Sick

I've been sick that last few days and I'm tired of it. My body hurts, I can't think straight, and really, how much mucus can the body produce?

99 Strange Photos From 2006

Slideshow of the 99 strangest photos of 2006; great way to make sure you didn't miss all the weird news out there.

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Fresh Prince Clip

Something To Fill the Void

I know I haven't written much lately; been busy.

Julie and I are doing just fine. Christmas is approaching and we are trying to get everything together for that. One of the big things we are doing is sending out Christmas cards (which are doubling as engagement announcements). Hopefully we will get those out in the next couple of days.

Work is going well too. We've been busy trying to clean up the mess that's been left here. We are almost back to normal as we move into the slow season. I'm hopefully going to get some time to work on the website and the couple of programs I've been trying to start up.

Not much else to say right now. I'll keep everyone posted.

Happy Holidays!

Things You Can Do Instead of Buying A PS3

This post is both hilarious and eye opening. It lists a few things you can do instead of picking up a PS3, and if you're parent that actually wants to teach your children something this holiday season, gives some great advice.

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Planning A Wedding

It's not THAT hard planning a wedding when you are a wedding photographer. You make a lot of contacts in the industry. We've started to throw out some ideas for where the wedding and reception will be held. I think we've got out cake maker and photographer picked out already, along with the DJ. One of the challenges right now is figuring out a caterer. We want GOOD food, not wedding food. That doesn't come cheap.

I'm not sure why I never posted this... but I'm posting it now. :oP

The Truth About Digital Cameras: Megapixels Don't Matter

"This post is going to get a lot of people riled up, I know, because in THEORY, you should be able to see a difference. But you can’t. I’m hoping this little test can save you some bucks the next time you’re shopping for a camera."

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I'M ENGAGED!!!

'nuff said...

:oD

One Picture A Day

Interesting Story About How A Girl Got Out of Debt

"I’d work my primary job from 7am-4:30pm, walk across the street to my second job and work from 5-midnight; offer to do the nightly cleaning and lock up later so that I wouldn’t finish until 2 in the morning or so. After that, I’d drive to the gym and sleep in my car until it opened. I’d go in and pretend to exercise for 5 minutes so I could shower."

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Two Posts In Two Days? He Must Be Bored!

Look, oh look. Another post.

I'm doing more batching today that I didn't get done yesterday because the computers kept crashing. Damn Macs...

An old Mac is a bad Mac.

I've been in the mood a lot recently to work on my portfolio and get some prints made but I just haven't the time. I also want to get my website back online and add a lot of new images to my Flickr account. I also want: to finish detailing my new car, play some Halo, organize my music, file a bunch of paperwork, redo my budget, sell some stuff on eBay, do a couple of photo shoots, do some advertising for ISP, etc.

There's a lot I want to do.

It always seems that I'm working or busy with something else. I need to get my life into a place where I know where I'm going and what I'm doing, but it's a little chaotic right now. I think one of the first major steps will be getting everything finalized here at work. I think that once it slows down and I don't have 5,000 things to do, I'll be able (mentally) to focus on personal things. Once I get there, I can start planning out the next couple of months as far as how I want to use my time, spend (or not spend) my money, and a whole load of other stuff.

But I'm not complaining. I'm happy! Really, I am. I'm happier then I've ever been, I just feel exhausted some days (again, mentally). The OCD likes to kick in which doesn't help with all the busyness.

Blah.

Still batching. I have two more batches to run after these two. I've already had two crashes today as well.

At Work... and Batching

One of the things that sucks about working on a mass photo edit is te batch times. A large edit can take up to two to three hours to batch. Now, imagine that I have three orders to batch and you can just about see where I'm going with this.

It only take about 10 minutes or so to set up the batch. I'm running two computers which leaves me with nothing that I can do. There is obviously more work to do, but these batches have to get done today, and they may be the only thing that gets done.

And just now one of the computers crashed, so I have to start over on that batch. I wouldn't mind it at all if it was the only thing I had to do, but I've got about 20 other jobs on my list and it kind of feels like I'm just wasting time here.

Boo...

I could clean the studio or the office, but both are in fairly good shape as it is. This is why I'm blogging; because I can't do much of anything else.

There is a post coming soon that will appear before this one about some things that I have yet to talk about, so look for that in the next couple of days (it's about my new car).

Spinning in my chair is kinda fun...

A Post... NO WAY!!!

Since I'm batching a whole bunch of photos right now at work, I thought I'd take this time and write a little in this long forgotten blog of mine.

I've been meaning to write some things for a while now, but where is the time? That seems to be the thing right now in my life; I'm too friggin' busy. A lot has been going on, so much so that I don't think I can remember it all.

The biggest thing, well, ALMOST the biggest thing ;o) ... I got a new car! I know... FINALLY. I know all you people out there were Winona haters, but she was a good car to me. Sure, she had problems. A LOT of problems, but she got me from point "A" to point "B" almost always. I have to thank her for that. She is gone now, but not fogotten.

I'd like everyone to meet Donut (before the "blue spider"... wink wink, nudge nudge). This is my new car! w00t! He's a 1998 Honda CR-V LX. The history on this guy is that he had one previous owner who took pretty good care of him; regular mantinence, garage kept, low mileage, and so on. The original tag was $9,995.00 but I was able to talk them down to $7,700.00. I put $1,500.00 down and my monthly payments end up around $190.00. Not too bad. The car is in great shape and drives amazingly well. I've never had a car this nice.

I'm in the process of restoring the paint job to near perfect condition. It's not a hard process, but it takes a little time, and cooperating weather. I got the hood done in a little over an hour, but the entire process for the car could take about 4 or 5 hours. You can really tell the difference when you get up close. The feeling is also a big indicator. The "before" feels a little bit like sand-paper and the restored surface feels like glass. It's pretty amazing.

So far most of the miles driven on the new car have been to work and back. I plan on getting some road trips in soon. We went to Indy this past Sunday, watched some football, and had a cookout of sorts. It was a good time and gave me a chance to unwind a little from work and being in Lafayette.

New Laptop

w00t!

We bought ourselves a laptop. $400.00. Not bad. Selling my Powerbook if anyone is interested.

The new laptop is used, but not really. That's why it was so cheap. It's pretty fast and will fit our needs.

More later...

Blogging To Blog About Stuff

I should be in the shower getting ready for work, but instead I figured I'd give everyone an update out there.

Let's see...

I am working full-time now (and by full-time, I mean more like 50 hours a week, give or take). It feel good to actually have a job to go to everyday. I'm doing something that I enjoy and I'm making money. There's a LOT of work to be done, that's for sure, but the more that I'm doing it, the more I'm learning how to manage my workflow and get things done. I like that.

The apartment is still not unpacked yet, but by the time I get home and settled, it's like 9:00 and I'm not motivated to get anything done. I'm going to have this weekend to get some work done, so we'll see how much unpacking I can get done.

My car is dying... actually, it's more like she's dead but zombified. She's moving around and everything, but the first chance she would get she'd eat your brain. Poor Winona isn't going to last much longer, but now that I have a full-time job, I can afford a new car! Well, not really a NEW car, but something nicer then what I have. The guy I'm working for has some contacts in the auto industry and is having them seek me something out. I'm in the market for a newer, used Honda Civic. I've seen a couple online that I'm looking into and my payments would only be like $100-150 a month, which isn't too bad. The insurance might be my online problem though...

We went and saw Nickel Creek last night. Let's just say it was freakin' awesome! They really know how to put on a show. They played for a good two and a half hours. The encore was about 45 minutes as is. Whew! After the show, we got some autographs and talked to a couple of the members of the band. If you get a chance, you should take a listen. They're really good and know how to use humor in their music as well. You can't beat a band who knows how to make fun of itself.

I'm going to end there because I'm sure there is a lot more to say, but like I said, I need to get ready for work.

Some Kind of Title... Or Something

I thought I should update while I have a free minute. Things are going well but I'm still busy as ever. In fact, I'm going to be even more busy in the coming weeks. If you thought it was hard getting a hold of me now, wait until then.

I still have a little bit of moving left; pretty much just my stuff that is left at Robin's house. I think I'm going to start going over there after I leave work and grab a couple of things everyday this week. It was our goal to be done by the 23rd and I think it's possible but I need to get moving on getting my stuff.

I'm in the process of doing a couple of things, both work and personal related. Keep checking back for details as soon as I'm further along. I will tell you that is involves my photography work. I still trying to figure out what I want to do with my website, but for now it's going to remain a placeholder.

I am going to have a big update to my Flickr account soon, at least in the next couple of days. I haven't dumped my pictures off my cell phone in a good while. I'm also going to start putting up bits of my work on there. Well, maybe not the final pieces, but "process" pieces. I don't know yet, we'll see (that's one of the things I'm working on).

