i don't get enough blood to my brain

More news on Project London

2009-01-15T12:48:00.001-08:00

For those of you who have not been keeping tabs on Project London via the Project London Blog, here is a little preview of how things are coming along.

If you can, be sure to watch it in all it's HD glory by hovering over the video and clicking on the HD link to the right.

More updates soon! I'm at work and actually busy... go figure!

I WANT TO GET MARRIED RIGHT NOW

2008-11-19T20:38:00.001-08:00

2008-09-21T02:03:00.001-07:00

capitol hill block party photos

2008-08-02T11:13:00.000-07:00

Alright Hayley (and everyone else of course), I finally posted pictures from Block Party. More details to follow, but for now here's something to look at.

pride - 06.27.08 - 06.29.08

2008-07-04T14:22:00.000-07:00

some grad pics - 06.13.08

2008-06-18T02:21:00.000-07:00

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2008-06-08T15:21:00.000-07:00

Wooo Wizard of Oz

I cannot freaking wait for Dark Night

2008-06-08T01:55:00.000-07:00

I cannot freaking wait for Dark Night

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2008-06-07T13:55:00.000-07:00

Filming for Ice Fest 08!

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2008-06-07T13:54:00.000-07:00

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2008-06-07T13:53:00.000-07:00

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2008-06-07T13:52:00.000-07:00

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2008-06-07T13:51:00.000-07:00

hay-lay

2008-05-31T22:20:00.000-07:00

weeeeehoo. long day.

2008-05-31T21:51:00.000-07:00

Folklife with mazda

2008-05-26T14:33:00.000-07:00

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2008-05-08T14:26:00.000-07:00

still can't sleep.

2008-05-06T02:25:00.000-07:00

sense

2008-05-05T22:58:00.000-07:00

I never realized how nerdy i was until just now. well, i guess i kind of knew, but it does make me feel like a 7 year old when i put down my water glass and notice it matches my mousepad. Hmmm.

yipee!

2008-05-05T20:00:00.000-07:00

Congratulations!

...to my amazing little sister, Allison, for graduating with her Master's Degree yesterday! Now we're 3 to 0 :) but I hope you know how much I love you and wish I could have been there. Love from William as well. I am so proud of you little sis.

sizzle

2008-05-04T13:46:00.000-07:00

Kitten and i taking it easy before my comicon meeting. New phone! Blog photos are back!

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY!

2008-05-02T19:39:00.001-07:00

Finally! I should have blogged about this sooner but... tomorrow is Free Comic Book Day. Woohoo! William, Tanya and I have a fun (and early) day of running around the Seattle & Lynnwood area gathering as many comics as possible (Hello Comic Stop!). Also, Zanadu is having a comic sale as well so. We have long day ahead of us.

web premiere of the sparkle & fall music video!

2008-04-28T22:12:00.000-07:00

Well, after a lot of editing and checking out rough cuts with Kyle... the music video is finally done! You can check it out below. Hope you guys like it, and be sure to check out his website and hear some more of his music! Also feel free to give us some feedback. We're both pretty stoked about finally showing it to everyone. Woohoo!

And also, if I may, I would obviously like to dedicate this project to Joel. The second I told him that I was making a music video for Kyle, he was thrilled. Remember me blogging about that one rainy night where I accidentally took the bus to Ballard instead of to 65th... Joel picked me up and we listened to Kyle's music the whole drive back to his place. Joel was singing along to Sparkle and Fall after only hearing it once. We couldn't wait to go see one of Kyle's shows together.

After wrap on day 2 of the shoot, not 15 minutes after leaving I found out about my best friend Joel. That night I thought long and hard about what I was going to do, and as hard as it was, I obviously had to finish what I started. We had an amazingly sunny and beautiful day of shooting, and things went great. Now, you guys can finally check it out. Hope you like it! Well... I know you will :)

Music by Kyle Stevens

Written by Kyle Stevens & Heather Canik

Directed by Heather Canik

Cinematography by Hank LeClerc & Anthony Tomes

Edited by Heather Canik

P.S. Check the video out on Kyle's channel and you can click on the option to view the high quality version (well, youtube's definition of high quality...). Still, much better.

P.P.S. If you love Kyle's stuff, be sure to check out his myspace and the Collider myspace as well!

something about the robot king

2008-04-28T21:10:00.000-07:00

I have since deleted this post now that the project london page moved and my links are no good. Sigh.

what the hell

2008-04-27T18:16:00.001-07:00

but it's cold in here...

2008-04-24T16:16:00.000-07:00

Ames, Tif, William... you will probably enjoy this. The rest of you, we shall see.

Why am I posting this? Several reasons. First, the production value for this lady's video... SHIT! And those weird creatures in the tree singing "we are getting so hot", awesome! If only, if only.

Second, but ten times more important than the first... I can't remember exactly, but i will have to assume i found Jenny Owen Youngs forever ago in the midst of my "i hate everything mainstream and want to listen only non poppy/non hip-hop music FOREVER" phase (yeah, that one). I first heard her on myspace (i was totally digging this pirate ship logo thing she had going on). It's really the initial reason I checked out her myspace, but then i loved her music.

I will admit, I have yet to buy her CD. I listen to her on myspace a lot and just let it play while I do things around the house, which has worked for me so far. But, I think it is about time I bought her Batten the Hatches album, if not for any other reason than the following diary entry I just read on her website:

February 12, 2008: Thanks, 2007
Now that I can comfortably reflect on 2007 from the safe distance of February 2008, I would like to share with you the shit that rocked my universe this past year. Honestly, what with being constantly on the road and all, I guess I didn't get to take in much media/stuff, but here goes.

Things that were awesome in 2007
…not limited to things that were created in the past year, just to things that I got cozy with over the last 12 months.

Records
I think this was the year of finding my inner emo...
Motion City Soundtrack: Even If It Kills Me
Paramore: Riot!
Bess Rogers: Decisions Based On Information
Tellison: Contact! Contact!
The Clash: London Calling

Music Videos
Kelly: Let Me Borrow That Top

Movies
JUNO

TV
Californication
Firefly (finally)

Comics
RUNAWAYS (holy shit this is good)
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 8
Y: The Last Man
The Walking Dead

Websites
I never thought I would become a person who liked to read snarky fashion commentary or look at cat pictures, but apparently I'm both:
http://www.gofugyourself.com
http://www.icanhascheezburger.com

Places
Stockholm, Sweden
Oslo, Norway
York, England

Seriously, now. Let's tally up her awesomeness:

Motion City Soundtrack: Even If It Kills Me
Tellison: Contact! Contact!
Bess Rogers: Decisions Based On Information
The Clash: London Calling
[sidenote: she scores double points for the above because she called them records]
[sidenote #2: i am not dissing paramore by not listing them, its not that i think they are bad i just don't listen to them.]
[sidenote #3: i apologize too much.]

Kelly: Let Me Borrow That Top
[those of you who haven't seen the video, WATCH IT NOW!]

back to the tally...
JUNO
Firefly
The Walking Dead (kyle scores mad points for introducing me to this, as well)
http://www.icanhascheezburger.com (brit!)
Also, she gets points for traveling and for using the word "snarky".

Alright. Lets just make this easy and round it up to 700 points*. It's a shame she doesn't play anywhere near Seattle or I would definitely hop over and listen. Anyhow. I think it's about time to watch her music video again. Weeeeehoo.

*TVan, this does not in any way compare to your current score of 3,700. Didn't want to worry you.

computing and power toy-ing

2008-04-04T23:33:00.000-07:00

About 6 weeks ago, I bought a new computer. Not the computer I have been building on mac.com (the $10,000 beast that will one day be the best editing system EVER), but a $350 compaq desktop.

Most of you know that my main computer, god bless her, has started failing me after just about 7 years of awesomeness. I am lucky she made it this long. Well, as most of you also know I have been broke for quite some time. But, I need a computer to work. And to do homework. And to check my email. And to play Neopets (it's a joke! seriously! kind of...).

So, over President's Day there were many a sale to check out. Costco. Staples. Wal-Mart.
Target. Best Buy. Office Depot. I looked at every computer at every location and after about a week, I decided the best deal was at Staples. I got a Compaq Presario desktop with 250 GB of hard drive space, 1GB ram (eh.), and a DVD burner/lightscribe labeler. It also came with a free flat panel and a free printer. Woohoo.

sidenote: With the ten grand that I plan on one day using to buy that sweet mac, I could buy 25 of these little guys. Yikes.

