(more) photo randomness

as our staff-writer(s) work up the courage to get back to posting regularly, here's a collection of some of the random photography we've scoured from across the web

let's start with something French, weird and old-looking:

followed by something just weird and old-looking: 

this one also has a kid, and is kind of cute...

while THIS one is just cute (but has a giant animal pretending to be something else)

another giant (sea) animal pretending to be something else, albeit with more malicious (delicious?) intent. 

yet another giant sea animal, but ridden by triumphant from Aquaman

 

and this one is just being plain mean to Aquaman :(

speaking of being mean. some long-haired hippie in a robe is shooting poor Chuckie D.

these two probably get along better than the 2 guys above (but only bc their last names rhyme)

 

and this is just a cool looking sculpture that can answer most questions...

in closing, some reflection on the value of what i currently do for a living

and perhaps even some thoughts on what i'd rather be doing at work. 

...or AFTER work.

and finally, a really cool old guy i know picking some fruit. 

panorandom.

so it is still likely to be more than a month and a day* before any comprehensive photojournalism will be shared from recent adventures in Alaska, Turkey, or any islands of the Dodecanese or Cycladic variety. but in the interest of making semi-regular posts, i figured i'd share a few photos taken with one of my latest acquisitions - the mobile app Pano. 


so sit back and enjoy, but be prepared to open in new window, zoom, and scroll after the jump.


==
rooftop of our inn in Istanbul. Bosphorous on the left, Oldtown Sultanhamat on the right.

rooftop of the Blue Mosque in Sultanhamat (Istanbul)

grabbing a Coke and smile. random Chinese girl on left, Bosphorous (significantly further north on the strait) on the right.

back in Istanbul. the same random Chinese girl on the left (i'm pretty sure she was following me), and some idiot with a "4" shirt on the right (but man that guy looks cool/interesting).

Istanbul sunset, as seen from above. the problem with pano sunsets is the sun moves a little too fast

the island of Rhodes, sitting stranded outside our Ivy-covered Inn after the Turkish bath incident 

Akrotiri red sand beach in Santorini, Greece. the phone was dropped in the beautiful water shortly after this picture was taken.

and just for proof that Pano is great for party pictures as well, here's a picture of my buddy Damon with his evil twin brother Pierre (sans goatee)

that's all i got (for now). now that entire RamanCoke team has gotten through it's recent merger (and all the ceremonial duties required), you'll start to see us posting more regularly.


and if that wasn't enough, here's a picture of my boy Marty (not to be confused with my other boy Nick) telling you how it's going to be:

*don't hold me to that.

think different.

"Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do."

gobble gobble, opa!

leaving on a jet-plane in a few short hours. the entire team at RamanCoke (including our newest Jamaicananadese board member) will be taking a brief hiatus from the interwebs, so you (hopefully) won't be hearing much. although, that probably won't make much of a difference for you, our loyal, yet neglected reader...

perhaps more to come when we return. 


güle güle!

soon...

that's right. tomorrow i'm on a boat. not that boat, but this one.

the Bulgarian Banksy.

while i WAS in Europa last week for work (mind-boggling media meetings), i didn't get the chance to make it to Sofia, Bulgaria. really.

really.

Googling TV.

if you haven't figured it out by now, i work in marketing, which is a subtle bit different from advertising. but when i do see interesting - often even good - advertising. i like to share it.

so you probably already also know i'm a big fan of the Google. over the past few years, they've slowly toed  their way into "traditional" TV advertising. the first of which was a few years ago for their Superbowl spot, "Parisian Love":

   

more recently, they launched some "longform" (TV) advertising around their web browser, Chrome (if you're not already using it, switch already and thank me later).

rather than tout  the benefits of their superior product offering (of which most are not aware, nor do they care), Google simply decided to drive awareness via emotional stories of how we, the user see them. this is one of those ads, and it's great:

   

as a marketer, i could easily go on about Google's other forays into advertising (the good and the bad), but i won't bore you.

as a consumer, i say this. i'm a fan.

who's on...your mother?

hopefully someone got the homage/reference at work (play?) here.

 ...still don't get it? seriously? kids these days...

europa (macht arbeit...und spaß!)

i (now) work for a French company. so when it's time for corporate training, where else does one go but France? taking advantage of a work flight, i opted to spend the long weekends before and after traversing nearby parts of the continent i'd always wanted to visit - Belgium, Berlin, and Prague. and because i'm lazy, here's but a quick recap with the (embedded) photo albums below (or see them all here). enjoy.




