two thousand and nine

I've rarely, if ever, made a New Years resolution.... but I'm looking to change that for 2009. My focus & time put into any artistic output... be it drawing/sketching any of my cartoony characters, or filming/editing video.... well, I've really slacked off from using any of the creative imagination towards design that God has blessed me with. I've been scanning through old drawings & videos, and I'm tired of the countless times I've been sitting around with friends talking about how we need to get back into filming videos.. or starting some t-shirt designs... anything...

Less talk / more action in '09. 'Nuff said.

Here's one of my old videos for kicks & giggles

a different world

˙˙˙˙sɹɐq ʎǝʞuoɯ ǝɥʇ uo uʍop ǝpısdn ƃuıƃuɐɥ ssıɯ ı...

.... watching all the other kids immersed in their pretend worlds... all brought together at the center of imagination.... the playground.



(oh, and the intro text is upside down... in case you didn't catch that part)

here's something i'd never do

Kentucky's Famous Turtle Catcher

I like my toes and plan on keeping them.

Christmas (cover) music

The cover song. It can be an amazing way to pay homage to a classic artist, or it can simply be a wasted effort... not even coming close to the original. Let's narrow it down to Christmas music. What's your favorite re-done classic Christmas song, made new by a current singer/band? List a couple if you can't narrow it down... cuz I surely can't.

Here's my list :

*Rocking Around the Christmas Tree - Cartel
*Last Christmas - Jimmy Eat World
*12 Days Of Christmas - Relient K

Honorable Mentions :

*every other Christmas-themed song by Relient K
*Yule Shoot Your Eye Out - Fall Out Boy (okay... it's not a cover... but I still love it)
*Baby, Come Home - Anberlin

holiday cruise : the highlights (part 2)

*Rushing to karaoke on 2 separate nights, only to miss the sign-up both times..... but, as expected, there were some tremendously bad (but hilarious) singers. The type who truly & honestly think that they're gifted artists with melodic vocals.

*Speaking of karaoke, I was so amped each time for potential hilarity (despite failing to make the sign up time) that I wore my little retro red running shorts underneath my pants each night..... ready and waiting to strike if & when I got to sing. Next time, baby.

*Numerous foreign-tourists & their awkward swim attire (you know what I'm talking about)

*Formal night on the ship.. with the sole mission of myself, my sister, and my cousins to be awkward in every picture.. and embarass our parents/grandparents whenever possible. Our head waiter kept us going with random magic tricks & pranks involving Coke cans, silverware, and napkins.

*Watching some intoxicated fellow-cruisers stumble around the midnite buffet.. and how amazed they were by the small mountain of fruits at the end of the buffet line. This would have been a good moment to bust out the water-balloon catapult.... sigh... should've brought it along for the trip.... another note-to-self for the next time.

*Sea kayaking with my cousin Chad when we had our day on the private island. Our kayaking guide was a very outgoing Australian guy.. who fulfilled the stereotypical wildlife loving aspect by leaping out of his kayak to grab conch shells & starfish.. and excitedly leading us towards anything he saw swimming nearby

*Speaking of aquatic wildlife... the first thing the guide led us towards was a 5 foot shark he saw in the distance. I was thrilled when I saw the fin cutting through the water as we paddled towards it..... I expected to be pretty freaked out in such a situation.. but I was paddling like mad to get near the beast. It was only a 5-footer (which is still big enough to freak anyone out a bit)... yet I got pretty still after we corralled it for a short while with the kayaks. Any bigger of a shark and I would've wet myself. Guaranteed.

*Having a starfish (or "sea star") slowly crawl across my hand. They definitely don't move/behave anything like the ones in cartoons/movies

*Spending almost the entire rest of my afternoon in "iguana cove"... taking pictures & climbing the rocks to be amongst these crazy lizards. Watching them fight over food was very entertaining... especially when we pitted the supposed king of the iguanas against a rooster for a piece of fruit. Also got some pictures/video of a wild octopus in the shallow water of the cove. Intense!

*Nature hike with some of my cousins.. chasing chickens & catching hermit crabs


and now... for some more pictures!

holiday cruise : the highlights (part 1)

Even though this vacation isn't technically over until I arrive home tomorrow @ the oh-so-lovely Norfolk Airport..... I figured I'd go ahead with the highlights from the trip! Brace yourself....

*Being "chosen for additional screening" by the Norfolk airport. Every morning should start with some extra frisking & personal-space invasion.

*Seats by the door on the Atlanta flight, and hearing an old man ask the 2 flight attendants near us if they were ticklish. The resulting facial expressions were pure gold.

*Our one-night stay at the Ramada By The Port resort.... with the waterfall-infested pool, pink walls, amazing complimentary breakfast, and relatively quiet atmosphere (minus us, of course)

*The international employees serving in the main cafe on the cruise, and their personal catch-phrases that were used excessively for the duration of our time eating. There was "wine & dine" guy, "who needs ice ice ice" guy, and the most-guilty of them all.... the "juuuuuuiiiiccccyyy, it's good for you're tuuuummmmmyyyyy" lady. I was on the verge of snapping, when she finally stopped saying it... phew after 45 minutes

*The steel drum band playing throughout the weekend. 'Nuff said.

*Holding down the rhythm section for the Bahamian band in the welcome-center market in Nassau (video is on facebook)

*While roaming Nassau with my cousin Chad... we were called the "Blues Brothers" and "rock stars" countless times by the locals & the taxi-drivers... all because of our sweet hats & shades

*Escaping the persistent sales-kids who were pushing their conch shells & other sea-paraphenalia on us while we explored the streets of Nassau

*Taking a ferry from one-side of the bay to the other, learning random facts about 007 movies filmed in the city... and seeing Nicholas Cage's house in the Bahamas on millionaire row


I'll close out part 1 with a picture... just as a taste of what's to come (more highlights/pictures tomorrow)






















I couldn't resist when I saw this nonsensical sign while myself & my cousin Chad walked around the city


Stay tuned for part 2!

