one stop (pop culture) shop

Why So Jealous, Miley?

2009-04-07T14:50:00.003-04:00

Why do holier-than-thou tween morons feel the need to open their yappers about anyone? Especially when this particular anyone is one of the hottest new actors in the scene. I don't even have to go into detail about Robert Pattinson because he is incredible. And not just for the reasons Miley Cyrus thinks:

"I'm not a huge Rob Pattinson fan. Girls aren't really in love with Rob; they're in love with [his Twilight character] Edward."

First and foremost- I love Rob. And Edward. The fact that he is Rob and he plays Edward is simply coincidental. Secondly- you're a no-talent slut with a whorish mouth. Don't get mad because RPattz and the Twilight Saga has taken attention away from your terrible show, your whacktastic movies, and your even shittier albums. Oh, or are you losing fans because their parents think you're a terrible role model and don't want their children turning into someone like you? I presume it's the latter.

CC [Ya Later] Sabbatical

2009-04-06T12:03:00.007-04:00

It's baseball season! Does that signify a pop culture shop sabbatical no more? My sources point to yes...

I just had to pay homage to America's past-time with awesome nineties photos of Donnie Baseball and Chris Sabo

...But I guess we will have to see, as the Yankees and Reds take the field today, both teams with talented rotations and lineups; one with many more expectations and even more to lose if their season isn't a successful one. The anticipation has built to an all-time high throughout the Yankees' extremely eventful and productive off-season. With CC Sabathia and AJ Burnett beefing up [let's hope this time that doesn't mean literally] the Bombers' already-stellar rotation [joining Wang, Pettite and Chamberlain], this could finally be the year they've been looking for since their last title in 2000. And I don't even need to get started on the line-up [with or without ARod, it's unreal]. This season is going to be one for the books. I guess when you're talking about the Yanks, what year isn't?

The hype around the Reds this year should be great for the city, even though year in and year out Cincy crawls with die-hards despite god-awful records. Their young, carefree players won't be playing under much pressure, and should provide for great entertainment at Great American Ballpark. It would be nice if they get to make a postseason appearance. I mean, it's been about 15 years anyway.

Looking forward to an amazing MLB season.

linseyly way of doing things

2009-03-20T15:54:00.002-04:00

i love adverbs. what could be better than a modifier of a verb; where all the action happens around here.

definitely. absolutely. specifically. especially. i even love making them up (standardly).

instead of simply (see?) throwing a boring "yes" as an answer to a question, embellish your dialog with an adverb

I'm on sabbatical... Or so I wish

2009-02-13T09:22:00.003-05:00

I've clearly taken a hiatus.

I suppose my being discouraged from the [unsuccessful] search for a full-time job directly reflects my feeling unmotivated in everyday life, thus affecting my once-persistent need to blog. That was a very complex sentence, which I suppose also reflects the jumble into which my brain has spiraled.

It's been over a year (and over, I'm sure, hundreds of applications/sent résumés; I haven't kept track) since I graduated college. Still, no bites for a full-time job. That is sure to make a huge blow to my ego and confidence as a "designer." I've started applying for glorified secretarial, clerical and even telephone operator positions (not that those are necessarily bad, but I didn't go to a four-year university for graphic design to not pursue relevant endeavors!), all to no avail. (And yes, I look around the entire country).

I've considered grad school (for either creative writing or social work; hey, I need options here), but my current, massive amount of debt from undergrad hinders that decision greatly, and (gasp) learning web design. Somewhere along the lines and the growth of the industry (perhaps just the boom of the world wide web?), employers have become deluded into thinking that graphic designers need to know web and web designers need to be trained and qualified in graphic design. They are two different professions and each should not be expected to know and excel in the other. But hell, it looks as though at this point, I need to learn it if I ever want to get a job.

New Artist!

2009-01-29T19:48:00.003-05:00

Marina & the Diamonds (she is Marina and we are the diamonds) is amazing. No, really. Amazing. Her single, "Obsessions" won't be released until February (pre-order at www.neongoldrecords.com), but I've attached two videos since they are hard to find online: one of the aforementioned and another one of her songs, "Mowgli's Road."

Obsessions

Mowgli's Road

Oh. My. God.

2009-01-29T15:31:00.004-05:00

Hopefully I don't need to buy my first new car for a few years, but if this car is out when the time comes, OMG. I am in love:2009 Chevy El Camino mock-up <3

Amazing

2009-01-16T18:02:00.001-05:00

Video courtesy of PerezHilton.com and YouTube

Holding on tight

2009-01-16T11:54:00.006-05:00

The economy is in the crapper and we all know that.

Except now it's hitting a little bit too-close-for-comfort to home.

It's not every year that one graduates college and enters the job market during a recession. Oh, the joys of being tens-upon-tens-of-thousands-of-dollars in debt amidst the near impossibility of finding a full-time job. Then the mind starts to dabble: is there credibility in a bachelor's degree any more? Was there really even a point? That very well may be my thoughts after settling into apathy and my potentially-developing depression: direct side effects of a recent graduate thrown into the oblivion known as our current economy.

I was reading a couple of articles on designobserver.com which spearhead this subject and the worries (I know I have) in regard to working in the design industry. This, I'm sure, can apply to most industries, so those of you who are suffering (or will suffer soon enough) from this same stress, take heed:

Murray Moss, the guest write on Design Observer, wrote "Design Hates a Depression" in response to "Design Loves a Depression" and here are a few excerpts from his entry:

I can assure you that design, along with painting, sculpture, photography, music, dance, fashion, the culinary arts, architecture, and theatre, loves a depression no more than it loves a war, a flood, or a plague.

[Design] tends to suffer, like any of the other humanistic disciplines. New ideas do not get championed or realized. Leadership turns to market-driven accommodation.

It does tend to suffer. And so do I. Thus, I've started this spiral into apathy because I am feeling more and more discouraged. Thankfully, in all of Michael Beirut's (graphic designer, design critic, educator, former VP of Vignelli Associates, current partner at Pentagram, graduate of the University of Cincinnati's DAAP program, and all-around bad mamma jamma) 28 years in the industry, he's gained knowledge and valuable experience and decided to grace us with some light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel-encouragement:

Be frugal
Be careful
Be creative
Be sociable
and most importantly BE PATIENT.

My friend the ex-hedge fund guy (he did get out in time) told me recently, "In the middle of every boom, people say, 'This one is different, it's never going to come down.' But it always does." This was true with dot-coms, and it was true with real estate. "In recessions, they fear the same thing: this one is different. But it will eventually turn around after all the crap gets worked out." And it will, eventually. Just hold on tight.
You may have noticed something interesting: all of these tips for what to do in a recession will work just as well in good times. Or even better. So the final lesson is to use this downturn as a learning experience. If you've got this discipline to survive, or even thrive, in the next year or so, you'll be mastering skills that will serve you well forever. Good luck.

I'll surely need luck indeed. And I'm holding on tight.

Either/Or with Perez Hilton

2009-01-14T00:51:00.004-05:00

Video courtesy of PerezHilton.com

Here are my answers:
Boxers, Briefs or Commando? Briefs
Tattoos or Piercings? Tattoos
Britney Spears or Paris Hilton? Britney Spears
Smooth or Crunchy? Crunchy
Mousse, Gel or Hairspray? Curls Rock Amplifying Cream or bust!
Are you pushy or a pushover? A little bit of both
Kiss or no kiss on a first date? Kiss
Tea or coffee? Coffee
Katy Perry or Lily Allen? Katy Perry
Robert Pattinson or Taylor Lautner? ROBERT PATTINSON (!!!!!)
Rod Blagojevich or Eliot Spitzer? Eliot Spitzer
Hard or Soft? Soft
Christina Aguilera or Lady Gaga? Christina Aguilera
Miley Cyrus or Vanessa Hudgens? Neither
David Beckham or Cristiano Ronaldo? DAVID BECKHAM (!)
People or Us Weekly? Us Weekly
Mariah Carey or Beyonce? Mariah Carey
A night out with the girls or a night in with a guy? Night out with the girls
Ryan Seacrest or Simon Cowell? Ryan Seacrest

How would you answer?

"Most improbable cross-racial/cross-gender lookalike involving a Hollywood actress and an NFL figure"

2009-01-09T15:49:00.006-05:00

Bill Simmons, the Sports Guy who regularly contributes to ESPN's Page 2, is a f--cking genius. I'm currently perusing his latest submission regarding the NFL Playoffs (and all of its absurdities; while giving out 'awards' for the many highlights in the playoffs thus far), and it really brings the lolz. It's pretty embarrassing to be sitting at work, reading and meandering my way around the 'net when I stumble upon such comedic gold as this (because then I start laughing like a crazed asylum escapee):

The Glenn Close/Harry Carson Award for "Most improbable cross-racial/cross-gender lookalike involving a Hollywood actress and an NFL figure"

I watched the Colts-Bolts game just a few hours after seeing "Marley and Me" and can confirm the following because I stared at her for two hours on a 60-foot screen: Jennifer Aniston looks like Tony Dungy. I am now convinced this is why Brad Pitt dumped her. He was probably watching a Colts game in HD and got freaked out.

The Originals: Harry Carson/Glenn Close

Jennifer Aniston/Tony Dungy

...That is the most random assessment I've ever heard when it comes to Jennifer Aniston and Tony Dungy, but whatever entertains, works for me. Read the rest of Bill Simmons' Round 2 picks here- it's pure comedy.

What do you think of the comparison(s)?

To the fans of the University of Florida...

2009-01-08T22:51:00.004-05:00

(and to all of us who enjoyed when this man turned "The" Ohio State University into Gator bait by manhandling them in the 2006 BCS game 41-14): You can thank my alma mater, Bowling Green State University, because it is there where Urban Meyer got his head coaching start in NCAA football.

Top 10 Books From My Youth

2009-01-08T12:19:00.018-05:00

What were your favorite books as a kid?
I read a lot of incredible books as a child, whether they were picture books (only my two favorite ever have graced the list) or chapter books. I decided that I would continue the "Top 10" trend and dig back to my elementary school days to try to remember at least some of the books I loved. I'm sure there are many, many more, but I'm still glad I remember most of them [my memory hasn't quite started to fade yet, thank Google]. Anywho, onward to the list [in alphabetical order, of course]!

