2008: The Most Amazing Year of my Life

In 2008, I took a lot of chances and found out what I was capable of. I never have “lived” so much in a short period of time, made so many friends, and seen so much.

I started out the year living in an old, rusty trailer in the middle of a Redwood forest in the Santa Cruz Mountains. I had accepted a job as a Naturalist at the San Joaquin Outdoor School, and for the next five months I would be living in the woods.

I was scared shitless. My job involved teaching 5th and 6th graders science for one week at a time. I had never worked with kids, didn’t know much about the outdoors, and sure as hell didn’t know crap about science.

A few months earlier, I had left my desk job in Chicago for the brighter pastures of California. I hated Chicago and, especially, my job. I told all my friends there that I liked Chicago, but had to leave. That was bullshit. Chicago wasn’t the city for me.

As time went on at SJOE, I found I loved working with kids, and from what I could tell, they really liked me. I also loved living in the redwoods. And, I wasn’t far from San Francisco either.

I took the nature name, Squirrel, because growing up in Suburban Detroit they were the main animal around. I loved to climb early on and identified with the animal.

I played guitar and sang to groups of 100-130 kids every week. Not exactly the crowd I imagined when I first picked up a guitar, but I loved it. Playing hits like “The Banana Slug Song” drove those kids into a frenzy. With my two best friends at SJOE, Cirrus and Dragonfly, we put on an amazing show of skits and songs.

My favorite things to do with the kids were a salamander hunt (four different species!), hiking to Worley Flat, and practicing survival skills.

Also during my time there I met a girl. I was very happy...it was pure bliss.

Throughout those five months I was also applying for journalism grad schools. It was a plan I had long before coming to the San Joaquin Valley. I had been writing freelance for three years and felt it was time to get serious. In early March I was accepted to my top pick, NYU.

In May, I was sad to leave the Valley. I had made so many friends and it was, quite possibly, the happiest I had ever been in my life. I said my goodbyes and drove my Chevy Nova, with my gf, across the country.

We stayed in a hotel in Salt Lake City, visited my friend Robin in Denver, stayed with some of my gf’s family friends in St. Louis, stayed with my cousin and friend in Chicago, and eventually ended up in Holland, MI. After dropping my gf off, I stayed with my brother in East Lansing and then went home to St. Clair Shores. It was an amazing trip.

I planned to stay for two months in SCS and just get ready for NYU. Well, two days after arriving in Detroit, I hit a pothole with the Nova and it was totaled. That signaled some rough times. Unfortunately, no matter what I do in my life, I am still a kid to my parents and they weren’t the easiest to live with either.


I applied at every restaurant in SCS’s Nautical Mile. No one would hire me. Eventually, I got the idea to see if my old company from a few years ago, Brogan & Partners, would hire me. Well, they did and it was an amazing time. I got to brush up on my writing skills working on their blog and made a ton of new friends. It really made the rest of my summer great.

After writing letters back and forth to my gf throughout the summer, she dumped me a week before I left for NYU. I was crushed.

I left for New York with my cousin, Nathan, and dad two weeks before classes started. Nathan and I stayed with my Aunt and Uncle in Hoboken, NJ for two weeks while we searched for an apartment.

After a very hard search we eventually found a five-floor walk-up in the East Village that was in our price range and actually in Manhattan! It was cheaper than the places we were looking at in Brooklyn and only a little more expensive than a place in Harlem we almost took.

When NYU classes started, I had mixed feelings. I was expecting to meet people that had been journalists before that were there to get some extra training, or people like me that took some soul-searching after undergrad to find out what they wanted out of life. Well, my whole class was 21-22 year old girls straight from undergrad.

Eventually, I got off my high horse and became really good friends with some people in the class, especially Kate and Andrea (both from WI). I grew to like everyone in my program, even if I didn’t see eye-to-eye with them. In our sister program, Reporting the Nation, I met some other great friends too. We would meet at least once a week for drinks.


I still didn’t like New York City though. I was heartbroken, and my mind would often drift back to the San Joaquin Valley. I was filled with uncertainty and sadness; I was happy in California, should I have stayed? Also, the Big Apple was overwhelming. Screw defeating stereotypes, the majority of people her ARE assholes and it makes for a very hard place to move too.

I found some kindred spirits in the NYU student group, Bags N’ Boards. We met every Thursday and discussed comic books. It was a huge stress relief. Most meetings, even though we were supposed to be working on a publication, involved us laughing, geeking out, and making fun of Jeph Loeb.

I threw myself into my studies. I worked night and day to prove myself. In hindsight, I probably didn’t need to work as hard as I did. But, it all paid off in the end. I was running to every borough, interviewing people, taking pictures, and writing the best stories I could.

I finally started to make some friends too. I got a job my first week at NYU in the journalism equipment room and met some amazing people. My two co-workers, James and Will, were a riot. I actually sort of liked coming to work. We started hanging out outside of work and it was cool to have some non-NYU friends.

By the end of the semester, I was able to sit back be really proud of what I did. Graduate school was way harder than what I thought it would be. But, I was very successful (at least by my standards), and it felt great. Some of the highlights were being asked if I want to be a grad assistant next semester, getting five stories published on NYC Pavement Pieces, and drawing two comics in the NYU Comic Book Review.

I still am unsure about New York. But, I hear it takes a while to really start to like it. So, I’m hopeful for the future. I can’t imagine 2009 will be better than this year - ’08 would be a hard year to top. And if things really suck next year, all I need to remember is places like the San Joaquin Valley exist and things can always get better.

Bob Ross Wikipedia Article

I love Bob Ross. Recently, I have been working my way through season 15 and I love his calm voice and caring nature. After a stressful day in the Big Apple, nothing chills me out like watching "The Joy of Painting."

