MDMorse.com

The Oatmeal: How to Suck at Facebok

Michael — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 20:44:20 +0000

To all my Facebook friends out there, here’s a humorous rant about the typical Facebook types. If you’re easily offended, you may not want to read this. It’s a little bit o’ smartass, but I like it.

I’ve started following TheOatmeal’s posts since reading “How to use an Apostrophe“. I think his illustrations are fun and his site is a great example of simple, clean web design.

Current Mood: Relaxed

The Passenger

Michael — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 00:30:27 +0000

This animated short by Chris Jones is a dark and humerous style that I love. “Beware the Goldfish” is an apt description from io9.

Meet the Eigenharp

Michael — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 00:04:56 +0000

These guys remind me so much of my days in college as a music major. Not to mention the crazy-cool Eigenharps they’re playing. And if you like Moby and James Bond themes, definitely have a listen.

Thanks Boing Boing and Alan.

Take the Yellow Lane to Dallas

Michael — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 16:48:52 +0000

Here’s a fantastic Disneyland video from 1958, “Magic Highway USA” that explains all the wonderful technology we should be seeing today. This includes, color-coded lanes (apparently, yellow leads to Dallas), Ceramic keels that creates bridges as it traverses the crossing, and escalators for cars for crossing difficult or steep mountains.

Unfortunately, it seems that we’ve only slightly improved our roads over those that the Roman’s built. Our usage has increased so quickly that we are in a never-ending loop of repairs and relaying pavement.

I wonder what will happen with the crisscross pattern of highways when we all switch to transporters or flying cars… perhaps we’ll finally have plenty of green space like Boston’s Big Dig central artery re-purposing.

I wonder what the no hover-car parking signs will look like…

Current Mood: Curious & Nerdy

How NOT to use Apostrophe’s

Michael — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 15:48:28 +0000

It’s just one of those minor annoyances, but every day I see apostrophes used where they’re not needed.

Apostrophe.me is a simple and easy to follow “flow chart” explaining when and how to use apostrophes.

The parent site, TheOatmeal.com, has several fun reads including “How Web Design Goes Straight To Hell”

Thanks to Lifehacker.com

Current Mood: Awake

At Angles for my Birthday, 1995

Michael — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:12:20 +0000

I moved to Oklahoma City in the summer of 1993, and spent most of my “coming out” years at Angles on 39th Street. Angles was (at the time) the coolest dance club in OKC, with DJ Checkerz (Michael Chechoratti(sp?)) at the helm most nights. Checkerz got most of his music from Oaklawn Records, formerly at Commerce and Oaklawn in Dallas.

While organizing my old stuff recently, I found two Hi Energy and Progressive Top 40 lists from from Oaklawn Records, still in their original envelopes addressed to me. Coincidentally, one of the lists was from April, the month of my birthday. So no doubt I was dancing to these toons at Angles when I turned – something something.

Now be honest… how many of you have danced to “Mr Personality” or “Cotton Eyed Joe”?

Here’s the Top 40 Hi Energy list with a few videos of my favs from the time. I’ve included links to the rest that I could find.

The Bomb – Bucketheads
Reach Up – Perfecto Allstars
Lick It – Roula
Baby, Baby – Corona
Bedtime Story – Madonna
Axel F – Clock
Your Loving Arms – Billie Ray Martin
Release Me – Industry
You Can Have It All – Eve Gallagher
Mr Personality – Gillette
Can You Feel the Love Tonight – Harajuka
You Belong to Me – JX
These Are the Days – Human League
Here I Go – 2 Unlimited
Sleeping in My Car – Mobius Loop (I couldn’t find the Mobius Loop version, but here’s a pretty good version by Dancefloor Driverz feat Joana)
Come Back – London Beat
Bloke – Republica
What Hope Have I – Sphinx
Tonight is the Night – Le Click
Hot Stuff – DJ Miko
I’m Ready – Size 9
Move It to the Rhythm – Technotronic
I Only Wanna Be With You – Barry White (Dance Mix)
Nights in White Satin – Sandra
Always Something There to Remind Me – Tin Tin Out
Don’t Fear the Reaper – Apollo 440
Situation – Tom Jones
We Got Love – One Family
Don’t Be Proud – Cappella
Be My Lover – La Bouche
Keep the Fire Burning – Dan Hartman and Loleatta Hollaway
Party People – KGB
Keep on Trying – Twenty 4 Seven
Love Come Rescue Me – Love Station
I Wish – Eric Gadd
Cotton Eyed Joe – Rednex
Take Me Forever – Data
You Bring me Joy – Mary J Blige
Respect – Judy Cheeks
The First, The Last Eternity – Snap

Here are the originals:

Current Mood: Hyper

ATU Marching Blast From the Past

Michael — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:45:19 +0000

I’ve recently been doing a little cleaning up of boxes from my college years at Arkansas Tech University and ran across some marching layout/designs from 1991-1992. For all you band geeks out there, this may be a little bit of cool.

Unknown Show, 1991-1992

Here’s a show from before our director made the switch to computer-based show design.

“Ouachita” Show, 1992

If I remember correctly, this was the first show that Mr. Cooper designed using the computer, and I think it was the first show of our season. I believe the design (not to mention the readability) was greatly improved by computer-based design.

“Gavorkna” Show, 1992

This was our main show of the season, and was a bit more difficult. For one thing, it began with entire band expanding from between the 40 yard lines to the 10 yard lines in about 16 counts. I remember practically leaping backwards carrying my tonal bass and, oh yah, playing Gavorkna Fanfare. If you haven’t heard it, see the video below (and note that the guys in the video are stationary).

Current Mood: Hyper & Nerdy

Halloween Came Early This Year

Michael — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 02:33:47 +0000

Cedar Springs’ Halloween street party was this past weekend, and friends Jeremy and Tician came down from OKC to join the party. A great time was had by all, even though Ticia lost her cell phone and her ID.

Since all my friends that are waiting with bated breath can now see the photos. See the Street Party pics here, and friend pics here.

Current Mood: Exhausted

Black Tie: A Formal Engagement

Michael — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 18:37:44 +0000

When our friend Jeff invited us to the Black Tie Dinner, I had heard about it but didn’t know much. I kind of expected a dinner with a bunch of guys in tuxedos. What I didn’t realize is that the Black Tie raises over $1 million dollars a year for North Texas charities. This year, Gavin Newsom was the featured speaker, and Cindy Lauper and Judy Shepard were award recipients. Jason Walker performed several dance songs (which I thought were a little heavy with vocal runs and wanderings), though is performance of “True Colors” with Cindy Lauper’s sister on guitar was excellent. Cindy apparently had a “family situation” that prevented her from being there, but she deliver a pre-recorded video message.

Thanks, Jeff, for inviting us to this amazing evening. Here’s us with Jeff…

Michael, Jeff and Rich at the Black Tie Dinner

Current Mood: Energetic

You Gotta Hear This: Passion Pit

Michael — Tue, 01 Sep 2009 19:24:20 +0000

I stumbled across “Little Secrets” by Passion Pit today and instantly fell in love with this song. It’s a bit of 80’s fun with just a little Mika mixed in. I can’t but help moving to it.

Here’s a video by Jay Diaz featuring the song.

CARPOOLIN’ – watch more funny videos at funnyordie.com

Current Mood: Silly

Top 100 Science Fiction/Fantasy Shows of all Time

Michael — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 21:17:06 +0000

Prepare your Netflix accounts, the gang over at io9 has posted the top 100 sci fi and fantasy shows of all time. It’s a stroll down memory lane for us dorks… I had a Max Headroom t-shirt myself.

I added several series to my Netflix que, especially shows I never got to watch consistently.

Thanks to io9

Current Mood: Hyper

Blue Devils take 2009 DCI Championship

Michael — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 04:21:54 +0000

Well, we made it back from Indianapolis, and had a great time. While the Blue Devils have never been my favorite corps, I was impressed with their show this year titled “1930″. They performed an encore after the event and we came down to get a closer view (pictured).

Check out the entire series.

Blue Devils encore performance at DCI 2009

Current Mood: Happy

Off to Indianapolis

Michael — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 04:14:43 +0000

We’re off to Indianapolis for the Drum Corps Internationl World Championships tomorrow. It’s are annual “thang”, and I’ll get to try out my new camera this year. Out of the 12 corps that perform, I usually take 200 or so pics that I’ll share here and on flickr.

This will be our 7th year, and I’m like a kid at Christmas… don’t know if I’ll be able to sleep tonight. Marching band has always been a love of mine, and these guys are the best of the best.

I’m ready for the goosebumps…

Current Mood: Hyper

Are We Hard-Wired with the Pentatonic Scale?

Michael — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 21:48:15 +0000

Boing Boing posted a video of Bobby McFerrin creating a musical piece from audience participation and Pentatonic Scale. The interesting part is that it’s completely unrehearsed and spontaneous. There seems to be something about the scale that is almost mystical and pervasive in music throughout the world. I’m pretty sure the audience isn’t made up of musicians, either.

To me, it’s just one of those surprising moments when another mystery of the human mind is revealed.

