People still read my blog :)

That, in some sad way, kind of makes me happy.

I’m now considering bringing some life back to this B. I have been wanting to write/document the shortcomings of being an up and coming marketer/creative.. Hmm… Then I’ll have to get into the self-debate over whether WordPress still a viable option for me, or if it’d be best to just hop on tumblr… *scratches chin*

Choose your friends, your enemies will choose you. (Repost)

The following is a post I stumbled upon on a friends tumblr. I decided to repost it given the profound statements and impact it immediately had on me.
Leeroy’s Tumblr: http://ccourse.tumblr.com/post/633699199/choose-youre-friends-your-enemies-will-choose-you

I realize that you let a lot of people in your life over a short period of time and some are there for you and some are not. And I’m not just speaking from experience, I’ve seen it in numerous relationships my friends have had. Whether it is a “boyfriend,” “girlfriend,” “friend” or something in between, people come and go out of your life. Being a good person, many times you probably find yourself opening up to other people, especially to those you’re trying to form a relationship with. You’re honest, you’re giving, you’re trusting, you’re open. The good ones, they give it back, they’re there for you, they’re understanding and above all they’re honest. The bad ones are a little more complicated. These people many times seem like people we trust and would like to get to know but as we all know, things are not always what they seem. I believe that most people begin with good intentions when entering any type of relationship but for some people it stops being about what “we can do for each other” and becomes “what can you do for me.” You find yourself giving everything you got until you come to a point where you feel like you have given everything. It’s an empty, frustrating and exhausting feeling and all your time and effort was invested into nothing. Some people can be very selfish but not understand the effects they have on those around them while others completely understand the effects and thrive off them, these are users. These people are good at what they do and that’s persuading you into giving them what they want and for that reason alone it is extremely hard to identify these people. My dad always told me, “Just because someone is smiling in your face doesn’t mean they are your friend.” I understand that now more than ever.
I’ve found the most important thing when running into situations like this though is how you handle them. It’s easy for someone to hold a grudge against someone they felt did them wrong, believe me I know. But in the end, the best thing you can do for yourself is to let it go. I believe people were put on this Earth to effect each others lives, for better or for worse. You can drive yourself crazy living in self-pity or seeking revenge especially over people that are simply not worth it. The way I see it, what goes around comes around, they can’t keep their act up for ever and at some point they will be alone, very alone. And who knows some people may realize what they’ve done or what they’ve been missing in you, people do change. Just remember your friends are close but sometimes you’re enemies are closer.

————————-

Wow. Just…wow. “I couldn’t have said it better myself” has never been more true.

It’s about 1:00am the day of my commencement ceremony, and I happened to stumble across Leeroy’s tumblr via twitter. In the time it took me to read his post, I feel more enlightened and optimistic in moving forward with my life and continuing on being a good person. I’m not going to lie, understanding a lot of the things I do and knowing how easy it is to manipulate situations, I’ve teetered on the brink of my own moral and ethical boundaries. The thoughts of “should I really continue being a good guy” or “should I just play the game the way it was meant to be played” has crossed my mind countless times in recent years. Sadly, after having some in-depth discussions at work, I came to realize that, the game simply HAS to be played. However, I’ve also come to the conclusion that.. well, it’s simply not “me” to play the game. And whether or not being a good guy will create hardships in my life, I’m going to continue being who I am and hope that, in the end I’ve made an impact on the lives around me, showing that people don’t have to abide by the confines of these deplorable social games.

Anyway, on the topic of friends. I’m really happy that a lot of my closest friends will be making it out to the commencement ceremony later this evening. Though I have probably never said it to any of your faces, I am truly blessed, honored, and happy to have had the opportunity to meet you people and have you be a part of my life as much as I have been a part of yours. Looking forward to seeing you all later today.
Here’s to enlightenment. Here’s to graduation. Here’s to life.

Lay down your arms, give up the fight.

