tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30464640403930123162024-03-05T21:19:42.848-05:00Sports KateSports, advertising, and whatever else I feel like yammering about...Sports Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00329394281122513789noreply@blogger.comBlogger82125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046464040393012316.post-27323651160489273272009-02-25T23:41:00.003-05:002009-02-25T23:47:19.448-05:00We're Moving!Hi readers! As you know, I was considering moving my blog to WordPress, and after careful analysis and feedback from others (confirming what I had already suspected), I've decided to move my blog there.<br /><br />Please update your bookmarks, Google Reader, RSS feeds, etc. accordingly. It is the exact same URL as before, except now use "wordpress" wherever you typed "blogspot" before.<br /><br />The URL in its entirety: <a href="http://sportskate.wordpress.com/">http://www.sportskate.wordpress.com/</a>.<br /><br />I was able to transfer my old posts and comments, but now I have to update some of my links. I look forward to your feedback, but please bear with me while I update YouTube clips and other broken links.<br /><br />See y'all over there and thanks so much for reading!<br /><br />--SKSports Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00329394281122513789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046464040393012316.post-35424532816613320442009-02-25T16:00:00.006-05:002009-02-25T16:12:20.862-05:00WordleInspired by my friend, <a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/04193407721563026855">Dances with Bacon</a> over at the <a href="http://ratedxtra-yummy.blogspot.com/">Rated X-tra Yummy blog</a>, I decided to do a <a href="http://www.wordle.net/">Wordle</a> of my own blog.<br /><br />Who knew my Wordle would be so darn nerdy?<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_iK2pHWSVLzThjbTtRfnPFSacmGxl-eaLhWz-LKW29clANzkb2HFSVokiSqDv5mtB3cSIrsZN6VmrK-o_QkMT9nhXpZv0qRtTWWlukE0g7PV-ZVXE3i1zCFxt9JGSQ-WefHEAcoPuZu-k/s1600-h/blog+wordle+1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 197px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_iK2pHWSVLzThjbTtRfnPFSacmGxl-eaLhWz-LKW29clANzkb2HFSVokiSqDv5mtB3cSIrsZN6VmrK-o_QkMT9nhXpZv0qRtTWWlukE0g7PV-ZVXE3i1zCFxt9JGSQ-WefHEAcoPuZu-k/s400/blog+wordle+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306843340926543282" border="0" /></a><br />I'm guessing it only analyzed my most recent posts. <a href="http://sportskate.blogspot.com/2009/02/easily-distracted-iso-way-out-of.html">One</a> was particularly heavy on the reading front, but I guess it didn't take into account that I haven't really finished any books lately. Funny stuff.<br /><br />By the way, I definitely recommend making your own Wordle. If you love playing with fonts like me, you'll probably (also) take 20 minutes to perfect your own typography/layout/color combination. After much consideration I opted not to make my own color scheme, but chose one of the 20 or so choices listed.Sports Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00329394281122513789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046464040393012316.post-40065015017705440912009-02-25T02:49:00.003-05:002009-02-25T02:58:34.868-05:00Move to WordPress?I keep debating my move to WordPress. Does anyone prefer WordPress to Blogger? Why? Why not? I hear great things about what you can do there if you know any HTML, but so far I've found WP to be confusing.<br /><br />If it were possible, I'd like to make the move while keeping the blog looking pretty similar to the way it does now. I want to retain my "header" image, Georgia for the font, green margins and links to compliment the header picture and the ease in publishing. <br /><br />Does anyone else have issues navigating WP? Or any suggestions on the whole?<br /><br />I was able to import my Blogger work to date to WP, including all pictures I uploaded and comments. My YouTube clips didn't carry over though. I need to comb through and bring it up to the caliber of this site (not tooting my own horn, I'm simply acknowledging the need to improve elsewhere).<br /><br /><a href="http://sportskate.wordpress.com/">Here</a>'s what I've started. Better? Worse? Web gurus, please pass on any wisdom you can! Many thanks!Sports Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00329394281122513789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046464040393012316.post-20337795238295349792009-02-20T23:42:00.003-05:002009-02-20T23:59:19.998-05:00Foulest Commercial Ever...or at least that I've seen in recent memory:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/iT89qfDx3yM&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/iT89qfDx3yM&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Definitely edgy. And makes me want to yak. A lot.<br /><br />Brandfreak awarded it the <a href="http://www.brandfreak.com/2009/02/boost-mobile-tv-ads-are-so-wrong-that-theyre-right-.html">"so bad it's good" award."</a> "It’s not an image you’ll soon forget," they continued. Yeah, I'll say. Well, it certainly cuts through the clutter (<a href="http://blogs.reuters.com/mediafile/tag/180-la/">and I'm not the only one who thinks so</a>).<br /><br />Interesting work from <a href="http://www.180la.com/">180 LA</a> in Santa Monica, Calif.Sports Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00329394281122513789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046464040393012316.post-35109310163271991842009-02-19T23:50:00.002-05:002009-02-20T00:33:50.977-05:00It's a great day to be a WahooI woke up today still smiling about <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">UVA's</span> win over VT last night.<br /><br />I've been a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Wahoo</span> fan for years. <a href="http://blogs.thesabre.com/?p=3024">While heralded in the academic realm, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">UVA's</span> never been known as a football school</a>, like Florida State (in their '90s heyday of course) or a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">USC</span>. Despite sharing a state border with Duke and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">UNC</span>, I'm not sure <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">anyone's</span> called <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">UVA</span> a basketball school either.<br /><br />In my lifetime the big <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">UVA</span> sports accomplishments have been in lacrosse, a sport I first learned about when I saw <span style="font-style: italic;">American Pie</span>, soccer and of late, tennis.<br /><br />The overwhelming majority of positive things I've heard said about <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">UVA</span> basketball have been about <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Sampson">Ralph Sampson</a>, the undisputed king of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Wahoo</span> basketball, who played from 1979-1983. All I can tell you about him is he was the best player in the country at the time, was a 7'4" (yeah, you read that right) center and led <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">UVA</span> to its only Final Four in 1983. Oh yeah, then there was the biggest upset in college basketball history, when the #1 Sampson-led Cavaliers lost to a then-unknown school in Hawaii called <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Chaminade</span>. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">UVA</span> is all about Ralph Sampson facts and is always mentioning on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">viewbooks</span> and other "come to our school" literature that he and Katie <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Couric</span> (two of the most famous alums) lived on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lawn#Uses_of_the_Lawn">The Lawn</a>. Fancy.<br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">UVA's</span> won the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">ACC</span> in basketball once -- in 1976. They've been the the Final Four once -- the time with Sampson in '83.<br /><br />And <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">geez</span>, up until last night we had even lost to Virginia Tech in our last three outings. All were decided by three or less points or an overtime.<br /><br />This is the plight of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">UVA</span> fan. You watch in fear. <span style="font-style: italic;">How bad are they going to beat us this time?</span>, you think when you enter our football stadium against a ranked opponent. Or <span style="font-style: italic;">How long until they blow it?</span>, when they somehow build an comfortable, seemingly <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">insurmountable</span> lead.<br /><br />But at last, we broke down that barrier at least. My <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">Hoos</span> beat the Hokies 75-61 at the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">JPJ</span> last night. (And even crazier, beat #12 Clemson at home over the weekend. But this is our rival. This is Virginia Tech!)<br /><br />Finally, I can say (and this will surely come back and bite me at some point)...<br /><span style="font-size:180%;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:180%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">HOOS</span> WIN, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23">SUCKAS</span>!</span></span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">At least they did last night. And even more today than most days, I'm proud, proud, proud to be an alum.<br /></div></div>Sports Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00329394281122513789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046464040393012316.post-12486590086061892342009-02-18T17:46:00.022-05:002009-02-20T19:30:58.176-05:00Easily distracted F, ISO way out of a reading rut<b style="font-style: italic;">Elaine</b><span style="font-style: italic;">: These are good people, Jerry. They read!<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span><b style="font-style: italic;">Jerry</b><span style="font-style: italic;">: I read, I read!<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span><b style="font-style: italic;">Elaine</b><span style="font-style: italic;">: Books, Jerry<span style="font-weight: bold;">.<br /></span></span><b style="font-style: italic;">Jerry</b><span style="font-style: italic;">: Oh.</span><br /><br />I was watching this Seinfeld episode earlier tonight and caught myself laughing uncontrollably. Who doesn't read books? Oh right, I don't.<br /><br />I <span style="font-style: italic;">do</span> read, of course, and more or less constantly. I'm just reading blogs on my RSS feed, scouring the news online and reading interesting articles my friends share with me via Google Reader and Twitter.<br /><br />Anyway, my problem, like Jerry's, lies in books. It's not that I don't enjoy them. I have become quite the collector over the years, accumulating a pretty impressive library. Disliking books isn't the problem... it's that I start too many simultaneously and can never finish them.<br /><br />It strikes me that the last book I read from start to finish might actually be <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hey-Whipple-Squeeze-This-Creating/dp/0471281395/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1235108485&sr=8-10"><span style="font-style: italic;">Hey Whipple, Squeeze This!</span></a> by Luke Sullivan two, make that three semesters ago. Ouch. I've probably <span style="font-style: italic;">written</span> a book's worth since then!