The Photographers Right - A Downloadable Flyer

The right to take photographs is under assault now more than ever. People are being stopped, harassed, and even intimidated into handing over their personal property. The Photographer's Right is a downloadable guide that is loosely based on the ACLU's Bust Card and the Know Your Rights flyer.

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Another Sunday

I'm a sucker for a good love movie. Dammit! Movies make love look so easy and that there is always a happy ending. Film warps our sense of reality, at least mine anyway. I mean, I know things don't work that way; I KNOW it, but that doesn't mean that I don't really wish things worked that way. I hope that one day, when I do meet "the one" that it is something magical. I want it to be something deep, meaningful, romantic, passionate, interesting, loving, and important. It needs to be special; one of those moments where you just know that everything is going to work out, and just like that, the credits roll. I know I shouldn't get my hopes up...

I had a pretty complex dream the other day. Basically, all the issues that I've been dealing with for the past year or so was in this dream. It wasn't a nightmare, but it wasn't pleasant either. It was foreshadowing, but at the same time, there were moments that were more of a flashback. A lot happened, let's just say that. I really took notice of the things that happened. All the events were somehow tied together, but they all come from different parts of my life and wouldn't come together like they did. I don't know what the importance is to the color of the dream, but everything had kind of a grey/blue/green tint to it. I guess that means sadness and despair maybe, since it was all related to stressful things in my life.

I'm in a strange place right now. There is a lot of anticipation building up inside of me. I'm nervous, anxious, scared, excited, happy, sad, and in a daydream all at the same time. I don't know that I've ever felt this way before. I see the future being good. Everything that I'm scared or nervous about is hopefully going to work out for the better. It's just butterflies. Everything is going to be okay, but even still, the fear is there. It's going to cumulate in about two-three weeks, and I think that's why it's catching up to me. It's just a matter of time now. Soon we'll find out how things are going to be.

Two weeks...

Doesn't seem long...

30 Second Bunnies

I had to post this. Short, 30 second flash animations of bunnies playing out some of the great movies out there. The one I'm posting is The Rocky Horror Picture Show. There are several more, located at the bottom of the page. Worth checking out...

EDIT: Make sure you watch the Jaws one too. At the end, click the bunny standing there as well. They all have an "easter egg" at the end of them, so look for it.

Tutorials for the Digital Photographer

This page is jammed full of tutorials for photographers out there. Has stuff we could all benefit from!

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Photos that Change the World.

Pretty interesting link to a list photos that had a huge impact on our world.

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Just A Little "What's Going On"

Tonight was probably my last night at Gamestop. School is coming up, and they knew I would be leaving, so I think next week my hours are going to go the new guy.

I got everything set up for my apartment today. Come August 15th, the power, cable, and internet will all be ready to go with no hassle. That's good.

The storm that came through tonight was awesome! The windows were about to shatter at work and so many shopping carts and kiddy pools were flying all over the Wal-Mart parking lot. Sweet!

Thunderstorms are the greatest.

Oh yeah, my seatbelt doesn't work in my car anymore. Damn car...

Rock-N-Roll Superstar, or Something Like That

• Time started: 9:55 pm
• Name: Daniel James Rhine
• Nickname: Dork
• Single or Taken: Single
• Sex: Male
• Birthday: February 27th, 1982, 4:24 am
• Sign: Pieces
• Siblings: 3 half-brothers, 2 half-sisters
• Eye color: Brown
• Height: 6'2" - 6'3"
• What are you wearing right now: White t-shirt and pajama pants
• Where do you live: Lafayette, IN
• Righty or lefty: Righty
• Relationships: I wish it were so... so badly...
• Who are your closest friends?: Friends?
• Fingers: 10
• Breakfast: Rarely eaten
• Aftershave/Perfume: Polo sport
• Favorite cartoon character: Kronk
  

Have you ever----

• Given anyone a bath: No
• Have you ever smoked: No
• Bungee Jumped: Yes
• Parasailed: No
• Made yourself throw-up: No
• Gone skinny dipping: No
• Been in the opposite sex's bathroom: Yes
• Eaten a dog biscuit: Yes
• Got your tongue stuck to a pole: Yes
• Loved someone so much it made you cry?: Yes
• Played truth or dare: Yes
• Been in a physical fight: Yes
• Been in a police car: No
• Been in a sauna: No
• Been in a hot tub: Yes
• Swam in the ocean: No
• Fallen asleep in school: Yes
• Ran away?: No
• Broken someone's heart?: Maybe
• Cried when someone died: Yes
• Flashed someone: No
• Cried in school: Yes
• Fell off your chair: Yes
• Sat by the phone all night waiting for a call: Yes
• Saved MSN / YAHOO / AOL / AIM conversations: Yes
• Saved e-mails: Yes
• Fallen for your best friend?: No
• Been cheated on?: Yes
  

