Archive: Random

November 29, 2007

Flap ‘n’ Snap PSA

The prospect is simple: a slacken-jawed subject flaps their face to and fro as fast as they can while camera wielding onlookers snap a photo. Without fail, hilarity ensues. But as fantastically hilarious as it is, the practice known as “Flap ‘n’ Snap” hides a much more terrifying dark side. A few months back a friend was lured into a… more »

October 23, 2007

Monster Mash

With the scariest of seasons upon us, there is no better time to partake in some scary movies. Unfortunately, most scary movies dodge the month of October—*cough*shitty Halloween remake *cough*—as though they’re ashamed to tread on such hallowed ground. Even if the first-run theaters can’t scare up some good thrills, there’s plenty of stuff on the small screen all month… more »

October 11, 2007

The Spirit of Halloween

Holiday homogeneity (say that three times fast) is giving us a Valentine’s Day in autumn, rife with its own brand of dainty, must-have accessories to celebrate the same way as everyone else. As I walk down the streets around my neighborhood, I see more and more houses tarted up with the hallmarks of a touchy-feely holiday. Giant inflatable Halloween themed… more »

August 24, 2007

For the Love of a Cheesesteak

I’m starting to experiment with eating meat again. I had stopped eating meat nearly five years ago, not for ethical or political reasons, but for personal health reasons. (Without going into too much detail, I would eat meat and would subsequently end up in the bathroom for a long time.) This was not something I was fond of, so it… more »

July 20, 2007

Have A Seat

The vacuum discussion that came out of my post Suck It Up was very insightful and helped me decide to get a Dyson DC17 Animal (which I love). I figured I would try my luck again now that I’m looking for a new office chair. I currently have a pretty basic leather desk chair (as seen here in my old… more »

June 22, 2007

Overheard at AEA Seattle

As I stand in the doorway watching An Event Apart Seattle attendees file in to the auditorium, I notice two overtly businessy people walk inside. They were dressed in nice suits, carrying leather binders under their arms and towing commuter suitcases. There are multiple meetings and gatherings happening here, so it’s not that odd if someone finds their way into… more »

April 20, 2007

Suck It Up

Presently, I find myself in the market for a new vacuum cleaner. I haven’t ever bought a vacuum cleaner before, always either being in a situation where I lived with someone who had a decent one, or being given a workable used vacuum by a loved one. Therefore, I know relatively little about vacuums, other than what I would like… more »

November 28, 2006

Season’s Gleanings

It always amazes me what drivel the studios turn out at year’s end to scrape a few more bucks together. I often think that I should just make a indie Christmas film, which I gotta believe would be at least five times as good as what currently serves as cinematic cheer. The plan would be to make it on a… more »

October 27, 2006

Trick-or-Treat

The candy bowl is full and we’ll be decorating our house this weekend. Horror films are usually playing at night, and The Misfits remain in heavy rotation. What’s that mean? Well, I guess it means we are horror nerds. But it also means it’s nearly Halloween! As always, here are your yearly batch of seasonal tricks and treats. On Screen… more »

October 23, 2006

Dress-up

Halloween, the most sacred of all holidays, is fast approaching. This year will be a bit different for me: for the first time in my life, I will be on the giving end of the candy. I’m now a homeowner and I see it as my duty to keep tradition alive by welcoming all the ghosts and ghouls to my… more »

October 13, 2006

Thirteen

As I prepare to head off on a weekend camping extravaganza—don’t worry, we’re steering clear of Camp Crystal Lake—and a celebration of a year’s worth of marriage, I happened to notice the day and date. Is there a more appropriate month for a Friday the 13th than October? How often does Friday the 13th occur in October? With the little… more »

August 14, 2006

A Brief European Sojourn

Amidst all the hubbub going on at the airports these days, I’m traveling to Dublin, Ireland later this week on business. It’s a whirlwind visit; we arrive on Thursday, leave Saturday, enjoy a day long pause in Stockholm, Sweden then back home by Sunday night. This trip punctuates the crazy amount of work I’ve been doing lately. I’ve severely scaled… more »

July 27, 2006

Thursday Ephemera

Letterpress Printing: Expanded Version The follow-up class to the Letterpress class I took this summer at UArts. It’s 10 weeks of typesetting by hand! Don’t worry if it’s your first time, the class promises to cover the basics and build up to more advanced techniques. If you are in the Philadelphia area, and have a love for type, I highly… more »