I decided to look up a little information on the man and found this hilarious description on Wikipedia. I've been laughing for about 15 minutes...

Wikipedia: "In 1995, Ross received his widest exposure when he created what many of his critics claimed to be the greatest painting of all time. This painting would not only be the greatest of his career, but the greatest in the history of the universe. It was, in fact, so realistic in nature that it was more real than reality itself. This painting was said to have bridged the void between the dimensions and, consequently, Bob Ross painted himself into another dimension where he resided until 2001. Despite this, however, Ross has made contact multiple times to this plane of existence."


Visit the Midwest Review blog for TV reviews: TMR: The Midwest Review

Ed Shaw Interview

I wrote a story recently about the aging HIV community, and an amazing man, Ed Shaw.

The story is currently on the front page of NYC Pavement Pieces.

This was my first time conducting an interview using video and I made some mistakes. Regardless, I know for next time and was able to use the audio on Pavement Pieces.

Music was provided by Paul Karam. He is a Detroit musician and I really dig his stuff. Hopefully, I can use his music again when I get better at video.

Cheers!

* * *

City Island, The Bronx

Hello there dear reader,

Kick off your shoes, grab a cup of coffee, and relax as I weave a tale of tranquility, beauty, and adventure from the "Seaport of the Bronx"

* * *

A Dream Fulfilled

When Jeremy Bridgman moved to the Big Apple he had one dream: to run the New York marathon. He completed his mission yesterday. All it took was four years, four months of training, and waking up at 6:30 a.m. on a frigid fall morning.

“This is the quintessential New York experience,” said 26-year-old Bridgman about the 38th annual ING New York City Marathon.

“For some people, that [New York] experience it is going to the Empire State Building or Statue of Liberty. For me, this is it.”

Bridgman moved here four years ago from Cincinnati, Ohio. He ran one marathon in his home state, but that was nothing compared to this.

The New York Marathon is the largest in the world, with 37,000 participants, and runs through all five boroughs.

The race is so popular that potential participants must enter a draft. After three years of not being selected in the draft, Bridgman was granted entry.

On marathon morning, Bridgman stared off across the water as he rode the Staten Island ferry. He wore his favorite yellow “where’s the beef?” t-shirt, checked his iPod’s classic rock playlist, and anxiously drank blue Gatorade.

He was chatty and excited.

Once the ferry docked, he took a 20-minute bus ride to the starting line. His usual talkative nature was replaced by silence.

Hundreds of runners piled out of buses into Arthur von Briesen Park.

Bridgman’s nervousness took hold. He began frantically wandering around the park looking for where to put his clothes, struggled to tie his ChampionChip (penny-sized device that tracks his time), and talked mainly in fragments: “stay loose”, “that’s not it.”

It was four months ago he began training. Running 5-7 miles each weekend, one or two short runs during the week, and not going out on Halloween had all led to this. At 9 a.m., he left for the starting line.

As Bridgman ran, his girlfriend, Lauren Buller, 24, went to Central Park. She would often run with him over the past months. Now she struggled through the thick crowd to find him. Bridgman’s friend Scott Iwata, 30, was also there.

“I’m excited to see him…and hear all his stories,” said Iwata.

The spectators were in the thousands. “I think the crowd appreciates seeing someone push themselves to an obscene limit,” said Iwata.

Ingrid Edwards, a 50-year-old volunteer and former marathon runner, understood the attraction: “It’s that New York feeling – so exciting.”

Iwata and Buller waited for a half hour. Buller was concerned she had missed him. Then, out of the crowd of tired runners, came Bridgman stumbling over. His face was blood red, his eyes watery, and shoulders were wrapped in a blanket.

Buller and Bridgman passionately kissed.

“I’m just happy to be done,” said Bridgman who finished in four 4 hours and 33 minutes.

The hardest part for him was running by his apartment in Harlem: “I knew I had my keys on me. I could have just run in there. I had cold beer in the fridge.”

With his goal of completing the marathon over, he thought ahead to his future: “Now I drink.”

* * *

Obama: New York's President

Last night Barack Obama was elected the 44th president of the United States. In New York City, the residents surged with excitement.

After Obama was projected winner at 11 p.m., the streets and bars filled with smiling, excited faces. Shouts of "Obama!" could be heard late into the night all over the East Village.

The state of New York had one of the biggest gaps in percentages: Obama had %62 of the vote to McCain's 37%.

Long lines could be seen all over the Big Apple in the early election morning.

“This is fantastic, incredible,” said 62-year-old polling volunteer Milagros Vendimo about the long line at 7:00 a.m.

Vendimo has been polling sites for 25 years. But, this one was different: “The other [presidential elections] were slower…no one was interested.”

The Village View Housing Co-Op had been opening as a polling site since 5:30 a.m. Vendemio, bound to a wheelchair, helped direct voters to the correct booths. She said in the first two and half hours there were at least 250 people.

“It’s important to vote because of the state of the country,” said 26-year-old Attorney Joanna Lucashak in line at 7 a.m.

Lucashak thought Obama was going to win: “He has really energized people.”

Nora Pelizzari, 27, also woke up early to vote: “I said to myself, this has to be the first thing I do today.”

Pelizzari was so nervous that she wasn't going to watch the polls until the evening. She planned on having an election party after work.

As the day went on, nervousness continued to grow.

Will Healey, a 24-year-old NYU employee, had been a huge Obama fan since 2004. He first saw him speak at the Democratic National Convention that year and wondered why it wasn't him who was running for president.

