tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30560170220932322992024-03-16T22:50:45.056-07:00mac is a guywho takes photos of stuffmachttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17747292982727718230noreply@blogger.comBlogger122125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3056017022093232299.post-70033420831603491742009-09-26T07:37:00.000-07:002009-09-26T07:52:51.076-07:00clearly i'm not a real bloggerjust like every other self-proclaimed internet nerd who has a personal blog, i haven't updated mine in awhile. probably because like every other self-proclaimed internet nerd who has a personal blog, i made the rediscovery that real life is actually more interesting than not only blogging, but reading other blogs.<br /><br />regardless...i've drawn inspiration from somewhere to post. and here's what i have to offer:<br /><br /><center>found myself in Cuba last month working with kids in a town on the eastern end of the country. <br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2454/3831649566_bfcf4f4355_o.jpg"><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/macisaguy/sets/72157622067964608/">(click here to see more)</a><br /><br />spent an quick afternoon in havana before flying home.<br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2435/3831683462_5b86fc5b3f_o.jpg"><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/macisaguy/sets/72157621943551635/">(click here to see more)</a><br /><br />my roommates rich and mindy finished recording a new album and played a show at o'brothers earlier this month.<br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2584/3902784896_56114963de_o.jpg"><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/macisaguy/sets/72157622191286729/">(click here for more)</a><br /><br />on my days off from work (which are becoming more and more frequent) i've been walking around riverside with my camera.<br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3460/3942967443_78a0d9c52a_o.jpg"><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/macisaguy/sets/72157622429746788/">(click here for more)</a><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/macisaguy/sets/72157622299444272/">(and more)</a></center><br /><br />that's my life. and that's my update. don't worry, i'm sure i won't post again for another couple of months. real life turned out to be pretty amazing.machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17747292982727718230noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3056017022093232299.post-51185890851476712572009-05-21T14:26:00.001-07:002009-05-21T14:31:21.247-07:00i'm not a cat guy, but....the weather's been crappy, i had the day off and felt like distracting myself with my camera and Tom was the only one in the house with me...so i broke down and started taking photos of the cat. i hate to admit it...but clearly not enough to keep me from posting. so here's Tom in all his lazy glory.<br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2424/3551853741_9895211198_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2470/3551854205_c1d2a4e0fd_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2466/3551853895_facd6a93a8_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3631/3551854037_33eea9c73f_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2249/3552663948_9c05da5bc6_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2422/3552664112_e0d8b1c10a_o.jpg">machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17747292982727718230noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3056017022093232299.post-67230628085922655042009-05-18T14:53:00.001-07:002009-05-18T15:03:14.959-07:00shangrala at the brian hicks benefit show at eclipse last nightfound myself at eclipse last night for the stop brian cancer II show. shangrala were top notch as always, this time with the added bonus of beautiful mustaches. grabbed some shots (that are ridiculously more fuzzy than i was hoping for) during the show. <br /><br />i have never wanted nicer camera equipment more. regardless....enjoy.<br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2193/3544074170_83ae786e14_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3638/3543264087_9e5cd93449_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2429/3543263741_dc82c28e7d_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3391/3543263689_97899680f7_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3611/3543263959_027b550168_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2422/3543263385_cb75cb211b_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2378/3544073400_bfba1692e2_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2328/3543263619_1cd57b1b4d_o.jpg"><br /><br /><br />and some faces in the crowd...<br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2103/3544074620_e089292deb_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3573/3543263281_eabe3f7d62_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2121/3543263181_0914a34f44_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2191/3544073120_c3f4efb25d_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2422/3544074456_d0f7830dd5_o.jpg">machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17747292982727718230noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3056017022093232299.post-66964566430862328342009-05-17T06:49:00.000-07:002009-05-17T07:07:13.831-07:00john carver band cd release show at freebirdlast night <a href="http://www.myspace.com/thejohncarverband">the john carver band</a> played at freebird to promote their new album. if you weren't there, you should have been. buuuuuuuuut, i guess i'll share the photos with you anyway.