Kind of backtracking, but I wanted to say that the new apartment is looking good. We still have a few things to get and a few things to unpack, but it's really taking shape. It's starting to feel like home...

I like that...

How Things Are Going

Just a quick update while I have a few minutes before work...

We're moved into the new apartment (well, for the most part). It's really nice! It's large and we have a lot of space (although the living room is a bit of a challenge). There are still a few more large things to get moved of mine, plus we are going to be buying a few things too. We have set a deadline for getting the place completely done; that date being September 23rd.

It's out goal to have everything done by then. This weekend will be a good time to get most of that done. I've been working a lot this week; going in early and getting home late. Not a whole lot of time to get things done.

Next week should be slower which will give me time to unpack. We haven't had any major problems with the place yet; so that's good.

Work has been interesting. I've been doing a lot of different things and my list keeps getting longer. I'm learning a lot and that's good for me. We are trying to an education program up and running by November. This is going to give me a chance to keep teaching without the need to be a Purdue. Plus, I'm in charge of the syllabus; I'm teaching photography the way photography should be taught.

w00t!

EDIT:

I'll have before and after pictures of the new apartment soon, probably on Flickr. Keep checking back.

Today Is the Day

We're moving to our new apartment today!

Woohoo!!!

If you need updated contact information from me, just ask and I'll let you know. Send me an email.

Have a great day!

Wandering In Thought

When you're sick, your mind tends to wander. It's hard to concentrate on the tasks at hand. That's what I'm going through right now. I still feel too sick to do a whole lot, but I'm trying to get myself motivated to do some work...

And then my mind wanders. I start asking myself questions. Things about the past and things I should have done. It's tough being sick.

This has been a fairly bad week. Lots of problems and few ways to resolve them. All I can do now is sit back and wait, hopefully the answers will find me... in my wandering.

RAW vs. JPEG

If upgrading to a dSLR from a compact, there are a few advantages and disadvantages to learn about when choosing to shoot in JPEG or shoot in RAW...

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Now I'm Angry

It's been a while since I've been angry, and I'm starting to realize why.

People know how to piss me off sometimes, and it's over the stupidest things. Being a photographer, I know the difference between taking a picture and helping someone take a picture. I've been asked many times to help people with taking a picture and I've understood that those pictures weren't mine. I've also helped people before with taking pictures where I was to understand that the pictures I was taking were going to be used in someone else's work; but even still, I was the photographer.

Well, turns out that people think that if they are the subject of the photograph, they are the photographer. Go figure. I'm not trying to be mean or anything and I understand that I was helping someone, but for the love of god, give credit where credit is due. Don't take personal feelings into professional relationships.

The Zombie Preparedness Kit

I need to buy one of these...

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Update, Update, I'm Gonna Update

As the school year is starting at Purdue, I realized yesterday that I am going to miss teaching. There was something about it that I enjoyed, but because of the politics of the academic world, I'm no longer allowed to do it.

It's a shame that things happened the way they did last April. You would have thought that people in the positions that they were would have acted a little more professional about things. Granted, I wasn't on my best behavior either, but at least let me explore MY ideas; don't try and make me into you.

I'm disappointed how things were handled. Not just with me, but with the entire department itself. The professors and instructors have a very narrow-minded view of photography and art in general. They have a "snobby" attitude when is comes to art and, if anything, it only hurts their position. I'm not trying to criticize any of the students there, but honestly, the work produced at Purdue is, on average, not that great. Don't get me wrong, every once in a while, there will be a student who just gets it, but on the whole, most don't.

Most of the photography students who comes through Purdue don't want to be artists; they want to be photographers. The department spends WAY too much time trying to train these kids to be artists, and that's not what they want, but they stick with the program because its all they have. It's better to have a little training then none, right?

Probably not. You can learn more on your own then going to Purdue. Hell, I learned more just by messing with a camera and equipment then I was every instructed on how to do things. This is why I wanted to be a teacher, to help Purdue have a better photography program. But I guess that's not meant to be.

I was interested in taking this new job because of the room for expansion within the business. One of the things I want to push is an education program. I figure that I can teach more to someone in a 4-6 program then I can in a college level course at Purdue.

I want to teach REAL photography; not the artistic side of it, at least not yet. A person wants to know how to use their camera first; not how to make art. That's my goal with this new job. I miss teaching, but I'm going to find a way to do it, and a way to make is fun for photographers.

Where is Dan?

You might be asking yourself; where's Dan? Why isn't he updating his blog? What could be so important that he can't take 10 minutes to stop and write something?

Well, its because of a girl. I'm happy! :oD

Simple answer is; I don't feel like writing. It's easier to complain then it is not to, and that's just it. I am so happy with my life right now that even the little things that might bother me from day to day don't matter. I come home at the end of the day and all is well.

I think that there is only so many times I can tell you people how happy I am before you stop reading. I'll keep trying to update when things happen, but I warn you; its probably not going to be often.

Here's to love! w00t!!!

Quick Updates... I Am Still Alive

I've been busy...

I've been preparing to move, doing photo shoots, editing photos and working. This whole process isn't going to slow down for at least a week or so and then I get to do it all again in a month.

w00t!

That's a real "w00t" by the way, because, well... I'M MOVING IN WITH THE GIRL I LOVE!!!

I'm all grown up and stuff. We will be moving in September to a nice, large apartment. There's nothing like moving twice in the span of a month. All of my stuff will already be packed, so it's just a matter of getting her packed up and ready to go, which should be easier then my stuff (I hope).

I'm excited! :-D

Who Needs Congress or Courts With Bush?

As of July 11, President George W. Bush had said no (or, not unless I want to) to 807 provisions enacted by Congress that he signed into law. This compares to some 600 provisions challenged by all of Bush's predecessors combined. Whatever happened to following the laws passed by Congress?

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Short and Sweet

I LOVE MY GIRLFRIEND!!!

And in other news... I know there are a few of you out there who are in the medical field, but I was wondering if any of you could explain why my arms and legs are falling asleep when I'm trying to sleep. It's been doing this for a little while now and I'm getting a bit nervous about it. Is it just poor circulation or something else that I am unaware of?

I've started packing to move into my new place and let's just say its not going to be easy. I have too much stuff and it's going to require a lot of "cleaning" to get it all out of here. I have so much stuff that I know I don't need, but I keep it anyway for one reason or another. I move in one week and have a lot to do between now and then. I hope I can get it all done.

Watergate whistle-blower John Dean knocks 'imperial presidency.'

John Dean, the White House lawyer who helped blow the whistle on the Watergate scandal that drove Richard Nixon from office, says the country has returned to an "imperial presidency" that is putting the United States and world at risk."I am not sure which is more frightening, another terror attack or the response of authoritarian conservatives"

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It's All About the Oil

If this war was taking a bite out of Exxon or the House of Saud, a ceasefire would have been imposed.

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Stir It Up

As you may have noticed, my site is down now. I'm working on a redesign. In fact, I'm actually looking into using open web-design. This is the idea that someone makes a template and allows anyone to use it. Now normally, I wouldn't do this, but I don't really have the time to create a new page from scratch.

There are a lot of free designs out there to use, so I am going to do some searching and see what I can find.

The Daily Show - Bush's Veto of Stem Cell Research

Star Wars - Episode 4.5

Developments

Where to start...

Well, I have a job now. Woohoo! I am going to be working at a local studio, the same guys I was working with last summer, except this time I'm going to be a paid employee and more. I am essentially going to be their errand-boy during the day, freelance/self-employed other days.

I am going to be part-time doing whatever they need done during the day; downloading images, putting equipment away, placing orders, uploading websites, that kind of things, but then I'm also going to be there in-studio photographer, which is based on commission and bonuses. There is a lot of opportunity if I can pull in clients, which is also part of the commission type work that they expect out of me.

It won't be a whole lot of money at first, but there is potential, plus I'm going to get a lot of experience. The guys there are about my age and really know what they are doing, they just need someone who can be there doing the things that suck up their time so that they can be out bringing in more business. This could be a great situation.

My website is going to change now since I am no longer self promoting my own studio. It's going to go back to a standard portfolio site and I'll have linked to the studio I'm working at, that way if anyone sees my work and likes it, they know where they can find me.

In other news, I just left a meeting with the bride of the wedding I am helping shoot this weekend. I shouldn't be too difficult.

Finally, Winona is having problems again. Nothing major, just the same thing that happened last time. Poor girl needs a break, either that or I just need a new car, but that's not really in the cards right now.

I'm happy!!!

Time For An Actual Post

Things are good. Great actually. ;o)

I've been messing with the Blogger templates, trying to make something a little more interesting. I've come up with a few different ones that I might interchange every once in a while. I will probably make a few more too, but all-in-all, what do you think?