Anyhow I digress. My new computer runs on Windows Vista Premium. And despite my previous, unjustified negativity, Joe convinced me that Vista rocks. So, I decided to let it rock. And it has, it has rocked flawlessly. But as always, with time I find can find something wrong with anything. I am very picky. So, here is my only complaint to date: a couple of my absolute, essential-to-my-being programs/utilities do not work with Vista.

This was fairly obvious to begin with, not all programs/utilities/power toys will be compatible with Windows Vista. I knew this. I did my research. But, when I finally got around to trying to install my favorites, no dice. I thought I was on a roll because every single program I moved over worked great, but not these little guys:

Image Resizer Powertoy
Screen Print 32

(anyone using XP who doesn't have them... click those linkies!)

Anyhow, after I dealt with the initial sadness, I decided to do a little research on finding some replacements. So far here is what I have for a Vista image resizer:

VSO Image Resizer

I found this one worked pretty well, not as simplified as what I am used to. It has two annoying pop-ups that come up each time you use it unless you buy the corporate version or whatever. If you can handle that then it rocks, otherwise if you're like me it will annoy the shit out of you.

Prish Resizer
(Brittany will love the photo captions on the main image)
I have not tried this one...

Fotosizer
...Or this one. Yet.

As far as the screen print situation, I am working on that as well. I have found a few alternatives that are Vista compatible but I haven't tried them yet. It's kind of because screen shots of them don't look very, um, pretty. I will admit it, I am shallow. Even with computer programs. Unless it's extremely basic, it better be pretty to look at. I don't like all these stupid looking programs sitting on my computer. So, as soon as I find a halfway decent looking interface, I will give it a test drive and get back to you.

Yes, I am aware of the alternative. I know you can just hit the "prt scr" button on your keyboard and then open paint or photoshop and paste it in, but that's just too much trouble when I am used to clicking "alt-f12" and having it appear instantly on my desktop. I like it even more simple than that... dang!

I did find one interesting program that I will check out one day when I am not so tired, it's a similar program for Vista.

Also, here are a couple of power toys that I found and haven't tried, but thought looked neat. You know, just in case for some odd reason you feel like trying them out.

like robin hood

2008-03-07T22:56:00.001-08:00

Tonight is turning out to be a solo "wine and cheese" style cocktail party. Complete with family guy solitaire. I hope i spelled that right.

that is so true, isn't it girls

2008-03-07T15:36:00.001-08:00

sherwood ice arena - sherwood, oregon

2008-03-07T14:43:00.001-08:00

Getting ready to set up equipment for my first day of live editing. Wooo. EFFING COLD.

for alli

2008-03-06T16:13:00.001-08:00

Well gang, it looks like we've got another chocolate bar on our hands...

memorial date & time

2008-02-25T17:35:00.001-08:00

Memorial Service for
Joel Jacob Greene

this Wednesday, February 27th at 4:00 PM

University Presbyterian Church
[Calvin Lounge]

4540 15th ave. NE
Seattle, WA.

Per Rick & Joy's request, don't worry about wearing black. Dress to celebrate you guys.

Also, please tell everyone in or around the area if you can because his parents don't know all the names and phone numbers for all of his friends.

for joel

2008-02-25T02:05:00.000-08:00

i will miss not hearing you sing this (loudly) on our drives to get hamburgers every week. sigh. i love you.

When you were young
You were the king of carrot flowers
And how you built a tower tumbling through the trees
In holy rattlesnakes that fell all around your feet

And this is the room
One afternoon I knew I could love you
And from above you how I sank into your soul
Into that secret place where no one dares to go

i love you.

2008-02-24T03:15:00.001-08:00

kyle stevens music video shoot

2008-02-23T13:30:00.001-08:00

kyle stevens video shoot

2008-02-23T13:17:00.001-08:00

Shooting our awesome action figure fight.

everything else is just a trainwreck

2008-02-21T02:31:00.000-08:00

Since I can't seem to get to sleep... I will post a little about my spontaneous trip to Portland over the weekend.

On Friday night, Hank and I [after a morning of music video meeting/location scouting in Shoreline/Lynnwood] drove down to Portland to spend some quality time with two of the greatest people in the world, Tristan and Maggie. Within a few minutes of deciding to go, we were in the car rocking out to the silence. And eating jalapeno chips. And drinking Redbull. It was a fun few hours.

We pulled up to their house and got out of the car, then realized that Tristan was at work and we had no way to get into his place. And because of all the Redbull, we had to go to the bathroom super bad. So, like the rugged alaskans we are, we decided to run around to the back of the house and scale the fences to get into the yard. After a few minutes of getting our jeans/shoelaces snagged on the wire... we successfully landed on the grass and proceeded to try and get inside. The back door was locked (damn!) but the front door was not. That is probably because Maggie and Pam were inside watching a movie, and were quite surprised to see our heads pop up as we rushed up the stairs.

After lots of jumping up and down in excitement, we all decided to head to a friend's party in North Portland, so I called up Fax and Marshall and they said they would meet us there! Sweet. I hadn't seen either of them since the last time we were in Petersburg together, maybe July? Anyhow, we hopped in the cab with the WORST CAB DRIVER EVER. [Hey Hank, "I don't have your hat dude I looked everywhere."] Moron.

After what seemed like ten hours of our cabbie talking on the phone while driving, looking at maps while driving, and telling us that our friend "doesn't know where she is, that road doesn't exist"... we found the so-called "made up location" and got out of the cab as quickly as possible. A bunch of friends from home were there, and I got to make a few cool new friends. And, I started assembling the rest of my film crew!

Fax is a given for the crew. We have been throwing ideas back and forth forever and have some good concepts for a series we want to work on. I even registered for a Flash class to buff up my skills. I met John (Jon?) who is an editor, which is great because I don't have anyone on that is just into editing. I love doing it all, but it's nice to know someone who is super focused on one thing. Plus, I talked to Marshall about doing some graphic design and storyboard stuff and he was all about it. Fax and I are still trying to get our Project Zombie thing going, years later, so we got a little excited about it after we all sat and talked about filmmaking over a few beers.

But, we wanted to get to Berbati's to visit Sir Tristan...

...so we called another cab. over an hour later, we found a cab and the driver was actually very cool. He dropped us off with 15 minutes left to drink. After the bar closed, Hank, Fax and I walked home. And by "walked home", I of course mean "found a shopping cart and I rode it all the way home". Rough ride, and I have the bruises and scrapes all over my legs to prove it.

Saturday morning, we all went out to breakfast and I had an amazing spinach and avocado omelette at Besaw's. After that I think I slept until 5pm... Maggie and Pam made pasta for dinner which rocked, and after eating I headed to back to Berbati's to meet everyone. We ended up watching School of Rock perform at the bar, and seriously, they were awesome!

I mean, seriously weird, a bunch of kids rocking out and covering songs from bands like ACDC and Marilyn Manson... but wow. I took a short video if you want to check it out:

After the show, Tristan, Maggie, Pam, Matt & I went on a bar hopping adventure, ranging from an over-packed jazz bar that I can't remember the name of...

...to having french toast and beer at The Cheerful Tortoise.

It was a good evening. We had quite the interesting walk:

We went to breakfast Sunday morning and then Hank and I headed home. I bought my awesome cassette tapes after we got home from the trip, so we spent most of the car ride sharing his ipod headphones and cruising along. It was very depressing driving back into Seattle, and we even considered turning around and just going back. Sigh. We miss that place.

warren zevon

2008-02-18T09:44:00.000-08:00

Ever since my radio stopped working, i have been driving in complete silence everywhere i go. I've only had my car for about a month and haven't had time to think about putting in a cd player. Well, not until Friday's trip to Portland. After Hank and i spent over 5 hours total without background music, i figured it was time to do something about it.

So, instead of spending a couple hundred on a nice cd player to hook my ipod to, i spent 3 bucks on some music from my childhood in cassette tape form. I figure, less of a chance someone will break into my car if all they see is a george michael tape on the front seat.

Tristan i can practically hear you right now, "Cassette? What is this cassette tape thing you are referring to? It almost sounds familiar...".

the crime rate

2008-02-13T23:32:00.000-08:00

I just watched a great short film on youtube called "Super Powers". As if I haven't been overwhelmed with the oceans of comic books taking over my apartment... I decided to take a break from cataloging and filing and ended up sitting on youtube indulging in more super hero action. I was pleasantly surprised with this film, and you have to check it out.

I just finished putting together my project about Michel Gondry. Yes I know I just linked to a website written in French.

