LEAVES, LEAVES, EVERYWHERE!!!

Star Tribune reports today that Twin Cities law trades traditional black plastic lawn bags for compostible ones.

Although, I would prefer people to compost their leaves than throw them out, even I have too many leaves for this to be reasonable. Either way, I think this is a good idea for both the environment and a streamlining of the utilities. The claim is that it will help save money for state waste haulers since they have to separate the bags once the leaves end at their final resting place. Aside from that, the obvious reduction of disposed of plastic is a plus.

However, one annoying issue for me is that I pack the bags around the basement windows to add extra insulation through the winter. Since, the law goes into affect before Spring, I won’t be able to ditch the leaves I have already bagged… and I am not sure that the compostible bags won’t disintegrate before the winter’s end. Hmm… what to do.. what to do…

Also be sure to check out the Danny Macaskill video – equally awesome stunts, but with a bike.

Status Update Webcomic. You in? email me.

I have been toying with the idea of starting a webcomic and need your status updates. Email me if interested!

The  Idea

Sites that allow status updates are all the rage anymore – most notably Twitter; but Facebook, MySpace, and many others have it as well. People just love to tell the world what is on their mind in a short little blurb. Heck, I use the twitters. My friends on Facebook and Twitter (the only such sites I frequent anymore) post a mix of interesting links and mundane “I’m going to lunch” type posts. However, more often than not, the context for the posts is lost and I find hilarity in the updates themselves. Sometimes, my mind wanders and some sort of Family Guyesque cut away sketch plays out in my brain.

So this gave me the idea to do a web comic illustrating these goofy scenarios. I have wanted to do a web comic for a long time, but  never had an idea that fit the short attention span best suited for web comics. However, I think this status update comic idea suits that perfectly… and YOU CAN HELP!

How You Can Help

So here is what I would need to start… I need permission from you to make use of your status updates for captions of the comics. Basically, I will pick out some that inspire some sort of comical scenario and illustrate a one panel comic. I’m tentatively thinking of publishing this three times per week. I promise I won’t poke fun at you personally and will link back to your profile should you wish.

I’m also thinking of perhaps having an exhibition of the comics in the future. It will encourage me to put a little bit extra effort into the artistic side. You’ll be invited

Imagine, that goofy status update you posted about that thing over there eventually turning into a comic for people to enjoy and perhaps part of an exhibition?!?!? Why would you not want to do it!

If you are interested in helping me get started, shoot me an email with the url to your status updates and I’ll check them out. I’ll get back to you shortly with any ideas I have. I’m hoping to launch within the next few months, but will start working on an initial collection of comics starting next week, so please email soon. Thanks!

Pics below.  p.s. We did lose a painting in the process… if you have seen it, please let us know.

Expect the unexpected. Live video projections of Poseidon (The ocean/coral reef/etc) and live nude models (The Ink Girls) will be transformed into Living Mermaids in front of your eyes. This is a chance to witness the creative process of art in all its glory. Hair Styling, Makeup Artistry, Modeling, Photography & Body-Painting and of course including the featured artworks. Come be a part of the Film! (Did I mention were filming?) More Info

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Music Provided by:

• The Dongers
• DJ The Nightstalker
• Bryan B
• Bankie Phones
• DJ Bach
• Darrin Cassey

Is American Apparel really trying to sell Yoga clothes?

I ran across the following animated ad for American Apparel’s  “YOGA” line today featuring a girl doing arguably pornographic poses rather than yoga.

I’m not going to go as far as to say it is disgusting or indecent (I’ll let others form those opinions). However, I think it is just stupid. You wouldn’t take this ad to be a source for yoga instruction, so why would you think it would be a good ad for yoga clothing? Also, I’d like to know how many people that shop at American Apparel and buy yoga gear are going actually do yoga and not just wear it to the club is some ironicy fashion statement… like those skinny dorks that wear GOLD’S GYM shirts.

I don’t normally get too upset over advertising anymore since there are probably more important things to get upset over. However, a part of me gets irate every time I read a story of some guy raping his wife because they are married or advertising that is just offensive (like the Peta ads). That said, I wouldn’t say I am “feminist”, but I do have a mom, and sister-in-laws, nieces, and aunts, and have done youth mentoring. So when I see advertising like this, I get irritated.

I’m not trying to sound like a prude. I’m ok with “sexy” advertising and erotic art, etc etc. However, this girl might as well be , naked, spread eagle, on a yoga mat and it would be about the same level of marketing. Sadly, yes, both are probably fairly effective in their target market.

As an aside, I checked out the source code for the blog this was being displayed on and saw that it was part of the the MediaPlex ad network. Their handle is “Intelligent Technology for Digital Marketing”. I’m sure they mean “intelligent” in the data-mining/machine-learning sense, but the irony is not lost on me. This ad, like most advertising in general, is not going to win any awards for “smart advertising”. I don’t know for a fact that these are not actual yoga moves but I don’t think you do yoga on a couch. Otherwise, this could pass as screen shots of a porn where the yoga instructor seduces one of her students.

