Vote now: http://www.worth1000.com/view.asp?entry=344650&display=photoshop

Filed under: Photoshop (Adobe)
No Comments

My wife and I put up a ton of books (okay about 40) for sale up on Amazon. If you’re interested, take a look at what we’re selling. Many of our books that we’re selling are at the lowest price on Amazon.

I’ll be placing more online later this week.

Filed under: General
No Comments

I can’t believe that it’s taken this long, but I’ve finally seen the movie “The Constant Gardner.” It is perhaps one of the more important films to see this decade. If you haven’t seen the movie, you need to add it to your must-own or must-rent-this-weekend list.

While the story is fiction—about a British couple caught in the middle of a massive cover-up and conspiracy with regards to drug companies testing a particular drug on African citizens dealing with the onset of tuberculosis. The drug, while successful in treating TB in many people, it was also found to kill a number of others. Those deaths were covered up and the the British couple were caught up in the mess of it all.

The story is fiction, but there is probably more truth than some might wish to acknowledge. Why else would there be a need for the International Conference on Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Registration of Pharmaceuticals for Human Use? I’m sure there has been some unsavory tests done on the innocent—or as the big pharmaceuticals might see as expendable people. The mentality being, “they’re going to die anyway.”

How many luxuries do we consume or purchase or take advantage of, that were created or produced by and or through the exploitation of other people? It’s no secret that our electronic goods are mass manufactured by those only being paid a few hundred (or less) per month—working twelve-hour days, sleeping in crammed dormitory conditions and making barely enough to pay for food. All for the sake of our mobile phones. Our iPods. Our personal computers. And by purchasing such goods we only propagate the problem further, fulfilling our perceived needs and our deepest wishes and wants with goods produced by those who are not fairly compensated. God only knows the people that were also exploited along the way to help satisfy our hunger for more.

And I’m guilty—right along with everyone else. I’m driven by desire to have the coolest gadgets. I’ve got the 60 GB iPod Video. My wife and I have nice LG mobile phones. We’ve got a good camera and lenses. We have more electronic gadgets than I know what to do with. We own so much. Too much.

I can’t help but to feel some ounce of remorse—remorse for what I have done to fuel the god of capitalism and propagated the exploitation of people in developing nations. Do I have proof that this has happened? Maybe not direct evidence, but it certainly wouldn’t be a surprise. Exploiting the “lesser of these” for personal gain and profit is not a new phenomenon. The Old Testament records a history exploit at the hands of kings and pharaohs. But it has this way of causing me to be still, take care to think about how things reach us, and wonder with some level of scrutiny if this product could have been produced in a more ethical, responsible and humane manner with little or no impact upon our planet, upon societies and people’s right to a humane life.

I’m glad that my wife and I didn’t go Christmas shopping this year, contributing to the supposed .5% increase in sales over the holiday season. Instead, we’re going to both reduce our debt and also give some of our money to help those that have not. I just have to believe that there is more to this life than needing one more gadget or one more thing that will end up breaking in two years and filling up some landfill south of the metro area.

Of course, I’m referring to needless consumer items that have little or no possibility of adding value to the lives of others without degrading or exploiting another. Mobile phones are a perfect example of that. These days we all can’t imagine life without them—we’re joined at the hip. Literally. But I remember life without them, too. And funny thing, we actually managed to do just fine without them.

Is it progress? Perhaps to some extent. But what negative footprint has this left on the planet? On other cultures and people groups? Could we have found a better way of creating what we have?

Just thoughts. A lot of thoughts, sure—but it’s stuff that I feel American culture overlooks. We love stuff…to a fault.

Filed under: Awareness, Websites
1 Comment

I spent the evening in Downtown Saint Paul taking some night time photos with all the holiday lights. I think I came up with some decent shots if I do say so myself. Twenty or so decent shots out of about 85 altogether.

View the gallery >

Filed under: Photoblography
No Comments

Working within state government doesn’t really have much for creative opportunities—so, you have to make them. Our State CIO (essentially my boss’ boss’ boss) wants an e-Card to go out to all the legislators and elected officials, including the governor. They were planning on sending out a thrown-together Word doc, but fortunately I’m intervening and making a pleasant flash-driven holiday e-Card.

So a part of the e-Card involves a short 40 second arrangement of Silver Bells…affectionately entitled “Sliver Bells”. When I have the card done I’ll post it for you all to enjoy. In the meantime, enjoy this short clip of acoustic holiday cheer. It makes me wish I would have recorded a Christmas CD earlier this year.

Filed under: Music, Recording
No Comments

There’s not a whole lot that I want for Christmas, let alone need. In fact, I’d go so far as to say that I don’t really need anything for Christmas and am quite well off—especially juxtaposition to the rest of the world, much of which is wrought with poverty. I was going to make a list of all the things that I’d love for Christmas but just don’t have the cash to buy, but then I started thinking about the billions of people that have-not.

The other evening I watched a movie on HBO called “Tsunami: The Aftermath”. Normally I wouldn’t watch movies that capitalize off the horrid tragedies that have occurred within the past decade, but I was bored and there was nothing else on worth watching.

The film did a good job portraying the sheer horror and chaos that the tsunami brought upon the people of Thailand and the many visitors from around the globe. It also brought home the fact of how well we have it here in America. For even the poorest of the poor here have more available to them than the poor of developing nations. We have good social programs and charities to help the needy and there are plenty of opportunities to work your way out of poverty if you’re willing to work hard and make some sacrifices. Those opportunities aren’t as readily available elsewhere in the world.

