San Diego - July 2002

July 25 - Things have been a bit fast and furious lately, not in that "Vin Diesel/XXX" sort of way, but more like in that "Dilbert" sort of way. Actually, I can't compare my job to Dilbert. My job is great - I get to work at home, there is plenty of room in my job for creativity, I'm learning a ton, and the people I work with are absolutely out of this world.

At the end of the month, I have to write several reports and they are really time consuming. I start acting cranky and lock myself in my room and don't talk to anyone. It's sort of like a work-induced PMS. And what have I been doing for fun when I'm not sitting in front of my computer and writing? I've been sitting in front of my computer and plotting the new site.

I have made the evolution into "nerd." That's okay, once the site is up, it will all be worth it.

Going to Boston this weeKarld. Hopefully, in my spare time, I'll be able to map out the details of the site so it won't take that long to create when I get back. I'm aiming for two weeks down the road.
In the meantime, if anyone has any suggestions or advice, I'd really love to hear them. Or if anyone wants to send content that you want me to add to the site, I'd love to take a look.

July 23 - I've decided that it's finally time to start an on-line project that encompasses a wider array of talent. I see it as an on-line community of artists, writers, videographers, and musicians who love what they do and need a forum to broadcast their talent. Organization of the site is the main problem at the moment - I'm trying to decide whether to go artsy with a site theme, or keep it organized and regimented. I am already thinking that I will have something for the two other contributors to this site: Amber and Jamie that will seek to enhance their presence. I'd like to create a section for analytical writing that Jamie would be a regular contributor to, and maybe create a "journal" section or something like that for Amber. In addition, I would like to have the following sections: digital art section, videography, conventional art, creative writing, music, and finally, a little section for myself called "world explorer" or something like that - it would be a world map that shows all the placed I've been, and contains all the writing, video, and pictures I've done there. As I continue to travel, this is something that I will continue to update.
It's still very formative right now, but I've got it in my sights.

July 22 - Monday - I had a great weeKarld though so I feel thoroughly refreshed and ready to go back to work. The festivities began on Friday, with a trip to The Whistle Stop to see Ilya perform. They put on a good show, and I was pleased to find a new venue relatively close to my house. The Whistle Stop is what you would expect out of your typical North Park venue -a whole hell of a lot similar to a Coors light commercial, and including one or all of the following: retro clothing, black horn-rimmed glasses, some big fat guy with a beard, a crew of guys who look like band members from Weezer, and girls wearing clothing inspired by Courtney Love. In other words, it is far superior to either Pacific Beach or downtown.

As usual, Ilya played a terrific show and I'm convinced that it is only a matter of time until they really explode (in a good way). The band is extremely talented, and Blanca, the lead singer, has a hauntingly beautiful voice, a look that goes well with her music, and interesting hand gestures that my friend James referred to as "robot-like." I'm not sure what the hell that means, but she is talented.

James wanted to head to Bar Dynamite, so after being initially rejected by the normally-cool bouncer because James was wearing sandals, returning home to pick up shoes for James, and then returning to Dynamite, we were grooving to the hip-hop that has made Bar Dynamite one of the most popular alternatives to downtown San Diego's cookie-cutter procession of trendy Manhattan-wannabe clubs.

There is something Earthy about Dynamite, and it's not entirely the fact that it is filthy and smells like human sweat, but there is something really refreshing about people who couldn't care less about the way they look, or the way that they are dressed, or, in most cases, the way they dance.

The highlight of the night was turning from the dance floor towards the bar, and seeing James sitting on some girl's lap.

July 20 - I finally finished "Evaporate from my Dreams" and posted it to the site. It was mostly a matter of me getting of my lazy ass and getting it done. I hope you enjoy it, I think most people who have found themselves acting absolutely crazy in a relationship (everyone) should be able to appreciate it.

July 15 - For several weeks now, I've been contemplating whether or not multimedia and the advent of the Internet are going to eventually replace existing media. In many ways, the interactivity of the Internet and the palpable experience of multimedia seem to offer a world of potential that transcends literature. Being trained in English and having a passion for writing, this is a somewhat disturbing notion. For a while, I had been contemplating whether I should scrap the whole writing thing and focus all my energy on multimedia.

Today, I realized that this would be horribly stupid of me. First of all, I've spent my whole life writing. Second of all, I suck at multimedia.
I think my fear of the Internet's potential stemmed from an inability to comprehend what it could offer my existing talents. Now I realize, that the greatest thing the Internet does, is connect people and ideas. These ideas still need to be expressed in writing. Although multimedia offers a visually pleasing method of conveying information, it is ultimately not as close to our minds and our souls as our own imaginations, and I'm convinced that the most basic form of communication is timeless.

What the hell am I talking about? Well, I've added a new section entitled, "Work in Progress." The concept is that I've started to write a short story, and I would like your help in writing it. Basically, I'm going to post what I've written so far, and then as your comments come in, I will mold the story accordingly. It is an organic collaboration of minds, not a solitary pursuit. Ultimately, I am going to do the writing, but as edits and comments come in, I'm going to keep a rolling list of contributors who will eventually get editor credits when the work is finally published.

July 14 - Yesterday was great. I finally got a chance to go wine tasting in Temecula, followed by a Korean dinner in Claremont, Karaoke at a neighboring Karaoke bar, and finally dancing at Lips, a club near our apartment. Basketball in the park, followed by a jog, and now updating my website.

Of note - While perusing Stuart Leung's website, Monkeywarplane, I discovered a link to a site that advertises for a band named "Icy Hot Stuntaz." If anyone has ever seen the movie, Whiteboyz, this seems like a real-life version. They are a trio of "rappers" from God knows where. Their names are "Blade," "Freeze," and "Flame." You can even download some of their songs by scrolling down on the website. My personal favorite is "Anti Playa Hate of America Society."
The greatest line in the journal is: "Check back and reckoneyez the real black whiteboys is back up in dis. We taKarl ova da 2002. First of all we looking for a free server with no POP UPS. " Icy Hot Stuntaz - remember the name.

July 1 - Okay, I'm not sure if I mentioned it before, but I want to write down this idea I have for a television show. It's called "Celebrity Savage Cannibalism Island." The premise is that a small group of celebrities are sent out to an island with nothing - no food, no first-aid kit, and no raft. The island is of course videotaped with surveillance cameras for our viewing pleasure. Whatever happens, happens, but as I've already stated, there is no food, no first-aid kit, and no raft on the island. Anyway, if any producers out there want to make a pilot, I've got a few free weekend coming up but there is one stipulation - I've handpicked the following celebrities to star on the pilot: Carrot Top, Jared from the Subway Commercials, and the guy who always says "can you hear me now" on the Verizon wireless commercials.

Suggestions for other possible celebrity contestants are welcome!

July 1 - It's been a few days since I've written, but I haven't had anything that interesting to say and I wouldn't want to inundate you with boring or irrelevant information. Actually, strike that last comment. I wouldn't want to inundate you with boring information. I'm heading back to Cleveland tomorrow, and then on to Long Island for a wedding and a few days at the beach. I'm looking forward to returning home because I haven't seen my family since Christmas. I'll also be able to get all my videos from Sri Lanka, Korea, and Iran when I'm home, so look for those to be posted in the next few months. I've been lagging behind lately on adding content to the site, but that will change soon. During the next week, I won't be able to update the journal, but I'll be adding posts to my messageboard, so I urge you all to check it out.