"Look like you're thinking about something"

That was the "creative direction" they gave me when they were taking new pictures for our website. Now i know why i'm better on the other side of the camera !

Reading now - The City of Falling Angels

The Fenice in Venice....falls mainly on the plain. Woops, wrong limerick. Good book so far though. - TK

You can almost hear the wind blowing through the windows...

....or through the engine bay.

Believe it or not, this is considered "close" to being done. Anyone else thnk he should sandbag it one more year, until 2008 to make it an even 20-year project ?

1988- ?

Don't Worry, Be Happy

Why We Worry About The Things We Shouldn't... ...And Ignore The Things We Should.

Some very interesting reading that will make you think.

This says it all:

God, grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change,
the courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to tell the difference. -Amen

Buy Walden stuff here

Pretty cool Christmas party band !

Here’s a quick quiz:

What do Bob Dylan, Jay McShann, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, John Hammond, the late Jimmy Witherspoon, Dr. John, Maria Muldaur, Roomful of Blues, and the Canadian band The Rockin’ Highliners all have in common?

Answer: Duke Robillard.

This was the band that played at our Christmas Party last night. He definately cooked !

TK

What i'm reading- The Fall of the Year

Excellent storywriting here...even if i did kindof guess where it was headed, i did really enjoy the writing it took to get me there. It's the journey, not the destination, right ?

Snap the Whip - Winslow Homer

Not so Silly anymore

American troops use the Silly String to detect trip wires around bombs.

Mars Hill, ME

Traveled far to say goodbye
Strangers, friends and family try
To remember jokes, jabs and winks
Content to amuse only one.

Cold, gray and damp we trudge together
Far away saws hum and blades spin
through the weather.

A final prank. Where are the keys?
Safe and dry, locked inside.
Men in black will be walking home.
We all smile a little with pride.

Be

A man is rich in proportion to the number of things which he can afford to let alone.

- Henry David Thoreau, "Walden"

What would MacGyver do ?

Check out a book that a very funny guy i work with contributed to...makes a great stocking stuffer!

What I'm reading - Fiddler's Green

"The greatest mystery concerning the State of Maine's Moosepath League is that its members involved themselves with so many adventures and contributed so significantly to the solutions of several celebrated riddles, and yet are relatively unknown to the public at large."

Painters with a Maine cause

Capturing a moment in time

Good Wine

Philosophy
St. Francis Winery & Vineyards, located in the heart of Sonoma Valley, produces big, bold, full-bodied wines that deliver on flavor. Each wine is produced from 100% hand-picked Sonoma County fruit and is a direct expression of our winemaking philosophy of “maximum extraction, minimal intervention."

Where is the outrage ?

File away as two great tastes that DON'T taste great together:

You would think two of my favorite things, Jimi Hendrix music and Victoria's Secret TV commercials, would make me want to stand up and cheer. But it didn't...

Maybe Hendrix's estate is trying to make this list:

Special Report
Top-Earning Dead Celebrities

Scarborough Land Trust

Local group that I'm going to work with to help make sure they don't "pave paradise to put up a parking lot."

I like what they are doing because of the "active conservation" of the land that they promote. Not all development is evil and land should be protected but also enjoyed by as many as possible by allowing biking, hiking, hunting etc.

Community Auditions

Star of the day
Who will it be ?
Your vote may hold the key.
It's up to you
Tell us who
Will be star of the day.

(it's saying something when a jingle stays in your head for 30 years!) - TK

Pop Quiz

Can you find me in this picture ?

Volunteer Fair PR

Here's a recent article about a local event that i helped promote.

Not exactly the sexiest thing in the world....but hey, it pays the bills, OK ?

Volunteer fair aims at tapping retirees
By Erica Thoits

Hot Toddy

DRINK RECIPE

Hot Toddy
Bring on Winter !!
1 oz. Brandy
1 Tablespoon Honey
1/4 Lemon
1 cup Boiling Water
1 Tea Bag

Coat the bottom of a mug with the honey. Add brandy and juice of lemon quarter. On the side, boil water and add tea bag to make hot tea. Pour steaming tea into honey/brandy/lemon combination.

Word puzzles - Jumble

Often, this is my favorite part of reading the newspaper. Not so much the puzzle or the solution but the ability to find the time to do it.

Blue

A nice place to grab a pint and listen to some tunes. Being Portland, always an eclectic mix of customers.

What I'm reading - Cannery Row

I'm reading this one again. I am suprised again in Steinbeck's clarity of writing. He (and his characters) say what they mean and mean what they say. It's refreshing in a world of spin and false promises.