Bruxelles, BE.
i had originally meant to visit years ago, when my former roommate was living there. Brussels was my direct flight in, and frankly, underwelmed me (does that mean something meeting expections is "welming"?). i got over my jetlag, saw the "Grand Place," the peeing baby statue, randomly ran into an old Swedish buddy, and caught the first train out.

Bruges, BE.
i left a little piece of my heart here. honestly, a charming town, especially on Sunday afternoon, as all the British tourists are vacating from their weekend holiday. cobbled, winding streets, canals, and church abbeys. but such romance is only made more lonely when travelling solo (fortunately i did not turn to despair in the clock tower like the town's infamous film). fortunately, in the closing hours of my final evening, some fellow travelers invited me to join them for post-dinner drinks. which turned into 2-3 too many. and it was there i developed an appreciation for the fine Belgian ale that is Kwak.

Antwerpen, BE.
what a fantastic town. and to think, i almost skipped it to instead pop into Luxembourg (and cross another country off my list). the train station puts Grand Central to shame, and the main cathedral acts as a beacon from all points of the city. tons of character, a great art scene, some oldschool UNESCO printmaking, and some great street food (Frittes!)

Evian, FR.
and then i had to goto work. but a beautiful lakefront resort with a ton of my interesting counterparts from around the world wasn't bad. then i had a nice meal on a French farm home with a former colleague from the soap company. LOTS of wine and cheese. stereotypical, i know, but i'm not complaining.

Berlin, DE.
just a weekend trip, but a great modern city to wander. and yea, there's that big wall thing (and Darth Vader at the Brandenburg Tor). so, as a bit of cold-war junkie (and a student of the German language), i had more to occupy me than just my photography. the Mauer Park flea market was pretty awesome, and i had my fill of Doner. but i did get a lot of strange looks from the locals when they saw i spoke the local language.

Praha, CZ.
last leg of the trip. per my usual pattern - knock the famed castle/old-town out in the first day, and spend the rest of the trip getting lost (and finding your way back out). creepy/sexy statues everywhere. gothic architecture everywhere (pictures don't do justice to the spooky illumination of the orange street lamps in the fog of night). oh yea, and a symphony in a museum. Lentilky anyone?

==

so das ist alles. very doubtful that i'll have as much free time the next time the company sends me back across the pond, but i'll give myself an "A" for effort.

FIN.

US roadtrip (Dec'10)

only 4+ months after the fact, but ALL the photos from my great-American-i-just-quit-my-job-and-need-to-go-somewhere roadtrip have been posted here

originally, i was going to travel to Russia, Estonia, Latvia, etc (what some cold-warriors and birthers would say the antithesis of America), but i then found out that was somewhere my fiance eventually wanted to go there (and could not yet get the weeks off). so, i simply made the most of my pre-existing holiday travel (thanksgiving in LA, christmas in Cincinnati), and decided to see as many of the great American states in-between that i had not yet visited - AZ, NM, CO, NE, IA (yes, NE + IA), MO, KS, OK, and AR.

for some of the journey i had some road-companions join (my fiance for a long weekend, my new brother-in-law for a week). i also had numerous recommendation and introductions - meeting friends and friends-of-friends along the way, all of whom were more than gracious to extend their hospitality, and show me their slice of the country. i got to jam out with an all (older) ladies bluegrass band in Albuquerque, NM, eating junk food with a small-town lawyer in Alamosa, CO (and her turtles), and was shown the Christmas lights (and finer sights) of Tulsa, OK. i shared Dr. Peppers + travel stories with a cute 100% Navajo girl, and broke bread (literally from the Zuni tribe). on a blizzard-y day, i stared across the malt-shop counter at a little kid in Hamburg, IA. i even went to TX, despite my animosity for that state, because my awesome friend Megan decided to move back there with her husband, and she's pretty kool.

there were 8 national parks (giant sand dunes!), 3 presidential libraries, numerous museums, 2 bass pro shops, a giant meteor crater, an underground salt mine, a blizzard, and breakfast tacos, ohhhh the breakfast tacos. sadly, the giant ball of yarn eluded me. i don't think i calculated the exact mileage, but there were 3 rental cars, 1 car accident (not my fault!), and a speeding ticket (totally my fault!). i'm pretty sure i never have to drive my brother-in-law anywhere ever again (more because he's afraid of my driving).

sorry, no photo highlights (or even embedded slideshows). for that you're going to have to go through the countless useless photos i took along the way to entertain myself. but i'll leave you with this gem:

final state count? 43, which means i've got 9 to 19 years to cover the remaining 7. but i know i'll be knocking at least one off the list this summer =)

little workers.

