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September Updates

September 18, 2012 8:58 PM | filed in: inspiration, just for fun

The web development section has been updated with a few screen shots of recent projects. Updating my portfolio has been a low priority, since I am spending most of my spare time on a few personal projects. I don't want to share all of the details yet, but I can say that I'll be launching three or four personal projects within the next month or so. Besides that, this little guy is taking up a bunch of my time (and making for a very happy September)...

Site Updates Coming Soon...

February 26, 2012 10:31 PM | filed in: just for fun

I've been busy busy busy... with work and with life. I recently wrapped up several projects (both web and print) and will update the site in the next few days. In addition, in the coming weeks, Sugarsock will roll out some new services that have been in the works for a while. I look forward to sharing the details.

Health Month Begins

September 1, 2011 5:08 PM | filed in: inspiration, just for fun

September is Health Month... for me, anyway. HealthMonth.com is a site that allows users to set up and track goals and limits to improve physical, intellectual, and spiritual health. Meet your goals? Earn points. Miss your goals? Lose them, and appeal to the community to save you by "healing" you with fruit (and words of encouragement). For someone as competitive and good-little-student as I am, this is a great way to start a new regimen or get back on track with habits that could use some consistency. I've set up 13 rules for myself, ranging from "Cook dinner six nights...

Quasi-Mexi-Salad

July 27, 2011 11:28 AM | filed in: just for fun

I made a salad and dressing for dinner on Monday. Hubby took the leftovers to work and let some co-workers taste it. They requested the recipe... which is quite a challenge for me. I love to cook, but I'm not a recipe-follower (unless baking). I really just cook. Hubby gets bothered by this, because it means that my recipes are always slightly different. So, in recent years, I've taken extra care to note what I'm doing, just in case the food is a hit and I'll be requested to make it again... I am gaga for Mexican food, but it...

Nerd Chic

June 8, 2011 10:06 PM | filed in: just for fun

To me, a "geek" is someone who's techie, into gadgets or computers and stuff like that... maybe obsessed with something outside the norm, but not necessarily socially awkward. In my book, geeks are the people you want to invite to the party, if offbeat conversation with oddball topics are interesting to you, but they're still weirdos to most people. I think of a "nerd" as more of a negative thing, like a person who doesn't know how to behave within social confines and struggles with basic communication or functions. Over the past few years, it seems to have become normal...

Online Language Evolution

June 7, 2011 5:48 PM | filed in: just for fun, writing

im @ coffee w/1 of my BFFs discussing new media + its effect on language. its srsly interesting 2 me... While part of me is bothered by the butchery of "proper" English, another part knows that this is a natural element of communication throughout history; however, it's never happened at such a rapid rate. Traditionalists may complain that the younger generations are missing out on something important when they use wrong words, misspell, or populate their texts with weird slang, but the ultimate goal is communication--so if their words are understood, it could be argued that they've simply taken a...

Inspiration from the Past

June 2, 2011 9:03 PM | filed in: inspiration, just for fun

Today, some photos taken at Area 51 in 1963 became declassified. (Check them out at National Geographic.)We've all seen 1960s movies and TV shows, with strange designs and viewpoints of what "future" looks like. While Hollywood was busy fashioning coffee canisters, vacuum cleaners, and Slinkys into spaceships and the skyscrapers of tomorrow, the US government was working on actual crafts that rival today's in modernism. Doesn't it make you wonder what secret projects are currently occupying our national scientists and engineers? Think of how greatly technology has advanced: - Even a "small" computer in the '60s was probably 100 times...

Happy New Year

December 28, 2010 12:57 PM | filed in: hopes & dreams, just for fun

It is unlikely that I will update the site again within the next couple of days, so I take this opportunity to wish you a happy and prosperous future. To clients, thank you for your business, creative partnership, and support throughout the year. To friends, I say the same (plus "thanks for the cocktails"). Although a lot was accomplished in 2010, I prefer to look ahead and barge into 2011 with the excitement of knowing that the world has more available to us than we could ever experience. (Imagine what a dull existence it would be to have done and...

Seen on the 101...