<br /><br />I'll end up starting a new book I'm excited about, read a few chapters, and then next thing I know I've picked up another book and started reading it too, before finishing the first one. Then another. And another. Next thing I know I'm knee deep in five or ten books and never finish any of them. Case in point, here's a photo of what I'm reading now:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3rnE0XjtZudklWgHRtETRhoZ5qrBIEY-f7wqfoJDA3wc6ufj3kpx5-f7CGipltnpZXS1qFwgk3wIuacIqR-DL98c99iNvAlo4umeXBGlA1HomrxYK-2_JIwEmzTTYdB3gl2OFOi5fDScg/s1600-h/book+stack.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3rnE0XjtZudklWgHRtETRhoZ5qrBIEY-f7wqfoJDA3wc6ufj3kpx5-f7CGipltnpZXS1qFwgk3wIuacIqR-DL98c99iNvAlo4umeXBGlA1HomrxYK-2_JIwEmzTTYdB3gl2OFOi5fDScg/s400/book+stack.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5304349487249328978" border="0" /></a><br />What?! That's 10 books! Yeah, it's a problem. But they're all worth reading, so I can't quit! I need help! Heaping amounts of help -- and sanity.<br /><br />So what am I reading? And why? Here's a rundown of the 10:<br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Appeal-John-Grisham/dp/0385342926/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1235108592&sr=1-1"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Appeal</span></a>, by John Grisham. I love everything this guy writes. And this guy can write one helluva suspenseful legal thriller. I'm on about page 138 in this one, which is easily the furthest along I am in any of them.<br /><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/New-Rules-Marketing-PR-Podcasting/dp/0470379286/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1235108640&sr=1-1"><span style="font-style: italic;">The New Rules of Marketing and PR</span></a>, by David Meerman Scott. It's about the PR and marketing in the digital era and delves into issues like social media. Couldn't say a lot more about it since I'm only on page 15 or so.<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><br /><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dixieland-Delight-Football-Southeastern-Conference/dp/0061431249/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1235108710&sr=1-1"><span style="font-style: italic;">Dixieland Delight</span></a>, by Clay Travis. This book's about a guy who goes to a home football game at every SEC school in one season and reports about the tradition, tailgating, food and cultural spectacle of each event. Each chapter covers a different program and it's a little heavy on the frat guy-ish "hot ladies" talk. Otherwise it's an interesting read and I love the idea. Wouldn't mind going on the same adventure myself. I'm on page 98, thanks in a large part to riding the Metro in DC a lot this past weekend.<br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cutting-Edge-Advertising-II-v/dp/9812445579/ref=pd_bbs_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1235108485&sr=8-8"><br /></a></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cutting-Edge-Advertising-II-v/dp/9812445579/ref=pd_bbs_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1235108485&sr=8-8"><span style="font-style: italic;">Cutting Edge Advertising II</span></a>, by Jim Aitchison. As you might guess this is about creating cutting edge advertising that breaks through clutter. It's probably a pretty good read, but didn't make much for beach or pool reading this summer. I still chug along on it occasionally though. I think I'm on about page 60, but I'm starting to forget things I read about in it earlier.<br /><br /></li><li><span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Adobe-Flash-Professional-Classroom-Book/dp/032157382X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1235108800&sr=1-1">Adobe Flash CS4 Classroom in a Book</a>.</span> This is a how-to book intended to teach me how to use Flash. An admirable personal goal, but I'm only on about page 15. Must keep trucking on that one!<br /><br /></li><li><span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Non-Designers-Design-Book-3rd-Designers/dp/0321534042/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1235108842&sr=1-1">The Non Designer's Design Book</a>,</span> by Robin Williams. The book is probably great if you're clueless about design, but I'm using it to make sure I have my bases covered before tackling anything much more advanced. It's OK, but nothing spectacular. I just want to learn from the beginning, so this should be a breeze. Too bad I'm on page 22.<br /><br /></li><li><span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Southern-Belly-Ultimate-Lovers-Guide/dp/1892514656/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1235108883&sr=1-2">Southern Belly: The Ultimate Food Lover's Guide to the South</a>,</span> by John T. Edge. This book's a little disappointing, but I love food, especially fried delicious southern food... don't even get me started. I keep it around for obvious reasons, because not only do I like tasting food, but I love talking food. And we all know I have a soft spot for geography and the south so, why quit? It goes state by state, and I'm on the first one.<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span><br /><br /></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Choice-Nicholas-Sparks/dp/0446618314/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1235108935&sr=1-1"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Choice</span></a>, by Nicholas Sparks. Disclaimer: yes, I'm quite cheesy and I love Sparks books. Yeah, this is a romance story, just like they all are, and I know he's going to break my heart again. But I love the ride, and Sparks is an incredibly gifted writer. I can't resist... until another book snags my attention. I'm on page 113.<br /><br /></li><li><span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Graphic-Design-School-Third-Dabner/dp/0471686832/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1235108971&sr=1-1">Graphic Design School, Third Edition</a>,</span> by David Dabner. This book is excellent! Sometimes I wish I went to design grad school instead of advertising grad school (I stress <span style="font-style: italic;">sometimes</span>), and this book does an excellent job of walking you through the basics of good design, element by element. I'm largely self taught when it comes to things artistic, so I appreciate it immensely. I have it on loan now from the library but really should cough up the $45 to buy it (and by $45 I mean probably $15 if I look hard enough). In the meantime, I'm on page 38.<br /><br /></li><li>And last but not least, <span style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hockey-Dummies-John-Davidson/dp/0764552287/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1235109006&sr=1-1">Hockey for Dummies</a>,</span> by John Davidson and John Steinbreder. I'm interested in one day working in sports and there's the possibility that that opportunity could be in hockey. It wouldn't hurt to know more about it. Also, for some reason I follow and am followed by tons of people working in NHL on Twitter. I'll admit, that's what really made me interested in learning more and picking this up at the library. I'm on page 15 though, but that's because I'm such a hockey dummy (OK, novice) that I'm reading all the prologue business too.</li></ul>Well there you have it. Anyone have any suggestions for an easily amused/easily distracted person in the midst of 10 books? Where should I go from here? Has anyone read any of these and think any are must reads? Any I should dump or throw off a bridge? How do you stop yourself from picking up new books and follow through and finish what you start? Can I ask any more questions?<br /><br />In the meantime, I'm going to stew on this quote from one of my favorite authors.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"The man who doesn't read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read them." --Mark Twain<br /><br /></span>In honor of Mr. Twain, I'm going to read the Grisham book until I fall asleep tonight. And maybe when I'm done I'll finally start <span style="font-style: italic;">The Adventures of Tom Sawyer</span>. Or <span style="font-style: italic;">The Prince and the Pauper</span>. Sweet dreams, world.Sports Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00329394281122513789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046464040393012316.post-60210882833976831712009-02-15T19:25:00.007-05:002009-02-15T19:54:17.409-05:00Big 12 TwinsIf you know me well, you probably have heard me comment at one time or another that Texas basketball coach Rick Barnes and my favorite author, John Grisham, look alike.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIP5NF48Zfe0WS43W1vDHnGAj97iOWq9eYeinKBs60YBP6rmy0Es3_vx4uHtI4iiss3jSYy6BjnNvU1LvP5S702Jw0DScBFIC7UtCpm2rZD-OWZzQmzcfeb2SVLj8hZsWtsApINaLZds4r/s1600-h/barnes+%2B+grisham.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 254px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIP5NF48Zfe0WS43W1vDHnGAj97iOWq9eYeinKBs60YBP6rmy0Es3_vx4uHtI4iiss3jSYy6BjnNvU1LvP5S702Jw0DScBFIC7UtCpm2rZD-OWZzQmzcfeb2SVLj8hZsWtsApINaLZds4r/s400/barnes+%2B+grisham.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303191196122675650" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Left: </span><span style="font-style: italic;">Rick Barnes, </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Right:</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> John Grisham</span></span><br /><br /></div>As of yesterday, I also noticed that the Kansas basketball coach, Bill Self looks a lot like Virginia governor, Tim Kaine.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjynlERKUBfnMU8Zf9WOSsx7k7offO-OIxWauBPScmYh1KzDnyJzMf2rH_frEbqJY29QtO8I5VAtFymnBnPjhOPxZgeEo4espbAUyW-XzIUj67nvRQN4FqHuHEbG35Lg9zMdJlbbRq31N-/s1600-h/self+%2B+kaine.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 219px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjynlERKUBfnMU8Zf9WOSsx7k7offO-OIxWauBPScmYh1KzDnyJzMf2rH_frEbqJY29QtO8I5VAtFymnBnPjhOPxZgeEo4espbAUyW-XzIUj67nvRQN4FqHuHEbG35Lg9zMdJlbbRq31N-/s400/self+%2B+kaine.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303191695906006226" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Left: </span><span style="font-style: italic;">Bill Self, </span><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Right:</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> Tim Kaine</span></span><br /></div><br />Crazy.Sports Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00329394281122513789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046464040393012316.post-17488482519912931362009-02-13T15:35:00.006-05:002009-02-13T16:03:52.214-05:00Dice not so lucky for meA few days ago I wrote a <a href="http://sportskate.blogspot.com/2009/02/nothing-can-compare-to-when-you-roll.html">post</a> about the Finley Quaye song, "Dice." Well, the song may be lucky for Marissa Cooper, Ryan Atwood, Chuck Bartowski, and Morgan Grimes, but Sports Kate, not so much.<br /><br />I was driving to DC to visit my boyfriend for the weekend and got a call from a recruiter at a large agency I interviewed at a few weeks ago. I was pretty sure I wasn't getting the job, but got the confirmation call while listening to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Music-O-C-Mix-1/dp/B0001DMWHA/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1234557766&sr=8-1">Music from The O.C.: Mix 1</a>*, track 10 (the very song that's lucky for everyone else) en route when I got the call.<br /><br />I'm OK with it. Honest truth is, rejection is pretty nice these days. Most of the time you don't hear anything. People could be flushing my applications down the toilet upon arrival for all that I know. Or throwing my resume and cover letter in some gigantic weekly bonfire with all the materials from other rejected applicants. (If that's the case, where's my invitation? I'm a country girl for crying out loud, I love a good bonfire!) Or maybe they're all getting flown around in some fancy spaceship for eventual deposit in some intergalactic landfill. Who knows.