"A Day in the Life of Jon -- (April 30, 2008)"

-- 12:01 AM --
Wednesday begins. Being on a non-traditional day/sleep schedule, I'm still awake from Tuesday... and I plan to continue well into the morning. As it just so happens, I begin today in front of the television watching the 2006 animated film, "Flushed Away".

-- 12:55 AM --
The movie concludes (an excellent, and very humorous one I might add!). I return to my computer to do a little of this, and a little of that. I'll check email, sign into MySpace/Facebook, work for a bit, and hang out in my online chat circles. If you see me around, feel free to say hi!

-- 1:44 AM --
I notice (with great glee!) that the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Chicago Cubs 10-7 on Tuesday! It's always nice to see the hometown team crush the nearby rival! :)

-- 3:58 AM --
Well, time to take a break from the computer. Time for me to go find some dinner, and maybe watch the ABC early morning news. Pizza, here I come!

-- 5:31 AM --
Dinner's over, and might I say, that was one very tasty pizza! Pepperoni, with extra cheese and toppings. Mmmm! Good stuff. But, now it's back to work. My projects: A number of things relating to my online store, a little marketing,... and some networking! See ya in a bit!

-- 7:51 AM --
Taking a break to grab a shower and watch some television.

-- 9:12 AM --
All showered, shaved, and clean. At the moment, I'm out in the living room sitting comfortably on the couch, ice water in hand, and watching "Live with Regis and Kelly".

-- 10:09 AM --
I've returned to my computer. Done watching TV. Time to design a few T-shirts.

-- 12:06 PM --
Alright, I'm off to bed. I'll see you all again in a few hours!

-- 6:52 PM --
I'm up and about, rested and ready to resume my day. I didn't sleep quite as long as I would have liked, but, if I grow tired later, I can always crawl back into bed and take a nap. Right now, though, I think I'm going to go find something to eat for "breakfast". I'll be back in a bit.

-- 7:53 PM --
Ok, back to work. Time to design a few more T-shirts.

-- 11:59 PM --
And thus ends my Wednesday. I've spent the last four hours designing new T-shirts for my store (I'll have a Military category online later this morning). Like yesterday, my "day" will continue into tomorrow, but for now... I think it's time for a break. :)

Have a wonderful Thursday all. Thanks for joining me as I blogged my day!

Your happily blogging friend,
-Jon
posted by Jon at 12:01 AM  I   I  0 comments

"No Comments"

Do not leave any comments on this post. No really, I mean it. Don't leave me any comments. Seriously, now... no comments. Good. None. Nada. Zip.

-Jon
posted by Jon at 11:23 PM  I   I  0 comments

"16 Abandoned Hotels"

There is something utterly intriguing, mysterious, and beautiful about old abandoned buildings. Asylums, Hotels, Hospitals, ghost towns, that sort of place. For some reason, I'm completely entranced by them. Maybe it's my love of history... and mystery, I don't know. Whatever it is, I do know this: If those walls could tell tales, I would eagerly listen for hours!

That said, here's a fascinating photo list of 16 abandoned hotels from around the world. Feel free to take a look, and let me know if you feel the mystery too!

-Jon
posted by Jon at 2:43 AM  I   I  0 comments

"The Meaning Of Colors"

For most of us, a rainbow of color envelopes our lives. Over 80% of visual information is related to color. What colors (and combinations of colors) stimulate interest in different things? What colors motivate pleasure or disapproval, a feeling of heat or cold, attraction or repulsion, and which colors stimulate or suppress our appetite? See for yourself.

-Jon
posted by Jon at 11:52 PM  I   I  0 comments

"Quote of the Day"

"I would rather be an optimist and a fool than a pessimist and right."
-- Kurt Godel, "IQ"

-Jon
posted by Jon at 7:05 AM  I   I  0 comments

"Some Stats"

I love Google Analytics. It keeps track of all sorts of statistical information about this blog. And I end up learning new details about all of you too! So... I thought I'd share some of them with you today. Here are a few neat little tidbits, based upon the last 30 days of data. Enjoy!