if you've ever been in the 14th Street/8th Ave NY Subway station (west side, A, C, E, or L trains), you might have seen a bunch of little metal workers scurrying about. seeing them always gives me pause and a smile. recently, my pal Richard photographed what seems like almost all of the little guys, so i figured i'd share.

enjoy.

so, as it turns out, the name of this permanent installment is "Life Underground," by sculptor Tom Otterness, and was put up (down) in 2001. hooray for the intersection of public transportation with the arts.

nutella.

a (french) colleague shared this ad with me, and since i have nothing of value to post as of late, i figured i'd make a post of what i thought was a relatively inspiring piece of advertising.


that's right kids. ask your parents to buy you a chocolatey hazelnut spread, and you might just grow up to be in a commercial.

Calvin & Scott.

recently at a party, a guy that happened to work at the U.N. out-nerded me by sharing the following good stuff:

(click to enlarge)

despite the weird nerd overtures, this really took me back. as a young lad, i was always a fan of Calvin & Hobbes. while it wasn't my first exposure to the medium of comics, it was the bar by which all else would be measured. in fact, once Bill Waterson bowed out, i quit reading the (newspaper) comics altogether. everything else in those few daily pages i found far too trite and sophomoric. i soonafter actually quit reading all comic books for ~2 years. to this day, Calvin & Hobbes is (one of) the gold standards by which i hold the medium. fun, imaginative, and thought-provoking. 

of course, within a couple of years, i came back to comics, but not for the same reasons of fantastic action-and-art oriented spectacle. instead of following heroes and artists, i was drawn back in for characters and writers, something i still do to this day (neat art is appreciated, and super-heroics, while a nice perk, are not necessary). i don't think this would have been the case were it not for the initial seeds planted by Calvin & Hobbes.

tangentially, probably one of the great appeals of Scott Pilgrim (IMHO one of the few true successors), was that (for me) it was in much the same vein of Calvin & Hobbes. this most likely given SP's inane, imaginative, but serious emotional bent (oh Ramona, you're so much more than Susie ever could have been). or perhaps even more literally, i imagine Scott as a portrayal of who Calvin might have grown up to be (though i'm sure that's not what SP creator Brian Lee O'Malley had intended). 

naturally, over the years, quite a few artistic homages have been made (not counting Calvin praying and/or pissing on the rear window decal of a pick-up truck), but only a few really capture the true spirit of imagination and fun - like those above and to the left. i think this might have been the only t-shirt i bought in 2010 (a throwback to the already classic sled-based original somewhere in a long-lost t-shirt pile). it was never really a choice, as soon as it was published, it was as good as bought. i'm such a sucker.

but i digress. i really miss you Calvin (& Hobbes). i'm really grateful for everything you gave me. maybe someday soon i'll pick up and re-read through all those volumes i spent all my allowance money on, and have carried with me to every bedroom bookshelf of mine. 

pandas.

i wasn't going to post anything about recent events in AZ, but then i saw Jon Stewart's recent remarks, which i found pretty well thought through, so worth re-posting here. give it a go and let me know your thoughts.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Arizona Shootings Reaction
www.thedailyshow.com

universal greetings.

the great road-trip is coming to a close, and eventually i'll get around to some post-trip postings. but in the meantime, i leave you with this little bit of home that's been making its way across the interwebs.

 

monica's wedding.

my (youngest) kid-cousin Monica is all grown up, as she got hitched yesterday in California. i had the honor of being asked to be the official pictcha-man (not to be confused with the Jigga-man), so naturally i took quite a bit of photography, at what was a great, small and intimate event (the best kind). please check out the slideshow below.


but fear not, i culled down some 1400 pics to ~600. sadly, i didn't have time to embed with music (so i recommend cuing up some the Shins). and if you're patient, you just might get to see a few of yours truly getting his groove on. enjoy, and congrats to Monica & Chris.

it was a great post-thanksgiving preamble to my impending road trip, which starts at midnight. next stop, Phoenix...

selling soap. no more.

just a a few more things to wrap up before i close out the chapter of my life that was P&G. i've actually made it a point to never explicitly call them out on these posts (so no one could misconstrue this as a marketing blog, or an official POV from a P&G marketer), but i guess i can say whatever i want now (spoiler alert: it's all positive).

i worked for the Procter & Gamble company.

i remember back in grad school, when i heard i had gotten an interview for an internship with "Procter & Gamble," i thought they were a law firm. little did i know they made EVERYTHING, and were the biggest, and one of the best marketing companies in the world. having an engineering degree and working on an MBA in IS - i figured i just wanted to do IT/information security/consulting stuff. so naturally, i was a little annoyed when i saw the role description i was interviewing for was "Beauty Care Interactive Marketing." Beauty Care - WTF? despite lots of personal stuff going on that summer - i had a great time with the internship, actually having fun doing something i wound up being pretty good at. i eventually got an offer, so it was a no-brainer to accept and move my life up to Cincinnati.

