More LA ...

Well I'm not feeling particularly creative at the moment so here are some more (random) pics I took in LA.

(Sorry, next time I'll try to have something hopefully somewhat entertaining for you to read. In the meantime, enjoy the random pics.)

My hotel in Santa Monica.

I requested a single room, and I got 2 Queen beds. Huh?

Remember that craptastic 90's TV show Melrose Place? (Yeah, me neither.) Here's the street that started it all.

Just chillin'

Artistic Attempt 1

Artist Attempt 2

Creepy & Cool

Death Chasing a Flock of Mortals - 1896

Random Bust

These next two pics I shot off the Santa Monica Pier right next to the Pacific Ocean where there was a memorial/funeral set-up to honor our fallen in combat. Very humbling.

Remembering our Troops - Santa Monica Beach

Honoring the Fallen - Santa Monica Beach

Filming in LA

A couple of weeks ago, I got to spend some time out in California while filming for my client. Took a couple of extra days to vacation after the shoot for myself. What I discovered is that Los Angeles, CA is a beautiful, weird, diverse, fake, schizophrenic and just all-around very interesting place. I had a great time and here are a few photos and observations I made:

Highlights/Observations:

The Shoot - Well before we play we must work, right? Shoots always sound so much more fun then they really are. Ends up being a long day of constant hurry up and wait. But hey I'm in Cali in the warm sun so what the hell do I have to complain about?!? Here's a couple pics of me, some other people and the set (in that order).

Me, Brian (Art Director), and Jason (Client)

Hollywood Sign - So much smaller than you'd think. But being a lover of film/movies I had to check it out. The first time I saw it I was driving and Gloria (producer) riding in the car with me, pointed the sign out as I was driving through an intersection. I craned my neck and strained my eyes and saw the famous sign for about .02th of a second before Brian (Art Director, and other person riding in the car) yelled at me because I'm still driving and about to hit a guy in the crosswalk. Jerked the wheel; screeched the tires. Crisis ... narrowly averted.

Mann's Chinese Theater/Hollywood Blvd. - Ahh the walk of fame where you can see celebrities' feet and handprints in cement. I found out my feet are bigger than Frank Sinatra's. Here's the proof.

Stormtrooper for Hire

Getty Museum - This building has beautiful architecture, set in the hills of LA, and lots of interesting paintings and sculpture. What you won't read in any brochure, before you get there, is this world famous museum has an army of bored security guards poised and ready to yell at any unexpecting tourist using flash photography.

Santa Monica Pier - Tourist Trap and Bum Central set to a picturesque Pacific Ocean view.

Promenade/3rd St. (Santa Monica, CA) - If you like to shop and be fake, see crazy bums, or just general people watch this is your place to do it. It's like shopping in a mall, but it's outside. You can't get this anywhere in the world ... oh wait ... nevermind.

Beverly Hills/Rodeo Dr. - If you have a couple of billion dollars to spend and own a sports car with a name no human can pronounce well my friend then this is your little place of heaven. Even the bums here have standards.

Fake People - It was just laughable how everywhere you went how fake people are in LA. Not everyone mind you, but enough people for it to be noticably annoying. You'd see guys that spend about 27.3 hrs a day in a gym just out on the street walking their dogs with their shirt's off, hair all styled, sun glasses on and waiting to be "discovered." And the women (while fake) were absolutely beautiful, mostly stuck up and won't give you the time of day (unless you say your a director), strutting their stuff for all to see at the clubs along Sunset Strip. It was an interesting experience to people watch, but if I had to deal with this everyday I'm pretty sure I'd go insane and take a hostage.

Well those were a few highlights. To sum up I found the LA area to be a sunny, pictureque place with fake people and good times to be had. Thanks LA ... just like that crazy guy on the bus, I'm sure we'll meet again someday.

VROOM

Well, it's official. I just got my motorcycle license. Be afraid...be very afraid!

Getting my motorcycle license is something I've always wanted to do and I decided to finally take the time to get it. So after long frustrating lines at the DMV for a permit test (click here for the experience), a 3-day riding class and driver's skill test in the hot sun. I'm now licensed to drive a Motorcycle in the state of Minnesota. Oh yeah!

So, if you see some jackass on the road swerving in and out of the lines or doing wheelies...it's probably me.

Fireworks

Happy 4th of July, everyone!