I chose to do my music video director project on him, which was a lot more interesting than I had originally thought it would be. I opted out of creating a powerpoint presentation and got permission to just publish a website with my presentation notes. Sweet. If you get bored, head to youtube and find his levi's commercial and his three dead men short film. And if you're weird then check out the Pecan Pie short that he did with Jim Carrey.

Coincidentally, just days hearlier, I got four passes to an advance screening of Michel Gondry's new feature film, Be Kind Rewind, which was showing tonight. So, William and I headed to Pacific Place and checked it out.

[slight, not-so-bad spoilers ahead, but i won't ruin anything for you]

The movie opens up with a silent film-ish look, which immediately gave me a headache. You know, the black and white flashy stuff that usually isn't annoying but really, really was tonight. I will cut the movie some slack though, maybe I was sitting too close to the screen or just having one of those days. We all know I am super sensitive to that crap anyhow.

The next annoying thing wasn't so much the film, but the fact that every girl there felt the need to laugh at EVERY WORD coming out of Jack Black's mouth. As I told William on the bus, not every line he says is intended for a laugh. Maybe I am just too analytical of things (okay, you all know I am...). And on top of all that, I am not a big fan of Mos Def. His acting wasn't too bad this time though.

Be Kind Rewind was pretty entertaining. Just like the previews show, it's a simple story. Jack black had a few hilarious moments, but I felt they were few and far between for the first half of the movie. I was thrown off a bit by some weird instances, like the electrical currents and the parts where Jack Black was doing weird things as a result of being magnetized... however I had just spent hours watching Michel's crazy ass short films so it was practically normal by comparison.

I don't know, I am a little torn. Of course I am a bit partial to any movies having to do with filmmaking (no matter how ghetto the process may be), and watching their film re-makes was pretty damn funny.

The ending left something to be desired. I felt a real ending coming on, but then the movie just stopped and went to credits. It wasn't as frustrating as say, a Stephen King ending... but it did feel a bit incomplete.

I wouldn't buy the movie on DVD, and after watching it I can say that it isn't something I would be happy about paying $9 to see. Jack Black and his quirkiness carried the movie though, and once in a while it reminded me of the good old days working at Guthrie's (ha!).

Alright... I am off to finish homework and try to get some sleep tonight. Busy day tomorrow. Isn't it some kind of holiday..? Cheers, and Happy Valentine's Day you guys.

awesome-ness

2008-02-12T00:53:00.000-08:00

Here is a video of Tifani's opening song, Back Home, from her recent show at the Royal Oak Music Theatre. She rocked!

science-y

2008-02-03T15:55:00.000-08:00

Hayley, when did you and i ever write a paper on fundamentals of emission spectroscopy??

so tired, yet mildly entertained.

2008-02-02T02:28:00.001-08:00

I love the format of the confirmation texts blogger sends after i post from my phone:

postgateway@blogger.com / Blogger Mobile Post / Success! Your gay post made it to Blogger (your mobile blog is hezzzz.blogspot.com)

not on the weekdays!

2008-01-29T19:15:00.001-08:00

Seriously...

testing :)

2008-01-29T13:09:00.000-08:00

Just making sure that blogging from my phone works... Now, i will have the power to post while doing boring things like riding the bus, sitting in class, or when i'm too lazy to walk five feet to the computer. Okay maybe i'm not THAT lazy...

play well

2008-01-27T21:53:00.000-08:00

Probably only interesting to a few people besides myself... but Lego is celebrating their 50th anniversary of being the greatest toy ever created in the history of the universe.

Even google had a nice image up on their site to celebrate.

Just today, I hauled in two large boxes of my legos, super organized in (you guessed it) ziplocs. By, color, by shape, by set (knights, pirates, jungle people, spiderman, harry potter... you name it!), you get the idea. I want to open the boxes so badly but if you even saw the amount of things already in my new living room you would slap me in the face.

You see, when I start playing with my Legos, this weird thing happens... I usually spend months at a time cooped up in my house, making huge battle scenes consisting of pirates battling spiderman. Or something. So, it's best to save that for when I have a lot of time to spare, not when I am trying to get a new job and move.

However, I am just dying to break into the great new lego sets my mom and sis got me for Christmas:

I actually remember my mother mentioning to me that my Christmas list this year looked about the same as when I was 7 years old. Rock on.

If you have some time to kill, check out this sweet stop motion lego mario video. It takes a little while to load (or my net connection was just being a whore at the time i watched it) so go grab a beer and let it load, like a did. You can always watch the crappy youtube version, but the quality is so poor you can barely tell it's done entirely from legos.

One thing I have wanted ever since I first saw them in the mall was a bunch of Lego ice cube trays.

Here's something for Tifani, a Lego guitar!

And if you're interested in looking at some incredible lego creations, check out the brick artist gallery and prepare to be amazed.

And saving the best for last... My friend Rob, who was actually my first real friend on ICQ years and years ago, made two awesome Lego/James Bond movies while going to the University of Michigan. You can check out the 4 Guys 1 Brain Productions to download the videos, or just watch them here! Miss you Robby!

Legos Are Not Enough - Part 1

Legos Are Not Enough - Part 2

and...

You Only Lego Twice - Part 1

You Only Lego Twice - Part 2

we could buy real swords and girlfriends

2008-01-26T23:11:00.000-08:00

Any person who knows anything about the things that I like knows that I LOVE pirates. Aaaargh.

My newest piratical obsession is the film...

Pirates of the Great Salt Lake

Tifani came across their myspace forever ago and showed me the trailer, which I became immediately obsessed with. But, maybe 6 months later, there is still no sign of any up-coming screenings. Grrrr. I will continue to wait patiently...

and if you're in a pirate-y mood now...

Check out photos from
portland pirate fest 2006 and portland pirate fest 2007!

and in case anyone missed the only semi-entertaining part of one of the stupidest movies i've ever seen...

and speaking of terrible parody movies... has anyone seen the previews for Meet the Spartans? Well... now you're going to.

I am showing this because, like Epic movie, I only envision two to three moments of actual comedy. Sadly, those parts would have to be the britney spears and chris crocker stuff. Leave Britney Alooooone!

fun at half price books

2008-01-26T01:58:00.001-08:00

new apartment time!

2008-01-15T17:31:00.000-08:00

So, after calling over a hundred apartment complexes, leaving messages for like fifty of them, getting return calls from about twenty, and actually looking at about twelve places... i finally found a new place!

I signed the lease yesterday morning, then went home and packed my trunk. I went to bed, got up at 4:45 am to pack the rest of the car, headed to class and then went and got my keys. So excited!!

I didn't have my camera with me, so I had to take some pictures with my phone instead. I started to run out of memory halfway through and didn't notice (stupid phones) and that's why some of the pictures are smaller. But, you get the idea.

tegan likes to eat pumpkin. i have proof.

2008-01-11T21:26:00.000-08:00

I just found these photos on my phone and had to post them.

Back before Halloween, Tif & I carved some sweet pumpkins. (Yes, this was also the night that we found Tegan outside after she flew three stories out the window. Crazy cats. We still don't even know how it happened...)

Anyhow! That night, with Tegan sound asleep in the recycling bin, we carved pumpkins and it was magical. I, of course, wore my pirate hat and made a Jack Sparrow pumpkin.

a couple weeks after Halloween, our pumpkins started to get kinda, not so nice to have in the house. I didn't want to just throw them away, so I decided to put them outside, telling myself that the cold would preserve them for a little while longer. Well, after a couple weeks of not paying attention, I came home from work and looked at Mr. Sparrow. As gross as it sounds, he was molding. But the fun part was, it just looked like he had grown hair!

I know it's nasty you guys, leave me alone. I just thought it was funny because he looked like an old dude with bushy eyebrows. Grossssss!

birthday style

2008-01-05T12:40:00.000-08:00

This is the first year that I did not organize a swingin' party for my bday. I usually go all out and invite half the world, spend all my money on booze, and wake up with about 300 pictures on my camera that include things such as people shotgunning sparks, people falling asleep under furniture, people practicing voodoo on each other, people wearing flags as clothing, and other slightly weird things. But not this year.

For the first time ever, my birthday fell on a Friday. The weekend. I was so excited. So, a bunch of us decided to go out and do that thing where you drink beer and hang out. It was awesome. Thank you to all my buddies that came by, and eff you to all the ones who said you were coming and didn't, thus making us wait at the Rose for god knows how long (Tristan & Tanya you are not included in the eff you because I know the situations behind it).