"I'm nervous, very nervous," said Healey."I think it's going to be a lot tighter than people are anticipating."

Today, Healey woke up to a new America.

He was still bursting with excitement at 3 p.m.: "I feel freaking awesome."

* * *

Marriage Equality Keeps Gays from Boisterous Support of Either Candidate

This story also appears here: NYU Pavement Pieces


The presidential candidates opposition to full-fledged marriage equality has kept many gay and lesbian New Yorkers from wholeheartedly jumping on the Obama or McCain bandwagon.

“You won’t get it with either one. I feel bad saying this, but I’m still undecided,” said Michael Cooper, 28, at Stonewall Inn in the West Village where a smattering of gays gathered to watch the third and final debate between Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) and Sen. John McCain (D-AZ).

“For the most part, they sound the same,” said Cooper as he sipped some liquor at the famed bar.

Stonewall Inn has been a political focal point for decades. In the late 1960’s, when gay bars were often terrorized by police officers with nightly raids, the patrons of Stonewall fought back.

It was on June 28, 1969, when eight police officers attempted to raid the bar, the ensuing “Stonewall riots” ignited the modern gay rights movement.

Throughout the debate Cooper would criticize Obama and McCain equally.

He said Obama’s “pay as you go” plan for new budgeting rules in spending sounded like he was ignorant of the rest of America already living paycheck to paycheck.

He said McCain’s policies sounded like the Bush Administration’s and derided him as “McSame.”

“They are just as silly as the rest of them,” said 48-year-old bartender Chuck Streeper about both of the senators’ policy toward marriage equality.

Both candidates have said they support civil unions, but refused to support marriage, much to the dismay of many in the LGBT community.

Streeper acknowledged that most people that came into the bar were voting for Obama, but he had to follow his own heart: “I’m voting for Nader.”

Rick Street, 50, who was visiting from Washington the bar with his partner, felt marriage for gays would be legalized under an Obama presidency.

His friends and PFLAG (Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians & Gays) parents, Kathy and Robert Reim, didn’t agree. “We think [civil unions] are serious head roads.”

As the debate drew to a close, Michael Cooper got closer to a decision: “I’ve flip-flopped so many times, but I think I’m actually leaning towards McCain.”

Citing McCain’s plan to drill in Alaska, Cooper summed up his feeling: “The guy just makes more sense.”

Demand for Child Care Reaches City Hall

Mayor Michael Bloomberg has closed 17 child care centers since coming to office, and according to the union protesting outside City Hall three weeks ago, he doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon.

“We want Bloomberg to know we are frustrated,” said 72-yeor-old District Council 1707 Executive Director, Raglan George Jr.



George, speaking with four children surrounding him, told the packed crowd of Local 95 Head Start employees, Local 205 day care employees, and supporters that it was time for The Administration for Children’s Services (ACS) to give the union what it wants.

Both locals were together in protest against ACS, who has not given either union a contract in almost three years, and better healthcare for them and their children.

“[We are together] for unity. We can make a bigger difference together,” said Linda Gomez, 39-year old director of administration for DC 1707.

They have introduced a plan for better heathcare coverage to the ACS, which is posted on their website (www.dc1707.net), that they feel will keep health care costs low, even with child care centers staying open and providing better coverage.

In 2006 ACS tried to close 13 more centers because of, what they claim, is under-enrollment.

Suzy Bonny, a 27-year member of DC 1707 and Head Start, said she is concerned about parents not getting child care they need.

“Without child care, parents get up-tight. They need that three, four, six hours away from the children. Parents can’t get anything done when they are up-tight,” said Bonny, who has raised seven children.

George also felt parents who didn’t have child care would have to stay home and miss work, thus leading them to welfare.

Several other unions, SCIU and UAW, were also there to show solidarity. “It’s a good turnout, but we were expecting more,” said Vickie Littlejohn, 54-year-old DC1707 staff organizer, referring to the 70-80 protesters outside City Hall.

This was the second demonstration by the DC 1707 this year. According to George, “we will be out here everyday if we have to.”

Hang in There

As David Blaine was more than half way through accomplishing his latest stunt, risking blindness and massive internal bleeding, he had one thing keeping him going: the support of his fans.



“They’ve really helped make this go by in a way that I could never thank them enough for,” said Brooklyn-born Blaine, 35, of his supporters and added: ““I know I will make it to the end.”

As Blaine talked he sounded fatigued, and at a loss for words. He said, “I have adapted to the situation somewhat.”

A crowd of 50 people surrounded Blaine. Some are fans, others on vacation in the Big Apple.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said 24-year-old Alana Kane from London, England. She came to Big Apple to shop, but had to see Blaine after hearing about his stunt.

“Hang in there!” yelled Kane up at Blaine.

A fan since Blaine’s first ploy, Patrick Barr, 44, said, “I think he is a shaman” and felt Blaine’s stunts take “intestinal fortitude.”

Blaine has been a fixture in New York since 1999, when he entombed himself underground for seven days across from Trump Place. Since then, he stuck himself in a block of ice at Times Square (2000), has balanced atop a 90 ft high pillar in Bryant Park (2002), submerged himself in water in front of the Lincoln Center (2006), and shackled to a rotating gyroscope near Times Square (2006).

Barr had some criticisms of this event: “I was more impressed by his other stunts…I wish he didn’t keep standing up,” referring to the five-minute break Blaine took every hour to stand up, go to the bathroom, and get checked out by doctors.

“I don’t think it is realistic that the TV audience (the finale was to be carried live on ABC) will know he is taking breaks,” said Melissa Vink, 39, on vacation from Michigan.

Regardless, even Vink says she thinks Blaine has “superhuman abilities” and has admired his stunts for years.