Let's all join in celebrating our nation's independence by blowing a piece of it up.

Yay, for fireworks!!

Hell on Earth

Well I’m not sure what hell is like (I hear it’s a pretty terrible place), but if I was to guess I’d say it’s strikingly similar to the Department of Motor Vehicles.

In the first (I’m sure of many steps) to get my Motorcycle license, I found myself at the DMV the other day waiting to take the written test. However, before I could do this I of course had to stand in a never-ending ridiculously long line that didn’t move. (Actually, I’m typing this entry while I’m still in line. It’s been 3 days 4 hours and 11 mins. Please send food and help!! I’ve lost all feeling in my right side.)

Well, I won’t go into graphic detail about the idiocy of my full experience suffice it to say it left me with several questions:

1) Why does it take an hour (literally) to move 20 feet in line?

2) Why does our govt. employ only 2 workers when there are 50+ people waiting?

3) Why is it that there is always some guy who can’t read or speak English at the head of this line, all mad that he has to pay money (apparently licenses are free in his country), holding everyone up?

Silly Ahmed (yes that was his name)! If you could only read English you would have seen in 10 places that the fee you didn’t know you had to pay was $10 and wouldn’t have wasted my and everyone’s time. Oh by the way, I want that time back, and I’m coming looking for you….so have it ready!!

Needless to say, if you are curious to get a glimpse of things to come (if you’re a horrible person) or heard about this nasty place and want to see what hell is really all about. Stop by your local DMV. I’d recommend the Eagan, MN facility. It’s a sure fire way to drive you insane and reconsider being a heathen.

Moron School

So today I once again realized why software training classes for companies are a bad idea. Take a computer program that either (1) is already easy to use, so you don't need training, (2) obsolete, or (3) you will never need in a million years. Then throw in a little company policy and an HR pipe dream and ... viola: welcome to computer software training. Yay!! (Clap Hands)

Okay, so today was the big day...training on a "new" computer program called Microsoft Project. (Hi, 2003 called and well I guess you forgot to pick up.) So I was already mentally preparing myself to sit in a 3 hour training session to learn what I already knew how to do. Does this seem right? No. Am I in the Twilight Zone? No. Just some crappy classroom.

Well I walk into the classroom and it's me, one other person and the trainer. Half the people taking the class got out of it. (Lucky bastards) So I take a quick scan of the room. I first look at the other poor soul that I will be going through this wonderful experience with and she gives me the look of "you're sure I couldn't get hit by a car or something to get out of this...right?" So I respond with the look, "I already tried that and fell down two flights of stairs on purpose, but they didn't buy it."

Next I look at the trainer and before I know it I'm knocked right between the eyes with an eyeful of a bad 80's flashback and a heapin' side of "damn...sister." Seriously, this lady (trainer) is either not wanting to admit that the 80's are truly gone (let it go) or she dropped acid this morning. Not sure which. So let me describer her for you...

I first noticed the distinctly insane hair. A teased out monstrosity that would make DJ Tanner from the TV show Full House blush. Next was the make-up. I think she used the whole tub. I actually didn't know it was possible to use that much make-up on one human face, but somehow she found a way. She looked fake like a doll...it was creepy! I don't know the first thing about make-up, but I'm sure when you put it on you are to treat it as a highlight/accentuate, and not use it as if you were say painting a house with primer. Then was the blouse...a loud train wreck of color and shapes that sent my eyes into epileptic fits. All highlighted by a white belt hiked clear up to the chest. And lastly topped all off...oh yes...with turquoise fingernail polish. Classy! Seriously, I couldn't make this shit up if I tried. It was a sight to see. Damn, sister!

So here I sit going through a 3-hour training course as the trainer regales us with long boring stories about every step of the computer program and how it relates to the past events of her life. But here's me...still not caring.

Long story short (too late) after falling asleep with my eyes open (a trick I learned in college) I came to the conclusion that computer training classes are still a bad idea, and the trainers are scary and WAY TOO excited about the computer programs to be sane or at least a contributing member of society. I mean how excited can one get about Microsoft Project? Well go talk to Brenda...she'd love to tell you about some great "opportunities" with Microsoft Project and how it can help get your life on track.

In the meantime, I'll stick to a healthy dose of ignorance and a social life. But thanks anyways, Brenda.