<br /><br />All I know is that when I have my lucky phone call a song other than "Dice" will be playing in the background. What lucky song that will be is anyone's guess. Oh well. One down, one less than infinity to go in finding out what my lucky song is.<br /><br /><br />*You can hate on me all you want for owning this CD. I own mixes 1, 2 and 4 from the show. All of them are quite wonderful. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandra_Patsavas">Alexandra Patsavas</a> supervised music for The O.C. and now does for Grey's Anatomy and Gossip Girl. The lady has good taste and her work introduced me to several pretty sweet musicians including Death Cab for Cutie, Jem, Sufjan Stevens and South. She knows what she's doing and she's more than welcome to bring her own iPod to DJ my next shindig.Sports Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00329394281122513789noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046464040393012316.post-39365680310996903752009-02-13T01:03:00.009-05:002009-02-13T10:40:39.242-05:00Life's too short to be so cynicalA few years ago I had a part-time summer job where I sold bets or "wagers" <a href="http://www.colonialdowns.com/">at the local horse-racing track</a>. Yep, I was a bookie, according to my friends. It was your typical summer job... outdoorsy, not too rigorous, and it had an insignificant commute and bizarre hours. Anyway, my duties consisted of sitting on a barstool for five- and six-hour shifts, wearing a polo shirt and khakis and ringing up bets. The stools were populated by all sorts of "tellers" as we were called: college students on breaks (like me), teachers who had summers off, retirees who sought the socializing, those who worked at OTBs (off-track betting parlors) and others that were lured by the $12/hr plus tips the job offered.<br /><br />Anyway, all types of people came to bet there as well: compulsive gamblers, families with young kids that wanted to see horses, 20-somethings that yearned to spend a summer day outside whilst draining mint juleps and other higher brow concoctions, and <a href="http://www.redhatsociety.com/aboutus/howitstarted.html">Red Hat Society</a> ladies.<br /><br />My personal pet peeve was when people asked the same stupid questions repeatedly. There'd always be the guy who asked you to explain what an exacta or trifecta box was right before every race of the day's 12-race program. Or the lady who would bet on a horse to win and thus not be able to collect the money she could have if she made a place or show bet. And she'd complain that she was robbed after every race, despite your numerous explanations. I didn't mind the first or second explanation, but the repetition beyond that grated my nerves.<br /><br />Anyway, one day I muttered something to a retiree sitting beside me about a customer who had annoyed me in about five or so straight races with the same question. The race had gone off a ndI was always cautious not to complain when customers were around. The other teller was someone I had shared many a laugh with and we had bonded over our similar senses of sarcasm.<br /><br />"You know, you're too young to be this cynical," he said to me, in complete seriousness.<br /><br />I was flabbergasted; I skipped a breath. <span style="font-style: italic;">What?</span>, I almost yelled in immediate defiance.<br /><br />The man's comment pierced through me like nothing anyone had ever said to me before. It was honest. Painfully honest. The brutal directness I so badly needed. And I knew it.<br /><br />I had no choice but to make a conscious effort to change my attitude. I didn't have a poisonous attitude by any stretch of the imagination, but I was sarcastic, pessimistic, and yeah, cynical.<br /><br />It hasn't been easy. If anyone enjoys making snide comments or wisecracks, it's me. But there's a time and place for all that. It was at this moment that I realize that the time and place wasn't everywhere and always.<br /><br />Sure, I'm still pretty sarcastic today, but I think I'm a lot more level-headed. I don't get angry when I see PDA. Now I sorta smile and think about how nice it is when you're in love. If people ask annoying (or repetitive) questions, I now breathe, answer them politely, and move on. If people are participating in something I deem odd, I don't judge as much. Life's too short. Let them be who they are, have fun. Who's to say anything I ever say or do is any less idiotic or embarrassing or worthy of admonishing?<br /><br />I think as a society, we're too quick to judge. Too ready to complain (OK, I acknowledge I violate this rule continually, but hey, I'm trying to reform!). Always disapproving of others without any real justification.<br /><br />I say, just try to be more optimistic. Open-minded. Loving. Free to express ourselves without judgment. If you can't be this way everyday, just try to be it some days. Over time, you'll be kinder. You'll go from one day a week of optimism to three. Life is too short to hold all this excessive pent-up anger. You know it is.<br /><br />And trust me, people pick up on cynicism. Not everyone's going to tell you something you need to fix. I'm so glad that man told me though, because who knows where I'd be without it.<br /><br />Again, bitterness has a time and a place. And yes, it can be funny. But don't let it be your only funny.Sports Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00329394281122513789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046464040393012316.post-43253930610354324642009-02-08T16:59:00.003-05:002009-02-08T17:43:21.860-05:00Nothing can compare to when you roll the dice and play the same poignant song...Is there anyone else who was both an avid The O.C. fan and watches Chuck?<br /><br />I just started watching the latter a few weeks ago. (Sidebar: I was a huge fan of The O.C. when it first came out. It's first season is certainly one of the best seasons of television I've ever watched. It fell apart for me sometime in the second season, though I still watched most of that season, but then quit sometime before seasons three and four.) My mom gave my dad Chuck's first season for Christmas, and once they finished watching, it got passed along to me. I love the show. I've only seen the first season and part of the way through the premiere of the second season... thanks slow DSL and your long waits for buffering Hulu.<br /><br />Anyway, I couldn't help but notice that Chuck's producer, Josh Schwartz, opted to use the exact same song, <a href="http://www.last.fm/music/Finley+Quaye/_/Dice">"Dice" by Finley Quaye and William Orbit</a>, for a similar scene in Chuck as he had for The O.C., the show he had created and produced in 2003. It blew my mind. Take a look:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/U9IyJ3w4SWY&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/U9IyJ3w4SWY&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Earlier in the episode, Marissa (the girl at the party) accidentally let the L-bomb slip to her boyfriend, Ryan and they spent New Year's Eve apart. Then it was a race against the clock for Ryan to make it to Oliver's party to kiss Marissa by midnight.<br /><br />On Chuck, Chuck is a Nerd Herder (think member of Best Buy's Geek Squad) by day and secret agent by night. As one might expect this life poses constant conflict with real life and often drags him away from plans he's made with Ellie, his sister, or his best friend Morgan. Every year Morgan and Chuck dress as a sandworm for their annual Halloween party. Once again, spy duty called for Chuck and it wasn't looking like Chuck would make the party in time. But wouldn't you know, he made it at the last second, and guess what song came on:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/qRamGUx4eQc&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/qRamGUx4eQc&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Did anyone else notice?<br /><br />Also, here's some more trivia: Josh Schwartz is also the producer for Gossip Girl. Let's hope Chuck and Gossip Girl can maintain their momentum for longer than their Schwartzian predecessor. Maybe there will be more inside jokes to look forward to on the programs in the future.Sports Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00329394281122513789noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046464040393012316.post-73712935408135895572009-01-25T12:30:00.016-05:002009-01-25T20:29:02.360-05:0025 things you probably didn't know about meI've been suffering a bit of writer's block lately. Well not really, I've been really good at <span style="font-style: italic;">starting</span> blog posts (I have about seven drafts in waiting for eventual completion) and I've been writing TONS of cover letters for jobs, but I'm not sure that qualifies as real writing. Anyway, it's been awhile since the last post, so here goes...<br /><br />I've seen this "25 random things about me" posted all over the blogosphere, and I figured I'd take a crack at it myself. I loved my friend <a href="http://ahokieandawahoo.blogspot.com/2009/01/25-random-things.html">Katie's</a> version... here's mine:<br /><ol><li>I have a very bizarre obsession with everything <a href="http://www.visitnc.com/">North Carolina</a>. I have no idea how it started, since I'm Virginian, but I know I loved the southern neighbor since I was in elementary school. The <a href="http://www.outerbanks.org/index.asp">beaches</a>, the food (mmmm <a href="http://www.ncbbqsociety.com/trail.html">Carolina BBQ</a>), the landscape, the weather. What's not to like?<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPp9sXFAqkoAIFLv_eDKH6ZINW7t_Kj-XG4pkCz1jX9gHYKuWLgtC_NOuejPkQCxOLqT8ZARYjG2it_C0-vio3fP40vjWg7TZIS410sEhJId1_P_c2zHNfjj-KCB-ukycMr0fm8z94LMCd/s1600-h/VA-NC+flair.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 146px; height: 152px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPp9sXFAqkoAIFLv_eDKH6ZINW7t_Kj-XG4pkCz1jX9gHYKuWLgtC_NOuejPkQCxOLqT8ZARYjG2it_C0-vio3fP40vjWg7TZIS410sEhJId1_P_c2zHNfjj-KCB-ukycMr0fm8z94LMCd/s400/VA-NC+flair.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295350904699167346" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">I may or may not have invented this "<a href="http://apps.facebook.com/getflair/">piece of flair</a>" in the past year.</span></span><br /></div><br /></li><li>I'm the oldest of three; I have two younger brothers.<br /><br /></li><li>I was a lifeguard for seven years. Seven! Granted, I'm mostly counting summers, but that's over 1/4 of my life that I was certified for aquatic rescue.<br /><br /></li><li>I earned 12 varsity letters in high school. Can you guess what sports?<br /><br /></li><li>According to my elementary school diary (which I found the other day), I wanted to go to <a href="http://www.duke.edu/">Duke</a> and run cross country.<br /><br /></li><li>When I was in high school I was bound and determined to go to college out-of-state. I wanted to apply to <a href="http://www.ufl.edu/">Florida</a>, <a href="http://www.unc.edu/">UNC</a>, Duke, <a href="http://www.ncsu.edu/">NC State</a>, <a href="http://www.msu.edu/">Michigan State</a>, <a href="http://www.pepperdine.edu/">Pepperdine</a>, and <a href="http://tulane.edu/">Tulane</a>. My parents said I could pay the difference if I went out-of-state, so I applied early decision to one school, UVA. Luckily I got in, so no more applications after that! (By the way I'm relieved it's where I went to school, even if I picked it for all the wrong reasons.) Probably needless to say, my preferences were shamefully based on sports. (Though obviously Pepperdine was for its Malibu-ness.)