Before Blaine could even unharness himself, the rumor mill had already started for his next event; Barr heard it involved staying awake for a long time, but Blaine spokeswoman Sarah McDonnell denied that.

Blaine hasn’t said anything about what is next but did divulge his secret formula for deciding: “I like to imagine me as a little kid growing up in New York and the things that would make me come and watch.”

Give Profits a Chance

Three weeks ago, leaders from every corner of the globe descended on New York for the United Nations General Assembly. The businesses surrounding the U.N. building in Midtown East weren’t looking for world peace – they just wanted more customers.

“We are hoping business picks up,” said 19-year-old hostess, Jesena Duton, at Mediterranean restaurant Don Veitia.

For Don Veitia, located at the corner of 46th St. and 2nd Avenue, business has been a lot slower this year, like most of their neighbors.

The 192 U.N. member states meet every year at this time in New York City for the general debate in which they discuss their views on international issues. Now in its 63rd meeting, the U.N. planned to tackle the global food crisis and the need to democratize itself more.

“We anticipate it will be very busy,” said Saygi Akca, 29, an accountant for the Amish Market grocery store located on 45th St just steps away from the U.N, headquarters . She knows from last year that they will be making a lot of much-needed money from catering orders.

The owner of John’s Café Restaurant on the corner of 44th St. and 2nd Ave., Gus Argyros, was also getting ready: He is stocking up his restaurant with extra supplies.

Argyros, who has owned John’s since 1991, has seen business boom in the area during assembly weeks. In years past, he fed TV broadcaster George Stephanopoulos and the former Prime Minister of Norway, Gro Harlem Brundtland; “She had like 10 bodyguards,” he said.
Argyros was worried about barricades going up in the area because delivery people woudn’t be able to get food supplies to him.

“People won’t be able to get anywhere: there will be barricades and people checking I.D.’s,” said NYPD Police Officer Louis Claudio, 30.

Ripson Syed, an employee at a candy/ice cream/novelty shop, Heavenly Delights on 2nd Ave., was looking forward to the barricades cutting down on foot traffic: “People can’t walk around here during the week…now people will be able to get here.”

Syed has felt the pain of a poor economy in Bangladesh, where he is originally from, and here in New York. He hopes a U.N. diplomat will come into Heavenly Delights so he can ask them: “What are you going to do about the economy?”


“When America is affected the whole world is affected,” he added.

The U.N. General Assembly ran from Tuesday, September 23rd and concluded Wednesday, October 1st.

Whispers of Politics in Staten Island

It’s Saturday night in Staten Island and the full moon’s reflection playfully shines off New York Bay to light the unassuming Cargo Café. If you listen closely, just past the wind-battered white exterior of the bar, you can hear the voices of who will decide the fate of the Republican Party in New York City.

“If there is one thing people do at this bar, it’s talk,” said 33-year-old bartender Jason Jetson.

The one topic of conversation that can get the usually tight-lipped Staten Islanders talking is the upcoming congressional race between Democrat Michael McMahon and Republican Robert A. Straniere.

After 15 years of Republican leadership, New York’s’ 13th Congressional District - the only district in the city represented by a Republican – may be moving the Big Apple towards an entirely Democratic congressional delegation.

That would be accomplished by electing McMahon to succeed Vito Fosella Jr. (R) in the wake of his recent a drunk driving/adultery scandal.

“They are both good guys, but I’m voting for Straniere,” said Bob Carrol, 57, a lawyer living across the street from Cargo.

Carrol, who stopped in for a drink, cited Straniere’s 25 years of experience in the New York State Assembly as a reason to vote for him.

He was also concerned with the possibility of a Democrat being elected: “I don’t want a congress that is strictly Democratic, we need balance.” He wasn’t concerned about local issues, but wants a representative who was a Republican because of, what he calls, “a proactive stance towards national defense.”

Outside Cargo having a cigarette, was Mike Oates, 48, a freelance photographer and a self-proclaimed Staten Island institution – he says his family has been there for generations.

Oates, for the first time in the 30 years he’s been eligible to vote, is finally casting his first vote for McMahon, whom he says “is down to earth” and “doesn’t have any skeletons in his closet.”

McMahon, the only Democratic City Council member representing Staten Island, was the favorite at Cargo.

“Mike McMahon lives and breathes Staten Island. He has a real grasp on things – knows his district,” said Oates.

Although the people of Staten Island might disagree on who to vote for on November 4th, Oates summed up the consensus: “Staten Island is unique; people want to vote for someone that does good for the island.”

Beams of Hope

On the eve of the seventh anniversary of the September 11th attacks, two four ton steel beams to be used in construction of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum have returned home to New York.

The two beams have been to 25 cities in 25 states to raise money for the memorial foundation, and gave Americans a chance to pay their respects to the victims of 9/11 by writing their names on the beams.

“These beams should be for all Americans…This wasn’t just an attack on New York, it was [an attack] on America,” said Naidie Bompane, who works as a paralegal in lower Manhattan.

Bompane was working three blocks away from the World Trade Center during the attacks: “I couldn’t go back to work for three weeks.”

When she walked by the beams on her way to work this morning, she had to stop. “I wanted to cry,” she said.

The beams, located at the north end of Battery Park, had been attracting attention since Wednesday night when they arrived, according to security guard Felipe Pia.

Pia was in charge of watching the beams since midnight. He said people started coming out immediately, taking pictures and staring at them in awe.

He said he felt privileged just to be guarding the beams.

Camille Grey, an employee at the Aon Corporation, was teary-eyed while looking at the beams.

