunter!

Audrey's Birthday
This one wasn't a costume party. In fact, I went straight there from the Celebrity Island party, and I was the only person in costume. No worries. Sharing props and using camera effects gets everybody in on the act.

With the birthday girl

Kind of a gumshoe look, eh?

Showing Audrey some roomie love

These roomies are a hoot

And that's why I love Halloween. 'Nuff said.

PS: I first shared the zombie love video for Valentines Day this year, but it seems appropriate for Halloween, too. My favorite lyrics? "I wanna steal your heart... and eat your brains." haha

The Most Amazing Shoes You've Ever Seen [Gun Hoofs]

2011-10-28T17:07:00.001-06:00

Not since the Air Jordan 1's have I seen amazing shoes like the ones I saw today. Full credit goes to my friend Sarah B for bringing these to my attention [her tumblr is fantastic].

Do you ever need to climb a mountainside and then shoot a wild animal?
Then these are the shoes for you (and for Bear Grylls, too)!

They are called Gun Hoofs, and they're made by Iris Schieferstein. Amazing, aren't they?

Not satisfied with a goat hoof and golden pistols? Try on some snake heels with black pistols.

I really hope Sarah B gets a pair, because I'd love to see them in real life.

The ABC (Anything But Clothes) Run

2011-10-28T07:42:00.000-06:00

My running group can be pretty wacky, and we love our theme runs.

For the second year in a row, we had the ABC (Anything But Clothes) run.
Yes, it's exactly what it sounds like.

Find a trash bag, make a dress out of coffee filters or playing cards, whatever.

This year I cut head and arm holes in couch cushion covers for my friend Adam and me.

Yes, we get lots of funny looks from the Muggles when we run like this.

One big advantage that I hadn't planned on was the open airyness of the bottom with the heat-capturing of the top. Perfect for those chilly DC nights, plus you can bring the arms in and look like a potato!

Any suggestions for what I should wear / not wear for next year's ABC run?

Star Wars Pumpkins

2011-10-26T12:00:00.000-06:00

Two things I love, combined into one: Star Wars and pumpkin-carving.

Sadly, I can't claim any of these as my own... yet.

"It was as if a million pumpkin seeds cried out and were suddenly silenced..."
HT: Jared Gillins

Boba Fett

The Emperor

R2-D2

Talent + way too much time = show-off over-achiever

If those weren't enough to blow your mind, check out these 7 Star Wars pumpkins!
Do you have a favorite genre or maybe a specific jack o'lantern pattern?

Todd Rundgren's OccupyWallSt Rallying Cry

2011-10-26T09:49:00.000-06:00

Is it just me, or did the OccupyWallSt (and OccupyDC, OccupyAmerica, etc.) folks maybe listen to this old Todd Rundgren tune way too many times?

Best of luck, and I hope you're only banging on those drums during regular work hours. Non-protesters and their families need sleep, too.

A Great Pre-Halloween Fall Weekend [Haunted Forest, Pumpkin Party, Caramel Apples]

2011-10-25T18:17:00.000-06:00

The weekend prior to Halloween was excellent this year. I was able to participate in several Fall/Halloween activities, which set the stage beautifully for the impending Halloween party blitzkrieg.

Markoff's Haunted Forest
I'm not usually a horror guy. In fact, I still hate clowns because of the nightmares that Stephen King's "It" gave me for several nights in a row when I was 12 years-old. But Markoff's Haunted Forest was a lot of fun. If you didn't make it this year, go next year. It's worth it. Even just for the carnival-type atmosphere and getting a cup of hot chocolate and standing by the bonfire.

Staying warm, prior to getting scared out of our wits

C1 Pumpkin Party
While not exactly a Halloween costume party, this shindig came close. The main focus was on pumpkin-carving, which was fine by me. Having pumpkin in most of the food was a delicious theme. Since I'm fairly new back in the Colonial 1st Ward, this was a great chance to re-connect with old friends and meet new folks. And what better way to break the ice than with a compliment about somebody's costume?

Great Civil War costumes, and Abe's beard is actually her hair. Isn't that hilarious/genius?!?

Caramel Apples
Mmm, just remembering this event makes me hungry. My friends Rachel and Devon put this together, and we all had a fun time. I could only handle one caramel apple, but spending the evening with great people and satisfying that sweet tooth at the same time is a deal I'll take any night.

Oh, and one question. Both are probably okay, but how do you pronounce the word "caramel"?

Care-a-mel
Car-mel

This is often a humorous and oddly-heated debate, and I'd love to hear what you think.