Other than that... You guys are the best and thank you for coming out to celebrate. Especially Joel and Adam, who braved the lesbian bars just to make sure that I had a great time. You two are amazing friends and I love you dearly.

early bday at the rose

2008-01-04T13:25:00.000-08:00

another surprise.

2008-01-03T21:00:00.000-08:00

The Everett Police Station called today and told me they found the car. Sweet. However, if we wanted to get the car back, it would be about $350 in tow fees.

Apparently the person who stole the car illegally parked it in someone's reserved parking spot at an apartment building. So, since it was towed, we were now responsible for the fees. No matter how much I argued that it WAS NOT OUR FAULT THAT THE CAR WAS ILLEGALLY PARKED, the tow place insisted that they went to the trouble to tow it so that was that. I mean, come on, you know it didn't cost $350 in gas and man hours to pull that car two blocks, give me a fucking break. I realize that in the real world that is pretty much how it goes, but I just think it's bullshit that we had to pay for our car getting stolen. UGH!

Not only did we have to drive up to stupid Everett to get the car from the tow lot in traffic & pouring rain, but the car was pretty much destroyed inside. And, all my fucking tools were gone (as expected). I shouldn't complain though, William had waaaay more tools in there than I did.

Anyhow, here are some photos taken from my broken camera.

surprise!

2007-12-31T00:24:00.000-08:00

My mom called me today and told me that she and Jim were driving down from Bellingham to come and pick me up for a surprise. It was only a few days until they were headed back to Alaska and I really, really wanted to see them, but I had made plans for the night already. Not to mention I was sicker than hell with the flu or a cold or a weird combination of the two.

I told my mom that it was a friend's birthday and that I really didn't want to bail on them, and asked if I could come up the following night because hopefully I would be feeling a bit better by then. I knew I should have just said okay and gotten ready, I just felt terrible about breaking plans! But, my mother insisted, and how can you say no to someone like her, right?

So, I waited patiently for them to get down to my messy apartment. Once they arrived (about 45 minutes later, they had already left before they even called me, haha!) They walked in and my mom told me they were in a hurry to get back on the road, but I was still trudging through the house slowly, looking for my blanket and stuff. So, in an effort to speed me up, she told me why we were in a hurry to get back up to Bellingham before 6pm.

The reason went something like this... THEY HAD BOUGHT ME A CAR FOR MY BIRTHDAY. And, in order to get the title in my name, we had about two hours to get back up to Bellingham.

I was out the door in like 2.5 seconds.

Thank you Mom & Jim! You guys are the best ever! I love you!

on a happier note

2007-12-30T23:32:00.000-08:00

some photos from home.

as if i don't have enough on my mind...

2007-12-29T23:52:00.000-08:00

I figured this would be a good time to post a picture of my '90 honda civic hatchback.

oh wait, i can't because it was fucking stolen last night.

cheers.

after a long time away...

2007-12-28T01:55:00.000-08:00

I don't know why it has taken me so long to finally get on here and post something. My life has been a little crazy lately, and mixing that with my slow-ass computer has made my desire to type things go from huge to barely existent. I apologize.

So, where did I leave off in my life... I went home to Alaska for Christmas as usual. Patches came with me, which she wasn't too thrilled about at first but I think she really liked it once we got there. Poor kitten. I felt horrible making her go on the plane again but I just couldn't spend the holidays without her.

While home, I helped out a bit and Guthrie's and just took it easy (by taking it easy, I mean playing Rock Band for the first time ever with Sam at Kito's). At least, I did that for the first two days. On my third morning home I woke to a phone call from my mother telling me to get up and take a shower because my wisdom teeth were getting pulled in an hour. Yikes.

Two valium and several needles in my gums later, I was half conscious watching my dentist pull (and saw one of) my teeth. Following was about a week of lying on the couch drinking nothing but water and V8. After the first day I started hurting pretty bad, but I managed to watch the entire first season of Heroes in just over 24 hours. It was amazing. As painful as it was to talk, I think I still managed to annoy my family with character quoting.

Once I was mostly back to normal, I headed back down to Kito's to continue on with my "rock band". I mostly played the drums but also the guitar, on occasion. Rock Band was a lot more fun than I thought it would be, and I was down at the bar playing quite a bit before I headed home.

I also spent a lot of time with Sam, and even got to go through his Magic cards one drunken night. I tried to negotiate a Birds of Paradise and Fork off of him, but being intoxicated didn't help my smoothness. At all. But he did give me the greatest card EVER for Christmas, which can not be named at this time because I am planning a surprise ass kicking on one of my friends. Nerdy details to follow.

All in all, an excellent vacation. I got to spend a lot of time with my mother, which was great. Even if I spent the entire vacation just with her it still wouldn't be enough. But, coming up is my birthday and more fun things for the new year. I will have vacation pictures up soon enough. Hope you all had a great Christmas!

dear joel...

2007-12-25T02:46:00.000-08:00

merry christmas.

love, my family's 2am scrabble game.

OUCH.

2007-12-21T01:52:00.000-08:00

The best way to start a Christmas vacation... getting all 4 wisdom teeth pulled. By surprise!

Somehow, while barely conscious, I guess I pulled out my phone and turned on the camera, then gave it to my mom to photograph me. Apparently, even while delirious, I still require pictures.

Cat I am so sorry I sent you this picture while you were out to dinner.

the greatest kitty in the world!

2007-12-15T17:12:00.000-08:00

surprisingly sober

2007-12-14T23:21:00.000-08:00

Today (after a long week filled with video editing, finals, work and too much stress) I decided to waste a few hours in front of my barely working computer. Though I had originally planned on reading some news, updating my sites and doing some research... I somehow ended up on Svedka Vodka's website, designing my "future you". (whatev, it's kind of like working...)

If I don't look like this is 26 years I will probably try suing them or something.

i read this to keep from falling asleep in class

2007-12-06T11:22:00.000-08:00

[i have condensed this to only the points that I found interesting or made a good point, because this post was just waaaaaay too long. you can click on the link below to view the whole article.]

my favorite is #39.

** as posted on msn news **

50 Ways to Beat the Reaper

It's simple: Employ these scientific strategies now and add years of good living to your future.

By Denny Watkins, Men's Health

We've been told that the only sure things are death and taxes. But just as creative accountants have helped many men triumph over their 1040s, we can help you outrun the reaper. Maybe it's a game you can't ultimately win. But by following these 50 tips, you sure as hell can send it into overtime.

2. Take a Laugh Break

Watching 15 minutes of funny video can improve bloodflow to your heart by 50 percent, report researchers at the University of Maryland. "This may reduce blood-clot formation, cholesterol deposition, and inflammation," says study author Michael Miller, M.D. For your daily dose, click on the "hilarious" video link at ebaumsworld.com.

5. Indulge Your Chocolate Craving

In a 15-year study, Dutch scientists determined that men who ate just 4 grams of cocoa a day had half the risk of dying from heart disease than those who ate less. That's the equivalent of two 25-calorie Hershey's Kisses — an amount that can fit into any diet.

15. Eat Produce at Every Meal

If you consume more than five servings of fruits and vegetables per day, you have a 26 percent lower risk of stroke than people who eat fewer than three servings, according to a recent U.K. study.

17. Think Positive

Purdue scientists discovered that constant worrying shortens your life span by 16 years.

18. Keep Your Cool

Men who frequently express anger outwardly are more than twice as likely to have a stroke than guys who control their tempers, according to the journal Stroke. If you have anger-management issues, try fish oil. National Institutes of Health scientists found that hostile, aggressive men often have low blood levels of DHA — one of the main omega-3 fats found in the oil. We like Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega ($27 for 60 1,000-milligram (mg) softgels;nordicnaturals.com). Take 1,000 to 2,000 mg every day.

MAKE SURE YOU DON'T END UP AS FISH FOOD.

Most shark attacks occur at dawn and dusk, when sharks feed, says Alan Henningsen, a marine biologist and shark researcher at the National Aquarium in Baltimore. You can watch the sky for clues to their location: Seabirds eat the same fish as sharks. Here are three more ways to avoid a grisly death.

19. Dive with a Partner

This cuts the chance of a shark attack by 50 percent, say Australian scientists.

20. If You're Attacked, Hit the Shark in Its Eyes or Gills

These are its most sensitive areas. The snout might work as a target, but this tactic often results in a bitten arm, according to a University of Maryland study.

21. For God's Sake, Don't Pee in the Ocean

Bodily fluids attract sharks.

