Running for Risa

This is copied directly from the Running For Risa site, but I felt it should be copied to help relay the information correctly.

“In May 2010, Risa Whitaker-a beautiful 17-year-old woman from Beaverton, Oregon- was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. Even after numerous rounds of chemo and other treatments, her case has baffled top medical experts and revealed few answers or viable options. On top of it all, Risa's insurance company labeled her illness a pre-existing condition, which left her and her family without the support of medical insurance.

It has been a long and arduous road for the Whitakers. At the start of her illness, Risa was a graduating senior at Pioneer Heritage Academy and an energetic member of the In Motion Ballroom Dance Team. Now, Risa has to face every day alongside the cancer that plagues her. There are good days, and there are bad days; yet Risa continues to amaze us all with her wonderfully good-natured personality, laughter, optimism, and love. She is truly a shining example of strength, faith, and hope.

The Running for Risa Fundraiser is all for Risa. It was designed to bring people together to show support for this wonderful family, who has given so much to their friends and community over the years. Your generosity helps pay for much-needed medical treatments and other associated expenses related to her care. It also gives Risa and her family hope as they battle on toward a brighter future, and a cure.”

I heard about this around town and of course had to be apart of it. I ran a 5K with my wife to help support the cause. It was a great event and there was a great spirit of community. Risa had actually passed away almost a full month prior to the April 23rd Run, but people still showed up to support the family.

We were very happy with the turn out and with our runs. I did 20:01 and my wife got 33:27 for her first 5K run.

Beaver Freezer

My first triathlon was the Beaver Freezer in Corvallis, Oregon.  I was very happy with my results.

Swim 7:41

Transition 3:01 (ouch.  Need to work on this one.)
Bike 38:30

Transition 1:31

Run 22:14

Results were 51^st out of 382.  6^th out of my age division.  End time was 1:13:06.

Foals at Wonder Ballroom

From submitting my Perfect Playlist to 947.fm, I got free tickets to see a band called Foals.  I knew nothing about them or the other bands, but was excited to see a show at the Wonder Ballroom.  The venue is pretty nice and not worn out like many other concert halls.  It has an awesome upstairs bar and seating area.  It's great, but I don't think the bar should be upstairs as I saw plenty of tipsy people falling down on the stairs.

Freelance Whales were just before Foals.  They are an Indie rock band from New York.  They sounded like Postal Service mixed with Mumford and Sons.  They were really close to being good, but just didn't sound quiet right.  They seemed to build a repetitive track rather than a solid sound.  They had lots of instruments and it seemed like each band member was a good musician, but all together the sound was very mundane and boring.  They must be good and have a following though because they are playing at a lot of great upcoming shows.  I assume people are going towards a folk sound like Mumford & Sons a little more every day, but I'm hoping this is a phase.  I would keep an eye on Freelance Whales because they might change just enough to be really good, but as of now, not so perfect.

Foals, the headlining band from England, was a little funny looking as they walked out on stage, but as soon as they played it was money.  The lead, Yannis Philippakis, has voice just like Robert Smith of The Cure.  Overall I thought they did sound like The Cure, but with a lot more rock.  According to their wiki page, it says they are linked to “dance-punk” and that sounds just about right for them.  They are fantastic musicians and every other song felt like a live jam session.  They were awesome and constantly had a fantastic bass line and beat.  I just thoroughly enjoyed one song to the next and was always loving the sound that came from them.  I highly recommend them and if you are unsure, see them in concert for the jam session vibe because they are fantastic live.

Papa Haydn

Papa Haydn’s was introduced to me by friends. Apparently it is a local staple for Porlandians. It’s most famous with the teen crowds for proms and for romantic events, however, it’s busy no matter what the time.

It is a restaurant and I can’t say I’ve had the food yet because the real show stopper is their desserts. When you enter Papa Haydn’s you can select if you want the dinner or just dessert side of the restaurant. They have two locations now, but I visited the NW location. It’s cozy and has a wonderful large fireplace and candle light on the table, which of course must be why it’s so popular for romantic occasions.

The dessert selection is as large as a Denny’s menu. There are so many choices and many are not “typical.” Yes there’s cheesecake and chocolate cake, but there are unique variations as well as flavors. Each dessert is to die for and the most delicious thing you have ever eaten. Do not go if you’re on a diet because you cannot contain yourself once you have a bite. You get just about any slice all for the same price and they fill you up very well. They are so rich no matter the flavor, but you’re welcome to order a glass of milk which suits the dessert perfectly.

This is a must do if you are in Portland. The flavors will rock your world and when your done or waiting, you can cruise the cute North West neighborhood and enjoy quaint stores.

Hollywood Wasteland's Destructathon Sponsored by Skankeywear

Online fundraiser will help finish the show's first season; portion of donations will go to help tsunami relief in Japan.

The creators of the series Hollywood Wasteland and their friends from around the web join forces in the name of destruction on Sunday, April 10, 2011. Skankey Wear will be there for the whole thing.

Destructathon, broadcast online from 12-4:30pm PDT at http://www.destructathon.com, is a live event that will feature the creators and stars of some of the best shows from across the web, including Celebrate The Web, Elf Quest, Gamer Chick, GOLD: Night of the Zombie King, Indie Intertube, Meet the Mayfarers, Party Girl Plus One, Slanted, Saving Rent, Spellfury, Squatters, Taco & Gnash, Vampire Zombie Werewolf, and Vampirism Bites.

Special guests also include Jeff Wild from E's Chelsea Lately, Ashley Palmer from Paranormal Activity, and the Grill ‘Em All crew, winners of Food Network’s The Great Food Truck Race.

