:mattLandia:

This past weekend, with Zoe gone on a company lake retreat, I thought I'd start working on a data migration project: transferring old VHS home movies to DVD. Should be a simple enough task right?

I bought the Dazzle Platinum Video Creator. Basically, it's a USB adapter for your RCA cables. It's supposed to work with any VCR. Well, it didn't work with either of my VCR's, neither of which is more than three years old. I tried different USB ports, tried tweaking the RCA capture settings, tried multiple sets of RCA cables. Nada. Zilch. Zero. So I moved on to plan #2.

My tower does have a TV Tuner card built in, so I thought I'd try going that route. I hooked up a VCR with the a coax cable and did get a reasonable video signal, but with intermittently good sound quality. Again, I tried multiple cables, multiple VCRs, different Tuner settings, etc. After 2 hours of fussing with all this crap, I barely managed to capture this 2 minute clip below. FRUSTRATING.

Anyway, a couple words about this clip. It's 1996. I'd moved to Atlanta to open a couple of Inline skate shops, and every Thursday we'd have a group of locals show up to the shop and we'd skate around Buckhead. Somehow, Fox 5 found about us and sent Ken Rodriguez by to do a little 2 minute segment. The piece is pretty corny (could I sound any more DWEEBISH?), but Ken Rodiguez (who is now the local Fox Sports Anchor) eats the asphalt sooo hard at the end of this, I just had to post it for you!

Once I get this whole VHS to DVD conversion process figured out, I'll have some other fun snippets from the past for you...

Posted by mattLandia at 11:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (7)

In 1990, I spent about 6 months living in Baños, Ecuador. If you've ever seen the movie Proof of Life, many of those scenes were filmed in and around that area. An absolutely green, lucious mountain town right on the edge of Amazon basin. So it was alarming to read about the most recent volcanic activity in the area.

Col. Robert Rodriguez, deputy director of Ecuador's Civil Defense, said more than half the residents of Baños -- a popular tourist city of 18,000 at the northeast foot of the volcano -- had evacuated, many fleeing before dawn as the ash rained down. By daylight, Baños was covered in a thick brown soup, its houses, cars and roads smothered, its trees ripped bare. Baños resident Gabriela Gonzalez went out at dawn with a cloth bag to collect pieces of volcanic rock that had rained down. "Later we will sell these to these same gringo" tourists, she said.

Yep, with a can-do post volcano attitude like that, Baños will survive just fine.

Posted by mattLandia at 10:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Pricing car batteries this morning, I came across this ad at www.sears.com. Seriously, was this EVER on your back-to-school list of items? New binder? Check. Ten #2 Pencils? Check. Cobra Radar/Laser Detector? What?

Posted by mattLandia at 09:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Last night, after 11 hours of work, I was running on puny human steam and frazzled nerves. I got home a bit grouchy and worn thin. Around 10 PM, I snuck out to grab a Blended Root Beer Float at Sonic and a couple rental flicks at BlockBuster.

As I walked into the Blockbuster, the smell of air conditioning and DVD cases was strangely pleasant. The yellow walls, the linear collage of movie placards, the schlumping of my flip-flops on the thin carpet -- all strangely soothing. I wandered the aisles, in a quasi extra-corporeal state. I grabbed the first season of Weeds and the first four episodes of Band of Brothers. At the check out, I was greeted by the prototypical movie geek clerk. We traded quips about Mary Louise Parker ("Yeah, totally hot in West Wing." "Um yeah. And did you see her in Saved!? blah blah blah...")

I walked out of Blockbuster feeling genuinely better. Like I had been renewed in the movie rental aisles of eternal optimism.

And then I was like "WHAT THE HELL? I'M ADDICTED TO BLOCKBUSTER?" I sat in my car for a few minutes chewing it over. A creeping realization rose and tickled my Adam's Apple.

I have guilty pleasure zones. Unlikely places that actually affect my mood simply by passing through them. Like comfort food, only not food. Places I meander to. Weird how I never realized it before.

I'm starting a list:

- Blockbuster at night. (The yellow is brighter).
- McDonalds at the crack of dawn.
- QuikTrip. (Seriously. Any place that has Coke, Krispy Kreme, Beef Jerky and a quarts of oil is dope.)
- Freedom Parkway at Boulevard, heading West.
- Hwy 316 at Bethlehem,GA en route to Athens,GA. Something about seeing a sign for Bethlehem while traveling to Athens tickles me on a very deep level.
- Target. Linolium and red signage. Eyeball crack.

What are some of yours?

Posted by mattLandia at 05:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Thanks to TITBE for sending me this little news item. (Now if he would only post to his own blog - hint hint).

From the Harley Site:

HOG TO RUN ON WALL STREET!