22. Try a Natural Remedy

According to Israeli scientists, eating one red grapefruit a day lowers LDL (bad) cholesterol by 20 percent, even in people who don't respond to statins.

23. Have Breakfast within 90 Minutes of Waking

A University of Massachusetts study found that men who waited longer than that were 50 percent more likely to become obese. And U.K. researchers determined that increases in body mass were directly proportionate to the likelihood of dying of gut cancers — specifically rectal, bladder, colon, and liver.

24. Vacuum for 30 Minutes

Doing 150 calories' worth of chores a day can lower high blood pressure by 13 points, according to Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. The reduction lasts only 8 hours, but make it a daily habit and you can lower your BP in the long term. (Helping out more with housework may improve your sex life, too.)

25. Eat Berries

The antioxidants in cranberries, blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries have been shown to offer protection from a stroke, keep you mentally sharp as you age, and ward off cancer.

27. Sleep on Your Side

This can halve the number of sleep-apnea-related wakeups you experience during the night. Such interruptions make you up to six times more likely to be involved in an auto accident, due to residual fatigue, according to researchers at University Hospital in Bern, Switzerland. To keep from rolling over onto your back as you sleep, stuff a small, firm neck pillow down the back of your T-shirt before dozing off.

28. Light a Jasmine-Scented Candle

Men who did this for just 1 minute before bed fell asleep faster, tossed and turned less, and felt more refreshed in the morning than those who didn't inhale the aroma, report scientists at Wheeling Jesuit University. That's important, because insufficient sleep boosts your risk of diabetes, and restless sleep increases your odds of a stroke.

33. Sip on Mint Tea

It contains the powerful antioxidant hesperidin, which reduces the inflammation and oxidative stress associated with diabetes by 52 percent, according to a study at the University of Buffalo. And despite its lack of caffeine, mint tea also increases alertness.

IMPROVE YOUR OUTLOOK, SAVE YOUR LIFE

Scandinavian researchers have observed that deep depression (and its spinoff, suicide) is often caused by job stress. Here's how to lower stress, boost your mood, and simultaneously improve your overall health.

36. Find Time to Exercise...

People who exercise at any intensity for 2 hours a week — an average of about 17 minutes a day — are 61 percent less likely to feel highly stressed than their sedentary counterparts, according to researchers in Denmark.

37. ...Then Take it Outside

British researchers found that people who exercised outdoors reduced their depression by 71 percent, while indoor exercisers' depression decreased by only 45 percent after their workouts.

39. Douse Your Salad with Oil and Vinegar

European scientists determined that unheated olive oil reduces cancer risk. As for vinegar, eating it prior to a high-carbohydrate meal (like pasta) slows the absorption of carbs into your bloodstream. This prevents the spikes in blood sugar and insulin that signal your body to store fat.

42. Stash a Cinnamon Air Freshener in your car

The strong, spicy smell can help you stay alert as you drive. Researchers at Wheeling Jesuit University found that a whiff increases alertness by 25 percent. Sucking on an Altoid may work, too.

43. Test Yourself for HIV

A recent British study confirms that early detection is the key to extending your life. You can order a take-home HIV test online ($44, homeaccess.com), mail in your blood sample, and receive your results in the mail just 7 days later.

45. Design a Colorful Menu

Colorado State University scientists discovered that men who eat the widest variety of fruits and vegetables gain greater cancer-fighting benefits than those who eat more total servings but choose from a smaller assortment. That's because the plant chemicals that protect against disease vary between botanical families. Mix it up by choosing one serving from five different color groups: blues and purples, greens, whites, reds, and yellows and oranges.

46. Take a Noontime Nap

Breaking up your day with a 30-minute snooze can reduce coronary mortality by 37 percent, report Greek researchers. Why? It reduces stress that can damage your heart. Even a short nap once or twice a week was found to decrease the risk of early death.

47. Steep Your Tea for at Least 3 Minutes

Any less than that lowers the number of disease-fighting antioxidants.

48. Use Watercress in Your Salad

A study from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reveals that eating 3 ounces of watercress every day increases levels of the cancer-fighting anti-oxidants lutein and beta-carotene by 100 and 33 percent, respectively.

49. Enjoy Your Joe

Brooklyn College researchers recently discovered that drinking 4 cups of coffee a day lowers your risk of dying of heart disease by 53 percent. If you like Starbucks, choose a Caffè Americano: A grande counts as 4 cups and contains just 15 calories.

i'm thirsty

2007-12-01T00:04:00.000-08:00

** as posted on Full Sail News **

Prince of Persia Heading to Hollywood

November 9, 2007

The Prince of Persia series is one of the most durable franchises in gaming history. The original title hit stores in 1989 from Broderbund Software, and has spawned a total of nine follow-ups to date, and it was recently announced that the popular series is gearing up for a big-budget film adaptation.

The project is backed by veteran producer Jerry Bruckheimer, whose previous credits include such blockbusters as Top Gun, Armageddon, and the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy. According to Variety, the film will be based on the hit entry Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, which re-launched the series in 2003 with its innovative take on the classic gameplay.

The script for the project has already been completed, written by Jeffrey Nachmanoff (who penned the disaster film The Day After Tomorrow) and original Prince of Persia creator Jordan Mechner. Director Mike Newell, who previously helmed Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, is also attached as director.

For Allison

2007-11-29T21:51:00.000-08:00

kyle stevens - the comic stop, lynnwood - 11.25.07

2007-11-27T20:55:00.000-08:00

** as blogged on heatherdisco.com **

Sunday, after filming at Harbour Pointe, I headed over to the greatest place on earth... The Comic Stop. I went in to check on my subscriptions (Batman and the Outsiders was finally here!) and noticed a sign for a cd release party that evening. I had seen it several times before and had wanted to go, and since it was only a couple hours away, I easily fit it in.

The all ages release party was for Kyle Stevens's new album, Songs from the Orange Room. Opening for his band was TJ Sherrill. The show was awesome (and not just because it was in my favorite comic shop). I had come in expecting a good show, but they far exceeded my expectations. And, despite my splitting headache, I stayed until the end. I had a chance to meet everyone and chat for a few, then I headed home to sleep.

I will be filming Kyle's (21 and over) CD release show tomorrow, Wednesday night, at the High Dive in Fremont. Good times! You should all stop in if you're in the area, and if you're not... then drive down anyways.

Click the flyer below for details (and maximum readability. wooo!)

so tense

2007-11-24T20:01:00.000-08:00

I got a chance to work with Jen Forbes (of good ol' Project London) on another short film festival at the beginning of the month. Although I didn't get to help even a fraction as much as I wanted to, I was still able to help collaborate on the film concept and provide her with some horrible acting*!

Also working on the film were many other cast/crew members from Project London:

Jen Forbes (again!)
Sir Ian Hubert
Joshy Truax
Anthony Tomes: Master Cinematographer
Mike Blanchard
And more people that I just can't remember at the moment.

Her sci-fi film noir masterpiece, Dark Amends, won First place at the Weekend Warrior Film Competition on November 9th. Woohoo! You can check out more details about the film at Ian's Website, or you can... download it via this link by simply right clicking and saving.

Excellent.

* Reasons that I was unprepared: I did not know that I was going to be spouting out sexual innuendos. Also, when they said come dressed like an arms dealer, I thought they meant oh, like army-ish tough girl stuff. I did not realize that it meant... hooker... stuff. However, they didn't use most of my lines so I suppose that disclaimer was unnecessary. Cheers.

for Tristan and William

2007-11-16T22:20:00.000-08:00

This is what I was talking about the other night.

has anyone ever heard of a man named...

2007-11-02T11:42:00.000-07:00

Finally, after a grueling wait... There are more updates on Project London. I, like everyone involved, have been anxiously awaiting mores information regarding post production. It looks like post is expected to be done around May-ish. Such a long wait! But worth it.

Check out the site to see what I, and other cast/crew have been up to while we wait! There are a few short films available to check out. Cheers!

October 30th

2007-10-30T08:40:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to my amazing mother!

I wish I could be there to spend the day with you, but I will see you soon. I love you with all my heart! I hope it is the best ever.

Love,

Heather, Tif, Patches & Smitty

consequences!

2007-10-10T08:54:00.000-07:00

I just watched the preview for the new movie, Jumper.

Sweet. It seems like a decent movie, and from what I have seen... It's based in Seattle. Which gives it an extra half of a cool point. Or something.

