jrahn's drawn

Past, present and future 10.22.11

2011-11-04T16:04:00.000-07:00

So, a few weeks back, Mary and I got married in Carmel, at The Holly Farm. This place was a dream come true. We knew once we visited the farm and met the Moses family last September, that this was where we wanted our union to take place. We were not let down. This was an amazing place that accommodated everything we could have asked for.

The biggest upside was being able to have an extended stay onsite with our family and close friends. The last thing we wanted, was to be rushed in and out during one of the most monumental times of our lives. Cannot say enough about the Holly farm, as well as our Officient, Ken Robbins; which orchestrated a beautiful ceremony that made the day that much more special.

Once the official photos are processed for us by Heather Elizabeth Photography, I'll post again. Heather was great, and we cannot wait to see what she has conjured up for us. Her portfolio is pretty strong and she was great to work with. Check her work out.

Here are some photos I took with my camera while not stressing out and feeling overwhelmed on Saturday, as well as the next couple of days. Here is a link to the remainder uploaded on my Flickr page.

After the wedding, we tried to relax as much as possible while soaking up the beautiful weather in Carmel for the next two days.

After Mary and I left the farm, we headed down the CA 1 for a scenic drive to Santa Barbara which ended up being pretty long, albeit still scenic.

We checked out some nice eateries in SB and took in the SB Museum of art before trekking back to San Diego to unwind before entering back into our parallel reality.

lights out

2011-09-10T18:14:00.000-07:00

Thursday, San Diego and much of the south west seemed to have lost access to power. Supposedly, an honest mistake made by one guy. Pretty significant outage, affecting over 1.5 million people for about 9 hours; at least where I was.

The outage, while not immediately life threatening, did give us a bit of a wake-up call. We had no idea when the power would come back on. We weren't immediately shaken, but the question of whether we would be prepared for a prolonged outage was settling in.

We cruised over to the Farmers market by where we live to grab something to eat for the evening. A farmers market is PERFECT for power outages. They were selling out left and right. What an awesome boost for those guys. We grabbed some goods, got home and BBQ'd by lantern light.

We played board games and actually interacted. It was pleasant. Although, still having a wax mess to deal with from all the candles isn't as inspiring.

Heres a photo of a candle casualty, blown out just after the power resumed around midnight here.

The other day, I finished designing and printing out the hang tags for our wedding favors. We had to source more matching card stock in Carlsbad. Mary and I also had to come to terms with how I envisioned the tag design. She was correct with her assessment and critique. We agreed this version looked more cohesive.

The wedding is not far away now. We are still trying to tie some loose ends. I feel things are coming together. Here's to a fun time to be had!

Be there with bells on.

2011-07-22T12:22:00.000-07:00

SO....

I asked Mary to Marry me last year. Once you make that kind of commitment, you are also obligated to have a ceremony. We initially had some ideas that didn't pan out. In time, we got closer to what we thought would make for a pretty good time. We made some decisions here and there, and still have a few more to sort out.

We are holding the festivities in Carmel, Ca., at an awesome venue called, The Holly Farm. We are excited and cannot wait to check in. Here's to hoping for a fun and memorable experience for everyone involved.

I knew one thing off the bat; I wanted to design the invites. Figured I have a bit of know-how and we would potentially save a bit of money in the process. I made a few mock-ups and came up with what I am presenting here. Mary definitely helped with the creative process. She is so cutesy with her approach. So here are some photo's I took just before sending out the invites this afternoon! (GASP). So, it is official—no turning back now, the invites are on their way into the hands of the invitees. Well, most of them anyway. < Shameless Plug >Also, anyone interested in getting any design work done, I am available—Got a wedding to pay for. < / Shameless Plug >

bells and whistles

2010-10-15T13:49:00.000-07:00

It's started. We have the date set, venue booked and photographer set to go. We needed to submit a photo of ourselves for the venue so Mary and I had a little photo shoot last night in the Apartment model. It was trial and error since I was using my remote for exposures. I think we are gonna have to get our engagement photos set up here soon as well. Pretty exciting.

HollyFarm

DemoReel WIP

2010-09-14T01:23:00.000-07:00

Work in progress DemoReel

James Eggleston Demo Reel 2010 from James Eggleston on Vimeo.

I am weak.

2010-06-25T18:04:00.000-07:00

I wasn't gonna be a slave to technology, I wasn't gonna contribute to the hype. Not because I didn't feel like it, it was mostly cause I don't have disposable income. Anyway, where there is a will, there is a way. I was able to sell my 3gs for pretty much exactly what I would pay for a new phone. In fact I only spent something like 17 cents out of pocket.

Anyway, so I get the thing the other morning. It really is pretty sweet; even with all the purported problems. Mine seems to be void of all those issues in all honesty. The screen is SUPER sharp. They weren't really exaggerating when compared to the previous generation phone. 1 ghz chip is way faster, it runs 512 mb of ram. That is as much ram that was in my last imac when I bought it.

The camera is lightyears ahead of the previous version. It is 5 mp and the sensor is much more sensitive to photons. This enables much quicker exposures in normal light and pretty awesome low light results. I have attached a few examples taken today on the patio. It takes sharp photos. The flash is okay, nice to have I suppose in certain circumstances. Not expecting it be a savior by any means. The video is also pretty sweet. It uses h.264 compression which has been shown to be a very formidable codec. The additional compression that flickr used on my upload was intolerable so I will post a video sample at a later time. There are some other features that are available now in the ios4 which can be mentioned, such as multitasking with apps like pandora. You could do some of this stuff already with a jailbreak, I'll also be jailbreaking this badboy once it is feasible. Can't for someone else to get their hands on one so I can test out the facetalk feature which looks pretty cool as well.

afternoon walk..

2010-05-30T19:40:00.000-07:00

Here are a few photos from either today, or another day...

Early worksite regimen.

2010-03-27T15:04:00.000-07:00

Here is a small vid from the previous project. This was the first concept I came up with. I am overly dependent on caffeine..

Untitled from James Eggleston on Vimeo.

Hummingbird tracking in Boujou

2010-03-26T15:39:00.000-07:00

Here is a video of the latest project. I am open to anyone with suggestions. Tracking footage is pretty cool, a lot of troubleshooting but very awesome. Next class is advanced modeling (more zbrush) I am psyched to learn some more subsurface scattering and shader networks. Class is so much more enjoyable now that I have a computer up to the task. Much more to come.

Untitled from James Eggleston on Vimeo.

Edit: this video was slightly altered this morning. I updated some object shadow masks and retooled the audio. I noticed the text was slightly unreadable when compressed in vimeo so I made some more adjustments there.

MotionBuilder v.6

2010-02-23T12:47:00.000-08:00

Class is finished,
Tomorrow we start our lighting and rendering class. I will post updates with that. For now, here is my latest project.

Untitled from James Eggleston on Vimeo.

Mobu v.5

2010-02-22T11:52:00.000-08:00

I finished my project Monday. I had left my render at school over the weekend. I was messing around in After Effects on sunday and layed out my background image and edited my intro text etc. so that all I needed to do Monday was switch out the new render and output my video in AE. Once I was finished and turned my project into the TS, Otto noticed that my raycasted shadows on one of my lights was pretty distracting. I do agree that it did take away from the animation overall. I went ahead and left it to re render this afternoon. I should be able to quickly swap out the frames in AE and output once more. I finally figured out why my videos were rendering so desaturated in AE. I had to switch the compression to something like jpeg 2000 instead of normal h.264. I don't know if it's practical since the files are pretty big but the quality is far better as far as color richness. I will post my final animation tomorrow once we finish our critique.

