no car blues

Nicole
06.29.06 @ 12:12 PM CST

So the mechanic hasn't gotten to my car yet And it gets better he is going on vacation next week. I'm just glad that Kevin still has his car. Just one more life lesson to put in the vault.

New Object of Technolust...

Jon
06.23.06 @ 01:37 PM CST
feeling: Eh. Magazine Week.



For the last few weeks, since I have started to practice with KillSwitch, I have been looking for a higher-end gun to add to my paintball arsenal. Ultimately, I want an SL66 Ego. The lightest, sleekest, fastest, rippin'est razor-edged paintslinger out there. Problem is, they cost $1600. I am not, as of this writing, willing to pay $1600 for a paintball marker.

So, resigned to the fact that I can't afford (or won't pay for) the 'gun that I want...I set out to find a contender to the throne. There are lots of gats in the running. Used Intimidators, DM5/Cs, Used Egos (that would rule), the WGP Black Magic, the Alien Interceptor, the Infinity Legend, etc...

Well, today I read about the one I want. It's not an Ego, but...
...it's an Ego. An E-Tek Ego. BAM!

So, it's an Ego, but with a different trigger, frame, RAM, PCB, and body design that make it CHEAPER TO MAKE. MSRP on these things is set at $750...which means that it'll soon be significantly lower. I've even read that people are pre-ordering them for as low as $675...and the thing hasn't even hit the street yet. Hopefully it'll be somewhere around $500 in a few months, and I'll pick one up. Woo!

SAAB's have issues too

Nicole
06.20.06 @ 04:55 PM CST
feeling: angry

So today my car broke, that's right it broke. I was going to Jiffy Lube to have all of the fluids topped off and well I didn't make it that far. But now I am getting it fixed, the a/c unit went down the tubes and cracked my belt. This stinks. Anyway I am fine and the car will be in about $1000 luckly I have the money but it still stinks.

Being famous

Nicole
06.20.06 @ 04:49 PM CST

Jocelyn
06.16.06 @ 04:07 PM CST

Peppers

Jocelyn
06.16.06 @ 09:52 AM CST

New Furniture

Jocelyn
06.16.06 @ 09:51 AM CST



This is our new furniture!

How will you be defined in the Dictionary?

Jon
06.15.06 @ 11:23 PM CST
listening to: Letterman
feeling: F*** You. (I am hardcore.)

Facial Hair and Nervous Habits...

Jon
06.14.06 @ 09:55 AM CST
listening to: LoveLine
feeling: Egh

So...I have developed a nervous tick, I suppose. I have been a little stressed out lately because, as normal, I do not feel that I am creative enough. I know. I am a pussy. ANYWAY. I started picking at the beard part of my goatee while I read. And, when I woke up yesterday, I had a giant bald spot in my beard, running from the corner of my mouth, down to my chin. It was wide enough that it looked like I was etempting to give myself a fu man chu on one side of my face.

Well, around noon, when I take my daily trip to the sandwich place to let someone else make my dietary decisions for me, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and decided that I couldn't very well leave the house looking like that, so I started an hour or so of facial hair expirimentation.

What I came up with is this: A Mustache.
I tried a Fu-Man-Chu. It was easiest. All I had to do was match the bald spot on the other side. I am not a Fu-Man-Chu guy. Maybe if I liked Metallica more or something then I could get away with it.

I also tried a Mustache w/a Soul Patch.
I might try that one again. Truthfully, I couldn't get the Soul Patch to look right. I did one of those deals where it was too big, so I trimmed it...then it was too small...so I killed it. But, it might come back. But then again, I am not Billy Bob Thorton, so I might not be able to pull it off.

Anyway, so I have a mustache. Jocie says it reminds her of Anchorman. To that I say, "Stay Classy."

Jon
06.12.06 @ 01:43 PM CST

Interesting Thought...

Jon
06.09.06 @ 01:26 PM CST

This article posits that the five words that people (especially small business) uses most often in advertising are actually detrimental to their cause.

It makes sense to me.