If you can't get out of it, get into it!

Sax man

Copyright - Peter Interland

SI- Fan value at the ballpark

.....well at least Fenway is in front of Shea. So what if that's the ONLY team they actually rate better than.

The numbers tell the tale. A night at Fenway will knock you back $400 at least.

Vacationland

So far, since Mid-July, we have seen and recorded 22 different out of state license plates in Scarborough. Contest runs until Columbus day weekend.

Imagine - John Lennon

Imagine there's no heaven,
It's easy if you try,
No hell below us,
Above us only sky,
Imagine all the people
living for today...

Imagine there's no countries,
It isn't hard to do,
Nothing to kill or die for,
No religion too,
Imagine all the people
living life in peace...

You may say Im a dreamer,
but Im not the only one,
I hope some day you'll join us,
and the world will be as one.

Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...

You may say Im a dreamer,
but Im not the only one,
I hope some day you'll join us,
And the world will live as one.

Imagine no possesions,
I wonder if you can,
No need for greed or hunger,
A brotherhood of man,
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...

You may say Im a dreamer,
but Im not the only one,
I hope some day you'll join us,
And the world will live as one.

Crikey...RIP

What i'm reading- The True Account: A Novel of the Lewis and Clark and Kinneson Expeditions

One of those "parallel history" type of stories that has just enough truth in it to cause you to wonder if it really did happen.

No Lycopene

this is the first season since 1992 that i have not grown a single tomato plant

Garrett likes them too !

Alan enjoys a Sea Dog biscuit

Riders on the Storm

one of my favorite keyboard solos of all time...backed by rythem guitar. here is the back story. Almost as good as "little stevie" winwood's jam in Voodoo Chile.

Time

If you could go back and talk to yourself in ten year incriments, what would you say ?

Would you be able to talk to yourself at 25? How about at 15? Would you want to be their friend? You would think that you would always be the same person, but I think that I'm a lot different from the Me's of 1986 and 1996. Who wll be the me of 2016 ?

Miho Museum

Step 1 - Dig out a mountain
Step 2- Build a museum
Step 3 - Fill it in

Cross breed...of what though?

Residents wonder if dead animal is legendary mystery beast
August 16, 2006
TURNER, Maine --AP--Residents are wondering if an animal found dead over the weekend may be the mysterious creature that has mauled dogs, frightened residents and been the subject of local legend for half a generation.

What i'm reading-Bang the Drum slowly

Hey, it's summer....gotta get a baseball book in there someplace.

This summer

"I'm going to go the beach and bury a bunch of metal objects and write "Get a Life" on them. (Heard on the radio)

James Braddock

Watched Cinderalla Man over the weekend. Good movie.

My "uh huh" moment came at the closing credits. the story is all about this boxer who fights (bad luck) all through The Depression just to keep the heat on and any food ont the table for his wife and kids. Eventually, he gets back into boxing, wins some fights (all the while getting himself beat up) and eventualy becomes Champ in a time when people actually liked/cared about/respected boxers. This made him one of the biggest stars in the world at the time.

He does all this...wins...(eventually losing the title to Joe Louis) and then the last credit says something like "Jim went on to serve bravely in World War II" Wow. To say that (some) men were made of different stuff back then is an understatement. Of course the movie shows men back then (just like today) willing to make a buck at all costs, but i think the gap between those guys and the good guys was much wider back then.

Could you imagine any professional athlete today "taking off a year or two" to head over to Iraq?

TK

MTV is now older than it's target audience - NPR

Alan Hunter, J.J. Jackson, Martha Quinn, Mark Goodman and Nina Blackwood.

Dictionary.com - Sylvan

Well what do you know...

syl·van also sil·van ( P ) Pronunciation Key (slvn)
adj.
Relating to or characteristic of woods or forest regions.
Located in or inhabiting a wood or forest.
Abounding in trees; wooded.

n.
One that lives in or frequents the woods.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[Medieval Latin sylvnus, from Latin Silvnus, god of the woods, from silva, forest.]

Latest VIP marketing...on the trak at Beech Ridge

Interactive trivia on my cable system

Compete against local players and see where you stack up against others across the country. Hey, at least its better than melting your brain watching another American idol wannabe "Competition Reality show" .

See you online.

SI- 20 things about NASCAR sponsorships you should know

What i'm reading- The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time

Interesting dialog on how someone else see's the world.

Sports- Ricky back for the 250

What I read - The Alchemist

Pretty good vacation book. I'll be on the lookout for Omens and trying to find my Personal Legend...