Amelia Bedelia Series
Peggy Parrish

Amelia Bedelia is a housekeeper to a wealthy couple, who takes every assignment she has very literally. She makes sponge cake by mixing the cake batter with real sponge. When told to "run home" while playing baseball, she literally runs back to her employer's house. Of the many books that have been published, there are four that I remember as being favorites: Thank You, Amelia Bedelia; Come Back, Amelia Bedelia; Play Ball, Amelia Bedelia; Amelia Bedelia's Family Album.

The Baby-Sitters Little Sister
Ann M. Martin

When The Baby-Sitters Club was at its prime in publishing, I was still a little too young to really enjoy the content. That's where The Baby-Sitters Little Sister came into play, focusing on Karen, the 7-year-old stepsister of Kristy, the Baby-Sitters Club president. There were well over one hundred BSCLS books published (though not that many when I first started reading them), and of the ones I read, my favorites were Karen's Witch, Karen's Worst Day, and Karen's Little Sister.

The Boxcar Children
Gertrude Chandler Warner

This book is the beginning of the series, telling the story about four siblings (Henry, Jessie, Violet and Benny) whose parents both pass away. Believing their grandfather and legal guardian to be cruel, the four set off to find solace and independence in an abandoned boxcar.

The Boy With the Helium Head
Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Jonathan goes to the doctor to receive a flu shot and instead receives a shot full of helium, allowing him to float above everything, including Duke, the school bully.

Goosebumps Series
R.L. Stine

In the Haunted Mask, Carly Beth buys a mask at a Halloween store, which becomes her real face, much the same as Jim Carrey in The Mask. This book is a classic from my youth, and from the Classic Goosebumps collection that we all knew and loved as kids. One Day at Horrorland is also a very good one.

Miss Nelson is Missing!
Harry Allard

When "the worst-behaved class in the whole school" doesn't know where their teacher, Miss Nelson, has disappeared to, she immediately reappears, albeit disguised as Miss Viola Swamp. Miss Swamp forces them to behave while Detective McSmogg cannot figure out the mystery, only to have Miss Nelson return (sans wig, ugly clothes and fake nose) to a better behaved class.

The Mouse and the Motorcycle
Beverly Cleary

Ralph S. Mouse resides in a hotel room, and as all of its patrons come and go, one memorable family with a young son (Keith) occupies the room. Using the boy's toy motorcycle, he finally gets out of the hotel room.

Muggie Maggie
Beverly Cleary

I love cursive handwriting, and, in turn, have always loved the book titled Muggle Maggie by Beverly Cleary about a girl who vows never to read and write those wiggly, squiggly, roller-coaster letters. Then her teacher, Mrs. Leeper, says Maggie's cursive is so untidy her name looks like "Muggie," and Maggie decides she will never, never read or write cursive. Nobody can make her. But when Mrs. Leeper appoints Maggie class mail messenger, the notes Maggie must carry are in cursive.

Sideways Stories From Wayside School/Wayside School is Falling Down
Louis Sachar

These are two books out of a series of five (the other three I've never read and can only assume they were published after it was socially acceptable to read at this level), and a staple from elementary school. These were the books that both boys and girls alike could relate with, and it was rare for boys and girls to find common ground at an age where cooties reigned supreme.

Where's My Blankie?
Anna H. Dickson

A character after my own heart, Malcolm Monster is very attached to his security blanket (an old quilt made by Grandma Monster) that he takes everywhere. Malcolm ends up leaving his blankie at his grandparents' house and, after many distractions over a lengthy course of time, grows independent from his linen friend; a feat I have yet to accomplish.

In anticipation...

2009-01-05T13:50:00.001-05:00

"Gossip Girl" will grace our TVs once again tonight at 8pm on the CW. What am I going to do when I have to wait months instead of a mere weeks for a new episode?

Cowher: Bengals in playoffs in '09

2009-01-05T12:04:00.006-05:00

Bill Cowher is convinced (myself- not so much) that the Cincinnati Bengals will make an appearance in the playoffs next year for three simple reasons...
1. Our defense finished 12th in the league
2. Carson Palmer will be returning
3. Cedric Benson can establish himself as the running back

In my opinion, our defense will be fine, and our stats for the season show just that. When we have a healthy O-line, we can start talking about Carson making a decent return. And as soon as we have some adjustments made in our administration (i.e. obtaining a GM and somehow ridding ourselves of Mike Brown), we can surpass talks about simply going to the playoffs; let's talk Super Bowl. No, I'm only kidding (a fan can wish, eh?), but the joke about Cedric Benson establishing himself as the running back trumps them all. He had two good games against two very terrible defenses. He still has too much to prove.

Bill Cowher is the man though, and let's hope that he's right, but needless to say, I'm not holding my breath.

To the holier-than-thou-'indie'-loving-film-fanatic:

2009-01-02T14:06:00.004-05:00

(Disclaimer: Before I get reamed for what I'm about to say, I'm not saying any films that I mention in this post are bad movies –I actually quite like many of them– and that everyone who has these as favorites apply to this rant, but there are a lot of people who hate on mainstream Hollywood and say these are their favorite movies with the sole intention to be trendy and sophisticated and in-the-know about all things great film).

I am very tired of the holier-than-thou-'indie'-loving-film-fanatic. And this includes those people who claim they have the most cred opinions because their favorite 'films' are Garden State and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

I was on a message board about the movie Marley & Me (which I saw yesterday and very much enjoyed) and some people really just need to get rid of their superiority complexes and stop being so snobbish about how "Hollywood is ruining cinema." Get real. In all honesty, I try to watch movies of all kinds (mainstream and indie flicks alike) and it's actually extremely rare that I do not enjoy any movie, regardless of the content (okay, I'll say that I would never watch Meet the Spartans or The Hottie & the Nottie, and although they're not supposed to be deep and meaningful, they very well could be entertaining; just not my thing and I know that before hating on them and talking shit about people who actually do find entertainment in them).

Certain genres may not be your thing and everyone is entitled to his or her opinion, but for the aforementioned holier-than-thou-'indie'-loving-film-fanatic, please, spare us your rants about how Hollywood is "about [making] stupid movies like this one.. or Hollywood comedies in general. They're worth nothing, they're all the same, all just to make money, the people who watch this poor scripted flicks often just wanna see their favorite celebrities or are afraid of looking for something deep." Go enjoy [insert any Christopher Guest, Wes Anderson or Quentin Tarantino film here] and stop forcing your 100% incredibly close-minded opinions on everyone else.

Hollywood is for entertainment. Movies are made to entertain and to allow for an escape. They're fake (albeit based on fact once in a while) and don't have to be realistic. Can we finally just stop all the snobbery? It's old.

A chip off the ol' block

2009-01-02T10:15:00.002-05:00

As a spectator, it gets tiring to watching NCAA and NBA basketball players not being able to execute the fundamentals of the game (i.e. free throws and layups, among others). Pat Knight, Bobby's son and heir to the Knight coaching legacy, felt similarly when his Texas Tech players were struggling with making layups.

LUBBOCK, Texas -- Texas Tech Red Raiders coach Pat Knight grew tired of watching his team miss shots that even a child could make. So he found one to illustrate his frustration.

While the Red Raiders (10-4) were busy botching about 15 layups against Stephen F. Austin on Thursday, Knight scoured the stands and invited a youngster to join the team huddle.
Knight asked the boy whether he could make layups. The boy said he could. "I was just tired of having 18- or 21-year-olds miss layups that a 12-year-old could hit, so I brought a 12-year-old in to let them know that he could hit layups," Knight said. "He's 12 and he can hit layups, so why can't you when you're 18 to 21?" The psychological maneuver evidentally worked. A layup by Mike Singletary with 8:44 remaining in the game put Texas Tech up 52-36, and Stephen F. Austin (7-4) couldn't cobble together a comeback. The Red Raiders beat the Lumberjacks, 69-55.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

It's a good thing we (as spectators) get to see Bob's unconventional, effective (however not-so-violent) coaching methods live on through Pat.

First post of 2009 (!)

2009-01-02T08:56:00.001-05:00

Another fun game to play!

2008-12-29T10:11:00.002-05:00

I was perusing the 'net as usual, and I came across a really fun "Can you guess where my accent is from" game. But, for the life of me, I couldn't remember from where. TGFG (thank God for Google should seriously be an acronym inducted into Merriam-Webster or at least Urban Dictionary; we should definitely be more thankful for Google than Fridays any-damn-way)!

Play the game here. I wasn't very good. And if by "not very good" I mean terrible. I think I scored a 12 or something.

Just sayin'...

2008-12-29T08:55:00.006-05:00

After the Bengals' dismal 0-8 start to the 2008 NFL season, it seemed they were doomed to being the cellar dwellers of the AFC North (if not the entire league). I suppose it's not too shabby for the Bengals to go 4-3-1 after a winless first half of the season, especially since – no thanks to having 23 players on IR – a number of positions were being played by players as far down as third on the depth chart; not to mention while playing without our 2006 Pro Bowl MVP. The solid ending (to what could have been a historically bad season) has given the players and coaches a boost for next season, while still holding on to a good draft pick come April. Another good thing? The Thumbs Down Browns sunk to the bottom of the division thanks to losing their six final games.

I love organizing my iTunes!

2008-12-26T11:05:00.003-05:00

It brings back so many memories. It is crazy how a song from the past can trigger such nostalgia! It's just like giving your bedroom a thorough cleaning and finding old notes and pictures.

Here are a few throwback artists (think high school and maybe the first year of college) I've gone through so far and it's only the beginning:

• The All-American Rejects
• Brand New (Your Favorite Weapon & Deja Entendu)
• Dashboard Confessional (albums up to A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar)
• The Juliana Theory (Emotion is Dead)
• Taking Back Sunday (Tell All Your Friends)

I also forgot about how much I love Death Cab.

