Rick.Stavanja.com

I Had a Weird Urge to Write Tonight...

Stavanja — Sat, 17 May 2008 06:25:00 GMT

...but I guess I'm over it now....(read more)

They Don’t Make Greeting Cards Like They Used To

Stavanja — Sun, 11 May 2008 23:07:00 GMT

I don't understand why finding an appropriate greeting card has become so difficult over the years. I used to take pride in diligently searching through endless racks of greeting cards for the perfect message for each and every occasion. Unfortunately, it's increasingly difficult to find that magic card that expressed exactly what I wanted to say. I don't understand it... Take Mother's Day for example. The past 18 months has been particularly challenging for me, and my mom and my sisters have really...(read more)

Movie Review: August Rush

Stavanja — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 10:50:00 GMT

Rottten Tomatoes Rating: 39% Yeah, I know. I've been away quite a while. Sorry. I'll explain that more at some point soon, but for now I'm looking to get back in the habit of blogging, and truth is I've been back to the movies again lately. Look for more opinions to follow. I went to see August Rush with my little sister Billie, and niece Rikki Friday night. I haven't had the chance to get out with my little buddy (Billie) in quite some time, and it was even more special with Rikki along. It was...(read more)

Movie Review: The Holiday

Stavanja — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 09:56:00 GMT

After we'd enjoyed seeing We Are Marshall together, my mom and Rikki invited me to see The Holiday just a couple days later. Being a guy, I gotta admit that my first impulse was 'chick flick', but the chance to hang out with mom and Rikki again was more than enough to get me to go. And frankly, I'm glad I did. One nice little benefit occurred right after we'd arrived... while walking down the corridor to the theater, Rikki and mom were walking ahead of me talking when it dawned on my that there were...(read more)

What Happened Behind the Scenes

Stavanja — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 12:13:00 GMT

For those of you that have asked, here's what's different behind the curtain on the new site... I decided to distract myself with geek work on the personal site back during the first weekend of the NFL (a full three months into my blogging hiatus). I'd been using .Text to power the site since it's launch in summer 2004, but since watching it's evolution to Community Server , I decided now was the perfect time to migrate. Although it was somewhat tedious, I was really pleased with the outcome. Community...(read more)

5 Things You Didn't Know About Me

Stavanja — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 10:54:00 GMT

OK, I guess it's my turn to play. Randall Newton of AECnews chose to tag me from his personal blog for the "5 Things You Didn't Know About Me" meme, so here goes... Although I've always lived in the Pacific Northwest and love the four season climate, I'm not a big fan of snow. A few weeks of it around Christmas is more than enough for me. Any more than that is overrated as far as I'm concerned. I used to be a volunteer bugler for veteran's funerals. When I was about...(read more)

Movie Review: We Are Marshall

Stavanja — Sun, 07 Jan 2007 21:51:00 GMT

New Years day was a pleasant change-of-pace for me. I called my mom because over Christmas she'd mentioned how much she wanted to see We Are Marshall , but Bill wasn't feeling up to going. I needed a break from work that day, so I called her that afternoon to see if she still wanted to go. Not only did she want to go, but she wanted to see the early show. Therefore, we only had about 20 minutes to get there. Right as we got to the theatre, my niece Rikki called and expressed interest as well....(read more)

My New Egg-A-Muffin Machine

Stavanja — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 07:04:00 GMT

The Egg & Muffin Toaster From Back to Basics My baby sister got me a great Christmas gift this year. An Egg & Muffin toaster ! I've been a big egg-a-muffin fan ever since McDonald's began offering them years ago (BTW Heaven used to call them egg-a-muffins when she was little). I still use the name. Although I'm not what you'd call a "morning" person, I typically take advantage of any rare morning opportunity I can for an egg-a-muffin. Once I saw my first Egg & Muffin Toaster commercial,...(read more)

Yeah, I'm Finally Back

Stavanja — Sat, 30 Dec 2006 23:16:00 GMT

Yes, That's right. It really is a new entry on my site. I've been away from my blog for a long time now. Beginning In early June, several things happened that led me to eventually take some severe turns in my life. Things have been hectic, satisfying, difficult, challenging, reassuring, and everything in between. Now six months later, things are settling in a bit, and I'm looking forward to writing some more. Check back again soon. Maybe I'll fill in some of the blanks......(read more)

Another Comment Test

Stavanja — Sun, 10 Sep 2006 06:22:00 GMT

Can anonymous users comment on a new blog?

