I know, I know

I know, I need to update this more frequently. My only excuse is the continuing amount of busyness that I have been neck-deep in for, what seems like, forever. But hey, I am not complaining. I will take being busy over bored (like my old job) any day of the week.

So, happy President's day. Does anyone remember when we used to get George Washington's Birthday and President's Day off? Then the government had to go and combine the two. Doesn't matter to me though, I'll probably never have a job that I can observe any of those second class holidays. Man, when I'm my own boss- which will be one day, mark my words- I'm going to acknowledge all holidays. I'll crack a beer at 11:30 a.m. in cheers to Punxsutawney Phil!

So, I was thinking over the weekend. Do you think America is ready for a woman president? I think yes and no. Here's my thought. The kind of female president I would like to see in office would not be the kind that would probably make it. The kind that I think would make it, makes me cringe with fear (Hilary). But, many think because women are more compassionate, etc. they will not make good leaders. I disagree with that.

A woman's feelings are drastically different than that of a man's, but I think those differences would serve our country well. BUT, I say this. In my opinion, their are few woman who would run for president with the qualities that I like, compared to that in men. Why? I think the kind of women that is interested in presidency is generally not the kind of woman who is compassionate, just, calm, motivating and considerate. But hey, that is just my opinion.

Friday Foto

OK, this will probably be the last photo I showcase on the blog from my Sapelo trip. This is a photo of a statue in the fountain located on the front lawn of the old Reynolds Mansion on the south end of Sapelo Island. I liked this view much better then the straight-on shot. What do you all think?

Anybody got something they want to see a picture of on the blog? Any photo ideas? If so, send them my way.

Who has plans this weekend? I don't have much. Kelly is finally feeling better, although she is still congested. I wish I had President's Day off. What a stupid holiday, but man I wish we observed it.

So, what are the plans for tonight? I want to do something fun. Let's get some food. Saturday I am taking Kelly to Chelsea's for a belated Valentine's Dinner.

Finally

I have been waiting for this! If you don't know, I am OCD about dental hygiene! I'll write more later. Have a good day!

Which one?

I took this while on Sapelo Island. I have been working with this photo for awhile Which one do y'all like? The B/W, the color, or the spot color?

Brrrrrr.........

Yeah, it's cold. You know that storm that passed through the north east brought the most snow at one time since recorded history (started in 1886). That's pretty cold. My Uncle who lives up there got something like 17 inches in his back yard. Youch! So, how was everybody's weekend? Mine was nice, productive for sure. I did some work on Saturday, and a little on Sunday, and not much of anything else. I helped a friend install a new radio in his Jeep, and it made a big difference.

So, Kelly is sick today. She started feeling bad on Saturday night, and Sunday wasn't much better. She is staying home from work today. That's gotta be tough. I used to love calling in sick from work/class. But now, if I do that I get so behind. I can't imagine how hard it is for a teacher to call in sick.

Anybody watching American Idol? Will anybody admit it? If so, post your favorite singer so far. Mine is definitely Paris (the young black girl), and that guy with the gray hair. So, I've come to a conclusion, and whether she will admit it or not, Kelly feels the same way... Bonefish isn't what it was (i.e. not that great). OK, in our defense, it used to be good, and some things are still good. They specialize in fish, but I never get that (I am a snob when it comes to seafood, I'll only get it at a non-chain restaurant). I always get the steak, but the last two times it has been over cooked and tasteless. I like the salads, the breads, the appetizers... but that alone isn't worth it. So there... we are eating our words.

Speaking of eating though, I am going to Chelsea's tomorrow night for V-Day, quite possibly my favorite restaurant on the island (well, second to the Pizza Inn buffet). Consistently good.

Friday Foto, etc.

Good Friday morning to all! Man, I am so glad it is Friday. I know I only posted twice this week, but didn't we sure have some comments? I think that might have been a record. I appreciate everybody's participation. That is what this is all about. We have a forum here to hear one another's opinions It's a good way to learn other's views. I know my ideals, morals and ethics differ from other people. What better way to understand why I believe in something, and to strengthen it than hearing the opinions of others? I think all growth needs to go through this.