<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3627/3539037632_2df944c251_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3607/3539037794_004f083f4e_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3298/3539037722_f61a93e177_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2350/3538224275_65f6ff720b_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2254/3538224329_ebc0e85d81_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2398/3538224413_794470ffc7_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3568/3539037852_4f7b6a4934_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3576/3539038086_591fd62ecd_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2198/3539038232_8e6dd443e9_o.jpg">machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17747292982727718230noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3056017022093232299.post-22220739582391140802009-05-16T16:59:00.000-07:002009-05-16T17:01:30.605-07:00on the way to five star pizza...<img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2085/3536695251_4ca2a8abfe_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2383/3536695177_9535de210f_o.jpg"><br /><br />anyone know what that poster's all about? they're all over riverside.machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17747292982727718230noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3056017022093232299.post-13972698279553020032009-05-16T13:21:00.000-07:002009-05-16T13:22:52.937-07:00rich and the studio<img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3381/3537021092_1779d81761_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2400/3537021142_017ab04fa8_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2015/3537021188_860bb57358_o.jpg">machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17747292982727718230noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3056017022093232299.post-12942916465070416062009-05-02T21:12:00.001-07:002009-05-02T21:18:33.122-07:00what happens when i find inspirationrich and mindy were recording tonight and it made me want to get off my ass and do some photography. i dug out my old tripod and decided to just goof off on the couch. so, here's what it looks like when i'm feeling inspired...<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3378/3496206992_4999e068fa_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3600/3496207148_7fa022debc_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3642/3495389289_321bc0bfe2_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3334/3495389455_1791a3fbcd_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3615/3495389683_15b9a3e44e_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3322/3496207502_e896a6bf40_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3375/3496207450_8870f5a8c5_o.jpg">machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17747292982727718230noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3056017022093232299.post-7014610417839042202009-04-27T12:40:00.000-07:002009-04-27T12:43:20.044-07:00murray hill photo excursionfelt the photography bug kick in on my day off and decided to drive around murray hill to see what i could find. here's what i came up with...<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3319/3480314907_04a8db4c6d_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3556/3480314765_162f1499af_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3657/3481123876_37f6eedce5_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3350/3481123796_900c9cd6b2_o.jpg">machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17747292982727718230noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3056017022093232299.post-36466492772770345062009-04-01T13:39:00.000-07:002009-04-01T13:49:02.199-07:00the new digswhile the economy is a real downer these days, at least there's a silver lining for everyone. and by everyone, i mean me. because i have no job, which means i have no cash to pay my landlord, i had to move out of my apartment. how is that a good thing? because my friends rich and mindy offered to let me stay with them for awhile. how is that a good thing? because their house is full of love, and it's good to be part of a family on a day to day basis. (don't hold me to that...i'm only 2 days in...)<br /><br />so, i thought i'd go ahead and give you a quick tour of my new murray hill home, which you're more than welcome to come visit.<br /><br />dinner table/computer table/table dancing table?<br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3610/3404624443_2629b693f9_o.jpg"><br /><br />view from the tv<br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3471/3405436540_0cdabf1f6e_o.jpg"><br /><br />the art room, complete with crayons and fingerpaint<br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3662/3404624637_d32fe5bc35_o.jpg"><br /><br />the kitchen...guess it's time i learn to cook<br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3655/3404624781_b7bc795734_o.jpg"><br /><br />the music studio. oh yeah...did i mention my new house has a full on recording studio? because it does.<br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3203/3404624701_bbd2d53b72_o.jpg"><br /><br />and finally...my bedroom. shutup, rent's free.<br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3457/3405436872_f21b936d81_o.jpg">machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17747292982727718230noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3056017022093232299.post-92106587591820751412009-03-18T19:59:00.000-07:002009-03-18T20:03:34.359-07:00bathtub ivhere's a great video made from tilt-shift photography still images. basically tilt-shift photography uses special camera lenses to make real life look like a miniature model....<br /><br />bathtub iv by Keith Loutit<br /><object width="400" height="225"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=3156959&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=ffffff&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=3156959&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=ffffff&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="225"></embed></object><br /><a href="http://vimeo.com/3156959">Bathtub IV</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/keithloutit">Keith Loutit</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17747292982727718230noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3056017022093232299.post-43567308719828855952009-03-17T13:05:00.000-07:002009-03-17T13:09:31.871-07:00for those of you like me (no...not awesomely cool nerds who's genius has yet to be discovered) who don't REALLY understand how we got into this whole economic crisis (even though i have a business degree) here's a really well done video about how we got here. i guess all i needed to understand what was happening was some cartoon graphics, and a calm, well-maintained narrator voice...