Still haven't found a job yet. I have a couple of small prospects, but nothing substantial. That sucks. I'm getting low on places that I can apply or even look, which means I may have to resort to the worst job of them all... working at Wal-Mart. :o(

There has to be some photo related place in this town or close by that needs my help. Why is it so hard to find this place? I really want to get my own studio going, but that takes time, so I need something to help sustain me in the meantime.

Is there anything else new? I don't believe there is. I caught a few episodes of Firefly on TV yesterday. That show was awesome. I hope Joss gets a chance to bring it back.

Oh yeah, one other thing. There was a video I was going to post but I'm not sure if it would be appropriate. It's another Japanese thing about toilet training. It's animated until the end where they show a kid sitting on the toilet. It's very funny. Ask and I'll send you the link.

Japan Darth Vader

Yeah...

Terrorism Now!?

Don't You Put It In Your Mouth

Don't Worry, Be Happy

I haven't posted in a while and that's because I've been busy being happy.

Yep, you heard that right; I'M HAPPY! :oD I mean, they always say no news is good news. Anyway, things are going great, except for the lack of a job thing, but I'm working on that. I need to find a job, and soon, and I've got some hopes at some places, I just need to hurry up and get things moving.

What else? Oh, I don't know, happy this; happy that. Yeah, that's about it for now.

w00t!

11 "Don't-Tell-the-Wife" Secrets All Men Keep

The title says it all... But keep it away from girls :)

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WOW... (Watch the Whole Thing)

My Autobiography

• Where did you take your default pic? At the installation space
  
• What exactly are you wearing right now? Grey t-shirt, jeans, watch, sweat band, boxers
  
• What is your current problem? Need to find a job
  
• What makes you most happy? LBE
  
• What's the name of the song that you're listening to? No music right now
  
• Any celeb you would marry? Don't need a a celebrity, I've got all that I need
  
• Name someone with the same birthday as you? Chelsea Clinton
  
• Ever sang in front of a large audience? Don't think so, at least not by myself
  
• Has anyone said you look like a celebrity? Yes, Edward Norton/John Cusack
  
• Do you still watch kiddy movies or kiddy TV shows? Yes
  
• Do you speak any other languages? Very little Japanese
  
• Has anyone you've been really close with passed away? Yes
  
• Do you ever watch MTV? No
  

Chapter 1:

• What's something that really annoys you? Bad drivers
  
• Nickname(s)? Big Red
  
• Current location? West Lafayette, sitting on my couch
  
• Eye color? Brown
  

Chapter 2:

• Do you live with your parents? No
  
• Do you get along with your parents? Yes
  
• Are your parents married/separated/divorced? None of the above
  
• Do you have any Siblings? 3 brothers, 2 sisters
  

Chapter 3: Favorites

• Ice cream flavor? It's ice cream, it's all good
  
• Season? Fall
  
• Shampoo/conditioner? Pert Plus
  

Chapter 4: Do You...

• Dance in the shower? No
  
• Write on your hand? Sometimes
  
• Call people back? Sometimes, when I notice that I've gotten a call
  
• Believe in love? HELL YES
  
• Sleep on a certain side of the bed? Most of the time
  
• Have any bad habits? Every has SOME bad habits, but I can't name one specifically
  

Chapter 5:

• Broken a bone? Yes
  
• Sprained stuff? Yes
  
• Had physical therapy? No
  
• Gotten stitches? Yes
  
• Taken a pain killer? Yes
  
• Gone SCUBA diving or snorkeling? Not yet, but that would be awesome
  
• Been stung by a bee? Um, who hasn't?
  
• Thrown up at the dentist? No
  
• Sworn in front of your parents? Yes
  
• Had detention? Yes
  
• Been sent to the principal's office? I don't think so, but maybe
  
• Been called a hoe? Yeah
  

Chapter 6: Who/What was the last

• Movie (s) you saw? I don't know, it's been a while. Blue Streak was on TV the other day...
  
• Person to text you? Person to call you? Person you hugged? Person you tackled? LBE
  
• Thing you touched? Keyboard
  
• Thing you ate? Strawberry Yogurt
  
• Thing you drank? Water
  
• Thing you said? I'm sitting here alone, so I'm not talking. I laughed at the TV...
  
• Friends you consider really close to you? They know who they are
  

Yetisports Olympics

Play the first 5 yetisports games in 1 big game. What's your score?

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Haven't Felt the Need To Write

As you may have noticed, I haven't really written all the much recently. I think it's because I've been in a good mood. :o)

Maybe I only feel the need to write when I'm in not such a good mood; kind of a venue for venting... but back to that good mood thing.

There is something in my life now that I've been missing. This little thing has made all the difference, and now I finally feel like I have a path. School wasn't working, the business in Muncie wasn't right, but now I'm starting to see direction.

There is a studio in Brookston who is looking to bring myself and one other person in to take care of things. It's an interesting proposition (and part of finding that direction). I've kind of been in the process of starting my own studio, but with this opportunity, I would be taking over an existing studio, to a point anyway, and it would give me plenty of experience which could help in the future.

This place needs some work and a more solid direction, but it has a lot of potential.

The one thing that I'm not so sure about is that it would a somewhat of a "commission" job, at least at first, which means that I would most likely need a second job; something that would be guaranteed money. We'll see what happens.

My new apartment is going to be on the third floor. That sucks. But it's a nice apartment with a lot of room, so I'll be happy there, as long as I can afford it.

The job search has kind of slowed down since this opportunity has come up, but I going to start up again hardcore next week.

Ten Things Your Supermarket Won't Tell You (Full Story)

"Just like the title says, here are ten ways your supermarket is either aiming to rip you off or potentially messing with your health. Practical information you can use to make wise choices rather than alarmist propaganda. Possibly limited to U.S. supermarkets but still worth reading." (This is the original article.)

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An Update of Epic Proportions

Not really.

It was a long weekend. I worked 33 hours in three days on about 6 hours of sleep. Not fun. I've finally gotten some rest since then.

I was in Muncie shooting a swim meet. There was something like 1,500+ kids that I had to take pictures. It was a grind. It was non-stop work. From the moment I got there to the moment I left, it was nothing but taking pictures. Each event would start EXACTLY when the last one ended, with no breaks in between. It was really bad when the events were short ones. I would start at one end of the pool, follow the kids down to the end, and then run back to the front of the pool and start again... for hours I did this.

I was so tired at the end of everyday, and the last thing I needed was to drive two hours. But, it's over now and I made a cool $600.

w00t!

Yesterday I ended up at The Frame Shoppe and I was looking around there and found this vintage 8x10 view camera. It was really interesting and I considered buying it. The price tag on it was $450, but the lady there said she could go down to $350. I almost bought it there on the spot, but I held back because I wanted to do some research before buying. I'm glad I did, because I found out that the camera goes for about $150 on the buyer's market. I called the woman there to see if there was any chance she would go that low, but she told me that she was barely breaking even on it as it was and couldn't do any better. Oh well. I'll keep my eye out for another one. It was a very cool camera.

I've spent most of the day working on my portfolio and getting ready to send out more resumes and go to some of the local photo studios tomorrow, begging for a job.

I'm proud of a lot of the work I've done. I enjoy working on my portfolio. It gives me a sense of achievement.

Here's to my growing portfolio...

Talking Cats

10 Reasons Why High Definition DVD Formats Have Already Failed

1. Nobody likes false starts..

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Dvorak: the Golden Age of the Internet, enjoy it while you can

"How many people realize that we're living in a golden age, the Golden Age of the Internet? It won't last; golden ages never do. Some of it will remain, but there's evidence that much of it is headed for the trash heap of history." Great article to pass on to non-techie friends about why stuff like net neutrality matter.

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Record CCD image sensor has 111 million pixels

Dalsa Semiconductor has fabricated an image sensor with more than 111 million pixels. The company claimed that the four inch by four inch charge couple device is the world's highest resolution image sensor.

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Before I Go To Bed

Here is a quick update of things that are happening...