September 19, 2010 2:39 PM | filed in: illustration, just for fun

I don't know if this will be funny to anyone else, but I recently was driving on the 101 when traffic unexpectedly slowed. The culprit was a slow-driving brand-new Honda Ridgeline truck weighed down with what must have been around 30 cases of Tapatio hot sauce. It made me wonder where that non-commercial vehicle was headed, and for what occasion. Here's a quick illustration of the truck:

My Street at Sunset

September 18, 2010 11:41 PM | filed in: illustration, just for fun

One of the things I love about my street is its columns of sky-scraping palms on either boulevard, which wrap around the block. I might not like the seedlings they drop onto our patio, but the sound of fronds receiving the breeze can immediately remind me of relaxing times in the Caribbean, and I love that, way back when, someone planned for them to tower over and line the street. They are especially attractive at sunset, when the green and brown of their fronds and trunks are barely distinguishable before becoming complete silhouettes against a pink-to-purple-to-blue gradient sky. The other...

Quick Fun Print Project

September 15, 2010 9:58 PM | filed in: illustration, just for fun

Recently, a good friend of mine asked if I would be interested in designing a Wizard of Oz-themed open house announcement. Most of my work these days is web design, so I jumped at the chance. Having a design change of pace with a deadline is actually fun and productive for me... a nice way to relax and flex my creative muscle without being able to procrastinate until I lose interest (which often happens when I paint or make music). My husband, Dan, is a great illustrator, so I asked him to lighten the load a bit by sketching the...

RIP, Silver Lake Walking Man

July 23, 2010 10:33 PM | filed in: inspiration, just for fun

For the first three years we lived in Los Angeles, our home was on a hill in Los Feliz. Since we both worked from home, we often would go out to lunch or run errands during weekdays to avoid weekend congestion. (I don't know about you, but I'd much rather be hanging out in my pajamas on Saturday morning than navigating the loathsome parking situation at the Atwater Costco or Silver Lake Trader Joe's.) One of the constants during our drives, walks, hikes, and jogs around the neighborhood was seeing "the walking man," a 50-something, skinny, tan walker (nearly always...

Artistic Freedom

July 5, 2010 10:54 AM | filed in: just for fun

Independence Day is a time to celebrate all of the freedoms we US citizens enjoy. Thanks to some rebellious old dudes way back when, I don't have to believe in monarchy (and believe me, I don't) or cower in the corner when I disagree with something. Freedom of speech fortunately extends to art, and it includes the individual thought that determines what art is. How nice! We can all just point at something and declare it art, and no one can throw us in prison for that. (However, you can be arrested for applying art to someone's property, so beware...

Amazing Tops Awesome in 2010 Most Overused Internet Phrase

April 30, 2010 7:57 AM | filed in: gripes, just for fun

At the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on Thursday, Amazing was crowned the Most Overused Internet Phrase for 2010, knocking Awesome from the top spot it's held for the past seven years. Finalists were selected from aggregated anonymous data supplied by Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, and Bebo and verified by the accounting firm Price Waterhouse. Like, once dubbed "the sassy new 'um' for today's active professional" by The New York Times, has dwindled in popularity among 25- to 39-year-olds, whose social networking activity is more prevalent than the 12-24 age segment who embrace Like as much as the generation before them once did...

LA Traffic Makes Fools of All

April 27, 2010 10:29 PM | filed in: hopes & dreams, just for fun

I'm in Week Two of carpooling with my husband. We're from Chicago, where having a car is unnecessary and almost a luxury, since the CTA is thorough, reliable, far-reaching (and renting a garage space and paying for daily parking are expensive). LA, though, hasn't embraced public transportation, and since the metropolitan area is so gigantic, one car is a necessity. It's hard to believe that we might have to get a second car, but we'll soon have a dilemma: the 7-10 hours per week we each could save by not considering the other's commute versus the cost of a second...

WWWAMD?

April 25, 2010 4:04 PM | filed in: just for fun

One of my favorite ways to pass time when I'm held hostage with something really stupid--like waiting in the car for someone running an errand, for instance--is imagining how important historical figures would react to present-day situations or technology. Scenario One: You are sitting in a room, listening to Walter Murphy's disco tune A Fifth of Beethoven while watching Immortal Beloved on mute when in walks Ludwig van Beethoven. How does he react (assuming he can hear, of course)? Scenario Two: You bring Pocahontas to the Pink Floyd laser-light show at the local planetarium. Does she freak? Scenario Three: Wolfgang...

Seen on the 101...

April 16, 2010 8:36 PM | filed in: art, just for fun

...2010 Honda RidgeLine overloaded with about 30 cases of Tapatio hot sauce. This quick illo doesn't really show off how much the back was weighed down (because of the angle). Next time, I'll try to get a photo. This is what I meant to post yesterday.