New Ethos website !

Well. our new website is now up an running! This tells a much better story of who we are and what we do.

Race Car for 250...nice design, huh?

Here's the car that Ricky Craven will be driving in the TD Banknorth 250 at the end of July. How those girls got in the picture I have no idea.

Dylan on PBS

i watched the second half of this last night and it will be on again. Very interesting look into how, when and why he did what he did. tonight, he goes electric....they've already shown clips of him being heckled by the crowd. The shear volume of writing and the ease at which it came to him is amazing. Eminem got nothin' on Bobby!

It's (not) like 86 all over again...i hope

DAN SHAUGHNESSY
Saluting the spirit of '86

By Dan Shaughnessy, Globe Columnist | June 27, 2006
There was not much buzz about them when they first gathered in Winter Haven, Fla., late in February 1986. Greater Boston was still reeling from the Patriots' maiden voyage to the Super Bowl (which ended in a severe beating by the Chicago Bears), and there were indications, later fulfilled, that the Celtics were on their way to a 16th world champions

Blow out the candles

A Special Birthday this week. Can you believe it?
Monica Lewinsky turned 31 this week.
It seems like only yesterday she was crawling around the
White House on her hands and knees.
They grow up so fast.

VIDEO from commute another way day

Here's the TV coverage we got...if you play the video, you'll see yours truly helping to bring the canoe to shore.

Ethos coverage - Canoe to Work

Here's a fun project we just did. i had one of the guys i work with paddle down the river outside our office (and his house) and we got some pretty good press coverage as a result. We were a little damp, but it was worth it in the end.

Racecar

I was informed by my 7 year old son today that racecar is spelled the same forward and backwards.

For .09 Cents ? Why print them yourself

Rite Aid is offering Kodak prints (from memory card or a CD) for .09 cents each. Its a send out service and you have to wait 2-3 days. I just loaded a CD of about 120 pictures (since before christmas, shame on me!) and i'll see how they come out later in the week. By comparison, getting 24 exposures of film developed at $7.99 is .33 cents each.

A new "Mill" for Maine

Wind, that is. I heard from a trusted source that this is quite a sight to see.

Brazilian

Donald Rumsfeld briefed the President this morning. He told Bush that 3
Brazilian soldiers were killed in Iraq.

To everyone's amazement, all of the color ran from Bush's face, then he
collapsed onto his desk, head in hands, visibly shaken, almost whimpering.

Finally, he composed himself & asked Rumsfeld, "Just exactly how many is a
brazillion?"

The Simpsons as philosophy

"Cartoons abstract from real life in much the same way philosophers do. Homer is not realistic in the way a film or novel character is, but he is recognisable as a kind of American Everyman. His reality is the reality of an abstraction from real life that captures its essence, not as a real particular human who we see ourselves reflected."

...just watch out for falling anvils. - TK

Baseball Card Blog

Someday, I'll take some time to read through these. I'm still banking on some my cards helping to pay for my retirement someday.

Fireman Alan

My latest project

Mostly straight, square and level. Build one for $650 or buy for $3,000? What would you do? How do you like my skylight design?

Still gray, but not for long

At least that's what i'm told.

The Stripers must be coming

There were 4 or 5 guys out this moring along the river/marsh. There have been 1 or 2 out there for the last few weeks, but i think they are here to stay now. All last year there wasn't a single day that went by that there wasn't someone out fishing along the river. Must be good eatin ?

Staying power

The only bands that were around when i was a kid and are still relevant today are:

U2
Aerosmith
The Police (Sting)

I'm talking about bands/people that have maintained their relevance to pop culture....of course there is MUSIC from the 50's, 60's, 70's and even 80's that will be around for ever. All i'm saying is that those artists, today, are usually better remembered for what they did...and not about what they do, today.

May 17, 2003

Dad -
We all miss you so much.
Love,
Mom, Tim, Michelle, Garrett, Alan, Stephanie, Karl and all of your family and friends.

Reese - TIME 100: The People Who Shape Our World

Everyone has an opinion

I still say its pretty damn hard to hit a ball coming at you at 90mph no matter how much juice you take.

Marketing firm relocates to Westbrook

Here's an article that i pitched about our recent move. We also got a byline feature in MaineBiz on the news.

Jason's pictures from around Europe

I think the best Rock n Roll song of all time is

Sympathy for the Devil by the Roliing Stones. The drums, the guitar, the piano, the ooh ooh...if that song doesn't get you moving, nothing will!

1,000 covers of Rolling Stone on the wall

take one down, pass it around, 999 covers on the wall.