It opens in Theaters February 15th of 2008.

just when you think

2007-10-01T02:21:00.000-07:00

I was at The Comic Stop about a week ago (buying the Green Arrow and Black Canary Wedding Special) when my phone rang. I don't know why I answered it, I usually don't during the day... but luckily I did.

The previous week when Tif's friends Laura and Lizzie were in town, we had all gone out to the Broadway Grill. I had a hamburger and sweet potato fries, which was awesome as usual, and on the way out, I dropped my business card into their free lunch raffle thingy.

The phone call I received that day was to tell me that I had won a free lunch for myself and up to ten friends. Wooo! Call me if you are hungry and want to come out with us sometime next week.

they are very "security conscience"

2007-09-30T04:43:00.001-07:00

Below is a tiny compilation of Toothpaste for Dinner comics that Tifani and I found to be quite funny. Enjoy.

Guster - UW Campus, Seattle - 09.24.07

2007-09-24T18:36:00.000-07:00

Monday was a great, great day. Aside from the fact that I was close to dying from cramps and other (hangover related) pain. Tifani's friends Laura and Lizzie pulled into our neck of the woods for a little stop on their road trip. We had just gotten off the train from Portland when we met up with them, so after a lot of calling around we figured out where we needed to go to see Guster's show that afternoon and took off.

After what seemed like an hour drive, we pulled into the parking garage at the UW campus and headed out to find the "hub lawn" or wherever the hell we were told they were going to be playing. After a little confusion, Tifani heard music in the distance and we ended up finding the lawn right as Brett Dennen was ending his set.

We found a spot fairly close to the stage, and after about 45 more minutes of waiting Guster finally came on.

At first it was perfect. The music was awesome, the weather was nice... but then the people around us started acting like idiots. I mean, is it really necessary to yell "WOOOOO FUCK YEAH" after every fucking line of a song? Especially a Guster song? I mean, half of them are like quiet little lullaby-type songs. Come on now.

Then, a few more songs into the show... These guys started screaming/singing all the lyrics and jumping up and down like goddamn frogs. Also annoying because that also ruined some of the slower songs. Oh, and cause they were consistently landing on my feet. I know, I know... when you go to a show you have to expect these kinds of things. But come on, I just wanted one song. One song without the screaming! Augh. I won't even get into the story about how i had terrible cramps the whole time (oops, just did. and wow what a thing to broadcast. sorry!).

But of course it wasn't all bad. After the show we walked by their bus and Joe came out, so we all hung out with him for a little bit and took cute pictures. It turned out that our friend Lizzie was actually a rep for his old band, Joe Mark's Brother. So, the two of them sat and talked forever about stuff while we all just happily listened.

Afterwards, we found the car and headed to the Broadway grill to get some food. I got a hamburger with sweet potato fries. Yum. I couldn't wait to get to the IRA show later that night. If I was a big fan of Guster and had that much fun, imagine how great it would be to see my rock idol, Ike Reilly. Woohoo!

Portland Pirate Fest - Portland, OR - 9.23.07

2007-09-23T23:50:00.000-07:00

waiting for our ride.

my pirate shirt. yaaar.

that familiar greeting.

a re-enacted pirate battle.

the lynx.

blow up ships, ahoy.

the view.

loving lovers.

i never noticed tristan's facial expression until just now...

one of us was cold.

again, seeing more than you need to.

resting.

my $15 wristband.

pirate folk singing some tunes.

i love this photo.

hazelnut brown nectar is the way to go.

i found a sign!

my alcohol was "beyond".

walking? or at least, trying to...

yep, they're still there.

pirate puppets!

see!

more shanty singin' folk.

signs.

a picnic table.

jewels!

yeah, thanks for not letting me hold your parrot.

i think the stupid kids and their mother were annoying poor tifani...

we meet again...

i know it's been a year but it was just like old times.

tired at the end of the afternoon. must head home to rest up for the bar...

"go have fun" they said

2007-09-22T03:15:00.000-07:00

Over the last year or so, I haven't done very well with keeping up on all the happenings of blogger. However, I decided to actually poke around the website for a few minutes today. This may be old news, but if you haven't already checked out blogger play, you should do it right now.

Basically, this neat little page is a never-ending slideshow of photos that are being uploaded right now onto blogger pages around the world.

And to touch on the interactivity, you are able to change the speed of the photos, and skip/go back through them. By clicking on one, it takes you directly to the blog it was just uploaded to. ...but all of this is pretty effing obvious once you actually check it out.

I know it's not the most fascinating thing to happen recently (like OJ going to jail or those two Brady Bunch girls revealing their "gay fling"), but I think it's quite fun! Hell, it just ate up about 15 minutes of my evening before I even realized I was still watching!

Here are some of my favorite photos:

no real reason i liked it, just silly looking.

great photos of bats and sea turtles as well!

this guys artwork is amazing.

see! PIRATES!

more fun artwork.

---

While writing this post, it became apparent that this feature is a great way to get even more people all around the world to run across your blog. I mean, I clicked on damn near twenty photos within five minutes, and of those I ended up bookmarking four blogs that I am very interested in checking out again.

To my knowledge, people rarely use the functions in the blogger banner (the next blog button/option) . My reasons for not doing so are simple:

1. I do not have enough time to just look at blogs that are randomly selected without any options

and

2. 90% of these blogs are not in english or were created for one post and there is nothing on them.

But... if you have a cool toy like blogger play, you can go to blogs because you like what you see beforehand. Yes, I am addicted, and yes... I am ending this post to get back to the pictures. Woohoo!

it's okay to be wild

2007-09-10T18:45:00.000-07:00

Cheers to The Classic Crime.

These boys never cease to amaze me with their talent. They are coming out with a Seattle Sessions EP on November 6th 2007, and I just got done listening to the teaser track (via purevolume, i highly encourage you to check it out). It sounds AWESOME.

I am so stoked to be able to hear something new from them. I have been an absolute die hard fan ever since I found them randomly online. I listened to the first ten seconds of their CD and was hooked, and after listening to clips from a couple songs I immediately ordered their album, Albatross. I don't remember being so excited to get something like that in the mail since I was a kid. I was checking the mail twice a day until it came (and that is pretty hard to do when you have a downtown Seattle mailbox). It wasn't until a few weeks later that I realized they were actually from Seattle!

This was around the same time that I was working for the moving company Bekins Northwest. One night my friend Jeremy, who I worked with at Bekins, came over to have a few beers. I was listening to The Classic Crime in the other room and came out to the living room to chat. He started telling me about how he had found out the night before that his friends from school/church had gotten a record deal and actually had a CD out. He was like, "It's so weird, I used to be such good friends with these guys and would listen to them play all the time... I had no idea they were getting big!" Then he told me a little bit about them, and said, "Man, I need to go to the store and find their CD! It's called Albatross or something."

CRAZY! I just looked at him and said, "Um, you could probably find it in my room, since we are actually listening to it right now." We were both hysterical and spent a while listening to them and drinking beer. Good times.

William and I even checked them out at Chop Suey in Seattle (you may remember the blog). They were so fucking amazing live. I mean, you know those concerts where you are just shaking you are so excited? That was it! I am so used to being disappointed in musicians who sound great on CD but can't perform for shit. Not the deal with The Classic Crime. As William put it, "They were fucking phenomenal. It's very rare to find a band that can actually work a show like them and get the crowd so into it.".

And if that isn't enough, their music videos are awesome. Very well done in my opinion, and music videos are something I hope to get into making soon. You can check them out here:

The Coldest Heart

The Fight

I hope that you guys can check them out at some point in time, because I can tell you right now it is more than worth your money to go see them.

---

other links of interest:

The Classic Crime Official Website

The Classic Crime Myspace

The Classic Crime YouTube Channel

The Classic Crime Store (please buy me the bone wings hoodie. small.)

---

* also check out the image at the beginning of the post. his shirt says alaska!)

puppets

2007-09-06T04:41:00.000-07:00

I watched the entire first season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer over the course of two days. This is my favorite quote:

(said by willow after a praying mantis lady tries to mate with xander and some other dude)

"its so unfair how she only went after virgins, i mean here you guys are doing the right thing, the SMART thing, when a lot of other boys your age..."

Did I mention I really don't like this show that much? Eeeek. Sorry Tito/Kris.

2007-08-06T04:47:00.000-07:00

THIS IS WHAT MY LIFE IS LIKE NOW

titles of things

2007-07-17T11:41:00.000-07:00

today, i logged on to check my grade for one of my psych assignments from last week. my teacher left me the following note:

i think she likes me! and honestly, i am really enjoying the class (despite my not being used to like, 5 assignments due on different days of the week). psychology has always been something of interest to me. aside from the fact that knowledge on that level is a good thing to have, i think it will also prove useful in application to my projects.