<br /><br /></li><li>Speaking of Tulane, I've always wanted to go spend a week in New Orleans. I've been collecting travel brochures for the city since high school. I've been ready for beignets, Cafe du Monde, jazz, the French Quarter, and of course Cajun food, for years. No clue why I haven't been yet.<br /><br /></li><li>I'm gaga for vinaigrettes on salads. I love going to restaurants and trying different variations of this simple dressing -- pomegranate, cilantro lime, balsamic, citrus, blue cheese, whatever. Most of the time the trials are a resounding success.<br /><br /></li><li>Every year I seeeriously consider taking off the opening day of March Madness. And I'm not counting that day with the #65 versus #64 play-in game.<br /><br /></li><li>Ain't nothin' like some sweet tea. 'Cept maybe skim milk. I crush around two gallons of moo juice a week.<br /><br /></li><li>My dad named the street I grew up on.<br /><br /></li><li>When I was about 7 or 8 my brother and I got in a shouting match. He threw a Matchbox car at my face and I chipped a tooth. Oddly enough, I chipped the same tooth as my boyfriend who also chipped his when he was around that age.<br /><br /></li><li>I LOVE driving. Most people don't know that because I always call "not driving" when there's uninteresting driving like driving across town or running errands. But few things top being behind the wheel on a road trip or on backroads, where you really get to see the country.<br /><br /></li><li>In elementary school I had a gigantic crush on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_Laettner">Christian Laettner</a> (I imagine this is what sparked the desire to run XC at Duke). In middle school it was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danny_Wuerffel">Danny Wuerffel</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chipper_Jones">Chipper Jones</a>.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmjRgBdyyjWlxwG7g7mpXU1TfMXhGkwfEHGxALxWvMBRZ1kShjFckqNyRDAaWpCi_acElNRDW24PgvD-b_pdvHYBYl8E2UynpOO9eTv19qSFg-VDSM4vmwH_32MhWC7QNHZ-uTyv1FV-Jm/s1600-h/middle+school+crushes.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 262px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmjRgBdyyjWlxwG7g7mpXU1TfMXhGkwfEHGxALxWvMBRZ1kShjFckqNyRDAaWpCi_acElNRDW24PgvD-b_pdvHYBYl8E2UynpOO9eTv19qSFg-VDSM4vmwH_32MhWC7QNHZ-uTyv1FV-Jm/s400/middle+school+crushes.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295339828493005714" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Hotness, as determined by a fourth grader. And a seventh grader. Methinks my tastes were better as a younger youngster.</span></span><br /><br /></div></li><li>Some people dream of one day going to a Super Bowl. Others Wimbledon, The Masters. I've always wanted to go to the <a href="http://www.sportstravel.com/college-basketball/acc-tournament.php">ACC Tournament</a>. And the Summer Olympics to watch the swimming.<br /><br /></li><li>I'm super into U.S. geography. Don't know why but for some reason I had the states and capitals memorized for fun by about age 6. I find this country is unbelievably interesting, with its vast differences in landscape and climate. I love knowing which interstates go where, how far X is from Y, what time zone a city is in. I love that it's rare when someone names a place in Virginia that I haven't heard of or vaguely know where that is. No clue where these interests stem from.<br /><br /></li><li>The summer before grad school I drove around Oregon for a week and a half. I drove around 2000 miles and saw <a href="http://www.nps.gov/crla/">Crater Lake National Park</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Hood">Mt. Hood</a>, the Wilhammette<em></em> Valley, the coast, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multnomah_Falls">Multnomah Falls</a> and the Columbia River Gorge, beautiful forests, rose-laden Portland, Bend, and funky Eugene. Loved it.<br /><br /></li><li>Speaking of, the most beautiful place I've ever been to is a tossup between Crater Lake N.P. and Big Sur, on the gorgeous California coast.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdgMQ2dUMgapykksVF2zmGF-k29UMyFIDddrgDvkhzNP8XHz5ihMViQ2EOxeylkfS7FoZ8GpLM-8-lqkviMfbA9YU6AngNWU9OF1BlQmTLCw1OoDH0gXqwYauLjz-thCoAhkrRzfpGT8ne/s1600-h/crater+lake+%2B+big+sur.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 346px; height: 124px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdgMQ2dUMgapykksVF2zmGF-k29UMyFIDddrgDvkhzNP8XHz5ihMViQ2EOxeylkfS7FoZ8GpLM-8-lqkviMfbA9YU6AngNWU9OF1BlQmTLCw1OoDH0gXqwYauLjz-thCoAhkrRzfpGT8ne/s400/crater+lake+%2B+big+sur.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295348011909037506" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Left: Crater Lake, Right: Big Sur</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Which do you prefer?</span></span><br /></div><br /></div></li><li>I never left the eastern time zone until 2005, when on a trip to Chicago with some college buddies.<br /><br /></li><li>Never left the country til last summer, when I went to Cabo, Mexico.<br /><br /></li><li>I love getting souvenirs. Silly things I like getting: maps, state flags, postcards, license plates, silly t-shirts and shotglasses. But what could be better than going to a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuckey%27s">Stuckey's</a> (redneck central!) and buying state magnets?<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwC_n-5k2-ryCfr0mTDMd31vkI_NC5GohyphenhyphenJuQNCEuHqbJXwfQ6jqDpVNWV5Nlo_xtdY4C_NX30GabW_rGW9c1z7_z7Xogca5otLjjF5HMwIQNR-QUCG6kYKeyq2r-dYYD9G6uiPmlJOlzj/s1600-h/state+magnets.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 307px; height: 244px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwC_n-5k2-ryCfr0mTDMd31vkI_NC5GohyphenhyphenJuQNCEuHqbJXwfQ6jqDpVNWV5Nlo_xtdY4C_NX30GabW_rGW9c1z7_z7Xogca5otLjjF5HMwIQNR-QUCG6kYKeyq2r-dYYD9G6uiPmlJOlzj/s400/state+magnets.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5295342521778754962" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Geography geekiness meets souvenir silliness. The two most recent additions to my collection, both in the past month. Bonus: got the NC one at a <a href="http://www.stuckeys.com/store_detail.php?id=8641">Stuckey's that was half in VA, half in NC</a>. I believe that's what we'd call heaven on earth. It did have both Carolina BBQ + a Dairy Queen after all!<br /></span></span></div><br /></li><li>Other than my year and a half in Austin, I've only lived in Virginia.<br /><br /></li><li>In college I was part of a group of 10 students that camped out 17 days for tickets to a home UVA basketball game against, you guessed it, Duke. We scored front row seats and some of us met Dick Vitale. He autographed a poster at the game that looked <a href="http://www.truthaboutduke.com/shop_dis.php?photoid=29">exactly like this</a> (though for other people). Oh yeah, and UVA won the game!<br /><br /></li><li>My dad taught me how to back dive by bribing me with a <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/rakka/21274204/">Strawberry Scooter Bar</a>. Apparently everyone else in the world calls them Strawberry Shortcake Bars.<br /><br /></li><li>When I was younger I was embarrassed of my southern accent whenever I visited my grandparents and extended family in Pittsburgh. As a result, I phased out the word "y'all" for several years. Then one day I finally decided it was stupid and ever since used the word y'all as much as possible around them.<br /></li></ol>Sports Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00329394281122513789noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046464040393012316.post-40221904820996094632009-01-07T14:07:00.006-05:002009-01-07T15:02:40.310-05:00Football's Yellow Line ExplainedHow do they get that yellow line to show up on-screen in a football game? The one the offense has to cross to pick up a first down?<br /><br />Will the day ever come that the players will see that line? Probably not, but <a href="http://www.fandome.com/video/107610/The-Mystery-of-the-Yellow-Line/">here's</a> an interesting video about the making and implementation of the yellow line we've so come to love in watching NFL and NCAA football on TV.<br /><br /><embed src="%27http://www.fandome.com/flashplayer/sportsbox.swf%27" bgcolor="'234463'" allowscriptaccess="'always'" allowfullscreen="'true'" flashvars="'backcolor=" frontcolor="FFFFFF&lightcolor=" file="http%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Flazyjock%2F107610.flv&logo=" volume="100&image=" link="http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fandome.com%2Fvideo%2F107610%2FThe-Mystery-of-the-Yellow-Line%2F&state=" stretching="exactfit&autostart=" plugins="yourlytics-1,quickkeys-1,viral-1,googlytics-1yourlytics.callback=" com="" ajax="" vid="107610'/" width="480" height="380"></embed><embed src="%27http://www.fandome.com/flashplayer/sportsbox.swf%27" bgcolor="'234463'" allowscriptaccess="'always'" allowfullscreen="'true'" flashvars="'backcolor=" frontcolor="FFFFFF&lightcolor=" file="http%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Flazyjock%2F107610.flv&logo=" volume="100&image=" link="http%3A%2F%2Fwww.fandome.com%2Fvideo%2F107610%2FThe-Mystery-of-the-Yellow-Line%2F&state=" stretching="exactfit&autostart=" plugins="yourlytics-1,quickkeys-1,viral-1,googlytics-1yourlytics.callback=" com="" ajax="" vid="107610'/" width="480" height="380"></embed>What on earth did we do before this? Guess where the first down line was based on where the orange stick-holding <a href="http://football.about.com/cs/football101/g/gl_chaingang.htm">chain gang</a> was on the sideline? That is so 1995.<br /><br />The technology was <a href="http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/print/6449">unveiled in 1998</a> by <a href="http://www.sportvision.com/">Sportvision</a> and adopted first by ESPN, landing the network an Emmy for technical innovation. It was aptly named <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1st_%26_Ten_%28graphics_system%29">1st and Ten</a>.<br /><br />"That yellow line has become such a staple in U.S. football that no self-respecting network would think of televising a game without it," according to the <a href="http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/print/6449">IEEE Spectrum article</a>.<br /><br />This despite the hefty $2 million pricetag for development.<br /><br />Thanks <a href="http://www.twitter.com/">Twitter</a>, for pointing me in the direction of this and many of the most interesting articles/videos I've seen in the past few months.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Further reading: </span><a href="http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/first-down-line.htm">HowStuffWorks.com</a>Sports Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00329394281122513789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046464040393012316.post-87021958572000610432009-01-06T03:14:00.011-05:002009-01-06T16:23:13.061-05:00GI've know for a little while that Gatorade had been planning to unveil new packaging, since I had "read" this <a href="http://www.thedieline.com/blog/2008/11/new-gatorade-pa.html">blog post</a> about it on <a href="http://www.thedieline.com/blog/">TheDieline</a>, the self-proclaimed (and can't say I disagree) "leading package design website."<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIWNGuYkDDwO5MLh5hbeXPO61JNT5PzI7N4AfOF5kisBo17Vi2Tz9Fb9Xj-cV2h9wC-JHms1zK_-vewLYMCKLGk0qACk5_-OoWziYWsk7zpGZgPqsSj41oXyg0uFaFy4_WMr687fIHHs1I/s1600-h/gatorade+G+1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 278px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIWNGuYkDDwO5MLh5hbeXPO61JNT5PzI7N4AfOF5kisBo17Vi2Tz9Fb9Xj-cV2h9wC-JHms1zK_-vewLYMCKLGk0qACk5_-OoWziYWsk7zpGZgPqsSj41oXyg0uFaFy4_WMr687fIHHs1I/s400/gatorade+G+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288106269445011794" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Gatorade redesign. Photo courtesy TheDieline.