With my grad ceremony closing in on just under 3 weeks, I think it’s appropriate to start this blog back up again. This blog has really gone under some drastic changes (from blogspot to wordpress, and everything in between), and I’ve finally come to realize that there is simply no point in my speaking (well, writing) objectively. I’m no one special, just a dude trying to live his life the best he can. That being said, it’s highly likely that, if you are one of the few people who actually read this crap, you’ll see a lot more subjective posts that revolve around myself, my thoughts, and my life. Conversely, if you were one of the few who did ever like my satirical writing, me and a few buddies decided to start up a new blog entitled “STUD” (‘Speak To Us Dummy’), in which we take a deeper look and give our 2pennies on anything and everything pertinent to the marketing world. STUD should be up and running come end of May 2010.

Anyway, I’ve been stressed out of my mind as of late. School has been kicking my ass all semester. It feels as though I’ve had a test every week since March, and group projects are blah. Managerial Economics is a bastard. My internship has been pretty volatile as well – having lots of ups and downs, but at the end, we remain strong. Lastly, my 4 year relationship came to a crashing halt. I didn’t know everything could come crumbling down at once, but I guess experiencing hardships and getting past them is an important part of life. It’s okay though.. cause at the end of the day, I know that I was able to get through it on my own, again – as I always have. Really, the most upsetting thing to me is the relationship. I mean, it’s not everyday I put blood, sweat, and tears into something, but when I do, I would half expect it to live up to what I imagine it to be. I know I’m not the nicest dude in the world, nor have I ever claimed to be. I’m just me, and I hope one day I find someone who will love me unconditionally for who I am. [simp]Honestly, I just want a down to earth girl who wants to share her experiences with me as much I’d want to share with her.[/simp] It’s all good though, one day I’ll find you, but until then, surrounding myself with good friends is perfectly fine with me.

On the upside, there have been some good things going on at the office. Our marketing team might get subcontracted to work on a pretty big campaign for North America. Moreover, I’ll be the new VP of Communications for our campus’ American Marketing Association. I had originally ran for VP of Corporate Relations, but didn’t get the position All good though, I’m still glad to be a part of the e-board for Fall. I’m actually a little glad Matt nominated me and the position kinda fell in my lap. I noticed things tend to go pretty well whenever I just go with the flow of things instead of constantly trying to control what goes on in my life. And I think I’ma start doing just that. I just want to live my life surrounded by good people, good friends, and good times.

Stay true to yourself, your beliefs, and your ideologies. Don’t change for anyone except yourself.

Esse Quam Videri.

On a sidenote, I don’t know which I like better. The original 21 guns was perfect the way it was, but this version might just be better.. Wish they’d throw it on the original music video.

Original:

“When it’s time to live and let die, and you can’t get another try. Something inside this heart is dying, you’re in ruins…One, 21 Guns. Lay down your arms, give up the fight. One, 21 guns. Throw up your arms, into the sky.. You and I…”

It’s been over a month since I posted anything post.

So… I suck at keeping my New Years Resolutions. The whole concept of a New Years Resolution is stupid anyway. Might as well rename it “The List of Things I’ll Change For About a Month Before I Stop Caring Again”. On a sidenote.. Fuck you Day Light Savings. I was just deprived of one hours worth of sleep because of you. What’s the point anyway?? Sometimes I feel like we’re just doing this for the sake of doing it. It couldn’t possibly serve any real purpose. If it does, please do enlighten me, so that I can explain how you’re wrong.

Pacquiao vs. Clottey
First of all, what the fuck. I wanted to see Pacquiao/Mayweather.
Anyway. The fight was NOT as bad as a lot of people made it out to be. Pacquiao vs. De La Hoya was a million times worse. And at the end of it, the ‘Gold Boy’ just up and quit. At least Joshua Clottey had the cajones to see the fight through. Besides, a whole lot of people were dying to see Pacquiao/Mayweather… Were you expecting something completely different? Mayweather is a defensive guru. Had the fight actually gone through, it would’ve been fairly similar to what we saw Saturday (except Pacquiao probably would’ve got tagged with a lot more counter-punches). It’s all good though, I still got love for #TeamPacman.