In other news, I have begun breaking down the script for the movie (if you haven't already checked out the website for the movie i'm working on, go to subjectc.com and hit the crew link, and there i am!)

So far I have been going through and fixing things up, as well as getting my brain ready for the ultimate obsessive compulsive job... making sure the movie and all details are filmed according to the script. after working on many short film projects with people who are the opposite of ocd (and who just plain don't pay attention to detail), i have learned just how crucial it is to have a script supervisor on for a large project (or any important piece for that matter).

we haven't even started filming and i am excited as hell. it's going to be great to finally have my name be a part of something bigger than some short student film, and it is already such a relief to be a part of something of which the entire cast and crew are completely dedicated.

cheers!

number seven

2007-07-14T21:18:00.000-07:00

Woohoo!

[for lack of a better title...]i don't get enough rabies to my brain

2007-07-11T15:17:00.000-07:00

The following story is true. I know this because it happened to me. Like an hour ago.

Disclaimer:

This story is not appropriate for people who maybe shouldn't be reading things that use the word "fuck"

---

Chapter 1

Like yesterday, it was insanely hot out when I got up. It was another one of those days where you do the opposite of what you do when it's cold out (like, put on extra clothes). So, after dropping Tif off at work, I sat down at the computer and checked the weather (since I tend to think it's about 100 degrees hotter than it really ever is).

Afterwards, I tapped away on the keyboard while attempting to fix both of our websites (tifanimusic.com! coming back soon! yay!).

In between the clicking of the keys, I heard something outside (i forgot to mention, we live by the "woods") so I went to the window to check it out (standard procedure, much like my over-use of parenthesis!). Strange sounds continued coming from the bushes, and then they suddenly stopped. A moment later I saw a raccoon rustling through the bushes. He looked around for a few seconds...

...then crept over to a little muddy stream and started washing his paws. he kept looking over his "shoulder", and after a good minute he stopped to wash his face. He tip-toed back up the the rocks surrounding our building, leaving a collection of muddy paw prints. He looked around, then looked up towards our deck.

Then, all of a sudden... he looked right at me. Not just in my general direction, but right in the eyes. The second we made eye contact he froze, then jumped off into the woods. I was convinced that he murdered something (a fellow raccoon? or... something else?) and was washing off the bloody mess in an attempt to cover his tracks. I know I know, I'm reading too many crime thrillers again...

Anyhow! I was a little scared, not because I thought he was a furry murderer but because I always hear that "only raccoons with rabies come out in daylight", and it kinda creeped me out to see him. So, I followed my instincts, grabbed my camera and photographed everything for evidence.

After he ran off, I sat back down at the computer with kitty. Not long after Patches and I got comfy, I heard an awful hissing/meowing sound outside. Again, I went to the window and saw the raccoon had returned. This time he was sitting on a rock, one foot away from the darling kitten that Tifani and I had just rescued (from the parking lot) the night before.

The kitten was extremely frightened and scared, and the raccoon looked kinda hungry. She kept making awful cat sounds, and since I am a sucker for helpless animals, I grabbed my clothes off the bed and ran into the living room. I dressed as fast as I could (just like my old volunteer firefighter days), slipped on my brand new shoe-sies (Rugged Exposure Astoria II's, can't find a link at the moment) that Tif just bought me, grabbed my baseball bat and bolted out the door and down the stairs.

I got around the corner of the building and didn't see anything, so I paced around for a few and called the kitty. Then, I noticed the raccoon. He was looking me in the eyes while washing his evil paws in the water.

He started walking in my direction. He trudged through the muddy water, still washing his paws but coming closer and closer. I waved my bat in his general direction while shouting obscenities and trying to pretend that i wasn't a little scared. He kept inching closer, now reaching his filthy creature hands towards me (the same way you would picture a dead-zombie child coming at you, whispering something to the extent of "one of us"). Needless to say, I continued moving backwards. But before I knew it, he had me backed into the wall of the building. So I did what most ladies would probably do, screamed and hit the bat against a log (and then a big rock!) and threatened to "fuck his shit up".

After he slowly moved back to the bushes, I pulled out my phone and texted Tifani.

"are you sure raccoons have rabies if they come out in daylight"

I sent the message and put my phone back in my pocket. I started walking around calling out for the kitten, but keeping the raccoon in my sight. I thought I heard it meow back in the bushes, so I hunched down and listened for a moment. I was concentrating so hard on listening for the kitten that I lost track of the coon. Then I felt something on my leg.

THE FUCKING RACCOON FLANK-ATTACKED ME AND BIT ME IN THE THIGH

Chapter 2

False alarm. What I actually felt was the vibration of my cell phone which was in the left pocket of my jeans. I opened it up to see that Tifani had sent me a message, telling me to "go inside the house". She is practically psychic when it comes to me. She probably thought I was outside petting it or something because I am always saying how cute they are (never again!). Two seconds later she called, and I explained what was going on. She started talking, but I had to cut her off because I thought I heard the kitten again.

I walked back over to the bushes. I heard tiny little footsteps, much like the footsteps of a young kitten. I then heard heavier footsteps in the distance (distance equaling about ten feet) and looked over to see the raccoon, walking through the mud and looking at me. He was moving slowly, so I hopped over the rocks and into the mock woods. I heard the little steps again, so I leaned it to get a better look, and as I did, two birds jumped in the air and flapped their wings while making birdy sounds. Scared the hell out of me. I hopped back over the rock and continued pacing.

Chapter 3

I know what you are all thinking by now. Aside from the fact that I am totally courageous, you are probably thinking I am somewhat weird for sitting outside trying to help someone else's kitten. Well, as I said before, Tifani and I had just rescued the little cutie the night before. And when I say little, I mean, she's tiny. And scared, all the time. We felt bad for her, so we watched her for like half an hour.

When we talked to the people who owned him, they told us they just threw it outside because they were gone over ten hours out of the day and didn't want her messing up the house. The woman assured us that she lets her in at night sometimes (bad parenting!). So, with that in my head, I knew that the owners weren't going to be home until late and that it was up to me to defend her.

Back to the raccoon. Where was I? Ah yes, pacing around again. After a few moments of silence I decided that the raccoon was gone. Fled the scene. Gave up. I obviously wasn't able to find the kitten, so I turned to leave and right behind me... was a creature. Again, I screamed something to the extent of, "Fucking raccoon!". The creature barked. It was not a raccoon. In the blur of turning around, jumping in the air and screaming, I failed to notice that it was our neighbors puppy. False alarm number two. The dog's owner came over, I said hello, and then headed up to my apartment. She walked back to hers as well.

I took off my gross, sweaty clothing (not all of them! you pervs.) and sat back down on the chair. I barely had time to think before I heard that same dog howling and snarling, so I ran to the window yet again. I could see the puppy twisted up with the raccoon, the two bouncing off of branches and rocks while making equally freakish sounds. So again, I grabbed my things and ran out the door with my bat while trying to pull my shirt over my head and not fall down the stairs.

By the time I got down there, the raccoon was fleeing from the scene.

It didn't seem like the dog's owner had heard the noise, so I jumped into the woods and found the puppy. Surprisingly, she wasn't bleeding. I didn't pick her up because she was covered in mud and gross-ness (i would have carried her had she been hurt or limping, im not that mean.) but I walked her out of the woods. Her owner came out and we checked her for bite marks, but she looked fine. I told her to maybe get her dog tested for rabies (even though she didn't appear to be bleeding and I had no actual proof that the raccoon had rabies).

I walked back upstairs, hotter than hell (and sweating too!). I put down my bat and started shaking my head, as though my being annoyed with the heat would somehow make it cooler inside. I grabbed my green tea Snapple and sat down at my computer, wishing that I could trade places with my sister and be in rainy Alaska. Lucky s.o.b. (miss you alli!)

The end...?

---

sidenote: i just realized that if i hadn't posted those photos and stuff, this would be an insanely boring story. i mean all i really did was wave a bat at a raccoon while screaming. cheers!

---

Blog Tracks:

Raccoon Rabies Info

Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory

Wildlife Rabies in Massachusetts (scary raccoon photo!)

whiskered submersibles

2007-07-07T14:50:00.000-07:00

I spent part of today organizing to pack my things for our possible move to Alaska. As most of you know, moving involves packing [ugh]. And as some of you also know, if I want to pack, I have to do some serious organizing.

