Beandeer can inspire holiday spirit

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Beandeer is the newsroom offering in the Sacramento Bee's inter-office canstruction contest.

With some reluctance, I'll admit that as a high school student leader I actually enjoyed decorating for school dances. I've always felt the urge to be involved, but my real run as a student leader began after my Freshman year in response to my good friend Kim Cantrell's urging.

Over the years, we also organized and decorated school floats, campus rallies and hallways. I was never much into the color scheme. For the most part, I let the ladies make all the subjective decisions. However, I did feel a sense of pride when we successfully turned an idea into reality. I felt really good when the dance was filled, people liked the decorations and we made a profit.

It was with some curiousness among work colleagues that I agreed to spearhead the newsroom's holiday canstruction effort. The publisher asked various departments within the paper to create can-based holiday displays. In my book, its the same deal, bringing the right people together to execute a vision.

The judging has not happened yet, but I feel good about our effort. I feel even better about this time-lapse video by Hector Amezcua of us putting him together.

Video captures whimsical fun of Burning Man 2011

After much delay, I've finished and uploaded my Burning Man video. With so much to see and do everyone's experience is undoubtedly different. This is a small slice of the sights and sounds of Burning Man 2011 Rites of Passage. With enough distance, I can hardly remember my listless dehydration at the tail end of the week. Burning Man is not for everyone, but clearly its for plenty. Enjoy.

And while you're here, I've also embedded my 2010 slide show.