7+ years later i'd worked across categories and regions on several "billion dollar brands", got to stand toe-to-toe with some amazing people (marketers and otherwise, internally and externally), helped define what digital marketing could and would be for the company, and get a glimpse for what REALLY goes on inside a big and mostly-not-evil corporation. "touching lives, improving life," indeed.

most importantly, i grew up. i got to travel the country and the world. i got to work and live abroad with people from all over. thru the company, i got to know some of my closest friends and mentors. i even met my eventually-to-be fiance there, later following her to NY, where "the company' found a way to make the most out of my professional skills and personal needs.

over the years, a lot of my friends moved on to bigger and better things (comedy, politics, marketing, startups, agencies, etc). i even started meeting quite a few ex-P&G'ers from whom i would learn a TON. the common denominator though was always that these were some of the smartest, best people i'd get the pleasure of knowing - right up until the very end.

so it's really weird to find myself finally leaving. probably a year or so later than i should have. but it was worth it - (almost) every step of the way. so yea, P&G has been a big part of my life, and i'm proud to say i had the pleasure of working there.

thanks "uncle Procter"

Ringo*

*

as i'm sure some of you may have already heard yesterday's big news - Apple is finally offering the Beatles on iTunes (see my above spoof of Apple's current homepage takeover). about damned time. but frankly too little, too late - as i've my MP3 library was long-ago already filled with their entire catalog.


honestly, i didn't really become a Beatles fan until 2007, when i was living in the far east without in-person access to all my music buddies' recos (ie, going to shows with them or having them hand me albums to listen to). fortunately, years before my move, my good friend Rajiv had insisted that to be a true rock fan, i had to have a POV on the Beatles (all i had really known was the few albums like Help! that my parents had lying around the house, and Danger Mouse's the Grey Album). i soon became hooked (Revolver and the White Album being some of my favorite albums of all time). now if only i could get shipped off to another foreign country so i can spend some quality time with Bob Dylan and/or the Rolling Stones.


a few years later, i became addicted to the game Rock Band, and guess what, soonafter Beatles Rock Band followed. sadly, i had already moved to suburban NY, so the only true Beatles Rock Band celebrations was playing the entire game through the night  it came out (as i "happened" to be in Cincinnati for a business trip), and then our 2009 halloween party (where my fiance + i were aptly dressed as hippie John & Yoko).


a few observations i'd like to share about the Fab Four:

• they're one of the few bands to transcend musical archetypes during their brief history: starting as a poppy boy band that the girls swooned for (minus the slick dance moves and earpiece microphones), they soon grew up to be hard rock icons (as seen above, as contemporaries of the Rolling Stones, etc), and would quickly transcended into weird trippy experimental music (a'la Radiohead) before finally breaking out into their own individual projects and movements (most notabley John).
• most people are either John or Paul fans. and while i will gladly admit to their insane talent (the 1+1 of those 2's friendship + collaboration equaled 300), John was a bit dooshy, and Paul was (and continues to be) a bit of an immature, yet talented, sellout.
• George Harrison was the coolest, and remains my favorite (above, on the far left). and my guitar gently weeps for him.
• Ringo* was the ugliest. seriously. sure he's aged well (which is code for...he grew a beard to cover up his face), but man was that guy was ugly*. if you can't already tell by the picture above, he's the one on the far right.
• i only recently realized that the band's name is a pun. their namesake bug is spelled "beEtle", while the band name is spelled "the BeAtles," as in "we got the beat." pretty neat, eh? and don't even pretend you already knew that (for the sake of my fragile ego).

that's all i got. the Beatles were awesome. they are (one of the) bars to which all rock-bands should be held over time. and Ringo* sure was ugly.


*(to be clear, this whole post was simply an excuse for me to share my graphical spoof ridiculing Ringo Starr's sub-optimal appearance. that fact that i could use a * as a poor typographical pun to also make this point only made it more worthwhile. you're welcome)

from soap to yogurt. and America!

it's official. i'll soon be unemployed.