Delaying the inevitable

So I should be in Florida right now, with a full day to roam about until we board the ship tomorrow morning.... buuuuut we were flying to Newark, New Jersey to connect to a flight to Florida (because flying north FIRST makes complete sense) and the flight was delayed due to bad weather. So rather than waiting until late in hopes that we could still get to NJ.... we opted out and switched to a connecting flight @ 6ish a.m. this morning to Atlanta / then Orlando. SO yes, I'm awake again and preparing once more to head to the Norfolk airport haha. Cross your fingers that there aren't anymore delays!

Not sure what internet access will be like throughout this trip, so I can't guarantee any blog updates... so follow me on twitter.com/jakeholla, because that will be much easier to update via the cellular.

Much love! Hope everyone has a great week. I'll be back next Tuesday.

out with the old, in with the new?

I'll be seeing one of my favorite bands again tomor... er later today (seeing as it's already Tuesday) at the Norva over in Norfolk. The band, Taking Back Sunday, is doing a smaller-venue tour to give their new guitarist/back-up vocalist some face-time & experience with the fans before bigger things in '09 (with a new album coming soon). He's the 3rd guy to take-up this role in the band... with the 2 previous guys leaving due to a rift and/or desire to venture elsewhere musically with a new band.

Now I realize many of you may not have a clue who Taking Back Sunday is.... but I get the feeling there's at least one band you love that has experienced a line-up change at some point in their career. Maybe it was a minor change, or one that you were glad about... like seeing a band member get the boot due to a bad attitude or other issues. But maybe the change was devastating for you. Suddenly this band you loved was no longer the same band in your eyes.

What band, past or present, has affected your status as a devoted fan by going through a line-up change? Personally, I still love TBS despite the line-up changes.... but I'm not sure I can see Journey in the same light without Steve Perry (especially since the new lead singer was in a Journey cover band... and supposedly discovered on Youtube??)

Anyways.... discuss!

avast! the seas be treacherous

On Wednesday, I fly out of Norfolk with the fam to Florida to meet up with my aunts, uncles, & cousins on my dad's side o' the fam. From there we'll be boarding the Royal Caribbean cruise ship & conquering the high seas in luxurious style. Along the way we'll be invading Nassau & the cruise liner's private island in the Bahamas (Cococay Island). This is my first cruise ever... pretty excited, but also rather curious about what to expect. Have you ever been on a cruise? Captivate me with any crazy/funny/interesting stories regarding your experiences, and any pro-tips about what to do/what to see/where to go would be quite excellent as well!

follow the crowd

A simple & rather hilarious video..... but go deep with it. What inferences about life can you pull from this 6 second video?

"mind-bottling" cinema

Just finished re-watching the movie Donnie Darko with some of the dudes.... and I forgot how ridiculously deep & confusing that movie was. Watching it with a couple first-timers reminded me of how flabbergasted (awesome word, use it) I was after seeing it for the first time. Other movies that had a similar effect are the first Matrix movie, Signs, the Butterfly Effect, and Identity (the twist in that movie... holy cow...). What are some movies you've seen that really blew you away mentally... where you had to sit around and think for awhile, trying to wrap your head around it?

Also, props if you know what movie I'm referencing in the blog title.

Moments to cherish

So I got to thinking earlier... just reflecting on the past couple days.. and I started listing off strange/humorous little moments that I experienced from the weekend up until today


*I went with some youth from church to Chuck E Cheese on Saturday to bask in the childish fun of skee ball & other ticket-winning games.... and while playing a dinosaur-themed coin-drop game, I was kicked in the shin by a 5 year old. For no apparent reason. Definitely had to laugh that one off.... kids these days. He just scampered off to do whatever else he was dead-set on doing.

*During the same Chuck E Cheese adventure, I was accosted by another small child... this time verbally. I was in mid-game trying to hit the jackpot on another coin-drop game, and the kid steps up onto the platform with me and boldly demands "Yo, gimme a token" and puts his hand out. Really? Seeeeriously?? I just laughed and kept playing. In some cases I can relate.. remembering how I acted as kid... but stuff like this? Nope, sorry.. can't relate.. therefore I can't justify it in my mind.

*While passing the newly re-modeled Zoom's gas station here in Poquoson, I did a double-take when I noticed a man dressed as a clown dancing in between 2 of the pumps. I'm talkin' giant shoes, red nose, plaid clothes... the works, if you will. I'm surprised I didn't wreck as I tried to soak in the brief glimpse as I kept on driving

*Earlier today in the Farm Fresh parking lot, I was sitting in the car shuffling through cd's before I cranked the ignition.. when an older gentleman decided to attempt to squeeze his shopping cart in between the front of my car and the back of his. Clearly there wasn't enough room... but he tried anyway, and nailed the front of my car.. enough to make the car shake back & forth for a sec. Yet again... I just had to shake my head and laugh. I vaguely recall saying "what a weirdo" out loud.. not sure if the windows were down or not.


Welp that's all for now, I might think of more... it just seems this week has seen an all-time high in random amusing moments like these. Anybody else have any interesting experiences over the past couple days?

Sooo terrible... it's amazing

Stumbled across this old Journey music video..... and I wasn't prepared for all the hilariously bad moments scattered throughout. You MUST watch this video... it's a classic. SO terrible that it's pure gold.

Also, be on the lookout at the 2:31 marker.... my favorite part of the entire video.



If any music videos came to mind of the so-bad-it's-amazing type.... find that sucker on youtube and post the link the in comments! And re-post your terrible music video finding on your blog. Let's start a chain of these ridiculous video treasures.

it's official

*ahem*... Dear Titanic & crew, prepare to sink once more. The Dark Knight is being re-released on January 23rd, 2009 in regular & IMAX theaters. There was back & forth talk of it coming back into theaters for an Oscar push, and now a date has been set.