Mobu v.4

2010-02-22T11:50:00.003-08:00

Before the end of last week, I was finishing up my animation in motion builder. I was having some issues with additive character tracks. I had finished my initial poses and wanted to add in secondary movements. This left much to be desired since the story tab really isn't intended for editing key frames. I managed to get some movements in here and there but the end result is still a bit fast or rigid in motion in certain places. Overall, I am good with the poses and feel that they demonstrate the emotions that my chosen sync exudes. Once I felt happy with everything in MOBU, I imported back into Maya, then applied my color and normal map. I was intending to use displacement but I didn't have time to learn the new workflow in zbrush 3.5 r3. I will start getting that done tomorrow.

2010-02-22T11:50:00.001-08:00

MOBU v.3

2010-02-22T11:39:00.000-08:00

Last week, I finished up my color map, output a normal map and rendered a few frames in maya to make sure they looked half way decent. Lighting was setup, though, not finalized. I worked at home mostly the entire Thursday finishing the map. I am getting more efficient with layout of maps. Still need to improve technique though. My normal was output of Zbrush 3.1 at school. I was going to use displacement but the workflow changed the very next day since the classrooms installed 3.5 r3 and I believe the process has changed. I will need to get on that soon.

Motion Builder 02

2010-02-06T16:55:00.000-08:00

I've got my project going for class. I decided to sync a quote that I extracted from an episode of It's always sunny in Philadelphia.
My character is reciting lines by Charlie Kelly. It is really just something I whipped up rather quickly in zbrush from a generic base mesh from Maya. It had been a minute since I had used zbrush so I spend a day or so troubleshooting problems between file exports. I came to the conclusion that my versions I was saving out at home were scaled to some insane degree and I had to sculpt everything over with zbrush 3.0 in class. Not that big of a deal. Anyway, so at this point in the game, I have my final mesh and blend shapes back into maya. I am currently working on my color map for my character. I hope to have that finished by this weekend but there are a few other things going on. This coming week, I plan to get started with the lip sync and onto the full animation thereafter. I have a bunch assets already made from previous projects so I shouldn't need to be modeling too much, maybe a few tweaks but we'll see.

balcony

2010-01-29T16:59:00.000-08:00

I love the views from our balcony, it seems that there are new colors at sunset every night. Here are a few recents. The first, a photo of pretty big hail that fell about a week ago.

MotionBuilder

2010-01-29T10:14:00.000-08:00

I am now in term 6 of my classes, which means I am that much closer to graduation. That in itself is a bit scary. Loan repayment is fast approaching. I am currently in Motion Builder class, which consists of animation, both motion capture and manually keyed. It is always a balancing act trying to stay creatively motivated when learning new programs. Luckily the ins and outs of Motion Builder are relatively similar to Maya since it is developed by autodesk (bought out).

The first two weeks of class have consisted of learning the technical aspect of the program. I am happy with the teaching method, it had a practical approach which is hands on. Three more weeks, then on to rendering and lighting which should be very cool as well. I will talk more about my plans for our final project in the next installment.

2009-12-02T12:09:00.000-08:00

I am not even gonna comment on how long it's been...oh wait.
Yeah, Yeah the camera work is TURBLE but I will tidy that up later on in the graph editor. Class is over, on to dynamics tomorrow!
No snide remarks please.

Benny the barback. from James Eggleston on Vimeo.

2009-10-06T16:30:00.000-07:00

In a bit of a lull.
Everyone besides me is sick in our apartment. Mary's car broke down completely and is in the shop, who knows at this point whether it is gonna be totaled or not. My grants are not coming through until basically December at the earliest. I may need to get my resume tailored up pretty soon. My computer blows. My windshield is now on its was to caving in cause the new crack I got keeps spreading. School work is sketchy, I missed yesterday feeling sick and now I am lost. I am one whiny bitch right now hahaha. Oh well, tomorrow is my birthday... I guess that is cool, maybe I'll win the lotto or something.

2009-09-19T13:48:00.000-07:00

This weekend, I don't really have anything to do, other than cleaning a bit. I am finished editing my last project for my digital video class. I am not totally excited about the end result but I think our group did pretty well with the cards we were dealt. I am really appreciative of Kurt for coming out last weekend and sacrificing his pride to aid us with the project. Thanks again buddy! I think video is fun, although not the avenue I will be pursuing. In the future, I will be equipped to shoot and edit some mean home videos though... Next up for school is all that is 3D. I start off with a character creation course which will be fun I think, as I look forward to starting that this coming tuesday. School has been good for the most part, just dealing with the loans and grants is beyond stressful at this point. Cal grant is guaranteed to me, yet I have not received a dime and I am over 3 months into my term. I will be prepping myself to sell a kidney off pretty soon. Anyway, I will end with some photos taken over the past week. The cat's were fighting up on the windowsill which was funny and dangerous at the same time. I found out that they are both southpaw fighters.

2009-09-09T21:21:00.000-07:00

Check this crap out... I've gotten 10 new lines in the last couple of weeks.

cidade de deus

2009-08-31T13:28:00.000-07:00

City of God trailer. We had to make a trailer using ripped footage from a movie. So naturally, my favorite movie got the nod. And the

track I used from Curumin really sets it off I think. I will probably be told I need to revise some of it but oh wells.

trailer re-edit from James Eggleston on Vimeo.

this made me laugh..

2009-08-27T10:50:00.000-07:00

2009-08-25T13:04:00.000-07:00

This is all I got for now.. No pantless weirdo story from me, although I feel like I should make up a story just cause this seems very normal and unexciting after reading Neil's post.

Untitled from James Eggleston on Vimeo.

edit: this is a revised edition that reflects longer durations for the text portions, as well as a map.

08 17 09

2009-08-17T22:34:00.000-07:00

August 18th 2009. Abigail turns 1 on this day. So far she has grown into an awkwardly sized little enigma. She is terribly funny, loud, mischievous, cute, mean all at the same time really. She follows me around, constantly vying for my attention. She makes sure that you are aware that she is bored. She still plays fetch everyday. She loves playing with Penelope even when Penelope feels like eating her face. I think she still has some growing left to do, but I cannot imagine her attitude getting any bigger.

ladybugs

2009-08-13T20:41:00.000-07:00

Here are some random and recent photos. Mary brought home a jar full of ladybugs to battle the mighty aphid infestation of the summer 09.

logo animation

2009-08-13T10:28:00.000-07:00

This is a logo animation I just finished today. We kept it short and simple the first time around. Rendering even just mere seconds takes pretty long on these machines at school. There are some tweaks that I might do later just to remove some of the jerkiness of the camera. Let me know what you think..

respirator

2009-07-30T17:33:00.000-07:00

Here is the first 3d model that I have been working on. It only has some shaders and one small text map on the cartridges. I have been trying to figure out all the texture mapping but it is proving to be a challenge to make look good. I am getting a better feel for Maya but still have a ways to go.

step into a world.

2009-07-16T09:08:00.000-07:00

Not a whole lot going on over here. I started my 3D class—couldn't have come sooner! My first impression with the program we are running, (maya09) is of intimidation. It looks overwhelming at first glance but I think it is coming along. Our instructor went over the main functions VERY quickly in one day and pretty much has left us all to fend for ourselves. I hate asking for help all the damn time... although I am paying dearly for it. I was recently able to get my hands on the software for home use, so that is what I am doing right now. This stuff is awesome, once I can accustom myself to the in's and outs of it all, I think I will be in good shape. I will post some progress later on.

Pechanga Pow Wow 7/04/09

2009-07-05T21:53:00.000-07:00

Went to the Pechenga Pow Wow for the 4th. Never been to a Pow Wow before. I thought it was pretty cool. I was in search for a sweet set of moccasins but could not find anything that suited me well. The one pair with custom beadwork were well over $245.00 which is understandable, just not in my future. There was some sweet Regalia there though, as well as some delicious fry bread and tacos. You cannot go wrong with fry bread! Unfortunately I didn't get any good photos of the regalia for fear of disrespecting anyone... I didn't realize there were some unspoken rules for photographers at pow wows. Once the fireworks started, I fired up the slr and went to work. The show was one of the best I have ever witnessed. We could literally feel the firework explosions rip through the air. The finale was nearly 2 minutes long. Here are a couple of photos...