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday, and those who celebrate Hanukkah continue to enjoy the celebration :)

Bungals vs. Clowns; the battle of who's worse in Ohio

2008-12-21T15:36:00.003-05:00

My brother always hates on Leon Hall, who plays CB for the Bengals. He thinks he's terrible, although he really is not that bad and is clearly a few steps up from that bum (Deltha O'Neal) who played for us a couple of seasons ago. Anywho, I had to work at 5:30am this morning until 2pm this afternoon, so I missed the entire first half. My brother texted me the update at half: 14-0 Bengals; one TD pass to Chris Henry and an INT return by Leon Hall.

I will give you the exact textversation:

Me: Your boy... Ha
Jason: Ha tru

[Leon Hall gets his second INT of the day]

Me: There goes your boy again
Jason: Ha tru. Only against a JV qb tho

[Leon Hall gets his third INT of the day]

Me: Hahahahaha
Jason: More like an 8th grade qb haha

I just thought that was hilarious. The Bengals vs. Clowns is really only the battle of who's worse in the state of Ohio, and the game really isn't meant to be anything but a boost of morale. The Bengals ended up shuting out the Browns 14-0, making this the first time the Browns have been shut out at home since 2006 (against the Bengals). The battle for who's worse in Ohio is the only thing Cleveland won yesterday.

Rob Pattinson got his hairs cut

2008-12-21T14:49:00.005-05:00

And, though his longer locks are his signature look, he looks extremely hot with this shorter 'do.

Photos Courtesy of PerezHilton.com

Sunny and 62 in beautiful Cincinnati!

2008-12-19T15:02:00.008-05:00

On Tuesday it took me an hour and a half to get home from a place that usually only takes fifteen minutes (Blue Ash Road to my house in Finneytown for those who are familiar). Why? Because we got a little less than an inch of snow dumped on us in less than thirty minutes and -of course- everyone freaked out. Sure, the roads were kind of bad, but let's get real party people, way too many folks go overboard and get way too carried away thinking the slightest bit of accumulation is going to snowball (puns are amazing) into "WHITE DEATH 2008!" I digress.

Let's get to the point:
Snow is currently still on the ground in Vegas and the current temperature in SoCal is 56º. It is warmer here than both of those places. A couple of friends of mine moved from Central Ohio to Vegas a few years ago, so they are clearly accustomed to snow. I'll share with you our conversation, which I found quite hilarious:

me: haha, snow in vegas and it's 62 degrees in cincinnati today!
him: screw you it is still here
me: crazy!
him: your telling me they closed the schools yesterday, carrie got a snow day
me: that's awesome ... were people freaking out? i mean, obvi you guys are used to it...
him: of course they stopped playing normal shows and ran a news special all night. i was pissed. i missed my heroes and top chef
me: people just get way too carried away
him: i was doing like 50 on the highway, and people were looking at me like i was the anti-christ while they went like 25
me: hahahahahahahahaha

In case you are geographically disabled, I have highlighted where Cincinnati is on the map. Check out the numbers at the North of the state (that's only about a 3+ hour drive). Man, it must suck to be from Cleveland!

Like Fonts?

2008-12-19T13:53:00.003-05:00

Try playing the Rather Difficult Font Game over at (iLT)! I got a 28/34 and scored myself a spot in the Hall of Fame. It is 'rather difficult' but a great time to play. Just use process of elimination. Happy Fonting!

History repeating itself?

2008-12-15T08:52:00.003-05:00

When Northwestern defeated Michigan, 21-14, in football Nov. 15 at Michigan Stadium, Northwestern alumnus Joe Girardi sent a text message to Derek Jeter, who attended Michigan for one semester in 1992. "The last time Northwestern won at Michigan [1995], the Yankees won four of the next five World Series," Girardi wrote.

Jeter responded: "Thank you for providing a silver lining to my misery."

"Yanks improve rotation, keep young talent"

2008-12-15T08:35:00.004-05:00

Buster Olney's blog on espn.com brings up some very valid points that I hope will shut the mouths of all the Yankees naysayers/haters, and to review: The Yankees will be younger, cheaper and deeper, and maybe better.

Read the entire entry here.

The silver lining in fulfilling my childhood dream

2008-12-09T11:29:00.006-05:00

When I was younger I was obsessed with tornadoes. It was a sick obsession and it was all I thought about throughout my grade school years. I recorded (on VHS of course, pausing during commercials to have a commercial-free recording) many education programs and documentaries, as well as the great films such as Twister and Night of the Twisters (Devin Sawa=heaven). When I was about in sixth or seventh grade, a few of my friends teamed up with my brother's friend and hid my copy of Twister from me. I guess they got annoyed that, every time I had a sleepover, we had to watch Twister. It was my childhood dream to be a Meteorologist and Storm Chaser, and because I was so knowledgeable on the subject, I even got to teach the Meteorology section to my freshman Earth Science class.

I still try to catch as many National Geographic Channel Presents and Weather Channel specials regarding the phenomenon, but clearly I have chosen a completely different career path.

As I was watching a NatGeo Presents special about tornadoes this morning, image my elation upon learning about Silver Lining Tours. I will be going as soon as I save up the funds; probably within the next five years. Seriously. I can't wait!

It's love [enter love-stricken ga-ga eyes here].

2008-12-09T11:08:00.004-05:00

For the first time, I am reporting from my brand-spanking-new, eco-friendly MacBook Pro. There are so many perks about this little guy that I can't even begin to describe. I never thought I could love another the way I did my Powerbook, but I do. But my first will always hold a special place in my heart:

Image + Witty Tagline ≠ Good Design

2008-12-05T09:22:00.008-05:00

I was surfing the 'net (as usual) when I came across this really great piece by Marian Bantjes. [Side note: if you don't know who she is, I suggest you at least check out what Wikipedia has to say about her by clicking on her name] Most, if not all, of her work is absolutely incredible, especially because she typically–and obsessively–creates them first by hand drawing them with extreme detail before recreating them in a vector-based program (which I can only assume would be Illustrator, but I suppose I could be wrong). I had the opportunity to meet her (and score some swag!) when she appeared as a guest speaker at BGSU, and she is just about as awesome as her work, especially because she doesn't even have a formal education in design; she's just that talented.

Anywho, I saw a piece that she created that explains what influences her and her work. I know that I am highly influenced by pop culture and maps (among other things), but wow, this is intense. You may want to click on it so you can see it larger to get the full effect.

As I'm reading her website, there are some Q & A that I find both entertaining and extremely insightful, one of those being:

What pisses you off most in the design world?
The mistaken belief that image+witty tagline = good design.

Also, I found a really great quote that she wrote in her "What I Say About Myself" section because it sounds just like me:

I do not know if I am lazy or driven. A little of both. While I tend to work every day, from morning to night (I’m frequently working past midnight), my days are relatively stress free. In the summer I tend to take a lot of breaks and sit in the sun or go for a walk. I spend a lot of time thinking. Just staring into space and thinking. Does this count as work? Sometimes. When I wake up in the morning with the perfect solution to a given problem, have I been working while I was sleeping? Perhaps.

(I've bolded the fragments that apply.)

Move Over Mr. Warhol

2008-12-01T09:24:00.006-05:00

artist
1 one skilled or versed in learned arts
2 one who professes and practices an imaginative art
3 a skilled performer
4 one who is adept at something

Artists express emotion through their work. Real artists manipulate and change their style in order to effectively convey those emotions. What is an artist if he or she doesn't expand his or her means for expression? Surely not inventive. Surely not original. Surely not creative.

For those who have been hating on Kanye's new CD (808s & Heartbreak), imagine having gone through your mother's death as well as a broken engagement in the same year. Try to rap about it and have it convey the true, raw emotion of sadness and hurt. 10 of his 11 songs touch on the subject of his broken engagement. The other song? About his mother's death.

"THIS ISN'T A HIP-HOP RECORD. I SING ON ALL THE SONGS. I WANTED A POP ALBUM."

I've heard enough of "how is he being creative when he's just getting that voice thing from T-Pain?" It's called Auto- Tune, and Kanye uses it for a lot of the vocals throughout the album. This machine manipulates the voice, making it sound more robotic, much to the same effect as Cher's hit from 1998, "Believe," which is a Grammy Award-winning, multi-platinum single. So if anyone wants to talk about who Kanye's ripping off of, aim for accuracy and give dues to whom they belong; it's the Cher effect.

"BUT YOU DO GET THE IMPRESSION THAT, HAVING CONQUERED HIP-HOP, HE MIGHT BE AFTER MICHAEL JACKSON'S KING-OF-POP CROWN."

"I don't know what hip-hop's problem with pop music is: pop has given us the best musical moments ever. The Beatles were pop. I wanted to use my position as the biggest hip-hop artist around to make a statement on this record. You know, hip-hop now is the most cred thing you can do. And I'm a black guy, and I'm from Chicago, so I have a lot of cred stuff going on for me, but at every step I like to stand back and just get people to open their minds up.

With fashion, I said, through what I was wearing, that is ok to dress stylishly again. I also said that people shouldn't bash gay people - that we need to be respectful of gay people. And now I want to say: "It's ok to like pop music.
As little kids, we all listened to pop music - when and why did it become a bad thing? With this album, I've invented a new genre called 'Pop Art', which is not to be confused with the visual art movement. I think I'm producing pop, but in an artistic way."

Move over Mr. Warhol, Kanye West is taking Pop Art to an entirely new level.

[Read Kanye West's entire interview with the Irish Times here]

The Italic Poster (!)

2008-11-24T10:22:00.004-05:00

I love when I see really inspiring design work, that is either thought-provoking or just plain awesome that it completely blows my mind. I've found that I feel this a lot when I look at Massimo Vignelli's work, because he is my modernist idol. Ah, minimalism. Vignelli says it best:

"I like it to be visually powerful, intellectually elegant, and above all timeless."

Timeless. In an industry that changes trends on a daily basis. Oh, the preoccupation that rests on my shoulders as a designer. Here is a wonderfully minimal, incredible poster that I found today while surfing the 'net:

OMFG. The Italic Poster–totally brillz! I am certifiably in love.

