Unless you haven’t turned on your tv, read a newspaper, gone outside or talked to anyone in the past six months then you are very aware of an approaching election that is kind of a big deal. It has already been dubbed “the most important election ever” and rightfully so. With such major issues as the state of the US economy, the ongoing war, the quest for universal health care and so many more that need to be resolved, the implications of this election are undeniably apparent.

But who should you vote for? I certainly have my opinion on which candidate I feel is the most capable, however that is not the reason for this post. Instead, I am more concerned with the millions of voters who actually cast votes for candidates that they know nothing about. Now sure, I am all for “get out and vote” mantra that is sweeping the nation, but what if those voters have no idea what they are really voting for? Should we encourage this reckless behavior?

I’m assuming that most people have done their due diligence of researching the candidate that they support and will eventually vote for. However, after speaking with a variety of friends and acquaintances I have alarmingly realized that many of these folks don’t really have a solid understanding as to why they support a particular candidate.

Who is to blame? The media? Many Americans do not seek to understand anything beyond what is spoon-fed to them via the media. This idea has been exemplified throughout the road to election day. For some people the media has erroneously shaped their view of the candidates. As a result, those same people form an opinion of a candidate based on what they saw or heard on tv. This unfortunately leads to uninformed votes being cast.

So, if you’re going to vote this year (which I hope you do) please, please, please dig a little deeper into the background and beliefs of the candidate that you support. You might just learn something that will change your outlook on the election. You owe it to yourself and your fellow Americans. After all, this is the “most important election ever”….

Sorry y’all. I have not had much free time lately as I have decided to resume my scholastic career by entering UW’s MBA program. This week was the first days of class which consisted of 8-hours class sessions each day. This might sound like an overwhelming amount of time to sit through a daily class but, much to my surprise, the class was extremely interesting and the time seemingly flew by.

Well, gotta run. I must to write a 12-page paper and also give a 35 minute presentation with my group. I need to start researching now!

I’ve got a lot of good stories to tell about the wedding… I’ll save a few for later posts….

I’ve been in Romania for nearly two weeks now and I think I’m slowly beginning to blend in with the locals. Of course I still receive a mirage of stares as I walk down the street because of my over-sized basketball shorts and pristine Nike’s, but I’m making small strides towards becoming a Bistrian (I made this name up to refer to the citizens of Bistra, Romania).

To prove my Bistrian-ness I hitch-hiked from Bistra to Cimpeni today. I held out my “please give me a ride” thumb and snagged the third car that passed. We hopped into the beat-up, barely running car and greeted the 60+ year old man.

The ride wasn’t too long, maybe 10 minutes total, but the man smoked cigarettes the entire time. A lot! As he finished one then another cigarette would instantly appear. And, oh, did I mentioned he kept all the windows rolled up for the duration of our magical ride? I’m sure you can image how great of an experience this was for a non-smoker like myself but hey, beggars can’t be choosers, right?

A few of the things I’ve done so far:

1. Drink beer. Everyday. At every meal. For no apparent reason. This is the “norm” in Romania…

2. Been chased by a stray dog while running (yes, I’m still running for “fun”)

3. Scored a goal in a soccer match against a group of locals

4. Nearly been in a car accident almost every time we drive (seriously… literally EVERY time I get in a car here I almost die).

5. Ate cow stomach soup. It was pretty good. Looks and sounds disgusting but is actually eatable.

6. Saw a horse galloping recklessly down the street with a trailer attached to him. There was NO driver. The horse was just running…with a trailer…down the street…alone…

If you are a sports fan or Seattleite they you’re well aware that our beloved Seattle Sonics (and my former employer of nearly 5 years) is packing up its wagons and heading east to Oklahoma City. Who is to blame? It doesn’t really matter now. The bottom line is the NBA no longer calls Seattle home.

I have attended countless Sonics games over the years. Although it has been quite some time since the Sonics have been a winning team (other than the 2005 playoff season) the excitement that was generated within KeyArena will be utterly missed by me and many other fans. I get goosebumps when I think about all the good times that were enjoyed with my Supes. From Ridnour’s behind the back passes to Kevin Durant sinking 3-balls, win or lose the games were a blast and I feel fortunate to have been a part of it both internally as an employee and externally as a fan.

I don’t think the people of Seattle truly realize what has happened in losing our team. For me it has yet to completely sink in. Come next basketball season we will reflect upon what was and only then truly appreciate what we had. The Sonics were more than simply a basketball team. They were a social enterprise that continually united the city of Seattle on and off the court. I suppose it’s time to turn the page and begin lobbying for a new NBA franchise. Although it would be great to have another basketball team in Seattle, the Sonics will be forever irreplaceable.

Finally- after three flights and two car rides we finally arrived in the microscopic town of Bistra, Romania. The 20+ hours of traveling have definitely taken its toll on me. Add the fact that my 6-month old daughter accompanied us on this trip and I’m sure you can see how I achieved a new PR in personal exhaustion. Needless to say it’s difficult to keep a baby occupied for 20 minutes let alone 20+ hours. I certainly don’t think we made any new friends on the plane. I never knew my daughter could cry so loud…

The entire family greeted us when we arrived at the house- after all it has been three years since our last visit. Although I was extremely tired I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to enjoy the most common Romanian tradition: drinking alcohol (even if I wanted to pass on the drinking my wife’s father wouldn’t allow it- he is the personification of peer pressure on steroids). After a few shots of an unknown type of alcohol (the majority of their alcohol is homemade) we feasted on a delicious dinner of stuffed red peppers.