So the picture above was taken on Sapelo Island. They have a lighthouse on the island, but it used to be in a different spot. This photo is of the broken-down dock that was used for the lighthouse keeper to access the lighthouse. It was taken at about 4:45, hence the high contrast. What do you think?

So, any girls looking for a new man? I got one for you. He's buff, and I definitely like him as Mr. 2000 in the bottom right hand corner. Ken must have been influenced by the boy bands of the late 90's. Yikes.

Anybody have any big plans for this weekend? Not me... just some more work tossed with a little relaxation. Not that I care, but has anybody noticed the lack of activity over at islanddrama.com? Maybe the guy got kicked, or maybe he found Jesus. No skin off my back, it's a tasteless site anyway.

So, who has heard of and/or like Death Cab for Cutie (it's a band)? I really like them. Check it out, download/buy "Soul Meets Body", that's their latest hit. Really tasty stuff. Check ya later!

Homosexuality and a Lighthouse

No, I have nothing against Homosexuals. Do I think it is right? No. Do I think it is a sin? Absolutely, but don't we all sin? Do I agree with their lifestyle? No. But, do I have anything against them as people... Well, I haven't met that many, but the ones I have I like. So, what's my point? I had this interesting conversation this afternoon with a friend (whom I haven't seen since High School) at the Gym all about this. My wife calls me a media connoisseur (in a mocking tone), because I am actively interested in the media's effect on our daily lives. Here's my thesis:

The media in it's current state - because it is ever changing - is fixated on portraying the homosexual individual, lifestyle and cultural as being hip and cool. Consider it a fad. It's cool to be a lesbian today. It's associated with such liberal (not the political connotation) terms as "free-spirited", "different" and "chic". Come on! Don't believe me? Would a movie like Broke Back Mountain have every been made in the 90's? No, people associated homosexuality with AIDS back then. I guess people forgot about that when Madonna and Brittany kissed. You have 14-year-old freshman talking about how they are gay. It's like they want to be seen as different, they feel insecure, and they see on MTV how cool it is to be gay. They don't know if they are or not. Have they had sex with someone of the opposite sex yet? No. Have they kissed someone of the opposite sex yet? No. Well damn, that must make them gay. I remember when being different was wearing Birkenstocks when no one else did. I guess homosexuality is the next Arizona.

I think it just really bugs me because the parents aren't doing anything about it. Yes, one can make the argument that they may not know... Rightfully said. However, they do have the power to instill the morals and ethics into the child that lead in making the right decision. Birkenstocks may have been a comfortable and wide-spread fad, but homosexuality is much more than just a pair of shoes. We're talking serious issues here... these kids can't just wake up and decided that they are gay.... "Jenny broke up with me, I'll show her, I'm going to date Brian." Oh, or my favorite: "I'm sick of boys, my last (and consequentially first) boyfriend broke my heart, from now on I'm going to wear flannel and date only women."

Conclusion and Clarification: I am not judging. We all have sin, so who am I to say any one's persons sin is greater than mine own? I'm not. I have a friend that's gay, and he's a great guy... really down to earth. What's the point I am trying to make? Simply this. I am not bashing homosexuality, I am bashing the media for making it seem hip. Homosexuality is a big deal, in whatever way you look at it, and the media is stamping it's "uber-holy" (written sarcastically) approval to all things gay. If you are gay, fine... but don't do so just because you saw Broke Back Mountain over the weekend and have nothing better to do. It just scares me. What's next? Will we live to see the day when it's cool to have babies in High School? All it takes is for one celebrity to get pregnant young. Some whole special will air on how, despite she had a baby at 17, she managed to keep her figure, grades and six-digit acting salary all together. She'll name it something trendy like Addison, and all the girls will think it's cool to be the young-mommy that's hip on maternity-wear. Coming to theatres near you, "Young with Young: The epic tale of one girl's journey through motherhood and her ability to overcome."

