Tuesday, February 27, 2007
TerraPass & The Oscars
So, I know I've mentioned TerraPass before and even made a post last year that was all but an ad for them, but I am on their mailing list and skim it when it hits my inbox. One neat thing I caught in it this week was that they gave out TerraPasses to all the presenters & performers. at the Oscars. This past year lots of hoopla and IRS involvement lead Oscar to dump their formerly crazy gift bags... and in its place came a cool little green gift from the academy. Read more here. Thought you would find this interesting. I sure did.
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Bad Ideas
favorite from first tossing session
Originally uploaded by Chambo25.
So... I've joined this photo emailing list that's pretty fun. They send out something about once a week, and the content of the email varies greatly. Sometimes they've come across a nifty new photo doohickey that everybody should know about because it's so cool. A lot fo the time they email about DIY projects like how to adhere photos to wooden blocks to make fun personalized toys for kids... or how to apply the techniques used in the movie "A Scanner Darkly" to your own photos.
Recently they covered something called, "Camera Tossing" where you take your camera, set it up to take a long exposure, then toss it in the air to see what comes out. I delved a little into this, and found that basically everybody who writes about it starts their post by saying, "hey, listen, I think this is fun, but I take no responsibility for any injuries or damage you do to your camera if you should choose to imitate what I'm doing here." That's always a good sign, right?
Anyway, as it is a quiet Sunday, I thought I would give my camera a few trial tosses in the safe confines of my bedroom... over the bed... where even if it falls from my grip, it will likely be a-okay.
Above is by far my favorite image to come out of this experiment. Consider this the manifestation of my recent promise to start posting more photos... this is only the beginning... but I'm not sure how much of it will involve camera tossing. The whole thing is kinda fun, but also somewhat nervous-making.
Friday, February 16, 2007
Getting Reacquainted
I think I've discovered my favorite part of having a functional mp3 player.
All the music I own that I had buried. Earlier in the week it was the Four Tops and Van Morrison.
Yesterday night before bed I uploaded some Badly Drawn Boy, Beck's "Loser," along with "Soul Sucking Jerk" and a couple others from his album Mellow Gold, and a bunch of songs from Abbey Road and Sgt. Peppers.
Sure, I've given away the fact that I have missed huge chunks of the B section of my collection... and today I've moved on to Bjork. As I write, I'm listening to and uploading the album Homogenic... a CD I listened to dozens upon dozens of times about 5 years ago... and one that has not left my book in maybe a year.
It's nice to pull out some old friends and feel like the handly little shuffle option will keep them cycling through my life. Meanwhile, all this adventurous archeology has also inspired a similar journey of discovery into sounds not gaterhing dust on my shelf. Going through old CDs has reminded me to check out some acts I always meant to. This month has been a great foray into Guided by Voices, the New Pornographers, The Mountain Goats and Ted Leo and the Pharmacists.
I'm really having a good time. I'm sure that this whole theme will re-emerge periodically over the next few weeks and months, and as I continue to use my ipod as the primary sound system for my car I'd like to keep occasionally posting playlist snippets from WJLC.
I guess there's nothing super novel to the joys of exploring the new and the old and the newly new, etc. but the lack of novelty doesn't make it any less fun. I'm sure it is a project that will also take a good amount of time.
Meanwhile I still need to get my photo project up and running again soon too.
All is well here in frosty Connecticut. Happy Friday... Happy Weekend...
+Happy Blogger John
All the music I own that I had buried. Earlier in the week it was the Four Tops and Van Morrison.
Yesterday night before bed I uploaded some Badly Drawn Boy, Beck's "Loser," along with "Soul Sucking Jerk" and a couple others from his album Mellow Gold, and a bunch of songs from Abbey Road and Sgt. Peppers.
Sure, I've given away the fact that I have missed huge chunks of the B section of my collection... and today I've moved on to Bjork. As I write, I'm listening to and uploading the album Homogenic... a CD I listened to dozens upon dozens of times about 5 years ago... and one that has not left my book in maybe a year.
It's nice to pull out some old friends and feel like the handly little shuffle option will keep them cycling through my life. Meanwhile, all this adventurous archeology has also inspired a similar journey of discovery into sounds not gaterhing dust on my shelf. Going through old CDs has reminded me to check out some acts I always meant to. This month has been a great foray into Guided by Voices, the New Pornographers, The Mountain Goats and Ted Leo and the Pharmacists.
I'm really having a good time. I'm sure that this whole theme will re-emerge periodically over the next few weeks and months, and as I continue to use my ipod as the primary sound system for my car I'd like to keep occasionally posting playlist snippets from WJLC.