<br /><br /><object width="400" height="225"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=3261363&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=3261363&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="225"></embed></object><br /><a href="http://vimeo.com/3261363">The Crisis of Credit Visualized</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/jonathanjarvis">Jonathan Jarvis</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17747292982727718230noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3056017022093232299.post-47800854861047587932009-03-03T11:47:00.000-08:002009-03-03T12:10:16.933-08:00rag tag armyseeing as i'm 27 and have been unemployed for a month, and don't have enough cash in the bank to pay my rent for this month, well...i've been beating myself up pretty bad lately. i found more encouragement and freedom than i could ask for in the past two days, from a number of different sources and people. i wanted to share one with you that really made me smile.<br /><br />it's a really short story (really short, and worth reading i promise) that has a lot of truth in it. enjoy.<br /><br />I think God must be very old and very tired. Maybe he used to look splendid and fine in his general's uniform, but no more. He's been on the march a long time you know. And look at his rag-tag little army! All he has for soldiers are you and me. Dumb little army. Listen! The drum beat isn't even regular. Everyone is out of step. And there! You see? God keeps stopping along the way to pick up one of his tinier soldiers who decided to wander off and play with a frog, or run in a field, or whose foot got tangled in the underbrush. He'll never get anywhere that way. And yet, the march goes on.<br /><br />Do you see how the marches have broken up into little groups? Look at that group near the front. Now, there's a snappy outfit! They all look pretty much alike-at least they're in step with one another. That's something! Only they're not wearing their shoes. They're carrying them in their hands. Silly little band. They won't get very far before God will have to stop again.<br /><br />Or how about that other group over there? They're all holding hands as they march. The only trouble with this is the men on each end of the line. Pretty soon they realize that one of their hands isn't holding on to anything-one hand is reaching, empty, alone. And so they hold hands with each other, and everybody marches around in circles. The more people holding hands, the bigger the circle. And, of course, a bigger circle is deceptive because as we march along it looks like we're going someplace, but we're not. And so God must stop again. You see what I mean? He'll never get anywhere that way!<br /><br />If God were more sensible he'd take his little army and shape them up. Why, whoever heard of a soldier stopping to romp in a field? It's ridiculous. But even more absurd is a general who will stop the march of eternity to go and bring him back. But that's God for you. His is no endless, empty marching. He is going somewhere. His steps are deliberate and full of purpose. He may be old, and he may be tired. But he knows where he's going. And he means to take every last one of his tiny soldiers with him. Only there aren't going to be any forced marches. And, after all, there are frogs and flowers and thorns and underbrush along the way. And even though our foreheads have been signed with the sign of the cross, we are only human. And most of us are afraid and lonely and would like to hold hands or cry or run away. And we don't know where we are going, and we can't seem to trust God-especially when it's dark out and we can't see him.! And he won't go on without us. And that's why it's taking so long.<br /><br />Listen! The drum beat isn't even regular. Everyone is out of step. And there. You see! God keeps stopping along the way to pick up on of his tiniest soldiers who decided to wander off and play with a frog, or run in a field or whose foot got tangled in the underbrush. He'll never get anywhere that way!<br /><br />And yet the march goes on...<br /><br />(From <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Way-Wolf-Martin-Bell/dp/0345305221">The Way of the Wolf</a> by Martin Bell. Originally published in 1968)machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17747292982727718230noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3056017022093232299.post-18763504722330934402009-02-25T23:35:00.000-08:002009-02-25T23:41:19.317-08:00life in checkout lane 10this guy's story is unreal. it's what i want for my own life. to be used by God in powerful ways in unexpected, everyday situations so that people can experience His love. and to have the courage to just pray for folks like this dude does. (Also, I love how this guy pronounces "donuts.")<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/JWGlkox7qSw&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/JWGlkox7qSw&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17747292982727718230noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3056017022093232299.post-60246704892464304602009-02-05T17:11:00.000-08:002009-02-05T17:17:21.047-08:00Nails and DanteFor the past few days Nails and his four month old dog Dante have been crashing on the couch. Nails has been riding trains around the country for the past 5 years. Originally from Texas/The Midwest, he's now living a day at a time on the rails.<br /><br />He's an interesting guy, and we've had a lot to talk about. He's definitely taken most of the romanticism of being a train hobo and thrown it out the door. He's living a tough life...but one full of stories and adventures all its own.