First thing that comes to mind---

• Red: Yellow
• Blue: Blue
• Autumn: Fall
• Cow: Tree
• Greenland: Iceland
• Cat: Dog
• Nickel: Penny
• Elbow: Deep
  

What is..

• Your good luck charm: Blue striped shirt
• What's your bedroom like: Lonely, empty and sad
• Last thing you said: Sweet dreams
• What is beside you?: A wall
• What kind of shampoo do you use?: Pert Plus
• Something that has happened to you this year: Moved back to Lafayette
• Had Chicken pox: Yes
• Had a Sore Throat: Yes
• Do you believe in love at first sight?: Yes
• Like picnics: Yes
• Like school: I guess so. I've only been doing it for 16 years now, with 3 more to go
  

Would you

• Eat a live hamster: No
• Go to a Hanson concert: Hell yeah! Those chicks are hot... oh wait...
• Kill someone you didn't know for 15 billion dollars: Probably not
• If you were stuck on an island, what people would you want with you: I think just this one girl I know

Who Was the last person..............

• You touched?: Melissa
• You massaged?: Jill
• You yelled at?: Robin
• Who broke your heart?: I don't want to answer this
• Who told you they loved you?: My mother
• Who is your loudest friend?: Davin
  

Do you/Are You:

• Do you like filling these out?: Yeah, it's fun
• Do you wear contacts or glasses: Sunglasses
• Do you like yourself: There are things I don't like
• Do you get along with your family: Everyone but my sister
• Do you do: DUDE!
• Have piercing below the waist?: No
• Obsessive?: Hahaha... you could say so
• Anorexic?: No
• Depressed?: Yes
• Suicidal?: In the past
  

Final questions

• How many people are you sending this to: Whoever reads this
• What are you listening to right now: Thunder
  
• Can you do a front or back flip?: No
• What did you do yesterday?: Went to work
• What is your favorite band: I don't even know anymore
• Hated someone in your family: Yes
• Got any awards: No
• Have you ever gone streaking?: No
• Want to get married?: Yes
• What is your favorite video game?: Super Metroid, but Halo 2 has some good memories
• If you could change anything about yourself, what would you change?: My luck
• Good Singer: No
• Have a lava lamp: Use to
• How many remote controls are in your house: Um, is more then 20 a lot?
• Are you double jointed: No
• What do you dream about: People I care about... and sex...
• Last time you showered: This morning
• The last movie you saw at the theatres: Batman Begins
• Scary or happy movies: Both
• Root beer or Dr. Pepper: Dr. Pepper (unless it's Dog-N-Suds Root Beer)
• Mud or Jell-O wrestling: Mud, jello scares me
• Silver or Gold: Silver
• Diamond or pearl: Diamond
• Sunset or Sunrise: Sunrise
• Phone or in person: In person
• Oldest, middle, youngest or only child: Youngest
• Do you want your friends to fill this out and send it back?: Of course
• Finish time: 10:42 pm

Virtual Street Reality

These are 2d images that are drawn on the street by an artist, which when viewed at the right angle take on a 3d view

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The intelligent guide to free and legal music on the web

One person's blog and list (with links) for finding good, free, and legal music on the web. Updated weekly.

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Good Music Monday: Issue 7

I had a hard time choosing what musician to feature this week (plus I kind of forgot until just now). Anyway, I'm going with Jem.