...though rest assured, loyal readers, it's not to the "America: what happened?" tunes of our current domestic woes, but rather the "America: it happened!" way that is moving our global economy (and allowing me to take a pretty awesome road trip*).

the gist: after 7+ years shilling some of the world's best personal care products via the wonders of in the interwebs (aka "digital marketing"), i've turned in my resignation notice, and will soon be jumping into a broader, more senior "integrated marketing" role - to sell yogurt. mo money, mo problems, indeed.  but i was able to negotiate the entire month of December off. but i promise, more on that in a bit*.

so you're probably asking yourself, "self, yogurt doesn't really seem that exciting? why would our good friend Raman choose to go that route (especially when he had a safe and stable job)?" to be clear - i didn't seek this out - it kinda found me, and was too good an opportunity to pass up. and while i was still doing well in my current career with the soap-company, my NY-based location (away from the corporate mothership) wasn't really helping with certainty and upward trajectory.

this new role, while a bit of a risk, is a calculated one. i'll be at the US headquarters of a European company (so yes, potential travel and relocation are in my future), but for the meantime i get to stay put in NY (minimal disruption to my personal life). the values of my soon-to-be new yogurt-making employers are a good fit with where i'm coming from and where i want to go, and i'm a big fan of the culture there (pun fully intended). all that being said, this was one of the tougher decisions of my personal and professional life - as i'm leaving behind a lot of great friends and colleagues, and a global network of rockstars that's hard to beat. but the future awaits, and i'm excited about the next 5-7 years of my career selling yogurt.

and frankly, between you and me - this is the real litmus test of IF marketing is the right fit for me long-term. i think it will be, as i'm getting on-board at the ground floor of something big - and the room for me to continue growing personally and professionally seems boundless.

*but enough grown-up talk. let's get to the real reason you're reading this: America.

(click above to see the latest and greatest itinerary of my upcoming trip)

that's right. America. while i did recently attend a rally in DC, that's not what sparked this interest. i effectively have a month off as i transition between my job of selling yogurt to my job of selling soap. i'm already out west for the Thanksgiving holidays with extended family, and have no commitments until the Christmas break - where i reunite with my immediate family in Cincinnati.

so in-between the two, i'm renting a car and hitting the hi-ways and by-ways of the American south/midwest (AKA - a bunch of states i've not yet been to - getting me closer to one of my many travel goals - 50 states by 40). i'll be starting in LA, and making my way to/thru Arizona and New Mexico - and then straight up to Denver, Colorado. from CO, i'll be flying over to Omaha, Nebraska, where i'll zig zag my way through Nebraska, Iowa, and Kansas, before zooming down to Oklahoma and Arkansas. my final stop will be in Houston, Texas, where i'll hang for a few days with a close friend from my German-speaking days. and then i'm leaving on a jet-plane for Cincinnati for the holidays.

so my question to you, dear reader is this: got a place i can crash? while you may not live in my path of American exploration (and if you do, seriously, let's talk), i'm sure you've got a sibling and/or close friend along the way. if not, at least give me your recommendations of random sights to see (giant-sized baskets) and foods to try (giant-sized baskets of artichokes). otherwise it's just going to be me and the road. and i just might drive the road crazy.

so that's all (for now) folks. just keep buying soap to keep my current retirement savings going. start buying yogurt to ensure i have a job in the new year. and let me know what i should do along my route through America!

remember: soap, yogurt, America!

welcome back Conan.

i never caught onto the whole "Coco" movement, but i have been a Conan fan for a long, long time (i'd share a video that illustrates said point, but a certain someone has issued a cease + desist of such interweb video tom-foolery)

sure i stopped watching "Late Night" once i finished grad school and got my first real job, but it was always reassuring to know he was putting up the good fight. then the Tonight Show debacle gave him a rise in prominence (and ratings). sadly, the double-edged sword that is living in NY kept me from seeing any of his live shows (we get everything, but it sells out in minutes).

his live show premiered last night. i'm a big fan of shows made for cable VS the networks. a built-in smaller audience allows for more great story-telling and conceptual risk-taking that the masses of America aren't willing to deal with. that's why you get lots of (mostly) inane stuff on the networks (Two & A Half Men, really?), and really brilliant stuff on cable (It's Always Sunny, Mad Men, etc). don't even get me started on HBO)


so, for those of you that missed it, i now share with you, the cold-open.

 your welcome.

Surya - master debater.

my buddy Surya is running for Congress in Ohio's 2nd district. he recently debated the incumbent Jean Schmidt on local TV, and frankly - to quote a close Republican friend - dominated. here's the debate, and Surya's most recent (and final) ad as icing on the cake.


i hope wherever you live, you've registered and will be voting this Tuesday. 