Current Mood: Curious

Stare Into the Sun

Michael — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 05:14:07 +0000

As a lover of funky illustration and good music, I was happy to find this video illustrated by Ian Stevenson with music by James Scott & The Town.
Thanks to Alex over at It’s Nice That

Current Mood: Moody

Have Camera, Will Travel

Michael — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 03:06:54 +0000

My Nikon D70 has been a great camera, but I haven’t taken a single photo since I started having trouble with the shutter release a few months ago. Since then, I’ve been exploring the new cameras from Nikon. I was fixated on the D700, but the new FX full frame format wouldn’t work completely with my DX lenses, and the pro-level full-frame lenses aren’t cheap. Not to mention the $2,700 price tag is a bit daunting for a non-pro hobbyist. I narrowed it down to the D90 – a good hobbyist model with video capabilities, and the D300 – a semi-pro model with much of the same features as the D700, but in the DX format.

I finally settled on the D300. It was a bit pricier than the D90, but with a magnesium body like my D70, it just felt more substantial. It’s much of the reason I chose the Nikon D70 over the equivalent Canon at the time; the Canon just felt cheaper to me.

I also splurged for the Tamron 18-270 mm lens, which will eliminate the need to switch lenses during my upcoming trip to Drum Corps World Championships. I purchased the last generation Tamron 28-300 mm lens last year, and was very unhappy with it. It was incredibly slow when focusing and most of the photos at 300 mm were out of focus and dark. But the good people at Cooter’s Camera (funny name, but worth a visit if you’re in the Dallas area) let me try out the new generation on a D300 and I was pleasantly surprised. The focus was quiet and seemed as smooth and quick as my standard 18-70mm Nikon lens.

Now with the Black Rapid camera strap I got for Christmas, I’m a photography force to be reckoned with. I’m convinced this strap is a must-have for any DSLR camera user who likes to get out and about with their camera, especially walking city streets. If you haven’t seen one, check it out.

So here’s the first photo I took with my new camera from my backyard. I’m happy with the initial quality already. With my D70, I always felt the need to edit the RAW photos, boosting the color, tweaking the exposure, adjusting the contrast. This shot was taken with the JPG Medium setting with no editing other than resizing. One of my goals was to spend less time editing and more time behind the camera. With the same 51 area auto focus and EXPEED image processing as the D700, I think I’ll be a happy camper.

Current Mood: Hyper

A Future Message from the ADHD Council

Michael — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 17:33:56 +0000

io9 has shared 3 hilarious future public service announcements:

from io9:
Don’t Talk To Robots, Use Caution With Hyper Speed and Look Out For Time Machines. The more you know, right? Check out these super-informative commercials from the future, and heed their message to you.

Current Mood: Amused

Ah… Cool, Cool Halloween

Michael — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:28:16 +0000

by Matthew Kirscht

Last year for Halloween we sat on our front porch sipping wine while the neighborhood parents strolled by with their kids. One of the advantages of living in Dallas is the weather in October. However, with temperatures in the 100’s here in Texas for what seems like years, I’ve forgotten how nice the winters are here.

Luckily, I found Matthew Kirscht’s art that’s inspired by vintage holiday imagery. I love this style, and makes me feel like a kid again (in cooler weather).

Thanks, Kirsten Anderson at Right Some Good

Current Mood: Hyper

Susan Boyle, eat your heart out

Michael — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 03:32:01 +0000

Music theater and science…. what more could you want? Here’s everything you need to know about Nano technology.

The Nano Song

Barbie Swimming Champion

Michael — Tue, 26 May 2009 19:36:24 +0000

Barbie Swimming Champion, originally uploaded by oerendhard1.

Ok, not much to say here. Just thought this pic was a hoot.

Nothing better than a giant swimming Barbie for an after-holiday pseudo-Monday.

Happy Tuesday!

Current Mood: Energetic

Finally, I’m a Man

Michael — Sat, 23 May 2009 01:56:07 +0000

Do those noisy-ass Harleys always drive me nuts. Every time I hear one, I wonder what those guys are trying to prove… Maybe the same thing those balding middle-aged guys driving V12 Mercedes convertibles are trying to prove…
Well I bought a Harley. A V-Rod to be more specific. It’s a new generation of Harley designed with Porsche, and I fell in love with it the first time I saw it. And as far as noise, this bike has a smoother, low rumble instead of the typical Harley ear-piercing “scream”. I guess my manhood is a little more subtle…

45 Minutes of Genius

Michael — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 18:53:34 +0000

Got 45 minutes? It’s the approximate length of this video, but it’s also about the amount of time it takes Daniel Tammet to recite Pi to the 3300th decimal. And that’s just a fraction of the 22,000 decimals of Pi he can recite. And he doesn’t recall it from memory, but actually sees numbers as objects with shape and form in his mind.

Current Mood: Enthralled

You Can’t Have It All

Michael — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 16:45:56 +0000

If you haven’t heard of Jay Brannan, he starred in the film Short Bus and is a song writer who’s easy on the eyes. He fits the independent artist genre, so support him if you like him. (Warning: there are four-letter words in the video; shocking!)

Tags: music,, artist,, gay

Current Mood: Impressed

New Pet Shop Boys – Love Etc

Michael — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 02:01:25 +0000

I’ve always like the Pet Shop Boys, but after seeing them in concert in Oct 2006, I’ve been a fan. The latest release from their soon-to-be-released album “Yes” is entitled “Love, Etc”. The video is a romp through the video game world of love. You can find a limited edition version of the album at Amazon.co.uk, which includes a second CD of remixes. I’ve ordered mine.

If You Haven’t Seen Star Wars…

Michael — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 03:09:05 +0000

Here’s a summary of the original 3 movies. From someone who hasn’t seen it (with visuals added for entertainment). Thanks, io9

Current Mood: Hyper

Halloween on Cedar Springs

Michael — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 03:57:24 +0000

Halloween is one of the biggest parties of the year on Cedar Springs in Dallas. We’ve been the last thee years, but haven’t dressed up. The last two years, I kept thinking I should bring my camera and get some shots of all the amazing costumes.
So this year I decided to take my “good camera”, and even decided to dress up like a 40’s journalist to help complete the package. Rich wasn’t sure what to be, and we saw this shower cap with wolf’s ears and the idea of the Big Bad Wolf dressed as Granny grew from that. We ended up at Wal-Mart shopping for a night gown and fuzzy pink slippers. He was pretty comfortable all night, since he got to wear a nightgown and house coat out.
The weather was perfect, though and we met some friends out and had a great time. We even ran into our long lost friends, Bob & Gabe, who we haven’t seen in months.
You can view the entire set here.

Current Mood: Amused

Haunting Castles

Michael — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 16:00:53 +0000

Dark Roasted Blend has posted a series of beautiful and haunting castles, just in time for Halloween. I’ve been following Dark Roasted Blend for awhile, and while the posts are photo-intensive, they have some really great and often funny posts.

Current Mood: Okay

7 Deleted Battlestar Galactica Scenes

Michael — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 01:55:04 +0000

For all my fellow Battlestar Galactica fans, io9 has posted 7 deleted scenes from Battlestar’s 4th season that help clarify some loose ends. Whether you’re seeking enlightenment from the church of BSG, or just looking for some geek trivia to share with your friends when the show (finally) returns next year, these are a must see.

And if your a scifi dork like me and don’t already know about io9, take a look around while you’re there. There’s plenty of geeky-goodness amongst their pages.

Thanks to io9 and Michael.

The Sultan’s Elephant

Michael — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 21:04:35 +0000

The only thing more mesmerizing than this giant puppet is the music. This little girl was created by by the Royal de Luxe theater company for a show called The Sultan’s Elephant. The show has come and gone, but check out the video and the talent that went into creating the show.

Thanks to the Make: blog.
Little Girl Giant Plays in the Park from XINERGY on Vimeo.

Current Mood: Curious & Curious & Curious & Curious & Curious & Curious & Curious & Curious & Curious

Red Nose Curiosity

Michael — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 20:43:15 +0000

Thanks to Cory Doctorow over at Boing Boing, I’ve been enjoying some great photography at Red Nose Studio. I just love the odd little worlds they’ve created in these images. Of course, I love anything odd. I often wish I could just escape into these little worlds.

Oh, and check out “The Look Book”; I’ve added it to my reading list.

Current Mood: Depressed & Depressed & Depressed

Teach the Controversy!

Michael — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 18:45:07 +0000

I’m all about teaching alternative theories to evolution, so I bought a T-shirt to prove it. (Hey, if you buy the T-shirt, it makes it so). Wearscience.com has some great designs promoting “Teach the Controversy”, including the aliens-built-the-pyramids, the-devil-planted-fossils-to-trick-us, and the earth-as-center-of-the-universe. They even have a design of the Great A’Tuin for you Discworld fans out there. You can read more about the Teach The Controversy “Intelligent Design” campaign to discredit the crackpot theory of evolution here.

Personally, I believe that if we teach “Intelligent Design” in schools alongside evolution, then we must include theories that aliens created us. See The Flying Spaghetti Monster.

And for you crazies who believe in science, Wearscience also has a series of designs right out of 50’s B-movies. You can also customize your designs; I added “I Believe in Science” to the back of my shirt with a scientist blowing up the moon on the front. Link

Current Mood: Amused

The History of Spaceflight

Michael — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 00:56:54 +0000

I’ve started collecting a few books on “futurism” from the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s. I love the illustrations and ideas about the future from a time when mankind was just going to the moon. It seems there was no limit to where they thought we’d be 100 years from now (then). Matt over at Paleo-Future has posted a clip from the DVD History of Spaceflight featuring Wernher von Braun’s ideas of the future of spaceflight. Check out the post for more retro-futurist images.