In the Wee Small Hours...

April 16, 2010 2:24 AM | filed in: just for fun

...man, is there some bad television! Anyway, tonight was the third night in a row I was working past 1am, and my head hurts. Working on the final stages of a collaborative project meant a lot of email and IM communication on top of the actual work, so I actually broke my daily streak of email posts. I missed yesterday's deadline for a new entry by a couple of hours. I have been having a little writer's block but had come up with an idea for an "easy" post for today: On the 101 this afternoon, I passed a Honda...

Note to Self: Remember You're Picky!

April 12, 2010 8:44 PM | filed in: just for fun

I love dining out on special occasions. Truth be told, I love dining out on not-so-special occasions. If you know me, you know I love to cook and am good at it... but I don't always feel like cooking. When I do cook, I put a lot of effort into it. (I do not make a grilled ham-and-cheese sandwich and call it cooking. My style is more like browsing for the best food to get ideas, creating my own recipe plans, and roasting or grilling meats or fish and vegetables with fresh herbs and compound sauces, or stewing a deep...

What Did You Take to Show & Tell?

April 4, 2010 12:07 PM | filed in: just for fun

Last night, I watched an Australian movie called $9.99 (that's "nine dollars, ninety-nine" and not "nine ninety-nine" like we'd say in the US). It's animated--sort of Claymation-style--and a lot of fun to watch, even if it didn't have a satisfying resolution. In one scene, a little boy character is showing off his piggy bank during Show and Tell, which reminded me of my own such front-of-class experiences. Show and Tell was actually called "Demonstrations" when I was in fourth grade, as we were required to offer some kind of lesson or tutorial to fellow students instead of simply saying, "Hey...

I Know I'm Productive When...

March 31, 2010 1:25 PM | filed in: just for fun

...I dream about work. The first time I remember dreaming about work was during the summer between eighth and ninth grades, when I labored my little butt off as a corn detasseler. (I love how happy the detasselers pictured in the Wikipedia photo look... I think of it as miserable work now, but then it didn't seem horrible.) My whole life that summer was about corn (not by choice). I would wake up, pack a lunch in my L'il Playmate, fill a cooler with water, put on sunscreen, and walk the half-mile to the school to be on the detasseling...

Tips to Improve Typing Speed

March 21, 2010 6:57 PM | filed in: business, just for fun

I am always trying to do everything work-related faster, and somehow over the years, I've become a pretty fast typist. Every once in a while, I'll get a little obsessed about my typing, wondering how fast I am and whether it's pretty accurate. There are tons of testing sites around the web that assess you based on raw words within a minute, the completion of an essay excerpt, or a block of text within a certain block of time. You may find that you're better at one than the other: Succeeding at a raw-word method or flailing on an essay...

Sweetyswank Martini

March 13, 2010 9:41 PM | filed in: just for fun

Tonight, our guests brought the makings for a cocktail that was a lovely, fragrant departure from the usual. Based on the French ginger liqueur Domaine de Canton, this drink was so pretty (think hyper-Cosmo with an embedded flower), I had to take photos. Taste-wise, it was a nice mix of dryness from the bubbly, peppery tang from the liqueur, and sweet perfume from the hibiscus. Here's the recipe. 1 part Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur 1/2 part syrup and 1 flower from Wild Hibiscus Flowers in SyrupChampagne Float one flower in the bottom of a martini glass or flute. Pour...

Thank You for Trying, Las Vegas Art Scene

March 6, 2010 4:05 PM | filed in: art, just for fun, los angeles design

This weekend, I am in Las Vegas for some family stuff. For once, our visit has coincided with the city's First Fridays gallery night, during which a normally super-sketch neighborhood becomes a welcoming stretch with open doors for art patrons. We decided to check it out while we had the chance, since our impromptu gallery visits here have always resulted in a disappointed "Oh, they're closed. Again. Or still. Or for good." The first stop was an old, two-story factory building that has been converted into a maze of mini-galleries. There must be close to 50 vendors in this building...

Stop to Smell (or Draw) the Roses...

February 28, 2010 10:51 AM | filed in: hopes & dreams, inspiration, just for fun

"Don't forget to stop and smell the roses." That's a tired old phrase, but I've been relying on it a lot lately. My adult life has been a pattern of making my way along the career path at too quick a pace, then suddenly needing rest because I've tired myself out. Logic tells me to wander a bit, slow down, stop at interesting points, and be engaged in the journey itself... but it's difficult to change what I think is an inherent need to always "do do do." This weekend, I went to a birthday party for a relative who...

