penny for a thought | Patrick on every & anything

It’s truly calming to sit, on a Sunday night, and reflect on what you’ve learned over the weekend. Here’s my attempt.

• Yahoo! LIVE might be able to put the “social” back into “Social Media”
• Belgian Waffles at 2:00AM are a really good idea
• The sun does shine in Portland in February
• A 4-hour bike ride after an evening of 4-6 micro brews, probably not a good idea
• A hand built bicycle is a lot more beautiful than a manufactured one
• There’s a new strip club in Portland, Casa Diablo. It’s tucked away in the NW industrial park, a part of town only frequented by truckers and cyclists. I’m guessing CD’s target market is truckers… Strippers + spandex-clad cyclists = bad idea, I’m sure.
• Jack Johnson’s new album is over produced and unimpressive. Poor Guy!
• An incredible $18 show does exists, Umphrey’s McGee proved it by ending a 3.5-hour, two set show with a cover of the CLASH’s London Calling

Over the weekend Yahoo! launched a revolution, one only recognized online and of value to those of us with a web cam/iSite, not to mention a blazing fast connection, but a revolution nonetheless. It’s Yahoo! LIVE, a live video-streaming service that has all the potential to, once again, change the way we use the internet. Don’t trifle, Yahoo LIVE! is a-ways-away from perfect, so you haven’t missed anything big yet… but it’s definitely worth your perusal.

Yahoo! LIVE is a lot like existing apps, Ustream for example, but boasts some pretty rad features, like the ability to embed your LIVE video-casts on third-party websites/blogs. LIVE also has a handy chat window (b/c the audio component is totally messed.) My favorite is multi-camera viewing, which enables you to see video channels of other people watching the same stream you are. It sounds complicated, but you can jump around from channel-to-channel quickly and change the lineup however you’d like.

Thanks goes to the Digital Merlin for introducing me to Yahoo’s time/soul-sucking app. There’s no better way to spend Portland’s warmest day of 2008 than in a video chat-room with a plethora of dudes suffering from hair loss… Just playing. It was honestly incredibly exciting, don’t let my depressed look fool ya. Check it out!

Alright, so getting a free iPhone is near impossible; that is unless you win, find or steal one. However, it’s not difficult to get an iPhone for under a-hundred-bucks. It just takes some effort, not to mention a bit of questionable hustling. I did it and ended up paying roughly $60 for my iPhone just a few months after its release. Now, many of my friends have jumped the bandwagon; take dEcho for example, my pal who–just last week–paid next to nothing for his iPhone.

If you’re up for it here’s what you do:

1. Wait until your current cell-phone contract is up
2. Log onto Amazon.com and find a Blackberry Curve 8310 being offered through AT&T
3. Purchase the Blackberry Curve for the low price of FREE after rebates when you sign up or renew your 2-year contract
4. Wait a few days until you get the Blackberry Curve from Amazon
5. Take some good pictures and post the Blackberry for sale on eBay
6. I suggest starting the auction for $1
7. Make sure you post the Blackberry under the appropriate categories to maximize the final sale price
8. If done right,the phone should sell for around $300
9. Take your newly earned skrilla to Apple and put it towards a shiny new iPhone

It works, I promise… Enjoy!

Ahhh… The Super Bowl, an evening of athletic excellence, cheap beer, nachos and yes… Clever advertising. Or is it not? As of late I’ve heard only sighs of disappointment surrounding the 30-second wonders that are Super Bowl commercials. I on the other-hand was particularly impressed with this year’s Super Bowl spots. For me, so long as I laugh or cry and the ad resonates enough for me to remember the brand and talk about it the next day, it’s a success.

You can watch all the Super Bowl spots here, thanks to Advertising Age. Oh! And if you’re wondering–my favorites were the E * TRADE baby spots.

Being a longtime fan of skateboarding and, occasional, moderately decent shredder myself, I’m really psyched on this footage of Rodney Mullen, one of the sport’s pioneers. Judging by Rodney’s garb, It’s obvious the video’s circa 1984 (around the time I was born… Just saying.) Though it was filmed in Japan, so you never know, thigh-high denim coupled with calf-covering socks might have been all the rage over there… Who knows?

Nevertheless, the skill showcased is like nothing you see anymore. Sure, there’s something to be said for a skater who can huck him/herself 40-feet into the air and land on a piece of wood, barely big enough to support two feet. But let’s be real! I mean, given the primitive nature of the equipment and the social standing of skateboarding at the time, Mr. Mullen’s forward thinking, fluid movements and precision foot work is, without question, incredible. Enjoy!

Alright, so I cheated on one of 2008’s resolutions and acquired a vehicle. Don’t fret, I still commute by foot and bike, daily. However, I no longer have to ride with a week’s groceries, mooch rides from friends or wait until the morning-of to find out if I’ll make it to a bike race or not.

In the end I have no regrets. My 2000, gold, Nissan Sentra was just too good of a deal to pass up… This thanks to my friends, the Veatch-Bouge’s!!! I’m stoked on my decision to conform with society and promise:

It’s Friday, which means several things: a.) complimentary bagels at the office, b.) no-one works too hard, c.) everyone is in a good mood and, finally d.) Friday’s are great for random laughs. With that said, I’m happy to see some presidential hopefuls see it the same way. Take for example, Mitt Romney, a man who appreciates a good “punking” from his son, Matt.

Now, if I could just figure out why the Romeny’s love first names ending in tt… Enjoy!

Today was unarguably Portland’s most beautiful day of 2008… Freezing cold? Definitely! But absolutely gorgeous to say the least.