Jon Baas Blog Stats (March 26 - April 25, 2008):

• Unique visitors: 192
  
• Page views: 781
  
• Percent who come here via a search engine: 16.7%
  
• Percent who come here via another site: 35.1%
  
• Percent of searchers who came here looking for "actor blog": 14.9%
  
• The average time spent on this site: 2 minutes, 17 seconds.
  
• Top referrer: MySpace.com (aka, my MySpace profile)
  
• Number of different visitor countries: 26
  
• Location of visitors: USA (84%), United Arab Emirates (4%), Germany (3%), Switzerland (2%), Canada (1%), UK (1%)
  
• Browsers used: Internet Explorer (57%), Firefox (40%), Safari (2%)
  
• Connection type: Cable (39%), DSL (31%), Unknown (11%), T1 (9%), Dial-up (5%)
  
• New visitors in last 30 days: 34%
  
• Returning visitors in last 30 days: 66%
  
• Most common ISPs: Comcast, America Online, Cox, Roadrunner, Marquette University

And, in addition to those stats, here are the top North American cities that have sent the most visitors to this blog in the last 30 days:

• Milwaukee, Wisconsin .... 22%
  
• Westminster, Colorado .... 18%
  
• New York City, New York .... 8%
  
• Elm Grove, Wisconsin .... 5%
  
• Minneapolis, Minnesota .... 4%
  
• Topeka, Kansas .... 4%
  
  
• Total Cities (worldwide): 139

Keep in mind, these stats are only from March 26 - April 25.

-Jon
posted by Jon at 5:19 PM  I   I  0 comments

"Persistence"

You know, far too often in life, I feel like this little guy. And I don't know if that's sad, funny, or just plain pathetic. I keep trying... and trying. I suppose, though, if I look at it optimistically I'm not someone who gives up easily. And that's a good thing... right? ... [video]

-Jon
posted by Jon at 3:43 AM  I   I  0 comments

"Creatures From El"

Ellen of Creatures from El blog makes amazingly intricate ceramic fantasy creatures. And I think "amazingly intricate" is an understatement! Check out her work, and enjoy!

-Jon
posted by Jon at 11:23 PM  I   I  0 comments

"How They Found Me"

Just for the fun of it, I thought I would take a look at some of the recent (and unrelated) search phrases people have used to find this blog. Here are some of the more interesting ones:

• "chris noth and motorcycles"
  
• "jon actor bringing home baby"
  
• "heidi baas"
  
• "how to play baas gutar"
  
• "jon actor what is my house worth?"
  
• "roly poly"
  
• "star trek voyager +instrament colors"
  
• "14 inch actor"
  
• "cheney's glasses"
  
• "word curses spoken over wisconsin"
  
• "www.sixty happy birthday.com"
  
• "milwaukee earthquakes 1950s"

Fascinating stuff. And yes, for the record, while my name is Jon, and I am an actor... to my recollection, no, I haven't brought any babies home recently. Sorry to disappoint. I wouldn't mind learning how to play that "Baas guitar", though. Sounds like fun! :)

-Jon
posted by Jon at 10:46 PM  I   I  0 comments

"April Showers"

It's raining here in Milwaukee. You should see how green the once-brown grass has become! Wasn't it just a few weeks ago when we still had snow on the ground? The last of 100 inches too, I might add! All cold, and white, and blustery. I can't complain, though. Winter is definitely pretty, but Spring.... even prettier! And you know how much I love color!

Yep. April showers bring May flowers. Now, if only the lilacs would hurry up and bloom!

-Jon
posted by Jon at 6:36 PM  I   I  0 comments

"Quote of the Day"

"Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."
-- Hebrews 11:1

-Jon
posted by Jon at 5:03 PM  I   I  0 comments

"Top Romantic Movies"

Early this morning, I sat down and watched the movie "You've Got Mail". Having posted a list of my favorite baseball movies this past weekend, I thought I would take a moment and do the same for my favorite romantic movies. Afterall, I am a rather soft-hearted romantic kinda guy. So....