I especially like the authors point that products that actually have the attributes don't need to tell you about it. He missed on trick though. In the paragraph on the word Integrity, he fails to mention a truth that I have noticed again and again: If a company tells you they have integrity, they do not. And, a company that doesn't have integrity, will freely lie about it.

enjoying life

Nicole
06.09.06 @ 12:29 PM CST
listening to: xm radio
feeling: isn't it obvious?

So last night I realized how good I have it. I have a wonderful boyfriend, who has learned that sometimes when I don't want to go out it isn't because I don't want to see people but that I need some alone time so he goes even though I am not. And then he puts up with me wanting to talk to him in-between his two alarms that wake him up in the morning, because he wasn't watching tv with me while he was gone. Then he doesn't want a birthday cake, which is good for my diet. And he has been eating things that I don't like so that they won't tempt me when he can eat things that I can't. I also realized, after getting stared at while at job sites and whistled at while singing at a bar, that I am a cute girl. And while this doesn't mean that I shouldn't keep trying to lose weight but it shows me that I don't have to be in such a hurry and I should let things happen more naturally. I also found out that I am good at my job, who knew? (Well Kevin would say that he did but I don't think that's fair.) Things are so much better with Kevin's knew job and while there have been moments of jealousy I am happy for him more than anything. Well that's it. I hope all is well.

Beginning of Summer

Jocelyn
06.09.06 @ 10:29 AM CST

It's hot here. Real Hot. Hot with a capitol H. We helped kick off summer last night with the start of the summer bowling league. This year, our team will be the five of us (mom, dad and Keith, Jon, me) This way we can rotate weekly. Last night, Jon Dad and I bowled. We sucked. I haven't bowled since last summer and it's been a good month for Jon and dad. My last game was in the 90's. That's better than where I started last summer, which was in the 40's. I'm glad to see I retained some skill. Hopefully this year, I'll make most improved bowler again.

I also got ambitious the other night and caulked the bathroom countertop. Not with just a tube of caulk, but with the bug caulk gun. It was awesome. I still have some more to go but I'm ready to caulk everything now.

I also ate an olive yesterday. I have never purposely eaten one. It wasn't so bad. I actually ate a few of them.

More New Work...

Jon
06.08.06 @ 01:50 PM CST
listening to: P&K

Well, volume 9 is on shelves, er, those brightly colored plastic things where you put free magazines.

The printer totally screwed up my work with an overly heavy hit of black in on most pages, web marks on on lots of pages, and visibly bleeding black type on specific spots on lots of pages. Most notibly, the cover is DARK. Think of the one you see above, but look at it through sun glasses. LAME.

Anyway. I busted my ass for this thing, and it's lame that it's all screwed up because they use the world's cheapest printer.

Cox Interactive Proves Themselves Worthy of Their Homonym...

Jon
06.08.06 @ 01:15 PM CST
listening to: the hum of my AC...
feeling: Fine. Sleepy. Whatever.

According to AdRants, a blog/newsletter that I subscribe to, Cox Interactive is blocking user access to Craigslist.org. Since I know that some of you (Mom, Grandma, perhaps Dad) don't know what that is, here's a breakdown.

Craigslist is a site where people can post classifieds. They are organized by region (major metro area) and type of ad. They are nothing new though, just classifieds. Free. Classifieds.

Well, apparently Cox Interactive (which is owned by Cox Communications, which also owns a newspaper group) has decided that it's going to filter the content of web sites that compete with services offered by its parent company. I say BOOOOOOO!

I'm glad that I, for one, do not have Cox Cable internet service. Because let me tell you something. I pay for access to the internet, not the internet YOU like, Mr. or Mrs. Cox, and not just the internet that YOU can make money off of. I hope you get your asses sued right off. Seriously.

New Work — myIT.com Trade Show Booth

Jon
06.07.06 @ 02:08 PM CST
feeling: Sleepy. Still. I think I am broken.