• Jem was born in Wales, a Celtic haven bordering England known as 'the land of song'. From the age of thirteen she was singing and writing songs, basic recording equipment was ever-present and she decided that one day she would be a singer. Keeping her dreams of this future career mostly to herself however, after finishing school she headed to Sussex University. Whilst in Brighton, Jem's great passion for music drew her into the music industry, but at this point it was the behind-the-scenes side that attracted her. She hurled her energies into club and festival promotion, became a DJ agent and finally helped set-up and run the specialist breaks label 'Marine Parade'. After a time however, it became clear something was missing. She realized that she'd been circling her own artistic instincts and it was time to take a leap of faith. But that great leap forward first required a small step back. In November of 1999 Jem surprised her colleagues by leaving everything behind and retreating to the creatively inspired air of Wales and a lifestyle of sofa surfing. Moving from the limits of her dictaphone, she assembled a mobile studio and got cracking on her songwriting and music production craft. This turned out to be a fruitful time. She completed a strong collection of 4 demos and things began to move quickly from there. Jem moved to London where she continued her nomadic existence and started collaborating with other writers/producers. Two days into her first writing session with acclaimed electronic producer Guy Sigsworth (Bjork, Frou Frou), the song 'Nothing Fails' was born. Jem's music is a combination of bright melodies, soul searching lyrics and diverse rhythms that grab you from the first listen. Her seemingly innocent lyrics contain those closely observed details that are as much about optimism as they are about discovery.

Jem is another one of those singers out of Europe. It's all good right now. She has a sound VERY similar to Frou Frou, another great band out of Europe. They sound so much a like that I actually thought they were the same. If I had to pick, I'd go with Jem as the better musician. Her music is a lot more upbeat. It's dance music pretty much. It has a very strange quality. While listening, you drift into this strange world that she has created. That's the way music is suppose to work...

Next week, I swear I'm going to write up more on the artist. I was caught off guard today. I've been working on my new website, going through wedding pictures, and doing random tasks around the house that I kind of forgot to write up something in advance.

Previous Issues:
The Music
Diana Krall
Cary Brothers
Joydrop
Mr. T Experience
Medeski, Martin, and Wood

Walk the streets in your own 4 meter tall robot-suit

Whether you're attacking Ewoks or battling Gundams, this 4m tall walking robot suit fits the bill. Now it can be yours for the low price of $43,500.

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Time Travel Is Possible; Physics Proves It

Time travel theories of Albert Einstein, Stephen Hawking, Ken D. Olum, Amos Ori, and Igor D. Novikov all packed into a short article. It's a great read.

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Simple Website Thus Far

The pages of my website are all up now: simple placeholders are all that I've had time for. I kind of like the simplicity, but I don't know. That's what you get for now.

I shot my friend's wedding reception yesterday. The pictures came out alright; they could have been a lot better. I'll post some if the shots when I get them done. I definitely need some better equipment. I bought a new flash, just so I had something. It didn't work out too well. Plus, you would think that after doing photography for over nine years, I would know the difference between shutter-priority and aperture-priority. Let's just say I have a lot of blurry pictures. Don't I feel stupid?

I Know

It's quiet tonight. Something uncommon here. I can hear the crickets outside, even through the walls. These tan and brown painted walls. It's calm here. I haven't felt calm in a while. Aside from this damn sinus headache, I'm well. I'm going to sleep good tonight... thanks Benadryl. A soft, quiet music is playing through my head, thinking of times I was at peace. Being alone isn't always bad, it can be relaxing, letting you clear your head of all those bad thoughts. Just taking in things around I haven't noticed before... like the crickets, the sound of bubbles in the fish tank, the way my desk lamp bathes the wall in light. The music continues. There are hard times ahead, but I'll make it through; I always do. I need to slow down in life. I'm wanting things to come too quickly, not enjoying the time now. It's a shame really. I wasted a whole day, sitting in front of this computer. It's not to say that I wasn't productive, but I could have done so much more. I could have just laid outside, in the sun, lying in the grass, watching the clouds roll by, feeling the breeze blow over me. It would have been nice. I guess there's always tomorrow; seems like I say that a lot. I'm counting down the days, but why? Are things really going to be different then? Maybe, perhaps, or not; I don't know. The question to ask isn't about difference, but if things will be better. I suspect they will be. This music is soothing. I remember times of my youth, although my youth was not long ago. Better times, carefree times. Caring is important. I do care. I don't know why I'm writing all this. I'm been so eager to get where I want to go that I'm forgetting about now, this time, not the future. It's important too. Living too far in the future can be bad and I need to bring it back to now, to this feeling I'm in now. Hold on to it; this quiet, beautiful calm. It's time to rest.

INDEX IS DONE!

YAY! The front page of my website is now done. That was the easy part. Now I need to design a template for the rest of the pages, then put content on them, and finally, design a gallery page. Lots of work ahead.