If you missed the fight, it was 12 rounds of this:

(Picture courtesy of dawn.com)

Sidenote:
Spring Break is quickly approaching.. What to do what to do..
..Vegas Baby?
That’s what’s up. I got that muscle milk on deck.

And don’t forget to vote for Poreotix on ABDC!

America’s Best Dance Crew – Season 5: Let’s Go Poreotix!

Tonight marks yet another season of America’s Best Dance Crew. To be entirely honest, I haven’t followed ABDC since the Jabbawockeez ruled the world, but an old friend of mine will be holding it down for Poreotix this season. I’m not too keen on the Poreotix crew per se, but I do know that my buddy Justin holds shit down, so show’em some love and give them a vote (or two, or fifteen)!

www.poreotix.com
http://www.mtv.com/shows/dance_crew/season_5/

Tonight Show means WAR! Vol. I’m With Coco

Last week, Kimmel was a guest on the Tonight Show. Or was it the Jay Leno show? The Jay Leno Tonight Show? I don’t know. He was a guest on some sort of NBC programming that aired sometime towards the night and was hosted by Jay Leno.. In any event, Kimmel was the epitome of Thug Life, as he raped, pillaged, and plundered any remaining shred of dignity Leno may have had stored away in that chin of his.

In case you’ve been living in a household that opted to remain analog.. long story short: Leno hosted NBC’s The Tonight Show since the dawn of time. He then began talks of retiring and ‘passing the torch’ to one Conan O’Brien. Some years later, it was time for Jay to pass said torch, and he did — but, then decided he wanted to keep the flame lit. And so the saga continues…

Anyway, a buddy of mine who interns at Conan O’Brien’s Tonight Show is trying to spread the word about Team CoCo and their endeavors. This Monday (tomorrow, well, today I guess), they’ll be rallying at Gate 2 of the Universal Studios lot from 12-4pm supporting their beloved CoCo. Artist, Mike Mitchell will be in attendance, and will be bringing posters/signs, banners, and shirts to hand out to help support the cause. Oh, and wear orange. Go CoCo!

Date: Monday, January 18, 2010
Time: 12:00pm – 4:00pm
Location: Gate 2 @ 100 universal Plaza Dr, Universal City, CA

Follow Team CoCo on Twitter
Fan them on Facebook

Watch Kimmel devour Jay on Leno’s 10 at 10 here:

New Years Resolutions vol. 2k10

2009 definitely had its ups and downs, but I’m definitely happy to be where I’m at. Nonetheless, there’s always room to grow, so let’s get it 2010!

New Years Resolutions:
. Get back into shape. You look like a slob now. — Gym at least 2-3 times a week.
. Eat/diet healthier. Less fastfood/takeout, more fruits/veggies/lean meats, less snacketry (NO!!!!)
. In addition to the above: Start waking up early enough to eat breakfast this year.
. Pick up/be a lean 10-15lbs heavier by summer.
. Clean out the closet.
. Get more sleep.
. Only buy shit you need or really REALLY want, and make sure you’re going to use all this crap, you moron.
. Keep your fucking room clean for a change.. And your car.
. Stop being so anti-social.
. Read a book in its entirety at least once this year.
. Don’t procrastinate on school work. It’s your last year, let’s finish strong!

Christmas: Santa’s Revenge (and this time, it’s personal).

Christmas was pretty cool this year. Good times with the family, and more importantly, I got a lot of cool crap. =) Some things to note.. Marc had THE MOST gifts out of all of us, and he’s not even family? It seriously looked like he had robbed some children of their gifts. I suspect he either took home one of those boxes labeled “Toys for Tots” or simply switched out name tags for the boxes at the house, cause that shit was ridiculous. Also, a gift I received that isn’t pictured, but greatly appreciated: iPhone & accessories from my sister & Marc. I finally turned to the dark side. It’s not a trap.

More pics after I get them from the other cameras.