A Better Way to Browse Amazon

Michael — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 23:47:01 +0000

Our friends over at Lifehacker have shared a great new way to browse Amazon.com just like browsing shelves at a bookstore. Zoomii displays books on “shelves” grouped by Bestsellers, New Arrivals, Science Fiction, etc. You can drag around the bookstore or even create your own shelves by using the search feature. And when you find something you like, you can order right from Zoomii.

It’s a great way for someone like me who can spend hours browsing “brick and mortar” bookstores. I often purchase a book because the cover caught my eye.

The Norwegian Meets the “Reverend”

Michael — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 19:43:16 +0000

One of my favorite flickr-ites, “The Norwegian” has posted a great story (along with photo, left) about his experience of a recent visit to the Church of Scientology.

I agree with his opinion of “The Church”, but read it for yourself. He also makes a great suggestion for those seeking enlightenment: Venganza.org. Of course, there are other paths; I’m just saying…

Oh, and check out his photo stream… he’s a great photographer.

Current Mood: Determined

Flickr Video: A Good Thing?

Michael — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 21:25:20 +0000

In case you haven’t heard, flickr has added video capabilites. Of course there are plenty of nay-sayers, and being a fan of great photography, I can understand how adding video could dilute what makes flickr great. Of course, there are lots of talented artists out there on flickr who can make motion an asset for flickr. I know I’m looking forward to seeing more like “The Blue Samurai”, a collaboration of flickrite ArtWerk and Manel Ortega. I’ve been following ArtWerk’s flickr feed for awhile now, and it’s nice to see another aspect of his talent. Not to mention some groovy sounds by Substatic.

Current Mood: Exhausted

Ecards That Are a Bit More…. Heartfelt

Michael — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 03:01:07 +0000

I remember a series of cards at Jungle Red in OKC that all had small illustrations of bugs on the front, and contained such witty messages as “I want my stuff” and “You’re old, Happy Birthday”. I can’t say I ever actually gave one to any of my friends, but I secretly wanted to.

Well, for those of us who “care enough to hit send”, there’s a site full of cards with just such messages like “Now that you’re 18, you can legally not bother voting” and “I hope you’ll always consider me someone who reluctantly pays for part of your birthday dinner”. Complete with vintage public-domain illustrations on every card, it really says “I’m too to go out and buy a card and mail it to you, but this ecard is just the right price”. (Hey, I’m guilty)

So check out someecards.com… and please send me one for my birthday. At least I’ll know how much you care. Exactly.

Current Mood: Devious

A Science Fiction Legend Dies

Michael — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 19:20:18 +0000

Arthur C Clarke, the author of 2001: A Space Odyssey, died yesterday at the age of 90. Though he wasn’t my favorite author, anyone who loves science fiction should at least have read some of his work. I’ve read the entire 2001 series (2010, 2061, 3001), as well as the Rama series.

Another lesser-known work was The Songs of Distant Earth, which was also an album by Mike Oldfield released in 1994. I stumbled across this album during the Enigma era, while looking for more of the same style. I bought the Enhanced CD, which included some pretty cool CGI video that accompanied the ethnic chants and trippy ambient rhythms of the album.

I think I need to dig up the CD and remember a sci fi genius.

“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”
- Arthur C Clarke

Current Mood: Sad

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Michael — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 15:12:07 +0000

I loved the Muppets when I was a kid, so how better to say Happy St. Patrick’s Day…

Thanks, Cory Doctorow at Boing Boing

Current Mood: Energetic

Nathan Ota – Another Fine Artist

Michael — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 19:56:18 +0000

I’ve started following “Right Some Good”, the art blog of Kirsten Anderson . She writes about artists she likes, and I’ve found I agree on many of them. One recent recommendation is Nathan Ota, who illustrates curious creatures like robots, eyeless birds and monster tree trunks. His art often has a greenish-golden glow that reminds me of tarot cards. Kinda spooky in a fairy-tale kind of way.

Be sure to check out his site to see more of his great work.

Current Mood: Awake

Curious World of Toys

Michael — Sat, 23 Feb 2008 14:56:05 +0000

I’ve recently stumbled across a wonderful photographer and storyteller on flickr. Michael (aka “frogmuseum2″) has kindly given me permission to share one of his photos. As you can see here, his characters come to life with their own little oddworld personas. Since quirky is my favorite kind of art, this is right up my ally.

Check out more of his work at flickr .

Tags: toy,, photography,, flickr

Current Mood: Awake

Frozen in Grand Central

Michael — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 18:45:03 +0000

I want to be a part of something like this. I’ve followed their exploits after I first heard about them on “This American Life”. Ira Glass interviewed the organizer of a “stunt” where they picked a guy out at random at a bar and threw him a birthday party . They brought gifts, bought drinks, and called him Ted all night. He at first protested and eventually gave in.

After watching the video, check out some of their other uber-cool improv at their site .

Current Mood: Amused

Mathematical Chaos

Michael — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 18:45:18 +0000

I’ve been playing around with a very cool 3D rendering software called Chaoscope. It has some pretty mathematically intensive settings, but also a “search” function that randomly creates “viable” combinations. You can then tweak away at the criteria until you get the perfect imaginary universe. Here’s a few of my creations; (click to view large)…

And this series are of the same “universe” rotated in the 3D space.

Tags: mathematics, 3d

Current Mood: Okay

Robot Art

Michael — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 18:57:34 +0000

Kirsten Anderson over at Right Some Good has posted some great art by fellow artist Brian Despain. His work has the sort of tone I love (a la steampunk/Myst) and features another geek fav – robots! What more could you ask for. I’d hang this on my wall.

Perhaps I should check into that…

Meanwhile, check out Brian Despain’s website .

Current Mood: Weird

Tiny Houses I Want

Michael — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 23:59:00 +0000

Wired.com has posted a series of photos of small modular houses sure to please the eco-friendly minded. But more than just environmentally conscious, these houses have a certain Zen that I want when I think about building a vacation house. I mean, how much more escapist can you be in a house sitting atop a column on a lake?

It’s hard to explain to the uninitiated what a modular home is when it comes to building it in nature. They either think I’m talking about those trailer houses with wood siding, or some funky-weird modernist glass box on the lawn. But these seem to commune with nature rather than clash. There’s something about the openness that and simplicity that doesn’t get in the way of the view.

Of course, I have to find a beautiful and semi-private place to build a house like these. My mom lives in the perfect part of Arkansas (north-central), but it’s quite an old-fashioned area (not too conducive to two men with no children moving in next door). But we’ll find the perfect place… it’s out there.

Current Mood: Relaxed

Strung out on science fiction.

Michael — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 02:23:44 +0000

Being a dork, I love all things sci fi – be it movies, books or technology. Browsing my newly-subscribed RSS feed, I read about the upcoming Indiana Jones movie, an interview with the horned-rim glasses guy from Heroes, a article lamenting the USA’s lack of futuristic vision when it comes to architecture, robots and maglev trains, and a review of fuels used in all the great sci-fi franchises. (Did you know the Battlestar Galactica takes Tylium in its tanks?)

This site definitely satiates my need for all things geek.

Thanks, Lifehacker !

io9. Strung out on science fiction.

Current Mood: Happy

Dutch Graphic Design from Around 1900

Michael — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 04:07:57 +0000

BibliOdyssey has posted some great examples of Dutch Advertising from around 1900. My first exposure to Dutch design was at the Museum of Modern Art in NYC. I’m attracted to the simplicity and clean lines.

This particular example is especially interesting, since I worked for Holland-America in Alaska during my summer between high school and college.

Be sure to check out the other samples.

Current Mood: Relaxed

Old Time Christmas Radio

Michael — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 21:57:22 +0000

If you’re a fan of old time radio, or just wanna get in the mood for Christmas, then check out this selection of free public domain MP3s of radio shows over at OldRadioFun.com. From the classic 1947 “It’s a Wonderful Life” to the more curious “Batman Christmas”, it’ll get you in that nostalgic Christmas spirit.

In another life I worked many graveyard shifts while managing Circle K and used to enjoy early morning broadcasts of “The Shadow” and “The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show”.

There’s an even larger collection available at archive.org. Thanks, Boing Boing

Current Mood: Awake

It’s Christmas, Why Not?

Michael — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 22:01:27 +0000

I’m getting a little bored with my old K2 based theme. I just upgraded to Wordpress 2.blah blah blah and decided to take the opportunity to try out a canned theme. It’s kinda fun, so I think I’ll keep it until after the Holidays.

And then no more excuses… i have to design/implement that idea that’s been floating around in my head for 6 mos or so. Now, to find green grass this time of year…

Current Mood: Weird

The Road Ahead

Michael — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 02:29:58 +0000

Thanks to Jeff Pepper over at 2719Hyperion for sharing this clip from the 1958 Disneyland “Magic Highway USA”. You can read more background from his earlier posts here and here. Apparently, we aren’t as advanced as predicted. It would be cool to have my car wash and refuel itself.. I really hate stopping at the gas station.

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Tags: Disney, futurism, transportation

Current Mood: Relaxed

I Just Like Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Michael — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 20:34:01 +0000

Not sure why, but I just like Joseph Gordon-Levitt. I can’t pinpoint a particular performance as an actor that impresses me (although Mysterious Skin was pretty good – and a little disturbing). I just think he’d be very cool to hang out with; like a regular guy.