</span></span><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I wasn't a fan of the design at first... It seemed a little Adobe-ish for some reason, even though Adobe uses a sans-serif font and this G has a quasi-serif, but I thought the lightning bolt logo would save the design from being a total dud due to easy recognition. I say Adobe-ish because the label blends in exactly with the color of the contents and is straightforward, simple, brightly colored and easy to read, just like these Adobe product logos:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx_pnvRFjyY28HGeyr4HB-wg4cX6fG8b23TxcKVM-5ydBO5Vox8vE1lpSc6K-LQrpADjeA5PY_wwVYFR49ONfa64AsfLoILvbj_UVOim7FSFCWjQw8cQ-ADHJwQp5sQifOdCK6K5d5VZdR/s1600-h/adobe+logos.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 286px; height: 286px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx_pnvRFjyY28HGeyr4HB-wg4cX6fG8b23TxcKVM-5ydBO5Vox8vE1lpSc6K-LQrpADjeA5PY_wwVYFR49ONfa64AsfLoILvbj_UVOim7FSFCWjQw8cQ-ADHJwQp5sQifOdCK6K5d5VZdR/s400/adobe+logos.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288105717809351618" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Adobe logos from </span><a style="font-style: italic;" href="http://thesystem.tv/now/category/os-wars/">The System</a><span style="font-style: italic;">.</span></span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">While in <a href="http://www.ukrops.com/about/about_ukrops.asp">Ukrop's</a> (the best grocery store in the world) last week I saw several "new package Gatorades" but they were missing the signature lightning bolt. Yeah, it was in the sports drink section, and yeah I knew the brand planned to redesign its package, but I wonder if anyone else had walked by looking for product, got confused and left. Probably not, but you never know.<br /><br />Anyway, I'm not a fan of those Gatorades lacking the lightning bolt, and I'm also not wild about the related "G" commercials that have flooded the airwaves these past few days. First of all, I was actually <span style="font-style: italic;">aware</span> of the packaging change, but still didn't recognize right away that the commercials were for Gatorade. Truth be told, after the first watch I sorta thought, is this a commercial for <a href="http://www.georgetown.edu/">Georgetown</a>? Why are all these athletes on here? What's G? The G reminded me of the Georgetown G (see below) for some reason. It also crossed my mind that it could be for some new line for Nike.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtfIemYliU_sdp5mR9mZGDGxcwWuLT9iOD6xE_Md-a2C9xWaBIZZ91rkhYkEm5kpZdD_PLRiuw26bMvuwqRClyWDdRjDb8UFllGjPoToCHVYVOO5rWI7iSE1hOfuKw39BbEwi9TOkrLJYy/s1600-h/G-georgetown1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 143px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtfIemYliU_sdp5mR9mZGDGxcwWuLT9iOD6xE_Md-a2C9xWaBIZZ91rkhYkEm5kpZdD_PLRiuw26bMvuwqRClyWDdRjDb8UFllGjPoToCHVYVOO5rWI7iSE1hOfuKw39BbEwi9TOkrLJYy/s400/G-georgetown1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5288110119356104834" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Georgetown G. From georgetown.edu.<br /></span></span></div><br />Anyway, here are some of the new "G" ads. What do you think?<br /><br /><object width="480" height="295"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/SQ976VSrw_0&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/SQ976VSrw_0&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="295"></embed></object><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/cGKAVAAHdWc&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/cGKAVAAHdWc&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />The ads are the work of <a href="http://www.tbwa.com/">TBWA\Chiat\Day</a>. I think the music is catchy (it's been in my head off and on all day long, with the exception of Texas' "give 'em hell, give 'em hell, make 'em eat shit" chant from the Fiesta Bowl) and the use of celebrity endorsers certainly makes it memorable (Lil Wayne's voice, Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali, Tiger Woods, Peyton Manning, Serena Williams, etc.). But what difference does it make if people don't know what the product is?<br /><br />In my non-scientific convenience sample of my family (five), I was the only one to know what the product was within three views. That's pathetic for the brand considering at least three of us drink the product semi-regularly and all five of us are passionate about sports and recognized the majority of the athletes.<br /><br />In a <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/id/28506117?__source=RSS*blog*&par=RSS">more reliable, though still unscientific poll</a> on <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/">CNBC</a>'s <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/id/15837629/">Sports Biz with Darren Rovell blog</a>, the survey found that 37 percent of the 287 respondents "don't like the spot, don't like the 'G' idea." Though 57 percent of the respondents did enjoy the ads, but were almost evenly split between "OK with the 'G' idea" and "just say it's Gatorade."<br /><br />According to the blog post, one reader said, "I don't know why this is so awesome, it just is."<br /><br />Bleh. Can't say I agree. I stop paying attention to the voiceover about five seconds in, though I keep wondering what celebrity will next cross my screen. And the song never quits!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Additional reading: </span> <a href="http://adage.com/songsforsoap/post?article_id=133556&search_phrase=tbwa%20gatorade%20commercial">AdAge on G</a><br /></div></div></div>Sports Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00329394281122513789noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046464040393012316.post-87573286296900907422009-01-04T13:03:00.008-05:002009-01-04T14:22:49.068-05:00Thunderstorm of miscellany... and welcome 2009!Hi all! Hope your holidays and 2009 are treating ya well so far! Apologies for going underground again... It's been a whirlwind with graduating, job hunting, moving across the country, the holidays, and visiting with friends and family. An enjoyable whirlwind however.<br /><br />Hopefully I'm back for a while, but here's a smorgasbord of thoughts... Sorry in advance, it's quite the hodgepodge:<br /><ul><li>Should I get a job immediately? Or should I take up other pursuits for a while before getting back into the working world? While I'd prefer to get a job sooner rather than later, I'm not killing myself to get my job tomorrow. Here's an interesting <a href="http://adage.com/gennext/post?article_id=133524&search_phrase=last%20summer">article</a> in last week's AdAge weighing in on the merits of waiting versus full speed ahead. Good comments in feedback section too.<br /><br /></li><li>Holy monkey I've become so into <a href="http://www.twitter.com">Twitter</a>. If measured only by time spent on the network these past few weeks, it's safe to say it's surpassed <a href="http://www.facebook.com">Facebook</a> as my favorite social network. Granted I use them for totally different purposes. Will post on this topic soon.<br /><br /></li><li>Building an advertising portfolio online is quite the daunting task. It's consumed my life the past few days. I'm learning a lot, but am realizing it's quite the steep learning curve. However, things to thank for my little bits of success thus far: the few HTML tags I retained from CS 105 or whatever computer science class I took undergrad, and copious use of tips on forums. Thanks internet... though I have a long way to go.<br /><br /></li><li>I'm in love with Adobe's <a href="http://www.adobe.com/training/books/classroom.html">Classroom in a Book</a> series. These books introduce the reader to the Adobe software of choice and assign relevant projects that can be completed step-by-step. Cheapest prices I've seen since the release of their CS4 line has been on Amazon with about $34 per (Adobe's price is around $52). They have titles available for <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Adobe-Photoshop-CS4-Classroom-Book/dp/032157379X">Photoshop</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Adobe-Illustrator-CS4-Classroom-Book/dp/0321573781/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_b">Illustrator</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Adobe-InDesign-CS4-Classroom-Book/dp/0321573803/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_c">InDesign</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Adobe-Dreamweaver-CS4-Classroom-Book/dp/0321573811/ref=pd_sim_b_2">Dreamweaver</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Adobe-Flash-Professional-Classroom-Book/dp/032157382X/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b">Flash</a> and more. I have varying experience with the first four, but am hoping to add Flash to my repertoire in the coming weeks thanks to this series (and Christmas). And I'm a big fan of offline solutions to software problems and reading something tangible.<br /><br /></li><li>Not into the clunky book idea? You can always try <a href="http://www.lynda.com">lynda.com</a> tutorials. They're available for tons of graphic design and web software and other computing topics. Examples of a few you could find: <a href="http://movielibrary.lynda.com/html/modPage.asp?ID=632">creating games for the Wii using Flash CS3</a>, <a href="http://movielibrary.lynda.com/html/modListing.asp?sid=134">essential training for bloggers</a>, and <a href="http://movielibrary.lynda.com/html/modPage.asp?ID=17">typographic principles</a>. I'm already making notes in my head of potential classes I'd like to take on the site. You can get access to ALL the training on the site for $25/month (as often as you want). Or I recommend using this (copy and paste): <a href="http://www.lynda.com/deke">http://www.lynda.com/deke</a> to get a free 7-day trial before committing.<br /><br /></li><li>I have tons of commercials I've seen lately that I'd like to comment on. Stay tuned.<br /><br /></li><li>I have decided that I'm going to treat Feb. 1 as the new year as far as resolutions go. That way, I can use all of January to come up with a good one. And, should I choose a gym- or fitness-related resolution, everyone else will have broken theirs by then, so I'll have less competition for treadmills, rowing machines and the pool.<br /><br /></li><li>I have the best family and friends in the world. Seriously. Way to make 2008 rock and I'm looking forward to the continued fun in the new year. Stay warm all!<br /></li></ul>Sports Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00329394281122513789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046464040393012316.post-41329619334408113422008-12-23T19:09:00.000-05:002008-12-24T16:58:22.874-05:00I-10 TastinessWell, I'm back in Virginia, but not without a three-day gastrointestinal journey through the South. My route, TX-71 to I-10 to I-95, was an exhausting 1600-mile ride, but it was the tasty gems along the way that made it memorable.<br /><br />Sidebar: thanks to three people for their great suggestions for the route: MJ, SO, KG. Fantastic picks!<br /><br />We got to see several cities I had never been to before on the route: Houston, Baton Rouge, Mobile and Jacksonville. Also went through some more familiar places, including a hilarious interlude at <a href="http://www.pedroland.com/">South of the Border</a>, the biggest tourist trap in the world (just 'cuz), and any east coast must -- a stop for vinegar-based NC BBQ. Oh how I've missed this delicacy in my time in Texas.