July 24, 2006

Casualties

I would love to know the ratio of successes to failures for products and services touting themselves as an ”[insert industry leader] killer”. To me, it reeks of insecurity and fears of lost investments. The tech media craves conflict and the companies play right into it, completing the cycle. What’s left after the buzz? Has anything been killed in recent… more »

February 20, 2006

Do, Doing, Done

A few random bits, facts, meanderings, and other delusions from the sleep-deprived. This past Friday we went to settlement on our house, and 101 signatures or initialings later, it was ours. The weekend was spent tearing up carpets and ripping up thousands upon thousands of staples. My hands are still twitching as I type this. We managed to funnel… more »

January 24, 2006

Four Things

It’s a lazy day back to work, and I always love a good distraction. I blame Zeldman. Four jobs I’ve had: Dishwasher Waiter Bassist Designer/Art director Four movies I can watch over and over: Miller’s Crossing Predator Evil Dead 2 Transformers: The Movie Four places I’ve lived: Schwenksville PA Kuztown PA Topton PA Philadelphia PA Four TV shows I love:… more »

October 10, 2005

Candy Lineup

As I shuffled down the aisles of a convenience store this weekend, I was bombarded by the variety of candy that comes out for Halloween. The candy that you really only see around this time of year, unless you frequent candy stores, or stumble upon it at a movie theater (whose candy supplies seem to operate outside of the normal… more »

October 5, 2005

Mayhem

Because I have such a deep, deep affection for you all and this most blessed holiday season, I have collected a heap of bloody good links to get you in the mood. Feel free to add your own in the comments. Around the Web Friends: A few friends are dressing their sites up to celebrate this most festive season, Sutter… more »

October 3, 2005

Bloody Hell

Welcome to October! Some of you may remember this October Edition from last year, well, that’s because it’s the same damn one (you may need to clear your cache). With all the stuff going on I couldn’t steal enough time to create a new site costume, so I figured it’s better to wear the same costume two years in a… more »

September 22, 2005

A Series Of Unfortunate Events

We are in the final weeks before the wedding and have been trying to get our honeymoon nailed down. No, we aren’t really procrastinators, at least I’m not (hi Liz!), it’s just that the honeymoon has been something a moving target. The plan was this: a week after the wedding we hit New Orleans for two nights, then we hop… more »

July 26, 2005

Wedding As Client

Where have I been? Why the sparse updates? In between loads of work, which I will finally be able to reveal soon, I have also been trying to plan a wedding… which is now just mere months away. Perhaps it’s the fact that it comes interspersed with client work, but sometimes I can’t help but think of the wedding as… more »

June 6, 2005

Camp Naked Terror 4

This weekend brought with it the fourth annual Camp Naked Terror party, and I am glad to say it was another bloody massacre. As in previous years, Camp Naked Terror is the celebration of three June birthdays, Rob, Sutter, and myself (as well as a surrogate fourth from Pete’s September birthday). Each year the doors to the camp swing… more »

May 16, 2005

A Musical Baton

I’ve been passed a musical baton by Jon, and Meme Monday rolls along! Total volume of music files on my computer: 12.58 Gb. The last CD I bought was:
 “Kick Out The Jams” by MC5. Song playing right now:
”Cut Self Not” by Faraquet Five songs I listen to a lot, or that mean a lot to me: “Birdhouse In Your Soul”… more »

Parallel And Perpendicular Jumps

After a comment from an old friend, and a conversation with another who is thinking of making a parallel jump in his industry, I got to thinking what I would do if I had to change careers. What if I was forced to stop designing and quickly find something else to pay the bills? Not only is it an interesting… more »

April 19, 2005

Snail Mail Deception

As I collected my daily mail from the mailbox yesterday, I noticed a letter addressed to me. Well, not me precisely, it was addressed to Jason S. Maria, one of my many alter egos. This is nothing new. I noticed the front was covered in ink smudges, presumably from other letters in transit, enough so that I could make out… more »

February 16, 2005

Generosity is the Flower of Justice

I have just received some new mail from my old friend Converges Q. Liverpool. I must admit, sometimes I really don’t mind sp@m like this, great sender name and just a random assortment of funny quotes. It reads more like a manual for life if you ask me: Well! Bye He had decided to live forever or die in the… more »

December 7, 2004

What’s In a Name?