<br /><br />Think he's plannin' on staying through the weekend before he catches a train heading north to Baltimore or Philly to meet up with a fellow road dog.<br /><br />Nails and Dante relaxing and enjoying some solid video game action...<br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3509/3256293599_e068ede1cc_o.jpg"><br /><br />Some more of Dante because he just couldn't get enough of the camera...<br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3457/3256293519_435123e80b_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src ="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3094/3256293461_950e651d30_o.jpg">machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17747292982727718230noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3056017022093232299.post-30868169918936509602009-01-30T14:03:00.000-08:002009-01-30T15:13:09.867-08:00Kevin McCallister lives!Seeing as I'm learning to play the guitar, I figured I'd go ahead and just skip most of the learning process and start writing my own songs. Here's the first one: "Christmas Vacation" or "What I did with my first afternoon after losing my job."<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/NxGMpufBqro&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/NxGMpufBqro&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Yeah........I know.<br /><br />Anyway, the lyrics go a little something like this:<br /><br />Chorus:<br />Kevin you're what the French call le incompetant<br />Kevin, you're such a disease<br />Look what you did you little jer<br />Did anyone order me a plain cheese pizza?<br /><br />I don't want to sleep with Fuller, he wets the bed<br />Fine we'll put Fuller somewhere else<br />Kevin get upstairs, I am upstairs you dummy<br />I made my family disappear<br /><br />Buzz I'm going through all your private stuff<br />You better come out and pound me<br />Buzz's girlfriend, woof<br />Guys I'm eating junk and watching rubbish<br /><br />I'm gonna give you to the count of 10<br />To get your ugly, yellow, no good keister off my property<br />1, 2, 10 <br />Keep the change you filthy animal<br /><br />This is it, don't get scared now<br />I'm the man of the house I have to defend it<br />Marv, where are your shoes<br />Harry, why the hell are you dressed like a chicken<br /><br />Repeat Chorus<br /><br />Pretty amazing I know.machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17747292982727718230noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3056017022093232299.post-86375272265667634992009-01-28T13:28:00.000-08:002009-01-28T20:03:57.822-08:00Invitational Artist ExhibitionSubmitted an application to the Folio Weekly Invitational Artist Exhibition. Submitted the following 5 examples of my work:<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3113/3234294471_b2196b5956.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3100/3235145688_a042d5aa6d.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3523/3235145800_47ddef5cec.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3389/3234294383_2057319b6e.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3524/3235145616_0564a53d4a.jpg"><br /><br />And here is the "artist's statement" I came up with (that was a required part of the application):<br /><br />Mac is a guy. A guy that digs an off-kilter sense of beauty and simplicity. His goal is to share this with those who would listen (or look) in the hope of rearranging how they see the world around them. He aims to do this by photographing roadside junk, abandoned buildings and any other seemingly hum-drum scene that goes unnoticed or gets lost in the daily grind of a busy life. Mac is a guy who encourages everyone to take time to appreciate cracks in the sidewalk, faded paint jobs everywhere and the serenity of finding shapes in the clouds.<br /><br />(Yeah, pretty pathetic I know.)<br /><br />The response from Folio was encouraging. We'll see what happens. This amrks the first time I've ever tried to get my stuff into a gallery or show.machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17747292982727718230noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3056017022093232299.post-2831427623885259252009-01-26T22:43:00.000-08:002009-01-26T22:45:29.464-08:00this feels good......to be editing and posting photos. here are some bottles from some old dude's house...<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3451/3231017876_f48d1d184e_o.jpg"><br /><br />yes kristy...i'm still in love with blacks. i'll get over it one day.machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17747292982727718230noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3056017022093232299.post-57461559718501498332009-01-22T21:34:00.001-08:002009-01-22T21:36:00.724-08:00some recent photoshaven't been doing my own photography thing for awhile. grabbed this first shot today driving back to work after interviewing some lady for a story. grabbed the second one at a retirement home last week while working on another story. makes me want to get out and use my camera more...<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3354/3219786962_209354808b_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3418/3218936069_3709f5074e_o.jpg">machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17747292982727718230noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3056017022093232299.post-56653459685477369932009-01-19T12:13:00.001-08:002009-01-19T12:14:16.124-08:00scary movieScary movies are one thing. This is something altogether different. It's a 30 minute summary of the movie IOUSA. Check it out (it's a good use of 30 minutes) and leave your thoughts.<br /><br /><embed src="http://blip.tv/play/Adb1EJDaNg" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="320" height="270" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed>machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17747292982727718230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3056017022093232299.post-79387137437362074082009-01-03T17:20:00.000-08:002009-01-03T17:51:36.532-08:00new lifeso, let me just go ahead and save everyone the trouble of interpreting the title of this entry like we had to interpret the symbolism in a <i>a separate peace</i> back in 6th grade.