(Surya - apologies in advance for my my lame pun, i couldn't resist).

hello ZoomZoom.

so if you've been watching my car dilemma unfold in recent weeks, you'll be pleased to know that i've purchased my first new car, as seen above (mountains and starry night not included, this was a stock photo i took from the interwebs). 

i feel so grown up now, like i just went thru a rite of passage. thankfully dealing with my salesguy online (and edmunds.com) made the process more bearable.

and don't call it "cute" - it's "cool" - all 5 doors of automatic (sigh), moon-roofed, "gun-metal" blued, goodness (though the blue IS a bit lighter than shown above).

now i can whisper "zoom zoom" as i zip pass you on the high-ways and byways of life. 

goodbye Celica.

last week i was in a car accident*. i'm fine, and no one was hurt, except for my friend of some ~11+ years, who was not able to survive. it was only a car, but having now said goodbye, i find myself remiss.

my '96 Celica was not my first (the first being the '84 i inherited from my dad + sister), but it likely will be my last. it was my first "new" (to me) car - having gotten it late in my college years (used - a family first!).

it was a cool ride then - cd and tape player, power windows, hatchback, spoiler and all - and it was a cool ride now - until the very end. over the years, the clutch had been replaced (after teaching far too many friends how to drive stick on it), as had the brakes, the tires, and even the radiator (a project i embarked on with my future brother-in-law at a crowded train station). when the a/c went out a few years ago, i didn't bother replacing it, opting to rather keep the windows down, and music blaring.

it had driven me all over AL, GA, MS, and GA for road-trips to see rock-shows, pretty girls and/or good friends. my tv, computer, clothes, comics and far too many personal belonging had been shuttled in and out of it between dorms, apartments, houses, and condos. it had moved me to OH - twice, and into (and out of) my first house. eventually, it took me out to NY for our most recent (and what would be its final) move. despite all the work/hassles of life, they were OK as long as i had my good Celica buddy. because driving it was always a fun (and fast) time.

*and then, it all came to a (fitting?) speeding end. driving in the rain (carefully, and slowly, believe it or not), crossing a bridge, i hit a patch of water, and hydro-planed into a concrete barrier at a not-so-slow speed. fortunately, the undercarriage of the car took most of the damage, though leaving the car undriveable. i got lucky, as the accident could have been much worse (others could have been hurt, i could have gone flying). i was in immediate shock after the accident, so it wasn't until much later that night that i realized how much worse it could have been, especially in light of recent events.

but i was ok. the Celica would not be. in it's aging years, as i had long ago dropped the collision insurance (opting only to pay for damage to anything else in its path), so the repair guy let me know it really wasn't worth it to fix up. while i'd already been thinking a new car was inevitable, it was not something i really wanted, even though i knew i had to grow up eventually.

so this past Saturday, i went to the tow-lot, cleared out my belongings, and handed over the car title to have it "junked." you've already seen the final pictures above.

so goodbye, dear Celica. R.I.P. you'll always represent the white machine (as said by my dad, and coined by my buddy Joe). but you sure could go fast, so we'll have always called you the InjoXpress (mach deux).

i guess i now have to buy a new car.

happy birthday mario.

i just found out that my good friend Mario is turning 25. similar to the teen-bopper speed-metal quartet Weezer, Mario's been around at most of they key stages of my life. allow me to reminisce:

• growing up an adolescent playing the original "Super Mario Bros" on my friend Raj's NES after school. 
• in junior high - playing SNES Mario Kart at Marshall Beasely's on the weekend, or b&w Mario on Tommy Chai's gameboy during science fairs. 
• true, there was the brief affair with Sonic the Hedgehog at neighbor Milton's house (and on my Game Gear). but that was a short-lived fling-of-fancy, so we won't spend too much time on that. 
• in highschool it was Mario-64 on the snuck-in TV of my boarding school dorm. 
• thru highschool and college, on my freqeunt weekend/holiday visits home, there were many 4-player Mario Kart 64 races late into the night at my friend Bhuwan's house (after many a lengthy lecture by his father, or as we prepared to defend from an inevitable TP-attack) - with his younger brother Barun + the afore-mentioned Raj 
• Mario Kart DS was a big hit during my travels - playing little kids in restaurant waits, or with Ben + his brother on the tube in London.
• "the New Super Mario Bros" (DS) was a mainstay on many work flights around the world - whether it be thru an earthquake in Hawaii, or passing the time on a weekend trip thru Southeast Asia (where i finally bought myself an actual green mushroom)
• during my many "grown up" years in Cincinnati" i clung to my youth by playing far too much Mario Kart Wii with close friends.
• "Super Mario Galaxy" helped me deal with my girlfriend moving far away to NY.
• and now that i'm actually in NY living with my fiance (the afore-mentioned girlfriend) - the newest 4-player, side-scrolling "Super Mario Bros" (Wii) has been a maddeningly frustrating big hit with our friends here. 