I will probably work on the site a little this weekend, so keep checking back. I'll make a note on here when everything is final (which is never because I redo my website about every six months).

Oh yeah, Anna Nalick has been featured on the front page of Yahoo! all day... sweet...

Did You Know?

A collection of a bunch of interesting facts: The average computer user blinks 7 times a minute.

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Website

Few things...

First, I found out today that my career account with Purdue is active again, which means I have a place to host my website again. I've spent a good part of the day setting up my VPN, mounting my account, and redesigning my website. I posted a sneak peek of it. I'm still working, so hopefully by tonight, I'll have the basic structure done... just not the content.

It's been a while since I actually designed a website, so I'm having a little trouble remembering how to do things. It's coming back to me, but slowly. At first I wanted everything to integrate with my blog, but Blogger uses CSS style, which is kind of like html, but not enough to actually work with both at the same time. Long story short, I'm just going to design a functional website, and then have a link for my blog. I'll try and make the blog flow with my website as much as I can, but it's not going to be pretty.

When all is said and done, I'm going to have five basic pages; my blog, my purpose, my portfolio, my resume, and my contact information. I'm also going to register a domain. I don't know if I'm going to go with www.danrhine.com or www.danielrhine.com. What do you think? I think I want to go with the first one, but the second one sounds more professional... hmmm...

Now I have ssen it all, PORNSTAR TEDDY BEARS

I think this one needs no introduction.

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Quickie

I added a countdown timer to the sidebar. It's counting the days until I move. Woohoo!

Thunderstorms are cool. I like them. YAY!

Viruses suck. Boo!

How safe is your tap water? News at 11:00...

So...

I was going to post images of my new (or soon-to-be) apartment, but after looking them over, I don't think they do the place justice. I mean, the place is small, don't get me wrong, but the pictures make it look REALLY small, and that's not the case.

I'm moving in on August 15th. That's just 25 days! Woo!

I've already got it in my head how I want to lay the place out. There are a few things that can't be worked out until I'm actually in the place though. Below, I've put the floor-plan to the place, and where I think I want to put everything. Because it is somewhat small, there's not a whole lot I can do, but I think it's going to be a nice and comfortable place to live... cat free of course.


So that's my place. It has a balcony too which is sweet. I can't wait to just sit outside and look up into the sky at night...

So in place of not having pictures of my new place, I'm going to post an image of my dog Bruiser. Enjoy!

The Truth About MySpace

Like AOL, MySpace has always owned everything a user provides them with, but now everything has changed. As of today, your MySpace is owned by the same people who bring you Fox News. MYspace just became THEIRS, but that's not all...

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Could Be My New Apartment

Ok, so I'm pretty done with looking at apartments. There's not much left in this town, understandably, but I did find this place.

It's in my price range, decent size, and within walking distance to campus; pretty much everything I want. What does everyone think? I'll probably be signing the lease tomorrow and moving in sometime after August 15th. It's not too much longer, thankfully. It should be fun trying to shove all my stuff into this place. I'm pretty sure everything will fit, it's just a matter of having "space," something I enjoy. I think it will work... if not, I'll just find a new place for next year!

A Special Post

OHIO SUCKS!

Why Ohio?
Ohio Sucks
No Day But Today
Ohio Sucks
Ohio Sucks
Ohio Sucks - Does Anyone Care?
Ohio Sucks!
God I Love the South
Planet O - Another Reason Ohio Sucks
Top 10 Reasons Why Ohio Sucks
Ohio Sux
I Hate Ohio
Haley Aurora - I Hate Ohio
Weblog - I Hate Ohio
This and That - I Hate Ohio
Quiet Chaos - Ohio Sucks
Ohio Sucks!
Ohio - Land of Soy

Oh yeah, one last thing...

Kyla's Closet

Sorry, I couldn't resist. At least I'm not the only one who thinks it...

I'm Writing

I've written two post today that I have not posted. One, that while funny earlier today, may not be so appropriate at the moment. The other written while I was pissed, at myself of course.

I may post them, I may not.

I went looking at apartments today. I found one that I liked. It's in my price range, it's within walking distance to campus, and it's newer. It is a little smaller then I would like, but it's manageable. I got a call back on another apartment I wanted to look at. On paper, it's cheaper, closer to campus, and bigger then the one I found today. I'm suppose to go look at it tomorrow. I drove by the place tonight just to get and idea. It looks promising. If everything checks out, I may be living there in a month. I'll post some pics later when I have them, for now, I'm going to bed. I've been drinking a little and it's catching up to me. Night.