More importantly, the DVD comes out in 4 days... and I hope the supposed mask that comes with the movie @ Best Buy is a legit clown mask, and not some mini-replica.

with that being said, I get the feeling I will have seen this movie at least 20 times before it returns to theaters... and several more times in IMAX / AMC 24

oh, and the DVD is definitely coming with me on the holiday cruise to Jamaica / the Bahamas in 11 days. let there be clown-related chaos upon the Royal Caribbean =) (just as long as the re-sinking of the Titanic isn't brought to life during this oceanic adventure........ lol)

it really soothes the ears

-

Weak Sauce Of The Day (12-3-08)

I attempted to have a recurring post throughout the month, back when I started this blog.... so I thought I'd put some life back into this.

[W e a k S a u c e O f T h e D a y]








So I just realized that iTunes lost the #9 track on every album I have on my laptop (5,000+ songs... so however many albums that could amount to). Even if those files were still on my computer, which they aren't for whatever reason, it would still take forever to drag/drop each song back into iTunes....... thus I've resorted to re-ripping every #9 song off each of those albums. I figure I'll knock out 20 cd's a day, and make a daily habit of it. How inconveniently ridiculous.......

And THAT..... is the weak sauce of the day

Frigid weather excellence

So I'm about to go play some ultimate frisbee in 44-degree weather (with a "real feel" of 38-degrees).... we've played non-stop, every Tuesday for the past 3 or 4 months.... and will probly continue, no matter what the weather throws at us. I look forward to the slightest possibility of playing in the snow this season (be nice to us, global warming... I'll consider it as a Christmas gift).

My question is, what's one thing you absolutely love to do outside (or that requires traveling to, where weather would affect the travel-conditions) that you would continue doing no matter what the weather is like? And answering "playing video games" is only allowed if you have to drive from somewhere like Hampton to VA Beach to get to a friend's house where you would be playing said video games.

NSN '08... the finale!

Welp, kids.... it's been amazing. So long for now, man-beard.

Enjoy the pics!


















































































Th-th-th-th-th-th-thaaaaaat's all, folks

it's almost over...

10-ish hours until the man-beard meets it's doom @ midnite.... so as a sort of pre-show to the finale-post later 2nite, we were @ NSN News are going to take a look back at some of the highlights of the facial-hair-celebration this past month.


*wearing flannel on numerous occasions, and looking manly enough to pull it off almost toooo well

*stroking the man-beard while pondering different moments... such as what to wear, where to eat, what movie to watch, or how much longer I should stroke the man-beard

*the excessive compliments / petting of the man-beard by friends & associates. the knowledge that the general public approved of the NSN progress.... well.... it made it all worthwhile

*matching the beard with some killer new winter beanies/hats

*people pointing out that, yes, my hair is dirty blonde.. and my man-beard is reddish in color... and the soul patch is bright blonde. it's a mysterious tri-color phenomenon that can only be explained by responding ".... I'm a mutant?"

*more stroking of the man-beard, preferably in public or during meals

*the occasional grunt or primal yell out the window @ pedestrians while driving around the area. it was comforting knowing that deep down.... they jolted in fright, only to be put at ease by the sight of such a glorious man-beard

*thinking ahead for ways to step-it-up for Mustache March, and NSN 2009


Welp, I hope you enjoyed our highlighted coverage of this wonderous festive month.... stay tuned for the culmination of this celebration around midnite

Happy Day 27 of NSN.... I mean... uh.. Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to all! I couldn't be thankful enough for the blessings I experience, big or small, each and every day.... God is so good... who am I to ever complain? Savor whatever you do today, whether it's family meals... or time with friends... or enjoying this beautful weather.... or why not all three?

And yes.... I must update everyone on No Shave November... it's my joyous duty this month.






















3 days left until I provide the final product of No Shave November 2008 (even though it won't look drastically different from what you see above haha) Get hyped, none-the-less!

To-do before I die (#47)

This might even rank higher on the list..... but the number 47 seemed right at the time.



What's something outrageous you wanna do before you die? This could get reaaal interesting....

Insomnia-fueled thoughts

* passed a hotel on the way home 2nite, and the sign said "Come in and see what we love about you staying here"........... that doesn't entice me, in the least, to ever stay at that hotel. what they "love about you staying here" could very well be the opportunity for them to cook you up raw. yes, i just accused this hotel's staff of cannibalism. it's late... just go with it.

*Smallville may have upped the "cheese factor" in more & more episodes as the season's have gone by...... but boy do I still love that show. I guess I've just grown emotionally attached to the characters enough to overlook corny moments & outfits for supporting-cast/guest stars who hail from the comic world. Clark with Lois > Clark with Lana.

*It snowed a bit earlier, but I was asleep......... drat.

*Twilight = overhyped "phenomenon"...... at least as far as the movie goes. Haven't read the books, so I can't comment on those. 96X needs to re-think their on-air ads, because they claimed it was the "most talked-about/most anticipated movie of the year". Fire whoever authorized that radio ad, because we're still in the year of The Dark Knight. That's just ignorant, yo.

*This man-beard may continue into December, once No-Shave-November comes to an end..... but no promises.

*On that note..... an NSN pic-update!











That's all for 2nite/this morning........ stay classy.

NSN check-in

Here's the post-Disciple-Now NSN update.... and how man-beard-tastic it is













I thought the hat added to the effect of the unshaven-excellence. The MBGR continues to triumph during this wonderous month-of-unshaven-celebration

Now you should go check out the previous post for a tremendously cool music-video premiere from Family Force 5.

That is all.

"Radiate it on me, burn it on throouuughh"

One of my fave bands, Family Force 5, just released their new music video for "Radiator"... of their latest album "Dance Or Die"...... it's futuristic/dance-tastic/spectacular.... check it ouuuutt

Oh, and they're on tour now with Tobymac & Relient K...... I wish the tour was coming to VA... so if you get the chance to go...... then DO IT!

Radiator

oh, there you are...

love this movie, such a classic.

saw this posted elsewhere.... felt compelled to re-post it.