• I have sent out 53 resumes as of now. I still plan on eventually sending out approx 250. I have gotten some kind of response from 2 places.
• My car broke. Winona is having some problems. Apparently this is most likely not a major problem; something that can be fixed easily. Hopefully it won't cost too much.
• I put a hole in the side of my finger while cleaning said car.
• I am suppose to be shooting a job again in Muncie this weekend (Friday, Saturday, Sunday), but unless this car can handle the drive, I am going to have to cancel the job. That would suck because I would be loosing out on about $600.
• I was planning on buying a new and better lens for my camera. I was looking at the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L. This is a really nice lens (and expensive) and it would help me out a lot in the types of work I have been doing recently. But now that this car repair has come up, I am probably going to have to hold on until later.
• My moving date is approaching faster, and I have to find work soon. :o/
• I like my sister's new dog. He is fun!
• My broke tooth has been fixed for the time being. It needs a crown, but that is $1,200 I don't have and even if I did, wouldn't want to spend on a freakin' tooth.
• My website has been getting a ton of hits lately. I don't know where all the traffic is coming from, possibly from the cards I'm sending out, but it's awesome that people are finally seeing my work.
• Speaking of work, I think I was accidentally sent an email from Purdue about an upcoming show dealing with male "artists" from the Lafayette area. It asks for submissions and there appears to be no selection panel. I may have to enter something... ;o)
  

Used video game stores, what have they ever done for us?

This is raising a good point. When the stores give so little in trade, and sell for so much, why should we care about their business?

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In Case You Haven't Noticed

I've started using YouTube to put videos in my blog. I think it's a good way to break up the normal, "down" tone of my blog. Hope you enjoy it (although, thus far, the videos have been of freaky puppets).

This Is NOT What I Needed To See Before Bed

Giant puppets freak me out! And what's with the music? Dammit...

BAD

This video used to give me nightmares... and I think it still will... damn puppets...

New System to Thwart Unwanted Video and Still Digital Photography

Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have completed a prototype device that can block digital-camera function in a given area. Commercial versions of the technology could be used to stymie unwanted use of video or still cameras.

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Blah

I wish it wasn't so hot outside; it would be a good night to have a few drinks and cook out on the grill. It probably won't be so bad come 9:00 o'clock or so... now I just need to get a grill (thinking about it).

It is pretty good weather, and some of the stuff that has been on my mind is finally feeling lighter. That's good.

So yeah, things should not close at noon on Saturdays... just a suggestion...

I Love You

Half Way To 666

I've grown up. I am an adult now. I've slowly started to notice this change in me, especially since I started teaching. It's different being an adult, granted I've always been more mature then most people my age, but it didn't really hit me until just a little while ago. I was driving around on campus, and all the girls were dressed up, going to the Cactus and there were a bunch of drunk frat guys at McDonalds, doing stupid shit, and I realized that those people have no idea what is in store for them in just a couple of years.

Sure, you are suppose to have fun in college, but at the same time, college is suppose to be the time in your life where you prepare yourself for the real world, and I think a lot of college students take that for granted now. Hell, I honestly believe that the majority of Americans who go to college only go for the socialization aspect. Case in point, just look at my students. They were all primarily lazy, never wanted to work, and when they did it was mediocre. No ma...

Lost my train of thought...

My jaw hurts by the way. Needles in the mouth; never a fun thing.

Alright, that's it for me. Goodnight...

OMG! That Is So Awesome!

I just got a call from a woman looking for a wedding photographer. She said that a friend of hers gave her my card. OMG! I have no idea how that happened, but how sweet is that? All of a sudden I feel like a real photographer. Granted, the woman was just looking for information, but this is the first step in having a studio a reality.

w00t!

I can see things starting to come together. It's good to be a photographer...

No Sleep and Weird Dreams

Sleep is a precious thing when you don't get it... ever.

Got a lot on my mind, so I know that's one of the causes of the "no-sleep" thing happening. I'm feeling a lot better about the job search thing now. I got a call yesterday about one of the resumes that I sent out. Sweet. They are having me to a test shoot Friday night at some club taking pictures of perspective Playboy models... I think (I'm a little fuzzy on the details at the moment).

More photo jobs mean more money which means a greater chance that I get to move into my new apartment in August. That's great. I know that just a couple jobs here or there doesn't mean anything about stable income, but at least I'm getting work, which gives me hope for finding something more long term.

I'm going to the dentist today to get this tooth fixed (stupid Kellogs diet bars). I think it's quite funny that the money I'm making from this study if going to be what pays to get my tooth fixed. I still think I should sue Kellogs, even if I did sign a waiver...

Ok, I'm going to try and get a little sleep before I ACTUALLY have to wake up and start the day; more resumes going out...

w00t!

EDIT:

I forgot to tell you all about the dream I just had.

I was a doctor... and it was weird.

Scared

This next month and a half has me scared. I don't have a job and I have no prospects. I don't have enough money to live off of until that happens. I really want to move into this new apartment, but I can't do it without a job. I don't want to go back to living with Robin either. I don't know what I'm going to do...

I can already see bills piling up. These fucking student loans are going to kill me, even with a job. I'm figuring that I need to make at least $12 an hour to be able to live in an apartment, feed myself, and pay my bills; more if I'm going to work out of town. I don't know that I'm going to find a place willing to pay that amount to me, at least not here. If I go anywhere else, chances are the cost of living goes up too, plus I have a few little reasons for wanting to stay here.

I'm trying to do this one day at a time, but time is moving fast and I have to get my ass moving. I'm just hoping no more bullshit pops up and messes with my plans.

Tomorrow... resumes HAVE to go out!

Random Thoughts

• "How I Met Your Mother" could be one of my new favorite shows...
• Identity theft sucks. I hate you Lynn Foerster...
• Breaking a tooth on diet food sucks. Damn you Kellogs...
• Why is Doritos bringing back the American version of Godzilla?
  

Trying To Find Work

I've been working on getting resumes and portfolios to send out this last week, and it looks like when all is said and done, I will have sent out over 200 resumes.

How sad would it be if I don't get a single call back? I'm trying to think that way, but it is a real possibility. Finding work is a hard thing to do right now, especially in specialized jobs (e.g. photographers). I'm sending out resumes to just about any place that might need a photographer. Of course, I'm hitting the studios, but I'm also looking into modeling and talent agencies, newspapers, advertising agencies, labs, and even supply and equipment stores. Here's to hoping I get a nibble...

A Rant

Two things are bothering me.

One: Who the hell brings a child less then 10 years old into an "R" rated movie? I went to see the remake of the Omen yesterday, and two parents come in a sit next to me with their young daughter. WTF? There were a couple parts in the film that I could see seriously traumatizing this kid. Damn. I kept looking over at her in disgust that the parents would even think about bringing her with them.

Two: Speaking of young girls... How many more of these child-predators things are they going to do on Dateline? It's all they report on anymore. I'm all for trying to bust people like this, but NBC is just doing this now for ratings. They don't actually care about "saving the kids." One other thing that bothers me about this is that, granted, these people are freaks, but still, they are being tricked into these situations, and I'm pretty sure there are laws against that.

*MANDATORY RANT ABOUT OUR FAILING GOVERNMENT SYSTEM*

Our current government is really bending the way laws are interpreted anymore. So many of our rights as citizens of this country are being taken away. Examples: it is now mandatory that all cell phones have a GPS system built in. They say its because of safety, but you can't help but think the government forced that law on companies. If they ever need to find somebody, call up the cell phone companies and say "find this person." Not only that, but the government is trying to get laws passed that state that all computers must have a special NSA spyware program installed, that way they can keep track of what everyone is doing online. We are quickly loosing our freedoms as Americans. I am tired of the Bush-controlled government and he needs to get the fuck out of the White House...

EDIT:

So more to add to this... I hate how the media tries to make everything out to be the "worst thing ever." Blah blah blah. It's just another part of the government trying to scare the public into believing the bullshit they are feeding us. Terrorism, the bird flu, MYSPACE... Are any other things REALLY destroying the world. No. In fact (and I've always found this interesting) out government is always trying to force this idea of terrorist living among us here in the US, but the fact is, American is the safest country in the world to live in when it comes from terrorist. You are more likely to get killed because of pollution then by a terrorist. There are many countries in this world where the leading cause of death in the country IS terrorism. Since its so safe here, why are they trying to make it sound like there are terrorist all around us?

Don't Let Congress Ruin The Internet

Tomorrow Congress will attempt to pass a law that abandons the First Amendment of the Internet. Basically, the Internet will be split up into two tiers. This is mainstream medias way of declaring war on independent media. If we don't act now, there will be a difference between 'Free' and 'Open' Internet. The internet needs to be neutral.