Grey lost 176 of her co-workers on September. 11th when the second plane hit the south tower. Grey, who had the day off work that day, was at the beams because she “had to be there” for her co-workers.

She didn’t think the beams were enough of a tribute to the victims, and wanted to see the towers rebuilt for them. She was upset about the time it was taking to build the Freedom Tower, which even Mayor Michael Bloomberg told The Wall Street Journal today is “frustratingly slow.”

Mayor Bloomberg used his speech at the beams this morning as a platform for his four-part plan to get the Freedom Tower and 9/11 memorial and museum construction back on track.

The beams will be available for signing until 7 p.m. tonight and from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. tomorrow. They will also be outside Giants Stadium from 2:00 p.m. to the end of the first quarter of the New York Jets opening home game on September 14th.

Max City

I've been reading comics since second grade with the Reign of the Supermen arc in Superman comics. Around the same time I start reading, I began creating my own comics. My brother, Steve, and I created a whole universe of characters that lived in a fictional city called Max City (named after our dog).

We spent over a decade constructing this universe: we had our own crossovers between books, created 100s of characters, and, basically, created our own mythology.

Below I have posted the final comic I ever worked on in our universe. It features all our best characters. Two of Steve's characters, Super-Steve and Hicks appear, as well as my creations: Lightning Man, Xerex, Green Knight, and a group of villians I called "the Alumonti."

It's all fairly ridiculous but I recently joined a comic book group at NYU and we will be working on our own comic for the semester, so I thought I would revisit it. Enjoy!

Heavy Cloud Hangs Over Fashion Week

(My first story for NYU was on Fashion Week and I wrote a few different versions of it before I turned it in. This version I did not turn in, but I think it is still a fun read.)

“Love your body, love your curves!”

This chant was probably something most people did not expect to hear when going to Fashion Week in New York’s Bryant Park on Sunday afternoon.

Outside the heavily guarded white tents, that contained some of the skinniest models on earth, a voice of discontent was rising.

Tiffany Bank, and her peers in Ms. NYC Plus, were protesting the fashion industry’s use of women’s bodies that are unrealistic for the majority of women.

Bank, with her pink “Curves on the Catwalk” t-shirt said, “We are trained models. We can walk the catwalk just like they can.”

The members of Ms. NYC Plus had applied to be models at the event, but were denied, even though most had experience modeling for designers such as Lane Bryant. They felt the fashion industry as a whole was not being fair to plus-size models and wanted to see plus-size designers, like Monif C., at the event.

“The industry’s idea of what plus-size is is warped. A size 8 is not a plus-size,” said Bank.

Bank, who is from Brooklyn, was documenting the protest by handheld video for “The Tyra Banks Show.” She will be filming an episode of the show on Wednesday (airdate TBD) in which she will show the audience Fashion Week from her perspective.

The members of Ms. NYC Plus were ecstatic about the positive feedback they were getting from the crowd and felt “very blessed” to be there.

One fashion week attendee from Washington, D.C. said he was impressed by the diversity of the models inside the event, but when asked if there were any plus-sized models, he said, “No. Come on, this is fashion.”

Fashion Week, which started in 1943, has been held in Bryant Park for the past 14 years.

The women of Ms. NYC Plus are holding an event called “The Art of Curves: The Movement” on September 19^th at Studio 450 located at 450 W.31^st.

The Mercedes Benz Fashion Week will continue in Bryant Park until Friday.

Diagnosis: Olympic Fever

I have all the symptoms: Those familiar nervous sweats watching television, unexplained competitive edge for really non-competitive things (like walking up the stairs), and an urge to start chanting “U-S-A” at inappropriate times.

Yep, you guessed my affliction: Olympic fever.

As long as I, and a bunch of other people (a few billion), still have this affliction, advertisers will be using every single break in the action to sell us their products. As if the whole event were some drawn out Super Bowl, the same Olympic-themed ads keeping playing over and over.

So, what makes a good ad? Well, here is what I've got so far...

Visa:
When asked what ads they remember from the Olympic games, 2 out of 3 (67%) Brogan & Partners employees mentioned Visa’s “Go World” ad first. In these spots we get Morgan Freeman speaking about the wonders of Olympic glory as we see, what looks like old newsreels, of previous Olympics.

If there is one ad campaign that fully grasps the amazing feeling of human achievement and pride those who suffer from Olympic fever truly enjoy, it’s this. I’m not sure what Visa’s Go World thing is all about, but I just love how great these ads make me feel about humankind.

I posted one of the best below. Morgan Freeman talks about how Michael Phelps is like a dolphin. Just classic!



Coca-Cola:
As an official sponsor, no one business could possibly spend more than Coke on advertising on TV, and in Beijing. NPR reported last week that Coke has spent an estimated $70 million to be one of the top 12 Olympic sponsors — and perhaps $5 million to $15 million more sponsoring the controversial torch relay (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93389797&ft=1&f=1001).

The Coke TV ad we’ve been seeing most is one with people rollerblading around in, what looks like, southern California, drinking coke, and the music plays in the background: “Dance all night, we’re gonna dance all night, dance all night to this DJ.”

The ad might have nothing to do with the Olympics, and only a vague sport theme, but it is one of the most memorable ads because the song (Paul Oakenfold’s “Starry Eyed Surprise”) is catchy, fun to watch, and, most importantly, the ad is so short you aren’t worried that you are going to miss the next event.

If you are like me, and having a hard time getting “Starry Eyed Surprise” out of your head, just go over to Paul Oakenfold’s myspace page for a free listen: http://www.myspace.com/pauloakenfold

NBC:
As with any sporting event, the only way the station can actually benefit from broadcasting them, is if they advertise heavily for their own shows. One thing unique about all the ads for returning shows, like Chuck and 30 Rock, is that they are emphasizing NBC’s website and telling viewers to “chime in.”