Disciple (to tha) NOW (2008)

If I'm calculating correctly, this is my 11th Disciple Now (5th one as a leader). It's one of my favorite events each year... getting "away" for the weekend and staying in someone's else's home... who so graciously gives up their sanity & hospitality for Friday night until Sunday morning.... and leading (this year) 15 sophomore guys throughout a weekend of worship / sermons / intense small groups / chaotic random fun. We had an amazing small group session last night... talking about our sin nature & the separation between us & God from the moment we're born. I've seen so many of these grow in their spiritual maturity, some since elementary school. It's such a blessing to be a part of their lives & fellowshipping with one another in so many different settings.

Here's some pictures from the weekend so far

NSN '08 / t-shirt collection update

Welp, day 13 of NSN '08 is upon us. (NSN = No Shave November... for the uneducated masses). I must say, I'm feeling pretty good about this year's edition. Truthfully... I have been cheating a little bit, because I can't go fully unshaven due to the whole "looking acceptable" at work thing... can't necessarily have an unbridled mountain-man-beard let loose upon the unsuspecting guests @ Fridays. So yes, I apologize if you've lost some faith in my commitment to NSN this year.... but hey, I'm letting the beard itself roam free.... just gotta keep the throat/neck region in check.

But anyways, let's cut over to the visual-check-in













As you can clearly see, the man-beard-growth-rate (or MBGR) is definitely working in my favor. I feel as if it's one of my superhuman abilities, along with being able to function normally with a less-than-desirable amount of sleep. I know... real "saving the world" kinda stuff we're dealing with here... but hey, I'll take what I can get.


On a side note, I'd like to display 2 new t-shirts added to the excessive amount I already have (intervention, anyone?)


the "big six", if you will... although I would have added Daredevil & Thor to the posse, too

















Wolverine & Spidey fighting off some evil Aztec warriors. Why? I say... Why not? 'Nuff said.


















This concludes the NSN update / t-shirt collection double-whammy-update....... now let those blog-comments fly!

No. Shave. November!

Forget Thanksgiving.... a new celebration hath trumped it with raw man-power & brute force for the title of "best thing about November"

What's that you say? I say three words to you.


No.
Shave.
November!


(Conan O'Brien's man-beard during that terrible writer's strike)

















So I've decided to take part in the celebration this year. Earlier this year I opted for No Shave November's cousin, Mustache March (which I might also celebrate in '09). I'm excited about the prospect of NSN 2008, and the joys of wearing flannel while sporting the manly scruff. (see also "man grunt", via Tool Time's Tim Taylor)

Here's my progress so far, seeing as it's now 10 days into the festive fun.


(Day 10 check-in)















So yes! Feel free to join the good times, better late than never! You won't regret how masculine & awesome you'll feel after the experience. Your girlfriend/fiance/wife may not be too thrilled.... but you can always respond with a man-grunt... a beating of the chest (gorilla style)... and then staring her down until she submits to the idea. It's worth a shot.

Besides.... it's only a month.

Hi, my name is Jake... and I'm an addict

ad-dic-tion (uh-dik-shuhn) - noun
1. Compulsive physiological and psychological need for a habit-forming substance
2. The condition of being habitually or compulsively occupied with or or involved in something.

So, addictions...... we all have them, whether it's something beneficial... or something that eats away at us on a daily basis (donuts? cuban cigars? designer shoes?)

I'm addicted to comic books, Dr Pepper, the cheesy gordita crunch (with extra baja sauce, thankyewverymuch), and buying excessive amounts of t-shirts/sunglasses.

What are you addicted to??

the face(s) of a sunglasses-addict

I emptied out the center-console of my car, and checked around my room..... and these are all the pairs of sunglasses / shades / frames / etc. that I found......... I'm officially addicted to them.

Kobe wants that rock&roll

Celeb-athletes endorsing products (in this case a video game)? Yep, still funny.

Record-shattering dance

881 citizens of Austin, Texas shattered the previous World Record of 140 Synchronized THRILLER dancers.... I wish I was there yesterday.... but at least there's video footage of the epic feat.

Slumber? Hardly...

Sleep is such a lost cause nowadays..... I'll re-capture a normal sleep-pattern (one of these days...)

Welp... time to rest before that lovely alarm goes off @ 7:45am!

Let's play TAAAAG

Here are the rules:
Rule #1 - Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
www.robshep.com - Rob Shepherd himself hath tagged me. Check out his blog, cuz he blogs waaay more than I do... and about anything & everything. It doesn't bite.. it's quite user-friendly.

Rule #2 - Share 7 random and/or weird facts about yourself.

1. I got my nick-name (J-Holla or Jake Holla... your choice) in a not-so-exciting way. My high school log-in username for the library was jacholla (it took the first 3 letters of your first name / first 5 letters of your last)..... and I was amused by the portion of my last name being "holla". The rest, as they say, is history.

2. I've seen the majority of my favorite bands (Relient K, Brand New, Cartel, Family Force 5, Taking Back Sunday, Jimmy Eat World, etc) a minimum of 3 times & a maximum of 8 times. I'm a concert-a-holic... I love music in a live-setting and the unmatched level of energy during a great concert.

3. On the same note... I've had the opportunity to meet almost all of my fave bands, whether under the usual conditions of waiting outside the venue after the concert.. or under more unique circumstances (Relient K in a Chick-Fil-A, several bands backstage @ festivals like Warped Tour, onstage with several diff. bands @ Warped '04 and '05, backstage with Fall Out Boy @ the Va Beach Ampitheater, and so on...)

4. I greatly enjoy going to Barnes & Noble, grabbing a stack of comics/magazines/books, and finding any spot available to sit & read for hours on end. Sometimes I'll throw my iPod into the mix and make a playlist for that particular chill-session. This habit is partially the reason why I got re-hooked on comic books back in 2005.