Good Music Monday: Issue #6

This week's band comes from England, because let's face it, most good music is coming out of there right now.

• Two years on and The Music have hit something of a roll. More precisely, a rollercoaster of a roll. In that time The Music have gone from the early promise of a young band gloriously finding their collective voice to being a global hit, complete with burgeoning fan base and an awesome reputation for live brilliance.

Their newest album, Welcome To the North, is well... great. I found out about this band simply by chance. While working at my store, this album came in. I had never heard of the band, so I looked them up, listen to the album, and enjoyed what I heard. Rolling Stone compares them to Led Zeppelin and U2. I don't hear it. I think I hear more Placebo and Bowie, just more upbeat. It's very NEW WAVE sounding, but updated. This could have existed in the 80's, but we get to enjoy it now. My favorite track on the new album is a toss up between "Freedom Fighters" and "I Need Love." I'd say "I Need Love" probably gets the nod; it's just has a better... tone, if that makes sense.

In the upcoming weeks, I'm going to do a more THOROUGH review of each of the bands. I'm still playing with the format, hope everyone is looking forward to it.



Previous Issues:
Diana Krall
Cary Brothers
Joydrop
Mr. T Experience
Medeski, Martin, and Wood

Boring, Boring Sunday

Let's see... I'm bored. What else is new? I'm feeling down too; not a good combination.

I spent the good part of my morning cleaning my room, my desk, and the laundry room. Woo...

I still haven't found my pocket knife yet... damn animals. They are hiding it somewhere. I know they are. You would think it would be easy to find a shiny, red Swiss army knife, but no, it's not. I'm not even 100% sure it's their fault, because I could have easily put it somewhere and forgot. The thing is, I've looked everywhere I might have put it, and still no luck.

I shot a wedding yesterday. It was a pretty long one too; a little over 9 hours. I normally don't mind working weddings, the only thing was that this time I was working with a different photographer. The first few weddings I worked with Tom and this time I worked with Dave. I would say that I prefer working with Dave, but he did most of the work himself, so I was sitting around most of the time. At least with Tom, I'm taking pictures and doing some work. From about 5:30 until 8:30, all I did was sit. Three hours of doing nothing. I mean, it's cool that I'm still going to get paid for that, I only wish there was more I could have done. We were also outside for a good part of the shoot. Let's just say that a sweaty wedding party is not the best thing to try and take pictures of.

After the wedding, Dave invited me to go see this band playing at Hunter's Pub. I opted out. We didn't get back until 11:30, and I was pretty beat. I just wanted to get home and go to sleep.

So now I'm sitting here, trying to think of ways to pass the time. It's too hot outside to do anything, and I'm getting tired of looking at this computer monitor.

Oh yeah, almost forgot... Short Circuit was on TV yesterday. That movie is cool. Speaking of which, there is this website that has a bunch of TV and film related stuff from the 80's. It's a little scary looking back on this stuff, but kind of fun too. Retro Junk. Check it out...

Quick Update

I just wanted to give everyone a quick update about the site. I've added a couple of links to the side. I suggest taking a look.

Digg is a news site that focuses on... what I would call... geek stuff. They have interesting stories on there all the time, and it's fun to check out now and then. Diggnation is a weekly podcast about some of the more interesting stories found on digg during the week. If you don't feel like reading, just give these guys a listen. Fun stuff.

EFF is a group dedicated to keeping our rights in a digital world. Everyday you hear in the news about the goverment trying to "crack down" on freedom of speech and freedom of information through the internet, and these guys are fighting back. We live in a world where anything and everything we want can be accessed online. We can say anything, do anything. This is scary for a lot of people in a position of power because, well, it gives them less. They even want to take away our blogging rights! Don't take crap like this and support our freedom of speech!!!

And finally, I put Penny Arcade up there, because, let's face it... it's funny... at least it is to me!

AWESOME GREAT NEWS!!!

I just got an email from my grad advisor, and she let me know that another section of A&D 117 (beginning photo) has been added, meaning I get to teach TWO sections of 117... and the best news... I DON'T HAVE TO TEACH A&D 105! SWEET! This has just made my day...