<br /><br />I got to sample three of the suggested eateries along the way: <a href="http://www.thechimes.com/">The Chimes</a>, an off-campus LSU haunt where I tried the crawfish etouffe, and across Baton Rouge, <a href="http://local.yahoo.com/info-18245033-coffee-call-baton-rouge?csz=Baton+Rouge%2C+LA">Coffee Call</a>, a great 24-hour coffeeshop with stellar beignets, hidden in a strip mall. Finally, in Jacksonville, I dove into a fried chicken dinner with all-you-can-eat sides for $8.46 at <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A44817-2005Jan28.html">Beach Road Chicken Dinners</a>. It was quite the culinary marathon.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuEGqswD-dhu2WoI5X7ELEtb9EDAii5p2CfZkwCXhSAUPslv9tbnzTrHbpD0pCGYSvM73blaHSf3dXcyZrqpAcmD8AHanuHlpUf11ofLaYrPlOcti1F3QcSLXNC9bUekyRA6dgskaUq1l1/s1600-h/beach+road+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuEGqswD-dhu2WoI5X7ELEtb9EDAii5p2CfZkwCXhSAUPslv9tbnzTrHbpD0pCGYSvM73blaHSf3dXcyZrqpAcmD8AHanuHlpUf11ofLaYrPlOcti1F3QcSLXNC9bUekyRA6dgskaUq1l1/s400/beach+road+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283151606146081330" border="0" /></a><br />The Chimes was a good place to relax and enjoy some Louisiana fare in a laidback college town environment. While I slaughtered the pronunciation of etouffe and roumelade and other French words, I made up for it with my prowess in taking down Coffee Call's beignet fingers 15 minutes later. My "small" order of beignets (about $3) was a large enough serving to feed me breakfast for three days. I ate the majority in one sitting though: I'm just that gross (or awesome, depending on the judge).<br /><br />Night two brought me to the granddaddy of all southern feasts: Beach Road Chicken Dinners. I chowed down on perfectly crispy fried chicken and an endless supply of buttery biscuits, hush puppies, fries, mashed potatoes, gravy, cole slaw and cream peas. All was sloshed down with an endless stream of sweet tea. All this for under $10. Unreal. The meal was quite the spectacle. We ordered drinks, my dad excused himself to wash his hands, and upon his return our entire table was filled with family style side dishes and a massive centerpiece of fried chicken. Doesn't get much better than that!<br /><br />A preview of what <a href="http://www.southernliving.com/">Southern Living</a> called the Best Fried Chicken in the South in 1997 and #1 in <a href="http://www.jacksonvillemag.com/">Jacksonville Magazine</a>:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizrBfO_J1e_-w4uoHjEn2UAT5AzDkYpM0JgHGi05FrQotTqhEPDcx6l_f3AudmM4Q_sy3fbVOZzhArocJc15MchjNmrO2rmq8rLdiatVygMSFQnG-dMGCIAAGxBJFg7NI9_wGwBmyQvSTU/s1600-h/beach+road+3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizrBfO_J1e_-w4uoHjEn2UAT5AzDkYpM0JgHGi05FrQotTqhEPDcx6l_f3AudmM4Q_sy3fbVOZzhArocJc15MchjNmrO2rmq8rLdiatVygMSFQnG-dMGCIAAGxBJFg7NI9_wGwBmyQvSTU/s400/beach+road+3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283151928118224722" border="0" /></a><br />Here is where I found what may be the tastiest equation discovered in 2008:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center; font-weight: bold;">French fries + mashed potatoes + gravy = Insanely awesome <span style="font-weight: normal;">(translated: fries dipped in mashed potatoes with gravy could be the world's best kept food secret)</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Since every great meal should end with dessert, I leave you with a taste (sorry this isn't Taste-o-vision) of Coffee Call's beignet fingers...</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZEUaz5mtOi42YwNLr5sW2XIyHMU6Jo5zxyLyjIwlnXBBtUsU_rRM_cgIM0JrK-FlHMakbJonQq2qNZiUuI2hFEfA9vXmFRb8ZPfZSikgZkVQ2z9Iz3DVLS5-fVPKqWVqs2CXi_0338N7Y/s1600-h/coffee+call.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZEUaz5mtOi42YwNLr5sW2XIyHMU6Jo5zxyLyjIwlnXBBtUsU_rRM_cgIM0JrK-FlHMakbJonQq2qNZiUuI2hFEfA9vXmFRb8ZPfZSikgZkVQ2z9Iz3DVLS5-fVPKqWVqs2CXi_0338N7Y/s400/coffee+call.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283154638528963970" border="0" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></div></div>Beach Road Chicken Dinners pictures courtesy of the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/81181002@N00/">Travelin Man's Photostream on Flickr</a><br /><a href="http://farm1.static.flickr.com/85/237368090_307f673947.jpg?v=0">Coffee Call picture</a> also from FlickrSports Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00329394281122513789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046464040393012316.post-66903093104030165972008-12-11T23:51:00.000-05:002008-12-12T01:21:24.227-05:00Chuck Brown goes wildToday we wrapped up our portfolio class with the end-of-semester critique. Everyone finished in time and it was nice to see my classmates' work (and my own) come to fruition. We got some helpful feedback from industry pros which enabled us to gauge our progress on "making our books."<br /><br />No matter how you slice it though, it's been an exhausting journey. As my friend Stacey put so precisely early this week, "P2 [intermediate portfolio] is full of growing pains." I agree. Unlike in P1 (beginning portfolio), we're sorta at the point now where we know when our stuff sucks, but are still grappling at making things good or great. There's a whole lot of being satisfactory or adequate, but not special. Needless to say it's frustrating, but all part of the learning experience.<br /><br />Anyway, like all things in life besides the really important things like family and friends, you just have to remind yourself "it's just advertising." We all get sucked into our own little worlds and forget about the world going on outside. We don't return phone calls. We go underground for unknown periods of time, conversing only with others in the same situation. Our tempers are short and we're ready to pounce on unsuspecting copy center employees, should they mess up our order or coloration on our final ads. We worry about the most infinitesimal details... "I don't have time to get coffee, I have to redo the Gaussian blur." To quote my undergrad econ professor, Ken Elzinga, "In the long run we're all dead." How much difference will that extra 10 minutes for a snack or caffeine break make in the long run? Will it be the difference between a lower and higher score at critique? Probably not.<br /><br />But who am I kidding? I got sucked into the madness just as much as everyone. As usual, seeing everyone else stressed out frazzled me as well. Call it pathetic, but I was glad for it to end because for the first time in a week I sat down and watched three TV shows in a row. I stress the word <span style="font-style: italic;">watched</span>, because I've been listening while graphic designing/art directing or cutting my foamcore for the final mounted ads for the past week, but hadn't truly enjoyed the art of watching TV.<br /><br />Going back to "it's just advertising," a friend of mine pointed me in the direction of this unbelievably hilarious YouTube video parodying agency life. I laughed loudly at least six times during the video, and thought over and over again "this is what I'm going to school for." I think if you can't laugh at yourself you won't be able to survive in the working world. It was the perfect thing to watch after a day, week, month, and really, semester of portfolio obsessing.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/cnxSEg8pQlw&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/cnxSEg8pQlw&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />I love that it doesn't miss a single detail. Egotistical creatives* driven by the incessant need to win awards (and toot their own horns about it). The mention that <a href="http://www.cpbgroup.com/">Crispin</a> always comes up with the great ideas, looking for inspiration in the <a href="http://www.commarts.com/competitions/advertising">CA</a> annual, which works perfectly, as that issue arrives in December. Guerilla marketing. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KISS_principle">KISS</a> - Keep it simple stupid (I enjoyed the surprising substitution of "shithead" though for that final S in the acronym). "Concepting." There's a word you don't hear enough of in the advertising world.<br /><br />Well enough with the overanalysis. I'm going to KISS and get ready for and go to bed -- a plan that has worked for thousands of nights of my life already, and yet never loses its freshness.<br /><br /><br />*I will post my opinions on this word in a future post. Stay tuned.Sports Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00329394281122513789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046464040393012316.post-80224959620616776842008-12-09T02:55:00.000-05:002008-12-09T03:33:59.333-05:00Happy DecemberHi to the five people who read this! Sorry for my lack of updates lately. Things are a whirlwind with finishing up school, yadda yadda. Saturday I graduated, so now I guess I'm a Texas Ex!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk_G_La8ZjSwr6R_Jb7qMbdCuCCFu_UgX-nkxlBEREcfvGPYM8LvG7LUn2rorEXkdfhPAxCAHiTmy_DAjWi9mIjJV4KpjJ8DOlyHpWIyo9Py0nlftH5VsgsaUxYK5mgBl3nYXoyHKsfFML/s1600-h/lee+corso+not+so+fast.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 276px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk_G_La8ZjSwr6R_Jb7qMbdCuCCFu_UgX-nkxlBEREcfvGPYM8LvG7LUn2rorEXkdfhPAxCAHiTmy_DAjWi9mIjJV4KpjJ8DOlyHpWIyo9Py0nlftH5VsgsaUxYK5mgBl3nYXoyHKsfFML/s400/lee+corso+not+so+fast.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277705200779855698" border="0" /></a><br />OK, so maybe not quite. I still have two classes that haven't finished. Thursday @ 8 am all of our ads for the semester are due for critique. Two or so creative advertising bigwigs will come in and crush our souls and tell us we aren't good enough for the ad biz. Won't be anything I haven't heard before. I'm just looking forward to being done.<br /><br />Friday I have my final sports journalism project due. We have to write three articles: a 1000 word main story, a 600 word sidebar and a 600 word column about topics related to Central Texas, Austin or UT sports. My main story will cover the history of UT athletics from 1970 to present. In my sidebar, I'll write about women's athletics director <a href="http://www.texassports.com/staffdir/plonsky-chris-bio.html">Chris Plonsky</a> and how UT athletics are able to thrive with a two-AD system. (Piece of trivia for you: only two D1 schools do this: Texas and Tennessee). In my column I'll argue what's ethical and what's not in collegiate sports marketing. My opinion may surprise you!<br /><br />Anyway, I got to interview both Plonsky and men's AD <a href="http://www.texassports.com/staffdir/dodds-deloss-bio.html">DeLoss Dodds</a>. Both were absolute class acts and a joy to talk to. I can't tell you how much I've enjoyed all that I've learned in this class, not only about sports, but about careers and writing as well.<br /><br />Anyway, Dodds actually wanted to get to know <span style="font-style: italic;">me</span> first before we even got to the interview. Asked all about where I'm from, why Texas, all that good stuff. At the end of the interview he gave me a copy of <a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/89188-bcs-declares-germany-winner-of-world-war-ii">this</a>, saying "I figure you'd appreciate this anyway, but especially as a history major and fan of 20th century history." Wow. No really, wow.<br /><br />OK, but really, I have a whole lot of work I need to get back to. Legit post coming soon. And I get my life back in only a few more days! Til then, enjoy your Christmas Pandora station and watch some Christmas Vacation, Home Alone, and/or Rudolph for me!Sports Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00329394281122513789noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046464040393012316.post-31007034237697718772008-11-24T03:31:00.000-05:002008-11-24T04:05:03.371-05:00Postcards from Mexico, part deuxGot a text from my cousin yesterday, she has now received her postcard (sent in August) as well. WTF? One to go!