So anyways, we had a good time on Sapelo. It was nice and cold, just the way I liked it. We had great weather, great for shooting. I haven't had a chance to process much of the images, but here is one to wet your whistle. I'll post the link to some more when I get them up. Enjoy!

Friday Foto

Yes, I am still alive. I know it has been awhile since I last posted. Things have been real busy. But thankfully, today is the end of the week, and with that, possibly the end of me being uber busy at least for sometime. This photo I took the other day while I was getting some shots of the golf course for a client. I really like it. It's different. Last night I went to an art opening at Monkey Love coffee shop in Redfern Village. If you like weird abstract art all with a hint of nudity (come on who doesn't?), definitely go check it out. During the summer months they have a photography exhibit in which I have secured a space. I'm really pumped, probably my first time to display my art.

So, if you know anybody that is looking for a wedding photographer, give them my name. I seem to have been getting a lot of calls lately and am going to take that up part-time. I already got two or so on the books. Networking...

SuperBowl Sunday! Yeah. I'm a media-snob. I really enjoy advertising and critiquing it. I enjoy the commercials. If you think about it, it is the mecca for commercials. So you know the minds behind the commercials put their best work into it. Something to think about.

I'm going to Sapelo this weekend; hope the weather is nice. I'll have some pics to share on Monday. Have a great weekend y'all.

Not Insomnia

Usually, when you see a post this late you're probably beginning to roll your head and suffer through another insert about how I can't sleep. Nope, not this time. Y'all, I'm tired... tired as hell. Yeah, I'm about to go to bed, but not before I give some mad publicity to my buddy Dan (you defo have seen him comment from time to time... Dan, the avid commenter) who has, in awe and pure idolatry of yours truly, created his own blog. Go visit it, he's a good guy, and it's guaranteed to be a good read. He's studying law in a Master's class at Syracuse in New York, so he's not just an idiot with a keyboard (like me).

BTW, I'm not so stressed out anymore. Still a little, not so bad though. Yay for the purple bag.

So, the Spanish dude was right. The North Pole was "somewhere". Very good. The point of that was to show you how we often think of the world as flat, rather than square... I mean round. Check you later.

Back Again

My weekend certainly wasn't long enough. Friday was nice, went to dinner and got some drinks after that. Saturday I got up nice and early and finished grouting the rest of my kitchen. Finally, the kitchen floor is done. It looks great.

I got a lot going on this week. I don't know why, but when my plate starts getting real full like it is right now, I start getting stressed out. I used to think I didn't get stressed out. I never noticed it at least. I got married, and then she told me I did get stressed out. It's funny how other people notice things about you that you don't. I get distant, recluse-like, until I am all better. The problem is, when I get like that I don't really have the drive to get out of the bog I wind-up getting myself into. Oh well.

So, I am looking forward to this weekend. Hopefully I can destress enough to really enjoy it. I am leaving early Saturday morning with Joe (guy from work) and we are going to Sapelo Island to spend the night and photograph the whole weekend. We have this plan to take little trips like this all over the South East in order to build our portfolios up. We plan on shooting the entire weekend, and getting back on Sunday afternoon. I'm pumped. Be sure to check back on Monday after that to see some great photos.

Well, that's really it. Y'all have a great Monday and week. Here's a quiz to kick off your brain:

You are somewhere. You travel south one mile. You travel west one mile. You travel north one mile. You are in the same place you started. Where are you?

Friday Foto

Who can tell me where this photo was taken (not you Kelly)? I'll give you a hint. "Medieval named ruined structure." Anybody?