A Survey and Weird Rain

First things first... I walk about of work today, and it's raining... only across the street. Is that weird? I don't think I've ever seen the "edge" of the storm. It was kind of cool. I stayed dry.

And now on to a survey...

1. What is your astrological sign? Pisces.
   
2. Do you have the traits of your sign? Yeah, I guess. I don't know if that means much.
   
3. If you could be one food what would you be? A juicy piece of meat!
   
4. How many of your MySpace friends do you actually know or have met? Three.
   
5. What is your dream job? Photographer for a national magazine, National Geographic or Time. Either that or the head professor of a college level photo department.
   
6. Do you want to get married? Yes.
   
7. Would you ever pose nude for a photograph? Yes and no... depends on the photographer and if I'm getting paid.
8. What's the last movie you watched? Varsity Blues.
9. What is your normal bedtime? Midnightish right now.
   
10. Do you dream in color? Most of the time.
11. What is your shoe size? 11-12.
12. Is your second toe longer than your big toe? Yes.
13. Are you addicted to anything? I have OCD, so yeah, I'm addicted to things... lots of things.
14. Do you have any pets? Two dogs, a cat, and a fish tank.
15. Favorite place to shop? Best Buy, although I haven't bought anything there in about a year.
16. Do you collect anything? Refer to question #14... movies, music, games, bottle caps, comics, toys, posters, photographs, and a lot of other things.
    
17. Mac or PC? PC.
18. Do you eat sushi? Every once in a while.
19. Cold or hot natured? Luke warm.
20. Do you have tan lines? "Farmers" tan... oh yeah!
21. Do you have a webpage? BLOG, MOBLOG, My Space, deviantART, and eventually the one I'm going to build.
    
22. What time is it? 5:08 PM
23. What do you wear to bed? Boxers.
24. What is your occupation? Graduate student and teaching assistant.
    
25. Do you like porn? I'm a guy... so yeah. Making it is fun too.
    
26. Any wine recommendations? I don't really drink too much wine.
    
27. Do you consider yourself artistic? I consider myself a photographer.
    
28. Favorite ice cream? Ben and Jerry's "One Sweet Whirled."
29. Do you like video games? Haha... yes.
    
30. Favorite place to scrump? I have no idea what that means.
    
31. Favorite online forum? I read the IGN forums a lot.
    
32. How many keys are on your keychain? Six, all in order from largest to smallest.
33. How often do you travel? Rarely, which is a shame.
    
34. What are your best travel related memories? Last time I was in Arizona, driving through the dessert, seeing the canyon, watching the rain fall in the mountains.
    
35. Have you ever used an iron? Yes.
36. How many languages do you speak? One, being American. I've tried speaking Japanese, I just can't get it to stick.
    
37. Are you happy with where you currently live? Not really.
    
38. Do you normally carry chapstick or lipbalm on you? Use to.
    
39. Have you ever been in an accident? No.
    
40. Favorite type of shoes? I like my sandals.
    
41. Do you regularly consume alcohol? When I'm in the mood.
42. Ever been spit on by a camel? No.
43. What's your IQ? 138 last time I checked.
    
44. Favorite season? Autumn.
45. Do you like push pops? Yes.
    
46. Have you ever been to a rave? Yes.
    
47. What's the strangest or most interesting location for a party? A party is a party, does it matter where it is?
48. Do you like or respect graffiti? Yeah, I guess, sometimes.
49. What is your favorite magazine? Rolling Stone, Time, National Geographic, FHM, Maxim, Stuff, EGM, Blender, 2600.
    
50. What's one good thing that happened to you today? I heard a beautiful voice.

YAY!

I got my conformation of enrollment letter yesterday, which means... I'M OFFICIALLY A STUDENT AGAIN!!! w00t!!!

Things are starting to come together. This means my career account should be accessible again, which means I can start building my new website and online portfolio. It also means that I can stop paying on my student loans! YAY again (although this YAY is short-lived because, lets face it, I still have to pay the loans back eventually... unless I stay in school forever... hmmm)!

Good Music Monday: Issue #5

Every Monday, I'm going to start posting info on a musical artist that I think needs some attention, whether it's because they are unknown, under appreciated, or I think they just need a little spotlight. The reason this is "Issue #4" is because I've kind of already spotlighted a few bands in the past. I'll start this week by actually going back and looking at last week's artist.