Just for the fun of it, here are my top ten favorite romantic movies:

1. "You've Got Mail" (1998)
   
2. "While You Were Sleeping" (1995)
   
3. "Sleepless in Seattle" (1993)
   
4. "Serendipity" (2001)
   
5. "Braveheart" (1995)
   
6. "The Cutting Edge" (1992)
   
7. "Roman Holiday" (1953)
   
8. "Sabrina" (1995)
   
9. "The Princess Bride" (1987)
   
10. "Notting Hill" (1999)

How many of these have you seen?

-Jon
posted by Jon at 2:15 PM  I   I  0 comments

"T-Shirt Thursday: State Cutie T-Shirts"

In an effort to show off some of my popular (or new) t-shirts, artwork, and gift ideas exclusive to my online store, Jon Baas Designs, I've decided to feature a few of them here on my blog every Thursday. I call it, "T-Shirt Thursday". Feel free to comment, and enjoy!

Today's Featured Designs:
(click on each image to see available products)


More T-shirts & Gifts: .... State Cutie Tees .... About Me T-shirts

And for those of you who like to shop, weekly sales and coupons are available on the front page of my store. Feel free to use them for special discounts!

Have a wonderful Thursday everyone!

Your happily blogging friend,
-Jon
posted by Jon at 1:35 PM  I   I  0 comments

"What Keeps Jon Busy?"

I've had a few people ask me in recent weeks, "So, Jon, what have you been up to lately? What keeps you so busy? Where've you been?" Well... here's the skinny.

On the acting end of things, I just started getting back into auditions. For those of you who don't know, I usually pass on theatre/film work during the cold winter months because, well, it's cold outside. And to be completely honest, that usually means I have to stand outside for long periods of time at REEEEAALY cold bus stops -- (since I don't own a car, and public transit in the city is cheap enough that I don't really need one). But now that Spring has arrived, and the weather has warmed up... so has my "theatre season". I haven't secured any roles this early yet, but when I do, I'll be sure to announce them all right here.

As far as my art career goes, well, that's where I've been the busiest lately. As a freelance artist, I work on client projects, I draw graphite portraits for people, I create promotional imagery for theatre/film projects, I design websites, whatever comes my way. As a result, I'm usually always busy with some sort of project -- whether big or small. In fact, I'm actually working on a project right now that could make a big splash in the coming months. It's still a "work in progress" so I can't say too much just yet, but I will say this.... It's pretty cool, and unique! Stay tuned right here, and I'll tell you all about it (as we get closer to my "launch date")! :)

Outside of my acting, and my client art projects, I'm also a small business owner. I design and sell t-shirts, prints, gifts, and other unique items in my store -- Jon Baas Designs. Business is pretty good. I'm constantly coming up with new ideas, branching out into new design categories, and increasing my product catalog by leaps and bounds. If all goes well, by this time next year, I could very likely triple my present sales numbers. And that's not too shabby!

There are a few other projects that keep me busy as well. In winter, I handle all of the sidewalk snow removal at my apartment building(s). And that's a pretty sizable task -- especially this year -- as Milwaukee got 100 inches of the stuff! I'm also my landlord's painter: when an apartment needs painting, I'm his go-to guy. And when he has other projects... that's usually me too.

So, yeah, all-in-all, I keep busy. I'm an actor, an artist, an entrepreneur, a small business owner, a painter, and, more often than not, a bit of a handyman. Each job I enjoy, because, to be completely honest.... I'm one of those independently-minded people. My passion guides me. It makes the journey an adventure. And as you know, I LOVE a good adventure!

So here's to the months yet to come. May they be productive, successful, and exciting. If you want to know "what keeps Jon busy", just ask. I'll be happy to tell you all about it!

Have a wonderful Wednesday all, and until next time,

Your happily blogging friend,
-Jon
posted by Jon at 11:44 PM  I   I  0 comments

"33 Realistic Lego Creations"

Here's something fun and creative: Photographs of the coolest Lego creations around the world. People have made just about anything you can think of out of Legos, including portraits of famous people, life-size replica cars, full scaled-down cities, and even working computers.

Take a peek, and enjoy!