As viewers donate during the telethon-style broadcast, these guests will personally destroy all kinds of items, from flowerpots and dishes to office equipment, furniture, televisions and more, all live for your viewing pleasure. As more donations are received, the items get bigger and the destruction more outrageous.

Be sure to tune in at http://www.destructathon.com, and help make the mayhem happen by donating at http://www.indiegogo.com/HollywoodWasteland. A portion of the proceeds raised during the event will go to tsunami relief efforts in Japan.

Destructathon is made possible in part by the generosity of our sponsors The Grill 'Em All Truck, Skankey Wear Apparel, and Miss Junk Removal Services.

What: Watch Destructathon and help Hollywood Wasteland finish the show’s first season!

Who: Hollywood Wasteland
hollywoodwasteland.com
indiegogo.com/HollywoodWasteland

When: Sunday, April 10 from 12-4:30pm PDT

Where: Online at http://www.destructathon.com/

A Silent Film

Since I’m promoting bands, I thought I’d also share a band that I found called A Silent Film. They’ve played one song on the radio, “You Will Leave a Mark,” and it’s so good. It’s one of those songs that you hear and have to know more. They have a great sound that’s simple and somehow beautiful. I think they are a gem and I’m excited I found them.

When going to see A Silent Film at the Hawthorne Theater in Portland, the headliner was a band called Civil Twilight which was also pretty good. I haven’t instantly fallen in love, but they are pretty good as well if you want to keep with the same style. They have the piano and a majestic voice, but they have a more rock feel to them then A Silent Film.

Moral of the story, go out see live music and try to find good music that you love.

Perfect Playlist

Today, Skankeywear was featured on 947.fm playing our Perfect Playlist.  Check out 947.fm for more info on the Perfect Playlist and a radio station that still plays good music.  This was our Perfect Playlist which all songs had a loose interpretation or meaning to Skankeywear, but first and foremost, the music is good.

1)  The Steelwells "This Dance Is Out of Your Hands"  We picked this because firstly, we love The Steelwells, and secondly because there is a very small reference to Paisley and our Paisley shirt is the most popular shirt sold.

2)  A Silent Film "You Will Leave a Mark"  This song is picked out of irony, since clothing treated with C6 Tech does not leave a mark.  We love this band ever since we saw them live this past month.

3)  Muse "Resistance"  The Muse are great and have so many good songs.  This was just one of them which coincides with our them of resistance of water and stains.

4)  The Temper Trap "Fader"  This is a newer bad to us, but we are loving their sound and the variety that they have.  Our Skankeywear clothing is actually fade resistant as well, so it will not fade.

5)  Blind Melon "No Rain"  This song takes us back to the 90s in more simple times.  Plus, living in Oregon has gotten us to pray for no rain.  Rain or not, Skankeywear and NW Allen lines of clothing can hold up against any water or stains.

FYI, if you follow us on Twitter, you will find a promo code as a thank you for listening to us on the Radio.

The Steelwells

You may or may not have noticed in our Tweets and Facebook posts that we have supported a band called The Steelwells. They were recently invited into the “Choose the Cover of Rolling Stone” competition. We tried our best to keep them in the competition, but unfortunately they are now out. This has helped them get their name out there, though. We watched an episode of Chuck and heard “El Capitan.”

Who are they?

All five members stem from Orange County, California. What I enjoy about their music is as you listen, you assume that the song will take one road, but it usually takes the back road or one you didn’t think of. They have a folk-sy style to them on top of the epic soundscapes they build mixed with clever lyrics. They are musicians first, so good music comes first. They have great sound that is appealing to many generations.

Check them out when they next come to your town!

Living Social vs. Groupon

There are many debates with Living Social and Groupon as to who is the original and copycat, are they good for business, etc. I’ve read many articles and linked to many stories about these on our Twitter account. This is what I know about them.

As a Consumer:

• Living Social was very easy to purchase with and worked with me to upgrade or change out my deal. They seems very knowledgeable about what was going on and my options.
• Groupon is easy to say and that’s why I think it tends to be more popular.
• Both have great deals and there is no reason to be loyal to one over the other.
• Groupon tends to have more asterisks and small print, so you have to make sure you are careful with them.
• Living Social offers Family Editions as well as Escapes, which gives you more opportunity for deals. They also make it easier to sign up for several subscriptions.
• I’ve purchased more Groupon deals, so they might have better ones.

As a Business:

• I would think that if this coupon gets me into a nice restaurant that I would only go when I had a coupon for it since it is a nice rare occasion.
• There is a lot of pressure on the business to give customer’s an experience that they would want to pay full price for and it’s rarely delivered.
• In order to have a successful coupon deal, you need to have something that’s already paid for ie: Bowling. This way you really aren’t loosing money to accommodate the extremely low prices they ask for with Groupon and Living Social.
• It’s hard to be picked for a Groupon or Living Social ad, so apply to both and check out smaller companies that are trying to get their names out there (ie: Today’s Group Deal).
• If you do a deal, be ready for the traffic it will bring to your business. Make sure to bombard customers with reasons, coupons, and fliers to come back to.

I don’t think Groupon or Living Social is better than the other and I don’t think they are necessarily bad for business. What I do know, is that it’s a smart idea that gets people spending money and into businesses they wouldn’t have gone to before.

As a consumer, look for as many deals as you can with Groupon, Living Social, and others. If you’re a fan of something or want to return, follow them in any way you can. If you’re patient, you shouldn’t have to pay full price.

As a business, do as many deals as you can. Everyone needs and wants money, but you have to get people to nibble first. Rotate your deals so the customer doesn’t rely on “Five Dollars off for every Ten you spend.” Give variety and surprise them with all different levels and types of deals.