5. At any given time, I have around 3 or 4 cuts & bruises. It's a rough life of ultimate frisbee, capture-the-flag, intense concerts, and all-around ridiculous behavior. I currently have a scrape on my elbow from being dropped during a mischief-sesh of scaring people while wearing masks @ Yorktown beach, a cut on my left leg from being nailed with a frisbee point-blank, and 3 mystery cuts/scrapes from... well.. I have no idea. You get the idea. This trend resulted in a broken leg in Sept. '07, as many of you know, from a tragic leap off the hood of a moving vehicle.

6. I'm fascinated by the unknown and I love watching shows on the Discovery Channel / Sci Fi / TLC like Monster Quest (Bigfoot's real... just accept it and move on). It's probably due to my overly-active imagination... and I'm often curious & pondering the what-if's of weird/strange/unnatural myths & local tales. And yes, I was disappointed by yet another hoax recently... with the "Georgia Gorilla" having been proven fake. Thanks alot, you deceptive fools, for dashing my hopes upon the rocks.

7. I once ran away in 3rd grade after being sent to my room for talking back to my parents. I packed my Goosebumps backpack, climbed out the first floor window, hid behind the garbage can around the corner... and lasted about 20 minutes before I broke into tears and wanted to go back inside. Too bad my parents locked the door to teach me a lesson (lol)... and finally let me back in before the neighbors freaked out from a small child crying outside @ 11pm. Lesson learned, right thurr.

Rule #3 - Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their posts.

Welp.... I only know a small handful that have blogger accounts... so I shall re-post this on Facebook/MySpace

faaave song of the moment?

Music takes up a huge percentage of my day... iPod playlists to wake me up, ringtones of music I enjoy, singin my face off in the car, etc etc etc

So I'm just wondering... what's your favorite song right this very moment? Not necessarily of all time... just a song that you've felt inclined to listen to alot recently... or that got you really pumped sometime in the past week

think about it..... thiiiiink about it..... now GO!

(oh, and my fave song of the moment is "Heroes Get Remembered, Legends Never Die" by Four Year Strong"..... "Disturbia" by Rihanna came in a close second.... lol)

Not-so-festive

So it's the weekend of the Poquoson Seafood Festival.... an annual local tradition filled with delicious food, music (i won't comment on the quality of it....), excessive amounts of useless yard decorations & artsy stuff for sale, inflatable jumpy things & sketchy amusement rides, AND.... (my least favorite part).... horriffic traffic.

Even though I was looking forward to going this year, due to Sam Hayes comin home for the weekend to play @ the festival, I would still like to personally thank the weather for messing up the flow of it all.... cuz I just got home nice & quick-like, as if nothing was happening this weekend. WOOOOOO!!! I'm very impatient in backed-up traffic... so yes, I'm rather stoked on the lack-o-cars clogging the roads.

That is all.

Heroes : The Office version

friends til the end?

Consistent friendships are not something to overlook... I truly appreciate them.

Also makes me wonder what happened to put distance between past friendships thats used to be so tight, if not seemingly unbreakable...... "that's just life", as 'they' may say.... but it's still such a bummer...

But then again, maybe I'm to blame for not keeping up my end of the deal in some cases? I just don't know...

what a week (thanks to FF5)

I could re-cap all of last week..... but really the only part that matters is Tuesday, Oct 7th

What's the significance, you say? Welp, Family Force FIVE is what I say to you.

I deeply enjoy the band... their music is very carefree & ridiculous at times, and they put on an a VERY entertaining live show.... but this most recent concert-viewing was my favorite so far. The past 3 times I saw them were all very short set-lists. The first time I witnessed them live was as an opening act for Tobymac.... so I only got a brief taste. The next 2 times were at festivals, one in New Jersey and then at Warped Tour this past summer.... so again, short 30-minute set times. This time not only stood out because of the headlining-stint/longer set..... but because it was a very intimate setting (a restaurant on the VA Beach oceanfront that doubles as a venue for live music).

Below we have Mmself, Jacob Ray, and King Neptune killing time before the show on the Va Beach boardwalk. J-Ray is a great friend & basically like a younger brother to me. It's crazy hanging out with him now.... because I was his camp-counselor when he was in elementary school... and now he's a sophomore in high school! Craziness...










Myself, Adam Covell, & J-Ray in our concert-costumes. FF5 is known for their wild stage outfits, and their latest album is very dance-oriented & futuristic themed.... so they wanted fans to get creative and dress accordingly for this tour. So..... we did just that.













Here we have the lead singer of FF5, Soul Glow Activator, and his trademark silver Hulk fists that are customized for each tour. This time around they had gold skulls on the knuckles. Oh, I should mention that the entire band & some of their crew & friends have nicknames that they go by. The others in the band are Crouton, Chap Stique, Phatty, and Nadaddy... with Xanadu the stage dancing guitar/drum tech always on the scene.










Here's a better shot of most of the band... during their song "Love Addict"










After the show, we hung around for 45ish minutes or so talking to the band and taking some great pictures.

From left : Chap Stique, Phatty, Nadaddy, J-Holla, Soul Glow Activator, Sir Adam of Covell, and my sister hiding in the shadow (Crouton was talking to some crazy lady)










My favorite pic of the night... with Soul Glow Activator. The look on his face is priceless.













Another great shot with Chap Stique, with some facial expressions reminiscent of male-model-extraordinaire Zoolander













Sarah Hudson, the lead singer of opening band Ultraviolet Sound. Very energetic & fun stage presence, for sure.










And last-but-not-least.... a power-trio of epic proportions. Sarah from UVS, myself, & Soul Glow.... fear the awesomeness.










So all-in-all......... it was one of the best concerts I've been to in awhile...... and I go to a ridiculous amount of concerts. If you ever get the chance to see Family Force 5 perform live, don't you dare pass up the opportunity! Even if the music isn't your particular style... you will no doubt be entertained by the glorious stage antics. Must-see-status, noooo doubt.