-Jon
posted by Jon at 4:43 AM  I   I  0 comments

"Top Baseball Movies"

Just for the fun of it, here are my top ten favorite baseball movies:

1. "For Love of the Game" (1999)
   
2. "The Rookie" (2002)
   
3. "Eight Men Out" (1988)
   
4. "Field of Dreams" (1989)
   
5. "Mr. Baseball" (1992)
   
6. "Major League" (1989)
   
7. "The Natural" (1984)
   
8. "A League of Their Own" (1992)
   
9. "The Babe" (1992)
   
10. "The Sandlot" (1993)

How many of these have you seen?

-Jon
posted by Jon at 11:46 PM  I   I  0 comments

"Friday in Review"

Tested fire alarms at a 32-unit apartment building. Had a lunch meeting with a financial advisor; treated to Chinese. Investigated the large personal collections left behind by a recently-deceased Vietnam veteran. Awed by his extensive WWII hats, medals, and bladed weaponry! (Might even acquire one of his swords for my own collection). Returned home, hung out, and then watched a Netflix rental of "Night at the Museum". Heading to bed.

-Jon
posted by Jon at 11:51 PM  I   I  0 comments

"Earthquake Rattles Milwaukee"

At 4:37 a.m. this morning, a 5.2 magnitude earthquake struck southeastern Illinois. It was centered six miles from West Salem, Illinois, 66 miles from Evansville, Indiana, and could be felt up here in Milwaukee -- 450 miles away. There were no immediate reports of injuries.

The last earthquake in the region to approach this morning's severity, was a 5.0 magnitude quake that struck in 2002. The worst was a 5.4 magnitude in 1968, although the New Madrid quakes of 1811 and 1812 are noted to have reached as high as 8.1 (the richter scale did not exist at the time) and were felt throughout the state.

"Illinois Earthquake Felt In Southeastern Wisconsin"

-Jon
posted by Jon at 8:52 AM  I   I  0 comments

"Houses Covered in Kudzu"

Kudzu is a climbing vine introduced into the United States -- from Japan -- in 1876 at the Philadelphia Centennial Expo. It was intended to be a forage crop and ornamental plan. In the early 1950s, however, the U.S. Department of Agriculture actually encouraged farmers to plant the vines in order to help reduce soil erosion.

Now fast forward a couple of decades later, and kudzu has become a fast growing weed that infests about 11,000 square miles of the southeastern United States. It costs around $500 million every year in lost cropland and removal/control costs.

Jack Anthony has a photo gallery of abandoned houses in Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina that have been taken over by kudzu. I thought I'd post the link here since, in a way, they do -- as he said -- make "interesting natural sculptures". Enjoy!

-Jon
posted by Jon at 3:31 PM  I   I  0 comments

"Quote of the Day"

"What can you ever really know of other people's souls -- of their temptations, their opportunities, their struggles? One soul in the whole creation you do know: and it is the only one whose fate is placed in your hands." -- C.S. Lewis

-Jon
posted by Jon at 2:52 PM  I   I  0 comments

"One Less Friend"

It's sad when you lose a close friend. Even moreso when that friend chooses silence, instead of facing her struggles and offering you an explanation. And to make things even more frustrating, is when that close friend is someone you are very much in love with -- and someone who was (until their disappearance) very much in love with you too.

Sometimes I just don't understand people... or why they act the way that they do.

-Jon
posted by Jon at 2:21 PM  I   I  0 comments

"Ice Cream and Springtime"

Today was a beautiful day! So nice in fact, that Scott (roomate) and I went for a leisurely walk to one of the local custard stands for some ice cream. We each had a waffle cones filled with their flavor of the day -- dark raspberry. Mmmm! Good stuff! Even if it did want to melt on the walk home. But then again, sticky fingers are part of the whole ice cream cone experience! :)

Yeah, it's definitely spring around here. A few flowers are already in bloom, teams are playing baseball in the local parks, the grass is turning green after all of our recent "April Showers", and I even saw healthy buds on my favorite lilac trees! Oh, yeah, and with a high temperature today of 75 degrees, I went out and about for the first time WITHOUT a coat or jacket.

Yep. It's definitely Springtime -- my favorite season of the year!