2009-06-18T19:56:00.000-07:00

Web class is killing all my free time. That is all.

stone

2009-06-14T12:27:00.000-07:00

Last night we got hungry and all decided to make the drive up to Escondido and try out the Stone Brewery Bistro. I had really been wanting to go for quite some time. Kurt, Nathalie, Mary and I all caught a late reservation. I have to say, I was pleased. Although when you go to a brewery like stone, one would assume they only serve stone beers; quite the contrary. I committed sacrilege and ordered Pliny anyway (had to get two since they are only served in 8 oz. glasses). The food was pretty good, I even ate some of kurts ceviche. After we got back home, Nathalie unpacked from Japan (2+ months later). Thanks for the Sake!

Evening update..

2009-06-03T19:19:00.000-07:00

Here is the other nights tasting. It was a collaboration between Russian River and Avery brewery. It was very good.
And earlier today, out of nowhere, it hailed for a while with a bunch of thunder and lightning. People from SD aren't used to this kind of weather I guess. Here is a photo right after the hail.

meteor

2009-06-03T18:09:00.000-07:00

Here is a tutorial I just finished, I am trying to mess with ps as much as possible to try and learn new techniques. This one is a little cheesy but it all counts..

one more day...

2009-05-27T17:11:00.001-07:00

Been a while since I have posted any cat pics, you guy's were probably freaking out with anticipation for some recent flix huh.
Well here you go. Also, we got a tomato plant that has been doing pretty well, and my grape vine is spreading it's wings as well. I thought the first couple shots of Abigail were funny. She was making faces.
Abigail is turning into a legitimate monster too by the way.

urban camping grounds

2009-05-25T12:30:00.000-07:00

I found out that I will be getting the calgrant this time around, which is a nice surprise. I had no idea, 1: if I would even get it and 2: how much it awarded people. Anyway, so long as California does not go completely broke and revoke our grants, I will be getting enough money for a new computer. This comes at a nice time in all honesty. I've been geeking out on mac rumor sites for far too long. I am not sure that I am prepared to camp outside the att store, but I will do whatever it takes. Just playing, I have always been against paying the geek-tax. I do need a new phone though, and this is an opportune time to get one. The 3rd gen iphone is speculated to be unveiled during the upcoming wwdc conference. Maybe a July release. There are a couple of major upgrades being talked about, one being a 3+ mp camera which is cool I guess. The new os 3.0 is said to be much more efficient as well as a doubled memory at 32 gb. That is enough for me to be relatively excited. On another note, there are also new imac's being rumored to contain quadcore's which will do very nicely next to snow leopard. It is long overdue that Mac gets a new facelift with their mid level machines. If this does not come around, I may look into the macpro which is pricey but the ability to upgrade to 32gb of ram is pretty hard to overlook.

R.I.P. Vladimir

2009-05-21T18:57:00.000-07:00

My main man Vladimir just passed away today. That was my first cat I ever had, as well as the first one my mom was able to have as an adult. He meant a lot to us. Guy was the coolest, he would kill lizards and birds and leave them on our beds as presents. He lived to a ripe age of 16 which was surprising since he had been through to much over the years. I will miss him very dearly. My thoughts are with moms cause I know that was not easy to do and I love you for having the courage to let him rest. I will miss you buddy, there will never be another one like you!
-James

claymation cats

2009-05-19T16:36:00.000-07:00

This was interesting to say the least...the coolest part is the song.

The peoples champ

2009-05-03T15:00:00.000-07:00

Had a good time over at Paolo's place last night. Nice to see him off in good fashion with a Manny win. I have got soooo much homework to do, and not any motivation to aid me.

2009-04-23T17:02:00.000-07:00

I wonder how much white buff this guy had on hand for this project, not to mention time.

Chicken soup for the soul

2009-04-21T20:57:00.001-07:00

I am going to try my hand at making chicken broth. Kurt is a big inspiration in my decision to attack this feat. Thanks buddy, I will let you know how it works out. So if I don't answer my phone, I am sorry, this process is times taking.

utc_skyline

2009-04-20T20:58:00.001-07:00

Had not done one of these in a while, although it is very harsh, I liked the look.

monday sun day

2009-04-20T18:33:00.000-07:00

This is why I sweat and strained muscles, moving all our stuff.

another super sunday

2009-04-19T10:02:00.001-07:00

Today we have turned a new leaf,
I cannot find anything, not even coffee filters, I am drinking coffee from yesterday. My shower pressure is something to laugh at. I am definitely more sore than I can remember ever being. Even my kidneys hurt. My cat finally came out from under our night stands. I thought she might be taking new residence there. Penelope loves it; sitting and basking in the sun. I am glad someone is having a splendid time.

credit meltdown

2009-04-16T15:44:00.000-07:00

If you have not done so in the recent past, you should all go and check your credit cards limit. I was just updating our new address a few minutes ago and rechecking all my balances etc. I noticed that my Target card had a peculiar number for a credit limit. I did a double take and called the service number. I was reassured of my suspicions. Target cut my limit more than 50%. I asked the kind, accented woman on the phone,"Why did it decrease? I have never been late and I ALWAYS pay more than my minimum." She replies," there are many reasons why it may have been decreased." That is the most I could get out of her, no real explanation at all. I then took it upon myself to do some research on the interwebs. I found a plethora of complaints about this very issue. It seems MANY credit companies are doing this at a high rate. It has always gone on, yet this economic climate has prompted them to go ape shit now. I figure that my card was hit because I hardly ever carry a balance because the rate it crazy since it was my first card. Now I have a better rate on a different card luckily. We will see if that company hit me again. The main problem with this is that once my line is lowered, it will directly affect my credit score. I have worked hard to maintain and build a solid score. Especially important now because I have been getting student loans and will need to consolidate once I am finished. Credit companies are sheisty, which I have always known. I had yet to be impacted until now.

updated date for the moving date.

2009-04-13T19:59:00.000-07:00

Well it is an update.
Saturday is still in effect. We got notice that the tenant will be gone and the grounds crew will be on point in getting the apartment ready! Come one come all.

the good life.

2009-04-10T14:47:00.000-07:00

This is where the west coast got busy building.
On showtime this saturday night if you are interested, also on dvd through netflix. These guys were revolutionary in building a whole new dynamic of hip hop as we know it. True pioneers.

escrow messcrow

2009-04-10T12:13:00.000-07:00

Inconvenient news just keeps rolling.
Our move in date got pushed back AGAIN. This is not the current tenants fault, they are currently in escrow with a house and it keeps getting pushed. The problem is that it's getting very tough to get a handle on what we need to do. At this point our move in is pending a date since it's up in the air really. There is an outside chance that it still goes down next saturday; It seems very unlikely though. We will more than likely be moving in mid week or something when I am still in class and we cannot find any help. It just bugs because we had such a good turn out for help that day. We had planned on a bbq and it was the day Nathalie comes back. At least if it DOES get pushed like we anticipate, Nathalie will have no jet-lag! Eh, whatever I guess.

what is in a B?

