Funniest person on Twitter

The other week I had the honor to see Rob Delaney do stand-up at his last New York show on his tour. I have to say, I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so hard in my life. Tears were pouring over my face, and it had nothing to do with onions or sadness. I started following him on Twitter, and his title of “Funniest Person on Twitter” is no false statement. He really knows how to make the most of 140 characters, and I often find myself laughing out loud (lol) while I’m checking tweets on my phone. If you’re on Twitter, and like to laugh, I recommend you follow this guy.

Maddie in the office

One of the neat things about working at Maxim is that you never know who or what may show up in the office. Today, some people in the photo department saw that Theron Humphrey was in New York, so they contacted him and asked if he would stop by. They were most excited that he was bringing in his dog Maddie, who is the subject of his project Maddie On Things. He is able to take pictures of his dog in so many different places because he is simultaneously doing another project called This Wild Idea. He told me that he went to school for art and photography, and had a job in product photography, but he realized he wanted to do something else with his life. He decided to drive to every state over the course of one year, and each day he would meet one person, and tell his or her story through photographs. He wants these people to be able to look back and have this as some sort of historical representation of how they lived their lives. He started the project in August, and he only has five more states to go (but they include Hawaii and Alaska, so it could take some time). He says his next project could be traveling around the world by boat in 100 days, and of course documenting his trip with Maddie. Here is Maddie on (and in) things.

Aaaaaaaaaand I’m back

I know it’s been a while since I posted here, but I think it’s a good time to get back to it. Let’s just say I was in blog hibernation through most of winter and spring, and now, with the warmer weather, I’m waking from my slumber. Possibly what happened was I started to get comfortable in the city, and the novelty began to wear off. Of course I was doing lots of cool things, but everything wasn’t so new and exciting like it was when I moved here a little over a year ago. Now I’m used to cars turning right in front of me when I have a green light, and I’m used to people rushing everywhere, and I’m used to the lack of any personal space whatsoever on the subway during rush hour.

The big news is that I moved to a great one-bedroom in the heart of Astoria. The place is huge, and not just by New York standards. It’s close to the subway (but not so close that I can hear it), and it’s only 10 minutes from Manhattan. The best part? I don’t have to deal with roommates who don’t pay rent on time.

I’m still staying busy with two part-time magazine jobs (production at Maxim and design at Latina), and I also have been doing freelance work, including designing websites. It’s another tool I can add to my arsenal, and it seems like a good one to know about since I’ve been getting a number of those requests recently.

A few weeks ago I went to an art gallery in Chelsea, and here are some pictures I took from the patio:

Adventures in NYC

Even though I stayed around NYC this holiday season, I’ve been busy. Below are some of the things I did:

• Mexican-style latkes at Toloache on the last night of Chanukah.

• Pizza at Rizzo’s Fine Pizza, voted best pizza in Astoria the last three years. As it turned out, the meal was on the house because I went with my friend from Portland who owns a pizza cart, and the owner of Rizzo’s wanted to make a good impression. Done!

• Free comedy at the Upright Citizen’s Brigade, where Louis CK stopped by to try out some new material. Very funny, and pretty incredible that he was there at a free show.

• More pizza, this time at Paulie Gee’s in Brooklyn, which was delicious.

• Mission Impossible 4: Ghost Protocol in IMAX. I saw a lot of movies in 2011, and this was the best experience I had in a theater this year. It was just plain old movie fun.

• The Muppets exhibit at the Museum of Moving Image in Astoria. So cool.

Happy New Year

The new year is right around the corner, and just in time, the 2012 Alaska wall calendar is now printed. Below are some spreads, and here is a gallery of all the months.

2012 Alaska Calendar

It’s official. I will be producing a 2012 Alaska wall calendar, featuring some of these pictures. If you are interested in one, write me a message here, or at info@jonahschrogin.com.

B-Roy retires, but leaves great memories

The other day, on Dec. 9, Brandon Roy unexpectedly announced he was retiring from the NBA because of a degenerative knee condition. He played all five of his seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers, and although he was only 27, he will be remembered as one of the best Blazers to put on the uniform. Roy won the Rookie of the Year award in 2006-2007, he was a three-time All-Star, and in 2008-09 he made the All-NBA Second Team. The years he was an All-Star, he was THE player on the Blazers. When it was a close game, he would have the ball in his hands, and many times the outcome of the game hinged on if he made or missed the shot. He was a clutch player, and he never backed away from having that responsibility of carrying the team on his shoulders. He was tough, aggressive, and extremely skilled–a player who could hit a three, a mid-range jumper, or take it hard to the rim and finish with either hand. When I lived in Portland, I became a huge fan of the Blazers, and it was great fun watching the team, and especially Brandon. I was at the game in 2008 when he hit a game-winning three-pointer from about ten feet beyond the line, and it was the most exciting sports moment I’ve ever witnessed in person. Here’s a video clip. Of course it was great to have such a valuable player on the team, but he also displayed great sportsmanship, and was a terrific role model as a person. He was a true class act, and I’m glad that he represented the Blazers. I wish him the best of luck, with whatever he chooses to do.