I May Have Found a New Hobby

Stavanja — Mon, 29 May 2006 02:35:00 GMT

I took a break from working today. After watching another dramatic Indy 500, I ended up at my computer while I watched a variety of other sporting events this afternoon. Eventually I found myself exploring some old bookmarked web pages I'd been meaning to explore further. If you remember, I was recently inspired to pursue my creative side a bit more. Well, one of those bookmarked pages led me to some interesting digital graphic techniques, which only served to get my juices flowing even stronger. One thing led to another and the next thing I knew, I was working on creating a comic-style piece to commemorate Meagan's birthday.

I spent a bunch of time exploring a variety of techniques before I found a look that I liked and would be fairly repeatable. I don't claim these are up to professional standards by any means, but it's turning out far better than I'd expected. Here's a sample...

(click to enlarge)

I think I could really get in to this kinda stuff... :)

Meagan Turns Seven

Stavanja — Sun, 28 May 2006 06:14:00 GMT

Meagan had her seventh birthday party today. We celebrated with a lunch at Ron's, followed by cake and presents at Nonie's. Although Ryan and Papa couldn't be there, everyone else was. She loves having the family together.

Check out the new photo gallery capturing the excitement.

If Money Was No Object

Stavanja — Thu, 25 May 2006 12:13:00 GMT

1969 Hurst Edition Buick GS 350 coupe

On Wednesday I was in one of those “What would you do if you won the lottery?” discussions. There were lots of things mentioned (houses, trust funds, sports teams, etc.), but one thing we agreed on was cars. Although we agreed on filling enormous garages with beautiful vehicles, I couldn't help but think that I probably had a slightly unconventional idea about what kind of cars I'd go after first. Being a muscle car freak, not a lot of people share my taste for mid-size 60s & 70s GM coupes and convertibles packing overly powerful engines. The discussion proved timely...

eBay Listing
(Alt: Archived Listing)

While perusing my RSS feeds tonight, I happened upon a real gem on eBay: A rare 1969 Hurst Edition Buick GS 350 coupe.

Based only on the photos, this GS may very well be one of the best I've ever come across. Although I tend to favor dark color schemes on this model (here's another example), the simple silver with stock black pinstripes combined with the chrome rallye wheels and black interior on this one is stunning. I've never seen this combination before. It may be unique to the Hurst Edition. (If someone out there knows more about the history of this model, I'd love to hear about it)

Personally I think the 1969 GS is one the most beautiful and underrated muscle cars ever. It's styling is unique, and it's power trains are among the best of the era. I've owned a couple of these in the past, and seeing this one has whet my appetite for another.

I envy the lucky *** that can afford the $30,000+ to take this baby home with him. Given the millions we're seeing spent on muscle cars at auctions like Barrett-Jackson, Kruse, and Silver, it's certainly a fantastic investment.

If only money were no object.

tags: buick gs, muscle car, hurst, ebay

Ricky Gets A New Ride

Stavanja — Wed, 10 May 2006 11:55:00 GMT

This past weekend I finally broke down and got myself a different set of wheels. I was originally gonna hold out for a new rig one of these days, but I came across a nice used 1994 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo last week. I was lucky. It ran great, had the right options, and was a great price. But I gotta admint, I think the clincher was that the car came from Montana. A nice gal about to graduate from Gonzaga.