<br /><br />a new life....for this journal. a reason to update on a much, much more regular basis. it has to do with the third reason for this entry.<br /><br />a new life...in my daily life. i quit smoking and have been without a cigarette for the past 3 days. yeah, it's only 3 days....but i think if i can make it 3 months (which i plan to) i can make it as long as i need to...which the plan calls for that period of time being the rest of my life. <br /><br />a new life...style. in september i joined <a href="http://www.couchsurfing.com">couchsurfing.com</a>. it has turned out to be one of the best decisions i've ever made. it basically consists of people who offer to let travlers stay in their homes at no charge, instead of staying in a hotel or hostel. it's a way to bring the world together, to live cheaper and to make friends from around the world.<br /><br />since september i've had about 10 groups of people come through, some traveling alone, some consisting of 2-4 people. and it's been amazing. i've had people from all over the states (from vegas to philly) and from around the world (two brothers from iran and a couple of folks from germany.)<br /><br />my brother sam thought it'd be a good idea to blog about people who have stayed here, and i agreed. (he's a smart guy, good thing i taught him well.) so with that...here's a photo recap of one of the most recent groups to come through. four students (three from poland and one from chile) came through for a night and we had a pretty good time together.<br /><br />here's the five of us walking along the river on our way to london bridge...one of the best real pubs in town.<br /><img src="http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/img_l_3862439.jpg"><br /><br />at london bridge with jaga, ewa, piotrek and rodrigo.<br /><img src="http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/img_l_3862444.jpg"><br /><br />then it was back to the apartment where the girls cooked some pasta.<br /><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1042/3165198410_159d2d0912.jpg"><br /><br />they left the next morning and headed down to the florida keys. and that's pretty much the life of a couch surfer. a good time together, good conversation, a lot of laughs...and the next day that's it. though i have had some folks stay for up to three days.<br /><br />and with that...here are some photos of other couch surfers that have come through and enjoyed life at casa de awesome. (unfortunately i don't have photos of all of them. but with regular updates, hopefully that will change. lucky you.)<br /><br />honnes and johannes from dusseldorf germany who stayed for three days...<br /><img src="http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/img_l_3753477.jpg"><br /><br />bjorn from zurich, switzerland who stayed for a night...<br /><img src="http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/img_l_3860542.jpg"><br /><br />my friend ashley from new york, and petra (a couchsurfer and professional tennis player) enjoying ourselves...<br /><img src="http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/img_l_3753474.jpg"><br /><br />diachi and sana, a brother and sister from seattle who rode their bikes cross country w/ jacksonville as their very last stop...<br /><img src="http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/img_l_3752436.jpg"><br /><br />amir and ardalan, brothers from iran who are driving to california right now...<br /><img src="http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/img_l_3752452.jpg"><br /><br />and finally...anna and hendrik from cologne germany roasting mini-marshmellows over my scented glade candle...<br /><img src="http://images.couchsurfing.us.s3.amazonaws.com/img_l_3752412.jpg"><br /><br />so yeah. that's couch surfing. it's amazing and has radically changed my life in a number of ways. i won't even pretend to be able to describe how...but it has. truly. and so now when someone stays, the plan is to write about it on here and share it with all of you. does this blog just keep getting more awesome or what?machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17747292982727718230noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3056017022093232299.post-10673097974065828372008-12-15T20:34:00.000-08:002008-12-15T20:38:32.508-08:00Storm Track '08Thanks to everyone who made a guess as to what story I was writing about in my last place. The correct answer was that it was a story about a guy who pretends to be Santa and calls kids at home. (Not nearly as creepy as it sounds...really.)<br /><br />On a completely separate note...here's a video I just uploaded tonight. When Hurricane Fay came through town earlier this year, Sam, Stefanie and myself went out to document all the destruction. (We just got around to editing it all. And by editing it all I mean Sam left the camera we used, with all our footage on it, in another state for awhile.) Things got pretty hectic. Check it out...<br /><br />Storm Track (or Storm Chase or Storm Watch) '08:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/vLjN6Cs00BI&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/vLjN6Cs00BI&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17747292982727718230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3056017022093232299.post-63241060395824464442008-12-04T07:39:00.000-08:002008-12-04T07:44:12.150-08:00The best contest of your lifeI got this idea from my brother Sam, so I credit him for his greatness. (There, I declared you great in a public forum, for all the world to see. Don't say I never did anything for you bro.)<br /><br />I'm going to write out the notes I took while interviewing someone for the newspaper yesterday. I'll write out exactly what I wrote, in the order I wrote it. It's your job to guess what the story is about.<br /><br />The winner will get something. Probably.<br /><br />INTERVIEW NOTES:<br /><br />- 4 or 5 years<br />- It's fun, I get a kick out of it.