I recently received a offer for a credit card due to my diligence in making my car payments on time for a few years. But, oh ho ho, there was one little wrinkle. The letter was addressed to Jason S. Maria. You may laugh, but I have been used to this my entire life. I have an odd last name… more »

November 2, 2004

Back to Life

Well, here we are again. I know I am a couple days late reverting back to the normal site skin… I had trouble letting go of October. But, fear not, October lives on in our (undead) hearts. I would not take it away from you (or me) entirely. All of the entries that took place in October will don the… more »

October 28, 2004

Foreboding

Lunar eclipses throughout history have been viewed by some as harbingers of evil. Such a magnificent feat as the moon vanishing could only mean something bad was going to happen. The Chinese used to believe the moon was being swallowed by a gigantic dragon. Eskimos used to turn over their utensils to avoid contamination, and the Japanese used to cover… more »

October 25, 2004

For Entertainment Purposes Only

Your guide to my tastes! This is how I like to get in the mood for Halloween. These are not best-of lists, these are just some of my personal favorites, so don’t yell at me if you favorite movie sucks and didn’t make the cut. Also, I don’t claim to be well read (or listened), so if you think me… more »

August 29, 2004

Fessing Up

After some deep introspection, I have come to the conclusion that I should be totally honest with you. I am not a lieutenant in the Marines and author of best selling book, The Marine Corps Way. I have never met Secretary of State Colin Powell, nor have I ever been given an award by him. Sadly, I also never fronted… more »

August 13, 2004

Palladium

Rearrange the wax orgy and then find the final fromage mentioned in the cheese shop sketch.… more »

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August 4, 2004

On the Subject of Sock Monkeys

After I posted about Rollo’s shirt on Threadless, I’ve gotten a few requests along the lines of “Wow, where didja get that monkey?”, “Why is your monkey telling me to eat shit”, and “Does Rollo do bar-mitzvahs?”. I hope to answer a few of these and also shed some light on the sock monkey phenomenon as I see it. Our… more »

June 2, 2004

Summer-esque Slothdom

Isn’t it amazing how productivity comes to a grinding halt once the first hint of warm weather rolls around? The most puzzling part about it is that I hate the summer (I know its not summer yet, so lets call it summer-esque). Well, in a manner befitting of summer-esque slothdom, here is a loosely joined collection of miscellanea. To help… more »

April 22, 2004

The Way of the Master

Wow. So this is what life after “Growing Pains” is like. Kirk Cameron leads us through “The Way of the Master”. Someone actually threw a good bit of money at this for the Flash work… and obviously for the talent. I apologize in advance to any religious visitors. I will probably end up offending you in some other way later.Thanks… more »

April 15, 2004

Page 23

Shaun made me do it… and I am all for blind hive mentality:Grab the nearest book. Open the book to page 23. Find the fifth sentence. Post the text of the sentence in your journal along with these instructions.The so-called laws of motion are a big hoax.… more »

February 13, 2004

A Valentine’s Day Mystery

Our company provided cupcakes for a bit of Valentine’s Day cheer this afternoon (which immediately threw me back to memories of grade school and my pimpin’ days out on the school playground). The cupcakes were topped with those little candy hearts emblazoned with clever messages like “Be Mine”, “UR Cute”, and “True Love”. This time I came across a message… more »

October 9, 2003

For Me, For Rob

Fantastic adj. Pronunciation: fan-’tas-tik Definition: great, wonderful Synonyms: best, best ever, camp, cat’s meow, comical, curious, delicious, eccentric, excellent, extraordinary, far out, freakish, first-class, first-rate, grody, grotesque, kooky, ludicrous, marvelous, odd, oddball, off-beat, off-the-wall, outlandish, peculiar, primo, queer, ridiculous, sensational, singular, superb, unreal, unusual, way out, weird… more »

September 1, 2003

Congratulations Are in Order

Peter Santa Maria will wed Marina D’Angelo on the day of October 30, 2004. Mischief Night. Well, damn. It’s not every day your one and only brother gets engaged, and it sure as hell’s not every day you get asked to be his best man. Congratulations old chap, you are perfect for each other (and I mean that in a… more »