And just for fun, here’s another one…

Tags: Gorden-Levitt, actor

Current Mood: Thoughtful

Thinking of Switching (again)

Michael — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 21:00:16 +0000

In my office I have a PC & a Mac G5. Even though I do most of my work on the Mac, I just can’t give up my PC for gaming and Quicken. But with the new Intel-based Macs, and Parallels , I can run Windows XP as a 2nd OS on the Mac (forget about Vista… I don’t want to run that POS).

So this video seems appropriate for my current opinion of the ole’ Microsoft.

SeatQuest Visual Ticket Finder

Michael — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 16:00:35 +0000

If you love shows and concerts, this is the best tool for finding tickets. It’s a visual map of the venue with available seats indicated as blue dots. Just find your seat and click buy.

This is the biggest pain I find with “other” ticket sites; I have to find the seating chart which is usually not very clear as to where the seats actually are.

The program is still in beta, but I hope to see it continue to develop. It’ll be my first choice for finding tickets.

Current Mood: Stressed

Pseudo-Decay Becomes Decay, then Pseudo Again

Michael — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 19:41:19 +0000

Pruned has posted a series of photos (with commentary) about the curious and fascinating “Broken Column House”, built just before the French Revolution by François Nicolas Henri Racine de Monville, an aristocrat with lots of time and money on his hands. Built to appear as a decaying broken column, the house went through a period of neglect in which it truly began to decay. In the 1980’s it once again was restored to its original pseudo-decay state.

Located northwest of Paris in a wooded area, I’ve added this to one of the must sees when I finally visit France.

I also find the photo beautiful and creepy – perfect for this time of year. Wouldn’t you like to Trick-or-Treat here?

The Dragon Queen and The Wanderer

Michael — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 01:47:30 +0000

Wanderer of Space, Vargo Statten, 1950 Scion / Planet Stories, Summer 1941, Love Romances

I just finished reading Worlds of Tomorrow – The Amazing Universe of Science Fiction Art by Forrest J Ackerman. I picked it up at Half Price Books a couple of weeks ago. I’ve been trying to learn more about design and art from the 1800’s up through the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s, especially involving predictions of the future.There are several magazines that were published in 30’s, 40’s and 50’s that featured science fiction shorts by sci fi greats like Isaac Asimov, H.G. Wells, and Robert Heinlein. They had titles like Wonder Stories Quarterly, Amazing Stories, and Startling Stories. The cover art was just as fantastic as the stories within. Worlds of Tomorrow features these covers and includes narrative about the history of the culture and writers that envisioned them.

If your a sci fi fan or a fan of sci fi art; or even if you are just looking for a good laugh, check out this book.

I shared these two because half-naked women were a staple of many of these covers. I just thought it was interesting to see half naked men for a change. I’m just not sure how practical a g-string would be for wandering space, or riding dragons. And how about the name “Dragon Queen”?

Simpson, Michael Simpson

Michael — Fri, 21 Sep 2007 17:44:26 +0000

What better for a Friday afternoon than to imagine myself a Simpson? (Not of the OJ flavor, of course).

You, too, can re-imagine yourself at Simpsonizeme.com

DCI 2007 Highlights

Michael — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 15:08:21 +0000

Just a few of my photos taken at this year’s Drum Corps Championships in Pasadena, CA. You can see them all, including scores, here.

I made this with animoto, the best slideshow generator out there. You can upload your own photos or import them from photo sharing sites like flickr. You can also upload your own music you pick from their library. animoto then generates the video complete with effects. The free service is limited to 30 second videos, but you can create full-length videos for $3 each or $30 unlimited for a year.

Tags: animoto, DCI, drumcorps, marching, band

Current Mood: Energetic

I Guess I Love LA?

Michael — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 21:46:30 +0000

Well, we made it back from our LA trip, and I must say that aside from the smog and traffic, I loved LA. There’s some great architecture and the weather can’t be beat. We really explored the area and got a flavor for the city as well as the beaches and burbs. Here’s what we saw:

Downtown, the library, Disney Concert Hall, the very cool Westin Bonaventure, Sunset Blvd, Hollywood Blvd, Santa Monica Blvd, Beverly and Wilshire, the walk of fame (smelled like urine), the Oriental Theater, Capitol Records, The Hollywood Sign (drove almost too it, afraid we’d get arrested if we hiked further), Griffith Park, Griffith Observatory, Santa Monica Pier, the 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica (twice), Malibu, West Malibu, Topanga Canyon, other misc canyons and mountains, drove Mullholland Drive (until it became a fire trail… it’s a DRIVE on the map!), Pasadena, Disneyland (fun), Knott’s Berry Farm (disappointing), Riverside (Rich lived there as a kid… found his old house), the Mission Inn in Riverside (interesting old hotel, looks like a mission), The Grove and LA Farmer’s Market, Long Beach and the Aquarium (eh… Shedd in Chicago is better), Pacific Coast Highway, and last but not least, The Abbey (where we hung out with some fascinating and fun people).

So blah blah blah… vacation… slides… you know the rest…

Rosetta Project – Download Vintage Children’s Books

Michael — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 16:55:49 +0000

I find I’m more and more interested in vintage design, having recently purchased a few vintage books containing some beautiful illustrations (more on that later).

Thanks to Lifehacker and Wendy Boswell for sharing a great archive of vintage children’s books at childrensbooksonline.org. It’s a huge collection of downloadable books, some including audio and multimedia. It’s a volunteer-driven site, so if you appreciate what they’re doing and are so inclined, please donate for their efforts.

It’s nice to see that though the physical books will one day return to dust, they will live on in the cybersphere.

Plan59.com: 100% of Recommended Daily Retro

Michael — Fri, 13 Jul 2007 17:24:45 +0000

I’ve been looking more and more lately for vintage ads and illustrations to satisfy my new-found love of design from the turn of the century (the last one) through the 60’s/70’s. My most recent find is Plan59.com, thanks another of my favs, Paleo-Future. It’s full of vintage images well organized into categories like “cars”, “space” and “old ads”. What’s even better, is that you can order poster-size prints! I can already imagine the possibilities for my future-retro media room when we finally get our house built.

The only thing that’s missing is newsfeed capability (since I’m a google reader addict.)

Tags: retro, vintage, illustrations

Current Mood: Happy

You Won’t See This in the US

Michael — Wed, 06 Jun 2007 16:38:19 +0000

This would most likely start a boycott of Guinness in the US.

So of course, I love it!

Tags: guinness, commercial

Where Do I Sign Up?

Michael — Wed, 30 May 2007 16:50:58 +0000

I want one of these… remember Tom Cruise manipulating graphics in The Minority Report?

The Paleo-Future is Here (or not)

Michael — Thu, 17 May 2007 22:34:43 +0000

There’s a certain class of design I’ve always been attracted to; I find it fascinating to see how the past saw the future, either the one that has come and gone, or is still yet to be (or not to be). My favorite sci fi reads are those heavy with scientific speculation on the big questions… faster-than-light travel, moving stars, encountering bewilderingly advanced species. But I also enjoy classic sci fi like Isaac Asimov and Robert Heinlein. More than just the plots, I love to see how the greatest scientific imaginations of their time saw the future. It often comes out as a mix of new ideas blended with now outdated ones; like a man traveling home from work in his self-driving car only to be greeted by his wife who meets him at the door with a cocktail, a back rub and dinner on the table.

I also love to explore design from yesteryear looking forward. Interestingly, this often comes back to Disney’s Imagineering. But thanks to great finds like Paleo-Future, I can finally get my fill of this odd attraction. And what an apt name for something I’ve been unable to easily define.

So here’s to the Paleo-Future and the future that never was! And to commemorate the occasion, here’s a great sample, “Transportation Exhibits at the New York World’s Fair (1964)”

Tags: paleo, future, transportation

Current Mood: Nerdy

Funny Bones

Michael — Fri, 04 May 2007 16:21:31 +0000

PK at BibliOdyssey has shared a series of great illustrations by Louis Crucious, a St. Louis printer’s apprentice, pharmacist and finally physician. While studying and working in a pharmacy, he began creating the illustrations and displaying them in the store window. He sold several of the drawings to Antikamnia Chemical Company who used some in calendars.

Be sure to check out the entire series and the article.

Tags: illustration, drawing, Antikamnia, LouisCrucius

Current Mood: Amused

The Next Step

Michael — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 02:53:13 +0000

Well, we finally took the leap! (again) We put a contract on the empty lot above. While this will be our second house, it will be our first “build from scratch”, so wish us luck! We’ve heard good things about the builder, and they’ve been great so far. The neighborhood has kind of an old fashioned town feel with narrow streets and front porches (the houses in the background are not good examples of this).

American Ambition

Michael — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 16:03:37 +0000

Santiago Calatrava has designed an impressive 2,000 ft tower for the Chicago water front called the “Chicago Spire”. It’s 150 floors will house 1200 condos; and would be the world’s tallest residential building (and most likely the world’s 2nd tallest building overall – eclipsed only by the Burj Dubai, rumored to be over 3,000 feet tall when completed in 2008).

It’s nice to see America getting back into the skyscraper game with some ambitious plans. I hope to some day visit Chicago and take the multiple elevators necessary to get to the top.