Unsure of what that exactly “chime in” meant, I decided to investigate. I found nothing on NBC.com about chiming in and chimein.com does not exist. So, I checked out You Tube and found a longer NBC “chime in” commercial. The only clue I could find to the message’s meaning was the guy from The Office saying, “when you hear the chimes, you know it’s going to be good” in some apparent reference to the upcoming fall season.

Well, if anyone can tell me what this campaign is all about, I’d love to know.

AT&T Wireless:
In one of the funniest ads I’ve seen in a long time, a huge Michael Phelps fan, Mary, is seen walking around her apartment in a “Phelps Phan” T-shirt, kissing a huge Phelps poster, and watching him competing on TV. Mary’s phone (represented by the same actress) complains that it doesn’t get any wireless signal in her new town and, because of this, missed Phelps when he came to town and told funny stories about eating Chinese food. Mary’s phone then turns to her and says, “One day we’ll look back at this and laugh…or cry!”

Prepare to laugh:



McCain/Obama:

With the added exposure of viewers, it’s only natural that the wealthiest presidential candidates are spending millions on advertisements. Obama’s ads have focused on using the word ‘change’ over and over, showing him meeting with “real people”, focus on his plans for the environment, and pretty much bore you to death. His campaign would be better off playing the hit You Tube video, “I got a crush…on Obama”, by Obama girl (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKsoXHYICqU).

Taking the controversial route, McCain’s now famous (it’s been out for two weeks –so that’s like two years in political advertising), “Celebrity Obama” ad shows Paris Hilton and Britney Spears superimposed over Obama. The ad is supposed to use subtle clues to show that Obama is just another celebrity, and not someone you want as president. Well, the clues are hardly subtle, and the ad itself has been made into a huge joke - commented on by everyone for Brian Williams to David Letterman. Yet, McCain’s campaign keeps using it. Watch the ad here:



I know I’m treading dangerously on this topic, but I did find a Republican blogger, Richard Bliss, slamming the ad as “stupid” and benefiting Barack Obama (http://gwbliss.blogspot.com/2008/08/olympic-advertising-good-and-stupid.html). I can’t tell you exactly how effective or ineffective this ad is without a lot of market research, but I will say that it is my opinion is that people aren’t as dumb as an ad like this would have you believe; TV viewers know when an ad is trying to trick them and this one couldn’t be more obvious.

Well, that’s all for now. The Olympics aren’t over yet and I’m sure I'll still have a lot more to comment on before it is all said and done!

In Memoriam: Ms. Goodie

It was a cold, snowy December day when I first met Ms. Goodie .

I was to get dropped off later that day at Detroit Metro, for my return trip to San Francisco, but first, the family and I had to make a stop. We drove to Ann Arbor, MI to meet my new sister.

We showed up at a judge's house that was so huge I almost want to call it a mansion. He led us downstairs, pasted rows and rows of trophies, to see the cats. The judge had been breeding prize-winning Russian Blue cats for years and one of his award winners was getting a bit old (at four years of age), Ms. Goodie Blueshoes.

Goodie was a beautiful, gray, thin cat. She ran from my dad and the judge for about a half hour. She was so fast - and smart too! At one point the judge and my dad had Goodie trapped behind a cage and she somehow jumped and escaped past my dad.

In time, they caught the cat, dropped me off at the airport, and took Goodie home to St. Clair Shores. I eagerly kept up on Goodie's progress in SCS from my trailer in the woods; Goodie (as we called her, dropping the Blueshoes part) was scared to death of everything, especially our huge Chesapeake Bay Retriever, Dugan. She had spent her whole life (except for the occasional cat show) in the judge's basement, so naturally, she ran into our basement and didn't come out for a month.

As the months went on, Goodie got more and more brave; she started sleeping under my parents' bed, started showing up at dinner time, and took an exceptional interest in my mom, following her around whenever Dugan wasn't present.

When I first came home for the summer, Goodie had worked up to following people into their room and giving them a look, but that was about it. She didn't care much for cuddling, but she still would sit next to the bed, or couch, for hours just to be near us.

Some cats would be all over you the second you sat down - not Goodie; she just wanted to sit there and chill, and that was fine with us.

If that cat had one vice it would be water - Goodie was always thirsty as hell. I set up little water bowls all over the house and would drop some H2O in there whenever she was around. She would drink it all and stare at you, as if saying, "come on. Is that all you got?"

Over the course of this summer, she even started sleeping next to my mom (when Dugan was gone) and getting more adventurous around visitors, and I even caught her giving Dugan a few sniffs while he was sleeping.

Last Saturday, Goodie just stopped eating. She was never a huge eater, but it still was cause for concern. By Monday, she was just sitting in my room not moving, giving this end-of-the-world stare. My parents could tell right away she was sick and decided she needed to go to the vet right away.

The next day, my mom took Goodie to the Harper Woods Veterinary Hospital, to see our regular family veterinarian (Dugan is a regular). He examined her: He discovered the swollen areas on her, smelled her breath, and commented on how dehydrated she was - Goodie had kidney disease. She had lost a whole pound since her last visit, and was slowly dying.

We had to put her to sleep.

Our options were limited; If we would have caught it early, maybe we could have changed her diet, but that would only have slowed the process. The vet said she was probably born with the disease and would have eventually died, regardless.

The family misses Goodie. We had gotten so used to having Goodie follow us into a room just to hangout while we watched TV, or whatever. Well, I hope she is in a better place and we're all better for knowing her - even Dugan.