Hip-Hop is ALIVE

2008-11-24T09:51:00.007-05:00

For the longest time I was under the impression that Kanye West's new album, "808s & Heartbreak", was being released Tuesday, 11/25, which would be tomorrow. Yesterday I was perusing the aisles at Target and was very surprised to see the CD was available on their shelves. For $9.98. Perfect. You already know I snatched that right up, and for the first time ever, I had a Kanye CD before my brother. (He was not happy about not being in-the-know about the CDs availability.)

I really love his new sound. For a mainstream hip-hop artist, leave it to Mr. West to revolutionize his work once again. Instead of using a familiar sound and style to appease his audience, Kanye takes it upon himself to reinvent his style, implementing electro beats and synthesizers, with slower tempos, choosing to sing rather than rap. This CD is refreshing and brilliant; just like Mr. West himself.

Kanye West's 808s & Heartbreak Album Cover

Songs that I love so far from the album:
3. Heartless
4. Amazing (feat. Young Jeezy)
5. Love Lockdown
6. Paranoid (feat. Mr. Hudson) - this especially!
8. Street Lights

Amazing Artist

2008-11-24T08:52:00.004-05:00

It's not often that I receive an email regarding artists, but this morning when I got to work, a coworker of mine had forwarded me an email with the work from a really great, talented artist. His name was Paul Smith, born in 1921. Mr. Smith suffered from spastic cerebral palsy which impeded his speech and mobility. Despite his hardships, Paul taught himself how to create masterful works of art using the typewriter; even going so far as to learn how to create shading, while only using the keys @ # $ % ^ & * ( ) _ . Paul passed away in 2007 but some of his work remains:

Top 10 Films I've Seen in 2008

2008-11-23T21:36:00.003-05:00

This past year I've seen more films than any other year. That is probably because I haven't been as busy, given that I am a college graduate and spent the better half of the year only working three days a week. That allowed for going to the library and getting upwards to six or seven DVDs per visit to watch... for free. Thank goodness for free DVDs from the library. Most listed below were rented from the library or viewed in the theatres. Either way, here is the list of the top 10 best films I saw for the first time in 2008. I even made a short list of honorable mention.

Charlie Bartlett– 2007; Comedy/Drama; Starring Anton Yelchin, Robert Downey Jr., Kat Dennings; Directed by Jon Poll
Dancer in the Dark– 2000; Drama/Musical; Starring Björk, Catherine Deneuve, David Morse; Directed by Lars Von Trier
The Dark Knight– 2008; Action/Crime; Starring Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart; Directed by Christopher Nolan
Forgetting Sarah Marshall– 2008; Rom-Com; Starring Jason Segel, Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, Russell Brand; Directed by Nicholas Stoller
interMission– 2003; Drama/Comedy; Starring Cillian Murphy, Colin Farrell, Kelly Macdonald; Directed by John Crowley
Into the Wild– 2007; Drama/Bio; Starring Emile Hirsch, Marcia Gay Harden, Catherine Keener; Directed by Sean Penn
Little Children– 2006; Drama/Romance; Starring Kate Winslet, Patrick Wilson, Jennifer Connolly; Directed by Todd Field
Notes on a Scandal– 2006; Drama; Starring Judi Dench, Cate Blanchett, Bill Nighy, Andrew Simpson; Directed by Richard Eyre
The Painted Veil– 2006; Drama/Romance; Starring Naomi Watts, Edward Norton, Liev Schreiber, Toby Jones; Directed by John Curran
Role Models– 2008; Comedy; Starring Seann William Scott, Paul Rudd, Christopher Mintz-Plasse; Directed by David Wain

Honorable Mention
Candy– 2006; Drama/Romance; Starring Abbie Cornish, Heath Ledger, Geoffrey Rush; Directed by Neil Armfield
Lilja 4-Ever– 2002; Drama/Fantasy; Starring Oksana Akinshina, Artyom Bogucharsky; Directed by Lukas Moodysson
The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio– 2005; Drama/Bio; Starring Julianna Moore, Woody Harrelson; Directed by Jane Anderson
Twilight– 2008; Action/Romance; Starring Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Peter Facinelli; Directed by Catherine Hardwicke
Waitress– 2007; Drama/Romance; Starring Keri Russell, Nathan Fillion, Cheryl Hines, Jeremy Sisto; Directed by Adrienne Shelly

Twilight [and Rob Pattinson] Dazzles

2008-11-21T09:50:00.016-05:00

Director: Catherine Hardwicke
Screenwriter: Melissa Rosenberg
Rating: PG-13
Runtime: 122 min

Twilight is the phenomenon of 2008. Despite the fact that I am currently working all day, I couldn't pass up going to the midnight showing, allowing myself only four hours of sleep after watching the most anticipated film of the season (and in my experience, probably ever). I think it'll be difficult properly critiquing the film, being that I am biased and thoroughly enjoyed (okay, obsessed over) the entire saga, but I will do my best to give you some sort of movie review, from the perspective of a self-proclaimed Twilighter.

I liked [director] Catherine Hardwicke's work in Lords of Dogtown and Thirteen, but was a bit skeptical when I heard she was directing Twilight. There were quite a few scenes, camera angles and transitions that clearly demonstrate her indie roots, but for the audience (who, as a whole, is far more hip to the alternative culture than I was at their age) I think it works for the most part. There are some lines and special effects that are somewhat hokey, but what's to expect when you're watching a movie about vampires? Twilight is definitely aimed towards 'tweens (with the exception of trying to break into the male market with the in-depth action sequence), but being 23 years old, I felt obliged to go into reading the series as well as seeing the film with the maturity of a grown woman. To my surprise, I only came out of both feeling like a giddy teenager. I'll go ahead and get this out of the way while I can: I never thought Rob Pattinson could get any hotter. I was sorely mistaken.

Robert Pattinson (once the doomed Cedrick Diggory in two of the Harry Potter films), who plays Edward Cullen, is a vampire who falls in love with Isabella (Bella) Swan, portrayed by Kristen Stewart (of In the Land of Women and Into the Wild fame). The scene in the biology room may have seemed poorly acted by Rob, but until you've read Midnight Sun, I don't think one can truly understand his reaction of pain, thirst, and the unrelenting desire to kill Bella as he portrays in this particular scene. It got a few laughs in the auditorium, but it wasn't supposed to be funny (oh the pain of watching with pre-adolescents). The romance was lacking (in comparison to the book, anyway) and their relationship seemed kind of rushed without all the back story. However, in all honesty, I don't think any actors could ever pull off what is experienced by the reader throughout their courtship when reading Twilight. Edward and Bella's first kiss was impeccable, and Rob did an incredible job portraying Edward's restraint, severe focus and caution. It was absolutely and unequivocally painfully beautiful to watch. [For those who have seen the many trailers with the kiss scene, I can assure you that it does not do the scene in the film any justice.]

The Cullen coven was enjoyable and the acting was fine all around, though they didn't get a ton of screen time. The same goes for the nomads and most other secondary characters. Billy Burke and Ashley Greene were impressive as Charlie Swan and Alice Cullen, respectively, as well as Nikki Reed's portrayal of Rosalie Hale. You could really sense the timid, loving relationship between Charlie and Bella, and the mutual respect they have for one another. Everything about Alice (her grace, bell-like voice, and pixie-like appearance) was spot on with Bella's description in the book, and the hatred that Rosalie has for our mortal protagonist was irrevocably evident. Peter Facinelli, who is most famously remembered as Mike Dexter in Can't Hardly Wait, was a pleasant surprise as the coven's patriarch, Dr. Carlisle Cullen. A very minor character whom I was really impressed with was Mike Newton (played by Michael Welch), the cute, average human guy who tries to win Bella over. With hopes that the saga continues on the big screen, I am most looking forward to Emmett Cullen's (played by Kellan Lutz) character development.

There were differences between the storyline in the book and the film, but for the sake of natural flow in a feature, it worked out well (and for the most part don't have any complaints in that regard). Melissa Rosenberg, responsible for the screenplay, did a sufficient job condensing the book into a feature film without losing vital information and key lines; a feat that I'm sure was not easy. Stephenie Meyer (Twilight's author) and Catherine Hardwicke refused to change imperative lines from the book, and some came off corny and contrived. Most, however, were great.

My only real skepticism with the film would be the special effects (i.e. vampires running and jumping). Only using a $35 Million budget, one has to realize how difficult it is to make the Cullen coven and nomads realistic. This will pose a problem in the future because the mythology of the saga will only deepen as the story develops, and in order to create more realistic effects, the budget needs to at least triple (I would guess. Clearly, I'm no professional).

The Twilight soundtrack felt as though it meshed well with the film, and Paramore even wrote "Decode" specifically for the movie. (I highly suggest that you listen to the acoustic version, available on the soundtrack.) Rob Pattinson contributed two songs as well ("Never Think" and "Let Me Sign"), which were really refreshing, and provided great, subtle background music, especially on their date at the Italian restaurant. "Bella's Lullaby" was used, in parts, for the score, which gave a sense of consistency and coherence coinciding with the story.

There were three scenes in particular that I was quite looking forward to: Edward playing "Bella's Lullaby" on the piano, the baseball game, and the scene in the meadow. All three were strong scenes in different ways. Robert Pattinson is very talented and did a great job playing her lullaby; the baseball game–until the nomads arrived, anyway–was very fun and entertaining (albeit kind of short); the glitter effect was subtle, yet effective. Again, the emotion and romance wasn't all there during the meadow scene, but you could really see the adoration and passion they share for one another, even after Edward instills the slightest bit of fear in Bella (though she would never admit it) after he shows her some of his more "monstrous" abilities (swift movement, jumping and strength).

I had very high expectations for Twilight, but was sure to go in considering the movie to be a different entity from the book (there was just no way they could stay 100% true in the adaptation from a 544-page book to the big screen). Even after all the hype and high expectations, I can honestly tell you that the film left me very satisfied and wanting more. But I wouldn't necessarily recommend viewing Twilight to the non-fanpire. I wonder what someone would have been thinking had they not read the books. Would their romance, relationship, and dedication to each other be convincing?

Rating: 7/10

Christmas Come Early!