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I'm In High School (A MySpace Survey)

1. How tall are you barefoot? 74 in
2. Have you ever been unfaithful in a relationship? Sadly, yes
3. Do you own a gun? Nope
4. If you had a mental disorder, what would it be? Who says I don't have a mental disorder?
5. How many letters are in your crush's name? 5
6. What do you think of hot dogs? Only good when sports are involved
7. What's your favorite Christmas song? The Christmas Song
8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? Water
9. Do you do push-ups? Yep
10. Have you ever done ecstasy? I can't remember
11. Do you have a boyfriend/girlfriend? Not technically
12. Do you like the rain? Yes
13. Do you own a knife? Yes
14. What do you smell like? I guess I smell good most of the time
15. Do you have A.D.D.? Not really
16. Full initials? DJR
17. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment. I'm usually pretty empty headed. I like to live in the moment
18. Name the last 3 things you have bought today. Nothing yet
19. Name five drinks you regularly drink. Water, orange juice, beer, Gatorade, apple juice
20. What time did you wake up today? Around 8:00 AM
21. Can you spell? Nope
22. Current worry? Finding a job
23. Current hate? Same thing I've been hating for about a year now
24. Favorite place to be? With someone I care about
25. Least favorite place to be? Muncie
26. Where would you like to go? Europe
27. Do you own slippers? Nope
28. Where do you think you'll be in 10 years? Hopefully married with a family, running a successful photography studio
29. Do you burn or tan? BURN
30. Yellow or blue? Blue
31. Would you give up your current life to be a pirate? Don't think so
32. Last time your cell rang? A little after 8:00 AM this morning
33. What songs do you sing in the shower? Whatever I feel like
34. What did you fear was going to get you at night as a child? Aliens
35. What's in your pockets right now? Nothing
36. Last thing that made you laugh? Probably something funny
37. Best bed sheets you had as a child? Aztec patterned
38. Worst injury you've ever had? Broken arm
39. What is your GPA? 3.43
40. How many TVs do you have in your house? Just the one right now
41. Who is your loudest friend? My sister, but she's not really my "friend"
42. Who is your most silent friend? I don't think I know anyone all that silent
43. Does someone have a crush on you? Yeah, I'm pretty sure about that
44. Do you wish on stars? I used to
45. What is your favorite book? Slaughterhouse 5
46. What song did you last hear? Some Christmas music thing
47. What song do you want played at your funeral? Don't care to think about that
48. What were you doing 12AM last night? Hahahahaha... hmmmm... *innocent face*
49. What was the first thing you thought of when you woke up? I feel good and happy

A Message

I would just like to say that I am happy.

That is all.

Messed Up

My dreams are the weirdest fucking thing. Example:

I'm teaching at Purdue, and yet its slightly ghetto-ified. People I know are students there. There some rich business man type trying to marry this girl who is also being stalked by some L.A. Latino hoodlum kind of guy, all while she's secretly in love with me. She gets rid of the business man type by asking me if I would help her out. I say "sure" and she tells the guy that I'm her boyfriend. He gets pissed and says some shit and then leaves. Ok. So then I'm on my phone, and somehow I tap into this Latino guy's cell phone and I'm listening to his conversation and he's planning some kind of gang war or something because of this girl. I'm walking with this girl and her friend, and we get lost in the underground areas of Purdue, the whole time being followed by the gang. We get outside and it's some kind of eerie crap. The three of us walk for a little while, then somehow end up on bikes. We ride to my place where the friend leaves then the girl and I are about to go into my apartment. As we are walking through the parking lot, I noticed that I'm surrounded by Wild-Fucking-Kingdom's creepiest creatures on Earth. Fuck. They start trying to attack us and we are fighting them off the best we can.

Then I wake up.

Damn.

The even weirder part is that this dream was two parts, and I can't remember the first part. I can barely remember the first part having to do with moving into my new apartment and meeting this girl, I think.

I think there were ghosts too...

FUCK

This has not been a good morning.

It turns out that my student loans do NOT have a grace period, which means that I have to start paying them back now...

I don't have that kind of money just yet. I wasn't planning on payments for that until November, but I guess I need to find work now more then ever.

I spent a good portion of the morning on the phone arguing with somebody in India about these fucking loans. I couldn't understand a word the girl was saying, so I asked to speak with her superior. Talking with him was essentially the same thing. Why the hell do companies outsource their "1-800" numbers to other countries? That is just fucking ridiculous.

Anyway, I'm fucked and need to find work... FAST. If anyone knows of any kind of photography-related job that will pay about $10 per hour at least, please throw it my way. I mean, I still want to start up my own studio here, but that is going to take time.

:o(

Lost

I feel lost and I don't like this feeling. I'm tired of it.

I want...

More Dreams of Lies

Again.

I hate my dreams. I hate that my dreams give me false hope. I hate that my dreams are so real. I hate that my dreams torture me.

Maybe this is why I don't sleep...

It's Still Just Monday

I've started writing up some contracts for my studio. Wedding contracts, model releases, and some other stuff. This is not a fun part of the process.

There's a lot of little things that have to go into the contracts to make sure it's air-tight. As you start writing, you have to keep adding little things until your one-page contract turns into the three-page contract.

That's how I spent my morning.

Also, what the hell is up with this movie with about two people falling in love when they live in different times? I don't get it. I have no desire to see this movie at all, but I am curious to how he justify the premise behind it.

Is it Wednesday yet?... :o\

I Feel the Need To Blog

I didn't like yesterday... too many bad thoughts... played A LOT of Halo...

Today has been slightly better. I went home today and had lunch with the family. Played with Willy for a while... love that dog... ran some errands and now I'm trying to figure out what to eat.

I am also wanting to take pictures right now for some reason. Maybe it's the weather. I mean, it's hot outside, too hot is you ask me, but it's still nice and it could be a good opportunity to take some pictures. Now for the real question; what to take pictures of?

I have no idea. Maybe something will come to me.

I've got my pricing structure set up for my website. I think the prices are fair, but I still want to check with a few people before I commit to them 100%. At least now I have an idea of what to tell people when they ask me how much I charge.

This weekend can't end any faster, can it?

That's A First

I just checked my Verizon Wireless statement, and I am REALLY close to my 400 minute limit for the month.

That has never happened before.

I've come close before, like within 80 minutes or so, but right now, I am like 20 minutes off, and there's still 4 days left in the month. Luckily, the next two are the weekend. Anyway, the point of this story is that, if you need to get a hold of me, do it this weekend, or you are going to have to call after 9:00 PM.

Bad Dream... Well, Good Dream, But Bad After Waking Up

I had a dream last night. The dream itself was actually good.

Then I woke up.

Turns out the dreams was all a lie and I was forced back into the real world. That fucking sucks.

Canon considers halt to film camera development

Japan's Canon Inc.said on Thursday that it would consider halting development of new film cameras as it focuses resources on digital models, the latest sign of the rapidly fading role of film in photography.

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A Post About Something

Don't really know what to write, but I'm bored, so I'll write.

I'm sitting in the "lab", which is really more like a classroom, doing my food study thing. I'm getting paid $175 for three weeks. Not bad. I'm forced to eat a lot of apple products. It alternates between whole apples, juice, and sauce. I've done the whole apples and juice, but not the sauce yet. I'm not really looking forward to that one.

There are a couple of other studies I'm trying to get into. It's easy money, and since I don't have any work right now, it's good to have some kind of money coming in.

That's it for now. More later...

This Is What the Internet Has Come To

Flapjake, Pancake, and Waffle

INSANE Mosaic! Check this out... crazy.

This is crazy. It goes on forever... please. I'm begging you. Check it out...

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Let Me Tell You About Friday

My new phone showed up on Friday. I got home and there was a tag. Ran over to FedEx, picked it up and headed towards Best Buy and the mall to pick up a few things for the phone. I went to the mall first because I wanted to get the car charger for the phone and I knew Radio Shack would have it for cheap.

I went inside (without bringing in my phone... my fault) and asked the girl working there which charger I wanted. She grabbed the one that worked, and I asked her again to make sure this worked with my new phone. She said it did. I go out to my car where I left my phone, tried the charger, and nope; didn't work. I ran back inside and exchanged it, only to find out right before I left that this one didn't work either (I took my phone in this time). It turns out that the charger I needed was a new model that they didn't have yet. She refunded my money and I headed out back to my car.

As I'm walking, I reach into my pocket to get my keys, and... well, they weren't there. I walked up to my car, and of course, my keys were locked in the car. This is the first time I had ever done this. Dammit. I called Robin to get the number of a tow truck to come unlock me (I never had a spare key made). The guys shows up, pops open my door and it costs me $25.

I went to Radio Shack to buy a $10 car charger and ended up paying $25 to have my door unlocked. Dammit X 2.

That pretty much ends that story. I ran over to Best Buy and picked up a 1 GB memory card for the phone. It allows me to take around 2,000 pics on the phone and 24 hours of video (oh, and MP3s as well).

So far, the phone is pretty cool. I like the features. At first it wasn't so great, but after a little tweaking, you can get everything to work out pretty cool like. I also bought a BlueTooth headset for it which is also pretty sweet. So far I'm pretty pleased. Now I'm just waiting to get my USB cable for it so that I can do a few little hacks to the phone.

