Okay, I finally got photos from Boston processed and have uploaded a few to my flickr account. It gives a sense of the range of things that captured my interest while I was there.
| October 29, 2008 11:25pm | 
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Getting my computer back in working order means I'm actually getting caught up on some projects. I finished processing photos from a shoot I did October 12, 2008 at this great abandoned train station in Oakland:
| October 25, 2008 07:43am |
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My computer is finally back to normal so I no longer have an excuse for not updating my resume, following up with some contacts to look for a new job, processing doggy photos/videos or working on the logo design gig I just landed. Now I'm just missing one thing. Anyone have any spare motivation around they aren't using?
| October 22, 2008 12:27pm | 
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I spent 4 hours today shooting photos and video of a poodle. It's true. My furriest photo shoot yet (and that's saying something). The dog in question is use in to help sick children and has her own tv show on the hospital closed circuit television. She needed some new photos and some video to be turned into an opening sequence for the show. Looks like we'll need one more day of shooting before we have it all wrapped up, but I think we got some great stuff today. Stuff like her riding in a police car, shaking hands/paws with a firefighter on the firetruck, riding a merry-go-round, running near the Bay Bridge and riding a cable car. We were exhausted after all our shooting, but I think it was worth it.
| October 16, 2008 03:23pm |
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Ok, so it'll come as no surprise to anyone that I'm a big 'ol wuss. I can't handle horror movies or movies that depict a lot of personal violation. Heck, I need therapy every time I see someone get a hang nail. And dark comedies are for me an exercise in high blood pressure and mental trauma. Seeing Hollywood portray horrific violence or appalling human behavior not only makes me squeamish, but upsets me to the point of pacing around the house in a grumpy rage. I try the whole self-talk routine of "it's not real, they are just actors, that person isn't really having an affair while maliciously deceiving her husband, spying on her neighbor, taking a hit out on her best friend and locking her child in the basement." Sadly that little reality check seems to do nothing to dissuade my fury or avoid triggering my superhero complex which wants to right what is so obviously wrong. So, as I said: big 'ol wuss.
What I'd love some help understanding is why some people actually really enjoy watching that kind of stuff. I'm not trying to be judgmental, I just genuinely don't get it. What's fun about seeing a man's child get tortured while he is forced to watch? What's entertaining about seeing a women get raped only for the perpetrator to get away with it? What's the draw to watch a person treat friends and family like disposable pawns in their own selfish endeavors?
Now, if the story is about a person finding triumph through adversity I'm all for it. Or perhaps instead the 'victim' finds some purpose/hope in life in spite of the crap they have to deal with. I don't want to pretend that life is all perfect and happy. In fact, I can be more painfully realistic than most people I know. But when a story is all about enjoying the hateful ways we human beings can act... I just don't get it.
It honestly scares me that people enjoy watching those kinds of things. What does that say about them that they find delight in the soap opera adventures of deceit, murder and violation? What am I missing here? Can someone help me out of my big 'ol wuss mentality and into the wonderful world of death, mayhem and moral degradation?
| October 15, 2008 09:25am | 
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After a major hard drive scare when the Geek Squad told me all my file were lost forever, I went to some real techies and had every single file back within a couple of hours. I can't say my computer is back to normal yet though. I have to rebuild the whole system including reinstalling programs. Because my original computer was having problems I bought a used computer from work that I'll build from scratch. Of course that means I have to actually find the motivation to wipe the hard drive, install windows and install every last bit of software I use and restore all my files. So far, avoidance has prevailed. At some point I'll finally get off this crappy work laptop and have my computer working again. Meanwhile, I'm using it as an excuse to not get anything done. Kinda brilliant I thought.
| October 11, 2008 10:00pm |
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My computer is all broken and shit. To the point that I'm concerned I may lose all the photos I've taken in the last couple of weeks. It's currently in the hands of some french dude who says he thinks he can recover the files. I backed up my files a couple of weeks ago, but I've taken lots of photos since then. Fortunately my Boston photos are still on the laptop and the paid shoot I did last Friday was still on the camera card. Here's hoping some french magic can return the rest of my photos to me very soon.
Meanwhile, I'm packing for a trip to the glorious Kernville, CA. Why, you may ask, am I heading to the redneck hills of southern California? It's not to remind me what small town living is all about. It's not to return to my roots as a fisherman. It's not to be mocked for the use of hair products or the purchase of soy chai lattes. I'm going down to see Mike's hometown and to help throw a big 70th birthday bash for his darling mother. Should be a fun weekend.
| October 2, 2008 07:02am |
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