If You Need Distraction from the World's Problems...

February 13, 2010 12:11 AM | filed in: just for fun

When I lived in Chicago, I went on a few dates with a guy who grew up in Philadelphia but had been living in the city for a couple of years. He was new enough to the city (and there was enough to do within city limits) that he hadn't been to the suburbs. For a date, he suggested going to one of the few drive-ins left in Illinois, which was located in a far-off suburb that bordered farmland. The drive was a breeze, because we were still getting to know each other... and also because my date was marveling...

Food Packaging Trends...

February 5, 2010 4:24 PM | filed in: graphic design & business, just for fun

I love visits to the grocery, partially because I love to cook and partially because there's so much cool design to be had. We generally don't keep junk or prepared foods in the house and stick pretty well to a diet of produce and other fresh foods, but that doesn't mean I don't ooh and ahh over the ever-changing eye candy thrown at us by purveyors of garbage-food and convenience products. I've noticed a recent change in junk food package design, wherein enlarged images of the "food" are printed in full color on the front (and I'm not talking about...

One Day at a Time...

January 11, 2010 2:27 PM | filed in: hopes & dreams, just for fun

A client of mine has written a couple of wonderful books on emotional eating and weight loss (Life is Hard, Food is Easy and 100 Days of Weight Loss by Linda Spangle). A perk of my work with her was getting copies of the books so I could learn about what she does. I also am on her email distribution list, and weekly emails expand on the thoughts her books establish by providing personal examples and exercises to keep on the straight-and-narrow of weight loss/maintenance.Most people (especially women) immediately understand what is meant by the phrase "emotional eating." At different...

Showing Up is Half the Accomplishment, Right?

December 20, 2009 10:12 AM | filed in: inspiration, just for fun, los angeles design

A few weeks ago, I registered Dan and myself for a Sunday-morning 5K Jingle Bell Run. A friend of mine has a family tradition of doing a Jingle Bell Run in Illinois every December, so I was familiar with how it goes: Everyone shows up in Christmas costumes, wears jingle bells, and generally has a good time while they race the short trail. I've never taken part in it myself but have wanted to, so this year, we decided a West Coast branch would be established. I registered without knowing that the weekend would be one of our busiest in...

Time IS Relative...

December 13, 2009 12:55 PM | filed in: hopes & dreams, just for fun

Some periods of the year seem to drag so slowly... off the top of my head, I'd say January, February, April, and June are some of the slow (seeming) months. On the other hand, why do November and December fly by like they barely exist? I am always on a quest to make things (projects, for instance) finite, with clear beginnings and ends, but it never seems to work that way in real life. One thing that has a clear beginning and end, though, is the calendar year... and so I am very much a proponent of new year resolutions...

Finding Time to Blog is Hard...

November 3, 2009 3:52 PM | filed in: gripes, just for fun, writing

I always have an intention to post daily entries on my blog, but invariably, I find having staying power the hardest part. Generally, I start out strong, then start to lag, until--the next thing I know--it's been a monthful of nothing. I definitely make mental notes (and some written notes) when a topic arises, so I can put it on the back burner of my brain and let it simmer. Even if I think about what I want to post, though, the time it takes to sit down (and avoid distraction), then type and edit, a post is at least...

Have a Happy (Stylish) Halloween

October 31, 2009 10:27 AM | filed in: inspiration, just for fun, los angeles design

Who doesn't like Heidi Klum? She sure has plenty to be jealous of. Her modeling-cum-hosting career and body-that-bounces-back-from-pregnancy-like-no-one's-business are enviable enough that most people (women, at least) could easily relegate her to the "bitch" bin... but then she talks about her family or does an interview and once again reveals herself as a kind and good-humored person. Her nature is amplified every year at Halloween, when she steps out in well-executed (usually nerdy... I mean, this year, she was Eve's apple to Seal's Eve) costumes for her annual bash--and acts like a total geek on the red carpet, knowing full...

No Time for a Real Post...

October 25, 2009 3:53 PM | filed in: just for fun, photography

Not today. Instead, enjoy this trip inside the photo booth of a Hawaiian wedding we recently attended. Classy Photo Booths (P.S. great name... boo) can provide this fun, crowd-pleasing service at your event.

A Funny Stat...