Being an Ohio transplant by way of Montana made today’s freezing temperature pretty easy on me. Though not-so-much true for native Portlanders. Today I learned that ice sneaks up on you; especially when descending steep, rural roads on a bicycle. There’s a lot of water run-off in Portland and water freezes. Surprised? I was…

For those complaining about the cold, just remember, it could always be worse. Take Newfoundland for example, where oceanic waves freeze at mid-crest.

DDB Sydney recently created a series of clever ads for Australia’s State Traffic Commander. The goal’s to create awareness for the dangers associated with MP3 players; turns out it’s unsafe to listen to music while crossing the street… I concur, but think TXT/SMS messaging while walking is far more dangerous. Maybe I’m the only one, but I’ve stopped counting the number of times I’ve nearly been tagged by a car while TXTing and walking.

Alright, I’m joking. I really dig the ad game, but ran across a job I just have to try for. Picture me as a Playboy, yupping it up with NYC and Hollywood Muckity Mucks. Yeah, I can’t really either, but I’m rocking a faux-hawk these days, so you never know. Nonetheless, I still applied to be P Diddy’s personal assistant. For serious, no joke, Mr. Diddy is hiring.

I think I have a good shot. Do you?

The hardest thing about blogging is actually blogging. Maybe it’s just me, but I try to put myself in my readers’ shoes when I blog. Mind you it’s sometimes odd wearing my Mother’s, Aunt’s or stalker ex-girlfriends’ shoes, as that’s the majority of my dedicated readership. Anyhow, once in the shoes of any of the aforementioned, I ask myself, “is this relevant, entertaining, educational or ego-maniacal?” If I respond with a yes to any 2 of the 4, then I publish.

Pretty simple, right? Psych… Wrong! It’s actually difficult and like other things in life, once you get into a slump, it’s tough to dig your way out. That said, it has been less-than-easy to produce good content lately. I blame the amount of things on my mind–all good of course.

I believe the problem is I try to do too much, or I’m just not good at doing a lot… However you want to put it. Today I turned to a recent read for help; “The Dip,” by Seth Godin, which teaches you how to know when to quit. Be it a job, relationship, hobby, sport, illicit substance or what have you, sometimes it’s alright to quit. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to identify anything I should quit. Rats!

Here’s what’s keeping me busy: Work, bicycle training, first professional haircut in ages, friends, talking to my Mother on Sunday, buying a car and trying to get it to start and that’s about it. Nevertheless, life’s going well, really well.

Not me, but there are people trying to save the world. All I’m doing is being responsible for myself. If not driving, smoking, littering or dumping chemicals into waterways is saving the world, then I guess I’m helping some. That said, in the big-scale of things, it takes more to save the world; in fact, it’s a global effort and everyone needs to be on board.

With that, global efforts require education of the masses. Al Gore did it with Climate Crisis. Now, a humble school teacher from Oregon is doing it with a–less produced–made for YouTube video, The Most Terrifying Video You’ll Ever See.

I admit, it has taken far too long for me to recognize that anyone can truly find their self in fiction. I’ve always considered myself abnormally strong-minded (or simply numb to surprise… however you say it,) but the humbling power of fiction has taken me aback.

Until months ago, my recreational reading consisted of trade (marketing, advertising and digital) related publications. Sure, there’s something to be said for books which make you a smarter professional and, subsequently, better at your job. However, for me, I’ve found my mind needs something a little more stimulating; therapy that’s not found on FOX, YouTube or even–one of my favorites–Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe. This realization hit me in the most pleasant of places, Kauai, HI.

My newly found love for fiction began with Yann Martel’s “Life of Pi” and has since moved onto “Water for Elephants,” a novel by Sarah Gruen. “Water for Elephants” chronicles the Life of Jacob Jankowski, a young man whose promising life is shattered by tragedy, then, decades later as a 91-year-old held captive in assisted living.

It’s the early 1930s–depression spreads the country like cancer and prohibition is in full effect. Days before graduating with an Ivy-League degree, Jacob jumps a train and finds himself traveling with the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. Emotionally and monetarily stranded, and with nothing to lose, Jacob does what’s needed to survive.

My brief synopsis doesn’t do Water for Elephants much justice, but Amazon.com’s does.

I’m not keen on having just one resolution for 2008, as I have a lot of behaviors I’d like to alter, plus I figure having a bunch assures me that at least a few have to come to fruition. So in 2008 I will:

1. No longer use disposable coffee cups at my favorite brew stations; instead, I’ll carry a travel mug. Each time I break this resolution I will pick-up and recycle 5 pieces of recyclable litter.
2. Go at least another year without a car. That is unless I mysteriously have a child and have to cart the little bugger around Whoops! I got a car.
3. Keep inappropriate jokes to a minimum in front of strangers, colleagues and people of strong religious morals.
4. Floss my teeth each day
5. Increase family visits by 100%, which means I spend at least 16 days with my folks in 2008.
6. Pay attention to detail, closer attention to detail, professionally and personally.

Here’s to another incredible year!

2007 has been an incredible year, I’d be selfish to ask for an even better 2008; but heck, it’s worth a try, right? Here are just a few memories from 2007, which I’ll hopefully never forget:

1. I took a Man-Cation to the island of Kauai and hiked the Kalalua Trail
2. Got the muddiest I’ll ever get in my entire life, I hope
3. Hung out with rock-stars backstage at the Vegoose music festival in Las Vegas
4. Moved into a new place with a killer view
5. Climbed Mt. Rainier for the 3rd time, mind you this was the most difficult time
6. Danced on stage with my friends’–Meese–at The Fray concert
7. Had a break-through NRC cycling race and earned a pro-category license
8. Finally spent time in New York City during the holiday season

Happy New Year everyone. I wish you a safe, happy and healthy 2008.