I finished the latest issue of GQ on the train yesterday. All in all, it was a pretty crappy issue. The feature story was about about the “25 coolest athletes” of all time. The only action sports athlete that they mentioned was Kelly Slater. I have to agree with GQ on that one. But I feel like there are plenty who should have made the list, that didn’t.  Anyway, the issue got off to a bad start because there was no introductory article from Jim Nelson. Nelson’s monthly contribution is basically my favorite part of the mag.

After finishing the last article and uttering my final “meh,” I closed the magazine and looked at the back cover. On it, I saw an ad for Hennessy (above). See if you can identify the artist painting in the background of the ad image. That’s right. It’s El Mac. The videos that the ad is prompting people to watch on Facebook, are all of the Hennessy Artistry (in which Mac does not appear once, BTW). Ummmmm, check out what I covered at the bottom of that same post about El Mac. Correct, the NYC iteration of the Hennessy Artistry tour. Sometimes I feel like I’m in the freaking twilight zone, or something.

In other news, the huge ice chunks are back in the Hudson (maybe I’ll get a shot of them this weekend), but it hasn’t snowed one time yet today. Fingers crossed!

Happy Friday!

I recently finished reading the latest issue of GQ. Toward the end of the mag, they had this little editorial previewing stuff for spring. One of the first images was the one above, that I grabbed from the GQ website. It is a photo of Arnie Hammer, apparently about to knock someone’s teeth out with an early 90′s-style skateboard. I don’t know if their inspiration here was the movie “Kids” or what. I mean, I get the styling. Skateboarding is now very “in.” But we don’t want to seem too trendy, so we are going to throw in a old-school wide deck and give a nod to.. blah blah blah.

All of that crap is peripheral. Do you notice the particular model of deck that Hammer is holding? That’s right, it is a Vision “Gator” pro-model. And where is Gator (AKA Mark Rogowski) these days? That’s right, he is serving time in a Federal prison. What was the crime again? Correct, again! He murdered his ex-girlfriend by bludgeoning her to death after raping her.

So my question to you, Mr. prop stylist, is:  Are you completely oblivious to this apparent faux pas, or is there some sort of hidden meaning in this image?

First of all– Well done, Mr. Schuman, on the above photo. I can tell you right now, though, that there are some mommy bloggers (no disrespect intended) out there, who don’t approve of the way he is wearing that hat, all crooked-like. Hahaha. I bet Nigo and Pharrell don’t have to put up with that kind of crap. Not that I’m pretending to have fashion designer status, but I’m just sayin’.

Actually, thinking about it now, I’m guessing that most mommy bloggers probably aren’t into Bape or Ice Cream/BBC. So, this whole blurb is just a waste of characters. Aaaaanyway, I am generally not too fond of re-posting stuff (especially not from the Sartorialist, since he is probably the most re-posted dude in blogsville). But, aside from being the poster child for my hat rant, I really do dig that shot.

Random topic #2– Sometimes I swear that Jim Nelson and I share the same brain. I just barely was able to catch up on my magazine reading enough to crack the September issue of GQ, yesterday on the train. As I was reading Nelson’s opening commentary, I was thinking to myself “tttttttttttooooooooooooooooottttttttalllly.” For a minute, I was like “I should be a magazine editor. I think exactly like this guy.” Then I realized that the reason Jim Nelson is a magazine editor, is because he can write something that makes everyone who reads it feel like they would be Jim Nelson’s best friend in real life, and that they and Jim Nelson are extremely like-minded individuals. Hahahah. That is a skill that I definitely do not possess.

So, yes, September is here. Ads galore in all of the mags. At some point I’ll be posting some of my favs along with commentary. But interestingly enough, I have been a lot more taken in by the articles in this year’s September GQ than I have by the flashy fall looks. In addition to Nelson’s article mentioned above, I read another piece yesterday that I found interesting. It was about keeping the flame alive after marriage, kids, etc.. It wasn’t the typical Cosmo-style, “10 ways to keep your spouse at constant climax” sort of thing. It was about figuring out the logistics of “date night,” when you and your spouse both have insanely busy lives. I thought it was pretty cool.  The article is by Joel Lovell and it is called “How to date your wife.”

Reagan will probably punch me in the neck for admitting that a magazine article is what convinced me that I need to focus a bit more on spending structured “date” time with her. I might be safe, though, since I waited until this far into the post to admit it. She told me this morning that she doesn’t really read the stuff I write when it gets too wordy. Hahahaha. Anyway the article isn’t online yet. But, I found it interesting enough to recommend checking it out (if you haven’t already) when it does show up .

To wrap things up– I’m pretty excited about some of the stuff that I will be shooting for the rest of the week. One item in particular, is a famous tattoo artist who operates in NJ. I have never even been in a tattoo parlor before. So I’m keenly interested to see what it will be like. Tomorrow night college football starts (go Utes). And finally, as we all know, this weekend has three days. What’s not to be excited about?