NEW YORK - Rolling Stone magazine celebrates its 1,000th issue this week with a burst of rock 'n' roll excess: a glitzy Manhattan party with the Strokes as house band and a 3-D cover that mimics the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper" sleeve and cost nearly $1 million to produce.

Who's that hiding behind Elmo?

I was thinking the other day, do you think the kids that actually got to appear on Seasame Street fealt any different about seeing the characters as puppets and not "real" like they appear on TV?

Someone should do some research...maybe a "E! True Hollywood Story" The Kids of Seasame Street.

Happy Birthday Cheerios

"Look! An Oat Cereal All Ready to Eat” (1944)

What I'm reading- The Dogs of Babel

Excerpt from 'The Dogs of Babel'
By Carolyn Parkhurst

Here is what we know, those of us who can speak to tell a story: On the afternoon of October 24, my wife, Lexy Ransome, climbed to the top of the apple tree in our backyard and fell to her death. There were no witnesses, save our dog, Lorelei;

The man who never was - 1956

Garrett and I watched this movie when we were both home sick a few weeks ago. Actually, i watched it an Garrett slept through most of it. Best part of the movie (IMHO) was coming up with the concept. Toss someone out of a plane to plant information for the Nazis to "find" that would never work....but float him in the ocean and let him drift into Spain, of course that will work just fine.

interesting twists towards the end and one tries to figure out what the other is up to

.406 club is gone

Check out the new seats above home plate!

Has it finally sprung ?

I think Spring might be here to stay this week.

Simpson's Movie

Will they finally "Jump the Shark"....i doubt it.

Split it..Split it Good

Lefties...

Garrett, yes...Alan ? Not sure yet.

If the bike fits, ride it

Here's an article that I wrote for a client recently. The purpose was to somehow "will" spring to coming early this year...now if we all close our eyes and think warm thoughts.

Check out VIP specials this week

In case you've been wondering why i haven't been posting much lately. Meet the beast that is my life lately.

Presenting, the new and improved VIP Parts, Tires & Service monthly flyer!!

"A little love goes a long way"

Time....and discipline

What a great idea...

"On June 17th, every year, the family goes through a private ritual: we photograph ourselves to stop a fleeting moment, the arrow of time passing by"

Happy birthday, Dad (2/26)

I read once that when a man's father dies, his only true judge is gone. Unfortunately, I’m still trying to figure out what freedoms and responsibilities this thought provides me.

What a Dunkleman !

Whatever happened to Brian Dunkleman?

Former 'Idol' co-host questions decision to leave show
Wednesday, February 22, 2006; Posted: 8:27 a.m. EST (13:27 GMT)

Brian Dunkleman left "American Idol" to pursue a performing career of his own.

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) -- Brian Dunkleman admits it. He can't help but wonder if he might have been a mega-star on the rise, just like Ryan Seacrest, if he hadn't quit as co-host of "American Idol" after the hit reality show's first season.

My take - he may be putting on a brave face...but i bet his wife and kids are pissed that they're not loaded right now...Seacrest Out! - TK

great headline ! Cheney's got a gun

Haven't read the article yet, but i bet it will be entertaining !

Feb 7 2005

It was a year ago that we put our house up for sale and began our relocation plans in earnest. One word - Balloons. Funny...the new owners haven't been nearly as successful in moving the place as we were. Guess we knew what we were doing after all.

Close call in Scarborough

Glenn Close, Idexx founder David Shaw wed in Maine

(My invitation must have been lost in the mail- TK)

Ethos, from the air

You can see our new offices located in the middle left hand side of the picture. The small building between the large brick and white ones. Saccarappa Falls are shown in this picture taken a few weeks ago...not by me. Scenic, ain't it? I feel so industrial.

Pub talk - What's the opposite of antibotic ?

Probiotics introduce good bacteria to the intestinal system to help strengthen the body's natural defenses, and help restore the appropriate balance of intestinal bacteria.

Suoer bowl ads

Everyone else is doing it so i will too.

Granted, there was a thrilling game of Play-doh going on while i was trying to concetrate on the ads, but in between 1,000,000 "look dad...it's a star!" from 2 year old Alan, here's what i thought.

Cadillac ad--- with the whole world going small and/or hybrid, leave it to the origianl dinosaur to keep pushing its mammoth Escalade. The only ones driving them are the players that get them for free and don't care what the price of gas is.

Toyota truck ad - I thought the Web cam at the beach idea was a good one...maybe since i know someone who is always watching a local one to see what the waves are doing. it would have been cooler without the disclaimer.