October 23, 2009 3:35 PM | filed in: just for fun, web development

One of the search phrases that sends sent traffic to my site is "chubby wonder woman." (Awhile ago, I wrote a post about how much I don't like Charm City Cakes--and their 50%-floral-foam creations--and I think one of the images I included was a Wonder Woman cake.) Anyway, that's amusing.

A Good Way to Get Traffic

October 22, 2009 4:07 PM | filed in: art, business, graphic design & business, just for fun, web development

So, for probably about a year, I've been seeing people using post images they created with the "Mad Men Yourself" feature at AE.com. Since its inception, the avatar generator has been improved with added features, and some of the most recent images I've seen include new backgrounds and larger sizes. I thought I'd check it out--and I'm not even a Mad Men-watcher. I've never even seen the show, but I have heard from many people that it's a great one.A+E has made a good decision in developing this lightweight app, because it's fun and allows people to easily make something...

The "What Not to Wear" Method

October 17, 2009 11:21 AM | filed in: art, just for fun, web development

On TLC's What Not to Wear, the hosts show chronic sweatpants-wearers how bad their wardrobes are by making them parade in front of full-view mirrors (while slinging insult after insult, of course), then try on ensembles that flatter their bodies and styles. This before-and-after approach allows people to see for themselves what crap they've become accustomed to and how it compares to good stuff. By now, Etsy.com is a big player in web marketplaces. DIYers can make crafts, clothing, candy, arts, anything--as long as it's handmade or hand-finished--and sell them to others through the site. Opening such a community to...

Disgustingly Beautiful

October 11, 2009 2:06 PM | filed in: just for fun

An episode of Planet Earth ("Caves," March 2006) re-running today has a short focus on the glowworm, whose phosphorescent silk threads hang from cave ceilings. The threads are "decorated" with perfectly spaced globules of sticky mucus that glow to attract and ensnare prey. (Moths and other small insects get stuck in the goo, then the glowworm reels the thread in like a fishing line.) It's pretty gross... but really cool-looking. Check it out.

Disturbia & Diarrhea

August 22, 2009 5:33 AM | filed in: just for fun

I often incorporate real-life atmospheric elements into my dream, but they manifest in strange ways. I used to have an alarm clock that would blare a gratingly dissonant "BWARRRR!" for a full second, followed by a half-second respite. In dreams, this sound would become a critical element to the plot of my dream, most memorably a video conference call screen that would alternate between a half-second image of the concerned CEO's speech and a full second of annoying snow, like the visual connection was bad. Music playing in the same room where I'm sleeping sometimes becomes music I've composed and...

Right now, I'm in love with...

July 22, 2009 10:23 PM | filed in: just for fun

- Zhena's Gypsy Tea in Coconut Chai- writing music in GarageBand - taking walks

What I'm working on...

July 4, 2009 12:09 PM | filed in: graphic design & business, just for fun

You'd think with so little going on with my site that I'd take time to let you know what exactly I'm working on. Well... In addition to the usual ongoing load of web projects, I've been working on my new portfolio site. I'd hoped to publish it July 1, but client work comes before self work, and I also have changed my mind a couple of times about how to do my own site. While I usually have little hindrance to developing something for someone else, I have a hard time figuring out what I want to do with my...

Formula for the Perfect Birthday Lunch

May 13, 2009 7:56 PM | filed in: just for fun

Yesterday, I had the perfect birthday lunch with Dan. Here's what I think makes a "perfect" such occasion: 1. Pick a nice place and go in the late afternoon, after the lunch crowd and before the dinner crowd. (Going then ensures quietude, good service, and acceptance of casual attire.)2. Order the beef carpaccio, crab-and-avocado salad, (homemade) sausage and wild mushroom risotto, and strawberry-balsamic panna cotta. In other words, order something you wouldn't normally have.3. Wash it all down with some wine. 4. Have someone with you who will talk about how great you are... and mean it. 5. Go home...

Finally, a (Quasi-)Vacation

May 10, 2009 12:45 PM | filed in: just for fun

I just reserved the rental car, which means our June trip is pretty much finalized. I can't wait to go to Meg's wedding and also take some time off to relax. We decided to add a short side trip, so we're going from LA to Vegas for a day to Denver to Omaha, staying somewhere in Nebraska for a few days, then driving to the wedding and staying for a few days, and flying back to Vegas. It is less hectic than it sounds and will be a much-needed meandering road trip. Yay for Alamo Rent-a-Car, who have had no...