I took this photo with slide film. I use this often, when I want a little change in my photography. The difference? Well, I'll tell you. Slide film is positive, versus regular film which is negative. In a nutshell, when you send your film off for processing, with regular film you get back negatives in a strip, when you get back slide film it's in an individual positive state. What's the purpose of doing this? The quality, that's what. If you looked at in terms of megapixels, slide film, when digitally scanned correctly, comes in at about 30 MP, as opposed to most high-end digital cameras at about 12 MP. Now saying that, can you notice the difference? Depends. When a photo is blown up really big (20x30 inches or more), you will notice a difference. Anything smaller or on screen, absolutely not. I'm going to Sapelo at the beginning of February to shoot all weekend and I am taking some slide film to shoot as well. I plan on conducting an experiment on the differences, and I'll lay it out for you here if interested. Have a great Friday y'all.

Text Girl

You must have a lot of time on your hands (or maybe you're just mute) to be able to beat this record. And talk about that sentence, you know that is the actual sentence they use in all contests to determine who is the fastest text-massenger. That's crazy.

Also, I love nothing more then to see someone get told-up on the blog. Thanks to all y'all who helped me prove TV Shows can lead to good movies. Oh, and how about The Saint? That was an awesome movie (Val Kilmer) adapted from an old TV Show.

Shall we even begin to discuss Brokeback Mountain? What are y'all's thoughts on that show? Mine? I think it was made simply to try and win awards. This one is much more promising.

TV and Movie

I was having a discussion last night about TV show movies. Kelly said no TV show has ever been made into a decent movie. Define Movie: A full length Hollywood movie, not a made-for-TV movie. Define Decent: Whatever Kelly likes. I couldn't think of any to back-up my argument. I suggested Blues Brothers (or any SNL-character-based movies). She said no, that was a skit not a TV show. PeeWee's Big Adventure is about the only backing I could get, man do I feel "special" (word of the day, everybody scream real loud!). So, I now enlist the power of the web and you my readers to prove her wrong. Between us all we can surely find a decent movie out there that has drawn it's inspiration from the good ole' boob tube. Speaking of boob, I also suggested "Dukes of Hazard", to which she reminded me that we are looking for a 'good' one. My last vote? Starsky and Hutch. That was a great movie! So, help and post your thoughts below!

Friday Foto

Today's picture is also from the Okefenokee Swamp. This is a 2,100 foot boardwalk that takes you deep into the swamp and dead ends. It was really cool because we saw no one the whole time we walked it. You really felt like you were in the middle of nowhere.

For those that attempted the trivia question, only one got it right. It was Bono from U2 who was traveling with Jimmy Buffett when his plan was shot down. Bloody Sunday and Grapefruit Juicey Fruit, I guess they go together.

Have a great weekend.

Oh weekend, please arrive

I am ready for the weekend. At the end of each day my eyes are killing me. I come home with a headache. This week has been tough. I'm pumped about the weekend though. I might be going to Little Cumberland this weekend with a friend. I really want to shoot it and this will give me the chance. I hope the weather and tides work out.

I have some relatives arriving tomorrow and we get to eat lobsters. I'm excited. Lobster's are good, don't get me wrong, but the work/food portion ratio is really low. Now, if they could stuff a Filet Mignon, salad, potatoes AND the lobster meat all inside the tail, we'd be in business. Unfortunately, it's not that way. I just had a Turkey Burger for lunch... it was good.

How pretty of a day is it really? Man, bright blue skies and cold. Couldn't be nicer. Hey, I got a trivia question for you... Do you know that song by Jimmy Buffett, "Jamaica Mistaka"? It's about the time that Jimmy Buffett was flying down to Jamaica when his plan was shot down being mistaken for a drug smuggler, when all he was doing was going to have some jerked chicken (man that stuff is good). Well, here's the question: Who was traveling with him? Yes, you will know who it is. Post your non-googled answer below. No, it was not a bulldog born in Alapaha. Hint: Another singer.

How about those Golden Globes? I don't hold much merit in crap like that. It seems like everybody won something. Those award shows are for the celebrities to get dressed up and party and get free stuff. Granted, I would love it if I was one, but since I am not, I can complain about how stupid they are. Well, OK.... answer the trivia question.