With the impending warm weather, comes spring fashion. Yay! Flipping through the ads at the beginning of my magazines has made me especially excited for the warm weather. Among all of the uber-creative and super aesthetically appealing ads, there are always a handful of duds. To me, the Hilfiger ad above was the largest dud in the most recent issue of GQ. I “get” using a little bit of irony, to get attention. But, come on, dude. Is anyone really going to go water skiing with sunglasses, button-up long sleeve shirt and jacket, complete with a pocket square? These kind of ads remind me of those over-saturated family portraits shot on railroad tracks. In what universe does that composition naturally occur? I’m not hating, here. I’m just posing a question. Maybe I just need to be educated. Anyone?

Anyway, the Hilfiger water-ski ad still takes a back seat to Khaki Jogging. And of course, underwear pull-ups is still squarely in first place.

The first one caught my eye because it is about a guy who lives in a cave in Moab. It’s called “Could you survive without money? Meet the guy who does.” It was in the latest issue of Details. It is basically about a guy named Daniel Suelo who used to be a college professor before swearing off modern capitalism, and reverting to living off of the land.

The author follows Suelo around Moab, documenting the way that he subsists from dumpster diving, eating road kill, and sleeping in a cave.

I confess that the main reason that I was interested in the article is because it involves Moab. Frankly, I would be very surprised if Suelo is the only guy in Moab who lives in a cave. As I was reading it, I thought that his ideas also probably seem pretty tame compared to some of the other philosophies that abound in that region. It certainly is a beautiful place to be homeless though.

I also thought that the idea of swearing off money was an interesting one. It is a quick read, so even if you hate it, you won’t be wasting more than a few minutes. Christopher Ketcham is the author. The photo is by Mark Heithoff. Here is the link.

The next article that really grabbed me, this week is called “Never Forget,” by Michael Patemiti. The article ran in the latest issue of GQ. I am not sure how to best describe this article. I want to call it deeply disturbing, but it is also a heart-breaker. Definitely only read it, if you have a strong stomach. The story details the atrocities that occurred in Cambodia during the reign of the Khmer Rouge.

The author focuses on one labor camp specifically, called S-21, where roughly 15,000 Cambodians were tortured and murdered. The story also catches up a couple of the seven people who survived the camp, as well as telling the story of the former Khmer Rouge operative who was in charge of running the camp.

I definitely recommend this story, not only as an extremely moving story, but as a fantastic piece of journalism. Here is the link.

In this month’s issue of GQ (the one with Christian Bale on the cover), there is a feature article about Larry King. I started making my way through the article, and was enjoying it, when suddenly the article took a turn for the awesome. As most Mormons know*, King’s wife is Mormon. As a result of this, the Kings own a home in Provo.

In the article, the interview addresses Religion, interviewing religious leaders, etc. King admits that he used to go to church with his wife some times, but not really anymore. He also states that he really isn’t a huge fan of Provo. He says that when he is there, he starts to go stir crazy after about a day or so. This is all very good material. But I have to admit that I didn’t expect what was coming next. King starts to discuss the afterlife. He discusses the possibility that there might be eternal nothingness after death. He reminisces on something that Billy Graham once told him, saying “Billy Graham used to tell me, ‘You’re very spiritual, and you are going somewhere—don’t question that.’ So I hope he’s right.” Which prompts the following:

And what if Graham is right, but wherever it is you end up going is just like Provo?

“It’d still be better than being dead,” King answers, but then he pauses, as though this is one reply he has carelessly blurted out loud without giving it the full consideration it requires. He now rocks his hand in equivocation, reweighing the delicately balanced alternatives before him: eternal nothingness…Provo…eternal nothingness…Provo…eternal nothingness…Provo…eternal nothingness…Provo.

Tough call. Eventually, he concludes that his first answer was probably the correct one-”I’d rather be in Provo”-though he leaves the impression that Utah may only have prevailed by the slenderest of margins. And that a recount is never out of the question.

So rich.

*running tallies of famous and semi famous Mormons, used-to-be-Mormons, and once-thought-about-being-Mormons are kept and propagated by sites like famousmormons.net and countless mommy blogs across Utah County.

Aside: This entire post is, of course, completely tongue in cheek. I know a lot of great people who live in Provo, including some family members. I just think that I personally would go crazy if I ever lived there. Plus, I will seize any opportunity that I can, to take a dig at the home of the Cougs. Hahaha

I read an article this week that really shook me up. I don’t feel like that happens very often . I guess it was because the subject matter hit so close to home. The piece appeared in GQ this month, titled “Unreachable” and was written by Karl Taro. It is about the author’s adult autistic brother, and the various institutions that he has been in and out of, over the years. I feel like its relevance to my life is two fold. The photo above was taken at my sister Mimi’s wedding a few years ago. Those are all of my sisters, minus Melinda. The one in the middle, Laura, is also autistic.  My parents adopted her when she was 3 years old, I was in my early teens. Because of that, my family and I have gone through the same roller coaster of guilt, frustration, etc. that author of the article outlines in his story. Laura is now in her early 20′s. My parents have been preparing for years, to get her placed in a home that everyone feels comfortable with, and the plan appears to be near fruition.