Is it bad...

May 3, 2009 3:00 PM | filed in: just for fun

...that the "gripes" category of my blog has the most entries?

...and we didn't even vaporize!

March 21, 2009 10:18 AM | filed in: just for fun

We went to Disneyland with my niece and sister-in-law yesterday. I was surprised to find that we didn't spontaneously combust or even have a horrible time. There is enough magic for the kids and enough good craftsmanship for the parents (of course, we did see lots of parents having their own meltdowns). I guess I won't mind if our future kid begs to go--in five or six years, that is.

Worm Moon

March 10, 2009 8:22 AM | filed in: just for fun

My friend Julie tipped me off that tonight's full moon is the "Worm Moon," the first full moon where the ground begins to thaw so worms can "wake up" and start doing their thing. Cool trivia, huh? (Next time, we'll cover "Blood Moon," another worth seeing.) Whatever it's called, the full moon is gorgeous tonight. It's nice to be living in an area where a full moon makes a difference... rarely in the city would a full moon shine brighter than the city glow, but now that we're in the boondocks, we can tell what phase of the moon we're...

You Know What's Fun?

July 10, 2008 10:25 PM | filed in: inspiration, just for fun, los angeles design

Carmina Burana at the Hollywood Bowl.Baritone Eugene Chan (a last-minute replacement!) was AMAZING.

Home Sweet Home

July 2, 2008 10:27 PM | filed in: art, just for fun, los angeles design

So, we are finally in our new place. There's a lot to do before it feels homey, but we've slept here five nights and feel like it's our place... Yesterday we bought a big-ass sofa, the Lancaster from Restoration Hardware. We've been wanting it for a couple of years, and the kicker is that we negotiated the price down and got a couple thousand off the regular price! Cash is king. The bad part is that we have to wait six weeks to have it made. We have no internet right now, so I am not able to keep up...

Our New Place

July 1, 2008 10:23 PM | filed in: just for fun, los angeles design, photography

As of July 15, we will be living at Daly Street Lofts. Home sweeeeet home! Check out these pics of the new digs: More images at Flickr

What the...?

June 1, 2008 10:21 PM | filed in: gripes, just for fun

I found a partially used pack of cigarettes in my car. More accurately, Dan found them. We don't smoke and haven't used valet or had the car serviced since it was detailed a couple of weeks ago. Whose could these be? Parliaments, anyone? They're in our garbage can.

Under the Banner of Heaven

May 17, 2008 10:14 PM | filed in: just for fun

I am reading this book about Mormonism that has me riveted. It's been a long time since I've looked forward to lying down to read, but this non-fiction is right up my alley, and, although it was published a few years ago, Under the Banner is timely when considering the recent news about the gigantor, minor-impregnatin' Mormon splinter group in Texas. Beside giving insight on generally secret Mormon beliefs and practices, the book provides a history of Joseph Smith (a country-fried con man!) and solid reasoning for why the religion is so divided and prolific (to boil it down, anyone...

I Hit the Birthday Jackpot!

May 14, 2008 10:11 PM | filed in: just for fun

I'm really not about things, but my birthday was pretty extravagant this year. Here's the booty I scored and some highlights:- Dior sunglasses- Coach handbag and charm- black diamond earrings and ring- white diamond earrings and ring- white and black diamond ring- diamond bracelet- orange crocodile wallet- 15 pairs of shoes- big jewelry box and travel jewelry box- great Riesling and wine stopper/saver- trip to Vegas- great dinner, excellent carrot cake, drinks at my favorite lounge- car detailing- cards from friends... and my dentist!I really appreciate this stuff. It is still weird to get gifts, but I am getting better...

Stupidest News Story of 2008 (So Far)

May 1, 2008 10:04 PM | filed in: gripes, just for fun

New study: 58 percent of black children can't swim 1. Someone did a study on this subject? 2. Some journalist deemed this newsworthy? The last time I checked, there's nothing hugely detrimental about living a life without swimming. Also, I didn't learn to swim until I was 10 or 11.

The Hunger Strike is Over

March 27, 2008 10:02 PM | filed in: just for fun

We used to add a bit of steamed veggies and broiled fish or meat to our dogs' food (not table food -- stuff made especially for them). But because the dog food was always the base of their meals, we would give them plain food on some days so they wouldn't get too used to fresh food.Then our P'Chan showed us that even a dog can go on hunger strike. She'd refuse to eat unless something was put in her meal, so we experimented with different additives: a sprinkle of garlic powder or dry parmesan, or a couple of drops...