-Jon
posted by Jon at 7:34 PM  I   I  0 comments

"Quote of the Day"

"It's not our mistakes that define us. It's what we do afterwards that counts."
-- David Sinclair, "Numb3rs"

-Jon
posted by Jon at 6:44 AM  I   I  0 comments

"Tax-Free Until 2009"

My 2007 taxes have been taken care of. The forms have been filled out, submitted... and paid. That's the one disadvantage of being self-employed -- you usually OWE taxes. But, I don't mind. I like my independence. I'll take that to working as a corporate employee any day!

-Jon
posted by Jon at 3:42 PM  I   I  0 comments

"Just A Trace"

Yesterday we had some snow flurries. Nothing that amounted to much; the ground is clear and the grass is already starting to turn green. But it was enough to raise our winter total to 99.1 inches. We're less than one inch away from the century mark.

-Jon
posted by Jon at 6:49 PM  I   I  0 comments

"Minas Tirith -- In Matchsticks"

Patrick Acton is an artist from Iowa who uses matchsticks to create incredible works of art. So far, his creations have been featured on ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Home and Garden TV, as well as magazines such as Highlights for Children, Reminisce, The Iowan, and others. His current project is a scale model of Minas Tirith from The Lord of the Rings! And might I say... this one is mind-blowing! Enjoy!

-Jon
posted by Jon at 4:14 PM  I   I  0 comments

"Roly Poly Play-with-me Kitten"

Awwww! How adorable! I like cats, little kittens particularly, so I think this little guy will have to stick around as my "Cute of the Day". He's got that certain "X-factor" that just melts my heart. Yep. Definitely cute. See for yourself, and enjoy! ... [video]

-Jon
posted by Jon at 3:37 PM  I   I  0 comments

"Quote of the Day"

"Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, "I'll try again tomorrow." -- Mary Anne Radmacher

-Jon
posted by Jon at 11:47 PM  I   I  0 comments

"Change Your Appearance"

Dutch artist Levi van Veluw has an interesting photo series of self-portraits, drawn and photographed by himself. His works constitute elemental transfers; modifying the face as an object; combining it with other stylistic elements to create a third visual object of great impact.

Most fascinating is his take on his appearance, changed according to the seasons. And it's not quite what you might expect. It's strange and creative... yet also oddly mesmerizing.

-Jon
posted by Jon at 8:47 PM  I   I  0 comments

"Creative Barcodes"

Barcodes, or UPC symbols -- common on almost all consumer products these days -- have received a radical makeover by a Japanese firm called D-Barcode. Their creative ideas have ended up in grocery stores all over Japan. Take a peek, and enjoy!

-Jon
posted by Jon at 1:17 AM  I   I  0 comments

"The Wooden Race Car"

It took German Michael Arndt six years and almost $9,500 to built a full scale McLaren-Mercedes Formula 1 race car in his kitchen. His tools: 956,000 matchsticks and 1,686 tubes of glue.

Now that's one hard-core race fan!

-Jon
posted by Jon at 12:51 AM  I   I  0 comments

"Matters of the Heart"

Sorry folks. I've been distracted by a troubling personal issue this past week, and as a result, haven't had the motivation to blog. But I'm accepting the struggle now, and I think my heart is returning to other things. I appreciate your patience, and again, I appologize.

Have a great Friday all,
-Jon
posted by Jon at 11:44 PM  I   I  0 comments

"Back in Milwaukee"

Well folks, I'm back in Milwaukee again. All safe and sound. I returned via train earlier this afternoon, and now I'm getting settled back into my normal routine. It was a wonderful family visit, though, and a nice little week-long break from "business as usual".

During my visit, I hung out, chatted with my parents, watched some favorite movies, went with my mom downtown and to the Mall of America, went out to eat a few times, did some shopping, and celebrated a little of what I missed from Christmas. I returned home with a happier heart and slightly heavier luggage: aka, a few Christmas/birthday gifts, some of my mom's "secret recipe" cookies, and two borrowed DVD seasons of "Quantum Leap".

It was a great vacation. And now I must get back to the grindstone of work. But at least I had a chance to sit back, relax, and recharge my "batteries" -- something I very much needed. Yep, time for another (newly invigorated) run at success! :)

Have a wonderful evening all. Until next time, back here from Milwaukee,

Your happily blogging friend,
-Jon
posted by Jon at 6:42 PM  I   I  0 comments