Halloween 2008

Hmmm..... Jake-ified version of The Joker? or the Brawny paper towel man?

On the brink of.... October!

Welp I'd say September has been a productive month

-played ultimate frisbee on 8 different occasions (9 if you include the game later 2nite)
-made 2 mini-road trips to visit friends (Liberty U early in the month, JMU this past weekend)
-first full month for the newly revamped college ministry @ LBC
-college small groups started last week
-experienced a steel drum concert.... mind-blowing!
-saw Cartel in concert for the.... 9th time? I've honestly lost count...
-had a water-balloon war @ work (inside, on the roof, and in the parking lot)
-LSM's kick-off of a new monthly event called "5th Quarter" (serving as a post-high-school-football place to hang out until midnite, ride a mechanical bull, play on inflatable stuff, and of course... ultimate frisbee)

..... phew... I'm excited to see what October has in store

hakuna... matata

1 Peter 5:7 - "Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you"

Each passing day... I feel more & more confident in myself, my faith, and my life in general...... if you know me, you know I've had the underlying struggle with worry for quite a while.... so I guess this is just serving as an update-of-sorts. Life is a constant struggle, but making such strides in fully relying on God is such a huge step-by-step process. So yes, just a brief update.

Meanwhile... it's a been a quality weekend here @ JMU.. catching up with some great friends that I've missed quite a bit. I've watched more of The Office and consumed more ice cream in the past 2 days than I have in a months time.... accomplishment? I'd say so.

Or as Dwight would say....... "fact."













I will be purchasing this shirt
(you may recall this image from the season premiere of The Office)

Heroes : Season 3

Such a crazy show.... and the 2-hour season premiere only added to the crazy intensity. So many questions already, due to the numerous plot twists..... I love it. It's even more fun pondering where each plot point will lead with other fans of the show.... so if anybody's still reading this, and happens to watch Heroes.... what did you think of last night's premiere?

ohhh monday

welp, the weekend was chock-full of good times :

-saw Cartel (amongst others) @ CNU in concert on Friday, followed by chill time w/ the gang
-Cici's Pizza for Kyle McGee's b-day on Saturday, with some post-dinner ultimate frisbee @ Yorktown Beach
-Liberty Fest on Sunday, with some more frisbee.. some chicken & bbq... and obtaining some SICK new vintage jackets from Micah

also watched the movie Stardust, one I'd been meaning to see for awhile... kinda reminded me of the Princess Bride, mixing the fantasy & whimsical humor & romance..... twas rather enjoyable

welp, that's all for now.... off to work I goooo

insomnia-tastic

There's something wrong.. when I had a closer-to-normal sleep schedule during the summer than I do now. I could be sleeping right now, but instead I'm blogging about how I could be sleeping.

.... okay, time for bed. Any longer and I'll hear the newspaper arrive outside... sheesh. Even worse hearing those birds starting to chirp as the sun comes up.... bah! I'm still blog-rambling. Seriously, I'm done. Sleep time.

Maybe...

My next pet

Yep, it's decided. I want a gibbon as a pet/sidekick. Talk about hours of entertainment and hilarity. Plus... I'd make him a sweet costume to wear... like a little ninja outfit, or maybe just a cape.

One rumor shot down, another pops up

Phew.. okay, so the previous blog post's rumor-in-question has been proven false.... so no Will Smith as Captain America. I can sleep easy now.

But now, the long-rumored casting of Johnny Depp (as the Riddler) and Philip Seymour Hoffman (as the Penguin) in the next Batman has been given more fuel for the fire. Michael Caine (who played Alfred the butler in Batman Begins / The Dark Knight) claims the rumors are true... and even cites a WB exec as a source.

Hmmmm....... thoughts?

Ohhhh comic book movie rumors...

If you know me... you know I love comics. Simple as that.

I also love when comic book movies get it right. (ex. X-Men 1 & 2, The Dark Knight, Iron Man, Incredible Hulk, etc).... alas, so many of them basically ignore the source material and the movies end up total trash (ex. Spiderman 3, X-Men 3, Batman Forever, Batman & Robin, Ghost Rider, Fantastic Four, etc)

So when a rumor comes along that is just a bad idea from the get-go... it bugs me.

What's the latest rumor to hit the 'net?

Will Smith as Captain America.....

I say.... no thank you.

Marvel, you've got a great thing going with the last 2 movies you put out... so I just hope this is a rumor and nothing more. This is almost as bad as the rumor of Cher playing Catwoman in the next Batman movie (.... in NO way was that believable)

Okay, geek-rant over. Now... discuss! Agree/disagree/vent/elaborate.. anything! Lemme know what you think.. and I'll elaborate why I think this is a bad idea.
(that is, if you even know what I'm talking about... or care haha)

That's what I thought, iTunes

Fear not, I single-handedly took iTunes out into the schoolyard and beamed verbal-dodgeballs at it with a scathing review about the lack of video podcasts for the RNC... and whaddya ya know? The video podcasts are now available.

You're welcome.

Seriously though... maybe the Repub's were just behind in uploading the clips.

Wait... no, that's no fun. I'll stick with the original story. Fear those verbal dodgeballs, iTunes..... fear them.

Weak Sauce Of The Day

So iTunes has been posting free audio/video podcasts of both the national conventions lately, with the Republican National Convention taking place this week. Except it seems "equal coverage" doesn't mean providing video for the RNC... only for the Democratic National Convention. Maybe there was a technical issue, but... yeah right... that doesn't seem likely. Way to choose sides, Apple.









For that, you get the WEAK SAUCE stamp-of-disapproval
(pretend there's a profound "BOOM" sound effect, as if that picture is boldly being stamped onto the screen)

That is all.

'nuff said

there's a magazine for everything

almost as good as a "Kung Fu For Dummies" guide.

maybe I can perfect some cutting-edge Kung Fu techniques with advice within it's pages

you know... Anaconda's Death Squeeze... Vengeful Wildebeest... Unbridled Fist Of The Orangutan... the usual stuff.

