Tuesday, July 26, 2005

Great Ideas come in a great while


One day while at work, when I used to work. I got some client artwork from Ihop Pancakes. It included a company logo. I digitally played around with the letters of the logo and made it say "Hip Hop" restaurants as opposed to Ihop Restaurants. So I refine the logo until I make a killer parody design and I think this will make a great like novelty shirt. But first I look up on Google to see if nothing like it is made or if an actually Hip Hop restaurant exists. It doesn't appear to be. I actually upload the design to a website where they make t-shirts to order. I worry about giving the design up that easily to a company that takes a big piece of the pie. Plus I worried about their quality and copyrights, etc. So I don't do anything with the design and I put the whole thing in the back of my mind on what to do with it. Years later, someone else (unrelated to me) has the same idea and actually makes a t-shirt. See pic. Lesson learned? No. It is a cool idea but I still wouldn't have done anything with it. It may be the fifty dollar idea but not the million dollar idea. Well, unless Justin Timberlake or someone started wearing this shirt. Boy, it sure helps that this design guy has babes to wear his shirts. Anyways, my design looked just like this one but I made it years ago. Oh well, figure your own lesson to the story.

Brown people get burned.


The temperature has been hitting our summer's highest. We spontaneously decided to drive to Santa Cruz Beach. We are lucky to live about a half hour away from the ocean. All we pack are like beach towels and baby stuff. We plan to buy everything else we need. Because that's how we roll. So we're at the beach, we got a great spot in the sun a few feet from the waves. The air is so cool, we're not even bothered by the beating sun. Since I am a brown dude, of course I don't use sunscreen. I've never had to use it in my life. Well, the next day I notice I am a little red. And I actually sting when I lean back on a chair or put on a shirt. And within the next few days I notice I itch and I peel. See pics. Yes, brown people do get burned. I should mention I haven't been in the sun a long while so I probably was senisitve due to being yellow. NAAAASTY, huh? So brown people, this summer, break out the lotion - you may need it.

Panini Press Sandwich Maker


I recently got a sandwich press as a birthday gift. Why, you say? Well I actually wanted one. If you watch enough of the Food Network like I do, you'll often see a lot of their tv programs about Paninis, grilling and pressing sandwiches. From Cuban to Italian - everyone seems to have their take on the sandwich. I wanted something different than the typical American sandwich, so therefore my birthday wish. Sure, I tried the SnackMaster by ToastMaster, but it became BoringMaster. It seems like it does the same thing but the ToastMaster we had was old and wasn't heating evenly. The edges would burn while the centers weren't even toasted. Well, now I am a happy camper. I probably have eaten a toasted sandwich probably everyday since I got it (I have a late night snack habit).

The picture shows a banana, chocolate syrup, peanut butter, and strawberry jam pressed sandwich. All toasted up with a little sugared butter crust. No I don't eat those often.