This would be a grrreat way to do a showreel

Combine your skills with a message.

To Do List from Yaniv Fridman on Vimeo.

(Even if the message is super cheesy and sorta ripped off from the epic Baz Luhrman film from '99). (Side note: it is also something one should watch like, at the beginning of every week).

Best best best

This band rocks my world right now. The National with mainly Sorrow, Terrible Love and obviously Fake Empire. Repeat. I'm killing them. Like I always do with new great songs and artists. But I can't stop myself. It's too tres bien. They're a bit more than just About Today.

Live (we do prefer)


But for some reason proper version sounds better

Ping-Pong MISS

The Great Bet has taken place during entire January: If I beat Sebastian over three sets - he'll buy me lunch for a week. If I fail - I pay his lunch for a week. I haven't mentioned it here cause I didn't want to jinx it. Although as I have done it on Twitter - that must be the reason I failed. It's been unbelievable. Unbelievable and unlucky. And shamefully.

Been the clearly better player; yet I have failed to live up to the hype that ensues the Captain of The Ping-Pong Team. Choked more times than people have breathed. In the history of time.

Worst game was 1-1 in sets and even score at 19-19 (true story!). Only thing left for me to do is just keep trucking. Keep delivering killer-smashes, power-backhands and unexpected stop-balls. Needless to say I utterly choked. FAIL big time. It's depressing just to type this so I won't.

As January ran out of days and ping-pong matches we had both amped up for our final game. On the last day of January (at the office January 29 that is), I asked for one more game in February - since we hadn't found time for our last game - which in my sense is mandatory- but Sebastian The Coward, cowardly denied me the opportunity and Christian The Man of Honor accepted my defeat and am now buying Sebastian The Annoying lunch every day of this week.

Did I say the worst part was the 1-1 at the score of 19-19? Oh no. Allow me to correct that. Yesterday - at the first day at the office in the month of February - we played ping-pong again (difficult to break old habits) and I completely crushed him. Two straight sets. BOOM. Just as it should be. What it counts for? Nothing at god damn all.

Oh crap!

It's amazing how much I can't stop killing this song. This very version. Repeat. Again. So miraculously lovely. Only wish I understood it better.

Oh crap, I’ve done it again

I’ve done it again. I miserably fail every time when it comes to new great music. That never fails. Whenever I find a new song, a new group or anything of such, I completely over-listen to them so much it’s crazy. I know I will get sick and tired of the song and should stop. Every bone and emotion in me screams at me. Telling me to stop. Shut it off.

I know I will ruin the song. Completely. I don't want to but I can't help it. Like poison. I don’t want to get tired of it. I want it to last forever. That I will feel the exact same way as I did the first and the tenth time, as I’ll do in a year. The song I’m ruining now is For Real with Okkervil River. No, they’re not new at all; they’ve been dozing off my playlist for quite some time now actually. Just waiting for their chance to snap-attack me and hit me with intense force. So they did. Boom. Now they’re on my running-playlist and I will kill the song.

Funny thing right now, when looking for their live-performance is the first time I’ve actually seen them. Didn’t look at all as I pictured them. Quite the contrary. Cute though. Which is enough.


Album version:


The song I fell in love with first is way to depressing. But it's awesome.

A better life

Not a man of resolutions or vows – they’ll soon break anyway. Living my life by two rules in my rule-free life – never regret and never complain. Yup, all the clichés – you can’t change what has happened so no need to worry about it. Take lesson but don’t feel remorse. Yadi-yadi-yadi.

Like getting in shape – doing my best but continuously fail. So no need to promise anything here, no. Main foe is the sweet tooth. See, I have no problem consuming overloads of ice creams or candy (what I consider the main hurdle between Hercules and me – plus the fact I hate – wrong despise – gyms and fitness centers – but lets ignore that for now).

Until now. Suddenly – and with no real reason or motivation, I found myself having been without candy for three weeks. Everyone who has ever been addicted to candy knows this time is the hardest part. Getting rid of the immediate cravings. So I saw it as a blessing (no religious man, but thank you god). Feels like it could succeed this time. I mean, been doing this on/off with sweets for ten or so years with little or no result, so no special hopes this time – but strangely it just feels different. Plus I got the pool here now (hello impending muscles). So who knows if it’s “Hercules!?” girls & boys will scream in hopes and joy when I’ll wander down the beach in my sarong and shoulder-long hair all oily and tan. After all it’s over nine months since my last bite on anything resembling a candy. Ice cream is very much excluded.