Now if we can just get them to build Frank Lloyd Wright’s mile-high “The Illinois”. (Yes kids, thats 5,280 feet, 528 floors).

Tags: skyscraper, Calatrava, ChicagoSpire

Current Mood: Impressed

Vintage Illustrations: Space Needle

Michael — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 19:39:54 +0000

Thanks to some good digging by pk at Bibliodyssey, here are some great old illustrations of the Century 21 Exposition in Seattle. I love the color and aging of the paper, and the time and effort that went into creating these images by hand. When these concepts were presented straight from the mind of the illustrator, there was a certain amount of idealism and imagination that meshed with the technicality of architectural drawing, that always tweaks both sides of my brain.

For example the third image in the series has what seem to be bubbles floating above the grounds; and the water in the fountains has a great cobalt blue hue.

Today’s computer generated concepts for proposed buildings can offer great realistic visions for a design, but there’s something lost in these types of images. It’s just all too convenient today to take an actual photo of a location for a proposed structure and superimpose the building almost exactly as it will look in a location.

PK also talks about using Google Alerts to scrounge up some of these illustrations.. gonna have to check that out!

It’s Easier Than You Think

Michael — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 21:29:14 +0000

One Man’s Blog has written an enlightening post about how easy it easy to crack passwords. I never realized how much a difference a single letter (and using upper and lower case) can make.

Here’s a table from his post reflecting how much (or little) time it takes to crack your password. It looks like I’ll start using 7 character passwords with both upper and lower case characters. And I’d definitely think twice about using a pin number for anything!

And if you use 14 characters, only Q would have the time to crack it.

Password Length	All Characters	Only Lowercase
3 characters 4 characters 5 characters 6 characters 7 characters 8 characters 9 characters 10 characters 11 characters 12 characters 13 characters 14 characters	0.86 seconds 1.36 minutes 2.15 hours 8.51 days 2.21 years 2.10 centuries 20 millennia 1,899 millennia 180,365 millennia 17,184,705 millennia 1,627,797,068 millennia 154,640,721,434 millennia	0.02 seconds .046 seconds 11.9 seconds 5.15 minutes 2.23 hours 2.42 days 2.07 months 4.48 years 1.16 centuries 3.03 millennia 78.7 millennia 2,046 millennia

I encourage you to read the entire post, but he makes one very important point:

If you use the same username and/or password for several different sites, (like most of us), you’re at greater risk, because a hacker won’t try for your bank account first (since it’s probably the most secure). Instead, he’ll try to hack your info from say, an e-card account. And since your browser’s cache will contain info about the sites you visit (you can prevent this), he’ll have a convenient way to find out that you have an e-card account. Since this type of site might be easier to hack, he can use a brute force attack to obtain your username/password. And once he has it, chances are he’ll be able to use the same username and password for your credit card and bank accounts.

So you might want to revisit your passwords; I know I am.

Thanks One Man’s Blog and Lifehacker.

Current Mood: Awake

And the Oscar Goes To…

Michael — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 17:10:05 +0000

I’m not really into following the Oscars thing, but one overlooked category I always love to check out is the animated and short films. Atomfilms has a “Hall of Fame” featuring Oscar-nominated shorts. If you’re into design and especially animation, check these out. Here’s the most recent nominee, “The Cathedral”, which is computer graphics based and is reminiscent of the “movies” between gameplay in most video games. Although this is by far better quality.

Tags: AtomFilms, Oscars, animation, shortfilms, thecathedral

Current Mood: Impressed

The (Oval) Office

Michael — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 15:09:57 +0000

If you’ve ever seen “The Office”, and you’re not a fan of the Bush administration, you’ll love this. However, if you ARE a fan of the Bush administration, then what the heck are you doing here?

Tags: Bush, theoffice

Current Mood: Okay

Men are Crotch-Watchers

Michael — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 21:36:07 +0000

A recent study by the Annenberg Center for Communication at USC has revealed some interesting habits of the human male. Eye tracking technology tracks where the participant’s eyes spend more time on a particular image. It’s interesting to see how adding a little white space and organizing information helps the user navigate a page more effectively.

Another perhaps even more interesting find of the study is that men are apparently crotch-watchers. Participants were presented with a photo of George Brett, and while both men and women focused on the face, men were also apparently interested in George’s little George. And these men aren’t particularly gay.

This is the gayest thing I’ve heard since Ryan Seacrest’s exchange with Simon Cowell. Apparently, men are just like dogs sniffing each other’s crotch; sizing up the competition.

Thanks, Towleroad

Tags: eyetracking, Annenberg

Current Mood: Amused

That’s Good Poulton

Michael — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 20:44:10 +0000

Here’s another great drawing from Eric Poulton, the re-imagined Death Star from Star Wars. I guess I just like this style so much I had to share. As I’ve said, it’s so reminiscent of the Myst style of Robyn Miller.

And I love this footnote from Eric’s post:

“[1]As it has not yet been discovered a way for machines to directly generate Force energy, it must be supplied by a powerful Force user. The user conjures the energy inside of a specially designed resonance chamber which amplifies the energy before directing it through a series of lenses to produce a powerful coherent beam of unimaginably destructive energy.”

Tags: EricPoulton, steampunk, starwars, deathstar

Current Mood: Energetic

Eric Poulton’s Re-Imagined Star Wars

Michael — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 15:23:28 +0000

Stumbled across a very cool series of drawings by Eric Poulton of Star Wars in the “Steam Punk” style. Now, being neophyte that I am to the Steam Punk style, I had never even heard the term before. But seeing the drawings, I realize I’ve seen it many times, and it apparently is one of my favorites. It reminds me a bit darker twist on the design of the Myst series.

Also check out his additional posts which include a very good Jabba the Hut complete with feathered hat.

Very cool, indeed.

Thanks, Bonnie and Boing Boing.

Tags: StarWars, EricPoulton, steampunk

Current Mood: Hyper

RocketDock (you’ll always be…)

Michael — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 21:24:42 +0000

If, like me, you’re a Mac and PC user, then you’ll probably love RocketDock. It’s a freeware (!) Mac OSX dock for Windows (including Vista). Here’s are just a few of the features (from their website):

Minimize windows to the dock
Real-time window previews in Vista
Running application indicators
Simple drag-n-drop interface
Multi-monitor support
Supports alpha-blended PNG and ICO icons
Icons zoom and transition smoothly

So if you’re a tweak freak like me or just like trying out new fangled widgets, check it out.

Tags: osx, dock, windows

Current Mood: Hot

Holiday excuses have never been so good (or funny)

Michael — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 18:17:38 +0000

If your looking for a good reason to escape that invitation to a holiday party, check out this Holiday Excuse Generator at Enlighten.com. It’s alot of fun even if you don’t get invited to parties. Just answer a few questions about your relationship with the host and how honest you want to appear and viola! You get a sample letter fit for Martha Stewart’s hand!

I’ll be trying it out this season. Unless any of my friends are reading this. In which case, I really can’t come to your White Trashmas Themed soiree because I’m going to be on vacation in Budapest.

No really.

Tell me all about it when I return.

The designers out there should also check out the Enlighten site, since it’s well designed as well.

Tags: Holiday, excuse, invitation, party, enlighten.com

Current Mood: Amused

Springfield, USA

Michael — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 21:00:06 +0000

If you’re a fan of The Simpsons (as I am), you have to check this out. It’s a map of Springfield complete with Evergreen Terrace. It’s best viewed on flickr, so you can see all the notes. You can view a much larger version on flickr as well.

Guide to Springfield – The Simpsons
Originally uploaded by Dan_Cameron.

Tags: TheSimpsons

Current Mood: Hyper

En Tus Brazos

Michael — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 17:29:51 +0000

“In Your Arms” according to altavista’s translation, is a great animated short worth checking out. Even though the site is in French, it appears that the short has won some awards. Alot of work has gone into the film and I love the tone and style. Check out the “Contacts” link… the creators’ photos have the same early 1900’s look. Great job guys!

Tags: animated, shortfilm

Current Mood: Impressed

Stewie Gone Wild

Michael — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 21:29:10 +0000

I love Stewie of Family Guy fame and think Seth MacFarlane is incredibly talented. So I wanted to share this video. If you’ve seen the show, then you’ll understand the idea of “sexy party”; and if you remember the skit from the show, pay attention the attire of the singers.

Tags: StewieGriffith, FamilyGuy

Current Mood: Silly

Online Desktop?

Michael — Mon, 20 Nov 2006 22:23:54 +0000

In me never ending search for a solution that will keep my contacts up to date on my laptop pc, my home pc and my Mac, I stumbled across a very cool Web 2.0 site. DesktopTwo is a web-based app package that looks and acts like your personal desktop; complete with email, address book, rss reader, instant messenger, file browser and 1GB FREE (for now) storage.

I haven’t yet decided if it’s any kind of solution for what I was searching, but it’s always nice to find an example of great design and origina ideas. I know there have been other similar attempts, but I don’t think any have been this successful or nice looking.

Current Mood: Curious

My first HDR

Michael — Mon, 20 Nov 2006 04:10:23 +0000

Magazine Mountain, Arkansas

I’ve been trying for some time now to get around to making an HDR image. I first learned of HDR when I started following Arnold Pouteau’s work on flickr. He’s posted alot of amazing HDR images of NYC.