<br />- I get a lot of I love yous and how they'll make cookies and what type they'll make me.<br />- They're so shocked sometimes all they say is yes sir.<br />- Look forward to it.<br />- Sometimes at least 75 households.<br />- Hundreds<br />- Curtis L. Lewis II<br />- Rec specialist<br /><br />Alright, there you go...let the guessing begin.machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17747292982727718230noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3056017022093232299.post-183789302096038802008-11-24T13:30:00.000-08:002008-11-24T13:34:22.653-08:00Peter Schiff tried to tell everyone what was coming...It's amazing to watch the following clips of Peter Schiff who says time and time again our economy is going to weaken and everyone acting like he's crazy. In 2006 and 2007 everyone seemed to believe the economy would only continue to strengthen...except for this dude.<br /><br />Seems to me he knows what he's talking about. Here's hoping that he can give me some financial and investing advice for the next few years.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/2I0QN-FYkpw&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/2I0QN-FYkpw&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xcfcfcf&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17747292982727718230noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3056017022093232299.post-74476285881220129592008-11-10T15:17:00.001-08:002008-11-10T15:39:54.198-08:00Laura and Greg's WeddingLaura and Greg held a small wedding ceremony in September at a small house in Riverside here in Jacksonville. Here are some of my favorites from the day...<br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3048/3020758104_58c7bc6a05_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3004/3019926695_4b3f5ec104_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3246/3020757736_e136cf6a46_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3184/3019927081_ec29f49bc7_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3061/3020757860_bf9e9f5940_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3169/3020757378_d7820e26b9_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3001/3019926571_1ea81c6f9f_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3232/3020756978_c7f58fb8d3_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3146/3020799606_ea4d1e6813_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3280/3019925981_b89e5f6cdd_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3157/3020756590_7d8da6f9b0_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3012/3019968791_9b14dce07b_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3160/3019968733_50286d3d20_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3296/3020758846_9408597d66_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3191/3019927779_4eddbba27c_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3214/3020758586_03a6fcdbdb_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3051/3020758436_f233d1e1d9_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3209/3019927447_6867b11af9_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3251/3019925723_8e3263b8de_o.jpg">machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17747292982727718230noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3056017022093232299.post-37056817286737075292008-11-07T09:13:00.001-08:002008-11-07T09:40:26.755-08:00I Can't Believe it Actually HappenedWhen I was 12 years old I heard the greatest band of all time. They were called The Presidents of the United States of America. They introduced me to rock music. 15 years later, no one really listens to them anymore..except nerds, and still they continue to rock. I always wanted to see them live, and never did for one reason or another and began to think I never would because they had no reason to tour.<br /><br />Until now. The Presidents recently released a new album (which of course rocks your socks off) and are on tour. Last night I went to see them. I had been waiting 15 years for that to happen. Not only did I go to the show, I was given a photo pass, and was the only audience member who was allowed to have a camera. At all.<br /><br />It was almost too much. My favorite band, and I'm the only one allowed to take photos. It was insane, and so was I. According to my friend Ashley and brother Sam who went with me, I was like a 12 year old girl at an N'Sync concert. And I'm fine with that.<br /><br />So here you go....photos from the first three songs of the show (the standard professional rock concert limit). Photos of my favorite band ever. Photos of a dream I lived. (Interestingly enough, this also marks my 100th post in this blog.)<br /><br />Before the show...<br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3070/3010902638_2a26635b07_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3182/3010902454_b1c25d5931_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3026/3010902376_fdd88db7d2_o.jpg"><br /><br />The show...<br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3158/3010065549_6cb849e9c3_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3217/3010902804_3dff27e2f9_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3215/3010903810_560d06c7f1_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3283/3010065747_4829b87055_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3245/3010066077_48c476c374_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3162/3010903438_9b6dae653c_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3073/3010065791_98e997362b_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3166/3010903204_289b6d9db1_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3294/3010066003_e22546c2f3_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3295/3010065501_6bc661d3de_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3229/3010065893_275e9791fc_o.jpg"><br /><br /><img src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3286/3010066039_cf361bae0c_o.jpg">machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17747292982727718230noreply@blogger.com6