The camera on the phone is 2.0 megapixels and takes photos at a resolution of 1600x1200 at 150 dpi... not bad. I haven't really take a lot of time with it yet to see what kind of quality I can get. I'll have some photos posted soon on Flickr so that you can take a look. The cool things about having a memory card for the phone means that I don't have to hack into to get the photos like my old phone. I just take the card out, put it in my reader, and download; that simple.

I'm going to be taking a lot more pictures now...

HAHAHAHA!

Check out this website for this new electric razor. This is a REAL product. After the intro is done, make sure you check out the main menu and the options there...

Yawn

Yep. I started Robin's food study today. It's boring. Every 30 minutes, I have to do a series of tests, and then fill out a survey. I do that for about 3 hours. The rest of the day, I have to continue to do the survey, which is kind of annoying, but oh well.

This study only lasts 3 weeks. There are several other studies that I plan on doing. Some last longer; some less. They all pay different amount. Robin's pays $175.00. There is one that I am going to try and do and it pays $750.00. There is one problem with that study though; it takes 21 weeks to complete.

I think the study itself deals with fruit and vegetables, but I'm not exactly sure. I'll let you know more.

Winona Is All Better!

Got my car back today and she is all better. The brakes are smooth like butter. I guess my rear brakes were in the "danger zone" and were about to fail any day. Good thing I got my car in when I did. It's cost just under $415.00, which wasn't too bad. I was expecting it to be more, but at least it was under $500.00.

I'm going to be shooting little league soccer this weekend. It's a job, what can I say? Right now, it's all about expanding my portfolio, regardless of what it is. I don't care what people want me to photography because I'll do it. For one thing, I need the money, but the experience is also a valued asset. It's not even going to be a long job, just a couple of hours... except it's in Muncie, which means about 4 hours of drive time. Oh well, I don't really mind the drive all that much. The big issue is that it might be raining, so if I get there and the games are canceled, that's a lot of driving for nothing.

Right now I have a headache. I've had this headache for a couple of days now, which isn't anything new; I'm somewhat prone to headaches.

I'm going to be doing some research studies with my sister over the next couple of weeks, maybe even months. It pays and it doesn't take a whole lot of time, plus I get free food. Can't beat that...

NEW PHONE!!!

So, I went online today to pay my phone bill, and there was a special "3 day only" sale going on if I upgraded to a new phone. I looked around and saw this awesome phone... FOR FREE!!!

Of course, I upgraded. I couldn't pass up a deal like this. It's not often that you get a $250 phone for free. It's got a 2.0 Megapixel camera and camcorder with OPTICAL zoom. Sweet. It also doubles as a MP3 player which is pretty cool as well (even though I already have an iPod). It should be here in a few days. I'll let you know how I like it.

Samsung SCH-A970

They call it "internet"

An archived newscast, somewhere from the land of the nineties, breaks the story about an emerging technology: they call it "Internet."

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No More "rhine@purdue.edu"

In just about one hour, my contract with Purdue is over and I never have to respond to anything sent to that email address again. To celebrate, I am canceling my forwarding service from Purdue and my Gmail spam box will finally be empty.

You see, for some reason, my Purdue email address has been flooded with spam, and therefore I stopped using it, but once I started back at school, I pretty much had no choice but to start using it again. It's where all my Purdue related stuff went. Anyway, I can finally get rid of it. I'll be sending out a mass email tomorrow explaining this.

Goodbye Purdue and goodbye spam!

Fresh Air

I love my family, but I can't stay more then a few hours with them before my head hurts. And it's not that my headache comes from my family themselves, it's because of the smoke. I can't breathe.

Mother's Day was fine. Lots of good food and the kids playing with the new puppy.

More work to be done, got to get on that.

Website Update

I've got more of my website up and running now. A lot more of the portfolio is up, and I've started putting the page layouts up as well. There is still a good amount of work to be done, but I think it's starting to come together.

Let me know if you have any suggestions or if you notice anything that seems odd, broken, misspelled, etc.

Why I Became A Photographer

I was watching a show on PBS and I suddenly remembered why I wanted to be a photographer:

I wanted to travel.

It's always interesting to look back at your life and to see what decision got you to the place you are now. I wanted to travel the world, going to exotic locations, photographing things people had never seen before. I wanted to meet people and study cultures. I wanted to takes pictures that were romantic (and not in the love kind of way). I wanted to take pictures that made people see the world in a new light; the same way I want to see the world.

It's funny how I forgot all about that once I got into college. College changed me, made me someone I never really wanted to be. Not once in the last six years have I thought about this. I was too busy trying to take the photos and make the projects others wanted me to make. I stopped holding on to the "why."

I very much want to get in my car right now and head out into the world; out into nature. I had dreams of working for National Geographic and being sent all over the world on assignment. What happened to that dream?

Purdue killed it, that's what.

This is almost like a breath of fresh air. I'm remembering my passion, why I got into photography in the first place. It's great to feel this way again. I think I'm happy...

I Hate Credit Card Companies

I think the title says it all.

I went to pay my credit card bill today when I noticed a huge finance charge. I called up the company to find that my interest rate was at 27%. Jesus Christ! I got the run around for a while, trying to figure out why it was so high and how I could get it lowered. About a hour later of being on hold, I finally got the old line "I'm sorry, there is nothing we can do for you at this time."

I said "thank you" and told them I would be taking my business elsewhere.

My new credit card has an APR of 10%. Yeah, that's right, 10 FUCKING %. And 0% on balance transfers for the first 12 months.

It's all a big game what these credit card companies do. I really hate having a credit card, but at least now I'm not going to be paying so much out the ass.

Goodbye Providian. It's been... well... shitty...

Bad Dreams

That is not a good way to wake up to.

The worst kind of nightmares are the ones that are "real." It's not the one with monsters and serial killers; it's that kind that could actually happen.

It seems that recently (in the last six months or so) that all my nightmares have been this kind. You know what? I'm getting fucking tired of having dreams like these. Maybe it's just something where as you grow older, the monsters don't scare anymore and your mind has to find some other way to make you feel worse.

What A Fucking Cunt

That's all I have to say right now. Nice way to use my 300th post...

Really Good Sunday

I had a great Sunday. How was yours?

Monday will be filled with errands. LOTS of errands. I've got to catch up on a bunch of stuff today and I need to buy a couple of things. Grades are done and I need to go turn those in. It's not going to be pretty.

Not much else to say now.

EDIT: I forgot to mention, Robin got a new puppy yesterday. His name is Willy and he's 7 weeks old. I took some pictures and will have those posted soon, probably later today.

2:04 in the AM

And I have a couple of things to say.

For starters, I am not tired and probably not going to fall asleep for quite some time...

Damn.

Second, I am no longer going to be using AOL Instant Messenger if I can help it. As I grown older, I have found that I barely use the program anymore and even when I do, I just don't feel like sitting at my computer talking. A conversation is based on much more then just words. I used to hate talking on the phone, but now I feel I need to hear a person's voice (that is, if I'm having a REAL conversation). Email works just fine for what AIM use to accomplish (so does Facebook, MySpace, Flickr, even this blog... there is a comment section, you know).

What else... lets see...

I know I had something else I wanted to say, but it's kind of lost on me. Oh well, time to lay here for about an hour or two before I get to a point where I might be able to sleep.

Damn.

Update

Just a quick update about my website. Things are coming together slowly but surely (emphasis on the slowly). I don't know how am I ever surprised that is takes this long to put a website together. Every design that I've gone through, it takes some serious work before the things is fully functional.

I've got a good structure in place, so now it's just a matter of getting the content ready and throwing some pages designs together. I figure that at this pace, I should have all the important stuff up and running early next week, so keep checking back.

Grades are due on Tuesday. I haven't finished putting my students together yet, so I'm probably going to work on that throughout the weekend.

I really want to get out and shoot with my new camera. I've had it for about two and a half weeks now, and I still haven't done any major shooting with it yet (unless you include the diving shoot, but that was for a job and not my own work). It's suppose to be a nice weekend, so if I get a chance, I'm going to go out and shoot.

I've got a list of things that I want to try. I've seen a couple of sites talking about HDR photography, which is really just a fancy way of exposing for you highlights and shadows and then combining two images to get something that looks a little bit surreal. There are a couple of other things too that I'm interesting in trying, but they escape my mind right now.

Oh, and btw, little is on my mind right now.

I'm such a dork...

Dot Dot Dot, Or Something Like This...

I haven't written anything in a while; haven't been feeling it.

The semester is over which means the end of my academic career for the time being. I'm trying to figure out my next move. I'm going to start the long job search soon (and school search). I've said before how much I hate not knowing what the future holds, and that goes double right now. I wish I had even the smallest amount of an idea where my life is going to be in three months, but I don't.

There's a lot more that I want to talk about, but this isn't the forum for it...