The time was nearly midnight before we retired to our bedroom. The long and excruciating journey was finally over. We made it. It’s great to be back and I look forward to two months of taking in an amazing culture. Stay tuned…

My wife and I have decided to take a little European vacation. When I say “a little” vacation I actually mean a two-and-half month long vacation. The extended break will be thoroughly welcomed although I anticipate our trip will not be all fun and games (well, maybe it will…). We are actually planning a wedding that will take place in late June in Romania. The wedding will be a “traditional” Romanian wedding although I cannot tell you what that really means. I have never attended a traditional Romanian wedding so the anticipation of what will take place is extremely exciting. I think the biggest shock will be the 300+ guests that are planning to attend and I will likely be the only American present (ie the only English-as-a-first-language person) so that should make for some interesting conversations…or not…

If you are in the advertising industry then it is highly likely that you are familiar with the magazine Media Inc. I wrote an article that appears in the current issue (March 2008). My article discusses the introduction and adaptation of eco-friendly materials into outdoor billboard industry. Below is the article- enjoy!

Billboards: Time For Change

Over the past year eco-friendly products have steadily become the obsession of American businesses and consumers. As we forge ahead into 2008 the concept of sustainability will continue to garner more attention- and rightfully so. Already a wide variety of industries have begun to feel society’s pressure to “go green”. One such industry poised to take its share of the public’s pressure is the outdoor advertising industry.

According to the OAAA there are over 170,000 billboards that stretch across America and nearly all of these boards are printed on polyvinyl chloride, or PVC. Most printers use PVC due to its ability to reproduce vibrant images, immense durability, and most importantly, its low cost. Although PVC has a plethora of notable qualities, it is not without its drawbacks.

Unfortunately PVC is not recyclable and therefore the vast majority of these billboards ending up in landfills across the United States. PVC is also widely regarded as highly toxic to water and soil through leaching once in a landfill, creating an extremely adverse effect on our environment. In an effort to remedy these issues, many substrate manufacturers have been working diligently on an alternate solution.

A new substrate is beginning to emerge within the billboard market - polyethylene (PE). PE is significantly lighter in weight (about one-third the weight of PVC), costs less to produce, plus it’s 100% recyclable. Yes, 100% recyclable. For these reasons, many industry leaders feel that PE will soon be the industry standard.

So why isn’t everyone printing on polyethylene? Probably the biggest factor is the fact that most billboard printers have machines that use solvent inks, which do not adhere well to PE and also off-gas once printing is complete. In order for solvent inks to be used, the PE material must first be coated with chemicals that will allow the solvent to penetrate the substrate. Once this coating is applied nearly all of the recyclable qualities of PE are lost and we are essentially back to where we started.

However there is now a solution. A handful of billboard printers have made the significant monetary investment in machines that utilize UV inks. This state-of-the-art technology applies the ink as a thin layer that sits on the surface of the PE material. The process is then finalized when the machine’s high-powered heat lamps instantly dry the ink and permanently binds it to the substrate. Since the UV ink does not actually penetrate the substrate no chemical coating is needed and thus no solvent is embedded with the material. The combination of UV inks with PE material is by far the “greenest” solution available for outdoor printing.

Societal pressure to “go green” will undoubtedly continue to gain support and momentum in the outdoor industry. Fortunately this pressure has facilitated fresh inventiveness within this market, creating more sustainable printing solutions - polyethylene. There is now a more eco-friendly alternative available. When planning your next billboard campaign a responsible decision now has an environmental solution.

Today is the four year anniversary of my wife and I being married. I still cannot believe that it has been four years. I can remember the first time I saw her. And to think that now we have a baby girl together. Unbelievable. I feel so lucky to have found such an amazing person to share my life with. She truly is my “better half” and I am forever greatful that she has enter my life…and stayed.

Four years down…forever to go….

The Slam Dunk Contest during NBA All-Star weekend has always been one of my favorite sporting competitions however over the past several years this event has definitely lost some of its appeal due to lack of creativity. With the exception of a few dunks, the vast majority of dunks have been seemingly regurgitated from previous competitions. Just when you think you’ve seen every possible dunk comes along someone who completely challenges your perception as to what is truly possible. Enter Dwight Howard.

Howard’s “Superman” dunk is already being touted as one of the greatest ever- and who could argue? Just before attempting the dunk, Howard torn off his Orlando Magic Jersey to reveal his alter ego and show his other uniform- a Superman costume complete with cape. The crowd instantly erupted into jubilation and the anticipation for what was about to happen quickly grew.

Howard paraded around the court which further hyped the crowd. The stage was now set. He began running towards the hoop and firmly planted his two feet before launching himself into the air. Howard’s sidekick, teammate Jameer Nelson, threw a lob pass that perfectly coincided with Howard’s jump. He grabbed the ball in mid-flight while soaring through the air- his head high above the rim. Gravity was truly being challenged during this incredible display of athleticism. Simply incredible!