Slang Of The Day

[ Weak Sauce ] -

Describes an event or object that lacks intensity and/or fails to fully accomplish its purpose. Used to degrade, or convey ones dissatisfaction in something.

ex. That concert was weak sauce, I can't believe I paid to see it








Now go make use of this newfound knowledge, in the form of such hip slang, and use it in conversation! You'll feel all special and fuzzy inside. I promise.

Toddlers + Rave Music = Instant Win

Just wait 'til this little dude starts pointin' his fingers and stompin' his foot to the beat.

Priceless.

See more funny videos at Funny or Die

accident prone and loving it

This isn't anything new.. or some profound conclusion I've reached... but good grief, I'm accident prone.

here's my latest









What caused this.. you ask? Why.. playing man-hunt, of course! (think hide-and-seek... but on a bigger scale... and with college-age kids and above) It's silly, I know... but honestly, I wouldn't trade times like this for anything. Now don't get all freaked out and suddenly think "wow Jake, you're a sick freak who enjoys pain!"... because that's not the case. The point I'm trying to make is.... whether I get hurt doing stuff like this or not... it's worth it. Day in and day out... I see people who have fallen into the mundane flow of their daily routine, whatever that may be, and can't do anything but complain about how bored they are... or how there "isn't anything to do around here". I'm sorry, but have you completely lost touch with your imagination? Or the will and desire to put forth effort in looking for something to do beyond the usual? Because trust me... there is PLENTY to do (within reason, and appropriateness... lol... don't go rob a bank, or break into the Norfolk Zoo... etc etc). Look beyond the blah and the typical everyday activities and actually try to bring some excitement to that routine of yours. Now... I know not everyone has the same level of imagination or randomness as me, or several others I know... but still... it's completely within reason.

Now, stemming from that point.... it really frustrates me to see friends (who have realized that there's definitely an alternative to the norm, and succeed in having genuine clean fun on a regular basis) turn their backs on this knowledge and just fall in line with what everyone else is doing.... whatever that may be... I'll leave it to your imagination, or lack thereof. Now.. I know I can't force anyone to do or not do something.... but nonetheless... it's still frustrating to see people choose to settle for less... or let bad habits and worldly expectations determine how they act and what they do. I saw myself falling in line, or heading that way, back in high school... and made a point to stop right then & there... and do something about it. I look back at myself then, and look in the mirror now... and it really feels like 2 different people, in a sense. Yes, part of what I'm getting at is on a spiritual level... in terms of my faith and my relationship with Christ... but another part of what saying is on a simple level of human logic, and breaking the mold of what the world expects of us as human beings. Sometimes I just wish it was as simple as smacking someone upside the head and saying "STOP IT!".... and that be enough..... but clearly and obviously it's not that easy.

Do something today that's out of the norm. Take that small step to chip away at the blah routine of whatever may be keeping you down on a daily basis. Eat your favorite cereal from when you were 6 years old. Sing your heart out while driving, no matter what the person in the car next to you may think... or how you sound. Wear a ridiculous t-shirt, or some absurdly 80's sunglasses. Just... do... something. A small step is better than not stepping out at all.

There's more to life than what you may encounter... I promise.

And to those of you that I am around each week... that I laugh along with, sing/dance along with, share random moments of ridiculousness with, pray with, learn from, talk to... anything at all. I cherish our friendship, whatever level of depth it may have. I'm who I am because of Christ, and Christ has blessed me with some of the most outstanding, unique, bold, hilarious, interesting, and amazing friends that stretch far beyond anything I can imagine sometimes. I wouldn't trade any of the memories we've shared for anything... and I can only hope I mean a third-as-much to you all, as you mean to me.

(feel free to grab some nearby tissue... potential tear-jerker moment, I know)

"Wow, Jake... all of that from a nasty leg wound?".... yes. All of that from a nasty leg wound. Hopefully it made some coherent sense... I tend to ramble, and it's 2am or so.... sooo yep.

Welp, those are my thoughts for the night / early morning. I hope to see more of you breaking that silent-blog-reader mold and leaving some comments! I think I disabled the requirement to have a blogger account so that more people can leave comments... but nonetheless, it's never a bad thing to have one.

Okay seriously, I'm done. G'nite.

The Quantum Of.... wait... what??

Hopefully you've seen [ this trailer ] by now (for the new James Bond movie coming in Nov 08)... if not, watch it now.

And THEN! Watch the following video that mashes together a comedy classic w/ the audio from that trailer.

stealth readers

so... how many people out there are actually reading this?

show yourselves! leave a comment/remark/reply.. whatever you wanna call it

feedback in the blog world is like somebody giving you a high five... or maybe even a cookie

plus... it doesn't take all that long to sign-up, or whatever is required to leave comments... you're already online, so you don't have anything better to be doin.. and you know it!

DNA tests are a buzzkill

Let me start off by saying this.... how unbelievably sweet would it be if Bigfoot was confirmed as real???

You may be thinking to yourself... "Jake, that's ridiculous. There is no way a species of giant ape men is hiding in the woods all over the country." Well I respond to such remarks by saying... why NOT?? I mean, seriously. Think about all of the uncharted wilderness all over the world... or even just the vast areas of land that aren't frequented too often by people... it's totally possible.

Maybe I'm just a fan of wishful thinking. I do, in fact, have a very active imagination... so naturally I would be in favor of such a crazy idea, like the existence of Bigfoot. It would be completely cool to see a real one just hanging out in the woods.. eating berries... lifting giant trees for exercise... maybe chasing deer for fun... who knows!