I guess there's nothing super novel to the joys of exploring the new and the old and the newly new, etc. but the lack of novelty doesn't make it any less fun. I'm sure it is a project that will also take a good amount of time.
Meanwhile I still need to get my photo project up and running again soon too.
All is well here in frosty Connecticut. Happy Friday... Happy Weekend...
+Happy Blogger John
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
New Job Old Job New Job
Today is the first of two "close out" days at my old job, and yesterday was my first official day at the new one!
The new job is turning out to be very exciting and positive so far. I think it will certainly be a job that requires a good amount of work and a large amount of diligence on my part, but I'm excited for the challenge. I'm also excited to be working in an environment where, at least for now, I feel that my colleagues are like-minded people. Anyway... there will be more on that soon, I'm sure!
Until then, I'm back at the old one... closing out... sharing info on how people can cover my responsibilities in my absence... generally trying to help with ye olde transition period. There's lots to clean up! Whew!
So... that's my deal today.
The new job is turning out to be very exciting and positive so far. I think it will certainly be a job that requires a good amount of work and a large amount of diligence on my part, but I'm excited for the challenge. I'm also excited to be working in an environment where, at least for now, I feel that my colleagues are like-minded people. Anyway... there will be more on that soon, I'm sure!
Until then, I'm back at the old one... closing out... sharing info on how people can cover my responsibilities in my absence... generally trying to help with ye olde transition period. There's lots to clean up! Whew!
So... that's my deal today.
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Happy Birthday Dad
Barry Top of Head
Originally uploaded by Chambo25.
Today would have been my dad's 62nd birthday!
I knew I had some old pictures posted on Flickr, but wasn't sure quite what. I'm glad I found this one because it makes me smile.
Insanity!
Dear Friend,
If you read my blog with any regularity you will see recently that I've been a bit derelict. Read down a bit and you'll encounter reason number one, that I'm in the midst of transitioning out of a (difficult) job and into a new one. This week I'm helping to pull together the organization I'm leaving's biggest fundraiser of the year, and it looks like a lot of the work will just fall on me. I'm excited to see how it turns out, but in the spirit of honesty and full disclosure, I'm pretty much just tired!
Saturday night is the big event, and I'm looking forward to it all being over soon. Between now and then, however, think good things about me because it will be stress city. Once that is all over, I'll be wrapping up here and starting up the new thing that comes with a much more substantial commute... and hopefully much more substantial and fun and interesting responsibilities at work!
I hope that this funny little note finds you well, and I'm looking forward to getting back into posting more very soon (especially posting new photos).
In an unrelated note, today was my dad's birthday. Happy birthday dad.
+ John
If you read my blog with any regularity you will see recently that I've been a bit derelict. Read down a bit and you'll encounter reason number one, that I'm in the midst of transitioning out of a (difficult) job and into a new one. This week I'm helping to pull together the organization I'm leaving's biggest fundraiser of the year, and it looks like a lot of the work will just fall on me. I'm excited to see how it turns out, but in the spirit of honesty and full disclosure, I'm pretty much just tired!
Saturday night is the big event, and I'm looking forward to it all being over soon. Between now and then, however, think good things about me because it will be stress city. Once that is all over, I'll be wrapping up here and starting up the new thing that comes with a much more substantial commute... and hopefully much more substantial and fun and interesting responsibilities at work!
I hope that this funny little note finds you well, and I'm looking forward to getting back into posting more very soon (especially posting new photos).
In an unrelated note, today was my dad's birthday. Happy birthday dad.
+ John
Friday, February 02, 2007
Will Ferrell is George Dubya Bush in Whitehouse West
If you've never seen this video (and have the bandwidth to do so) you should.
It makes me laugh and cry a little, and sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night saying, "God they're so fast, they look like they could strike at any moment. You're sure it's not a bear or a puma? Somebody call Dick Cheney!"
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Big Day
So... yesterday I accepted a new job offer, and quit my old job!
It is done!
More details to follow, but I am very excited about the offer & my new employer. You can read more about them here: www.CriterionConsulting.net
Happy Thursday!
It is done!
More details to follow, but I am very excited about the offer & my new employer. You can read more about them here: www.CriterionConsulting.net
Happy Thursday!
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Webb Slinging the Goodness
Wow... so did Jim Webb deliver or what? I was really impressed, not only by his speech last night... and I was impressed quite a bit with that, but also with how much he said in 8 minutes when compared to the President's 50 minutes of blah blah blah.
Great stuff, if you ask me, and exactly the sort of inspired and inspiring fare that people need to see more of, and incredibly heady stuff. If you missed it, you can watch it above!!
