er!ka profile picture

er!ka

Drug free since '83

About Me


"I'm asking you to believe...not just in my ability to bring about real change in Washington...I'm asking you to believe in yours."
- Senator Barack Obama

I spend a lot of my free time following the underground music scene so I'm usually either promoting or attending shows in my area. I plan on continuing to work in the music industry and when it eventually fails me, I'll probably jump into non-profits like Amnesty International and other organizations that are trying to impact global issues like human rights violations, environmental destruction and other social dilemmas. I have already begun to travel around the globe and I don't believe I'll ever stop. Australia (twice!), Germany, Czech Republic, Italy, Greece and Hawaii are under my belt, but there are more to come since I just can't seem hold still for very long. I'm pretty big on road trips with my friends, with the west coast being the destination of choice. I just got back from a three-week backpacking trip through Australia - it was fantastic and I can't wait to return ... again and again and again. This summer my best friend and I hope to attend a live-aboard sailing school to learn the tricks of the trade. Eventually I'll retire at 45 and sail and scuba around the world, but until then I really enjoy any place that is within sight of a large body of water. They don't call me Del Mar for nothin... now if I could just figure out how I ended up here.

My Interests

...Perhaps I'm looking for something that is floating on a tide of hope within my heart rather than out there on that huge baffling blue ocean-sky that separates me from the world.

I live and breathe music - including (but most definitely not limited to) most types of rock, alternative, indie and experimental. I attend local shows whenever I can and suggest you do the same to support local music, art and culture.

I love writing, photography, traveling, getting tattooed...

...that one got a lot bigger...Staying up late reading books that open my mind to new thoughts and ideas, Rome, hiking, sunshine, Amnesty International, yoga, grilled cheese sandwiches, ocean kayaking, the color red, driving my hybrid car/rocket ship, surfing, pilates, Australia, learning amazing things about this wonderful world, tai chi, democracy, riding bikes, Santorini in the Greek Isles, recycling, scuba diving, volunteer work, longboarding, the American Cancer Society, ice cream, any location within sight of a large body of water ... and discovering a new band that changes my life with their music.

Issues that really concern me include global warming, oppression, blood diamonds, racism, liars, the genocide in Darfur, Sudan and worldwide, intolerance of any kind, politics/oil/war, sexism, the beliefs of born-again Christian Republicans, organized religion in every shape and form and the stupidity associated with all of the above. Open your eyes, mind and heart - learn that life is about living your dreams and allowing others to do the same.
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MySpace OurPlanet Environmental Tips

I'd like to meet:

I want to meet people who don't impose their personal beliefs on those around them, people who have ambition to do great things with their life and improve humanity in some form or another, people who like to wear shoes, people who have seen different parts of the world and experienced different cultures, people who can understand and enjoy my lame sense of humor for what it's worth, people who dislike what the US government is doing to our world, people who don't need substances to help them think creatively, people who like to play or listen to live music, people who like to eat burritos, people who are actively trying to reduce their carbon footprint (or at least understand what that means), people who were considered huge geeks in high school, people who may still be considered huge geeks, people who talk with their hands, people who know what they're doing with their future, people who like to tell long, elaborate, yet interesting stories, and people I've never met, but wish I had. That is sufficient.

"And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music." -Friedrich Nietzsche

"I think perhaps love thrives on unlikely circumstance and chance. Life thrives on these principles. And is life not love? And love not life?" -Brandon Boyd

"When people hear good music, it makes them homesick for something they never had, and never will have." -Edgar Watson Howe

"If you ask me what I came into this world to do, I will tell you: I came to live out loud." -Emile Zola

"Without deviation from the norm, progress is not possible." -Frank Zappa

Let go of the drama, hate and fear. Live for what you love. Do what's right. Then come talk to me.

The music video below is Hot Rod Circuit and their first single "Stateside" off of their latest record. I worked on pre-production for this video and then spent a long weekend assisting in the production (costuming and craft services). I actually made a couple of appearances in the grocery store scenes (I'm in a pink tank top - can you find me!?) The video is such a huge accomplishment on the part of my friends Isaac Rentz and Steve Buchanan and I'm so glad I was able to be part of the process!

And if you haven't gotten enough, you can enjoy more of mine and my friends shenanigans in my videos section.

