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	19 June 2004 PHOTO DIARY. We went back to Dockweiler beach again tonight, this time with my brother and Jung. We built a nice little fire... ...though not as big as some others. We stayed late and threw coins, cheetos, and whatnot into the dying embers.   Back to main 17 June 2004 PHOTO DIARY. Me and Nicki went off to Dockweiler Beach tonight just after sunset. We lit a smallish bonfire, roasted hot links, and watched the planes cruise off into the night. It was awesome.   Back to main MOVIE: NAPOLEON DYNAMITE (2004). An arch-nerd sticks up for his friend in a rural Idaho high school. People will invariably compare this movie to Rushmore, which is inaccurate: where Rushmore staged its quirkiness with willful grandeur, Napoleon eats weirdness as its daily afternoon snack, and thinks nothing of it. I couldn't get enough of the eponymous (the name's a reference to an Elvis Costello pseudonym), mouth-breather protagonist, played brilliantly, and I mean friggin' brilliantly, by Jon Heder. He talks with his eyes squinted shut. He doodles unicorns and D&D warriors. He wears moon boots. And, unlike the billion or so high school movies made up until now, he neither a) struggles to fit in or b) sell any sort of hokey "Nobody's Perfect" morality. Very refreshing. It leaves him to simply be as strange as he wants to be. Napoleon is basically a series of quietly silly vignettes strung together to form a story, which in other movies would be a flawed strategy. But the characters here are just...so...damn...funny, and so full of heart (but too stilted to express it), that I can't help but giggle at their every move and cringe at their everyday disgraces. Maybe it's geek-sympathy. maybe it's the '80's soundtrack, featuring songs I actually liked whilst I was in the '80's. In any case, each scene builds towards Napoleon's climactic, two-minute dance solo that just left me epileptic. One of the funniest, most breathtaking things I've seen all year, including my summer diet of CG blockbusters. Do the chickens have large talons? Do the chickens, have, large, talons?   Back to main 16 June 2004 PHOTO DIARY. Everyone at work took a break to gather outside today. We were waiting for the Olympic torch runner to pass by on Sunset. The Coca-Cola sponsored truck came by first, passing out Coke-branded "I saw the flame" flags. Then the Samsung truck cruised by, complete with built-in jumbotron. They also passed out little flags, this time emblazoned with the Samsung logo. Eventually the runner showed up, bearing a sleek, over-designed torch. I don't know who she was. The torch would make its way up the celebrity chain, eventually winding up at Dodgers Stadium in the hands of Tom Cruise.   Back to main 15 June 2004 PHOTO DIARY. It looks like food mascots are back at work. Here's fellow designer Debbie's latest creation, shortly before she peeled and ate it with a little salt. Once in a while, a little squirrel hauls ass across a power line just outside our window. We gather to cheer him on.   Back to main 13 June 2004 PHOTO DIARY. I visited my brother at a shoot for ResFest in Venice. It involved a lot of sitting around. As the crew broke down the set, we wandered around the Venice boardwalk down the street. All kinds of crap was going on, including halfpipe skate competitions... ...extreme off-road scooter dirt jumping... ...and free Spam samples.   Back to main Archives. 17 August 2003 — 24 August 2003 — 31 August 2003 — 07 September 2003 — 14 September 2003 — 02 November 2003 — 09 November 2003 — 16 November 2003 — 23 November 2003 — 30 November 2003 — 07 December 2003 — 01 February 2004 — 08 February 2004 — 15 February 2004 — 22 February 2004 — 29 February 2004 — 07 March 2004 — 14 March 2004 — 21 March 2004 — 28 March 2004 — 04 April 2004 — 11 April 2004 — 18 April 2004 — 25 April 2004 — 02 May 2004 — 09 May 2004 — 16 May 2004 — 23 May 2004 — 30 May 2004 — 06 June 2004 — 13 June 2004 — 20 June 2004 — 27 June 2004 — 04 July 2004 — 11 July 2004 — 18 July 2004 — 25 July 2004 — 01 August 2004 — 08 August 2004 — 15 August 2004 — 22 August 2004 — 29 August 2004 — 05 September 2004 — 12 September 2004 — 19 September 2004 — 26 September 2004 — 03 October 2004 — 10 October 2004 — 17 October 2004 — 24 October 2004 — 31 October 2004 — 07 November 2004 — 14 November 2004 — 21 November 2004 — 28 November 2004 — 05 December 2004 — 12 December 2004 — 19 December 2004 — 26 December 2004 — 02 January 2005 — 09 January 2005 — 23 January 2005 — 30 January 2005 — 06 February 2005 — 13 February 2005 — 20 February 2005 — 27 February 2005 — 13 March 2005 — 20 March 2005 — 27 March 2005 — 03 April 2005 — 10 April 2005 — 17 April 2005 — 24 April 2005 — 01 May 2005 — 08 May 2005 — 22 May 2005 — 29 May 2005 — 05 June 2005 — 12 June 2005 — 19 June 2005 — 26 June 2005 — 03 July 2005 — 10 July 2005 — 17 July 2005 — 24 July 2005 — 31 July 2005 — 07 August 2005 — 14 August 2005 — 28 August 2005 — 04 September 2005 — 25 September 2005 — 02 October 2005 — 09 October 2005 — 30 October 2005 — 06 November 2005 — 13 November 2005 — 20 November 2005 — 27 November 2005 — 04 December 2005 — 18 December 2005 — 01 January 2006 — 08 January 2006 — 15 January 2006 — 22 January 2006 — 05 February 2006 — 26 February 2006 — 12 March 2006 — 19 March 2006 — 26 March 2006 — 02 April 2006 — 16 April 2006 — 23 April 2006 — 30 April 2006 — 07 May 2006 — 14 May 2006 — 21 May 2006 — 04 June 2006 — 18 June 2006 — 25 June 2006 — 16 July 2006 — 23 July 2006 — 06 August 2006 — 13 August 2006 — 03 September 2006 — 17 September 2006 — 01 October 2006 —