Some of the lovely ladies getting together for a shot or two.. or seven..teen.

Presents!

The kids checking out some of Santa’s crap.

Kevin happy to be on that Rome Never Fell tip.

Sister & Iris opening some gifts while the family doesn’t pay attention. What? It was a Laker game.

Marc simpin’ hard.

More presents.

Marc expressing joy after finding a box set for Shark Week.

Merry Christmas sis!

..and more gifts.

Happy to see her gifts.

Marc, ruining the moment.

Erica finally getting to the stuff I got her.. Yes, I wrapped her gifts in 99cent paper. It’s Thug Life.

Represent. III

Anthropology.

Last but not least… =)

Finally, MY gifts! =)
My cousins got me this pretty dope hat. Pimp Pimpin’!

For some reason, we seem to have exchanged A LOT of Victoria’s Secret boxes.. even though nothing in them was ever from Victoria’s Secret…

Add a scarf and some mean mitten/gloves to the mix.

And finally, my little monkey bought me the Nixon watch I’ve been debating on buying for the past like 2 years lol. Thank you stinky!

Orisue Popup Shop Kickoff

I hit up the Orisue popup shop shindig the other night. Decided to bring Erica along to meet some of the crew. The shop was pretty nice, the music was chill, live performance by UNI, and free drinks provided by Belvedere.

If you wanna check it out, Orisue’s PopUp Shop is located at:
AK1511
1511 Abbot Kinney
Venice, CA 90291

Next door neighbors.






Wtf. Why is Erica always stealing my limelight? Next time I’m pushing you out of the way so the people can get what they REALLY want — a clear shot of that handsome fellow behind you.

“Steve Lee is mean to me”

Trying on some of that Orisue. Check out the ‘homie’ status jacket.

On the one’s and two’s.

(Sorry for hotlinking your pics Vincent, but I’m way too lazy to re-up them.)

Oh, and on a slightly related note, be sure to check out the Psycho Brigade line by clicking here. It’s available for pre-sale NOW and will ONLY be sold at the Triumvir Web Store.

December Wrap-Up (56kers Beware)

A lot going on in December. Everything went by so fast, I haven’t really had much time to myself, let alone time to update the blog. Just finished up finals for Fall about 2 weeks ago now.. Pretty happy with the results so far (only one class has posted the official grades. I ended up with a B in Finance, which is FUCKING AWESOME considering my scantron for the final had “C” filled in all the way down).

Be advised, there are a lot of pictures in this post. Death to 56kers.

With Christmas creeping up, I decided to make some gifts for everyone at the office. Yes, make gifts. Being a broke ass college student, and having 13 people at the office, I decided to make everyone customize cups! Yes, cups. Everyone is always bitching about how there are no cups in the office.. and that’s where I come in.

Anyway, I outsourced some of my labor to Erica. Here she is working hard on one of the gifts for a measly free99 per hour.

Sneak peak:

My pops came down for his birthday earlier this month, which was a surprise. He’s usually not around and doesn’t get to take time off whenever he pleases since he works on a ship. Luckily, I was able to get the day off and spent some good old quality time with the fam.

Me and Erica recently made a trip to the Getty Villa in Malibu. Really interesting place to check out if you’re into art.. A lot of nice pieces reside there. The best part? It’s free! Except for parking.. so I guess it’s not as free as they say it is.. (unless you decide to walk there. lol).






Oh, you tease..

The stare down.

Statue of ancient wet t-shirt contest.

Wtf is going on here…


A piece of the Odyssey.

Just how I like my women.

Example of false advertising in ancient times.

What’s wrong with this figure? Nothing, yet..


lol, word. Not sure if this should make this post NSFW?

Putting this picture after the last one definitely feels like poor placement. Oh well.

Pretty dope ring.

Triton swag surfing.

lol, it looks like that animal from Star Wars.

Melodramatic..

Ancient Pottery Barn catalogue.


Aliens in the Attic



WAR!!



Rome Never Fell.




Word? I love lovage.

Laugh out loud. Outro-