Music:

Incubus, Mercy Fall and Corvo Radio, Brand New, Smashing Pumpkins, What Laura Says Thinks And Feels & AllRise top the list ... And the rest are in no order in particular: Anberlin, Houston Calls, The Fray, A Perfect Circle, Snow Patrol, Ember Coast, Audioslave, Austin Gibbs and The States, The Loveblisters, Paul Simon, Hot Rod Circuit, Number Sine, The Shins, Stars of Track and Field, Albert Hammond, Jr., Eskimo Joe, Annuals, A Most Serene Republic, Death Cab For Cutie, Sean Brennan & Yellow Minute, Pearl Jam, The Fold, Mêlée, The Transit War, Mute Math, The Bravery, Underwater Getdown, Violet Wild, Sigur Ros, Patchwork Medic, Relient K, The Beatles, Jack Johnson, Dredg, Taking Back Sunday, Acceptance, Vitruvian and The Revival, Chevelle, Black Carl, Jimmy Eat World, Ratatat, Nimbus, Forgive Durden, The Vacation, Muse, Angels & Airwaves, Keane, Days Like These, Postal Service, Under The Influence Of Giants, In Memory, The White Stripes, Everybody Else, OkGo, Telescope, Foo Fighters, Mae, Nirvana, Built To Spill, Shiny Toy Guns, Cake, Silversun Pickups, Garbage, J5, Bright Eyes, Coldplay, M77, it's like love, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Red Hot Chili Peppers, !!!, Hot Hot Heat, hellogoodbye, The Asphalt, Polyphonic Spree, Architecture In Helsinki, The Stiletto Formal, Modest Mouse, your band and a load of other bands that you probably wouldn't know, nor would you continue to read through. My Shame Band is regretedly Linkin Park and it's ok for you to harass me for it because I deserve every single word.

Check out Mute Math rocking a bathroom in "Lavatory Loops"
http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog....

Movies:

Garden State. Little Miss Sunshine. Chronicles of Narnia. Big Fish. Crash. Across The Universe.

Television:

Travel Channel, Animal Planet, Discovery and National Geographic. Outside of that, The Office and Scrubs. That's it.

Books:

Outside of my weekly trip to the Tempe Public Library... Augusten Burroughs: Running With Sissors and the follow-up, Dry... and his collection of short stories called Magical Thinking. For some reason I've been stuck on memoirs recently... living vicariously through drug addicts and rock stars. It's very strange, I know. I've also made it a point to educate myself about the issues surrounding global warming. To see it broken down into an easy-to-comprehend idea, check out Al Gore's book, An Inconvenient Truth. Aside from that I enjoy material from Paulo Coelho, Brian Weiss, James Frey, C.S. Lewis, Hemingway...

Heroes:

I admire these beautiful people for the positive energy they emit on a daily basis and how that energy has changed my life: Ashley, Kieran, Ami, Danny Morris, the Mercy Fall crew, the AllRise family and KTBugg. My love for yours...
Oh, and Travis Stevens because he knows how radical Fraggles are! Word up!

My Blog

Ok, seriously, 3 months till Coachella...

I think it's time I experience this epic event take place. I cannot believe some of the names they have this year!! Anyone down to roll out and take part in some dirty festival camping??...
Posted by er!ka on Tue, 22 Jan 2008 06:41:00 PST

Hope to hit 25% by age 50...

...and maybe 50% by age 70. Anyone want to take a trip?? Let's hear it:What are you top five places you want to travel to in your lifetime? I'll show you mine if you show me yours......
Posted by er!ka on Tue, 10 Jul 2007 11:50:00 PST

My grand debut ... as a music video extra

Well, a music video... star! I couple of months ago I helped out with the production of Hot Rod Circuit's music video for their single "Stateside" (Check it out on my front page).  We were strapp...
Posted by er!ka on Tue, 26 Jun 2007 11:50:00 PST

My ostrich can beat up your ostrich

So.  I went to visit an ostrich farm with my cousin, Livi.  I was pretty quick to get dismembered by one of the prehistoric creatures.  Check out my videos because we caught all of the ...
Posted by er!ka on Sat, 05 May 2007 02:26:00 PST

Baby's Mama

I met a young man today.  My new acquaintence loved to hear himself talk (hence his love for radio).  All I had to do was ask one question and I would get ten minutes worth of response. ...
Posted by er!ka on Thu, 22 Mar 2007 12:10:00 PST

Killer Pastries, Flying Sacks & Phat Workouts!

I love my life.  And my friends.  And my cat.  Check out the new videos I've posted over the last couple of weeks.  Hilarity in its finest form.  Your life will not be complete until you see this stuf...
Posted by er!ka on Fri, 09 Feb 2007 10:35:00 PST

Tempe will be mine.

So, it's official.  I can finally let the word out: At the end of January I will be relocating to Tempe, AZ.  I received a promotion within my company (AZCS Enterprises, a Cold Stone Creamer...
Posted by er!ka on Tue, 02 Jan 2007 11:16:00 PST

What a drag!

So, I went to the PRISM drag show tonight with a couple of friends.  It was my second time at a PRISM show (and who know's how many drag show's I've been to total)... But here's my question... On...
Posted by er!ka on Fri, 01 Dec 2006 11:32:00 PST

Nothin Like the Open Road...

I'm busy recovering from a crazy week in L.A. with my best friend, Ashley. We road-tripped out there on Friday afternoon, expecting a good mix of trouble and fun (just the way we like it). We rolled...
Posted by er!ka on Mon, 01 Jan 1900 12:00:00 PST