Summer Movies 2008, Part Two

As the summer rolled on, I eventually was hired at the marketing company I used to work at in college, got some money in my pocket, and prepared for New York City. With things looking up, I didn't go to as many movies, but I've still got three more for you!

Wall-E: B-

I caught Wall-E with Alex and his sister, Mary, at the midnight showing. I would have rather seen Wanted, but I was excited to get out of the house so I went.

Unlike other Pixar movies, this one took a bit of a departure from the usual because it has almost no actual dialogue until the last half hour or so (just a bunch of robot beeps). A robot, named Wall-E, is the last robot left on earth tasked with cleaning up a world full of garbage.

The movie follows Wall-E around as he cleans up, what appears to be an American metropolis, and collects little knick-knacks. Wall-E eventually falls in love with a robot sent to earth to find life, EVE. It all seems a bit ridiculous, but you really end up liking these little robots and hoping they succeed.

Eventually, EVE finds a plant. Wall-E, and EVE go on a space adventure, find the only humans left in the solar system, fight some evil robots, and save earth. Overall, I found the moving entertaining but was sort of confused by the environmental message. I know movies don't have to have a message, but it felt like the writers of the movie were saying, "don't worry if we completely destroy the earth, once we find a new plant growing in 900 years, everything will be fine."

The Dark Knight: A+

Well, I obviously loved this movie based on two previous posts (http://mid20.blogspot.com/2008/07/nobody-gets-me.html & http://mid20.blogspot.com/2008/07/bat-mia-hollywoods-huge-weekend.html).

Because of all that I have written on the subject, I will keep it short. The Dark Knight was an amazingly complex, challenging, and action-packed film. It didn't treat the audience like a bunch of knuckle-dragging retards (like the next movie down), stayed true to the story of Batman, and proved comic movies can be something more than what they have been.

If you want a longer review, I dig what this person wrote: http://obsidiantempest.blogspot.com/2008/08/dark-knight-review.html

Mamma Mia: F

So, apparently, I told my mom that I just liked going to see movies at the theatre because I enjoy the atmosphere – despite whatever movie was playing. Well, I sure take that back after she dragged me to this load of garbage.

I knew I wouldn't like this movie, but never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined how vomit inducing it would be. Whereas Dark Knight challenged the audience with intense plots and subplots, Mia played to the lowest common denominator.

I know it was a hit play before, but that doesn't change the fact the ordinary people aren't as dumb and boring as this story would have you believe.

The basic plot (as I touched on in a previous post, http://mid20.blogspot.com/2008/07/bat-mia-hollywoods-huge-weekend.html) involves a pretty white girl with blond hair trying to figure out who her father is. She has three possible candidates. That's it. It never gets anymore complicated or interesting than that.

Sure, if you like Abba, the music might make you want to see the movie/play. But, come to think of it, if they wrote a play with all Of Montreal songs (one of my favorite bands), I don't think I would feel like sitting through it if the story sucked.

This movie is an insult to every person on earth. You could be an ape and still understand what's going on. Actually, an ape would probably be bored too.

Summer Movies 2008, Part One

I'm in the middle of two of the most amazing experiences of my life: working in woods of Northern California for five months and starting the most challenging and, hopefully, rewarding experience of my life at NYU.

During this strange period of time, I am back living with my parents in St. Clair Shores, MI. It hasn't been easy; two days after arriving home- with the car I drove all the way from California - I hit a pot hole and sent it to the scrap yard, I couldn't even get a job as a busboy, a credit nightmare prevented me for almost a month from getting a loan for grad school, and, basically, was reminded of why I left.

To deal with this lull period I indulged in pure, unhinged, escapism.

I filled my Michigan sorrows with mounds of comic books, NYC travel guides, and lots of movies. Anytime someone suggested a movie, I was there. What follows is my account of the biggest movie summer of my life. For kicks, I graded the movies.

Iron Man: A-

I started my summer with Iron Man in Santa Cruz, CA with my mom. The movie is about weapons maker Tony Stark's transformation from US military arms dealer to super-hero. Tony Stark is played by Robert Downey Jr. and the role couldn't have been better cast. In the comics, Tony Stark has been plagued with personal problems like alcoholism, loosing his company, and, recently, blaming himself for the death of Captain America. Downey's own career has been filled with ups and downs and substance abuse. Downey is Tony Stark and Tony Stark is Downey.

Iron Man starts out with Stark supporting the US government's terrorizing of the Middle East through his weapons, but after he is taken hostage, he has a change of heart. Stark's eyes are open to the world and he no longer wants to be involved in the killing of innocents and becomes a full-blown hero for the entire world.

The best parts of the movie are when Tony Stark is creating his Iron Man costume. He starts off from a relatively simple design to something out of the distant future. The mishaps in creating the costume are hilarious (this fire extinguisher robot keeps spraying him) and, when he finally gets it right and flies through the sky, it's like you're really with him in the clouds.

Iron Man is really fun, simple, and has an anti-imperialist message that I loved. Also, if you get a chance to hangout after the credits, there is an extra scene with Stark and Nick Fury – It is every comic fan's dream come true.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull: B+

I have always loved Indiana Jones. I'm a big enough history nerd and adventurer to daydream about chasing down lost tombs and artifacts even without the help of this film franchise. Regardless, Indy's adventures have expanded my imagination and joy for archeology. On our stop in Chicago, Morgan and I saw this movie with my friend Augustine.

In Crystal Skull, we catch up with Indy after his dad died and he is reaching the later years of his teaching career. The United States is also fully embroiled in McCarthyism at this point and the government is targeting anyone that might have a difference of opinion.

