movin’ on

to anyone who stops by this blog: if it seems deserted, it is. The address to my new blog is:

www.pkafka.com

Thanks. I hope you guys enjoy my new blog as much as I have enjoyed working with WordPress on this one.

-pk

austin – in retrospect

Summer is never complete without a trip down I-35 to good ole Austin, Texas. Since graduating high-school in 2005, a weekend in Austin with my Dallas buddies has been a summer staple.

The average Texas capital trip usually consists of a caravan of cars heading from Dallas to Austin; six, seven and sometimes even eight Greenhill (my highschool) grads travel down with hopes of tasty tex-mex  and good fun.

This most recent trip, unlike most, was a smaller, more manageable  group, consisting of three others besides myself. My usual host, Josh Ernst, who I previously wrote about in “jet-setting Joshua” played the part of the gracious host, which he continually does so damn well. However this trip, his promises and predictions of a great time were finally achieved.

Although my trips to Austin are usually enjoyable, it is not the city that makes the get-togethers great, it is the people. I love seeing old friends and making new ones too; however the females that frat parties usually provide are not the type that “will make my weekend.”

This short stint in Longhorn nation did contain a night of foam at the perfectly coined “cool, Jewish frat,” ZBT, however, the crazy party was far from being the best part of the weekend.

I would have to say that the small group played a key part in making this Austin weekend my favorite …ever. Our meals and down time tended to be the most fun of all: whether it was sipping Mexican Martini’s at the best frigin Tex-Mex place ever, Trudy’s, or the four of us trying to take an afternoon siesta to get ready for Saturday night; when we were together, we were having fun.

Even though what Austin had to offer did not make the weekend, there were certain “Austin specific” aspects of it that were integral parts:

First, I really enjoyed spending time with two of my other good high-school buddies, Rob and Colby, who are both residing in Austin for the summer. These enjoyable guys never seem to lose their luster. Although they both contain touches of Texas frat tradition that I am not accustomed to, these guys always help me realize that the average Jewish guy is a much better man than me. Whether I am trying to pick up women with Rob, or making fun of Colby trying to do the same, a good time is always obtainable as long as these guys are in the picture. Their friends are good guys too… as expected.

Second, instead of  sticking to the plan and going to the Saturday day-time party entitled “Fiji Island,” Mickey, Josh, Sam and I headed down to the Barton Creek Greenbelt . In our new-found appreciation of nature, my friends and I truly enjoyed buying some three dollar inner-tubes and giving floating down the river an honest chance. Although our 36″ tubes, were not properly equipped to handle the rushing rapids (due to all the rain) they served us well for the two hundred feet we floated.

Along with going with the tide, watching Josh struggle with the muddy river bank was quite a sight to see. I think he slipped five times and fell three; some quality entertainment.

Anyways, yes, Austin was great. Being joined by only three other people probably made the experience as nice as it was; our ability to agree on activities quickly helped us have a nice itinerary; and the heaping amount of alcohol that Trudy’s puts in their Mexican Martini’s (I was talking to any and every woman  after only one) and that Rob, Colby and the rest of ZBT provided us with Friday night helped us avoid what could have been a disastrous day of drinking at Fiji Island on Saturday.

All in all, the way I do Austin is changed forever. I will no longer go hoping to enjoy the fun but always regrettable times I have at the Frat parties. I will now venture down south seeking outdoor adventures with the right amount of company.

-pk

banksy – written up

My dad, an avid art fan with impeccable taste, recently introduced me to the work of Banksy, a British graffiti artist. Similar to the type of art my father usually collects, Banksy’s art is cutting edge; however contrary to my fathers taste, his art is abstract in meaning, not method.

Like most artists, Banksy is not well known; on the other hand, unlike most artists, Banksy prefers to remain anonymous. With the majority of his followers reporting that they don’t know who he is or what he looks like, it is safe to say that Banksy is an enigma.