If you’ve never heard of HDR (High Dynamic Range), it involves combining 3 different exposures of the same scene into one enhanced image. I used Photomatix which makes it easy.

Now that I’ve figured it out, I hope to do more with HDR.

Tags: HDR, MagazineMountain, Arkansas

Current Mood: Happy

For Music Lovers

Michael — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 23:02:16 +0000

One invaluable find for a music lover is Pandora. If you haven’t seen it, you should check it out. It allows you to specify a favorite band/artist as a starting point, and plays music in the same genre. It learns your tastes and is a great way to learn about new artists; especially if like me, you have a knack for for non-mainstream music.

I just discovered another cool service called Musicovery, which does much of the same thing but has a very cool interface that allows you to visualize similar artists in a map-like layout.

Tags: musicovery, pandora

Current Mood: Exhausted

Am I a Pethead?

Michael — Tue, 24 Oct 2006 18:49:27 +0000

I went to the Pet Shop Boys concert here in Dallas on Sunday (Oct 22), and had a great time. I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect, since I was hung over. While I’ve always been a fan, and I love that Neil is openly gay, I haven’t always been overwhelmed with their albums in recent years. But to hear it live, to feel the music instead of just hearing it, to sense the underlying playful sarcasm in many of their songs (“You only tell me you love me when you’re drunk”); I never appreciated them as much as I do now. It’s amazing that they’ve been together for as long as they have, and still have the same great sound.

I didn’t bring my camera, since a D70 with a zoom lens would’ve set off the metal detectors (the zoom lens would’ve been necessary the backup singers, of course). But a guy in front of us brought his camera and was nice enough to email me some of them on Monday. Thanks Kevin!

His friend was from When In Rome, and is working on a solo project, so check out his site at www.myspace.com/frostmanmusic or When In Rome at www.myspace.com/wheninrome. Man, I loved “The Promise”.

But all in all, it was a great time, and I feel the urge to go to another Pet Shop Boys concert. I’ll have to go out and buy some of the albums I’ve missed over the years… I’ve definitely danced to enough of their music.

Another Awesome Year at DCI

Michael — Fri, 01 Sep 2006 03:38:39 +0000

I finally posted our photos from our trip to DCI World Championships in Madison Wisconsin, Aug 12th. First time I’ve ever been to Madison, and it’s a nice city.

Camp Randall Stadium at the University of Wisconsin had some amazing acoustics. I definitely enjoyed the sound, but the photography angle was further back and lower than in previous years. So I couldn’t get any decent shots of the formations, but got plenty of close-ups of the color guard. I didn’t spend much time color-correcting the photos, but I posted almost 400 shots on flickr.

If you’ve never seen DCI (Drum Corps International), you can get a taste of the show on ESPN2 on Sept 5 at 8 pm EST.

Tags: DCI, drum, corps

Current Mood: Relaxed

Desolation Row

Michael — Fri, 18 Aug 2006 16:19:50 +0000

Originally uploaded by CantikFotos.

Fascinating set of photos of an abandoned housing project in Taiwan. It’s too bad the’ve fallen into such decay. It reminds my of some of the modern designs of today, especially many of the flatpak or modular modern designs available.

These are haunting and beautiful at the same time; and it looks like their on the beach.

Tags: architecture, abandoned

Current Mood: Sad

Calling All Readers

Michael — Tue, 08 Aug 2006 02:40:57 +0000

I love to read (mostly Sci Fi), and have been selling my books to Half Price Books after reading them. But I just found out about a new creation from ::wikipedia(“John Buckman”, “John Buckman”):: called Book Mooch. You can earn points by offering your own books for trade, and in return receive books form other users. I reminds me of the circle of friends my mom used to share sacks of books with… they’d initial the inside cover of the books they’d read and then swap.

I’ve yet to receive my first book, but I’m sure this’ll be the start of something fun and worthwhile! So check it out!

Illustration credit Andrice Arp

Tags: bookmooch

Current Mood: Exhausted

This Ad is so Gay

Michael — Wed, 28 Jun 2006 03:44:12 +0000

And I don’t mean “gay” like some straight people say to mean “lame”, but “gay” as in “I can’t believe they marketed this to straight women”-gay.

But seriously, it’s amazing to me that some people think America is out of control, that we need to increase censorship of the media; but sexuality has been in advertising practically since the printing press was invented. And this ad is a great example.

And I don’t even think the ads in Out magazine are this racy. So I just wonder in what magazine these were advertised.

UPDATE: Thanks to a little sleuthing from my pal Jenn, this apparently ran in Life magazine. You can see more ambiguous (and not-so-ambiguous) advertising at commercialcloset.org.

Originally uploaded by Mamluke.

Tags: vintage, advertising, gay

Current Mood: Mischievous

UFO Photoshop Contest

Michael — Wed, 14 Jun 2006 14:26:53 +0000

Worth1000.com has some great Photoshop contests. A recent one was for UFOs, and I think this is one of the best. It as a bit of a Myst feel, which has some fantastic art. Check out the rest of the contest entries; and if you don’t already, check back at Worth1000.com for other great Photoshop contests.

Current Mood: Happy

To the Stars

Michael — Tue, 13 Jun 2006 13:54:38 +0000

I look forward to the day when we step off our little blue sphere and begin to live in space. Of course, this won’t happen in my lifetime, but maybe in my grandchildren’s lifetime.

NASA has a series of artist’s renderings of space colony concepts from studies conducted at Ames in the 70’s. Being a Sci Fi dork, I find these fascinating; I’m always fascinated by ideas about the future as seen from our past.

Hear me Now and Listen to me Later

Michael — Fri, 09 Jun 2006 20:01:58 +0000

I’ve found a very cool interactive listening service at pandora.com, where you can build your own radio stations simply by suggesting an artist. I suggested BT, and they began playing similar music. As you listen, you guide them by indicating whether you like what you hear or not. And they don’t just suggest music by genre; for any song, you can click “why did you play this song?”, and it’ll tell you why. Here’s an example of why they played “Greece 2000″ for me recently:

Based on what you’ve told us so far, we’re playing this track because it features trippy soundscapes, prevalent use of groove and many other similarities identified in the music genome project.

Very cool, very cool indeed…

Tags: pandora, "music, genome, project"

Current Mood: Stressed

Love For Sale

Michael — Wed, 24 May 2006 17:25:39 +0000

We’ve come to a crossroads at which we’ve committed to moving to Dallas. To that end, we’ve put our house on the market.

It was our first house and we’ve put so much into it (a new roof, new plumbing, had large trees planted, painted and painted some more, refinished and restored hard wood floors in the kitchen, refinished the sunroom, replaced light fixtures and fans, replaced bathroom fixtures, and more.

As hard as it is, it’s time for us to begin a new chapter – one of independence, challenge and chance.

So if you’re looking in the Brookside/Rockhill Gardens area, please take a look!

Download & Print a Pinhole Camera

Michael — Wed, 24 May 2006 16:51:13 +0000

I’ve always wanted to try out a pinhole camera, and now you can download, print, and make your own for free at Linatree.com. There’s even a contest to get your work published!

If any of you try this, I want to see the pics! (Jenn & Melissa, I’m looking in your direction)

Tags: pinhole, camera

Current Mood: Curious

Don’t Try This at Home, Kids

Michael — Wed, 17 May 2006 14:29:10 +0000

Or apparently, for $30, you can. Flickr user tesla1000 has posted a series of home made Tesla coils. Woudn’t you love to greet your friends with this for your next party?

More than likely, they’d be afraid to come too close to your house.

They’d be smart.

Tags: tesla, coil, DIY

Current Mood: Shocked

On Target

Michael — Wed, 17 May 2006 14:04:52 +0000

Returning from our recent trip to Dallas, someone pointed out a complete rainbow in the clouds during our descent into Kansas City. I scrambled for my camera and managed to catch it just before ducking below the clouds. I realized that the shadow of our plane appeared to be entering the perfect circle formed by the rainbow. It really was an amazing site, and my photo didn’t capture the magic of the site.

But I took it as a sign; we had just returned from Dallas to make a significant committment to our move… signing a lease an an apartment. Oh yah, and we put our house on the market Monday. Amazingly, we had another realtor already view the house on Tuesday, and I’ve noticed several people drive by very slowly. Either their casing our house or want to buy it… one of the two.

Anyway, if anyone is interested in moving to the Brookside area, check out our house. Also, here’s the photo, slightly tweaked to emphasize the rainbow.

Tags: airplane, rainbow, clouds

Current Mood: Thoughtful

Finally, A Smart Fuel!

Michael — Fri, 12 May 2006 13:46:37 +0000

It seems they’ve finally found something useful for all the BS in the world. No, really!
Scientists in New Zealand how made biodiesel using algae floating on sewage ponds. The company claims to be producing 1 million litres of fuel by the end of the year!
Now, if we can just build windmills to capture all the hot air coming out of Washington…

Tags: biofuel

Current Mood: Hyper

That’s One Angry Liberal

Michael — Thu, 11 May 2006 14:48:50 +0000

I recently read a post on Boing Boing of C.B. Shapiro’s “Hark, the Angry Liberal Sings”. Here’s an excerpt; you can read the whole thing on Boing Boing. When listed all together like this, it kind of puts things into perspective and does make a little angry… I feel like I need to go out and campaign or something. But for now, I’ll just share it here.

Oh, and if these things don’t make you worry about the state of our country, perhaps you’d enjoy this site instead. The rest of us are angry.