The plot of the movie is that the (evil, of course) Russians are trying to find the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull that, apparently, has a bunch of riches and knowledge. Indy, and his son, go on an adventure to find the Kingdom and try to thwart their enemies.

The movie is action-packed, the stunts are amazing, the story is enjoyable, and Stephen Spielberg seems to be at the top of his game. I have heard the critics say that the "alien plot" (they are inter-dimensional creatures, people!) is too far-fetched, but does anyone remember the previous movies? Yeah, you're right Joseph of Arimathea being alive and still having the Holy Grail isn't far-fetched. Jeez.

I could have done without some of the cheesy CGI and the "Russians = bad" theme, but I loved how the movie addressed how even someone like Indiana Jones could be targeted by the government as a "red" just for not approving of something he was doing.

Also, during my last week at San Joaquin Outdoor School, one of my students told me that if we don't find the twelve crystal skulls hidden all over the world by 2012, the world will end. So, um, keep that in mind.

The Incredible Hulk: B-

This was the first movie I saw with my cousin Alex and it was the start of an exciting movie going relationship.

Well, it was sure a lot better than the Hulk movie from a few years ago. The addition of Ed Norton (my favorite actor) was also a fantastic choice. The movie cleverly tells the origin story of the Hulk during the credits so faithful fans wouldn't have to sit through it again.

The Incredible Hulk follows Bruce Banner (Ed Norton) as he runs from a U.S. government weapons program, tries to figure out a cure, and tries to win back the heart of his love, Betty, played by Liv Tyler. I usually can't stand Tyler, but as Alex said, "she was less offensive in this movie."

One of the coolest scenes is when the Hulk goes toe-to-toe with his arch-nemesis, the Abomination, in a crowded street. The action and effects feel so real it's like there is no CGI at all.

The Incredible Hulk was entertaining, much better than Ang Lee's movie, but also forgettable. There wasn't anything about this movie that made me think after or really care about the character. Sure, the scenes with Banner trying to figure out a cure were interesting, but besides that, it was mostly just a bunch of hitting and yelling. I'll be interested to see what they do with a sequel.

Advertising Your Blog

Today I decided to advertise for my blog a bit and have been using a list of websites I found on Yahoo Answers.

The process has been frustrating because almost every site has you sign up on their site first, but I have found a few helpful sites that are easy to use for advertising a blog. They are all free:

Bloglines http://www.bloglines.com/register/
Blogstreet http://blogstreet.com/
boingboing http://boingboing.net/suggest.html
WeBlogALot http://www.weblogalot.com/Ping/
Globe of Blogs http://www.globeofblogs.com/register.php
Blog Universe http://bloguniverse.com/
The Truth Laid Bear http://www.truthlaidbear.com/addtoscan.p...
BlogHop http://www.bloghop.com/account/index.htm
Blogarama http://www.blogarama.com/index.php?show=...
RDFTicker http://www.anse.de/rdfticker/addchannel....
BLOG’z http://www.sarthak.net/blogz/add.php
http://publisher.yahoo.com/rss_guide/submit.php

Sometimes the directories want you to link back to their site. Then, they put something like this in your profile.
(ooooOOOOOoooo aaaAAAAAaaa)



{Search with Blogz}



I'm not sure how helpful putting my blogs on these sites is, but I don't think it can hurt. Hopefully these links can help someone else too!

Pow! Motion Comics Make a Splash

This post also appears on the Brogan Blog: http://www.brogan.com/blog/pow-motion-comics-make-a-splash/

Take four scoops of a comic book, two teaspoons of a Hollywood film, a side of new media and you’ll have yourself one delicious helping of a motion comic.

In this new medium, companies like Gain Enterprises, scan pictures from an existing comic book, hire voice actors, add sound effects, and then include some of their own animation to make the motion comic.

“I like to think of it as cinematic comics — digital cinematic comics,” said David Gale, executive vice president of MTV New Media, in a interview with The New York Times.

One of the comic industry’s most loved franchises is flying fearlessly into the new medium. In preparation for the most anticipated movie of 2009, The Watchmen, a motion comic has been created containing all twelve issues of the original series.

Watchmen’s first chapter is available for free download on iTunes until August 2nd. After that, each chapter will cost $1.99.

According to Diamond Comics Distributors, DC comics (the publisher of Batman) sold an estimated 274,035 Batman comics last month. Compared to the 45,805,055 tickets sold so far of The Dark Knight, one can assume a lot more people are watching comic movies than they are actually buying comics. (Just to be fair, Iron Man’s publisher, Marvel, sold 156,239 Iron Man comics and the Iron Man movie has 44,487,003 sold tickets so far).

So, how do you market a comic book movie to people that aren’t reading your comic? Just scan the comic and make it look like a movie!

Another comic series, Invincible, who’s own movie is apparently (according to the rumor mill) about to start pre-production, is having the first motion comic television series starting on MTV2 this fall. A video preview is posted below:

<a href="http://www.mtv.com/" target="_blank">Invincible Episode #1</a>

Invincible Episode #1

Is it pure genius or just hard to watch?

“I don’t know…I have a hard time reading and watching the pictures at the same time,” said Brogan employee Jo Lynn Agee. She is a big fan of the CW’s Smallville (the young adventures of Superman) and several comic movies but actually got sensations of motion sickness watching Invincible. Although, she did say the images looked very good.

“I really liked it. It was a throwback to the comic cartoons I used to watch as a kid,” said another comic book movie fan, and Brogan employee, Ennis McGee. He added, “I could have watched a whole episode.”

It looks like time will have to tell if the motion comic is an effective marketing tool, new form of media, or an experiment gone wrong.