Boy I didn't realize just how much I missed a driving V8 on a regular basis.

tags: jeep, cherokee

Maybe It's Time to Break Out the Old Pen & Ink Set

Stavanja — Wed, 10 May 2006 10:35:00 GMT

Adam Hughes sketching tutorial: Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

I loved comics as a kid. I was a Batman fan. The stories and the old campy TV show were what originally captured my imagination back when I was 6 or 7, but when DC Comics' brought in Neal Adams to overhaul Batman's new, more realistic style comic book, it became more about the art to me. By my early teens, I was choosing comic books not by their stories or characters, but by their artists. If Adams penned a Green Lantern, it was mine. If I stumbled on an older Nick Fury by Sterenko, I couldn't pass it up. It led me to try to copy their style and I developed an interest in art and illustration. I favored pencil, and pen & ink.

Although I outgrew comics in high school and my interests migrated to sports, drafting, and architecture, I continued to pay attention to comic book art. Guys like Adam Hughes and Jim Lee [blog] are my favorites of today's crop of of comic artists.

It's stuff like this that get's me thinking about digging out my old pens.

(I wonder what ever happened to all my old comic books anyway. Hmmm...)

tags: comic art, adam hughes, neal adams

The Difference Between Cats and Dogs

Stavanja — Fri, 05 May 2006 03:51:00 GMT

I'm not sure how long this joke has been around, but it's new to me. I find it an excellent illustration of the fundamental differences between cats and dogs. Enjoy...

How to give a pill to a cat and a dog

tags: cats, dogs, joke

Sweetie Pies Revisited (a.k.a. Whoopie Pies)

Stavanja — Thu, 13 Apr 2006 06:30:00 GMT

Boy do I love my family. Debbie and Harold, and my mom and Bill treated me to a nice relaxing birthday dinner at Dave's tonight (thanks again for the yummy 10 oz. Sirloin!).

A surprise capper to the festivities occurred as we were all leaving. Debbie had warned me that she had a gift waiting for me in the car, but I wasn't expecting a crisp white bakery box from Cielo Bakery. But better yet was what was inside: 4 fresh whoopie pies!

For those of you wondering; Yes, whoopie pies are in fact the very same tasty treats formerly known around our house as the “sweetie pies“ that I wrote about last year. Now knowing them by their more widely known name, perhaps whoopie pies will silence the doubters that I roused last year.

It turns out that whoopie pies actually come in many different incarnations, and are so popular there's even an annual Whoopie Pie Festival in Pennsylvania!

Check out some other whoopie pie recipes I came across

Thanks again Deb!

Mom Puts it All in Perspective

Stavanja — Wed, 12 Apr 2006 07:43:00 GMT

My mom called yesterday and was nice enough to point out that as of today, I'm no longer able to refer to myself as being in my early forties.

<heavy sigh>

Unfortunately, I was completely unprepared and had no snappy comeback for that. A rare occurrence.

Birthdays just don't do it for me anymore.

Thanks mom.

Happy Birthday Dave!

More New Niece Photos

Stavanja — Sat, 18 Mar 2006 10:18:00 GMT

Nonie and Jayme after her first bath

Everyone has at least one embarrassing photo of themselves as a kid. So far this photo is the most likely candidate to cause Jayme to use the sentence “Please don't show them that picture!“ at least 3,200 times over the course of the next 25 years.

I only had my camera phone with me at the hospital when Jayme was born, but I finally got some copies of Billie and Jim's photos taken both at the hospital, and since then. I put a few of them in a new photo gallery.

Enjoy...

tags: family, baby

Croatian & Montanan by Birth; Irish in Spirit Today

Stavanja — Sat, 18 Mar 2006 04:26:00 GMT

The M&M Bar, Butte, Montana, 10:14 PM

Today is one of those days when I really miss Montana. After missing last year's city-wide celebration in Butte, I really was hoping for a trip back this year. Unfortunately it wasn't meant to be. It didn't bother me too much until tonight sitting here seeing the live webcam shots.