2009-04-09T11:36:00.001-07:00

I am a little disturbed today. I might be looking down the barrel of my first B grade in school. I made it a personal goal that I would get through college with a 4.0 gpa. At first I thought, "Oh well if I don't, but I will definitely try." After about 14 classes I still have a strong hold on that goal. Now I am starting to wonder how this one will end. I have this oral communication class that seemed straight forward. The teacher has my attention, I am making effort. I do a couple of speeches and I receive B's. The first speech admittedly was worth every bit of that B. The most recent speech I felt would garner at least a low A. I prepped, I focused, I knew my subject and thesis. I was conscience of my um's and er's. I got a B for my troubles. I have one test and one speech left to complete before the class ends. I will do my part, I am just not sure how it will end up. Honestly, I think the teacher has it out for me. I did far better on this speech than the last, yet I only attain a 5 point improvement. I would understand if I felt I did B grade work, I just don't interpret it the same way—unfortunately, that does not matter.

update

2009-04-05T16:57:00.000-07:00

Update,
I have a new line and this one is yellow! They are starting to grow on me.

vertical mac attack

2009-04-02T21:55:00.001-07:00

This evening I noticed another vertical line pop up on my moniter.. it is dying a slow death. I hear apple will fix the problem for $700.00. Some people even got apple to replace the board for free by way of relentless nagging. Unfortunately I was not as lucky being so far out of the warranty period, a warranty that I really did not have in the first place, (long story). Another wait and see. At least the the new line is a different color, adding some variety to the problem.

2009-03-26T16:42:00.000-07:00

No need to believe all the Blake Griffen hype...don't get me wrong, he is a monster. I just don't think he is big enough to play power forward in the nba as effectively as everyone anticipates. Ricky Rubio is as crafty as any point guard in the league currently. He lacks some athleticism yet has quick feet, insane ball handing and a floor I.Q. that is beyond his years. I am hoping sacramento feels the same way, they are in disarray and need a serious point guard as well as a real coach. This is all I could ask for next year. Just find a way to get this guy, trade down if you have to. The worst thing that could happen is they end up with the 3rd pick or Ricky does not enter the draft. I am interested to see what happens.

it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood.

2009-03-26T16:05:00.001-07:00

Today has been really pleasant outside. I walked around for a little while and snapped a few shots. I had just gotten Aperture loaded to my computer and I wanted to get used to the ins and outs. I like it, i'd say even more than lightroom actually (much faster uploads from the camera) Anyway here are a few photo's from this afternoon. I think we are gonna try out the sauna this evening. I need to sweat out some toxins.

playing the waiting game

2009-03-25T15:53:00.000-07:00

this is all I have to say today...

Where the Wild Things Are (trailer) from muzzed on Vimeo.

loose lips sink ships

2009-03-20T20:14:00.000-07:00

My apartment has sprung a leak!
All of the sudden we hear a constant dripping noise and think it is probably abby's doing. Nah, our ceiling is caving in and the carpet is soaked from the padding up. The main line broke and was leaking through the walls. Looks like it is fixed for now. We have a fan in our apartment for the next day or so and then we have to get the carpet cleaned. Hopefully no drywall needs to be taken out, wish it would have happened after we moved out but that is just how it goes sometimes

.

so little time

2009-03-19T14:49:00.000-07:00

I've got so much reading to do in my new classes!
On another note, I am excited that k-os will be releasing his new album later this month. He has done well not leaking it so far.
I cannot seem to find it anywhere. Oh come on, I was gonna purchase the damn thing regardless!
Here is a cool video they made recently for the track, 4321. It is an awesome 12 fps video shot in a mall somewhere in Canada.

k-os - 4,3,2,1 from nettwerkmusic on Vimeo.

told you so.

2009-03-16T15:44:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of things I did for drawing class.
I enjoy charcoal, just not that shitty newsprint paper, all the values get saturated and when I work a lot with the paper, the fibers become weak and it ruins the textures and gradients. I enjoyed the class overall, when I do anything on my own time I will be inclined to use good quality paper. Anyway here are a few like I said, nothing outstanding but it is a start, I never got more than I think 30 minutes on any one application so as you can see, there are not many heads...go figure.

antsy pants

2009-03-14T16:18:00.001-07:00

Well, Looks like the previously mentioned move is imminent.
Mary put in the notice today so there is not likely a chance to turn back now. There is a positive. We are going to be moving during the weekend starting saturday I believe and Mary will be taking PTO so that works out better than previously anticipated. The moving day looks to be the 11th, so we are looking at just under one month. Cool thing is that we don't have to totally commit to packing things. We will only need a handful of boxes since we are just going back and forth between two building which are right next to each other. By no means is it going to be FUN but I suppose I am willing to embrace any silver lining to be found. So if any of you are free on that particular day, feel free to help us. Or if you just wanna come over and pamper the anxiety ridden cats, that would be cool too. I think we are gonna try and borrow some pro dollies from the ups guy cause he is cool like that. I started working out again in preparation for the move. I don't want any crazy muscle cramps like last time (was not cool at all).

I had to study a good portion of the morning since I have a couple of finals on Monday. Come Tuesday I start four new classes which include speech, english, art survey and portfolio development. In ten weeks I will finally start my B.S. program and get down to brass tax. That also means I will be in search of a new student loan which hopefully does not pose any serious problems, It seems that it always gets stressful when that time comes around.

I missed out this morning on the St. Patty's day parade with Neil, Megan and everyone. I had a lot of fun last year but I found that I had too much on my plate this morning, I really need to watch my money as well. Seems like things always pop up and rid me of my budgeting or lack there of. I just have too many vices, but vices are important to have I think, unless they cause trouble of course. Well I need to get back to some productive chores and errands so that I feel like I am worth something.

unwarranted sleep deprivation

2009-03-07T12:58:00.000-08:00

Daylight savings is a blessing and a curse. I just got mildly used to waking up at 630 every morning to make it to class on time. This was a pretty drastic change in my sleeping schedule. I don't think i've ever had to wake up that early on a consistent basis at any other point in my life. I cry about it but it really is not that bad. What is bad is that tomorrow, time ditches us behind and laughs while we try and catch up, with no remorse naturally. I don't know how I will react to it. Tomorrow morning I will just sleep in like all other weekend mornings but when monday morning approaches...

Also, Mary really wants to move into a different apartment. It is the same size and floor plan but has a couple of additions and subtractions. First, the balcony is at least twice the size of the one we currently have. The patio and apartment also receives a lot more natural light which we currently have lacking. There is also a closet out on the patio which can house a good quantity of our property which is stacked in boxes that never made it any further. The other plus is that we get a pristine apartment that needs no cat repairs. Here are a few downsides. The apartment is on the second floor which I have mixed feelings about. The balcony wall is lower and I fear that abigail will spring over that shit with reckless abandon. Another thing is that by nature, when you move your self, usually your things have to go with you and the only way for that to happen is if you physically engage in manual labor. I am not a gigantic fan of manual labor for the most part. Moving would not be as difficult as if we were relocating across town etc. but it still entails a little sweat and some potential muscle strains. We would more than likely have to move during the week which would make enlisting help problematic. Then there is changing my address with like 10 different places and forwarding all our services and crap. Moving is a headache which I am sure most everyone can empathize with. I have to at least seriously consider doing this since Mary is really lobbying the move. Honestly, I could care less but that is not the issue. Maybe I am learning something. Go figure.

parks and recreation

2009-03-06T15:10:00.001-08:00

Today my lit class went to the Torrey Pines state reserve. No parking available for free so we had to front the bill, no worries. We hiked over the hill down to the beach. The sand was a mixture of black and tan warmth. It was a bit breezy but pleasant. The hike was more strenuous than anticipated,( still wasn't really bad, I just didn't know we had to hike ). We found our way to a little building on the way to the beach which housed a nice state worker that was making sure to do a wonderful job in fear of losing her job I imagine. We voiced our unwillingness to watch an informative video pertaining the the reserve and we were on our way back on the path to descend towards the beach. We climbed some interesting rocks in order to position ourselves comfortably where we each had the opportunity (forced) to share a poem. It was a hot and cold experience with the sun peaking in and out from over the blanketed clouds.