as Mario's grown up, so have i. most of my generation would probably argue, Mario's a bigger deal than Mickey Mouse or Spider-Man (well, let's not get TOO carried away). i can't wait to see what's next, to get to eventually play some Mario with my future kids, nephews, nieces, and grandkids. so anyways, i leave you with a pretty interesting piece i recently saw in an industry publication:

...a truly evergreen gaming franchise is celebrating a remarkable milestone for the industry. The endemic Super Mario Brothers turned 25 years old this month, celebrating a quarter of a century of bringing fame to Italian plumbers, mushrooms, and 1ups. The mere soundtrack to Super Mario Bros. echoes with nostalgia, not to mention the fact Mario and his supporting cast have endured as iconic characters beloved by all for much longer than most modern- day gaming heroes. Mario made his debut in Donkey Kong, but established his legend in Super Mario Bros. on the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), selling over 40 million copies worldwide, putting Nintendo, and Mario himself, at the forefront of gaming’s new identity.

As Nintendo grew with changing technology, from the NES to the Wii and into handheld devices like Game Boy and Nintendo DS, the Mario brand evolved as well, oftentimes launching a title alongside a new system to bring a familiar face into gamers’ homes with their latest console. Over time, Mario games have sold over 222 million copies across all platforms worldwide, ac- cording to Nintendo. Robert Lowe, Nintendo Marketing Manager UK Ireland, noted that Mario “is an enduring gaming icon that has a truly universal ap- peal. His games blend immense creativity, superb gameplay, and unbridled fun in a unique and spellbinding way.”

Though he’s gone through many iterations as technology has evolved, Mario continues to possess the staying power across generations, technology, and narration, allowing him to remain a videogame staple for over five genera- tions. While most cartoons, videogames, and movie characters strain to remain relevant, Mario does it with ease, bringing new and experienced gamers together. Nintendo has featured the character beyond his own titles as well, using Mario to introduce new play mechanics to gamers, like puzzle games via Dr. Mario, RPG games like Mario and Luigi on the DS, or ushering in the 3D-platform adventure with Super Mario 64, which many argue is the greatest videog- ame ever created. Even analog gamepads, now a staple across all forms of gaming, can give credit to Mario, as the control style was invented for players to better control the plumber in the 3D envi- ronment on Nintendo 64. This coupling of familiar, beloved characters with new technology has let Nintendo innovate beyond the joypad and console, breathing new life into the company and the industry as a whole.

Even after 25 years and over hundreds of millions of games sold, Nintendo confirmed that we can “rest assured [knowing] that it will be Mario who takes us on brand new adventures in the future.” To this day, a Mario game still sits in the top 10 for monthly NPD sales and news of his latest adventures - be it in the tried-and-true environment of the Mushroom Kingdom or in outer space on planets shaped like his head - create gamer buzz like no other. So here’s to you, Mario. A very happy birthday, with many more years to come.

Mandi & Corey's wedding.

so my sister got married a few weeks ago - the official pictures are finally here...

(click above to see a quick musical montage put together by Tine Hoffman, photographer extraordinaire)

and if you're even more interested, check out the piece that our hometown paper, the Montgomery Advertiser put together (with their own related photo galleries).

31.

sure, it's just another prime number, but it was reason enough for me to take the day off and get a few "ME" things done...

1. moved car ($^$% 8am street cleaning).
2. slept in.
3. morning shower (that's something considering i've become a night showerer)
4. read the economist.
5. work email to a work friend (even though i'm not working).
6. NY tips for a friend planning a surprise birthday trip.
7. read some comic books.
8. made some postcards.
9. went for a walk.
10. bought some postcard stamps.
11. bought some quarters.
12. went to the library.
13. tried some cheese.
14. got some candies walnuts.
15. got a jerk pork panini.
16. got a Dr. Pepper.
17. sat in the park for lunch and contemplative thinking.
18. talked to a guy about yogurt.
19. put icing on cupcakes.
20. read some birthday cards.
21. got some sweet audio stuff from my sis + new brother-in-law.
22. attempted to fix my blackberry.
23. called + talked to my troubled cousin.
24. looked into some interesting grad school programs.
25. made some wedding plans.
26. went to the gym.
27. making fajitas for friends for dinner tonight.
28. made fresh salsa (last night, but for today, so it counts).
29. will play some video games (Mario!)
30. will read some comics books.
31. this blog post.

so in reality, it's not much different from any other day that i stay at home and not work. not as much quiet introspection as i would have liked, but y'know, there's always tomorrow (and the day after).