Although he specializes in attractive and welcomed public vandalism, he also produces pieces for private collections. In April of 2007 one of his creations, entitled Space Girl and Bird, was auctioned by Sotheby’s for £288,000 ($576,000); unlike most people, Banksy refuses to embrace fame. A day prior to the sale of this work, Southeby’s succeded in auctioning off more of his pieces. In response to the absurd prices people paid, Banksy produced this work of art and posted it on the front page of his website. Be sure to check his website out.

Explore his collection, do some research, all his masterpieces rely on their location for much of their meaning. Here are some of my favorites (click to enlarge):

-pk

the wovin wall

After two years of dorm living, I am finally moving into an apartment. And as someone who has been confined to small, uninteresting spaces, I am excited about the prospect of making my room simply awesome.

Even though I am a minimalist (when it comes to design), I often find myself drawn to extra accents and certain touches that are unnecessary. Recently I ran into something called “the woven wall.”

I guess the product could either be called art or an accessory, or even both. I am going to put a picture up, and you can check out the link for further info. It is actually really hard for me to explain the entire concept… but when you see a good amount of pics, you will understand.

-pk

smashingmagazine – simply smashing

I guess you could call me a follower; or a poser; or just hopeful. I want to create my own website. Well not only do I want to, I am in the process of doing so (www.pkafka.com). You know, just a place to put my resume and portfolio.

I thought it would be easy. I am a minimalist. How hard could it be to design a simple website?

Contrary to most people’s beliefs, my trouble isn’t with the coding of the site (thanks to WYSIWYG) – it’s with the design. It’s really frigin hard to translate the ideas in my head to what is seen on the web.

In my frustration, I began seeking some guidance. In my search, I found Smashing magazine. This moderately good-looking website showcases hundreds more. If you are interested in graphic design or electronic aesthetics in general check out www.smashingmagazine.com.

For better and worse, it’ll have you wishing you had done what you find on the site.

happy designing!

-pk

get yoked

In honor of my first days success, I would like to introduce all my faithful followers to my favorite exercise.

I am writing about this workout today because the dynamic of the relationship between it and me might be similar to your experience with my blog.

I was first introduced to this exercise, known as a floor wiper, by my fit friend Patrick. The first few times I tried it, I was not only unimpressed, but a bit burdened by the challenging movement that the chiseler required.

After a couple of days of giving the ab/shoulder builder a shot, I had retired from the arduous task of trying it out.

About a month later, one of my other fit friends, Chase, introduced me to the “300 workout,” which is a series of compound movements that are challenging and productive; the floor wiper is part of the routine.

As I became stronger, I was able to appreciate the awesomeness of this body burning exercise. I do one set of fifty…but try it out as desired. By the end of my set, the excessive amount of sweat that floor wiping produces is the only thing that can help put out the burn that the movement induces.

Here is a video of the oh so sweet exercise:

The moral of the story is… Even if you don’t like my blog in its early stages, take a break, come back in a little, and hopefully, by then, you will be able to appreciate the awesomeness of it…hah.

Thanks.

-pk

surprise surprise

I never thought the day would come… but it did, and it came quickly; yesterday, my blogs first day in operation, was more than an opener, it was a success.

I couldn’t believe the numbers, but wordpress is tellin’ me my blog had over 100 visitors.

I was worried because I actually visited the blog around 100 times and was thinkin’ that I had boosted the counter. However, after some investigation, I realized that my visits did not count and that there were actually people out there who were industrious enough to find the site.

I want to assure all visitors that this blog is in its rough stage. The content, aesthetic and writing are all bound to improve. If you visit, and are not impressed, check back in a week or two, you won’t be disappointed.

To the people reading this – leave a comment, that way i’ll know what’s great (if anything) and what is far from it.

I like feedback; it makes people and places better.

Thanks.

-pk

future projections:

iphone – served fresh

Check this video out… I could not believe my eyes. Although I am not a fan of the iPhone, watching this video was a painful experience.

enjoy!

-pk