My New Favorite Quote

"Art school, mostly is like, 90% fakers."

- Jonathon London (Geekdrome), April 24, 2006

I Wanted It So Bad

Feelin' down. Yesterday was my last day of teaching. I've got to finish up all my grading this weekend. Grades are going to be all over the place. Last semester, the grades were pretty middle-of-the-road, but this semester, I'm going to have "A's" and I'm going to have "F's."

I've got all kinds of work to do this weekend, but it's nothing that I want to do. There's many other things that I would rather do; people I would rather see.

I'm trying to work through several things, but it's hard. The whole school and work thing is taking a toll on me, mentally that is. My motivation level is at zero and I don't know how to get that motivation back. I thought the job I worked last week would help, and it did for a time, but it's gone now.

Maybe it's the end of the semester that is killing my motivation. I know that no matter what I do now, I'm still getting kicked out.

I need to figure what I want in my life. I need to do that first before I can figure out where my life is going to take me.

That scares me...

Cookie Alert!

Do NOT eat Grandma's Limited Edition Sugar Cookies!

They taste like ass...

I Don't Really Have A Title

I haven't been motivated lately to write in my blog. There really isn't much to say. I shot the US Open last week which was an interesting experience. I'll have photos up on my website soon as I am going to redesign my website slightly. Since I'm not longer a student, my website is going to take on the form of a commercial site. A few things will be changing and some reorganization is going to happen. Hopefully it will look nice when it's all done.

My apartment is a mess right now. There are boxes everywhere from all the shipments I've been getting (including the books I'm suppose to use to teach next semester with... this is me rolling my eyes).

Yeah, that's about it. There are a couple of other things, but I'd rather talk to people about it then write about it here.

More evidence that sex is good for you

It doesn't take a degree in medicine to work out that sex is good for you. Anything that is free, feels fabulous and leaves you glowing is plainly a good idea. But scientists are now beginning to understand that the perceived feel-good effects of sexual intercourse are merely the tip of the iceberg.

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You Want A Post, Well Here's A Post

Not much to say.

I got my new camera. It's broke. The replacement comes tomorrow. Amazon sure is quick.

The diving shoot is going well. There isn't a lot you can do with it, but I'm trying to find creative ways to shoot it.

My throat is killing me. Ouch. I've been taking stuff, but it's not really working. I hope it's better tomorrow.

I looked damn sexy today. Yeah, that's right.

This Is Great Weather

As much as I don't like rain, this IS the kind of rain I do like. It's a cool rain and it's not too humid. It's really nice to have all the windows open and just listen to the sound. I like it.

Tomorrow I'm heading down to Indy to shoot the 2006 Speedo US Open Diving Championships. The day after I got kicked out of school, my old friend Chris Crabtree calls me up and tells me he has a job for me. How awesome is that? So I'm going to be down there pretty much everyday this week, shooting the divers and documenting the event. I'm pretty excited about it, plus it's going to pay pretty well.

I Guess I'm Too Much of A Radical

"Daniel Rhine

We regret to inform you that as an area we are not able to recommend your continuing status in the MFA graduate program. You possess a unique creativity that we do not feel is being fostered here, and we would be doing you a disservice in keeping you in the program. We feel that while your work is conceptually and formally strong, your attitude, feelings and continually questioning of the direction of our program, our leadership as faculty, and the validity of photography as a fine art make this journey together uncomfortable for all involved.

We wish you well in all future endeavors.

Sincerely,

Faculty, Photography and Related Media"

Sometimes I Wish I Smoked

Maybe it's an OCD thing, but it seems like it would calm me. In between teaching class, I go outside usually to just "get out" for a little bit. Every time I'm outside, I feel that I need to be doing something and smoking comes to mind.

Granted, I am never going to smoke, but it's an idea that had been going through my head recently.

Dreams... Where Did That Come From?

I had a dream last night like no other. It was so surreal. It wasn't a bad dream, it was actually "kind of" nice.

It just hit me when I woke up about how real this dream was. Real feelings, real emotions. I don't know what brought this dream on, maybe it was suppose to be a bit or a release from all the stress I'm in right now; I don't know.

I guess I would say that is wasn't totally a nice dream, but it was better then my life is right now.

All I want to do is sleep...

Mending Fences and OCD

I don't know what is wrong with me, but my OCD has been going crazy for the last week or so. My hands are freaking out and I can't stop doing things. It's annoying the hell out of me. I keep trying to sit on them, but somehow they end up getting away and doing something else.

Maybe it's the stress of everything that is going on. Who knows?

I've been trying to patch things up with some people. I know it's probably too late, but it still matters. This last semester hasn't been good for me and I've made a mess of things with some people. I know there isn't an easy way to fix things just like that, but I've at least have to make an effort. I already hate myself enough, at least by doing this, it might ease my mind a little.

Tomorrow is the review and I've still got a lot of work to do. I need a good night's rest and then it's back to work. Wish me luck!

Nerds Make Better Lovers (Hellooooo Ladies)

Technology aside for a moment. Time to take credit where credit is due. Thank you Glee Magazine. This goes for geeks and dorks as well...

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4:03 AM

This is the fourth night in a row that I have gone to bed this late.

Wow.

I need to get to bed earlier. Goodnight.

Blaurgh

I was going to write something about sappy romantic comedies, but I got busy and lost that feeling. I don't know what I'm planning on saying here. I need to go grocery shopping in a little while. I was going to go last night, but I got into something and lost track of time, but I am definitely going tonight, because otherwise I am going to die.

Tomorrow is going to be a day spent preparing for the review. Getting things together and practicing my presentation. Blah.

Oh yeah, my camera sold for $1,005. w00t! That's pretty awesome. I'm glad I got that much for it. It's really going to help with paying for the new camera. It covers the majority of the cost on the new body. I still don't know what lens I want, but there is a couple that I'm thinking of. They aren't "L" series, but they are nice, and about $500 (vs. $1,200 for "L").

I think that's it for now.

Vermont calling for Bush's Impeachment

Democratic Party leaders in Vermont on Saturday passed a motion asking Congress to immediately begin impeachment proceedings against President Bush.

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Food Poisoning... I Think

So I got really sick last night. It came on quick and it was bad. I was up all night and had to cancel my classes today. I can't figure out what it was, but I'm going to go with food poisoning from Subway. Think I can sue them?

Yeah, I don't know. It was bad. I'm feeling a lot better now, but I'm still a little weak. I need to eat something. I've been getting fluids, but not solids yet. It doesn't help that I don't really have any food here. I need to go grocery shopping.

I still have a headache and a bit of a fever, which I don't know if that is something that is associated with food poisoning. It's only happen one other time, and that was with Burger King several years ago. Guess I'm not going to eat Subway for a while.

It could have been a 24 hour virus, but it definitely felt like a reaction to the food. Blah.

It Sucks Being A Photographer

And I don't mean the job...

I was playing with my AE-1P today, and I remember that I never bought the winder for it and I always wanted it. Well, I started looking around and found it on eBay for about $50. B&H Photo even had it, although they wanted $110. Well, I started doing a little more research, and low and behold, it turns out that there is a motor drive for the camera too.

I always knew there was a winder, but I couldn't remember ever finding that they had made a motor drive too. So again, I head to eBay and I find it. It's going for about $150. B&H had it too, at $220. So now I want it.

Dammit.

It's so pretty and would look so good attached to the bottom of my camera. I've always wanted a motor drive for it. It would look so damn sexy. And yes, I am getting a little horny right now.

Since I'm upgrading to a new digital, I want to upgrade my 35mm too.

It's not like I want a new camera, just a new part for it... :oD

The National Geographic Genographic Project: Trace your ancestory

Pay for the $100 blood kit. send your blood over, and from the millions of blood (dna) they have recieved they can tell you where your ancestors came from and with more and more applying. the precise location down to the village can be traced.

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w00t

My auction is up to over $500! WOOHOO!!!

I haven't written much lately because there are only a couple of things on my mind, one being the graduate review on Monday. I'm nervous about it, mainly because it looks like I'm going to have to get into a lot of theoretical stuff about my work and I'm not sure if I'm going to know enough to do that. I don't want it to become a dear-in-the-headlights kind of thing, but I'm afraid it might.

I guess we are going to know the committee's decision within a couple of days after the review, which is better then expected (that is, I won't have to wait long to find out what I need to do next). I want to stay. I know I have problems here, but at the same time, I don't want to have to start over somewhere else. That doesn't mean I won't think about transferring or something, but I would like to feel at least secure enough to know I don't HAVE to transfer. I guess I'll know in a little over a week.

It looks like everything is coming together concerning buying this new camera, but now the real problem arises; what lens to I buy? I really, really, really, really, really want an "L" series lens, but I don't think I'm going to have the money to get the one I want. I don't want the kit lens that comes with the camera, so I need to find something that is decent and in between.