Sometimes I find myself complaining about our tiny house, barely cresting 700 square feet and feeling boxed in with all of our belongings and little room to stretch out and breathe. But our house is warm, we have a relatively sanitary way of storing our food, we’ve got plumbing that works and a nice yard to give us green grass in the spring, flowers throughout the summer, and a blanket of golden leaves through the fall. [I don't think we'll be seeing much snow this year, though.]

We don’t have a house made of mud, scrap metal, sheets of plywood and whatever else we could find lying around. We don’t have a dirt floor. We are able to sleep in a relatively comfortable and clean bed (when the cats aren’t puking all over it).

All in all, we have it good. We’re certainly not well to do by American standards, but I guess that’s not really important now, is it?

I guess my real Christmas wish list this year has more to do with how I can use what I’ve got to help others and to find purpose and value for my life in the process of losing my selfish concerns and aspirations. I know I can be a really selfish person often times and it’s even harder to not live with the mindset that everything must revolve around me. I wish that I could be less selfish and find joy, life and peace in the pursuit of helping others and putting the interests and needs of others before my own. A near impossible task on my own, but maybe the Spirit of the Christ child may be able to help make it a bit more attainable.

It’s a lofty goal I know. But I would like to become less self-absorbed and more concerned about how others are doing and making it my ambition to do my part to help others feel more loved and fulfilled.

But if there are any well-to-do people looking to charitably donate difficult-to-afford gifts, I do have a few items on my list (wink wink). For it just wouldn’t be as fun if I didn’t list out a few of the things I’d love to have (but just can’t afford)…

The “i want these but don’t NEED these” wish list

• PreSonus FIREPOD 10-Channel FireWire Interface with Cubase LE
• Gibson Les Paul Standard 60s Neck Electric Guitar (any finish/color will do…they’re all cool)
• Fender® 57 Twin Tweed Combo Amp
• Sigma Telephoto 150mm lens
• Canon Super Wide Angle EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 lens
• Canon Telephoto EF 400mm f/2.8L IS Image Stabilizer lens
• Canon Telephoto EF 600mm f/4.0L IS Image Stabilizer lens
• Canon 2 x 580EX Speedlite E-TTL II Shoe Mount Flashes
• and of course studio lighting/softboxes from B&H

Yeah, it’s pretty much all photography and music gear—but that’s pretty much what my interests and desires amount to—music and photography. I’ve had the photo bug lately, wanting to spend more time working on that craft and getting better at it. Some day I think it’d be great to go on some charity-related trips or expeditions with the band—like to the refuge camps outside of Darfur—and take pictures along the way, that I’d be able to help visually spread the awareness of what’s going on in the world.

Big dream, I know. Maybe it’ll happen some day, maybe not. I know though, it’d be difficult (if not near impossible) to get there on my own. Still, I like to dream. Though, I’d much prefer it be reality.

Anyway, I know that pretty much all of my wish list is too expensive for pretty much everyone I know—including myself—but you never know. There might be that one lottery winner or well-endowed person out there looking to help bless someone with the gear to help them pursue their interests and endeavors. Unlikely, sure. Still, I’d like to think that there might be someone out there that would have the means and the will to do such a kind gesture.

I know, I know. Dream on, Michael. Dream on.

Filed under: General
No Comments

Over the past few days, I noticed that every time I picked up my 60 GB video iPod, the battery was completely drained. Odd, considering the iPod is supposed to shut itself down. So after a little googling around, I found an entry that said it’s a firmware issue, where it won’t shut down automatically AND you can’t shut it off by holding down the play button either.

To temporarily remedy the problem, your iPod needs to be rebooted by holding down the center button and the MENU button at the same time. This will force your iPod to reboot and will reset things, enabling you to turn your iPod off.

Weird problem. I guess this is going to force me to keep a watchful eye on my iPod so that I’ve always got good battery life.

Filed under: General
No Comments

That’s what the temperature gauge read when I logged in at work: 3°F.  The DJ on 89.3 The Current said that it was 0°.  I think that would warrant a O.o 

I swear my fingers are going to fall off.

Okay, I’ve a few new favorite bands that I have to add to my wish list and a new release from an old standard that’s finally grown on me.  The first of these being Kasabian, this really sweet band out of UK that has this huge sound.  It’s hard to describe, so take a listen to some of their audio. It’s like this epic-sounding, crazy 60’s-influenced euro-rock.  I love it. 

I’ve also come to like the band Cold War Kids, a band from Los Angeles.  They’ve got a single that The Current’s been playing called “Hang Me Up To Dry” that’s pretty cool.  Supposedly they’re going to be on Letterman in about two weeks, but I couldn’t find any information about that.

And of course, an artist that is like a cup of strong coffee—you’re either gonna love it or hate it—Tom Waits.  He’s got a new three-disc set out now called Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers and Bastards.  Personally I can’t imagine listening to three, full discs of Tom Waits material back-to-back, but he’s grown on me a bit as of late.  His raspy voice somehow fits appropriately with his skillful word-smithing and thought-provoking lyricism.  The samples that I’ve heard of his new CD sound pretty cool.  Chalk that up to my wish list as well. 

Well, I’m gonna go back and listen to the audio samples from Kasabian and get back to work.  Those guys are pretty sweet.

Filed under: Artists, General, Music
No Comments