End rant. The rest of the animation cells are below. Please comment and let me know your thoughts.

Historically, I have not been a huge phone connoisseur. Before I had a phone, I remember my old roommate Jin and I outside of night classes surrounded by lots of people standing around talking on their phone rather than each other. We used to hold our hands up to our head like a hand set and say stupid things to each other – mimicking others’ trivial conversations. The guy talking on his phone at the urinal always was a bit of a turn off for a cell phone as well.

Finally, I broke down and bought one when my girlfriend at the time was going to drive across country by herself and wanted a phone in case she got into an accident. We got a couples plan. I bit the bullet. However, I was determined to get a brick of a phone. I didn’t want texting, cameras, flippy doos, I didn’t need to shave with it (razor joke.. *cough*). I just needed to make phone calls.

The brick phone lasted quite a few tumbles down stairs and drops onto pavement. I think I even threw it at someone by accident one time. However, its fate was sealed when I was at Jon’s pool, took a call, slipped the phone back in my pocket and jumped back in.

I tried to get another brick, but T-Mobil didn’t offer them anymore. So I ended up with a flippy doo phone complete with unnecessary buttons and a camera that took pictures that cost me a dollar to get off my phone. Finally, after a few tumbles, the phone only worked with the ear piece and even then, would randomly turn off on me during important teleconference calls.

In the mean time, the Iphone revolution ocurred and everyone was making cool apps, which appealed to me more than the gizmo itself. I caved and bought an ITouch last year for SXSW with the intention of making apps.However, at least at the time, that was not possible. Getting busy with other things “nerdcentric”, I just never got around to starting any apps. I also toyed with the idea of getting and Iphone to replace three devices – camera, phone, and ITouch. However,  I didn’t want the hassle of switching my mobile provider and I heard AT&T was a pain in the butt to deal with. I really didn’t want a Blackberry and otherwise, TMobile seemed to be left out of the multi-function swiss army phone market. But then Google changed that…

I was excited for when the G1 came out since, finally, cool phones I wanted was offered by my provider. I could develop apps in an emerging market (since the IPhone app market is soooo saturated). It also appealed to me to be able to make apps not under Apples’ annoying TOS (yes, I thought of a $1 booby shake application).

However, I  still never bit the bullet and got one. At the time, I had just bought my house and was short on funds. The idea of NEEDING to have a data plan was annoying since I had the minimal plan possible and that was still $60 after taxes and such. I still reminisce about the $10 per month land line of the olden days. Besides, G1′s flippy doo keyboard scared me since I am notoriously dropping my phone. Delicate moving parts and I do not mix well.

In the last six months my current T-Mobil phone started shutting off randomly and only worked with the ear piece. It was really getting annoying, but it was tolerable on a sort of “well, there are starving children in Africa” level. I could have easily scored a free phone since my contract had expired a while ago, but subconsciously I was waiting for a new wave of Google phones to come out.

With my birthday occurring yesterday, my girlfriend was being sneaky about my  gift. Neither of us have a lot of money right now. As such,  I wasn’t expecting much. However, she was hellbent on getting me a phone. She even tried to go in and buy one on her own, but found out that I had to be present to sign and handle the account authorization. So, before our movie date last night, we had to run a quick errand in the Midway and she took me to the T-Mobil store. I half knew what was up. However, I didn’t know we were going to the phone store. I kept joking as we walked “So you got me a gift card to AX Man?”, “Ooo a lifetime tab at Big V’s?”, “New rims from the Pawn shop?” But as soon as I saw the T-mobil sign in the mini mall, I knew. AWESOME!

We walked in both independently intending to get a Google Phone. However, I was a bit worried since I had not done much research. In the end the choice was easy  for lack of choice. I could either get the flippydoo Google phone that would break as soon as I dropped it or I could get a brick with a touch screen. Really, there wasn’t much difference in the phones – same service, same android OS, same camera, etc etc. Literally, it was just the device that was different. However, that was good enough for me. Since my contract was up, I signed a new one and walked out of there with the $500 phone for $200 and a full replacement warranty for $6 extra bucks per month (I’m sure I will need it).

So, now I am happy as a clam. I have been tinkering here and there and am generally impressed. The phone aspect of the phone is a bit cumbersome, but I’m sure I’m just missing something. I’ll probably write a review as I get more aquatinted with it, but all in all I am quite pleased. This very well could be the best b-day gift ever. Add that to a day of laying at the beach, watching Inglorious Basterds, and a romantic bon fire, the awesome party last weekend, and this might be best birthday ever.

Word. Kiss kiss baby. Thanks again! Hopefully, you won’t regret buying it for me for all those nights I will be up late making apps!

Be sure to keep your ears and eyes pealed for next year’s event.

Many thanks to Danielle Pebbles, for organizing and inviting us to this opportunity.