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
I've got 99 posts...
I was going to call this post WJLC in honor of the fact that I've been enjoying using my ipod as my own little radio station of late.
In the WJLC post I was going to share some happy songs from this morning's drive-time play list including:
Death in the Park (by Archers of Loaf)
Collide the Tide (by Chin Up Chin Up)
My Name is Jonas (by Weezer)
Fisherman's Blues (by The Waterboys)
and as a bonus... a song that I found last night on a CMJ New Music Monthly sampler and is great, even if I didn't listen to it on this morning's drive:
Escape from New York (by Chris Mills)
After finding this happy song on a CMJ sampler last night I searched around for some other good Chris Mills songs, as I had never really known much about the guy, and I also downloaded and am enjoying, "You are my favorite song." One of the reviews I read compared the guy to Ben Folds, and while I can see it, maybe, the comparison is only so-so. They've both got the melodic singer-songwriter shtick down, but the horns, etc. and the vocal quality of Mills is a little something different. Perhaps something like the Decemberists or... maybe The Pernice Brothers. I recommend checking him out.
Meanwhile, here it is... my 99th post. Tomorrow my blog turns 100... posts old!?!? wow, that's a relatively lame thing to even comment on. I guess if you're here regularly you're accustomed to my lame commentary.
Speaking of lame, I post this on the very day of President Bush's lame-o state of the Onion speech. What can I say on this momentous occasion?? Well, for starters, what does anybody expect out of this evening?
I, for one, am happy to see some of the enviro-stuff that's swirling around the emergence of newfound Democratic power in Washington. I don't care if Bush is going to try and co-opt some of the credit by talking it up tonight, it's about time for any and all of this (+ more)!
Otherwise, I can't say I'm really expecting anything, except hopefully a rockin' response from Jim Webb. He seems to be a pretty interesting character, and a pretty great choice for the response speech, so if anything I'm hoping that he delivers something worth listening to. Ideally, he'll deliver a speech worth pinning some hope for the next two years on.
All-in-all, I'm pretty excited to get home and do a little reading this evening, have some mashed sweet potatoes (I cooked/mashed them up last night!!!) & other tasty treats, and call it a day. I'm looking forward to the drive home with WJLC, hopefully I'll have more good play-list entries to share tomorrow. Until then, buenas nachos everyone.
In the WJLC post I was going to share some happy songs from this morning's drive-time play list including:
Death in the Park (by Archers of Loaf)
Collide the Tide (by Chin Up Chin Up)
My Name is Jonas (by Weezer)
Fisherman's Blues (by The Waterboys)
and as a bonus... a song that I found last night on a CMJ New Music Monthly sampler and is great, even if I didn't listen to it on this morning's drive:
Escape from New York (by Chris Mills)
After finding this happy song on a CMJ sampler last night I searched around for some other good Chris Mills songs, as I had never really known much about the guy, and I also downloaded and am enjoying, "You are my favorite song." One of the reviews I read compared the guy to Ben Folds, and while I can see it, maybe, the comparison is only so-so. They've both got the melodic singer-songwriter shtick down, but the horns, etc. and the vocal quality of Mills is a little something different. Perhaps something like the Decemberists or... maybe The Pernice Brothers. I recommend checking him out.
Meanwhile, here it is... my 99th post. Tomorrow my blog turns 100... posts old!?!? wow, that's a relatively lame thing to even comment on. I guess if you're here regularly you're accustomed to my lame commentary.
Speaking of lame, I post this on the very day of President Bush's lame-o state of the Onion speech. What can I say on this momentous occasion?? Well, for starters, what does anybody expect out of this evening?
I, for one, am happy to see some of the enviro-stuff that's swirling around the emergence of newfound Democratic power in Washington. I don't care if Bush is going to try and co-opt some of the credit by talking it up tonight, it's about time for any and all of this (+ more)!
Otherwise, I can't say I'm really expecting anything, except hopefully a rockin' response from Jim Webb. He seems to be a pretty interesting character, and a pretty great choice for the response speech, so if anything I'm hoping that he delivers something worth listening to. Ideally, he'll deliver a speech worth pinning some hope for the next two years on.
All-in-all, I'm pretty excited to get home and do a little reading this evening, have some mashed sweet potatoes (I cooked/mashed them up last night!!!) & other tasty treats, and call it a day. I'm looking forward to the drive home with WJLC, hopefully I'll have more good play-list entries to share tomorrow. Until then, buenas nachos everyone.
Chessies Big Day Out (2 more photos pt.2)
Chessies Big Day Out 4
Originally uploaded by Chambo25.
Part 2 of 2
I love rear-view mirror pictures!!!
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