<br /><br />Here are some ideas for future taglines for the Baja California Sur's postal system:<br /><ul><li>67% chance your mail will arrive, 0% chance it'll be within 2 months (not catchy enough)</li><li>It's not really mail if there's no mystery to it!</li><li>If you forgot you sent it, then it's a surprise when it arrives!</li><li>Better late than never (too obvious)</li><li>Good things happen to those who wait (see above)</li><li>Every send begins with dismay<br /></li><li>You probably should have sent it by media mail.</li><li>You've held your breath 78 trillion times, and it's finally here!</li><li>If you really, really want to send it, you shouldn't here</li><li>You'll never know where it's been before it got to you</li><li>You could have swum it to your destination faster</li><li>Expedience is not our forte</li><li>What's service?</li><li>We don't hurry (or We're in no hurry)</li><li>Make sure the recipient is under 50</li><li>Where every delivery is like unearthing a time capsule</li><li>Mexico to the USA, and everywhere in between, 308 times.</li><li>Every send is an adventure<br /></li></ul>I really should use less exclamation points.Sports Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00329394281122513789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046464040393012316.post-88854984071097223692008-11-24T02:20:00.000-05:002008-11-25T03:38:27.602-05:0080s Tribute to DC's 12th ManI think it's pretty weaksauce for a blogger to post a YouTube video only to say "This is awesome" and leave it at that. I'm going to do the same thing, more or less, so sorry in advance.<br /><br />I was reading <a href="http://chriscooley47.blogspot.com/">Chris Cooley's blog</a> (he's a tight end on the Redskins), and he (or one of his co-writers) had this hilariously, awesome old school video posted. Here are some 1980s Redskins singing a tribute to their fans:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/3c9DQd6CBRc&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/3c9DQd6CBRc&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Sports will continue to thrive so long as dedicated fans support their favorite athletes and teams. As a sports fan, it's nice to be reminded occasionally that my "fandom" is appreciated by these teams and athletes. Even if it's in a reprise of something created before I could do long division.<br /><br />For the record, I am more of a Steelers fan. Though if this were a Cowboys or Patriots video, I almost certainly would have neglected to post. Enjoy.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Addendum -- </span>After further Cooley blog/YouTube research, here are some more 1980s/90s NFL treasures:<br /><br />L.A. Rams (remember when they were there?) <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ix081prSiNc">The Rammers -- "Ram It"</a><ul><li>"If you ram it just right, you can ram it all night"</li></ul>Miami Dolphins rap <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJvTWmUYTII&feature=related">Cory and the Fins -- "Can't Touch Us"</a><br /><ul><li>"Makin' 'em sweat, that's why they're sore"</li><li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zubaz">Zubaz pants</a> sightings throughout!</li></ul>1986 L.A. (not Oakland) Raiders and the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eEF8zplJY8&feature=related">"Silver and Black Attack"</a><br /><ul><li>Howie Long (Hall of Famer-turned-FOX NFL Sunday broadcaster) raps at 0:46</li><li>"I love to sit on those running backs"</li></ul>Sports Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00329394281122513789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046464040393012316.post-90821596514288157512008-11-21T00:10:00.000-05:002008-11-21T00:32:20.049-05:00Uggh, Bobby FlayI've seen The Food Network show <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/throwdown-with-bobby-flay/index.html">Throwdown with Bobby Flay</a> a pretty embarrassing number of times. And I swear, the skeezeball wins just about every time I watch. Grrrrr.<br /><br />I just wanna smack that smug look right off his face when critics sample his food, and most especially, when he wins.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">Bleh.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbi2Kvr-irZaZI-WLkTIr2Gtw4EogXX35GFjVoYvvGAHQxJ7iF-xc6FJwA7OhADSLHklpoES85lKzJd9hz_WWYme6SUaU-X-i-keT90Mm_XH6_h2yfBagf7Ed1D2OB_UK_D-04XskoVhAV/s1600-h/bobby+flay.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 242px; height: 246px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbi2Kvr-irZaZI-WLkTIr2Gtw4EogXX35GFjVoYvvGAHQxJ7iF-xc6FJwA7OhADSLHklpoES85lKzJd9hz_WWYme6SUaU-X-i-keT90Mm_XH6_h2yfBagf7Ed1D2OB_UK_D-04XskoVhAV/s400/bobby+flay.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270976328703261746" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Portrait of a smug jerk.</span></span><br /></div></div><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Credits: <a href="http://veradevera.blogspot.com/2008/04/food-network-sighting-bobby-flays.html">The Ghetto Gourmet Chronicles</a></span></span><br /></div><br />By the way, I gotta say, I'm not that impressed with his throwdown skills since he always has a training staff dispensing ingredient secrets before he makes his concoction. How talented are you if you have a team helping you make your recipes? And know your challenge beforehand?<br /><br />I'd love to see ol' Bobby compete without his entourage preparing him. Granted he'd probably still win all the time, meh, but at least it would be more fair. It's not like the competing chefs know in advance what's coming.<br /><br />Don't worry Bobby, I'll still watch your show. I'll just <span style="font-style: italic;">never</span> root for you.<br /><br />(Does anyone ever root for the guy by the way? Just curious.)Sports Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00329394281122513789noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046464040393012316.post-31982112605559620622008-11-20T02:40:00.000-05:002008-11-20T08:20:38.781-05:00Postal hilaritySo I got a phone call from my Mom tonight, apparently she just got my postcard from when I went to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico... which I sent in mid-AUGUST!<br /><br />We stayed in a hotel in Los Cabos, which was about halfway between Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo, where the airport was. All three are in the Mexican state of Baja California Sur, so basically the southern tip of Baja California, on the Pacific Ocean.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFHKOZr5pKFTbSe10cj2uL4pDcnlqjYFaY3znDZOspAzJ3Gr72a5nJoHaLuktZtYPNpK4Ozt7OBt4j4yaZG-jjTilREf0KPHmj55YXgY9AnV9dj0oqBDyLzX3FECXF8hwgZskAHmQiNzcR/s1600-h/baja+california+map.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 263px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFHKOZr5pKFTbSe10cj2uL4pDcnlqjYFaY3znDZOspAzJ3Gr72a5nJoHaLuktZtYPNpK4Ozt7OBt4j4yaZG-jjTilREf0KPHmj55YXgY9AnV9dj0oqBDyLzX3FECXF8hwgZskAHmQiNzcR/s400/baja+california+map.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270646314813941874" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Map from <a href="http://www.mexconnect.com/mex_/mapbaja.html">Mexico Connect</a></span></span><br /><br /></div>Mom said the postmark was from San Jose del Cabo and was dated in October. I don't know what to be more distraught by, the incompetence of the hotel's mailing "system" which resulted in a postcard sent in August not to get postmarked for two months, or the Mexican/U.S. postal services which took another month to get the card to my mother.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe6mBSEPlJLATCd0hQ9c8ya4hYQs3UX_-vwLSVEsaglNSSnfxRpOzxjZlRL_HN9ipmfw4mS3G_1cGiZPVcjuxmpyz9kCqHanJqrpH7oHFnzrsIRSzbADeUWrPn3XFg76ZqOLPTzFRiS4fB/s1600-h/Cabo+-+August+2008+013.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe6mBSEPlJLATCd0hQ9c8ya4hYQs3UX_-vwLSVEsaglNSSnfxRpOzxjZlRL_HN9ipmfw4mS3G_1cGiZPVcjuxmpyz9kCqHanJqrpH7oHFnzrsIRSzbADeUWrPn3XFg76ZqOLPTzFRiS4fB/s400/Cabo+-+August+2008+013.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270644334927245874" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Nice <a href="http://www.hiltonloscabos.com/">hotel</a>. Sweet deal on <a href="http://www.priceline.com/">Priceline</a>. Incompetent mailing system.</span></span><br /></div><br />I sent two other postcards from the area (San Jose del Cabo) as well, but those I sent from the airport, which I assumed would have been the more competent of the two mailing locations. As of today, neither of the other two would-be recipients had received their postcards. Shocking.Sports Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00329394281122513789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046464040393012316.post-726803729843997782008-11-19T18:32:00.000-05:002008-11-20T02:39:38.339-05:00Lazy WednesdaySo instead of doing the piles of work I have to do today, I've decided it's time to map my route back to the V-A for my December move.<br /><br />I know "Google maps is the best" but <span style="font-style: italic;">I</span> prefer MapQuest, and from what I hear, it's a good one too.<br /><br />Did you know MapQuest had a new feature, <a href="http://www.mapquest.com/draggableroutes">the draggable route</a>? I sure didn't. So if you don't like the route it selected, now you can grab and drag the recommended route on the map to incorporate cities, towns, or other sites without having to re-enter all your data. Don't want to drive the interstate and prefer to drive along the coast? Now you can change your route in seconds. Awesome! I've wanted this feature for so long and now it's finally here.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4OFh0-oYLnAwGPHjRw_ApVUnk_zURbqbbE0gb2g31LFsAO0dw2ecoOCD0Yvadk_zvfk2yNJ6ztYP_IDUDwVtjLiYhCmtAH98M4KRL09VCVznqDblzoBv0pfn2gvlzFAemUsK-wOcb4mtP/s1600-h/mapquest.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 208px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4OFh0-oYLnAwGPHjRw_ApVUnk_zURbqbbE0gb2g31LFsAO0dw2ecoOCD0Yvadk_zvfk2yNJ6ztYP_IDUDwVtjLiYhCmtAH98M4KRL09VCVznqDblzoBv0pfn2gvlzFAemUsK-wOcb4mtP/s400/mapquest.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5270528234298485026" border="0" /></a><br />Anyway, I'm probably asking the wrong audience, but does anyone have any routes to the East Coast that are tried, true, and loved? All the routes will end up in the 1400-1700 miles range it seems like, and I'm planning to take 3 days for the drive.<br /><br />Last time, from Richmond to Austin, we took I-95 South from Richmond to I-85 around Petersburg, cut down to Atlanta, where we saw a Braves game and spent the night. Day 2 we took I-20 west to Vicksburg, Mississippi and looked around at Civil War stuff, put my feet in the Mississippi River (nerdy right?), and we spent the night somewhere in Louisiana. Day 3 we continued westward to Austin via I-20 for a bit and then took mostly back roads through east Texas until we got to I-35.<br /><br />Anyway, the stops were decent on I-85 (plenty of good BBQ haunts in NC to choose from), but I-20 seemed like the dullest, most uneventful stretch of highway I've ever driven. Alabama's section of the interstate was laden with construction zones and speed limits in the 30s and 40s. So frustrating.<br /><br />So for the ride back I'm loosely debating one of two routes (though I'm open to other suggestions and variations of those below):<br /><ul><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Texas - Arkansas - Tennessee - Virginia</span>. This route is the fastest, but how much does that matter to save two hours on a three-day trip? I'm unsure. This route takes I-35 to Dallas, then winds through a long stretches of Arkansas and Tennessee before reaching the Old Dominion. It's a 23 hour, 15 minute ride covering 1500 miles. (Compared to my Richmond to Austin trip in 2007, which was 23 1/2 hours, but about 15 miles shorter -- wowww.)