• "All The Rage" is the debut release from LA-based singer/songwriter Cary Brothers. These four songs run the gamut from power pop ("Supposed To Be") to acoustic folk ("Honestly"), but they all share one thing in common - as Cary says, "They're all pretty much straight from the heart, whether it's being broken or put back together." Cary's song "Blue Eyes" is also featured alongside tracks from Coldplay, The Shins, and Simon & Garfunkel on the soundtrack of the film GARDEN STATE. A native of Nashville, TN, Cary has been writing and performing music since he got his first guitar at thirteen. His influences include early R.E.M., Brit Pop (from The Stone Roses to Radiohead), acoustic folk (Simon & Garfunkel and Nick Drake to Badly Drawn Boy), and a healthy dash of 80's New Wave. Two years ago, Cary was spotted playing at an open mic by acclaimed LA troubadour Gary Jules, who subsequently began booking Cary at the famed Hotel Café in Hollywood, where Cary has become a regular among a group of some of LA's best up and coming talent.

If you go to Cary's website, you'll find ahandfull of free songs. Everything I have heard from him thus far is great. Simple, acoustic, folk like music. It's relaxing, I think that's the best way todescribee it. He also has a My Space page. If you like his music, add him as a friend to keep up with his latest information.

Now on to this week's musician.

• There are some unspoken rules in the jazz world. Rules that say acoustic-oriented jazz musicians are not supposed to have platinum and gold albums or sell out large auditoriums night after night. Rules that straight-ahead jazz releases are not supposed to reach the top of Billboard's pop charts. Rules that jazz artists shouldn't expect to receive standing ovations at Lilith Fair or compete with Santana, TLC, the Backstreet Boys, and the Dixie Chicks in a GRAMMY® category. For the past ten years, someone has been breaking these rules and demonstrating that a jazz musician can, in fact, enjoy mass appeal without sacrificing her jazz foundation. Her name is Diana Krall. Not only has the Canadian singer/acoustic pianist become the top-selling artist on the Verve roster, she has become jazz's top selling vocalist, period. She is a crossover phenomenon who has remained faithful to her bop and swing roots.

This woman has to be one of the best jazz musicians I have ever heard, hands down. Yes... even better then Norah Jones (it's funny how I was looking something up on Norah and found Diana). This is the way jazz is suppose to be. I suggest everyone take a listen. She has previews of her music on her website.

Diana Krall - I Can't Give You Anything But Love

I can't give you anything but love, baby
That's the one thing I've got plenty of, baby
I dreaming awhile, scheming a while you're sure to find
Happiness and I guess all those things you always pine for

Gee it's nice to see you looking swell, baby
Diamond bracelets Woolworth's doesn't sell, baby
Till the lucky day you know darn well,well baby
I can't give you anything but love

Previous Issues:
Cary Brothers
Joydrop
Mr. T Experience
Medeski, Martin, and Wood

deviantART

I have just updated my deviantART page. Check it out. I added a lot of old high school work and then a few other things randomly from my undergrad work. It's not organized at all, but it's still fun to look at. Once I get my Purdue account back up and running again, I'll design my own portfolio for everyone to see... it will be neatly organized. w00t!

There IS More Then Corn In Indiana...

Yeah, not so much. Some friends and I went to Indiana Beach yesterday. It was free, so how could I say no? We had a good time, although it got pretty hot, pretty quick. There wasn't a whole lot of people there, so we were able to ride every ride with little wait. That's always cool. I think the longest we had to wait for a ride was for the "log ride." But, it is a water ride, so on a hot day, that's understandable.

A little research material before we leave

We have arrived!

Signs like this scare me

A view from above... THE GROUND!

Bumper cars!

So that was Indiana Beach. There are more pictures on my MOBLOG if you want to see more. We were only there until about 4:00. By that time, we had ridden everything worth riding, eaten everything worth eating, and played everything worth playing. While fun, Indiana Beach still has a long way to go before it matches anything like a BIG amusement park.

I haven't been in Indiana Beach in about 10 years, but it's still like I remember it. It hasn't changed much, or at all for that matter; somewhat disappointing. It was fun, just a little short-lived.

No Title

It's a painful silence in my head...

Why do I put myself through this?