2008-11-20T11:43:00.003-05:00

(!!!!!)

I did not know that the MTA had an online New York Transit Museum! While reading "The (Mostly) True Story of Helvetica and the New York City Subway," I stumbled across where you can purchase vintage subway maps. I'm not sure if you know my obsession with maps (especially MTA's maps), but today really is like Christmas! Twilight comes out tonight and I found a place where I can purchase vintage subway maps. Ah, I'm so happy.

If anyone is feeling charitable, just buy one and have it sent my way! My favorite is Massimo Vignelli's 1972 map:

Play to Win, Not to Settle for Ties

2008-11-20T10:57:00.006-05:00

Chad Ocho Cinco has been deactivated for tonight's game against the Steelers in Pittsburgh. Rumor has it that Chad made a comment about how the team should play to win and not settle for a tie, but Chad's reps could not be reached for comment and the Bengals refuse to make another statement until after the game.

He does, however, make a good point. There were many occasions in the game verses Philly where Marvin Lewis and the coaching staff played it way too safe. As my dad put it during the game, they were "playing like they're not trying to lose, but not trying to win either." I guess their scheme worked to their advantage since they clearly wanted to tie. The Bengals need to take chances. What do we have to lose now? Besides chances at a higher draft pick? Like that'll do any good anyway, since Mike Brown is still in charge; we're going to lose games regardless until he's gone.

I can't really fathom why our organization cannot properly punish criminals (let alone re-sign them!), and choose to suspend a guy who is just trying to win games. I side with Chad in his struggle.

Be seeing you, Moose

2008-11-20T10:29:00.003-05:00

After 18 years in the league, Mike Mussina, who spent the past eight years (after ten with the Orioles) playing in pinstripes, is retiring. He is the first pitcher (out of only five) since Sandy Koufax in 1967 to finish his career with a 20-win season. In an era where players' integrity has been questionable at best, he will surely be remembered as a class act.

We'll miss you Moose. But we'll be seeing you in Cooperstown.

Image Courtesy of The New York Daily News: Mike Mussina is congratulated by catcher Jose Molina after winning his 20th game of the season Sept. 28.

[Side note: Gosh, he's good looking for 40!]

Here I go again...

2008-11-20T09:48:00.004-05:00

As the Twilight premiere looms near, RPattz's appearance on Ellen's show proved to be entertaining (as her shows usually are). This Thanksgiving season, Ellen gives us a slice of heaven (screw the pumpkin pie!) by having Rob on her show, as well as giving him a pair of custom-made boxers with "BITE ME" embroidered on the bum (an ode to Rob's native slang). Rob will appear on Ellen today, 11/21.

T-minus 15 hours

2008-11-20T08:52:00.005-05:00

To continue the hysteria that is the Twilight Saga, I completed a 30 question quiz that PARADE Magazine has on their website. (**Warning, there are spoilers in the quiz if you haven't read past New Moon!) See my results (and how unbelievably nerdy I can continue to be about this whole ordeal) here:

There were two questions about casting that I didn't know, and clearly haven't read in the plethora of articles I've read regarding the film, but I'm obviously not that bitter. From the looks of it, my blog has become purely dedicated to being a Twilighter fan site. Trust me, there are many that are far better (a few of my favorites being Twilighters.org, Twilight Guy, Twilight Lexicon, Twilight the Movie, and Stephenie Meyer's website), but as you can see, my life has been revolving around the phenomenon since I first started the saga and before its release in theatres. And speaking of release, I will be watching Twilight on the big screen tonight at 11:59pm EST. I am counting down the hours!

Because I didn't get a lot of sleep last night (working two jobs does this to me), I will be taking a nap immediately following work today so that I am 100% prepared and in tip top shape for my viewing experience. At this point, I know that more than 500 midnight showings across the country are sold out, and Rave Theatre (where Laura and I will be going to see it) currently has four, with the potential of five screens available for showing tonight. That means we will have to get there early. Thank goodness there are many delicious restaurants just across the street from Rave, so I can fuel up for, once again, a tip top viewing experience.

T-minus 35 hours...

2008-11-19T12:54:00.005-05:00

Please click here to read a Twilighter's movie review after going to an early screening of Twilight, specifically written for Twilighters.

Thanks to Laura, we have already purchased our tickets for the 11:59 screening tomorrow night at Rave theatre.

Here are two gratuitous images, the first being a photo of the cast at the Twilight Premiere, and the second of Rob and Kristen at the premiere:

From left to right: Elizabeth Reaser [Esme Cullen], Jackson Rathbone [Jasper Hale], Christian Serratos [Angela Weber], Taylor Lautner [Jacob Black], Rachelle LaFevre [Victoria], Kellan Lutz [Emmett Cullen], Ashley Greene [Alice Cullen], Nikki Reed [Rosalie Hale], Kristen Stewart [Bella Swan], Billy Burke [Charlie Swan], Rob Pattinson [Edward Cullen], Catherine Hardwicke [Director, Twilight]

Rob Pattinson [Edward Cullen] and Kristen Stewart [Bella Swan] at the Twilight premiere

I, too, am a douchebag

2008-11-17T11:37:00.004-05:00

For the first time in six years, an NFL game resulted in a tie yesterday. Leave it to the Bengals; the perennially bad, cellar dwellers of the NFL. As though a loss is bad enough, a tie is nothing, indifferent. It's like getting a nice swift kick in the ass; something Mike Brown likes to do to his fans week in and week out, so I guess that's at least fitting.

It's painful to be a Bengals fan. Depressing even. With the Colts and Peyton Manning only 90 miles away, it's very tempting to make the switch to a superior organization. But I am loyal and wouldn't do that to my team. By being a Bengals fan, I've committed to this relationship like I would a marriage. The whole "til death do we part... in good times and in bad... in sickness and in health" mantra applies. Sometimes it's rough, there are better days than others, and there's going to be temptation to stray, but I've made a commitment.

Because of this, I too, am a douchebag.

Three More Days!

2008-11-17T09:59:00.002-05:00

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

Here is a brand new extended clip of the van scene from "Twilight."

Collecting the Classics

2008-11-16T14:00:00.007-05:00

I had an epiphany today.

When my pseudo-niece, Jersey (age 6), and I wanted to watch a movie this morning, we decided to watch "Monsters, Inc" (again) because I don't own any other animated films. Blasphemy!

So, thanks to all that is holy, that's where Amazon.com comes into play. If you don't frequent that site, I highly suggest that you start doing so. I've probably gotten about half of my DVD collection through Amazon, so I decided to start collecting animations and Disney films. It's even nice because some of these are back in the Disney vault and are not available for purchase in stores; talk about convenience! Here are the four DVDs that will soon be gracing my shelves:

Aladdin, 1992
One of the greatest Disney films of all time. They just don't make movies like this any more.

The Brave Little Toaster, 1987
The Brave Little Toaster will always hold a special place in my heart. I suppose any movie with Blanky as a character will always have a place in my heart.

Cinderella, 1950
Cinderella is my favorite Disney classic. I cannot wait to be able to watch it whenever I want!

The Lion King, 1994
I remember all the hype surrounding its release. It is the Disney film of my generation.

101 Dalmations, Pocahontas, Little Mermaid and Toy Story are next on the Disney purchase list. It's not often I watch animated films, but now I will be able to revisit my youth, while collecting the classics.

Top 10 Sexiest Musicians Alive [IMO]

2008-11-14T13:22:00.017-05:00

Scott Avett Banjo/Vocals for The Avett Brothers
He's also a painter; very talented ... and hot!

Chris Carrabba Lead Vocals/Guitar for Dashboard Confessional and formerly Further Seems Forever
I felt like revisiting my days of being a die hard Chris Carrabba/Dashboard fan. Ever since "Vindicated" and "fans" of Dashboard ConfessionalS came about, I have been sure to boycott. He's still hot nonetheless.

Clifford Joseph Harris, Jr. Solo Rap Artist Better Known as T.I.
He's got thug appeal, and he will be serving a year in prison to prove it. He is, however, making amazing tracks ("Whatever You Like" and "Live Your Life" to name a couple) and is sexy as ever.

Jared Leto Lead Vocalist/Guitarist for 30 Seconds to Mars
I may not know anything about his band, but I do know he is beautiful.

John Mayer Vocalist/Guitarist
I'm not a huge fan of his music, but I've heard great things about the John Mayer Trio, which I still need to check out. And he's nice to look at.

Rob Pattinson Vocalist/Guitarist/Pianist
Rob has two songs "Never Think" and "Let Me Sign" (Bonus Track on iTunes) on the "Twilight" soundtrack, and will be featured in the film playing "Bella's Lullaby" on the piano.

Gavin Rossdale Solo Artist and former Lead Vocals/Guitarist for Bush
Gavin Rossdale is a newfound solo artist. Unfortunately he isn't solo in real life, and Gwen Stefani gets to wake up morning after morning to this beautiful man.

Justin Timberlake Solo Artist and Former Member of *N Sync
As a boy-bander, Justin Timberlake became famous. Post boy-band stardom, he has only become more popular as a Pop and R & B artist.

Kanye West Solo Hip-Hop Artist
This is our generation's most progressive and revolutionary mainstream hip-hop artist, and his style and swagger are unparalleled.

Here's to looking up

2008-11-14T09:22:00.007-05:00

I think all Bengals fans alike are pretty much fed up with how the organization is run. Or not run; whichever way you see fit to look at the situation. There are numerous issues that start at the top (ahem, Mike Brown), and will never cease unless we look to the top to make some major adjustments. For example: hire a [good] General Manager. This first billboard is now up in four different locations in the Cincinnati area thanks to whodeyrevolution.com. It gets straight to the point:
As business partners, WEBN and the Bengals seem to have a good relationship. The billboard below proves informative in regard to where you can listen to the games on Sundays (because we all know we don't deserve any Monday night games). As a Bengals fan, I translate it to mean exactly as it reads, because clearly the team (as well as the offense and leadership, among the aforementioned numerous issues with the organization) has been MIA all season. Sweet irony.Here's to looking up for the possibility of a good game following the bye week. Or just looking up to good billboards; because they have proved to be much more entertaining.