The reason I'm talking about this is because 3 men in Georgia claimed to have proof, in the form of a body, so as to prove that Bigfoot is totally real. I stumbled upon this news the other day, and a news conference was held today to discuss the find and to provide results of a DNA test (... I'm honestly not too sure how much good a DNA test would do.... it's not like we have a sample, on file, of sasquatch DNA). Welp, the results came in showing 4% of it was human and the other 96% was.... possum??? Talk about random. So either this truly is a hoax.. and the 3 guys killed a bunch of possums and stuffed a Bigfoot costume with possum meat...... OR it's legit, and Bigfoot's DNA is similar to that ugly rodent. I have no clue... but either way... I'm just gunna keep on thinking in a wishful manner. Bigfoot is real in my book. 'Nuff said.

Hopefully you weren't completely bored out of your mind (if you read this, beyond the first sentence haha)... I just felt like sharing my interest in the crazier things in life, such as a sneaky ape man running around the woods.

[ meanwhile ]

Phelps is one step closer to breaking Spitz's record.... Sunday is the big day. Get hyped.

Bigfoot may not be proven to be real yet, but Phelps basically proves that superhuman mermaid-like people are very real.

On that note, I'm gunna consider sleeping now.... g'nite!

its that time of the year

summer winding down? college kids heading out or preparing to do so? the summer Olympics, even?

nope.... haircut time.....

it's less and less traumatizing every time i take the plunge from shag to shortness

welp, that is all. now go back to watching the Olympics.

facts/statements o' the week

Ya ready? 'Cuz here they come...

1. Michael Phelps is Aquaman. Make it happen, Warner Bros. Also, France should definitely change their national flag to a plain white flag o' defeat after that in-your-face victory by the U.S. in the 400m relay. Boo. yah.

2. T-minus 8 days until "Dance Or Die".... and Family Force 5 will be in VA Beach on October 7.... GLORIOUS!

3. The Dark Knight landed in the 3rd slot for all-time box office totals.... re-build the Titanic, 'cuz a bat-shaped iceberg is even closer to sinking that ship again. Aid the cause and go see the movie again... you know you wanna.

4. When in doubt, declare the floor "lava"... and respond accordingly. And don't you dare let any balloons land on the "lava"... or all hope is lost.

5. If and when I create a list of things I want to do before I die.... count on one of those things to be "slapping an elephant seal and running". How cool could that possibly be, you ask?
Just watch - ( click HERE ! )

WiFi Relaxation

So here I am.. sitting outside on my 3-week old laptop... utilizing the free WiFi @ City Center as I kick back and enjoy the breeze. The set-up is pretty ridiculous.... I'm sitting at a random fold-up table, with folding chair included, overlooking the fountain. It's almost like a makeshift office, with a superb view and the perfect temperature. Pssh, I could even bust out my outlet-charger and plug-in to the little box across from me that's under a tree.

Have I reached a new low? I think not. This is just about the most relaxed and at peace I've been in awhile.... it's excellent. Sure, people are giving me strange looks as I sit here in my "office"... but uh... shame on them. They don't even KNOW!

........ I just hope the sprinklers don't come on.











aaand that's all for now...

- J a k e -

say it with me... perseverance!

The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.
Deuteronomy 31:8

Phew.. I need that tattooed on my forearm, as a constant reminder to ball up everything that's causing any hint of worry/fear/frustration in my life.. and just let it all go (easier said than done, i know)

Regardless, I'm content in knowing that everything happens for a reason... whether it's something I realize & learn from a week later... or something that comes full circle 4 years later and hits me like a brick to the forehead. Life is a constant struggle... we're either recovering from a battle, in the midst of one, or preparing for the next... it's all in how you prepare yourself. I find my peace in the fact that I'm not alone in anything I face. God will always provide a means to overcome.. and I couldn't be more uplifted by that.

One aspect of God watching my back is the blessings of friends He's put into my life over the years. There's no way I'd be where I am or who I am right now if not for that. God is constantly keeping me in check through advice/accountability in my friendships... and always blessing me when I'm able to be a listening ear or a mouthpiece of advice in return... and He brings to light so many lessons learned, that sometimes I don't realize until the moment I'm talking about them, when being there for someone else & giving any advice/help I can. I know that I can't sit there and talk about dealing with a situation in the way Christ would want us to... and then fail to live up to the same words-of-wisdom when I'm faced with a hardship or obstacle in my path.

This summer has been full of great memories, on so many different levels. Hilarious moments, inside jokes, crazy occurrences, amazing conversations, strengthening of friendships, concerts/movies/etc... you name it. But none of that would have any shred of significance without the friends that were a part of every single memory and experience. I can't thank God enough for the people He's brought into my life... new or old. I wake up each morning (or afternoon.....) knowing that I'm not alone.. because God is always in control.. and because He's surrounded me with so many uplifting and outstanding friends to keep me positive and on track with just being me. I'll never be thankful enough.. and that's just how it is.

And that.... is how I shall conclude this blog. Time to embrace some slumber.

Oh, and I'd be ecstatic to have any feedback/comments on this new blog o' mine!

Okay, I'm really done now.

- j a k e -

lyrical excellence via Thiessen

"...Any control I thought I had just slips right through my hands
While my ever-present conscience shakes its head and reprimands me
Reprimands me
Then and there
I confess
I'll blame all this on my selfishness
Yet you love me
And that consumes me
And I'll stand up again
And do so willingly

You give me hope, and hope it gives me life
You touch my heavy heart, and when you do you make it light
As I exhale I hear your voice
And I answer you, though I hardly make a noise
And from my lips the words I choose to say
Seem pathetic, but it's fallen man's praise
Because I love you
Oh God, I love you
And life is now worth living
If only because of you
And when they say that I'm dead and gone
It won't be further from the truth

When I go down
I lift my eyes to you
I won't look very far
Cause you'll be there
With open arms
To lift me up again
To lift me up again"

- R e l i e n t K "When I Go Down"

imitation is the sincerest form of flattery

if you haven't seen this movie yet.... I question your sanity.. and I'd say I want to show you a magic trick involving a pencil, but you haven't seen the movie.. so you wouldn't fully appreciate the pain I would be putting you through... loser

regardless.. enjoy this spoof of a pivotal scene in the movie