Milton just pass!

Okay I want to start the official petition here and now to outlaw office B-Day parties FOREVER; at least in the office.

Where I work there is this team of people (on a rather large account) that holds office B-Day parties right outside my office at LEAST twice a week. It's a large team of people and it seems to me that everyone has at least two birthdays. I swear people on that account must be like 137 now.

The reason for my frustration is that the whole team (about 20-30 people) comes out of "cubeville" in search of the 4pm sugar fix and then starts talking about 10 volume levels too high. (Bob, your at about a 10 and were going to need you to take it down to about a 4. Okay buddy?) This followed by a lot of random boring forced conversation that no one really cares about nor should be subjected to. ("Hey Bob. Well I'm on this diet so I really shouldn't eat this cake, but it's sooo good. Man, this frosting is sooo rich I wonder if I can get the recipe." and so forth...)

So what you end up with is a boring forced interaction where everyone yells and eats cake...right outside my office. Really easy to get work done, let me tell you.

No offense, congrats Kathy on the B-Day, but damn sister can we take the noise and sugar outside? Seriously!

Okay, I'm done ranting now. Milton...just pass!

Scary Smart or Big Brother?

Well today I pose this question, "Wikipedia.com...Scary Smart OR Big Brother?"

Today a friend of mine brought it to my attention that Wikipedia.com like the Great and Powerful OZ, knows all. To prove this fact, what's really scary is you type in my hometown of Prior Lake, MN and among the standard detailed description it also reads:

"...The lake attracts large beach homes that increases the wealth of the surrounding area. Add this with Mystic Lake Casino which is on the Shakopee-Mdewakanton Indian Reservation and operated by the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, Prior Lake is one of the wealthier cities in Minnesota. As a result the students of Prior Lake High School have gained a notoriety for prevalent drug and alcohol abuse."

When I read that I started laughing followed by sudden chills. This is sadly accurate; especially the part about alcohol abuse. My graduating class had the highest underage consumption rate in the state and 7th in the nation. Which means they were all a bunch of lushes or they just happened to be stupid enough to get caught. At any rate, I luckily didn't fall into the PL trap and made something of myself.

However, we are missing the bigger point, which is Wikipedia.com knows too much and must be stopped! Go ahead type in any subject, no matter how obscure. Chances are it will know too much about it along with little hidden mysteries that should forever remain little hidden mysteries.

So is this just a helpful resource, or the tool of some secret covert organization watching us all, gathering information and going unnoticed? Probably not, I just wanted to sound like some crack-pot conspiracy theorist that I usually end up having to sit next to on the bus. Why is it that these crazy people don’t take showers? Well that’s a different question for a different day, I guess.

Seriously though, wikipedia.com, props to you my information brutha. I bow to your scary smartness and will feed your know-it-all ego with obscure questions from the far reaches of cyberspace.

Happy Birthday Mr. Peteryan.com

Happy Birthday Mr. Peteryan.com!! Well it's my friend Pete's 27th birthday today. Wander over to his website and wish him a good ole happy birthday.

Here's a pic of him trying to kill me playing paintball. We're close, really.

Random Pic

Here's a great pic a friend of mine has up in her cube at work. It makes me laugh everytime I see it. Hope you enjoy!

Bad taste is no accident

You know when you turn on the TV in the middle of the day or late at night and you see those horrible cheesy lawyer TV commercials asking you to think twice about bankruptcy, car accidents or harassing creditors? And they have the look and production quality of about $2? What if someone did a spoof on these commercials?

Well someone did.

If you haven't checked it out yet, you need to click yourself over to www.warwick-seltz.com. It's a spoof on the whole bad/cheesy lawyer TV commercial genre, only the topic here is, "pizza." Royce Warwick (main character) of Warwick-Seltz represents the rights of mediocre pizza victims. It's actually quite funny! You can view the TV commercials, or even do a Live Consultation with Royce Warwick by clicking one of the phrases/questions or type one in yourself. (Incidently, if you type in "The Dosdall Party" in the Live Consultation section, you'll see me). Check it out!

Vahn-Zan

Well here's a few pics of my friend's new puppy (Boxer named Vahn-Zan). Just about the cutest puppy ever. Seriously, we were just sitting in the front yard and people would stop what they were doing to come over and pet the little guy. It's amazing what people will do when there is a puppy around. And I don't think this little guy has any clue the amount of power he can command.