Selfish+Blogger=Bloggish

2008-11-10T16:30:00.003-05:00

I'm feeling pretty bloggish right now. (If you don't know what that means, check out the word hybrid in the title of this post. It's not one of my better ones, but it will do for this case) This domain is basically just a place for me to satiate my need to release creative energy in a way other than visually. And I love and live popular culture so much that I've found that I can kill the proverbial 'two birds with one stone' by expending this so-called creativity by picking up on a past time I've long since forgotten; writing ...About popular culture in particular. May it be by making top ten lists of really hot men, digging up extinct pop culture phenoms to remind you how glorious our youth was (i.e. MASH and slap bracelets), giving updates and recaps for professional and collegiate sports, or simply providing book/movie/music reviews, I'm your one stop (pop culture) shop for all that is entertainment.

10 Days Until the 'Twilight' Premiere!

2008-11-10T13:26:00.004-05:00

I finished reading the Twilight Saga the first time a few weeks ago. I finished re-reading [skimming through some parts] the series two days ago. I miss it, but I've been reading through the Twilight Guy's blog, and he gives a recap and a lot of hilarious, awesome insight [as well as funny images] for each of the chapters, so I've been getting my fix through that. With only a little more than 10 days to go before the premiere [I will be going to the midnight showing. Who cares if I don't go to bed until 3am and have to work the next morning!], I just can't get enough.

Here's an excerpt from People.com on 'Twilight's' Rob Pattinson:

"Pattinson also revealed that he put off auditioning for the high-profile role for five months because the script described the character, created by novelist Stephanie Meyer, as 'the ideal, perfect man.'

"I felt like an idiot being like, 'Hi, I'm here for the ideal man audition,' he said."

Oh, Rob. Don't be silly. You ARE ideal.

Top 10 Sexiest Athletes Alive [IMO]

2008-11-10T09:30:00.013-05:00

I was going over my first Top 10 Sexiest list with a few of my friends, and it was noted that they all happened to be actors. I knew that, but I feel it's only appropriate to create another; this time I would make a top 10 of athletes. Without further adieu, here is my Top 10 in alphabetical order; because trying to rate them in order from hottest of hot to just plain hot is criminal.

David Beckham
I'll make this short and sweet. His style is unparalleled, he seems like an all around good guy, and he was even hot with a mullet- an amazing feat.

Tom Brady
I may hate his team more than any other in the NFL, but somebody as attractive as him has to be recognized. And applauded. Because wow. [There, I said it!] It feels good to have that out in the open. It's like an addict's first step to recovery: the admission to having a problem; some deep, dark, secret addiction. 'My name is Linsey and I am secretly addicted to Tom Brady.' Now everyone can applaud me.

Sidney Crosby
Hockey is by far the sexiest sport on the planet, and the Captain and center for the Pens is the perfect poster child to exemplify that. And he can pull off a playoff beard, which will come in handy for many years to come.

Derek Jeter
Derek Jeter gets a lot of credit for his good looks. And rightfully so! He is simply beautiful- at least when he's wearing a hat. I just had to show a picture of him holding up the '4' because he's the only athlete on this list whose team has won more championships than Tom Brady has with the Pats.

Ryan Lochte
I swear, this Olympic swimmer is my other half. He just doesn't know it yet! And he is just as hot as he is funny. In my opinion, he is the sexiest athlete in the world. That's why he deserves a plethora of photos to let you see just how amazing he is. And if you're wondering: yes, he really did put in his grill piece when he won silver at the 2007 World Championships in Sydney. Like I said... soul mates.

Chad Ocho Cinco
I'll probably get burned at the stake for this one, but love him or hate him, this guy has serious sex appeal. And he's goofy. How could any girl [or at least myself] resist?

Brady Quinn
I have to be fair. I've heard that he was your typical Dublin Coffman guy [and that can't be a good thing], so he may be super-douchey. To give him the benefit of the doubt, I'll just say his looks alone have landed him on this list.

Andy Roddick
Ah, a tennis stud. Andy Roddick is as beautiful as he is talented. I'll even let it slide that he had a momentary lapse in judgment by dating Mandy Moore.

Alex Rodriguez
The Yankees Third Baseman is hot, and 'roids or no 'roids [we'll save that for a later debate], ARod is alpha male sexy.

Cristiano Ronaldo
He may be a skeez, but at least he's man candy for sure.

Yes We Did

2008-11-05T11:33:00.006-05:00

I feel blessed and excited to be able to say that I have witnessed and been a part of history: the United States of America has spoken. And we have elected our first African-American President.

Barack Obama is our 44th President and I am anxious for the future. Yes WE can!

0-16 is sounding scary real.

2008-10-31T10:16:00.003-04:00

Random FYI–
I'm wearing a Bengals shirt for Halloween because the colors are quite appropriate. Oh, and because I don't think I own anything scarier than Bengals attire.

I hope everyone has a safe and awesome Halloween. I've got a few plans this weekend. Maybe I'll even post some pictures post-Halloween of my Ugly Betty costume!

MASH has my life planned out quite nicely

2008-10-31T09:23:00.006-04:00

Ah, the good ol' days of my youth. I was getting ready this morning and randomly thought of subject matter for this here blog post: MASH. You know, mansion/apartment/shack/house? The game where I never wanted to end up marrying George Tallman, living in a shack, driving a neon green Geo Metro with ten kids. The only difference now is, you can play online!

I've posted the before picture (sorry, I forgot to screen capture until after the counter started- I was just way too damn excited!) and the after. Let me tell you: this is fantasy life at its greatest!

Before:
After:

I will marry Edward Norton any day. And to live in a nice apartment in Chicago, with three kids (okay, so that might be a little too many, but it doesn't even matter at this point!), an eco-friendly Mazda 3 (Ed would love that. And I'm sure he wouldn't mind me calling him Ed because we are destined to be married and nicknames are acceptable), and I get to be a bartender. Fun times are ahead! ...And you're very welcome for posting the link to the greatest game of all time.

Top 10 Sexiest Actors Alive (IMO).

2008-10-27T14:19:00.030-04:00

I was randomly reading a discussion board on imdb.com and -I'm sure- it was a bunch of pre-adolescent girls sharing their celebrity crushes. I figure the older kids (such as myself) can play this game too because, let's get real, all of those thread participants are illegal, therefore making their opinions irrelevant. I didn't want to join in on their thread because I felt like a superior among mere children, so I thought what better way to entertain my readers than to let you all in on my current top 10 hottest [celebrity] men through my blog. It changes frequently so it is currently tentative and is likely to change sometime in the near future. But that is neither here nor there. These are put into alphabetical order so I don't have to try to put them in chronological order from the smolderingly, deliciously beautiful to simply the hottest of hot.

Jason Bateman
I personally like him the most as Michael Bluth in Arrested Development, but also enjoyed his performance as Mark Loring in Juno, as well as his small roles as Rip Reed in Smokin' Aces and Pepper Brooks in Dodgeball.

Cam Gigandet
Cam is the freshest addition to the list because he is the newest on my radar. I was exposed to him because I am so unbelievably pumped up for the premiere of Twilight [Nov. 21] and he will be playing the part of James.

Jake Gyllenhaal
Donnie Darko put him on the map. No other films even matter past that point, even Brokeback Mountain. That may be a little harsh, but whatev.

Jonathan Rhys Meyers
I recently saw August Rush and instantly fell in love with this Irish lad. B-e-a-utiful.

Cillian Murphy
28 Days Later was the first film that introduced me to Cillian. It wasn't until Red Eye and Batman Begins that I became über intrigued with this other Irishman. Most recently I checked out Intermission from the library and started to like him as an actor on an entirely new level.

Edward Norton
Three films in particular led Edward to the top of my favorite actors list: American History X, Fight Club, and The Painted Veil. And those are only three of the many amazing movies that he's been in. He's legendary. And amazingly beautiful.

Robert Pattinson
Another fresh face on my list, Rob Pattinson will soon be seen as Edward Cullen in Twilight, which premieres November 21. After reading the series, I couldn't be more satisfied with the choice for Edward, because Rob is stunning, sexy, and everything Edward should be.

Ryan Reynolds
A funny man. That reason alone could put him on this list, but it just so happens that he is gorgeous as well. Just Friends doesn't get the credit it deserves; it is downright hilarious and one of my favorite rom-coms. He's also great in Smokin' Aces and Definitely, Maybe.

Channing Tatum
I'll make this simple: Sexy. Funny. Thug appeal. And he can dance.

Ed Westwick
Unbelievable charm and just look at that face. Plus, I think I start to blend Chuck Bass's persona with Ed's, which is incredibly sexy and manipulative. He's the ultimate bad boy and I'll be honest: nice guys finish last.

I think the 'research' for this entry was the most entertaining part. Ahh. Sexy men.

If it's [Mike] Brown, flush it down

2008-10-20T11:37:00.006-04:00

"Cincinnati fell to 0-7 for the fifth time since 1991, when Mike Brown* took control of the team and the franchise fell into one of the longest stretches of futility in NFL history. Only 18 times since 1991 has a team started a season by losing its first seven games; Cincinnati accounts for five of those." –Excerpt from an article on ESPN.com

*Embarrassing excuse for an owner. We will never succeed as an organization as long as he continues to run it.

I am suffering from Post-Twilight Depression

2008-10-17T15:06:00.008-04:00

After $74.61, four books, 2444 pages, & less than seven days, I finished the Twilight Saga. The books were gripping, intense and contained the perfect blend of romance, suspense and comedy; ingredients that are sure to satisfy any reader. I finished with an unrelenting longing for the story to continue and, quite frankly, for a piece of Edward Cullen.

I've posted some gratuitous stills from the film that -unfortunately- doesn't come out for another 34 days.

Scratch that last post. . .

2008-10-10T13:53:00.004-04:00

Okay, so Channing's pretty much got the looks department on lockdown. But I revoke my statement in the previous post because, in all actuality, Edward Cullen (albeit a fictional character) is perfection.