Curly Fries and Cavities

2011-10-25T12:00:00.000-06:00

Curly Fries
French fries are good. Curly fries are even better.

This was part of my lunch the other day.

Yes, they were as delicious as they look.

Each time I eat curly fries, I'm reminded of the Hardee's restaurant that used to be next to my dad's pediatric dentist office. I remember my mom taking us to eat there before our check-ups and sometimes when we were just stopping by the office to say hi or drop Costco/Sam's Club supplies off.
Am I remembering that accurately, mom?

Cavities
Speaking of dentist visits, most of my check-ups ended with all smiles. That's what you'd expect of a dentist's kid, right? Well, not all of my visits were clean. In fact, I'd venture to say I am the sibling that had the most cavities.

Darn (and beloved) sweet tooth. Still afflicts (and overjoys) me. Luckily I've learned to floss and brush better, so haven't had a cavity in years--knock on wood.

So I always loved going to the dentist, because I was happy to see my dad. What do you guys think of dental check-ups? Are they better or worse for you as an adult than they were as a kid?

Getting the "411" on "211" from the United Way

2011-10-25T07:00:00.000-06:00

When you live in an apartment building, like I used to in Courthouse, Arlington, VA, you meet some rather interesting characters in the elevator.

For example:

Fellow runners, cyclists, and golfers
A heavy-set, balding, clearly-closeted fellow and his "girlfriend"
Most of a men's volleyball/basketball team (based on their height and physique)
Young women trying not to be noticed on their walk-of-shame to the metro

One day I stepped into the elevator and noticed a lady, maybe 50 years-old or so, and she was wearing a "211" pin. Too often, on elevators and the metro, everyone rides in silence.

I don't like silence.

I'd rather meet people.
It's fun and interesting and each person has a story to tell or something of value to share.
Yes, I'm that "weird" guy that talks to strangers anywhere I go.

So I said hello and asked what the "211" meant. She explained that it's a phone service similar to dialing "411" or "911", but specifically to get information on food, housing, healthcare, and counseling.

"211" is run by the Department of Social Services, in conjunction with the United Way. If you're curious about all the services they provide, you can learn more at http://www.211.org/

Neato, huh? While I don't necessarily need "211" right now, I'm glad I didn't just stay quiet on that elevator ride, because now I know something I hadn't known before, and maybe it'll come in handy sometime.

Have you ever met someone interesting in an elevator? I'd love for you to either share your story here in the comments, or blog about it (and then make sure to share the URL in the comments here, of course).

Big Belly Dreamin'

2011-10-24T14:04:00.001-06:00

Whilst I slumbered, my brain decided to send me a message.

I only remember one thing from my dreams last night. My measurements were being taken for some reason, and the seamstress told her assistant that I had a size 45 waist.

Message received, brain. I will be going for a run after work and resume push-ups, ab-work, etc.

Time to get back a little closer to this kind of shape.

Does Your Halloween Self = Your Inner Self?

2011-10-21T11:36:00.001-06:00

As a kid, Halloween was all about candy. You know that, and I know that.* [* = note at end of post]
Our parents helped us pick out our costume (read: they led us to believe we were picking, when they made the real decisions), and then we went in search of the best houses to fill our pillowcase with candy.

But with the years, our focus changes.

We all still like a little candy, but now Halloween is fun because of the costumes.

Witty, macho, punny, gruesome, retro, and/or possibly even a bit risque.

My friend Marcus offered this gem of a quote on his blog:

"My cousin always told me that the way people dress on Halloween is the way they wish they could dress everyday of their lives. Think about it, it's kinda true."

Any arguments on that? Though it maybe isn't true in all cases, I can see some truth to it.

So let's see how I want to dress every day, based on my past Halloween costumes.

ca 1992 - Indiana Jones

2004 - Andrei Kirilenko (NBA player)

2005 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle

2006 - 1950's Greaser

2006 - Robin Hood

2006 - Sherlock Holmes

2007 - James Bond

2007 - Newsie

2008 - Cowboy

2008 - Homestar Runner

2009 - Kermit the Frog

2010 - Mobster

Wow, I've been some awesome characters for Halloween over the years! Not sure exactly what they mean in terms of how I want to dress everyday... Any trends you noticed?

Besides the reappearance of the green spandex 4 years later? Yikes.

How do you want to dress everyday? Or rather, what are you going to be for Halloween this year?
I'm working on a couple ideas for various parties, and I'll share pics afterwards.

*Note: This comment reminded me of the hilarious stand-up comedy routine by Jerry Seinfeld. So funny!