<br /><br /></li><li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Texas - Louisiana - Mississippi - Alabama - Florida - Georgia - South Carolina - North Carolina - Virginia. </span>This 25-hour route crosses through nine states and would essentially use I-10 East from Houston to Jacksonville and then 95 North, back to Virginia. It would cover 1640 miles.</li></ul>Any thoughts? Are Little Rock, Memphis, Nashville, and Knoxville better for stops or Baton Rouge, Biloxi, Tallahassee, Jacksonville, (and a bunch of NC/SC/GA places I've been to before)? Anyone?<div class="cssButtonOuter"><div class="cssButtonMiddle"><div class="cssButtonInner"><a><br />I am also taking any "must stop" suggestions for food for anywhere in the southeastern quadrant of the continental U.S. Particularly anything you'd see on </a><a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/diners-drive-ins-and-dives/index.html">Diners, Drive-ins and Dives</a><a>. Yumtastic.<br /><br />PS, if you don't watch that delicious show on The Food Network, I recommend you get on that. Now.<br /></a></div></div></div>Sports Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00329394281122513789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046464040393012316.post-59280633038199492892008-11-18T01:13:00.000-05:002008-11-18T01:36:50.383-05:00The future of Pam Beesley?You may have already heard this proposal if I've talked to you in the past two days, but I think I have a great idea on a new job for ol' Pammy (and don't call me Pammy) on The Office:<br /><br />ART DIRECTOR<br />IN-HOUSE (ADVERTISING)<br />at VANCE REFRIGERATION<br /><br />Why?<br /><br />SPOILER ALERT: Pam's back in Scranton. Ostensibly, for good. She has Pratt graphic design experience behind her, whether or not she likes it. So maybe she's not the master of Flash, and doesn't like making logos. Doesn't mean she doesn't have a future ahead of her utilizing those (other) art skills in another context like advertising.<br /><br />And Vance Refrigeration doesn't seem like a big enough company to do their advertising off-site or at an agency. <span style="font-style: italic;">Read into the show much?</span> In-house advertising is a very feasible option for Pam's character.<br /><br />If ol' Pam works at VR, she could talk all day on the phone to Jim. (Vance Refrigeration is Dunder Mifflin's neighborhood business in the Scranton Business Park.) And she could attend lots of Dunder Mifflin gatherings. Not to mention be there for lunches mid-day.<br /><br />Just saying.<br /><br />This set-up would still give her interactions with other Office characters. And according to this week's preview, Toby will be back this week. Interesting...<br /><br />By the way, to echo a friend's very astute observation... has Pam ever looked more radiant than she did sitting on the hood of Jim's car, waiting for him to get out of work during last week's episode? I think not.<br /><br /><object width="512" height="296"><param name="movie" value="http://www.hulu.com/embed/D1F0DsiNvq5iyxq3QimeSg"><embed src="http://www.hulu.com/embed/D1F0DsiNvq5iyxq3QimeSg" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="512" height="296"></embed></object><br /><br />Oh Dwight -- your eternal creepiness -- you never disappoint.Sports Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00329394281122513789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046464040393012316.post-10360169799684311462008-11-17T23:37:00.000-05:002008-11-18T01:04:36.071-05:00Lil J's hair is stupidI don't know what's the dumbest though: the fact that I watch Gossip Girl, the fact that I'm blogging about it, or that I'm deluding myself into thinking I have any fashion sense, especially regarding hairstyles.<br /><br />Here's Lil J's old look (as in up until a few weeks ago on the show):<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyXClmInbYkiwnjwaooZtFi8w0uwGzFCE21ixXdDNBFVzvXJ2N4IPGzuKC8afPmVZyXSQosAy1Z53HRlHJp_wg8GPKX12TnQC4gPaW27oJJK4u4ntuUaTIEjLi3UxtW4ppMF5IcThPuemx/s1600-h/lil+j+before.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyXClmInbYkiwnjwaooZtFi8w0uwGzFCE21ixXdDNBFVzvXJ2N4IPGzuKC8afPmVZyXSQosAy1Z53HRlHJp_wg8GPKX12TnQC4gPaW27oJJK4u4ntuUaTIEjLi3UxtW4ppMF5IcThPuemx/s400/lil+j+before.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269854213118944738" border="0" /></a><br />Cute, wholesome, girl-next-door. If only she had a non-bratty, friendly personality to match.<br /><br />Her new look:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLs5WtRsxhXZWqHevNBa7Y5O2IJD0vPQaE8j793wfz08NVCadfK5AY8spRCmkI9BGTO6Xx6m9LDgA8Do-BjOd2eOuDDmPYP1y0oi9_QaHoi32icbBhU5C97MQNDpg3jA7gb9DngOZtgHla/s1600-h/lil+j+after.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLs5WtRsxhXZWqHevNBa7Y5O2IJD0vPQaE8j793wfz08NVCadfK5AY8spRCmkI9BGTO6Xx6m9LDgA8Do-BjOd2eOuDDmPYP1y0oi9_QaHoi32icbBhU5C97MQNDpg3jA7gb9DngOZtgHla/s400/lil+j+after.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269855119805355666" border="0" /></a><br />"OMG, I'm like 15 and totally angry," her hair practically screams at me.<br /><br />While this <span style="font-style: italic;">can be</span> a cute look, and very edgy designer-esque, it seems to just follow what the show does wrong -- overemphasize stereotypes. When Jenny dropped out of high school in order to jumpstart her fashion design career, of course she started looking artsy and acting the part. OMG trendy haircut, and a new BFF that's a model. And the photogs, booze, parties, sudden popularity! A whole new lifestyle and scene within a matter of moments of dropping out of her glamorous, uppity Upper East Side prep school. Because that's how life works.<br /><br />Just like Vanessa (worst character on the show by the way), Jenny now has so many "of course she would" moments. Vanessa couldn't be any more stereotypically Brooklyn. She's in the know about hipster everything -- she works at a coffeeshop, is an aficionado of the arts, and always has a political agenda to stomp out whatever corporate mogul sets sight on <span style="font-style: italic;">her</span> neighborhood. If that wasn't enough, she delivers all of her lines with a permanent pout and holier-than-thou attitude. And wouldn't you know it, everything she wears is over-the-top vintage. And she's apparently a dazzling standardized test taker but is too cool for traditional education. Undercover book smarts. <span style="font-style: italic;">Of course.</span> I wish I was making this all up. Gag.<br /><br />Anyway, what do you think about Jenny's new frock? I think the crazy eye makeup makes it less severe, but I still prefer the old look. In tonight's episode she had her hair pulled back and it looked atrocious. Very much like my elementary school classmates in the 80s who had bangs starting past the midpoint of their heads. A real golden age in hairstyles if you ask me. Nothing like bangs harkening comparisons to ye olde mullet.<br /><br />Well if you aren't sold on how she looked before, here's how she looks in real life with the new 'do and without the help of the Gossip Girl makeup staff:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyMBRpWEa6ZqGOjxLEquRHfRAYi6mEBsb-XU_dpJ98cQ6LVD79dKtXAF4G6PDxqEEGw3CxxJEN-YDwOgP-yTfk8pOyaKoZRnuoVwgiDeYyA4_QVDk2esa3m3BYGdFIvhBaYL9c07L6IzA_/s1600-h/lil+j+real+life.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 269px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyMBRpWEa6ZqGOjxLEquRHfRAYi6mEBsb-XU_dpJ98cQ6LVD79dKtXAF4G6PDxqEEGw3CxxJEN-YDwOgP-yTfk8pOyaKoZRnuoVwgiDeYyA4_QVDk2esa3m3BYGdFIvhBaYL9c07L6IzA_/s400/lil+j+real+life.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5269859988213031250" border="0" /></a><br />Yikes.Sports Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00329394281122513789noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3046464040393012316.post-50338214049171211042008-11-07T10:33:00.000-05:002008-11-07T11:20:00.469-05:00Magic Eye SyndromeSo I was reading a friend's <a href="http://emilygrober.blogspot.com/">blog</a> yesterday, and she had a nice, funny <a href="http://emilygrober.blogspot.com/2008/11/photoshop.html">post</a> about <a href="http://photoshopdisasters.blogspot.com/">Photoshop Disasters</a>, a pretty self-explanatory blog on -- you guessed it -- Photoshop disasters. Art directors, graphic designers, and Photoshop enthusiasts alike swear by this site. I'll be the first to admit it though, sometimes I see the errors, and other times, I can stare at an image for ten minutes and not be able to identify what's wrong with it.<br /><br />All this time I've chalked up my visual ineptitude to being unobservant, blind, or some other unquantifiable variety of incompetent. But I've finally realized my dilemma. It's because I have Magic Eye Syndrome.<br /><br />Magic Eye Syndrome of course, is no real ailment. And if it is, I feel like it only affects me.<br /><br />Ever since 3rd grade or whenever those <a href="http://www.magiceye.com/">Magic Eye</a> books hit bookstores, I've always felt like a loser. Everyone raved about those optical illusions, and how when they stared at them they could always see the unmistakable shape of ______ just leaping out of the page.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQvbGUZkYyO-kR2NGeF3FfLHvpYX6XhjhcQf6l5EhxIGRrjuKd92ypv-NW8aXCN1Sw-RR0aA57bXSPhB1is-gY61SkJKhyphenhyphen0577XDuyLCH_XxRnvt4XEIgFiObTURdwKtsS5v7tJfsG-6uA/s1600-h/magic+eye.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 308px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQvbGUZkYyO-kR2NGeF3FfLHvpYX6XhjhcQf6l5EhxIGRrjuKd92ypv-NW8aXCN1Sw-RR0aA57bXSPhB1is-gY61SkJKhyphenhyphen0577XDuyLCH_XxRnvt4XEIgFiObTURdwKtsS5v7tJfsG-6uA/s400/magic+eye.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265942493078389442" border="0" /></a><br />I <span style="font-style: italic;">never</span> could see these things! Every time I've started to see one, I got so excited that I lost it somewhere on the way. Why must this always happen to me?!! (See the answer to the one above at the end of the post.)<br /><br />I can't tell you how many times over the years that I've faked that I've solved a Magic Eye. No one wants to admit to being the only person in an elementary school class that they can't see it! I'm still a little embarrassed about it. I was just like Rachel on <span style="font-style: italic;">Friends </span>when she had an ultrasound and pretended she could see her baby on the screen. Ross pointed it out to her and she said she saw it, cried, and then admitted to not seeing it. He re-pointed it out, and the process repeated over and over. Wow, that hit too close to home. Oh my God, I'm going to be that same awful mother someday!<br /><br />Anyway, to this day I'll never understand why so many people raved about Magic Eye over the years. Do that many people really see the "subliminal" images? Or is the world full of fakers like me afraid to own up to their inability to solve them? And why on earth did these things cause such a fuss in the 90s?<br /><br />I will now return back to looking at Photoshop Disasters, where I'll likely not see what everyone is laughing at. But hey, then again maybe it'll be in the 30% of the time I get it and laugh with everyone else -- not lying! I much prefer my odds in Photoshop Disasters (a 30% chance is way much more encouraging than 0% after all).<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiUOkv9lpxZ3iHjeZ7DrWFOVO4I8-al2H_WQRumem6az-meVy7BJOXEL2ZKcJs6jCILsuvpdYuxTgzF7S9x-cKNtWtUQwz2qXc_YvmJ4pcmay2xNmSd6CxnQ_nrVZ6fQ6PNG1TIIP0BEZn/s1600-h/magic+eye+2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiUOkv9lpxZ3iHjeZ7DrWFOVO4I8-al2H_WQRumem6az-meVy7BJOXEL2ZKcJs6jCILsuvpdYuxTgzF7S9x-cKNtWtUQwz2qXc_YvmJ4pcmay2xNmSd6CxnQ_nrVZ6fQ6PNG1TIIP0BEZn/s400/magic+eye+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5265943427427505650" border="0" /></a>Sports Katehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00329394281122513789noreply@blogger.com0