It's not so much the alcohol consumtion that I miss, as much as the city-wide friendliness and positive attitude. I appreciate it more the longer I'm away.

Oh well. Maybe next year.

For more...
Photos from past St. Patrick's cellebrations in Butte

tags: stpatricks day, butte, montana

Either Make Me Think, or Make Me Laugh.

Stavanja — Sat, 11 Mar 2006 03:40:00 GMT

I've been a big fan of the comic strip Dilbert for years, but several months ago Scott Adams, Dilbert's creator, began blogging. I think his writing is even funnier than his comic strip.

Typically my favorite blogs either make me think, or make me laugh. Scott routinely does both in a single entry -- sometimes even in the same sentence.

Some of my favorites of late...

OK, in retrospect perhaps it's more accurate to say that he makes me think funny thoughts, and then I laugh.

tags: dilbert, scott adams

My Newest Wish List Item!!

Stavanja — Fri, 10 Mar 2006 12:16:00 GMT

Microsoft officially revealed the Ultra-Mobile PC (UMPC) Thursday (formerly code named “Origami”). As much as I love my trusty iPaq, I really want one of these...

I like the evolution that's taking place in mobile PCs. With the emphasis on connectivity, and performance closer to that of a desktop, these devices should be far more useful, and usable, to a broader audience.

The three new UMPC models shown at CeBIT...

from Founder, Asus, and Sumsung respectively

They're supposed to run any Windows XP app, so there will be no need to buy PocketPC versions of your apps to do real remote comuting. I'm dying to fire up some real CAD apps on one of these babies.

Now the only question is: Where and when do I get one?

More information:

tags: umpc, origami, founders, asus, samsung, microsoft, cebit

The Davenport Hotel is Officially World-Class

Stavanja — Sun, 05 Mar 2006 14:51:00 GMT

The Davenport Hotel was ranked the number 5 four-star hotel in the world by Expedia.com users. They were ranked an impressive tenth overall when considering all three, four, and five-star hotels together.

Kudos to Walt Worthy for a job well done. Lord knows he had his share of skeptics.

via Spokurban

How Did I Miss This? A Controvercial VW Ad.

Stavanja — Sun, 05 Mar 2006 12:59:00 GMT

While I was searching for links to videos for my last post, I came across a clip of a different VW “ad” that evidently caused quite a bit of controversy a few months ago (not that I noticed). It takes on a subject considered taboo by traditional marketing. I gotta admit, I was initially taken aback a bit, but only because I couldn't imagine a global company like VW taking on the subject. Check it out for yourself, and let me know your thoughts...

Viral ads produced solely for internet audiences are becoming more and more commonplace these days and they're redefining the rules of marketing. A recent article on Snopes.com addresses both the controversey stirred up by this ad, and the issue of viral marketing itself.

As much as I like this ad and the idea of viral marketing as a whole, I can't help but wonder; do we really need yet another reason to give people another reason to distrust what they see/hear/read on the internet?

tags: vw, viral ad, suicide bomber

Great Commercials: Vee Dub in da House

Stavanja — Sun, 05 Mar 2006 11:51:00 GMT

I've gotten some good feedback from calling attention to my favorite commercials so I'm gonna take a shot at making this a recurring subject. We'll see how it works out.

With Nextel ramping down the frequency of my last favorite, it's been pretty thin pickings; until the new Volkswagen “Vee Dub” series of GTi commercials came out recently. It's not that I'm a huge VW fan, but these commercials are original, funny, and hip -- complete with an impressive VW gang sign. Nice touch.

The German dude with his blond babe sidekick is hilarious. I'm not sure, but I think the guy is played by Peter Stormare, a great character actor that I first noticed ten years ago as the heartless pancake-loving kidnapper in Fargo. He was the guy that disposed of his dead partner's body in the infamous wood-chipper scene. Seinfeld fans may also remember him from the famous “Frogger” episode as the shady guy George hires to move his old-school Frogger video game.

Kudos to VW!

tags: vw, tvcommercials, tv commercials