I need to stop taking naps after class, it seems when given the gift of potential productivity I tend to squander it. I need to draw a lot this weekend to complete all my assignments for life art and drawing. Then there is math... I am glad I never had any dreams of becoming a physicist when I was younger. No bubbles to burst here. I really like working with pastels and charcoal. Just though I would add that last part and maybe another. I wish art did not entail such a process of cleaning up afterwards. I guess the good things in life take time to clean up after your done with them.

dead in the water

2009-03-01T10:59:00.000-08:00

I use my computer a lot, around 10 hours a day or so. Constantly on the thing either using the internet, doing projects, working with photos etc. I take the thing for granted. Last night I was watching basketball on the computer since that is the only way I get to watch it these days and I see this weird looking teal green horizontal line flickering mid screen that is about 1px wide. I am thinking it is just a glitch from the media player..no it isn't. I process some restarts to no avail. This morning i fire it up, having forgotten completely that this problem exists. There is the neat little line again! I figure it will only get worse over time. I just want a new computer but that is merely a pipe dream at this point. Hopefully it proves to be simply cosmetic at least for a while anyway. I am screwed it if totally fails, I am working on borrowed time here. Luck, please be with me.

"when in doubt, Castle"

2009-02-26T15:36:00.001-08:00

Life drawing went well today, although I feel that I may be contracting black lung from the subtraction drawings. All that airborne charcoal cannot be beneficial for the long term. I blow charcoal out of my nose for two days on average after class. I need to just keep drawing and get back into it like crazy, sometimes I forget how much I enjoy it... at least when it is productive. Like I said before, I will compile a few after the class is over maybe and post them here.

Oh, look at Abigail. Chick is getting so big these days. Started to let her go outside onto the patio, that may have created a problem. I want to get her a kiddie pool to swim in for the summer. I don't think they make those for cats though, I may just have to improvise. Her first leash training was unsuccessful. We will try that again in the future.

We are going to the symphony tonight at Copley hall. Mary and I get in at a good rate since it is through school. I may talk about that experience tomorrow if it proves enlightening.

get over it.

2009-02-11T15:19:00.000-08:00

I've got this eye twitch that has really been a nuisance for the past three days. I guess it is from lack of sleep or rather acclimating to my new sleeping schedule. I will get used to it eventually ( the sleep, not my eye twitching). I am doing my gen ed now in school which is a little dry but should go by fast enough. I am taking literature, math, figure drawing and fundamentals of drawing. I am having fun in figure drawing. I took it once before while living in Merced but did not complete the course since I was a worthless degenerate at the time. This time should prove much more beneficial to me. I will post some work sooner or later, just depends on how interesting the work turns out to be.

Something else I wanted to touch on, This whole Shepard Fairey thing. I hear everyone talking about how he is just some cookie cutter artist that pushes a magic button and poof, there is this million dollar selling travesty that should have never been passed off as true art. This argument coming from various places not to mention any names. Some people just shouldn't throw stones in glass houses. Anyhow, art is an objective thing which is why I cherish it so deeply. Personally I take Shepard's art for what it is. I sort of get tired of seeing it but that is just me. I don't respect the guy's process any less. What he stands for now may not be quite the same as what it once was— who am I to judge him in the first place in that respect. I would embrace the opportunity to be anywhere near as successful as he is today. What I don't understand is when people who consider themselves artists try and create some political guidelines out of thin air in hopes to justify their lack of success or what they may deem,"success." The whole reason I am drawn into art is because there are no rules. In this day in age, who the hell can claim originality anyway? Art is not created in a vacuum. Shepard is very successful with what he does, like it or not. I cannot hate the game that is played, I would play it too of I could. There was this quote I once heard, "good artists borrow, great artists steal."-Pablo Picasso

2009-02-09T07:05:00.001-08:00

I am awake,
It is rainy, it is early, I am ready. No one should have to do this. Maybe I will get used to it at some point. Luckily I woke with due time for coffee.

2009-02-07T14:34:00.000-08:00

this is how we roll in San D come February.

2009-02-05T21:25:00.001-08:00

I just made some changes to the site since I had some extra time before it will be graded. There are probably plenty more things that I should do with it but I will make that extra effort when creating my online portfolio. No more late start classes after tomorrow, from here on out I act as a normal person and wake up before anyone should have to. 3D classes right around the bend once gen ed is complete—exited to get that started.

i am still alive believe it or not...

2009-02-04T21:42:00.000-08:00

Soooo I made a website...
It definitely needs some work but oh well huh. I have a deadline for tomorrow'spresentation and I made it. Code is cool shit, frustrating at times but worth it once your labor is rewarded with something that looks halfway presentable. The vast majority of the written content is just copy and pasted crap from wikipedia cause I was not trying to do more work than I had to. So go check it out, let me know what you think dudes. It is best if viewed in anything but internet explorer which is the worst browser in the world anyway and I feel sorry for you if you continue to use that trash.
fermentation proclamation

2009-01-25T16:40:00.000-08:00

This weekend has been pretty cool so far. We went and had dinner at this place in PB called Mama Mia. It was pretty decent italian food, nothing over the top, just quality eats and desert. After that Kurt and I made a commitment to good ales for friday and Saturday. We delved into some new and very delicious varieties. It is research orientated since I am using the content for my school project. Way to justify that one!

www.

2009-01-23T17:50:00.000-08:00

I am the proud new owner of my very first domain name. It is www.jrahnmedia.com. I also have my hosting situation completed.
My teacher gets $50.00 per person acquiring hosting from a link on his domain. He is making some serious money by doing this. I too would love to make money as easy as this. I will have my thinking cap on for this one. Anyway I now have my final assignment for my web class. I will be making a minimum 10 page site which is due in a couple of weeks. I will link it once I am finished with the code and everything. As of right now, my site has yet to be verified by the various dns'. This evening I should have that squared away. There are some late nights ahead for sure.

mac attack

2009-01-23T12:09:00.000-08:00

So Mac is now 25 Years old. The only computers my family or I have ever owned were Mac. This is the first one I can remember.
Then much much later we got the green imac, then I got my own swivel Imac on my own.. Now I am on my Intel Imac which was released in 2006 for a KILLER deal. I'd love to upgrade soon since my ram is limited to 2gb which does kinda screw with me at times. I am in a reflection right now, very nostalgic I suppose. I will be working with pc's as a career in 3d more than likely yet I will always own that lovable, elitist and proprietary machine...even when it is the cool thing to do, that right there is loyalty.
Photo not of my own classic, although the classic is still full functioning and with my sister in a safe place.

cat stevens

2009-01-16T00:16:00.001-08:00

What i've been doing most of this evening...my first animated gif. I was stoked to see that you can upload them to flickr. Here you are, my terrible attempt at making an animated gif try to be funny. I cannot get it to start from the launch so just wait I guess till it cycles through.Fail boat I know...

Christmas of yesteryear

2009-01-04T16:24:00.000-08:00

About as close as a holiday picture gets with me..
Soak it up people, soak it up.

New Years 09

2009-01-02T14:52:00.001-08:00

MegaNeil hosted New Years festivities for 2009. They are some of the most hospitable people, thanks guys.

CA's New laws

2009-01-01T12:33:00.000-08:00

Motorists
It will cost $50 to obtain a 30-day extension to pass the state's smog check if a vehicle flunks the first time.
Judges will now consider a lower blood-alcohol threshold to determine when repeat drunken drivers must install breath-alcohol analyzers in vehicles.
Law and order
It will be illegal to publish the home address and other personal information about animal researchers and their families with the intent of causing harm. The measure passed in response to the firebombings of the homes of two UC Santa Cruz researchers in August.
Regulators can disconnect the phones of “bandit” taxis that have not been licensed or inspected.
Recyclers will have to take thumbprints and record driver's licenses from those selling copper, aluminum and stainless steel, which have become increasingly popular commodities for thieves.
Consumer protection
Banks and other companies no longer can offer gifts to college students in return for completing credit card applications.
Reselling products that have been recalled is prohibited.
Sweepstakes promoters cannot falsely claim someone has been singled out for participation, ask for money to receive a prize and send out “last chance” warnings that are untrue.
New standards of care are in place for animals sold in pet stores, such as cage cleaning.
Consumers will have new rights in placing freezes on credit reports, including requirements that companies comply within three days.
Health
Emergency medical technicians must undergo criminal background checks.
A board to regulate and certify massage therapists will be established.
Insurers must cover HIV testing.
Insurers no longer can reward employees or underwriters with bonuses for canceling policies after claims have been filed.
Miscellaneous
Beer makers can give away promotional items valued up to $3.
Marriage license forms will enable a man to take his wife's name.
School administrators cannot punish high school newspaper advisers who refuse to censor some student-written material.
Homeowners with solar panels cannot force neighbors to trim or remove existing trees, even if the foliage shades the panels.
Small roadside fruit stands can now legally sell homemade jam and other items to consumers.