Well, enjoy the pics and here's hoping your head doesn't implode from high levels of cuteness.

Vauhn-Zan in cell phone 'attack mode'

Wood Ticks Everywhere!!

This last weekend marked the first official paintball-camping weekend at Andyland (my friend Andy’s land about 40 mins east of Brainerd, MN). A bunch of friends and myself go twice a year up to camp and play paintball. It was good to escape to the great outdoors and really enjoy the lo-tec land of no cell phone reception. I think in total I got about 4 hours of sleep. Very restful! If you haven’t got out camping lately with some good friends, a campfire and a few beers, well trust me you need to!

However, the main draw of the weekend was of course PAINTBALL. If you haven’t ever experienced paintball, it’s actually a lot of fun. Yes, the paintballs do hurt when you get hit (I realize no guy will actually admit that fact), but you are usually so hopped up on adrenaline that you don’t notice it. It’s about the closest to combat you’ll come without using real bullets. However, how we play it usually amounts to a bunch of stupid guys shooting at each other in the woods. So not the most professional or controlled of paintball games. But it’s always fun and every game always ends in the most intelligent adrenaline-induced conversations recounting what happened, “Dude, I was going to run, but then I didn’t and then I shot you and then I ran!!” Ahhh…yeah…cool, man.

Well if you ever feel like joining us morons just go here for details and may God help you! We are going again in October.

Here’s a few pics for your viewing pleasure:

Got Wood?

FIRE!!!

Hamock Represent!!

Stargazer

Ahh crap!!!

Meal in a Bag - Before

Meal in a Bag - After (Yum!)

Taco Johns ... Conquered!!

Ninjas are cool

Well there's just no getting around it. Ninjas are bad-ass! Simply put. Chances are there is probably a ninja behind you right now (as you are reading this) waiting to snap your neck, but you'd never know it cause they are so steathly cool you can never find them.

Well I maybe behind the times on this one, but click below for a hilarious lesson in Ninja stealth skills!

AskaNinja.com (Click here and check out the video section)

For your viewing pleasure, I've posted a link (from YouTube.com) just to give you a taste of what "ninja video greatness" awaits you.

Can Ninjas Catch Colds?

Babies make us stupid

This weekend I was reminded of another sad "human truth" that us as homosapiens are powerless to resist. Believe me, if you think about it there are many sad "human truths" that span all across the globe no matter who you are or where you come from. As long as you are human, you will do it!! For example, why is it that when you pass a billboard on the side of the road with a car full of people someone will read the billboard out loud? I mean everyone in the car can read and is looking right at the billboard, right?!? Yet this one person feels compelled to read it out loud for everyone to hear just in case there is a dyslexic person in the car. Or why is it that when you see one person looking up in the sky (at nothing in particular) you will get other people to stop and look up (at nothing in particular) for long periods of time. Ever experience a traffic jam?

Well the one sad "human truth" in particular I was reminded of this weekend was how babies make people stupid. Don't get me wrong. I like babies; they are cute and all, and I even hope to have one of my own some day. That and well we sort of need them to survive as a species. But this weekend I was with my family at church. Before church started I was talking with several people I hadn't seen in a long time. We were having an intelligent conversation, and then someone brought over a newborn baby for us to meet and look at. I watched the group simultaneously go from intelligent to Cro-Magnon in about .02 seconds. It was scary! Everyone changed their posture (slumping over), raised their eyebrows, mouth agape, and then dropping about 100 IQ points proceeded to speak in an inaudible language not even known to babies. Seriously, even the baby was looking at these people like they were retarded. It was just funny (and really sad at the same time)!! I think I even heard the word, "Shmoopie" a couple of times. Yes, the baby was really cute, don't get me wrong, but standing a little back from the group I watched as this sad experiment in human nature unfolded and I just realized that...babies make us stupid. It's just one of those things. I couldn't help but roll my eyes and go find my seat.

Next time you are faced with one of these situations don't let human nature take over! Resist and watch as the rest of the group falls victim to dumb human instinct. If nothing else, it's usually entertaining to watch.

My future car

Well Aston Martin announced the true star of the upcoming new James Bond film Casino Royale today and it's not British actor Daniel Craig. No far from it, the new James Bond car was unveiled ... the new Aston Martin DBS. Once I saw this metalic beauty I immediately knew this was going to be my next car.