The other reason that this article hit home, is because of Piper. Sometimes it still blows my mind when I try to figure out why God chose me to be the earthly guardian of a little special needs child. At times, has been a very difficult affair. I believe that the complication of  logistics pale when compared with the emotional difficulties that are associated with having a special needs child. The article discusses the autistic boy’s transition to adulthood and the unspeakable things that befell him, during his tour of assisted living facilities. It made me shudder to think that anyone would ever mistreat a person who is already struggling through life like that. It also gave me a moment of sheer panic, thinking that Piper might some day be the victim of some awful act, and not even have the ability to tell anyone about it. Right now while Piper is a baby, it is easy for people to love her because she is so small and cute. The article made me wonder though, what will it be like when she grows up?

I’m realizing that this post has turned out to be kind of negative and a bit fatalistic. I didn’t really mean for it to be like that. I guess that the mitigating factor in all of this, is that ultimately I believe that God is in control. I believe that no matter what happens, he will make things right, whether it is in this life or the next. That knowledge gives me comfort.

Since my sleep schedule has been all out of wack, I have been fighting my alarm in the mornings. This morning was the first time in 2 weeks that I have had to get up early to move the car. I took advantage of the fact that I was awake, and got a lot done this morning. Including, coming into work early, to get a head start of a huge pile of rubbish that I will probably get trumped by something else, then firedrilled back to life at an inopportune time, if I don’t get it out of the way.  Anyway, like most people in this town, my headphones are part of my standard commuting gear. I always have them on, and turned up pretty loud. It helps drown out loud talkers, people arguing over getting shoved, etc. But occasionally, not having audible sensory of ambient noises can prove to be embarrassing. The combination of coming in early, and having headphones turned up, caused one such embarrassing moment for me, this morning. My daily alarm is generally set for 7:30, or 8 (I use G-calendar updates to wake me up for moving the car), and it is this really cheesy tune called “Eurotrance.” Chances are you also have a blackberry and know this tune. If you don’t have a blackberry, or haven’t heard this tune, the name accurately conveys the essence of the tune. Yeah, pretty fruity. Anyway, I got on the train this morning around 7:45, the alarm was set for 8. I arrived at work a little after 8:30 and didn’t notice that my alarm had been going off, until I got into my office and took out my headphones. That’s right, I was walking around [completely oblivious to the fact that I was] audibly blasting Eurotrance [for the benefit of my headphone-less fellow commuters]  for over 30 minutes this morning. Sweet.

Other goings ons:

-I have a mountain of reading to do right now. I’m currently reading Robert Hamburger’s new book, and TSAR, both which I received for Christmas. On deck I have 2 David McCullough books, one which I received in the mail yesterday from my dad (1776) and the other, which was given to me by one of our secretaries (John Adams) when he saw 1776 on my desk and assured me that I would also like John Adams. I can’t wait to read them all.

-Because of the books I listed above, I am about 2 issues behind on GQ and the rest of the men’s magazines. Was there anything good in the Jennifer Anisten (SP?) or Lebron James issues?

-Reagan and I are about to have an anniversary and I haven’t even planned anything for it. Ideas?

Ok, I know that I just finished writing about some crap that I read in a magazine. I’m sorry that this is what I’m writing about today. But, you have to check out this article about General David Petraeus. I feel like the majority of the media that I have been reading about the war, is so depressing and negative. It was really refreshing to read something upbeat like this story. I have to admit that my cynical side (which, I have been trying to work on), is telling me that the media is shifting its focus, to take the heat off of their new hero in the white house.  It’s a stretch, I know. I’m not even a conspiracy theorist!

Anyway, check out the article, if you get a chance. Could it be that this is the nascent beginning of a political career for Petraeus? I would probably get on board, and I’m not even a baby boomer.

I was reading GQ this morning and I read a little blurb about Lil’ Wayne, that confirmed my embarrassment of our country for liking him so much. I feel like it is finally wa(y)ning (waaaaaaaaaaahhhhh! like the pun?) now. But, I swear, for a while, there you could not listen to a hiphop station, without hearing his disgusting voice, like every other song. I know that I get a little bit out of control when I talk about how much I dislike Weezy.

I know that there are much more worthy outlets for my time and energy, but LOOK AT HIM! It is not ’93, no one wears their pants like that! You aren’t gangster! You look like a gremlin wearing grownup clothes. “But he is talented,” some say. Noooo, not really. In fact, not at all. He doesn’t have anything unique about his flow, and that voice. Are you kidding me? It sounds like a constipated muppet. Did you see him attempt to play the guitar while performing on SNL?

So, that was a pretty healthy rant, I know. But, back to the GQ article. It said that LIl’ Wayne (and Kanye [big surprise]), uses a computer program after he records, to change the pitch of his voice, so that it vaguely matches the tone of the background track.

Sorry to be so negative, I just had to get that out.