Oi Vey

I want to write something. I'm in a place right now where I feel I NEED to write. Problem is... I don't know what to write about. And I'm not really talking about in this blog, but in general. I use to write a lot, and now it's rare. I hit a writer's block about three years ago; that's a tough wall to get over. Maybe it's not necessarily that I want to write, but I want to be creative. Working on a photo project would probably help with that. I'm not motivated right now. I'm in a stand-still. What sucks even more is that there is inspiration all around me and I'm not taking advantage of it. I've got to get out of this slump, and soon. I can't be like this when school starts. Grad school is going to be hard enough as it is without me being a lazy bum.

I think one of the reason I feel this way right now is because of the lack of people in my life. Not a whole lot of my friends are here anymore. I don't really have too many friends, not close ones at least. That can be a lot for a person to deal with. I don't mind not having a lot of close friends; I kind of like it. It's just hard when those few friends are gone, or I'm no longer in contact with them.

I was at my barber's yesterday, and I sat around and takled with him for about an hour. His name is Joe, and he's a good guy. I think that's the appeal of going to a barber. You can create friendships with your barber. You can talk just about anything with a barber. I've been going to Joe since I was a little kid. The barber shop used to be owned by my Uncle's friend, but then Joe bought the place a couple of years ago. He is quite the character. Joe is a 58 year old, piano playing, Harley riding, barber. Where else can you find someone like that? He's had the life. It great hearing him tell old stories. He actually has an "album" of his music. It's rough and home produced, but it's still pretty good. If you're interested, let me know and I'll send you a few tracks.

BTW... I've been sick for like the last week. My throat has been killing me and it's not getting any better. Let's hope it's better before Saturday. I'm going to Indiana Beach on Saturday, and I would really like to be in "okay" shape.

Ok... I Did It

I've been playing around with the idea of changing to Blogger, but I've finally decided to do it. It's just better then Live Journal. You have a lot more freedom to alter your blog, it's appearance, lots of settings, and hell... even the spell check works. So goodbye Live Journal and hello Blogger.

So I guess after the holiday weekend, it's mandatory that I tell you all what happened. Friday night I went biking after a crappy day. Saturday night went out to Jake's. Sunday I went to my friend's place to go over his wedding reception. Monday I sat on my ass. It was pretty uneventful. Besides not going anywhere or doing anything, I did get a lot of house/yard/animal work done. If you check my MOBLOG, you'll see pics from giving the animals baths. Here's a taste...

Nice, isn't it? No, I didn't piss my pants, that's the result of Bruiser jumping out of the bathtub. Oh yeah, fun times.

I saw Batman Begins today, and I must say; not all that great. I was kind of disappointed. It just didn't feel like BATMAN to me. I don't know, everyone else seems to like it, maybe I'm just weird, but I wasn't all that impressed. The reason I'm only seeing it now is because working at Gamestop has certain perks. There were some left over movie passes to see the film from a promotion that the Batman Begins game had. The tickets expired today, so they gave out the left overs to the employees. Cool. We also have a bunch for Fantastic 4, so I might see that one for free too. Good thing, because I have a feeling it's going to be bad.

I went over my finances today, trying to figure out when I can start looking for an apartment. It turns out, that I might actually have enough money saved up to start looking in a couple of weeks. That's good news. I really didn't want to wait until the week before school started to find a place. It's going to be hard enough as it is. This will at least get a little stress off my back for now. w00t!

EDIT: I have moved my entire Live Journal to this site now, so everything is still archived. Also, I couldn't do edits like this on Live Journal... SWEET! :oP

Good Music

Cary Brothers - Blue Eyes

Wish enough, wise man'll tell you a lie
Window broke, torn up screens
Who'd have thought that you'd dream
Of a single tragic scene

I just wanna sing a song with you
I just want to take it off of you

Cause Blue Eyes
You are all that I need
Cause Blue Eyes
You’re the sweet to my mean

Fess it up, dot on the palm of your hand
I can help you to stand
Saved it up for this dance
Tell me all the things you can

I just wanna sing a song with you
I just wanna be the one that's true

Cause Blue Eyes
You’re the secret I keep
Cause Blue Eyes

All the lights on and you are alive
But you can't point the way to your heart
So sublime, when the stars are aligned
But you don't know
You don't know the greatness you are

Cause Blue Eyes
You are destiny's scene
Cause Blue Eyes
I just wanna be the one

I just wanna sing a song with you
I just wanna get it on with you

Cause Blue Eyes
You’re the secret I keep
Cause Blue Eyes
I just wanna sing a song with you…