We’ve got Prom. Now we’ve got a battle of the bands.
Sometimes it doesn’t even feel like working! 
Enjoy this video of my co-workers last night; unfortunately I skipped out before they took the stage.. Suzie, thank you for the great interpretative dance.
Hancock Movie Promos- Opportunity missed?
The new Hancock movie is going to be out on July 2nd, and the one thing I’ve noticed is that they’re promoting a movie with an unconventional slant on a traditional movie superhero.. well, quite conventionally. Billboards and TV (NBA Finals) tie-ins, but nothing (at least out here in Los Angeles, where the movie is set) that takes advantage of the plot.
This is a movie campaign that is ripe with ideas that could be done just about anywhere, and probably for less than the cost of a traditional billboard:
-Large scale graffiti project on the US Bank tower in downtown (ok, that’s a bit spendy..)
-Actually sticking a car on the needle of the Capitol Records building
-Punching fake “holes” through various office buildings throughout SoCal
-Fake bus benches that have been cracked/destoyed
-Whale outlines in sand along the SoCal beaches
-Crushed cars stacked in inconceivable ways along highways
Point is, just from viewing the trailers you can see that the opportunity was there to take advantage of our natural tendency to stop and pause for anything involving destruction or the unusual. It could’ve been fun and effective, but instead get the same old stuff that has grown tired and boring- just like some recent movies.
I’m not that crazy.
On the way into the office today I felt a little better about my decision to start riding my bike into the office:
I get more exercise now than I have in a decade, my bankroll is steady, I have more time to pursue the things I enjoy (and not whittling away at my short time on this planet with a long-ass commute) and I also get to live with my best friend. Sometimes going against the grain can work to your advantage.
Of course I’m going to take the plunge at some point, but it’ll probably be vintage (and red/fast). 
Philippe Starck on Design
He’s one of my personal favorites and this video was an absolute treat. I highly suggest taking a look.
Failure to try something means never succeeding
[I didn't write this, nor do I know who did.. it's been hanging on my wall for a number of years and can't find a copy online. Enjoy!]
Top 10 tips for facing failure:
1. Failure is normal. Everyone has faced failure. Some people talk about their failures. Some people don’t talk about their failures, which makes it look like they never fail. Don’t believe it.
2. Define or refine. Failure can define you or refine you. If you quit, you have allowed failure to define you. If you keep going, learn from it and get stronger, you have used failure to refine yourself.
3. Learn from it. Every failure has something to teach us, if we will only be teachable. To be teachable, we need to ask good questions such as “What contributed to this failure?” or “What can I do differently and/or better next time?”
4. Change your definition of failure. We live in an either/or culture. Either you totally succeed or you completely fail. Many times it’s neither.
5. Redefine what failure means to you. A failure is simply evidence that you took a shot at accomplishing something, that you want to be a doer instead of just a talker.
6. Successful people fail often. How can you be successful and fail often? You become successful by taking risks. Risk implies that you might fail. Otherwise it would not be called risk-taking; it would be called sure-thing taking.
7. Build on your failures. Many of the great success stories are built on what was learned from failure or the motivation that can come from failure.
8. Don’t fear failure. The of failure holds us back from doing many of the things we would like to do.
9. Give up your belief in failure. A wise person once said, “Failure? I’ve never encountered it. I’ve just learned lots and lots of ways that don’t work, and turned that into a few successes.”
10. Never, ever give up. An ancient Japanese proverb suggests that we are to “fall down seven times, get up eight.”
Abby’s new venture - Sober Traveling
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Virgin America Rocks
I played Doom, watched 30 Rock, The Office and chatted with Gwen via the in-flight chat room while we watched the miles zip by on the addictive Google Map application. The staff was friendly, the planes were super-comfortable (seats by Recaro!) and we didn’t even notice a 30-minute delay due to software upgrades because we were so busy playing. Short of flying on a private jet I can’t imagine a better experience- wait, did I mention it was $44 each way? Thank you Richard Branson, Virgin America changes everything I knew about traveling through the country. Southwest, you’re dead to me.
As for the actual trip, I’m happy to report that I really like San Francisco. It’s a blur now, but SFMoMA, the Redroom bar at the Clift hotel, our crazy cabbies, tiny pancakes, John & Vinny detailing their trip to the Googleplex, good friends and an amazing city really made it more fun that should’ve been possible in three days. We’re going back soon, if only because we’ve got a serious jones for Asia de Cuba after wetting our appetites with some Tunapica on Saturday (yes, I’m aware that we could do this in L.A… but it’s an excuse to get the hell out of town).
Just because I need the laugh
Sorry Cisco, but let this be a lesson to all of us.. don’t fall asleep at work kids!
Life updates
Since December 1st marked my third decade, Sander figured I should try to kill myself with some supercharged jetski action in Marina del Rey. Normally it wouldn’t phase me but this particular day saw some strong winds and very high/choppy waves.. pretty intimidating stuff for your first time out:
As Sander said- “When the coast guard stops you to say you shouldn’t go out.. you know it’s going to be a good day!”. Luckily, we made it through without incident and I can honestly say I had a blast. Next time I wouldn’t mind if it was just a bit more calm so that I could exploit the 65-70mph top speed these monsters possess.
After resting up for a few hours we had more friends over for a birthday party- I can’t thank Gwen enough for going through all the trouble of putting it together for me (as it went off without a hitch) and I’m grateful to my guests for making the trek down to Redondo. Love you guys!
I’ve been threatening making a bicycle commute a regular part of my week and yesterday I jumped into the great wide open. No traffic, no gas, no idiots on cell-phones.. just 25 miles (round-trip) of coastal bike-path bliss.
Well.. almost.
Turns out yesterday was also one of the largest wave days of the year and as such it brought out crowds from all over to watch in the morning (or attempt to surf it). I expect that the next time I bike in it’ll be a bit more tame as I had to deal with a washed out section of bike path and heavy fog in the evening. Regardless, I came home energized and ready to do it again.
I picked up a ‘07 Novara Buzz for the commute.. it’s a hybrid- mountain bike frame (but in lighter aluminum) with larger width 26″ road tires and disc brakes. It’s suited towards what I want to do and I have no complaints after a few hundred miles.
Still though.. this does open the door to a new addiction. I’m already looking at fixed-gear bikes and pondering the idea of creating a clothing line for commuter cyclists that doesn’t make you look like you just rode in from the Tour de France:
I can’t stand that goofy shit, and to the 200 guys that ride past our place everyday - you’re not fooling anyone, nor does it give you the right to be complete assholes to pedestrians and motorists while on your way to shake your barely-covered ass at Starbucks.
Nobody gives a shit. Seriously.