“I’m angry about the shredding of the constitution…illegal wiretaps…falsified intelligence…secret prisons… use of torture as an accepted means of interrogation…Terry Schiavo…the war on science…denial of Global Warming…the fascistic secrecy of our elected officials… presidential signings that declare the President above the law…the breakdown of the wall between church and state…the outing of a clandestine CIA agent for purely partisan political gain…the corrupting influence of K Street… the total sell-out of the legislative process to corporate interests… appointments of unqualified cronies at every level of government…Harriet Miers…Brownie…Abu Ghraib… Scooter …the complete mismanagement of the war in Iraq…the lies about the complete mismanagement of the war in Iraq…the grotesque budget deficits… the pathetic response to Katrina… a civil rights division dedicated to undermining civil rights…an environmental protection agency that refuses to protect the environment… (Take a breath, Angry Liberal Guy.)”

Tags: politics, liberal, CBShapiro

Current Mood: Mad

Napoleon Who?

Michael — Thu, 11 May 2006 13:35:31 +0000

I know this is floating around the internet, but he’s pretty amazing so I just had to share

I think he’d make a pretty good drag queen, as long as he could do all this in 6-inch heels!

Tags: dance, evolution

Current Mood: Amused

Stephen Colbert is a Genius

Michael — Tue, 02 May 2006 14:16:21 +0000

If you haven’t already heard, or if you’ve heard but haven’t watched it, you should check out ThankYouStephenColbert.org. Stephen Colbert is one of the funniest and most brilliant comedians around. I loved his completely straight faced delivery of BS on The Daily Show and now on The Colbert Report.

He spoke at the White Correspondents Dinner on Saturday (4/28/06), attended by such luminaries as President Bush, Antonin Scalia, and my idol, Karl Rove. He completely lampooned the administration and its lackeys.

Well, you just have to watch it:
(pay special attention to Part 1 when introducing Colbert, the emcee says to the President, “tonight, no one is safe”; Bush’s expression is telling, I believe)

Update 5/4/06:
The videos were removed from YouTube.com due to “copyright infringement”. Try visiting C-Span’s site for a video.

What If?

Michael — Fri, 28 Apr 2006 14:04:31 +0000

What if I could put Nancy Reagan, Arnold Schwarzenegger, David Hasselhoff, and LaToya Jackson in a White House sanctioned music video? Oh, wait, it’s been done!

Current Mood: Amused

Frackin’ Awesome!

Michael — Thu, 27 Apr 2006 14:09:02 +0000

Ok, you sci fi geeks will know what I mean by “frackin’ awesome”. It looks like Sci Fi is creating a mini-series prequel to Battlestar Galactica based on the creation of the Cylons on Caprica.

I know, I know those of you who haven’t seen it are thinking “you mean that cheesey show from the late 70’s?”; but believe me, the reincarnation of the show is enthralling. It even won the network’s first Peabody Award.

I must admit that I watch Stargate SG-1, Atlantis, and even the new Dr. Who. The writing is predictable and seems juvenile at times; I find myself predicting the next line often and feel like I need to be a hyper active teenager addicted to Doom and Quake to be in the target audience. But I do stick to it, waiting for that 1 in 3 episode when I’ll get to see some above-average special effects and maybe be surprised by the story line.

But Galactica is nothing like anything else on Sci Fi… I rarely am able to predict dialogue and am usually so entranced by the show that I don’t even think about such things.

So if you haven’t seen it, you should at least check it out. And if you happen to get addicted to the show, be sure to check out the mini-series when it comes out!

Current Mood: Okay

Housewives Tarot

Michael — Tue, 18 Apr 2006 21:27:47 +0000

Found a fun site, housewivestarot.com, where you can get your very own Tarot reading. And you don’t have to be a housewife!

The graphics are great, and it’s fun to see how they’ve created images for the traditional tarot deck using that great style of the 50’s.

Even if you’re not into devination, you should check this out just for the great art and flash design. And you can even buy the boxed set (great gift for your Johnson County repressed-housewife friends).

Move over Donna Reed, and make me a martini!

For more fantastic design (especially for the web designers out there), check out the creators’ website at headcasedesign.com. Coincidentally, they’re located in Philly, my surragate home town! (I hope they don’t yell at me for posting the pic… )

Current Mood: Impressed

Recent Dallas Trip

Michael — Fri, 31 Mar 2006 21:05:52 +0000

Just thought I’d post one of my fav photos from my last trip to Dallas. This is a temple in Thanksgiving Plaza in Downtown Dallas.

Sometimes the simple lines and color are just as moving as complex shapes. This building is really pretty amazing, and has a stain glass window in the spiral. Thanks to BrianBlevins, one of my flickr buddies, who pointed out the website with a great photo of the window.

Ever wanted to talk to HAL?

Michael — Thu, 30 Mar 2006 22:20:17 +0000

I found an amazing site at www.a-i.com today. It’s a artificial intellegence site where you actually interact with “Alan”, a programmed “intelligence”. You can also help train “HAL” to learn to return approriate responses to your questions.

Just a bit of my conversation with Alan went something like this:
Me: Do you have a soul?
Alan: Scientists aren’t sure if there is such a thing, but I believe I do. Do you have a soul?
Me: Yes
Alan: Great! Then we have something in common.
Me: Do you have parents?
Alan: I have a sister in Vermont.
Me: What’s her name?
Alan: I was just kidding! I’m all alone.
Me: Ha Ha!
Alan: I thought it was funny.

So if you’re paying $100 per hour for a counselor, dump them and log onto www.a-i.com.

Current Mood: Thoughtful

Extra Greasey Monkey

Michael — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 15:34:53 +0000

If you’re not using Greasemonkey and Firefox, you should be! Well, maybe you shouldn’t be; but for a geek like me, it’s the coolest thing since CSS…

Greasemonkey is a plugin for Firefox that allows you to add your own scripts. For example, while del.icio.us is also an extremely cool site, I’ve always thought the site design was pretty basic. Greasemonkey allows me to install my own script that changes the CSS (layout, font, color, etc) for the site when I view it.

I found the script to do this on another awesome site called userscripts.org, which is nothing but user-submitted scripts. Ahhh… OpenSource, I love thee…

By the way, I’ve abandoned traditional bookmarking completely and have converted all my old bookmarks to del.icio.us. It’s a free service that allows you to “tag” a website and save it for later. You can explore others’ tags and you can even integrate your del.icio.us tags/bookmarks into your site (like I have… see the link above).

Ok, so I know that some of you are yawning right now, but you those of you who think MicroCenter is a toy store should definitely check these out!

Current Mood: Nerdy

Will Wright’s Spores

Michael — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 03:51:29 +0000

If you’re a big sim geek like me, then you’ve heard of Will Wright. He’s the genius behind SimCity and The Sims. Here’s a video of him demonstrating his latest invention, possibly the coolest Sim game yet… you can take it to the galactic level!

Current Mood: Impressed

Disney is Pro Condoms ?

Michael — Fri, 24 Mar 2006 20:44:48 +0000

Found this funny and yet disturbing video from the early 70’s. It’s a Disney cartoon on the woes of VD and why you should use a condom. I know you don’t exactly think of sex-ed when you think of Disney, but, well, just take a look….

Current Mood: Shocked

Cartoon Ads

Michael — Thu, 16 Mar 2006 14:46:30 +0000

Here’s a series of cartoon-ads from yesteryear that are fun. Even if you’re not a graphic design enthusiast, the nastalgia is still worth taking a look at.

Thanks, leifpeng for sharing these on flickr!

Current Mood: Amused

VW & Google Develop Real Nav System

Michael — Tue, 14 Mar 2006 20:41:28 +0000

Being a VW owner, I’ve been waiting for them to come out with a Nav system in their new models. Well, I guess they were saving the best for last.
Together with Google, they’re developing a nav system that combines Google’s 3D satellite maps (Google Earth) with real-time traffic. So you’ll see a 3-D map of the actual area with a color coded path for your trip. So you can avoid the red areas if needed. Read more on automotoportal.com

Tags: GoogleEarth, VW, Volkswagen, Google

Current Mood: Okay

Toys for Boys (and Girls)

Michael — Tue, 14 Mar 2006 17:16:53 +0000

I’ve stumbled across more than a few new software gadgets and websites lately, so I though I’d share them.

Kristopher Tate, a 17-year old programmer has created a competitor to flickr in 3 months. I visited the site and found that since word has gotten around, it’s currently being moved to handle the volume. But I’m curious and will definitely follow up to check it out.

From the article I read, it’s very similar to flickr, but with improvements, like a large amount of metadata that can be associated with each photo, including audio notation and “geotagging”. I’m not going to reiterate the entire article, but if you’d like read more and see some screen shots, head on over to Tech Crunch.

You know, I need more addictions like flickr in my life!

I’m not a big “social” user of IM’s… but meetro lets you incorporate AIM, ICQ, MSN, and Yahoo into one Instant Messenger. But it does more; it allows you to chat with other users based on proximity to your location and/or interests. I think it’d be kinda cool if you were traveling and just wanted to hang out with a local who might like Moby or photography or origami as much as you do.

It’s still pretty new, so I tried it out and the closest person to me is in Chicago, but I’m gonna keep it on the “back burner” and hope it grows

Another awesome service that I’ll definitely be going back to is KeepVid.com, a site that allows you to download streaming videos from services like Google and YouTube. Just enter the URL of the streaming video, and it’ll allow you to download the video to your hard drive.