So, I just finished this rush-rush tradeshow job for my client myIT.com. This is an approximation of what it will look like set up on its big curved frame. I saw it set up last night, and it's WAY cooler in real life...probably because you can't see the top. It's like 90 inches tall and 117.5 inches wide. Totally badass. Click on it it see it bigger.

One day, hopefully, I'll have a real photo of it. For now, this will have to do.

What do you think?

making up my mind

Nicole
06.07.06 @ 12:32 PM CST
feeling: not bad

So I need to make an important choice and so far I have my own opinion, the opinion of Mom and that of Kevin. Now Mom and Kevin disagree on what I should do and I guess that I don't care. So do I listen to Mom or Kevin? I mean this will adjust my crazy emotional episodes every month but if I change my current pattern than other worst things could also happen. Any suggestions?

me and my waist line

Nicole
06.05.06 @ 01:05 PM CST
feeling: good

So as always it is time for me to not think about school and instead attempt to lose weight and get healthy and so on. So this year I am glad to say that I am starting out 9 lbs lighter then last year, well I was starting out, at the end of the school year. And while I had a 7lbs blip last week I think that Mother Nature was just playing with my head because of well ya know. And this week’s scale entry was 10lbs lighter, so not only did I take back off the 7lbs but another 3lbs so I am feeling pretty good. In another 5 lbs I will be back to wear I was the week that I left for Rome and then I want to lose 7 to 10 more lbs. But we will see. I just have to avoid lunches out and keep exercising.

Nothing Much

Jocelyn
06.05.06 @ 10:09 AM CST

We have new outdoor furniture! The old furniture, which was 'vintage' and busted was put out on the corner. It was furniture that my parents had from before I was born, or at least when I was little. Anyway, the new set is awesome. I'll get a picture up soon. Flowers are continuing to bloom, the garden is starting to grow good veggies, but there is still one thing missing from the yard, the frog. I thought out frogs came to visit in the spring. They have yet to come, no singing, no tadpoles, nothing. I'm wondering it if has anything to do with the brutal battle between frog and Subaru that happened last year. Some how the frogs know that there is risk associated with our habitat. I hope it's not too late for the frogs. Maybe they'll come in the late summer.

We had tha family come over last night for dinner. I made something new, and besides for a few details that were out of my hands, it turned out pretty good. It was a (grilled) beef lo mein. Details that were out of my hands include two hungry guys snitching at the meat while we waited for mom and dad to show up. They were late, so by the time I put it all together I was low on the meat and the meat dried out a bit waiting to be incorporated with the rest of the meal. The flavor was good.

on that note

Nicole
06.02.06 @ 12:03 PM CST
feeling: good

Well along with Jon's complaint about clients I must add my two cents because there are budget restraints that often cause a similar need to tone things back, which stinks. But on a different note Kevin started his new job yesterday and he has a dream client. Apparently they own the two floors of a building and they are doing a redesign, since they are now older and their kids are gone. To make me understand how much of a budget he gets he was describing the baby gate that they had commissioned, when they first had kids, which cost over $3,000. But it matched the design of the condo. Anway, we are going to Mom and Dad's this weekend. Read you all later.

I tell you, I am not the only creative who complains about clients...

Jon
06.01.06 @ 01:32 PM CST
listening to: Pugs & Kelly
feeling: Fine. Dicks.

Go here: http://advertisingindustrynewswire.com/2006/05/15/64_155139

It's funny. And completely true. Or at least plausible. People want DUMB SHIT. I don't know why. My most common comment goes something like "Well, sure, you and I get it/think it's funny/ but I don't think the audience will.

Well here's the thing. Your audience is smarter than you give them credit for. And if they aren't they, don't care. They'll buy your shit because you told them too. It's the intelligent consumers that you have to convince.

I read this thing, years ago, about how consumers will trust a brand that they've heard of more than se7en times...even if the things they heard about that brand were negative. Those people, the ones who keep buying Panasonic even though their stereos keep breaking, don't need clever ads. You could just put a picture of a stereo and the word Panasonic on a page in Maxim and get those retards. RETARDS.