Life vests must be provided to children shorter than 4 feet tall who play in amusement park wave pools. Most parks complied after 4-year-old Carlos Flores drowned at Great America theme park in Santa Clara in 2007.
School cafeterias and vending machines cannot offer meals and snacks laden with trans fats starting July 1.
Newly bought teethers, rubber duckies and bath books may be safer: toys made for those 3 and younger cannot contain more than a trace of phthalates – chemicals added to plastic that make products soft and flexible.
One of the most attention-getting laws makes it illegal to send text messages while driving.

“Most people understand text-messaging is just not compatible with safe driving,” said Joe Farrow, commissioner of the California Highway Patrol.

But it is now OK for the directionally challenged to attach a GPS device to the windshield.

Forget sticker shock – how about smog shock? New cars must carry stickers showing how they rank in terms of pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions on a scale of 1 to 10.

“This label will arm consumers with the information they need to choose a vehicle that saves gas, reduces greenhouse gas emissions and helps fight smog all at once,” said Mary Nichols, chairwoman of the state Air Resources Board.

It may be last call for some charity bingo parlors. One of the most heavily lobbied bills prohibits electronic bingo games that mimic slot machines, a victory for Indian gaming tribes. In return, some larger charities, including the Catholic Church, can launch remote-caller bingo that connects games statewide via audio and video with bigger payouts. Smaller charities that rely on the machines worry about a huge drop-off in income.

Lawmakers also are watching our waistlines. Chain restaurants with 20 or more locations must offer nutritional guides, including calories, starting July 1.

At last check, lawmakers could not turn water into wine. But they have made it easier to know what's in both. Bottled-water companies must reveal the source. Vintners cannot claim a Sonoma County heritage unless 75 percent of the grapes came from the county.

The Capitol was marred by bitter disputes that delayed the budget and thwarted compromise on a number of measures. As part of the fallout, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed nearly one out of three bills that came across his desk, rejecting more than 400.

“There were lots of bills that died because of fiscal issues or hostility between the houses” of the Legislature, said Bill Magavern of the Sierra Club.

However, environmentalists secured passage of a landmark global warming measure that includes a mix of rewards and regulations to curb sprawl, provide affordable housing and encourage public transit use.

eve of the new year

2008-12-31T13:14:00.000-08:00

Trip back home went well, great to be home now. Sleeping in your own bed is amazing, especially after six nights being deprived from it. Great to see friends and family especially. Until next time! I got some cool presents from people, my sister even acquired some hand-made goods that are really intriguing. This will be my last entry until next year, I have loads more photos to upload from our trip but I will leave you with a couple random hdr's I just finished a few minutes ago.

cats cats cats

2008-12-22T18:23:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple more cat photo's, Like I ever get tired of these right... Look at Abby playing fetch!

Breath easy my friends..

2008-12-19T16:29:00.000-08:00

AP • New York Times • MSNBC • USA TODAY • AP Hi Tech

Music industry drops effort to sue song swappers

Dec 19, 6:08 PM (ET)

By RYAN NAKASHIMA
LOS ANGELES (AP) - The group representing the U.S. recording industry said Friday it has abandoned its policy of suing people for sharing songs protected by copyright and will work with Internet service providers to cut abusers' access if they ignore repeated warnings.
The move ends a controversial program that saw the Recording Industry Association of America sue about 35,000 people since 2003 for swapping songs online. Because of high legal costs for defenders, virtually all of those hit with lawsuits settled, on average for around $3,500. The association's legal costs, in the meantime, exceeded the settlement money it brought in.
The association said Friday that it stopped sending out new lawsuits and warnings in August, and then agreed with several leading U.S. Internet service providers, without naming which ones, to notify alleged illegal file-sharers and cut off service if they failed to stop.
It credited the lawsuit campaign with raising awareness of piracy and keeping the number of illegal file-sharers in check while the legal market for digital music took off. With two weeks left in the year, legitimate sales of digital music tracks soared for the first time past the 1 billion mark, up 28 percent over all of last year, according to Nielsen Soundscan.

"We're at a point where there's a sense of comfort that we can replace one form of deterrent with another form of deterrent," said RIAA Chairman and Chief Executive Mitch Bainwol. "Filing lawsuits as a strategy to deal with a big problem was not our first choice five years ago."
The new notification program is also more efficient, he said, having sent out more notices in the few months since it started than in the five years of the lawsuit campaign.
"It's much easier to send notices than it is to file lawsuits," Bainwol said.
The decision to scrap the legal attack was first reported in The Wall Street Journal.
The group says it will still continue to litigate outstanding cases, most of which are in the pre-lawsuit warning stage, but some of which are before the courts.
The decision to press on with existing cases drew the ire of Harvard Law professor Charles Nesson, who is defending a Boston University graduate student targeted in one of the music industry's lawsuits.
"If it's a bad idea, it's a bad idea," said Nesson. He is challenging the constitutionality of the suits, which, based on the Digital Theft Deterrence and Copyright Damages Improvement Act of 1999, can impose damages of $150,000 per infringement, far in excess of the actual damage caused.
Nesson's client, Joel Tenenbaum, faces the possibility of more than $1 million in damages for allegedly downloading seven songs illegally, which Nesson called "cruel and unusual punishment." The case is set to go to trial in district court in Massachusetts on Jan. 22.
Brian Toder, a lawyer with Chestnut & Cambronne in Minneapolis, who defended single mother Jammie Thomas in a copyright suit filed by the RIAA, said he is also set to retry the case March 9 after a judge threw out a $222,000 decision against her.
"I think it's a good thing that they've ended this campaign of going after people," Toder said.
"But they need to change how people spend money on records," he said. "People like to share music. The Internet makes it so easy. They have to do something to change this business model of theirs."

pleasantly surprised

2008-12-18T17:12:00.000-08:00

Today turns out to be a Friday surprise. I finished my project that is due on Monday so my teacher said I had no need to come in on Friday, so things worked out nicely I think. I finished my 16 page annual report that I produced. It was done on the company,Nikon. I think the layout turned out pretty good, I mean you really cannot get to terribly creative with an annual report since it is a corporate document highlighting shares and business etc. The printer in class has a fuse problem so I will have to reprint if I want to use this project for my portfolio. So anyway tomorrow is open, I will try and mess with some photo stuff. I learned the process of creating HDR, which is pretty lengthy but awesome and worth it. I will post the first one I did, just a lamp in the living room. Not spectacular but cool nonetheless. Time to get geared up for the trip home, should be there Tuesday night if weather permits. Hopefully no snow on the grapevine. I am out!

Why now all of the sudden?

2008-12-15T17:18:00.000-08:00

Hahahaha, What a good sport, pretty fast too.

2008-12-15T11:41:00.000-08:00

It is raining in San Diego!!!
WOWZERS! I have bottled some in a shiny green jar as proof of this rare occurrence. I will be holding a press conference at 1:30 to show my findings. Yeah, I am stupid but whatever. The Kings fired their coach Reggie Theus which is also stupid. He was the best dressed coach in the league... now what are the kings supposed to do? That was about all they had going for them. In other news, Abigail is nuts. That is pretty much all I got.