Yet another irrational decision

far too many good TV-shows are made nowadays. The US of A is really good at producing them and they come in numbers. It started way before the most recent boom (e.g. Sex & The City, Sopranos) and has started to out-do even the most daring Hollywood budget. Main reason why they’re so darn good, besides having the enormous budget is, time. Time to develop characters and story worthy of your interest (compare to any given “cozy rom-com” nowadays and you catch my drift). And time is also its own Achilles heal. You have more choices sitting in your sofa with the remote and its zillions of options a simple click away, than in a theatre (basically one then; leave before it ends – but then what?) and TV-makers knows this. But most of all – they respect that, and repay it with some bad ass TV-shows.

I try to be very selective when it comes to new TV shows. Basically cause I know they’ll be great. That’s why I haven’t seen a single second of a single episode of Sopranos for instance. I don’t have time to be captivated by yet another show. It consumes me. I get greedy. I want to have it all. Now. Cause time, is not your ally here. Waiting for a new episode every week doesn’t work. I need to download the whole series and watch it in one scope. Like I did when I bought the full Season 3 of Lost at 10pm on Friday night and finished it 4am Saturday night/morning. That was great. That’s how it should be consumed.

And now, as my selectiveness has expanded, heck I haven’t even had time to watch the series I really want to watch (hello, Eastbound & Down – I apologize – I will come for you, and not to mention finishing season two of Mad Men (3 is airing now) and take on the most recent season of Lost so I can catch up when the last one airs – soon! And The Wire – all the great things I’ve heard about you; can’t wait to confirm them – I know I will), I’ve catapulted myself into two series I never intended to follow. The Ultimate Fighter and True Blood. Both very different from each another but both equally addictive. And it’s all because of my brother, roommate and best friend, Staffan. I curse him – cause I have no choice. What am I supposed to do when he puts it on? Leave? Do something productive with my time? Hell no. I’m hooked.


*They aren’t.

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CLICK for the guys portfolio/site/work/etc.

Coffee + sugar

It has begun. Now I’m not the kind of kind who relentlessly work against the common practice of the country I reside in and have therefore accepted the way of obesity fully and open hearted. Never used sugar in my coffee before. But now. It started slowly last week, "just a teaspoon", I convinced myself and quickly poured it in without anyone noticing. Now it’s custom for my afternoon latte every day.

Social Media joy

First of all – I love it. Great. Immense. Impressive. Uncharted. Undiscovered. Etc. etc. and etc. all that and so much more, I won’t do a poor attempt of adding my contribution to exploring why it’s so much fun. Someone else does that better; there’s enough self-proclaimed evangelists out there anyway. Which brings me to my point.

The evangelists, the ones that follow and discuss every single new tech-invention, tech-something, social media study, apps, sites, widgets, downloads, updates, all that and much more. Or as normal people call them – the nerds. Never before has it been more concerned OK to be a nerd. In fact, nerds are more appreciated than the sports-jock nowadays and I have very little to say about that. I love it though. Don’t get me wrong.

What I love the most is the way explore and discuss non-relevant things with each other as if their life depended on it, or sometimes talk about casually, like normal people did back in the days over a few pints on the pub. IRL, so to speak (sooo 2002).



A guru posts all his iPhone apps on his blog and the response is tireless “Wow, never seen so many apps before – good luck”, another one anxiously asks “Oh My Goodness. I can only imagine how long it takes your phone to sync! :)” - according to the ‘guru’ and author of then post “surprisingly fast now that I have a 3GS!”, and the comments continue, ”You're not alone. But I am sure nobody beats you :-)” someone admirably praises. What strikes me the most is the tremendous effort they put in doing this. Just venture Mashable for a minute and discover how determination of talking about ones and zeros looks like, from both the author and the followers/commentators, the ones who give special effort a face. And when someone talks about what other nerds are up to, e.g. "Top 5 Social Networks for Gamers" like actual lives depend on it, more nerds (perhaps) mainly from Silicon Valley respond with faster pace than Bolt on twitter* and internet's about to implode.

Only group of people that can compare with this are football aficionados (biggest sport in the world) religious freaks (all around the world) and religious freaks – but from another religion (also worldwide). It’s remarkable. And I honestly love it. Comments are by far the best/funniest/most interesting thing to read on YouTube for example. By far. More on that later.