Netflix Recommendation

March 12, 2008 9:57 PM | filed in: art, just for fun

If you like documentaries (or just enjoy movies and are interested in the business-side of movie-making), I recommend This Film is Not Yet Rated, which provides an inside look at the very small, very powerful (and very secretive) MPAA ratings board. It's a great documentary that's friendly enough for newbies to the genre yet solid enough to satisfy doc-heads like me. On the other hand, skip Zoo, a documentary about the Seattle man who died after being (purposely) sodomized by a stallion (trained by a bestiality ring). What could've been a fascinating-yet-disgusting look at social freaks who believe in inter-species...

Fun To-Do

March 4, 2008 9:56 PM | filed in: just for fun

We are preparing for a move. Into a house! Yay. No more crazy cats around us... a pool... a fenced yard for the pooch... a garage we can actually use... I can't wait. So the first thing on our to-do list is purging clutter, organizing, and packing.Since we had a boring Christmas, Dan got all kinds of gifts for his birthday: an XBOX 360 (finally) and some games, Godiva chocolates, Bose speakers for the computer, a nice watch, and a 6'-tall female mannequin. We also went on a spree for a bunch of art frames (50 of 'em?), so the...

Good Television

March 3, 2008 9:47 PM | filed in: just for fun

I've never seen The Office, or Desperate Housewives, or 30 Rock, or Grey's Anatomy... I don't even know if those shows are on anymore. I don't have any idea what's on network TV, beside Jeopardy at 7pm--but I still have to look at the guide to figure which channel it's on. The only things I watch right now are In Treatment and Breaking Bad (and, somewhat begrudgingly, owing to its self-perpetuating idiocy, Project Runway). Both of these shows are great... and both are available on demand, so I can get obsessive about them and not schedule my life around shows...

Guess Which Jackson* I Saw Today?

February 23, 2008 9:44 PM | filed in: just for fun, los angeles design

Jermaine.He parked his Rolls-Royce next to my Ford Focus hatchback and went into Subway. At 9:30am. (I was in the same lot to go to the bank.)Dan pointed out that upon acquiring a certain car, you're no longer allowed to patronize certain establishments. His exact words were: "Ooh, classy gentleman. For lunch, he will drive his Bugatti Veyron to Church's Chicken... for dinner, his Bentley BACK to Subway. Why doesn't he just go off-road mudding while he's at it?"*Jackson as in "of the Jackson 5."

Greek to Me

February 18, 2008 9:41 PM | filed in: gripes, just for fun

I'd had my fancy-pants 3G PDA/phone for months and still stumbled through texting. I figured it was because the keyboard layout is like a regular keyboard rather than a phone... but the anticipatory finish-your-word engine was really bad. (For instance, instead of the word "car," I'd get something like "cÃø." It was so irritating.This weekend, while I was trying to set-up my work email, I ran across the culprit: My default language was set to Afrikaans.

So Much to Do, So Little Time...

February 7, 2008 9:29 PM | filed in: business, just for fun, los angeles design

What a week. Actually, what a month. Things have been hecticker than hectic here... and that's how I like it. Sort of. Nothing is worse than sitting around with nothing to do. (Of course, I haven't had nothing to do for many, many years.) Having too much to do is a little stressful, and I often feel like my overall productivity decreases if there's too much on my plate... like my brain thinks about all there is to do and has trouble focusing that energy on actually doing that all.Anyway:How about Super Tuesday?I have a confession to make so I...

Isn't It Kind of Hilarious When...

January 18, 2008 9:19 PM | filed in: gripes, just for fun, los angeles design

...someone can be seen publicly being swallowed by a cult, but he has no idea? If you haven't seen the Tom Cruise KSW (Keep Scientology Working) video, you HAVE to go to Gawker.com and check it out. I guess he IS a raving lunatic and is so far gone that he believes he and other Scientologists are the only ones who know the "realities of the world." I'm sure if you sat with him and had a conversation about the criteria that qualify a group as a cult, Tom would reject those criteria because they aren't endorsed by Scientology. "We...