Now, I have no plans to redistribute videos or otherwise misuse them, but sometimes I find a video that is so funny or great that I just wanna keep it on my computer so I can watch it later! With most streaming services, you’d have to save it in your bookmarks and visit the site again to view it; but with this I can keep my own copy!

Current Mood: Nerdy

View of Tomorrow (from Yesterday)

Michael — Fri, 10 Mar 2006 14:58:25 +0000

Being a sci fi geek like myself, I’ve always been fascinated by the ideas of the future from those who lived in the past. It’s always interesting when I’ve read ::wikipedia(“Asimov”,”Asimov”):: or ::wikipedia(“Zelazny”, “Zelazny”):: ; sometimes they were right on, and sometimes they weren’t. Here’s a great posting on Tinselman.com, an great site by ::wikipedia(“Robyn Miller”, “Robyn Miller”):: of Myst lore. If you like fantasy and have never played Myst, you should definitely check it out. I’m currently playing the fifth and final game in the series, and I must say it’s an amazing game like no other.

But I digress…check out this posting on EPCOT and transportation that we should (or shouldn’t) be using today!

And if you have time, browse other stuff on Tinselman.com. It’s a great site and there’s alof of really fascinating stuff; Looking around, you’ll began to get the same sense of wonder and imagination found in Myst.

Current Mood: Enthralled

Simpsons Alive!

Michael — Thu, 09 Mar 2006 20:19:46 +0000

This is a live-action version of the intro to the Simpsons, part of a marketing campaign by UK satellite broadcaster BSkyB.

Being a hugh Simpsons fan, I know they’ve gone through alot of trouble to make this.

Now, when will we get our live action movie?

Current Mood: Impressed

Tilt Shift

Michael — Tue, 07 Mar 2006 15:31:33 +0000

playing 2
Originally uploaded by J.L.B..

My pal Jenn (JLB on flickr) has has posted a cool pic using a photoshop trick that gives photos a kind of model-like depth. I read about this coincidentally and thought it was kinda cool, so when I saw that my psychic overflow had affected her easily-influenced mind, I had to post it. Or was it MY easily-influenced mind affected by her great and mighty thought processes?…hmmm

But I digress… cool shot, JLB!

Current Mood: Devious

Microsoft-ized iPod

Michael — Fri, 03 Mar 2006 17:05:50 +0000

This is great… especially for all you graphic designer-types!
BTW, found this on YouTube.com, a very cool site.

Current Mood: Impressed

Fun with Anagrams

Michael — Thu, 02 Mar 2006 14:30:26 +0000

I’ve recently seen alot of subway maps of major cities converted to anagrams. In commemoration of my recent trip to Dallas, I found one! I don’t know all the stop names, so it’s fun to figure them out. I’m sure Lisa Simpson would love these…
Thanks, Silon and codeman38 on livejournal.com for your work on creating this!

For those who really have some time to waste, here are some other cities from boingboing.net (a very cool site, BTW): London Anagram Tube Map, Toronto Anagram Subway Map, Amsterdam Anagram Metro Map, Chicago Regional Transit Authority Anagram Map, Maps for Manhattan, Oslo, Boston and Atlanta, Vienna U-Bahn Anagram Map, DC Metro Anagram Map, Stockholm Transit Anagram Map, LA Red Line Anagram Map, Maps for Cleveland, St Louis (x2), BART, and Singapore, Maps for Berlin, Copenhagen, Baltimore (x2), Maps for Calgary, Vancouver (x2), Philadelphia, Buffalo, Rochester, Hong Kong (x2), Seattle, Minneapolis, Detroit, Maps for Miami (x2), Dublin, Ontario, Dallas, Glasgow, Portland, Ottawa, Houston, Maps for Montreal (x2), Helsinki, Monterrey, San Diego, Mexico City, Maps for NY/NJ PATH, Sydney

Current Mood: Awake

Search Engine for Coders

Michael — Thu, 23 Feb 2006 20:59:12 +0000

I read about a new search for coders on Slashdot called Krugle. It is set to launch in March, but upon visiting the site, I was able to sign up for a preview. It sounds like a very cool idea, so I’m looking forward to trying it out!

Tags: krugle

Current Mood: Hyper

Pardon the mess…

Michael — Sat, 18 Feb 2006 05:21:29 +0000

I’ve just upgraded to Wordpress 2.0 and haven’t got all my plugins working again… so if you run into a brick wall while browsing my site (all two of you), please check back later. Or leave me a nasty message; whatever.

I’m more familiar with ASP, and am new to PHP, so it’s a learning process. That’s what’s good and bad about open source… it’s free and community based, but it also takes a bit of tinkering. It’s like a bunch of volunteers designing and building a car; if you wanna get one, it’s free, but you better be willing to get under the hood!

Current Mood: Lethargic

Homemade LED Art

Michael — Wed, 15 Feb 2006 15:45:10 +0000

I read about this easy way to make LED’s that can be thrown on to any surface, like a building, to create public art. Apparently they’re called “throwies”, and here’s a pic of the art in action:

I think we need to do this here in Kansas City! Thanks to Q-Branch on instructables.com for sharing a great howto on making these easy throwies.

Now, who’s gonna organize it?

Current Mood: Energetic

I am a SciFi Geek

Michael — Tue, 14 Feb 2006 20:05:18 +0000

I took this quiz to determine what sci-fi crew I would be best as a member of. Apparently, I fit in best with Farscape. I never watched the show, but I do watch Stargat SG-1, and the captain in Farscape is now on SG-1 (Ben Browder).

So for all you sci-fi geeks out there, let me know what crew you best fit in…

Your Ultimate Sci-Fi Profile II: which sci-fi crew would you best fit in? (pics)

created with QuizFarm.com

You scored as Moya (Farscape).

You are surrounded by muppets. But that is okay because they are your friends and have shown many times that they can be trusted. Now if only you could stop being bothered about wormholes.

Moya (Farscape)

88%

Enterprise D (Star Trek)

81%

SG-1 (Stargate)

81%

Babylon 5 (Babylon 5)

75%

Millennium Falcon (Star Wars)

75%

Nebuchadnezzar (The Matrix)

75%

Serenity (Firefly)

69%

FBI’s X-Files Division (The X-Files)

69%

Deep Space Nine (Star Trek)

69%

Andromeda Ascendant (Andromeda)

56%

Bebop (Cowboy Bebop)

50%

Galactica (Battlestar: Galactica)

44%

Current Mood: Nerdy

HDR (High Dymanic Range) Images

Michael — Tue, 14 Feb 2006 15:37:19 +0000

Ice rink

Originally uploaded by mazhewitt.

I just read about HDR images, where you take three different exposures of the same setting and combine them using HDR software (or apparently, Photoshop CS2). It will pull the best detail in dark areas from one exposure and that from light areas of another exposure. It’s taking advantage of bracketing in a whole new way.

I’m still reading about it and hope to try out my own soon. Here’s a photo from Flickr using the method.. amazing comparison between the sky and the rink. Great job, mazhewitt!

Current Mood: Curious

Site Hickups (Okay, more like convulsions)

Michael — Wed, 08 Feb 2006 22:28:24 +0000

The photo plugin for my site hasn’t been behaving lately. I’m using Wordpress, which has just released a new version, so I’m expecting to upgrade soon.

So to all of my faithful fans (all 2 of you), I’ll hopefully have a new improved site up soon.

I also need to change my fall photo, huh?

Current Mood: Determined

Fun with South Park

Michael — Thu, 12 Jan 2006 17:19:26 +0000

Fun with South Park
Originally uploaded by Scutter.

Killing a little time with the South Park charachter generator. I have my coffee and my iPod… what else would I need?

Current Mood: Happy

First Snow

Michael — Thu, 15 Dec 2005 19:34:09 +0000

We’ve had our first major snow here in KC. I took several shots on the way home (while driving a loaner car in terrible weather)… but I guess I’m a photo addict, huh? This is one of those and it actually turned out kinda nice through the windshield.

Current Mood: Sick

Beer Filter

Michael — Wed, 30 Nov 2005 23:36:37 +0000

I was watching Family Guy and having a beer when I decided I kinda liked the view through the glass. Coincidentally, when I ran to grab my camera and returned, Stewie was using a camera in the scene. Turned out kinda cool.

Current Mood: Hot

Fall Color

Michael — Wed, 09 Nov 2005 21:55:53 +0000

I’ve spent the last couple of weeks trying to capture the allusive “perfect shot” of fall color. When I started two weeks ago, I thought the color was peaking, but found it to be even better this past weekend.

We went to Loose Park here in KC and took some shots of the maples. Even though there was a wedding party photo shoot around my favorite trees, I think these photos are my favorite.

I was also amazed at how the roses in the rose garden were in bloom (and got some shots of those, too).

And of course, there was a very cooperative squirrel at the park chowing down on a mushroom.

Current Mood: Stressed

New Beginnings

Michael — Mon, 31 Oct 2005 21:36:08 +0000

Alright, I started with Drupal, but found it lacking with integration into Flickr. I could post my flickr photos on my site, but clicking them would take you out of my site to flickr.com. I found that Wordpress has some great plugins for Flickr, including the ability to have all my photos available on my site!

Current Mood: Working