August 18, 2003

What You’ve Been Waiting For

Nearly in time for next year’s party, the gorey pictures and video from the last birthday cut up, Camp Naked Terror 2 : Instruments of Death, are online for your viewing displeasure. Strap on your Flying V and have a looksey (also included is a animated tribute by Jeff Bandelin, as well as last year’s video and pictures). And when… more »

June 15, 2003

Matt Sutter, he has the most impressive…

It’s birthday time again! Matt Sutter, owner of the largest Adam’s Apple on the Eastern Seaboard, turns 26 today. Let’s once again use the commentary for this post to show him how much we appreciate/despise his friendship by completing this phrase: Matt Sutter, he has the most impressive.….. more »

June 3, 2003

Rob Weychert, he’s one hell of a…

Today is local man Rob Weychert’s birthday. Rob reaches the ripe old age of 27 today, and I would like to take this time to give him a small gift from his friends and enemies. I ask you, dear readers, to use this post as a birthday card/roast of our dear friend Rob. Please use the commentary for this post… more »

June 1, 2003

Camp Naked Terror 2

Saturday was our 2nd Annual Summer Camp Slasher Birthday Bash, Camp Naked Terror 2. For those who are unfamiliar I will explain. Camp Naked Terror is the summer camp where mine and my roommates’ birthdays (which are all in June) are celebrated. This is basically a big ploy to get the partygoers to dress up in grotesque costumes and vie… more »

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May 29, 2003

Save Fantagraphics Books

Independent publisher Fantagraphics Books is in danger of going under. Fantagraphics brings readers together with incredible, groundbreaking titles and artists month after month, such as Chris Ware and Dan Clowes (as well as many others). In my opinion they are possibly the most important company publishing cartoons today. So, grab any cash you can spare (or goods that you can… more »

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May 18, 2003

Karaoke and Kung Fu

Friday night I got to partake in some karaoke action with some friends at a sports bar called Mad Anthony’s (which was conveniently located beneath a nearby hotel). Now, as much as I like to frequent sports bars and yell at the TV therein as I spill beer on those around me, I must give the place credit. As far… more »

April 20, 2003

The Jacket Thief

Someone decided to steal my new jean jacket this weekend. Friday night I was hanging out at Tattooed Mom’s on South Street with some friends. I set my jacket down on a chair next to the people I was with. Soon I noticed some people sit down next to us, one of them setting their jacket down on top of… more »

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Regarding Design

Often times I hit a wall with design. My process breaks down due to any combination of factors. Sometimes deadlines, technical requirements or just plain laziness can bring about regurgitated design on my part. The urge to just sit down and start moving things around in Illustrator is too overwhelming at times and usually only heralds boxy layouts and static,… more »

March 24, 2003

The Days Are Just Packed

Friday night’s festivities included a show at the First Unitarian Church with Pinback and Threnody Ensemble. Threnody Ensemble brought something really different to the show with a sort of indie rock chamber music blend that was truly enthralling. Their music was equal parts improv, performance art, and orchestral arrangement. I just love watching and hearing a cello played live. Sadly,… more »

March 17, 2003

Fire Hazard

Word on the street has it that Philadelphia’s club the Khyber is closed, quite possibly for good. Apparently the crackdown on fire codes after the recent Great White concert tragedy has caused many cities to reevaluate their clubs for possible violations. Granted, in the event of a fire, the Khyber would be a death trap, but the part that really… more »

March 16, 2003

Spring Fever

Spring is in the air and, amidst all of the pre-St. Patrick’s Day debauchery, there was a beautiful day to be found. It was a picture taking, park sitting, and bike-riding Sunday. Liz and I decided to take full advantage of the fantastic weather by riding all over the city for the better part of the day. Having to dodge… more »

March 12, 2003

A Passing Thought

Do you think that the plethora of reality TV shows out now has caused a boom in the cameraman profession? With the growing number of these shows the need for people to handle the cameras must also grow. Just flipping through the channels (FOX being the most prolific offender) on any given night will show you how many new reality… more »

March 10, 2003

Victory on the Scrabble Board

What can I say, I’m on a roll. Ok, maybe two victories in a row isn’t quite a roll, but considering I just recently started playing Scrabble, and I regularly play with two English grads, I can’t help but want to pat myself on the back. I usually lose at the damn game, which is one of the more frustrating… more »