2229.07.2011

with all the hubub over secret announcements as of late, i feel the need to jump on the bandwagon and post the following vague image:

no, i'm not starting a Indo-Chinese secret society (or am i?). and NO, this isn't just an attempt to show off what happens when you pair my religion/comic-addled imagination (there's an upcoming post on that) with my lackluster Photoshop skills (there's another post on that).

i'm sure some of you will eventually figure it out (i may have to mail you a hint), though i'd ask you to NOT leave comments below and ruin the fun for all of our other loyal readers.

you're welcome.

death (and life).

this is a pretty sad post, so i decided to put the happiest, cutest picture i could find at the top.

yesterday my fiancé found out one of her college friends (and husband) died in a car accident Friday.

we were taken aback, sad, and remorsed (is that a word?), but are ultimately ok. our thoughts go out to Yu Lin + John's family and friends. this is never easy.

i had only met the couple once at their wedding in San Francisco a few years ago. we had a great time, but as with all weddings, didn't get to spend too much time with the couple. we were actually supposed to see them next weekend at another friend's wedding, and had just mentioned how we were looking forward to get to know them as a couple, etc. i guess that will never happen.

but it sparked a number of conversations and thoughts on the broader topic.

it was too soon. 
in our late 20s/early 30s, it always seems like one week after another, someone is getting engaged, married, or having a kid. we've even had our first few divorces. and yes, there is death. but as we get older - into our 60s, 70s, 80s - what milestones do you look forward to hearing from your friends about? unfortunately - it's not life (unless you count grandchildren - but i assume you get desensitized to the good news/cuteness that comes with the territory of being a new grandparent).

it should have been something (someone) else.
we expect death to come in an expected manner - like with old age and disease. it doesn't make those things any easier, but you have time to steady yourself for the worst. but at any point lightning, a bus, or worse could strike, and you're done. no one wanted this to happen, but did it have to be in such a manner? if you read the article linked above, you'll note that the person whose fault it was survives. they'll get on with their lives, but they've ruined countless others. this was nothing intentional, but that doesn't make it fair, or right.


life is precious. 
it sounds cliche, but sadly rings true more now than usual. this came out of nowhere, and frankly it could have happened to any of us. our immediate shock made everything else big (career, vacations, etc) seem insignificant, and everything else small (meals at home, talking with your friends) seem more important. animals and insects reproduce litters and swarms - knowing that many will die, and few will survive. even our ancestors had many children, because there was no certainty how many would survive to carry the family on. but in our modern society, families usually can only afford/manage to have 2-3 children. and so much goes into them. for something like this to happen becomes all the more devastating.

it will always hurt.
a few years ago a close childhood friend passed away. my dad spoke at his funeral. sadly, death is nothing new to my father, as he has seen most of his family (in India) pass away over the course of his adult life. he said something that really stuck with me (i'm paraphrasing):

"people say you'll get over it in time. they're wrong. you don't. you never forget these people. you keep them with you, they become a part of you. what's painful now becomes something you learn to endure, and not as hard to live with anymore."

i'm now going to make cupcakes. i would advise you do the same.

141.

a few months ago my friend Kyle told me he was starting a side-company...

naturally, i asked Kyle (in Portland) to sign me up - i was ready and willing* to make a modest contribution for a good (and well-thought + designed) cause. besides, i needed a new pair of glasses. unfortunately, they weren't available in NY until a few weeks ago. naturally, i went in to check them out immediately, found a pair that worked for me, dropped off my prescription, and picked up my new pair yesterday (just in time to hit the hip Brooklyn party scene).

so i've got a new pair of stylin spectacles. and i like to think that somewhere far away (here or abroad), someone in need will be getting a pair. so if you've got some cash and need some well-made glasses, get your self some 141's (or ask Kyle how you can help get them in your town). and tell your friends to do the same.

*basically - if someone i know goes out on a limb to do something special and unique, i'm ready and willing to support them with money or time. sure i'm a nice guy, but it's also because i'm living vicariously through their bravery and effort. so what are you waiting for? go start a for profit, not-for-profit, creative arts community program, tell some jokes, write some fiction, write some non-fiction, or even run for office.

thanks for doing something awesome Kyle.