2008-12-12T15:44:00.000-08:00

Here are a few night long exposures. Nothing too cool but I had fun experimenting down the street.

calm before the storm

2008-12-11T16:57:00.000-08:00

I am really enjoying my new toy.
My camera is fun to play with, the cats are tired of getting photographed I think though. I went outside earlier and took a few photos. I love my 50mm f/1.4d lens. The rich depth of field is great. I also upgraded my flickr account so now I can upload better quality files without any restrictions. I can also upload video to flickr now as well. I still have not fully experimented with it yet but be sure that I will. I will post a few photos after this. Tonight if it is clear I might take a shot at some long exposures down the street. I will get to posting those later tomorrow if that works out.

School is going well. I am in the middle of the last project for this class which should take us until the end of next week or monday I believe. I have honestly enjoyed having the teacher that we do. He is a straight shooter and definitely is real with everyone. He is full of useful knowledge so It has been very productive and I've been trying to soak everything up like a sponge. After break I will start my last design class for my A.S. degree then it is on to general Ed which has to be taken during the mornings. Yes, I will have to start waking up at like 6:30 to get to school every morning. No more afternoon laziness on my part. I should be done with the A.S. in May I believe, then the next day it is on to the B.S. program where I will be focusing on 3d animation etc. That too will only take place in the mornings so I seriously need to soak this afternoon gig up while I still have the chance. One good thing is that I will be out of class by 12:00 everyday which is early day in my book.

For Christmas break Mary and I are going back to Merced for like 4 or 5 days I think. Her family is kind enough to put us up during our stay, Her Auntie Joe and Uncle Romie as well as cousin Rowell are the coolest and nicest family, funny senses of humor as well. So there are a ton of other people here in SD going back to Merced, it is like the San Diego's Merced chapter coming for a visit. Hopefully we will all have a good time. Mary's sister Glenda, Tony and family should also be making an appearance there in Merced. It may be overwhelming during our stay but we will make-due. We are forced to acquire the services of a cat sitter while we are away, ensuring they are fed and taken care of during our trip. I thought it was a pretty clever business being an animal sitter albeit kind of odd at the same time. They are willing to do the work on Christmas Day even so it saves us a lot of worry at least. By the way, Abigail is doing well after her spaying debacle, crazy as ever to be honest. She now has a tail which is broken in two places due to her rowdy nature. So anyway Merced is our destination for the holiday because naturally, that is where all of our family is. I hope it is not too cold but of course it will be. Can't wait to see a few old friends as well as family. My nieces and nephews are probably all taller than me by now.

at least there is that..

2008-12-09T22:16:00.000-08:00

Season is in full rebuild mode, no Kevin Martin... no problem???
Wins against the Lakers go a long way. They meet back up on friday in LA. Oh yeah, nice 9 for 25 Kobe, That was John Salmons guarding you if you hadn't noticed. Happy to give you your third loss on the season, it's all the Kings have going for them at the moment.

HOLY HELL

2008-12-08T15:44:00.000-08:00

So I was on a walk coming back from the Cafe down the street and as I turn the corner I hear what sounds like a sonic boom—the noise was loud enough that I could feel the bass ripple through the air. I am thinking,"holy shit something just happened!" I see some smoke billowing into the air and I am thinking something just fell from the sky or something. I walk back into the apartment and I hear tons of sirens, turn on the tv and breaking news almost immediately..they are sending helicopters and engines asap to get coverage. My coverage was just down the street so I grab my camera and get as close as I could. An F-18 fighter jet crashed directly into a house, the pilot was ejected while my neighbors could see the guy float down from the sky into an area school field. Mind you this is within a quarter mile or so from my apartment. As of right now two homes are completely destroyed, I don't know if anyone was inside the homes, hopefully no animals or people are hurt. CRAZY way to start my afternoon. I wish I would have bought that telephoto but oh well. I might go see what the wreckage looks like in a little while if they let people that close. Here are some photos I got. Notice there are like 40 cars in a row in the no parking anytime lane and the one where the soccer players aren't phased in the least.. Game On!!! ( EDIT: two people are confirmed dead and two people are missing.)

Impulsive tendencies.

2008-12-06T12:43:00.001-08:00

I got it.
I have a new object to obsess over. I got a new dslr. I have wanted a dslr for a LONG time, I just could never justify spending the dough, besides they are much less portable and quite pricey if you want good lenses etc. Now it is important that I start accumulating good quality shots for design work. Also it is great to have high quality images for documentation of our lives. I used to LOVE my photography class back in high school, I thought maybe that would be what I went on to do as a career but it never materialized obviously. I have shot film here and there on my Nikon n90s but it has seen much better days. My little casio usually gets the vast majority of jobs done, no problem—well actually one BIG problem, Lack of creative freedom. I love having that versatility of a slr.. besides having a rangefinder, I could not be more content. I got the new Nikon d90 and it is a pretty awesome camera. It is capable of 720 p high definition video, although it is tricky since there is no autofocus, You can only get 5 minutes of footage at a time in 720 blah blah blah. What IS cool about it is that your creative touch is limitless since you have all these nikkor lenses to match up with that 720p. I have seen some really creative videos from the camera, I personally have not had a chance to even attempt one but I will be sure to post them when the time comes. I coupled the Camera's body with the 18-55mm kit lens that comes on the d40 which is decent but flimsy feeling. I also acquired the 50mm f/1.4 which is SWEET in low light ( I hate flashes for the most part.) The camera has a lot of pretty cool settings out of the box which is good for people who are not privy to controls on a slr. Anyway I got a ton of stuff to do this weekend, large project due monday for critique so looks like I will be going to the lab on sunday. Here are a few of the first shots taken last night.

I think I am needy

2008-12-05T10:24:00.000-08:00

I am a needy person. Come to think of it, you can call it a lot of different things, spoiled, entitled, accustomed. When things aren't going according to plan, I get in a rut. Not like a deep depression but some days things are just kinda whatever you know.
I am used to hearing new music just about every week. I seek new tunes pretty much every tuesday awaiting a new release that maybe I did not realize was coming out etc. I await this like a child awaits an afternoon snackpack. When there is a week where nothing seems to catch my ear I get a little irritable. I look for those jams that I never got to get a feel for from the past or maybe just some classics. The music scene has gotten very saturated so these days it is difficult to differentiate between shitty music and artists who are onto something, I enjoy taking this task—it is like an adventure to me. This time of year is slow for music as well. Hip Hop is one of my comfort genre's, I have been very passionate about my hip hop as I feel there is a very large gap between what hip hop is and what hip hop is not. The scene is very shitty right now to be honest. Nothing like what it was in the early nineties to early two thousands. There is still good hip hop out there but sometime you get fooled by artists you thought were set in their musical foundation and they totally flip the script on you. There is nothing wrong with innovation but there comes a breaking point when you just have to put down the craft once it is unrecognizable to those who got them to where they are today.

Indie music is a beast, there is so much raw talent out there that most will never hear in their lifetimes which is sad. I used to be stuck up and mislead. I thought good music was only for those who truly knew what was REALLY going on. I acted pretentious and was probably annoying to a lot of people. I think everyone should be exposed to artists who take pride in their crafts that go far beyond any monetary gain. I think there is a place for commercial music, there is also some good commercial music out there—just not for me on the greater scale. It is like some record execs got together and did brain wave testing on primitive animals and passed the data along to the vast majority of commercial producers. That beepy, whispering shit simply bothers and perplexes me. The thing is that if more people drove the independent scene, don't you think more people would produce good, whole hearted music? Maybe, maybe not. The marketing giants know what works and won't waste too much time on risky business. The problem is that they are the ones who control the airwaves, see CLEAR CHANNEL. Well that is my morning rant, I've been up since early this morning eagerly awaiting the fedex man so I can itch that spoiled scratch. It is a love hate relationship being a consumer.

Adidas Commercial etc..