I started the first book of the Twilight series last night and I've made it more than halfway through. I'm going on reserve fuel today after getting next to zero sleep staying up and reading all night. I actually considered staying in on this Friday night to finish the book because I crave it so badly. We'll see if that ends up happening. Somehow I doubt it because Edward may be a man after my own heart, but he's fictional. The Captain, however, is tangible. And I crave him too.

When Will I Find My Channing?

2008-10-09T13:58:00.006-04:00

Just this week I've (re)watched both Step Up and Step Up 2.

(Side note: I know that they're not quality movies, but they are some serious guilty pleasures of mine and the entertainment value is almost unparalleled. The dancing, especially in the latter, is fantastic. If you haven't seen either and you're not opposed to an ordinary plot, sub-par acting, and amazing dance sequences, check it out.)

Wow. Channing Tatum is perfection. And Rob Hoffman isn't so bad himself. It's actually quite depressing because my chances of marrying a guy half as sexy (that has thug appeal but isn't a thug who can also dance) as either of them are very slim... What a downer. At least I own both of these DVDs so I can watch them over and over again.

Here is a gratuitous photo of Rob & Channing. Enjoy!

The Demise of Grammar and Spelling As We Know It

2008-10-06T14:26:00.006-04:00

I believe that computer lingo and text messaging are slowly lowering younger generations' IQ levels as well as their ability to use proper grammar and correct spelling. Ugh. Don't get me wrong, I like to use my fair amount of omfg, rofl, lmao and brbs, but only while speaking. There's something hilarious about speaking in acronyms, but it's all in good fun and I'm funny, so it works. It doesn't work so much on the computer or through text bc when u write like this it looks like u cant talk on a nrml level with respectable ppl. Gosh, I'm fuming here and that wasn't even an entire sentence worth of garbage. But I had to prove my point. It looks stupid, thus making you look equally dumb.

I saw an über-absurd, absolutely ridiculous article before in the Facebook group "Yes: I will judge you based on your spelling, grammar, and punctuation" –written by an effing (once again, acceptable because I'm awesome) professor– regarding why the oft-misspelled words should be accepted in the forms that are incorrect. Seriously, it's depressing, and if you'd like to be infuriated as much as I was, please click here to check it out.

I'm convinced that if we got to use more than 180 characters, people would submit essays through text messaging. Barfaroni.

Also, check out this video because it's awesome and it's about spelling. Until next time...
cya & ttyl

Tree Tripping

2008-10-06T11:15:00.005-04:00

Of all the Entourage episodes I've seen (which, in fact, would be all of them), this was definitely one of the funniest and really brought the LOLz. A few in particular would be when:

• Ari told Lloyd he would "cement his asshole shut" if he didn't watch his dog while Mrs. Ari was out of town for the night and Ari was tripping in Joshua Tree with the rest of the Entourage.
• While on his 'trip,' E wasn't speaking, so Drama takes it upon himself to get him to start talking by giving him a titty-twister.
&
• Mrs. Ari showed up home early to Lloyd, his boyfriend, Tom and many other gay, naked men swimming in their pool.

Haha, I am laughing (albeit quietly, since I'm at work and don't want to get stares) just thinking about these parts right now. I'm also thinking about watching it again as soon as I get home from work. Thank you, HBO on Demand and also to Doug Ellin for a 29-minute episode. It was heaven.

xoxo, [Amateur Blogger] Girl

2008-10-06T10:28:00.011-04:00

As an amateur blogger, it's pretty much protocol to have some professionals whose work I idolize and admire. At this given point in time, I have a top three. Sure they might be the only three bloggers whose posts I read regularly, but whatever. They rule. Sinceriously. So here they are, in particular order:

1) Perez Hilton
The gossip gangSTAR who raised the blogosphere bar. All of his Perezcious readers love and respect him and bloggers around the world should feel the same if they don't already. I have not missed an entry of his in over 16 months, entries which now serve as daily bedtime stories. If you've never seen his work, it's mastery. I'm not even joking. He's ruthless, relentless, and works 18-hour days. And he's even branched out into creating his own fashion line, television shows and now hosts his own radio show. A homolicious renaissance diva. Loves it.

2) Chris & Jess
These two are really outstanding in their craft, blogging for the Daily Intel at NY Magazine. Every week these two provide a hilarious, insightful recap for Gossip Girl, the show they have coined "The Best. Show. Ever." Their Reality Index (Realer Than a Socialite With a Hebetudinous Nickname Like “Poppy” vs. More Transparent Than Dan’s Bravado) brings in thousands of readers weekly who can now participate in the weekly total. Even if you haven't seen the show and have zero desire to (which, if you fall into either of these categories, you officially suck at life because this is honestly one of the Best. Shows. Ever.), check out one of their recaps. You don't have to even understand what's going on because their writing is that hysterical. And intelligent, too.

3) Lil Wayne
A rapper blogging for ESPN. And he has their logo tattooed on his arm. Enough said.

I Even Wore My BG Sweatshirt for the Occasion

2008-10-03T09:40:00.004-04:00

I'm heading to my good ol' alma mater today after work and, contrary to most, I actually enjoy the beautiful 171 mile trek up I-75 to Paradise City. I would guestimate that about two dozen of my good friends from BG will be making the trip back for Homecoming, and I'm expecting nothing less than the best time ever. No, but in all seriousness, it should be awesome.

I've been feeling super nostalgic about Bowling Green and making my return, so I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone, every thing, and eating all of the delicious foods that town has to offer (Easystreet & Corner Grill especially). It's a sad story to not be a student at BGSU anymore, and I've actually dabbled with the idea of going to grad school to simply live the dream a little bit longer, but being in as deep of debt as I am, that's just not feasible.

I already know a few things have changed (no more Brewster's, my former favorite BG bar) aside from the fact that I don't have many friends that still attend and/or live in BG (side note: you know you're old when you have to stay at the Best Western when you go back for homecoming), but I'm looking forward to seeing what my descendents are doing to upkeep the awesomeness of BG.

So here's to BG reunions, eleven bars in two blocks, and $2.75 captains and diet. I can't fucking wait.

Cheers

50 Cent is a Comedian

2008-09-26T15:49:00.004-04:00

"I'm a big fan of Jay-Z," 50 told MTV.com, "but outside of the States and hip-hop circles, no one really knew who he was until he married."

Wow.

His claim is laughable at best. Especially since Jay Z has sold 50+ million albums outside of the U.S. I guess 'Fiddy' is still a little bitter after claiming he would retire if Kanye's CD outsold his when they both released their albums (Kanye's 'Graduation' and 50's 'Curtis') on 9/11 last year. Hey 50, we're still waiting for you to man up on that offer you made when you said you'd retire. Enjoy knowing that you have nothing on the Roc while we continue enjoying Kanye and the most famous rapper in the world, Jay Z.

OSU Beats USC

2008-09-26T10:32:00.005-04:00

Ohio State and their fans only wish they were the OSU team to capitalize with a win in a game against the Trojans. The unranked Beavers beat the #1-ranked USC last night, ultimately knocking them out of BCS National Championship contention.

Delay of Game

2008-09-22T10:45:00.008-04:00

I've been to New York and back since my last post, as well as without power for 54 hours after suffering last week's tropical storm. We're landlocked here in Cincinnati -save for our beautiful Ohio River- and we were fortunate enough to have experienced our first hurricane-like storm. A tropical storm and an earthquake for Cincinnatians within the past year? The world's coming to an end. Here's a photo of an uprooted tree that fell and damaged the back of my uncle's house and his deck:
My family and I made the trip up to New York to see the Yankees play Tampa Bay during their Final Season in The House That Ruth Built. It poured the entire day. My dad and I enjoyed some beer and the scenery of the field from our our covered seats, and about 100 minutes and $80 later, the game was ultimately postponed. Disappointed? Very, but mother nature (as previously noted) has her own way of doing things. At least I got some pictures of the new stadium as well as the old:
To keep with the sports theme I've obviously started, I would like to point out three things about the Bengals, all Mike Brown and coaching staff complaints aside:
1) Our O- and D-lines need to step their game up
2) We really need to stop running on 1st and 2nd down only to end up on 3rd and long, especially when our passing game is being effective
3) We must get rid of Levi Jones

On a lighter note, the Bengals finally looked like a team yesterday. Aside from Carson being sacked seven times in a disappointing 26-23 overtime loss, if we at least play the way we did against the defending Super Bowl champions, we can have a respectable rest of the season.

Graphic Designers: Misunderstood (Often Taken For Granted) Renaissance People

2008-09-11T11:40:00.004-04:00

I don't think people quite understand what it takes to be a graphic designer and the stress involved within the profession. There is so much pressure when we're designing and busting our arses to meet deadlines while keeping our clients happy. I think people misunderstand what graphic designers are and do. I'm not exaggerating: when I was in college and I would complain about doing projects for design and studio classes, my friends would look at me like I was talking about going to go fingerpainting or something equally juvenile. No, it's not at all like that and it isn't all fun and games. Sure, it's usually fun (rather, I'd say enjoyable, not fun per sé) and I love what I do, but I'm here to straighten out some things about being a graphic designer that you probably don't think about.

Graphic designers are businesspeople because we understand how to sell our product to the customer, how to present and speak publicly in front of others, and how to write up contractual agreements. We are proofreaders and copywriters and we are expected to find spelling and grammar errors. We are problem solvers by nature, and we must utilize those skills to design successful and effective work. We must be stellar interpersonal communicators because without expressing our initiative through emails and phone calls, work would never get done. And all of this doesn't even entail all of the characteristics of what a graphic designer as an artist knows and does. We must continually educate ourselves throughout our career so that we are always up-to-date regarding current design trends and software updates. We must know rules of design when using type and graphics to design, numerous software programs (the entire Adobe Creative Suite as well as additional programs such as Dreamweaver, Final Cut Pro; Microsoft Office need not apply) we use in order to create the designs you see, we must understand the print process (CMYK anyone?), web design (RGB holler back), file management, what types of files to use and when, photo correction, how to effectively sketch and translate ideas into tangible (and intangible) messages for its viewers... I could go on for days. Do you get the idea?

