You're Nobody 'Til Somebody Loves You

I am very thankful for many things this year.

Friends. Family. Great Job. Good Times and New Opportunities.
My health and happiness of myself & loved ones. Great music, shows,
free movies and TV in general... and of course, the Foo Fighters.

This Turkey Day was interesting because my family didn't do Thanksgiving
at all. So I opted for Turkey & Cocktails at Chuckles, which was awesome!!
Another opportunity for Tasia to be around them and my friends to get to
know her.

As we steamroll into the Holidays with so much on our plate, it's nice
just to sloooooow down, even a little and tell those around us how much
we appreciate having them in our lives. How special they make it for us,
and how much better it is with them being part of our lives.

The annual Friends XMas party will be here before I know it. Many changes
are abound this year - location, food, games,and a new "something special".

Thanks to YOU! (You know who you are....wink, wink, nudge, nudge*)



* Actually YOU probably think it's YOU... trust me, it's not.

All The Small Things

So I got a text message from Barnes a few days ago saying we were goingto the Charger game vs the Donkeys
on Monday Night. He would be coming in for Thanksgiving and has a hook-up through AT&T. We ended up with
the BEST seats
(seriously, the best $400 tickets). The only tixs better would be in a Luxury Box.

So we end up cruising down early to tailgate and he tells me that we have a meet-and-greet with Dan F@#KING Fouts!
I was stoked to say the least. It was a quickie and we seriously had ONE MINUTE of face time with, including
a hand shake, photo op, and signature. It was cool none the less. I got to meet one of my childhood idols.

Next up was grub & drinks at the CL Tailgate with a bunch of people from my work. We filled up and headed
into the game...

And BOY what a game!! The Chargers KILLED them - 35 to 14.
The worst part of the night was the trolley fiasco that we endured.
HORRIBLE!!!!

Overall a great time that cost me under $40.

I LOVE my life.

A Year of Blood, Sweat & Swords

The Shogunate campaign turned ONE today and I am proud and happy.
Happy to hang out with good friends and people that enjoy in my little
adventure.

In fighting and in everyday life you should be determined though calm.
Meet the situation without tenseness yet not recklessly, your spirit settled
yet unbiased. An elevated spirit is weak and a low spirit is weak. Do not
let the enemy see your spirit.
- Miyamoto Musashi

40oz to Freedom

40 Things you MAY NOT know about me....

01. I love to drive. Unless it's far (like Vegas or SF, or anything further), then I prefer to fly.

02. I always have music playing in my head (the soundtrack to my life).

03. I stretch when I get up every morning.

04. My favorite color is Black (or is it the absence of color?).

05. The color I wish I could pull off - Orange. I cannot wear orange.

06. I write EVERYTHING down. I am a maniac when it comes to notes and lists.

07. I am super organized. Very rare for a right brain creative type, but not unusual.
Test yourself.

08. Growing up I wanted to be a fireman (like my Dad).

09. I decided to go into Advertising by watching commercials and deciding I wanted to
make people buy stuff they don't really need.

10. I watch a LOT of TV. If I could review shows for a living - I would.

11. I read sitting on the toilet. I like simple stuff (magazines) or a book I may be reading at the time.

12. I like to clean. Be it my apartment, wash clothes, wash my car, etc. It's very liberating to me.

13. My favorite number is 7.

14. I have cheated on one of my girlfriends in the past.

15. I want to own a business, but not necessarily in my field.

16. I sing in my car.... all the time.

17. I have more shoes than most guys. I have 11 pairs currently. Also I love having a BRAND NEW pair
of chucks (Converse). I usually buy a new pair every 6 months.

18. I have never taken a typing class. I just hunt & peck really fast.

19. I still have great vision and don't wear any eye enhancements.

20. I LOVE music. DUH! Some types you may not know I like - Big Band, California Country
(30's - 40's Country), and Christmas Music (the classics from Peggy Lee and Frank Sinatra).

21. I don't have any tattoos, BUT love and admire them.

22. I have watched RESERVOIR DOGS over 50 times.

23. Growing up I wished I could be "average" height, like 5'6".

24. Besides White, Creamy sauces - I don't like to eat Broccoli, Cream Corn, Bottom-Feeder Fish
(like Catfish), Deviled Eggs, or Creme Brulee.

25. I do not like tight, enclosed spaces (like a packed elevator). Not fond of heights.
And will not ride large, scary roller-coasters.

26. I hardly ever just "lay around not doing anything". I am ALWAYS busy with something.

27. I always chew gum. It's a nervous tick.

28. I take a polaroid picture of my cat whenever I travel.

29. I hate to assemble furniture and don't read directions.

30. I keep extra, brand new t-shirts in a box under my bed.

31. Up to a year ago I collected Comic Books (but recently sold my 23 Year collection).

32. I love Role-Playing Games and have been playing since 1983.

33. I have nick-names for most of my friends.

34. I own 7 wigs and have 40 hats including many baseball caps, a Fez, a Cowboy hat, a Pirate hat, and a Derby.

35. My favorite cocktail is Captain Morgan & 7up. I used to drink Sapphire & Tonics or Martinis.
I also like a good glass of Malbec.