STURGIS, S.D. (August 10, 2006) - Harley-Davidson, Inc. (NYSE:HDI) is getting a new ticker symbol: HOG. The U.S. producer of heavyweight motorcycles, whose products have long been known as “hogs,” today announced that it is changing its New York Stock Exchange ticker symbol from HDI to HOG, effective with the start of trading on Tuesday, August 15.

“The nickname HOG® has been closely identified with Harley-Davidson for decades and is a term of affection and respect for our motorcycles all around the world,” said Harley-Davidson Chief Financial Officer Tom Bergmann. “The new ticker symbol captures the spirit of what Harley-Davidson is all about - the fun of riding motorcycles. Bringing the legendary HOG nickname to Wall Street is another way to share some of that fun with our investors on a daily basis.” Bergmann is in South Dakota for the Sturgis Bike Week rally, which annually draws hundreds of thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts.

Harley-Davidson holds trademarks to the term HOG. H.O.G.® is also the acronym for the Harley Owners Group®. Started by the Company in 1983, the Harley Owners Group today has more that one million members and is the largest factory-sponsored rider organization in the world.

Harley-Davidson, Inc. is the parent company for Harley-Davidson Motor Company, Buell Motorcycle Company and Harley-Davidson Financial Services, Inc. Harley-Davidson Motor Company, the only major U.S.-based motorcycle manufacturer, produces heavyweight motorcycles and offers a complete line of motorcycle parts, accessories, apparel, and general merchandise. Buell Motorcycle Company produces sport and sport-touring motorcycles. Harley-Davidson Financial Services, Inc. provides wholesale and retail financing, insurance and credit card programs to Harley-Davidson dealers and customers.

Posted by mattLandia at 05:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Not since Weezer released Sweater Song have I been so completely jealous/envious/dazzled/embittered by a band. I've worn out OkGo's last record "Oh No". If like Weezer and don't have OkGo in your collection, you must repent and download it immediately from your flavor of legal or illegal sources. I've watched the video for "A Million Ways" (see In The Backyard below) over and over, completely floored by it's DIY visual blitzkrieg. So I'm happy/jealous to inform you that they have done it again with this little DIY video gem for "Here It Goes Again".

OKGo on treadmills:

OKGo in the backyard:

Posted by mattLandia at 11:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (5)

I spent late 93 through mid 95 living in Miami Beach. When I left, I never looked back. I spent the past week working (and playing some) in South Beach. In fact, I was staying at a hotel around the corner from the skate shop I used to run. Sad to say, but in spite of a growing condo skyline and the odd fresh coat of paint, the place remains largely the same.

Over the past few years, people have asked me why I left Miami Beach. Or Miami in general. My answer has always been as follows. If you live in Miami Beach, you better be at least two or more of the following:

- Gay
- Filthy rich. Not "I drive a Ferrari" rich. More like"Lets set my Ferrari on fire for fun!" rich.
- Work in the fashion industry as a model, photographer, etc.
- Own a club or have steady gigs as a club DJ.
- Latin or speak Spanish fluently.

Pues si, hablo cristiano, pero lastimosamente, no califico en cualquiera de los otros aptitudes. Yeah, a cool place to hang out with friends. Yeah, a great place to swim with out getting even getting so much as a chill from the water. And yeah, even a great place to blow a wad of cash on a long weekend. Not a place to spend more than a few days though. Too bad too. If they had a more vibrant indie music scene, or anti-glam scene, it would go a long as an antidote to the VIP scene, perhaps giving the location some much needed heart and soul. It's a shame it doesn't.

In spite of Sobe's short comings, I must give respect where it is deserved. This beach town's crowing jewel, the diamond in it's gay DJ crown of fashionista club jewels, is San Loco. Open most of the day and night, it serves the best fish tacos on the East Coast. It was there when I left, and as of last week, it's still there serving crazy good Taco Locos with no attitude. Which is saying something for a town spray coated in attitude.

Saint Crazy. Good to the last frejole.

Posted by mattLandia at 10:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

So I've returned to South Beach, nearly 10 years after I left. It hasn't taken long for me to remember why I left. Crowded, humid, expensive, humid, too much Flamingo pink and Seafoam green, and it's too humid. Seriously, did I mention how humid it is?

Gratefully, there is a fairly steady breeze coming in off the beach. I also went for a quick swim after work, and the beach water was pleasantly tepid. I'm going to try to squeeze in another dip this afternoon.

i'm attending Trafik Tradeshow with my software team, and we've started to do sneak peeks and demo of our new fashion industry, web 2.0-ish, super secret project. We're still 5 months from release, but so far, all early responses have been stellar. More to come on this subject later.

Posted by mattLandia at 10:36 AM | Permalink