2008-12-03T22:50:00.000-08:00

New Adidas commerical is too good... Homage to the roots. The track is a remix done by Palooski by Frankie Valli and the four seasons. Also that new Lebron commerical is pretty good sans the Lil Wayne appearance. The track on that one is by Cornershop...remember them? the album "When I was born for the seventh time," is a solid one for the collection.

under the knife.

2008-12-01T10:58:00.000-08:00

This morning I took Abigail in to get spayed. I felt pretty bad since this was the first time she ever showed a lot of fear while entering the cat carrier, it is like she knew what was at stake on this day. So I take her in, say I am sorry while she is being transported to some unknown place behind the scenes at the vet. I come home and Penelope realizes that there is something missing, she starts purring and being playful with me.. she looks content just sleeping with peace of mind, knowing there is no little monster lurking, awaiting an attack. So we will see what Abigail looks like with a shaved belly and one of those cone neck things on. Also get to see what disappointment looks like in Penelope's eyes once she sees the little nuisance is back.
Poor little one, I think she saw it coming.

Scrubs is back!

2008-11-29T21:47:00.001-08:00

Very stoked about Scrubs being back up and running! Too bummed about Pushing Daisies being canceled though. Guess you win some and you lose some.

Tryptophan survival camp

2008-11-28T20:23:00.000-08:00

Hopefully everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Mary, Lovelyn and I went up to Glendale to visit Glenda and the rest of the family. Her Dad was able to make it with Mary's mother tagging along as well. Relatively short stay but great to see Glenda, Tony and their newest addition, Marley! The food was great and our trip home fell shortly after a food induced cat nap. We had not left Abigail by herself for more than a few hours until this last couple of days away. She did not seem to appreciate us any more than before but we will see what happens when we are away for 5 days next month. I have a new toy on the way, it took much much much research and inner voiced debate but the investment should work out. I will leave that for another post next week I imagine. I need to get to work on my next project but I am procrastinating as usual.

2008-11-25T13:40:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday night was Neil's extravaganza, Bocce ball was fun,(first timer,) then to various watering holes. The most fun of the evening was listening to Marty on the ukulele while Neil serenaded us all with his wonderous singing voice. The extra's are of Abby sleeping while sitting and then eating Penelope's tail. I got CS4 now too, gotta learn some new features now. Keep you updated.

Abigail update—12 weeks

2008-11-17T22:58:00.000-08:00

Abigail is getting big, really fast too. By the day she jumps higher, plays with more objects that she shouldn't be, getting into literally everything. She follows me around a lot. She farts when you least expect it, will lunge at you with claws out at any moment. She wakes me every morning by either diving on my face or clawing at my facial hair until I acknowledge her existence.
Her vocabulary is widening with odd little chirps and cries. Her coat is starting to clear up and you can notice where her rosettes will form. Her body length is at least twice the size it was when we got her almost one month ago. She never hesitates to try and get Penelope to nurse her... Penelope has grown a lot of patience towards her now, although Abby has asserted her intended dominance with authority and clarity. I have got her playing fetch quite convincingly now. She cries until I let her get on the bathroom counter so that she can play and investigate the water coming from the faucets. I think we are getting her scheduled to be fixed the week after Thanksgiving, hopefully she calms down with the diving at my face in the waking moments of the day after that. All in due time—here are some photos.

Quote of the day

2008-11-06T15:06:00.000-08:00

You cannot reconcile creativeness with technical achievement. You may be perfect in playing the piano, and not be creative; you may play the piano most brilliantly, and not be a musician. You may be able to handle color, to put paint on canvas most cleverly, and not be a creative painter. You may create a face, an image out of a stone, because you have learned the technique, and not be a master creator. Creation comes first, not technique. So, having lost the song, we pursue the singer. We learn from the singer the technique of song, but there is no song; and I say the song is essential, the joy of singing is essential. When the joy is there, the technique can be built up from nothing; you will invent your own technique, you won't have to study elocution or style. When you have, you see, and the very seeing of beauty is an art.

- Jiddu Krishnamurti

I am more optimistic as an American

2008-11-04T22:49:00.000-08:00

I was confident Barack would be our newest president elect, I thought he may obtain 300 electoral votes,(338 and possibly still counting.) I did underestimate the people of this country, this was a victory won handedly. Thank you and goodnight. Hopefully in the morning we will see a prop 8 defeat. I fear for the worst on that front.

Self Explanatory

2008-11-01T13:59:00.000-07:00

Abigail

2008-10-19T16:56:00.000-07:00

Just got a new Kitten on Friday, it has been fairly stressful for me let alone the cat. She is a SBT Bengal cat which is a cross breed between domestic tabby and Asian Leopard—both her parents are Bengal breed as well. She is a lot better as of right now, eating and drinking as well as using her cat box. She hadn't done a thing until saturday evening. Penelope is very unsure about this whole thing—although she has stopped hissing at me for smelling of another feline. The kitten is still hiding out when I am not in the room with her but she plays like no ones business on her terms. She also has miniature exacto blades for claws. Here is a photo and video to follow. Oh yeah... The Roots show was pretty good, definitely recommend seeing them live if you ever have an opportunity to do so! And Kurts parents hooked me up with a case of Anchor Steam!—SCORE. My video editing skills are lacking, first time I ever attempted it so bare with me.

the season is upon us...

2008-10-14T20:38:00.000-07:00

Kobe getting his ankles broken by Beno.
Also, If anyone get's league pass this season, I will pay to use your broadband password!

Proposition 8

2008-10-09T12:01:00.000-07:00

Alright, I cannot pretend like my opinion means much to anyone else but I need to at least express my concerns. Yesterday me and Mary are in Mira Mesa picking some stuff up from Target and then cruise by In N Out to grab some food. While we are driving by we see an angry mob of families with strollers in one hand and signs in others. These signs are aimed at promoting Proposition 8 which would ban same sex marriages. They read,"Protect my family!" I have heard this ridiculous argument before—it has never seemed so ridiculous as now. What the hell do two people who care for each other enough to suffer in matrimony have to do with you and your fuckin family? Teaching same sex marriage in school is going to somehow manipulate your children? Give me a break! Are you afraid your children will come home and want their khakis pressed or something? And maybe you should take responsibility and tell your own shitty children that it is 2008 and you are too ignorant and close-minded to except reality around you. I wish there were more households that could be enabled to adopt children, at least a child living in a household with a gay partnership would be more likely exposed to the arts and fine things in life.

"Oh but that gay sex is ewwwwee"— Just cause Gay partners get to marry does not mean you are going to see orgies on street corners. "Oh but churches could face lawsuits." I think they should face more lawsuits. Look how the Catholic church protects their sexual predatory priests, they don't even go to court or see any type of justice for the type of heinous shit they have done. Organized religion is a sham in my book, a tax exempt financial juggernaut. You know the Mormon church claims to have pumped over 35 percent of the funding to push prop 8... Maybe it is not a clear violation of the conflict between church and state but it seems a bit creepy when a church who were historically discriminated against because of their views on marriage along with other things would try to discriminate and take away the marriage rights of another social minority. Quit throwing rocks in the glass house.

Look, giving gay people the right to get married is not going to diminish your marriage that for some reason you think is so grand and sacred. Maybe take a look in the mirror and ask...honestly how the hell is this really affecting me? I cannot think of one single way that gay marriage is going to affect me directly. Quit acting like a fascist thinking everyone needs to go along with your ideals. The reason people migrated to America was to get away from religious persecution. Get down from your crumbling horses and I will do the same, just worry about your own lives and marriages and quit acting like people give a shit about what you think.

2008-10-07T14:59:00.000-07:00

This is what I do in class all day.

people under the stairs 10/05/08

2008-10-06T21:34:00.000-07:00

Fun night at the Casbah, lots of drinks and frijoles. Shawn Jackson, Common Market and People under the Stairs. Common Market was really good, first time seeing him live. Puts killed it without a doubt. Fun night with friends—long morning recouping. Photos to follow.