36. I like to shop for clothes. Not much of a sale shopper.

37. I have never traveled internationally, nor been to Hawaii or any tropical local.

38. Before my career I worked as the ice cream counter at Thrifty's, Cleaning guy at Grove Pastry,
and a bunch a positions at Lucky's Grocery. I have also done telemarketing and been a barista.

39. I have enough Native American blood in me that I have a Indian ID number.

40. My first concert was the Violent Femmes. My best concert was the Beastie Boys (at the Greek Theater).
And I have seen the Foo Fighters 11 times.

Empty Bottles and Cigarettes

Call me Don Draper.... or so I wish some days. I love MadMen. I LOVE Advertising.

Some days I miss agency life. Don't get me wrong, my current job rocks!!! I get a lot of satisfaction,
creative drive and all around fun from it. As I have said a million times - I love what I do for a living.
My career (and the path I am currently on) is going the way I want it too.

I know this is a hard time for many and design & advertising is hurting as well. I have new friends
to the business as well as old friends getting the hell out. It is a hard & long road that you must have
patience for otherwise it will eat you up.

There is obviously some hurdles but I know I have room to grow with my employers. AND they are supportive
and want to cultivate me as an investment. Obviously, like most, I wish I made more money and
better benefits but I am working on it. Plus, I still do freelance (hint, hint).

I have been on a tear with design lately. Soooooooo busy, but in a good way. My BIG project is the
re-branding of our company,as far as EVERYTHING... Corporate ID (That's Business Cards for the layman),
Packaging, Web, Interior, Exterior, and everything that would require our new logo on it. After the
beginning of the year I will be mycompany's Brand Manager, as well as still being Senior Designer.

I have been looking at, absorbing, consuming, and getting as much good(and bad) design around me
as I can. Everything from Branding, Packaging and Advertising.

I'm not in the most Creative place as far as collaboration. I miss bouncing ideas off of another designer
or design group. I have to look more inside myself to be honest with my designs and if they hit the target.
I do ask friends and other designers their opinions, but be prepared... "Ummm, why did you pick THAT color?!"

Here are some good places for designers, artists and creatives to get excited and inspired...

http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/

http://thedesignfoundation.blogspot.com/

http://adsoftheworld.com/

http://adweek.blogs.com/adfreak/

http://www.holidaymatinee.com/

http://subtextgallery.com/blog/

http://inspirationpad.com/

http://www.friendswithyou.com/

http://www.logoblog.org/

http://www.colourlovers.com/blog/

Right Brain, Left Brain, No Brain...

A little online test to see what side of your noggin' you actually use more,
and how you use it.

BRAIN TEST

My Results:
Left-49% / Right-51%

Left Brain
53% - Sequential (Your most dominant characteristic)
40% - Reality-based
34% - Verbal
22% - Linear
09% - Logical
00% - Symbolic (Your least dominant characteristic)

Right Brain
42% - Holistic (Your most dominant characteristic)
39% - Intuitive
37% - Concrete
23% - Random
19% - Nonverbal
16% - Fantasy-oriented (Your least dominant characteristic)

This Is Me Getting Over You in Two Chords Or Less

One of my new guilty pleasures - The Coffee Project (Buddy from Less Than Jake)
Their album "Moved On" on Paper & Plastic. Great stuff!!!

"You left me waiting like a sorry Mother F@#ker..."

Helter Skelter

I really LOVE Halloween and the chance to dress up. I had not done Halloween
in a couple of years but really wanted to do something fun with Tasia.
We were supposed to go to a party that her friends were throwing but it
fell through.I decided to use a costume from a couple of years ago: 70's cop /
Beastie Boys from SABOTAGE!, with a real moustache I grew for a couple
of weeks. Tasia was going to be a twist on Alice in Wonderland (in Chains).

We instead planned a North Park Pub crawl. We hit URBN, the new pizza / bar
that is a relative of BASIC downtown. Same cool vibe in a warehouse setting.
Then we were gonna do True North but it was packed and had a line (ummmm...
do you not know me - NO LINES!!) We instead rolled into Bar Pink for a drink.

We got a call that the rest of the group was heading to the Bluefoot, so we
gathered ourselves and were soon enough standing in my favorite neighborhood
bar. The rest of the night is blurry and I really don't recall getting home.
Thankfully it was a stumble home so we were safe.

Halloween is such a fun holiday and reminds me that I really like all the
theme parties I have thrown over the years. Good times.