Then I realized I wasn't a super-secret agent or a billionaire who owned his own exotic private island...yet. Regardless, it's still a really sweet looking car. Click here for more pics.

Honestly, I'm not sure what it would take to be a super-secret agent in Her Majesty's Service, but I'm sure owning this car would help. Or at least turn a few heads. I mean can you imagine seeing this car at the local Applebee's?? Yeah, I don't think so. I'm pretty sure that if you even got close to the Applebee's parking lot, with this car, the Universe would somehow implode on itself. However, as it stands I'm not a secret agent yet (sorry ladies) so for the meantime I guess I'll just settle for watching this beauty on the big screen.

I'll see you at Applebee's ... after the movie.

Hot Tent Action

Well with the peer pressure of a couple of my friends, whom I was about ready to kill, I finally purchased a tent.

To set this story up for you, I’m going up north to my friend’s land (Andyland) camping and playing Paintball (click here for details) next weekend. We do it with a bunch of people twice a year. Once in May and again in October, so it’s not too hot or too cold. What it amounts to is a bunch of dumb guys in the woods trying to shoot each other and some of the most intelligent conversations ever take place after every game. The conversations usually go something like this after the game, “Did you see me? I was running and then I wasn’t going to shoot you, but I did and then I ran. It was awesome!!” Only the stories involve a lot of speed talking (due to the adrenaline) and lots of hand motions. And that is one of the more intelligent conversations. Honestly!!

So anyways, for the longest time I just couldn’t justify buying a tent for 2 weekends out of the year, when I could just borrow someone else’s for a couple of nights. Well my friends Mikey B and Pete apparently saddened by their decision long ago to buy a tent and their general fear of being unique, have been giving me shit for going on two years to buy a tent. Well, I’m living proof that peer pressure works, my friends. Sad but true.

So last night I ended up buying a 4 person tent at Fleet Farm. It may not be super-duper high quality, but for my needs it's a nice tent and should get the job done.

Here's a pic:



So Mike and Pete, this is my official notice that you both can STFU on the whole “tent” subject.

P.S. – Today is Mikey B’s B-Day. Take a visit over to his blog and wish him a Happy B-Day. He turns the 90 today the old timer … okay not really.

Secret Agent Man

Explosions. Kidnappings. Attractive Women. According to the standard model of action movies, Mission: Impossible III has everything necessary to keep us guys entertained (and women too).

In M:I 3 we join Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) once again for more super-secret shenanigans that seem ‘impossible’ to accomplish (hey, it’s in the title what do you expect). However, we add another element to the ‘spy’ equation … his wife (Michelle Monaghan). Ethan Hunt struggles in this movie to keep his spy life and home life separate, but as all spy/action movies have taught us … you just can’t do that. So, enter into the equation one super rich and all powerful weapons dealer and villain extraordinaire Owen Davian (Philip Seymour Hoffman). Throw in a little wife kidnapping. Plus, a chemical bomb that could kill us all. Then, top it all off with some torture and lots of beautiful women. And you’ve got yourself the makings of Mission: Impossible III.

To be honest, I had a great time watching this movie. From the moment the movie starts you are already involved in the action and suspense. Although, the crowning jewel in the movie is not the action nor Tom Cruise, but the performance by Philip Seymour Hoffman. He truly delivers a very believable evil performance that will have you shouting during the movie, “Heeeeyyyy….that guy’s evil!!” I did, and well I got shushed, but hey he was really evil! If anything, I wish that Hoffman’s character could have recieved more screen time to be developed. But alas there impossible missions to be had and beautiful women to save.

So, if you looking for a good action movie that offers suspense and some good all-around dumb fun, then Mission: Impossible III is yours to accept.

I give this movie 3 out of 4 stars.

Incidentally, this review will NOT self-destruct in 5 seconds.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!!

What better way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo, this wonderful Mexican holiday celebration, than trying to escape Mexico for the USA?

Below are some pics of one drunk Mexican dressing up as a "car seat" trying to sneak into America past the border patrol.

I hope you enjoy these as much as I did. (Nice try, Paco.)

Happy Cinco de Mayo!!

Today's Random Pic...

Garden Gnomes
Creepy aren't they? You never know where they'll strike next!!