It is rare that we get the creative freedom that most artists have. Instead we must accept ideas and suggestions from our clients, people who were not trained in nor have a degree in graphic design. Many times it pains me to so much as entertain some of these ideas, but as professionals we have to swallow our pride and everything we were taught to bring ourselves to use laughable typefaces (see Comic Sans and Papyrus) and graphics to please our clients. We also have to be gifted generalists within our profession. I don't think I've ever met or heard of a designer who focuses on one particular genre. I find myself working within a variety of media including 3-d packaging, print (brochures, posters, invitations), identity (logos, business cards, letterheads, envelopes) and page layout. If I had a client who asked for a project that was something I didn't know how to do, I would make damn sure to either learn how to do it and get it done for them, or have a list of people I know to whom I can outsource the work. Oh, does that mean we're contractors too?

We may not be certified in Business, English, Interpersonal Communication and Critical Thinking, but with one simple Graphic Design degree, we certainly do it all. We're supposed to be miracle workers and it is assumed that we know everything. Just so you know: we aren't and we don't. But we're damn close.

Boo the Clowns

2008-09-08T15:31:00.008-04:00

When I went to college at Bowling Green State University, it was in a region full of Browns fans. I got thoroughly annoyed with their obnoxious behavior and loud, idiotic barks (I guess they need something dumb and catchy for a team who never had a mascot, so I'll let it slide I guess), but most importantly, I got sick of their never-ending need to rectify their misery by hating on Bengals fans. Maybe that's because we have beaten them 5 out of our last 6 meetings and their first-time-over-.500-season since being axed from the league suddenly gave them a sense of empowerment (they still didn't make the playoffs, so eff 'em). I respect their enthusiasm year in and year out despite the fact that their team has been crap all but one year since re-joining the NFL, but when it came to showing up on Sunday, neither the team did, nor did their "die hard" fans. What I love most is that the Browns fans (the same fans who claim that all Bengals fans jump on the bandwagon, are consistently disloyal, and are fairweather) exchanged their barks for boos when they got twamped by the Cowboys in Cleveland yesterday.

I love it.

Now you know what it feels like to actually go into a season with high expectations and the pressure to succeed.

I Just Googled Myself

2008-09-08T11:08:00.006-04:00

& here are the results:

As Promised...

2008-09-08T07:45:00.002-04:00

Please click here to watch Kanye tear it up on the MTV VMA stage.

It is rumored that his hot new single, "Love Lockdown" will be available for purchase on iTunes today!

MTV VMAs

2008-09-07T23:30:00.005-04:00

I just finished watching the MTV VMAs and I was pretty entertained by the show even though I've kind of boycotted the network recently. Russell Brand, the host for the evening, did a pretty decent job, and it was nice to have a non-American celebrity heading the event for a change. He was funny, however a little too hyper and all over the place. But who doesn't love a British accent?

Britney Spears won big, taking home three Moonmen for Best Female Video, Best Pop Video, and the coveted Video of the Year award for "Piece of Me." It's good to see a talented entertainer such as herself finally making her comeback after a tumultuous past couple of years.

The highlight of the awards show (aside from the Britney sweep, obvi) would have to be Kanye West's performance to close out the ceremony. He debuted a new song titled Love Lockdown. The beat was pure and solid, and his vocals and lyrics were on point as always. He implemented a different vocal style for himself, thus making him an even more revolutionary and versatile hip-hop artist in the 21st century. His eccentricity and creativity really set him apart from other mainstream hip-hop artists.

MTV is supposed to have all of the clips of the performances from the show, so I will post the video as soon as I see it uploaded to the site.

Sunday's TV Lineup

2008-09-07T20:32:00.009-04:00

I got to catch the additional airing of the season two premiere of Gossip Girl, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I can already tell that it's about to be a very sick, unhealthy guilty pleasure of mine, and I am not at all ashamed to admit that. You can add 90210 to that guilty pleasure list as well because after last week's 2-hour series premiere, I am certifiably hooked. I never thought I would see the day where I'd say that the CW is putting out some killer shows, but here I am and I stand corrected regarding my previous misconception about the network.

I'm currently checking out the VMAs for a little while as I anxiously await the season five premiere of Entourage, which just so happens to be tied for second on my list of favorite TV shows of all time. (#1- Arrested Development T-#2- Entourage & Grey's Anatomy) There are supposed to be some big things happening this season (ie. a death of one of the cast members), so I can't wait to see how it all unfolds. Plus the last episode to have aired was September 2, 2007, so I've had to deal with some pretty intense withdrawals for more than a year now. (Side note: I'm still bitter that we still feel the affects of the writer's strike.)

These images are simply gratuitous for those who love Entourage. The first is a great candid of Jeremy Piven (Ari Gold), Adrian Grenier (Vincent Chase), and Kevin Connolly (Eric Murphy) at an event, and the latter is from episode#4.11. This particular episode is one of my personal favorites, as Kanye West guest-starred and the end credits gave us our first listen of his soon-to-be mega-hit "Good Life."

Depressed in Bungaldom

2008-09-07T20:01:00.002-04:00

It has been a slow day, and perhaps that is because Bungaldom has me all different kinds of depressed, or maybe because I am running on reserve fuel right now. Despite our 17-10 loss to Baltimore, I will say that I am thankful that the Browns got it handed to them by T.O. and company, which alleviates my foul mood a little.

This just in- according to ProFootballTalk.com, Tom Brady is out for the rest of the 2008 season with a torn ACL. I'm curious to see how the Pats and their fans bounce back after that news. All I know is that it's going to be a very long season for Bengals fans and Pats fans alike.

The Rebranding of Ocho Cinco 2.0, the Athletainer

2008-09-05T12:31:00.003-04:00

Of all the ESPN discussion boards I have read (trust me, I don't know why I do so because people on there really aggravate me with their uneducated, über-biased opinions, but that is beside the point), most arguments claim that Chad Johnson (ahem, Chad Javon Ocho Cinco) isn't using proper Spanish grammar. My first beef with this is that most of the time this "argument" comes from people who can't properly distinguish the difference between your/you're, to/too/two and there/their/they're, who cannot effectively use ellipses, and who consistently abuse that poor caps lock key. Secondly, I consider myself pretty educated (I took the equivalent of eight years of Spanish throughout middle school, high school and college) in the Spanish language, despite the fact that I am nowhere near fluent (but trust me, I could still write you one helluva 3-page essay), and the fact that he calls himself "Ocho Cinco" instead of "Ochenta y Cinco" does not bother me. For those of us who watch and play sports, we know what it is like to encourage our fellow players by saying "Let's go one-nine" instead of saying "Let's go nineteen," or "Come on two-four" instead of "Come on twenty-four." I may use appropriate "ochenta y cinco" grammar in that essay I said I could write, but in all sports technicality, Ocho Cinco is correctly used. Besides, would you rather be called "Ocho Cinco" or "Ochenta y Cinco?" Sure, you may think it's a silly name either way, but that's neither here nor there.

With the rebranding boom going on right now (see Days Inn, Dairy Queen, BP, and Payless as only a few examples), I think he's doing great marketing for himself in a No Fun League full of should-be athletainers, a word hybrid Mr. Ocho Cinco so creatively coined himself.

Rock the Vote

2008-09-04T07:42:00.001-04:00

Politics isn't something I'm willing to openly discuss unless there is an open-minded, unbiased, level-headed, non-argumentative conversation occurring (which happens so very rarely). Sure we all love a little debate, but at this point I don't really think it gets us anywhere. Many people are set in their ways and beliefs to really accept other peoples' opinions. I think everyone's entitled to their opinion, and I love nothing more than a good conversation where I learn something from speaking to someone else. I feel as though I will never know enough about politics, but all I can do is continue educating myself and keep an open mind.

That being said, I encourage all of you to educate yourselves on our Presidential and Vice-presidential candidates, their platforms, and to exercise your right -as American citizens- to vote! I don't care who for, so long as you register to vote (if you haven't already) and do so! This election is very important, and after November 2nd, we will either have our first African-American president, or first female Vice-president. Would you like to be able to tell future generations that you took part in history?

Take five minutes of your time to register at www.rockthevote.org - you have up to 30 days prior to November 2nd to register!

Adventures in Dollyhood

2008-09-03T20:26:00.001-04:00

I hope this inaugural blog entry reaches you all well, and I also hope I actually stick with updates. I will say that I don't plan on keeping the content about any one subject in particular, but would like to discuss design/art and entertainment/pop culture. I digress...

It is sad to see Labor Day Weekend come and go so quickly, and it is even more difficult to fathom that we are already in the ninth month of 2008. I was fortunate enough to spend the extended holiday weekend holed up with some girlfriends from high school in a Smoky Mountain chalet; one that appropriately holds the moniker, 'The Love Shack.' I suppose that, in all actuality, that is pretty disgusting given all the 'honeymooning' that goes on there.

On Saturday night, somewhere in between playing Uno, having cocktails, and raging out (responsibly) to either Grand Ole Party or the rap mix we unanimously made our soundtrack for the trip (I can confirm with this piece of information alone that we made it back to our Finneytown roots), I received a picture message from my boss for whom I've recently done a lot of design work.

There it was: Berry Probiotics, nestled proudly on the shelf at Publix. I may have a bit of a bias, and it helps that the names of its neighboring products carry negative connotation, but Berry Probiotics looks great! After months of packaging and label design for five different Natures Dynamics products, I feel a great sense of accomplishment as well as relief, for we can finally see the completed product on the shelves of over 900 Publix stores. Now it's only a matter of a couple of weeks -we hope- until the rest of the supplements grace the shelves at Publix as well.

It's kind of disappointing that I don't have a Publix store readily available within any reasonable driving distance, but the picture is proof enough for me until I either a) get to a Publix store sometime in the near future, or b) the products start being shelved and sold in additional stores in the U.S. (ie. Target and Whole Foods) as previously discussed. It's nice to know that Natures Dynamics is a very stable freelance project and relationship for me, and I look forward to see where its success goes from here. There are already some potentially mega projects coming up, but I will keep you updated on those as the deals solidify. (I don't want to jinx anyone!)