I am not really capable of just throwing it all together like my darling girlfriend, Tifani. Instead, I need to majorly categorize and sort out every little thing. Today is day one, and I decided to start with packing my books. This is extremely hard for several reasons.

1. when packing books, i must organize all books by category [textbooks, nature books, nerd books, history books, novels...]

2. once organized, i must type them into alphabetized lists.

3. these lists are then compiled according to which box the books are packed in.

4. when packing my books, i tend to read a lot of them.

and finally

5. when i read something interesting, i must blog about it.

So, here I am, writing away when I told Tif that I was "at home packing up a shit load of our stuff". [sorry!]

While packing, I found the book In the Company of Manatees, which I bought from the Friends of the Library sale [one of like, a thousand that i have bought in the last 2 months. THEY'RE ONLY A QUARTER!]. I spent about half an hour flipping through this book [which has wonderful photos, i must say.] and i have learned quite a few things.

1. manatees are an endangered species [which i already knew but totally forgot about]

2. the closest land relatives of the manatee are the elephant:

and the hyrax, this cuddly creature:

cute, huh?

3. manatees are herbivores [which i think i also knew, but again never thought about]

4. a manatee's grinding molars grow continuously throughout their lifetime, and push forward to eventually replace their worn teeth in the front. sweet.

5. manatee mothers' teats [haha! okay sorry, that was childish...] are located under their flippers. so, when the calves are feeding it looks like they are sucking on their mom's "armpits".

Now, as most of you have probably guessed, I am temporarily obsessed with manatees. Also, I am extremely sad after seeing the many pictures of injured manatees in my book. So, I have decided to channel my sadness and focus on doing something positive. something like... adopting a manatee. Maybe Tif and I can each adopt one. Unless she thinks we should like, pay the phone bill or something.

Alright, it's about time that I get back to organizing my books. I will keep you posted on the next interesting subject I come across. Until then, adopt a manatee, or paypal $35 bucks to heathercanik@hotmail.com so that I can adopt one.

----

blog tracks:

save the manatee dot org

the manatee cafe

manatee spears 1 - manatee spears 2 - manatee spears 3

[please do not ask why i thought those were funny...]

hello manatee [for william]

go see a manatee

i though this was funny [you have to read it all]

this chart is fun!

seattle pride - june 23rd - 24th 2007

2007-06-27T14:24:00.001-07:00

[june 23rd - day one]

beehive

erika and her bro [of the erika wright band]

girl4girl @ neumos

spinderella [push it, tif]

seattle pride - june 23rd - june 24th

2007-06-27T14:13:00.000-07:00

[june 24th - day two]

pride parade by the westlake center
[thank you tif for the spell check!]

she needs to "move back!"

photo credit - tifani vandenberg

this lady and her photographer were out of control.

gay coffee

gay money

gay flight

gay people [love you guys!]

gay seafood

gay haters.

more gay things at the seattle center

beer garden at the wild rose

cab to pho cyclo

Below

2007-05-19T14:23:00.000-07:00

This post can serve as a breaking point between the years. Below are all the things I found time to post last year. Lots of pictures, etc. but if you're not interested in old stuff... nevermind!

more long breaks in time

2007-05-02T13:05:00.000-07:00

so once again i have completely forgotten about how important blogging is to me. nothing new, but as always i am overwhelmed with photos from (this time...) the last 8 months. oh lord. so much has happened and it's discouraging to think of all the time it's going to take to get everything up and running smoothly again.

to do:

re-redirect hezz.net to this little place
(i transferred the domain again and haven't gotten around to fixing all my broken links)

organize all my photos and videos from the last 3/4 of a year

update my little wishlist/the entire sidebar while i'm at it
(fabulous people keep buying me things! amazing!)

revisit zieak's "5 things i wish all bloggers did" and organize, etc. accordingly
(as you can see, he already inspired me to post a different picture on my account)

well, i've run out of time to play around on blogger. i will be posting much more later, and will have more pictures than you know what to do with. hopefully.

thanksgiving - portland, oregon - 11.23.06 - 11.25.06

2006-11-29T17:14:00.000-08:00

the first thing i saw when i walked in.

and how adorable, they made us all places.

molly and maggie cooking. wonderful.

molly's bro, patty, topher and of course tristan.

i helped! and molly you did awesome.

this is for you, amy.

maggie is rocking out at the table.

my love.

i passed out immediately after dinner.

but so did woodchuck.

shaw and celeste.

11.24.06

i love this, tristan.

trying to be artsy in the elevator. i lost my face.

4pm, right before our beer project...

of course, at the greatest bar/restaurant ever. Henry's.

driftwood room? my cocktail was excellent.

what portland looked like [through my eyes] by 8 p.m.

riding deer with todd.

my new buddies.

that one elevator i don't remember.

portland city grill, around 11pm or so i believe.

todd's friend's bar, rontoms.

on the bathroom walls.

hopping into todd's ride to go drink even more. 2am?

11.25.06

crossing the columbia on my train ride home.

already an excellent weekend... and it was only saturday morning.

the classic crime - chop suey, seattle - 11.22.06

2006-11-29T17:02:00.000-08:00

the classic crime, one of my favorite bands ever.

one day that will be my job, but i film with sony. bam.

[also worth a listen, lucky for nothing. they played earlier]

erika wright band - irish emigrant, seattle - 11.04.06

2006-11-22T16:57:00.000-08:00

my friend erika playing at the irish emigrant. wooo.

sugarcult concert - el corazon, seattle - 11.02.06

2006-11-18T16:51:00.000-08:00

all time low... excellent band.

[the pink spiders and the adored played as well... but whatever.]

and finally sugarcult. sigh.

oh, tim.

halloween - portland, oregon - 10.31.06

2006-11-15T16:29:00.000-08:00

urban outfitters.

joel, our human flame.

topher, obviously a transformer.

i don't know, im already drunk.

pretty boy.

my only picture of dead hank.

todd kidnapped me with promises of goth lesbians.

patty and topher, before he won the costume contest.

maggie and her third arm. hell yes.

me, tristan and molly at solo.

fax and lisa!

a horrible attempt at a whiskey sour.

the old school pizzeria in olympia, and joel feeling up the beast.

hank climbing into the cave...

GROSS LOOK AT MY FACE, JOEL.

joel found some geo-cashing something-or-other.

hanks "big fucken leaf".

oh no, low tide.

my boys.

my little fritz, finally in washington.

the sunset on the drive home. sigh.

2006-11-10T16:19:00.000-08:00

okay. shit. i'll admit it, i really really REALLY want the new christina aguilera album, back to basics.

and no, it has nothing to do with that * dream i had about her last month.

girl for girl with mom and hayley

2006-11-06T22:55:00.000-08:00

Here are your pictures, Hayley. Love you!

i tried to stay sober but failed miserably.

thanks to the nice lady who took our picture. we were having difficulties that night...

as we all know, hayley loved the titty cupcakes.

hayley, you are one of my favorite ex-girlfriends.

a pool table.

that aerosmith cover band playing "dude looks like a lady".

some crazy rapping lesbians (i think).

look at all the gays.

more gays! i love my people.

what i like [to do]

2006-10-05T03:36:00.000-07:00

you are a such a tool if you got here from following my myspace link.

bitches

portland pirate festival - 09.23.06

2006-10-03T22:27:00.000-07:00

the end.

...like you're the tv and the window is right behind you

2006-10-03T20:33:00.000-07:00

okay, so i have been this girl's biggest fan for a few years now. i randomly found leah's website while at guthrie's video (working hard, working hard...) and ever since, i haven't been able to stop reading it.

i will admit, like any "friend" there are weeks [yes, even months] in which i literally forget she exists, but i always get myself caught up one way or another. yes, this may sound borderline stalker-ish but my point is this: she is so fucking entertaining. and to make myself look even more nuts... i feel like i have been there through it all. i remember when she discovered her broken car window forever and ever ago. i was there, faithfully reading her blog when tyler FINALLY proposed to her (i had been waiting for freaking ever). i listen to tyler's band, quiet company, on occasion... and i remember when their cd finally came out. And, while catching up this evening, i watched leah tell a scary story.

http://www.vacant.cc/leah/2006_09_01_archives.html

if you scroll about 2/3 of the way down to the friday, september 8th post you can watch the video too. scary...

p.s. for more fun check out monday, august 13th and monday, august 21st.

org

2006-10-03T12:37:00.000-07:00

joel, you inspired this.