*Internal-internet-fun/joke.

Woke up to the sound of Alamo

The rain was pouring down and I wondered how this happened. Very odd. The sun‘s been so kind for the past couple of days but then I noticed that my tree I’ve placed o my terrace might actually enjoy this. It might be a small, but a very distinct display of affection from my side when I placed it there. Our other tree, in the living room, was dying; with only one sorry leaf left and to end his suffering would be much appreciated on his behalf. Then laziness showed up and I decided to place it on the balcony instead. Now, a month later the tree is revitalized and blooming like never before.

As I contemplated about this, running felt very much like a poor decision and I changed my alarm and went back to sleep. Or should I. no legit reason was to be found; rain is only wet and things starting spinning inside the tiny little head. “Well I was up at 2am helping Sandra – I deserve a little sleep” I decided and very much leaned down on the pillow again.

Twenty minutes later I realized that too much thinking obstructed sleep and I went for a run. And it was fantastic. Perhaps my best one since arrival. I won the Olympics (still in Beijing oddly enough), Marathon (New York) and even the World Championships in Athletics in Berlin. I was supreme. And wet. Once again it only proves that not a single time do you regret going for a run but always regret the ones you skip.

Arnold gets pissed

Rebel with a cause

Took the long-lunch. Stayed as long as I pleased. Perhaps not without feeling a piece of guilt, but definitely without showing.
Took a stroll back to the office. Exuded the sun’s warm beams while reflecting that it was almost too much*, but enjoyed my moment in the spotlight.
Back at work. Can’t focus. Fingertips’ pressing keys, but not producing an awful lot of work. All I want is listen to Håkan. All day everyday. And maybe eat an ice cream. Yes, in the sun, but that's obvious.


*Severe difference between typing too much and actually meaning it.

The sun is smirking outside

And I haven’t been outside since I arrived to the office today. But shouldn’t be all too worried. Still a lot of hours left to kill indoors.

Air

Have this compulsion about always wanting a breath of fresh air each day.
A universal thing, everybody wants that, you think but I have friends who can spend an entire day indoor. Madness.

And sometimes (now) when I haven’t been outside for lunch I get all anxious. So expect fretful, deeply nonsense posts for a while. All until I get some fresh, soothing air.

Running without music makes anyone a dull boy. Hearing you’re insane doing it, probably makes you.

As I’ve mentioned, my iPod disappeared and I now run without music. Fine, I thought, exactly what I did before I got addicted to it and what mankind’s been doing for centuries prior to Apple and me.

Then I told Erik, aka Mr. wiseass, who immediately feels the urge to destroy it all by saying something stupid like, “O boy – that’s the worse thing I can ever imagine, makes the whole run feel at least twice as long!”.

And I can’t get that part out of my head as I now go for daily double runs.

Severe addict

Went to Eric again, my favorite fake-tailor, and sole-responsible for my most recent 35 shirts.
I can’t even go there and pick up the last ones without ordering dozens more. And last time was no exception, except the exception that I brought a pair of pants to be copied too.
But restrained myself to one pair before I go nuts on the fabrics for multiple copies .
I’m starting to keep my compulsion on a tight leash.
But, Saturday, i pick it up.

Thought I’d seen everything

Until now. First I watched the new Bond trailer and thought to myself, nice one, cool.
Then magic happened.
Fucking oh my fucking deep shit God I’m beyond blown away.
Does it depress you? How alone you really are?
It's going to be epic. It will revolutionize acting as we know it, change the genre, it will create history, it will implement immortal lines that will be spoken forever.
Read a review from Rolling Stone here.
You see for them... you're just a freak. Like me.
But first I’m gonna go watch Ronaldinho now.
HIT ME!.....COME ON HIT ME!!

Stocking up

The secret-supply-locker was echoing ‘more than empty', so the savior rushed down to stock up with more.
Here’s what excited fingers stumbled across:
Notice how Dove not only celebrate real beauty for fat chic’s over 40, they make sure that this they're in full need of skin-redemption-lotions for decades to come:
Chocolate your average pimpled teen hitting puberty in time, so when they’ve reached the delightful age of fat-40+, they'll guarantee that future sell is covered.
Disgusting or brilliant?
They’re also very careful here about candy.
Forests aside, they make sure it’s extra protection where absolute needed.

Four reasons

A simple man needs simple things.
In this case, a quartern much fun.