Streaker sheep-funny...but it the creative meeting that the idea came from was probably funnier

Jessica simpson- popping something and even she looked "old" teasing that 14 yr old boy. makes me wish for the classic cindy crawford one with two little kids going ga-ga over the new pepsi can.

Rock phone- pebl. i still don't get the whole MOTO thing, but it was a little ironic that it was showing the amount of time that it will take the cell phone to decompose

Old Fabio - was that a gag or for something real ?

Bud horse- cute, but what message does it send to our underage drinking kids ? Kidding...in a way.

I also liked the guy throwing a cell phone at another guys head...lots of ways to develop that campaign.

The ring tone one was good...but then it got great when the Benny Hill music started and that old guys started running around the couch.

Welcome to beautiful downtown Westbrook

Here we go !

Ethos' new home looks at the big building in this picture...on the other side of the river.

Anniversary night

A night on the town !

Fun in the tub

Hot tubs and limo rides...boy these kids have it all!

What I'm reading now - The Greatest Man in Cedar Hole

Written by a Bowdoin graduate...i'm halfway through it. A little like John Irving's stuff but not nearly as twisted. Some big jumps help the story skip a lot of years, but its ok so far.

Taking the Mic

A friends brother is featured here. I wonder if he still enjoys launching beer cans into an imaginary "trash barrel" in the corner behind the TV.

He's got an opinion, thats for sure.

"Whalen and Jackson review notes, divvy up topics for the coming hour. Headphones go on, a lead-in runs (Jackson saying, “The old media is circling the drain. We’re doing the flushing.”), and the producer gives the cue."

Linus

You can't write a more powerful opening graph than this.

SCARBOROUGH (Jan 19, 2006): Sue Kirk regularly skims the obits pages, looking for children whose family members have died. For each child she finds, she packs up a handmade blanket in the hopes of providing a small measure of comfort.

The flags are scared today

On my way into work this morning, i happened to notice several flags not flying today. A little too much wind i guess. At least its 45 degrees and not snowing out like they thought.

Warming

It might make it up to 50 degrees today!! Fill those lungs with the warm air and try to hold it in for the next 3 months.

What I'm watching - Country Boys -PBS

Filmed over three years (1999-2002), "Country Boys" tracks the dramatic stories of Chris and Cody from ages 15 to 18. With the same intimate cinematic technique and sound design that distinguished "The Farmer's Wife," Sutherland's new film bears witness to the two boys' struggles to overcome the poverty and family dysfunction of their childhoods in a quest for a brighter future.

Good stuff....everyone has a story if you have the patience and fortitiude to follow it. The best thing i've seen on TV in a long time- TK

Was Bode 'drunk' or 'wasted'...is there a difference ?

What's worse, the action or the promotion of the action? Its stupid when the media tries to make its own news out of news. Some good points on jpurnalistic integreity here. The power of the Press Release.

Cross country dogging

I'll have to try this with Shadow the next time we're in Millinocket.

Clip on Skis, Hitch Rover, and Go
By STEPHEN REGENOLD
Published: January 5, 2006
FOUR years ago Carin Offerman clipped on a pair of cross-country skis, tethered herself to her giant schnauzer, Raven, and braced for a ride that would change her life. Her 70-pound dog started running, and Ms. Offerman felt the line go tight as she rocketed down the snowy trail.

Toasty

The woodstove has been a wonderful addition to our heating system so far this year. As the winter rolls on, i'm getting better at gauging how much to put in to heep things nice and toasty (but not TOO hot). One of the tricks is to use smaller pieces of wood, split from existing logs. They start to burn faster and put out just enough heat to be comfortable. our oil bill has been saved so far by supplementing with wood...now the question is if we reorder/restock as we're just abouot half way through our cord with a lot of winter still left hear in maine. I've got to find better storage options next year...and get in on a bulk buy for next winter.

What I just read - Double Play

Robert Parker steps away from Spenser and takes a look at what it was like to be Jackie Robinson's shadow.

Hot or Not in 2006

Feeling good...in.
Staying in touch....in.
Meanies...out.

We'll see.

Twin Pines- A million dollar view...and they know it

Jeesh....these rates are crazy!! All i can say is that i hope Dan is getting a raise!

Parking

Paddy was driving down the street in a sweat because he had an important
meeting and couldn't find a parking place.
Looking up to heaven he said, "Lord take pity on me. If you find me a
parking place I will go to Mass every Sunday for the rest of me life and
give up me Irish Whiskey".
Miraculously, a parking place appeared.
Paddy looked up again and said, "Never mind, I found one."