Yeah, I'm the Crazy One

January 16, 2008 9:11 PM | filed in: art, just for fun, los angeles design

The other night, Dan and I had plans to go down to his gallery for an event after I got off work. The artist who shares his space, Macsorro, asked us to pick him up on our way; he said he'd wait at an intersection near our house. I thought I'd save a few minutes by picking up Macsorro* if he was waiting at the designated spot when I passed it on my way home to get Dan. I had only met him once and couldn't remember what he looked like, but Dan gave me a brief description on the...

Add This to Your To-Do List...

January 15, 2008 9:09 PM | filed in: just for fun

For a nice, quick, and fun getaway:Get a few girlfriends to reserve a couple of suites at the Gaslamp Plaza Suites in San Diego. Pretend you still are in college by filling a tub with ice and bottles of liquor. After a few evening cocktails, head to Mister Tiki for Hawaiian-ish dinner (including super-sweet Mondo Martikis, which are big enough for four people), and follow it up with a few shots and some margaritas at the tequila bar down the block. Later, order a wee-hours pizza (everything in moderation). The next morning, when the roar of football fans at the...

It Should Be an Interesting Political Year

January 10, 2008 8:56 PM | filed in: just for fun

A message from my friend Mather: Confused about the election this year? Who the heck isn't? Here are two interesting links I've collected that help uncover each candidate's stance on major issues... not sure if these are 100% accurate, but they've got to be more accurate than the candidates during a debate. OnTheIssues.org ElectoralCompass.com My results at ElectoralCompass.com were very surprising. Enjoy. (Then vote.)

My Sexiest Men Alive...

January 9, 2008 8:53 PM | filed in: just for fun

I don't read tabloids (beside the occasional vacation-staple Star), but no one really can avoid People's Sexiest Man Alive hullabaloo. There always are clips about it on TV and chatter about it on the radio, so I usually know who's named. This year, it was Matt Damon. Ick. Others in the list included: Patrick Dempsey (Um, swish!) James McAvoy (Genuinely unattractive, he resembles a woman with tuberculosis.) Will Smith (I thought they said "sexiest," not "goofiest.") Javier Bardem (He looks like a prostitute's nightmare.) Ben Affleck (This guy always carries a pained expression... and a cigarette. Who wants to have...

Some Writing in Some Publication*

January 7, 2008 8:50 PM | filed in: just for fun, writing

I'm not a poet. But in 2007, I spontaneously wrote a poem in response to a challenge posed by my friend Didi Menendez, publisher of MiPOesias, OCHO, and other poetry-related stuff. Anyway, El Culo de Bettie is published in the January/February 2008 All Things Girl. Themed "Love & Lust," the issue features lovely, lusty cover girl Deborah Harry. *My lame title is more about how this is not me bragging about how great I am than it is an indication of the quality of All Things Girl. The publication features cool writing, art, interviews, and cover stories by females... for...

Don't Drive in LA

January 5, 2008 8:46 PM | filed in: gripes, just for fun

While my morning commute is almost always 20-25 minutes, driving home is a crap shoot: Sometimes it's 20 minutes, sometimes it's 90 minutes, and damned if it's ever the same two days in a row.After work a couple of days ago, I got onto the 101 (CA-101/"Hollywood Freeway" for you non-Angelenos) and groaned at the wall of traffic. I groaned again when I read the first traffic-status sign, which read "75 minutes to downtown."Forty-five minutes and a few miles later, the next traffic-status sign laughed in my face: "90 minutes to downtown."

Don't Take the Bus in LA...

January 4, 2008 8:44 PM | filed in: just for fun

The other day, I left work early and got into my neighborhood around 2:00pm. Traffic was great until the last few blocks of my trip, where everything slowed to turtle-in-molasses pace. I took a long way (that became a shortcut time-wise) to avoid the cluster of emergency vehicles at the foot of my hill and finally got home.Several hours later, Dan and I headed out for a late-ish dinner at Casita del Campo--everyone's favorite Mexican restaurant/gay hang-out--and were surprised to find continued activity at the same site. The accident scene explained the extended to-do: A city bus had driven off...

New Year's Resolutions

January 2, 2008 8:39 PM | filed in: hopes & dreams, just for fun

For anyone who cares, here's what I'd like to do this year. (Well, these are the things for public consumption. I'm sure there are a few other things that I don't wish to share here.)Most people I asked said they don't bother with resolutions, but I've always found any kind of change -- moving, starting a new job, getting into or out of a relationship, a new year -- a good opportunity to renew goals.1. Work on more art-art (digital doesn't count).2. Regularly attend Cheri's yoga class for an extended period.3. Pay off the last little nagging bit of my...

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