My biggest concern about the lens is that I want to be able to shoot in low light, meaning I need a large aperture, something around a 2.8 or better. When is comes to lenses, the larger the aperture, the more it costs. Most middle range lenses are in the 3.5-5.6 range. Not having a 2.8 wouldn't be the end of the world, especially since the 30D can handle shooting at 1600 and even 3200 ISO and looks GREATLY improved over my 10D. I'll just need to see what my options are.

Three Things

1. I'm feeling better still... thank you...
   
   
2. This was my fortune from dinner tonight:
   "Two things to aim for in life; to get what you want and to enjoy it."
   
   
3. I'm selling my Canon EOS 10D Digital SLR on eBay to raise money so that I may upgrade to the new Canon EOS 30D... it's pretty. If you are interested or know anyone that is, I'll drop the shipping cost if they're local, even better reason to bid.
   

The Weather Is Nice

I'm feeling slightly better.

I have been blogging for exactly one year today. How bout that? I've kept it up. This is my 274th post. I've had over 2,500 hits.

The reason I write in this blog is that it's a good release and helps me get things out of my head and off my shoulders. Plus, it's great to do when you're bored.

Sure, I complain a lot, but doesn't everybody. Unless you are a news blog, it's all just bitching.

Btw, "House" is on. Not the TV show about the doctor, but the really bad horror movie from 1986. I forgot how much this thing sucked. William Katt is a bad actor, but George Wendt is the bomb.

Happy Endings...?

The weeks is over. The weekend is here. It's hot. I don't know what to do.

It's going to be a weekend of working and being alone.

Doctor couldn't find anything wrong with my blood, but I still have the stress-echo in two weeks, so maybe that will show something.

My head hurts. My chest hurts.

It shouldn't be this way...

That's It

I'm on empty. There is nothing else left.

:o(

That Motivation...

It's gone. With the recent events that have taken place, I now have to turn my motivation elsewhere. I'm going to start looking at some other schools, probably look for a job. Maybe I'll go back as an undergrad and finish my second degree. I don't know, there are options, I just have to figure out which one works best for me.

I still want to teach, which means I need my MFA. I need to look into some other programs. But I also think I want to work in modeling (not me of course), but that is a hard industry to get into.

But, this is still all unconfirmed. My review is on the 10th and then they aren't going to say who stays and who goes until at the end of the semester. This next month is going to be tough because I feel that if I don't get accepted, that I'm wasting this time. But I have to continue as if I'm going to pass. I can't get down about this and I have to find a way to play this out.

I Found the Cure To Growing Older

And you're the only place that feels like... home.

I'm in a much better mood today. I think it's going to be a good day, a good couple of days in fact. I feel motivated and ready do to some work. Strange, isn't it? I wonder what could make my feel so much better.

I went through a stack of papers, pulled out all of the pertinent information (i.e. things I've been meaning to take care of) and I'm going to get all this stuff done.

I don't really have class this week, just a lot of meetings. This will be a good week for me to regroup, get ready, and prepare for my review, two weeks from today. I actually have a kind of informal review tomorrow with the photo department, the ones who are actually going to decide whether or not I continue. It's going to be interesting. I do have a lot of meetings this week... damn.

Oh well, it's still better then sitting in class. At least in meetings, I can talk to people one on one. I'm much more comfortable in an interpersonal setting like that.

Here's to getting my act together!

A New Post

There's a feeling, like I need to write and get something out, but the words aren't coming. The only thing I keep thinking about is that tomorrow is Monday... already.

I'm not ready for it to be the start of the week.

9/11

If you have and hour and a half, then you NEED to see this.

Loose Change - 2nd Edition

The events of September 11th were staged by our government in order gain power, money, and control over us. Never thought about it that way, but after watching this, a lot of it makes sense. I knew there was a reason I hated George Bush.

A Low Point

I'm depressed, tired, unmotivated, sick, lonely, restless, annoyed, angry, sad, and all of the above. I don't know what to do with myself. I'm not looking forward to this weekend. I feel it's only going to make things worse.

What is wrong with me? Why do I get like this?

I keep waiting for something good to happen; anything, and nothing is happening. I am going through life, slowly accomplishing nothing. I'm such a fucking pessimist. That just makes me feel worse.

I need to relax. That's harder then it sounds. For me to relax, I need to be comfortable, and that is a rarity these days. I'm so tense and the smallest things make me feel this way. I remember a saying that states something like "when you find someone or something in this world that truly makes you comfortable and happy, do everything humanly possible to keep that in your life."

It's hard to find comfort in myself.

I'm sorry. I'm sure this is that last thing people want to read; me bitching more...

And Here Comes the Weekend

I'm going to be participating in an artist workshop this weekend which is most likely going to be boring from what I hear. The artists in question is a group called Temporary Services, and from the looks of it, all they want to do is explore the city and live a day in the lives of those of us in the workshop...

Wow. I get to show some artists how boring my life is.

My choice was either to do this workshop or write a 12 page paper. I chose this for obvious reasons.

I signed up for a spot in the graduate review and I went balls-out... I signed up for the first spot. Yep, I'm going to be the first one going before the firing range. How brave of me is that?

I deserve, like a medal or something, emphasis on the something. ;o)

So It Seems

It looks like one of my posts from a couple of weeks ago is making the rounds with people at Purdue. I guess I need to start censoring what I'm saying.

Haha... that's funny.

That's the whole point of a blog is to express frustrations. Yes, it's a public blog, but at the same time, I'm going to say what I feel. If I feel like criticizing someone or something, that's my right.

Gossip moves quick and almost always gets back to the person the gossip is about. People need to be careful because these words that I write on my blog are just that; words. People say stuff all the time "under their breath" and that is what I'm doing here. It's nothing more then how I feel at that time and shouldn't be reflective of my work or who I am.

Am I going to start watching what I say? No.

Opinions and feelings change. People have bad moods. That's it.

It's In the Waiting

Big files take a long time to render. Eh, not really, but what else am I going to do right now?

I figure I have two solid years to get a great portfolio together, as in, the kind of stuff I want to do. Two years... it's not that long, but if I get off my ass, it should be enough. Once I get my MFA, I can always fall back on teaching if the photographer thing doesn't work out, at least, in the way I would like it to.

I've been thinking about it a lot lately, and the more that I think about, the more I know it's what I want to do. There are so many ideas just floating around in my head. I need to get into a studio and do some shooting, experimenting. Trial and error.

I need to start putting up flyers, both about models and about selling my camera. The 30D is coming out soon, and I would like to sell my 10D before is does.

There are a couple of other things on my mind. The first being this video podcast I'm working on. I didn't start with a direction, but I think I see where it's going. The problem is, it isn't anything "artistic" necessarily. It's not something Cheryl would be happy about, but I think it's the way I want to go with it.

The other thing is this idea of home and comfort. The dream I had the other night was very comfortable and it's something I want more of. It was kind of like where I would like to see things go. Whether that's going to happen isn't up to me and I'll just have to wait and see.

I can't wait until I move. This place I am in now is too small. I need room to breath. I like having a lot of space and right now, I'm crammed into a place too small for myself. It's a fine place and was great temporarily, but it's time to get out. July is too long away. Maybe I should look into subleasing the place for the summer.

What's Goin' On? This Could Be A Long Post

I need to stop working so much on this computer. I have spent about 10 hours today, sitting here, trying to figure out how the hell to render my video files for the web. It's not like I wanted to, but I have to get this stuff done for class, and it's a pain in my ass. But what makes me even more angry is I went and downloaded a conversion program and 5 minutes later, I was done.

Fuck!

Why is it always like that? The $1,000 program can't do what I want, but a free shareware program does everything I need it to? That has never made sense.

Other then that, this has been a pretty lame final day of spring break. I haven't done much at all this last week, there just hasn't been much to do. I worked on my portfolio some and I've been working behind the scenes on my website, but other then that, just a lot of sitting around.

I did keep up with my fitness training schedule, which I guess I am proud of. I'm technically done next week with the trainer and then it becomes all about me trying to stick with it. I hope I can.

My graduate review is in a little over a week. I have to say that up until this point I wasn't too worried, but now, I'm scared. I don't have the confidence that I had anymore. The way things have been going recently make me believe that this isn't the place for me. I don't know that I'm going to give them the answers they want to hear at the review. Do I speak what I really want to say or do I try and bullshit my way through it?

I had a dream the other night, and for once, it was a good dream. It was a dream where things were going in MY favor. It was kind of nice...

I guess it's not going to be as long as I thought. I had an urge to write, but it's gone now. There's a lot more I want to say, but I don't want to, not right now...