Camera Tossing

So has anyone heard about this new craze sweeping the UK called 'Camera Tossing'? Here's what you do. Grab your point and shoot digital camera (I guess it could be film) and set the shutter to like one second (or you could just force quit your flash feature) and, preferably at night time, mash the photo button and throw it up into the air and then catch it. Yes, that's what I said. Throw it into the air. Would I do this with my $2k camera? HELL NO! Would I do it with Kelly's? Well, yeah, of course. The idea of doing this is this: You never know what you will get. All pics are different. If there is light around, like the street light in the image of mine below, it "paints" it on the image, in whatever way it happens to be thrown or twisted, etc.
If you are interested in seeing more images done in this fashion, check out this link.

Now, who is interested in seeing more of these images from me? Because you know, they would be really cool. I'll try a whole bunch of them and post them on the blog you are all interested. I like the technique. There is some photoshop work involved to make it really cool, but it's basically just camera tossing. It's abstract art. Let me know.

My Weekend.

I woke up in the middle of the night and was freezing. I reached for my thermometer and read 54 degrees. I might have well been in heaven. I love cold weather camping. Some will laugh at that statement... Cold. Saturday morning greeted me with beautiful blue skies and chilly, windy air. To me, it was perfect. When a campfire becomes a necessity rather than a nicety.

Let me tell you one thing. On traveling to the Okefenokee Swamp, one encounters many quaint towns and sites. However, there comes a point in which that stops and you find nothing. No gas stations, no food stores, no bathrooms. Of course, this point comes when I am hungry... really hungry. Let's just say we are short one dog now. No, just kidding... all you PETA freaks can calm down. (Hey, by the way, you know what PETA stands for don't you? People Eating Tasty Animals!)

We rented a boat on Saturday and took a cruise through the swamp. How magnificent it is. We docked on one of the 70 islands throughout the swamp, Billy Island, and walked around and had lunch. It was so rejuvenating to see such untouched wilderness still. The dogs seemed to thing so too, running around and getting into everything imaginable, including the bag of marshmallows.

The best thing was definitely getting away. Getting away from the computer, the work, the stress. Spending quality time with Kelly. See, there is a huge difference between spending time with someone and spending quality time with someone. Regular time helps pass time, quality time helps preserve time. It took me awhile to get that one down. I'm still working on it.

Anyway, enjoy the photo below. It is of Billy Island in the Okefenokee. Basically straight outta the camera folks...

Friday Foto

This picture is one of my favorites portraits. I took this while traveling though Germany. I was in a hostile in Berlin. This is my friend Meredith. She was starring out the window, and I was going to get that shot until she turned and looked at me. I love it. Her face says so much. I shot this with B&W film. This photo wound up in my end of term exhibit titled "Reflections".

On another note, Hogzilla is real... all 900+ pounds and 12 feet.

I'm going camping this afternoon, leaving early from work. Man, I am so excited. Don't worry, I'll take tons of photos and give you guys a little prize at the end of the weekend.

Did you hear about the guy in FLA that just got eminent domain claimed on his land in the Everglades? He was given 5 million bucks for it by the government.... but he doesn't want it. He just wants his land back. That sucks. But come on, it's 5 mil!

Happy Friday 13th!

Some randomness for you!

Today is hump day and I thought I would give you guys some stuff to ponder throughout the rest of the week. Have you heard about the little Iraqi baby the US saved? Have you been watching/reading/listening to the news? Then you should know about the little baby with Spinabifida who, oh by the way, just happens to be Iraqi. Question... would this even make the news if she was a Georgian? Anybody? NO! What a pretty obvious publicity stunt for the U.S. Government. Granted, I believe what they are doing is right, but maybe instead of spending however much they spent on fixing that kid (no Dinar exchanged hands I'm sure) they could have invested it into Iraq itself... or, here's a thought, invest it domestically!

Yesterday Apple just released a couple of cool things. If you have been holding out on getting an iPod because you just can't stand the thought of parting with your FM radio stations, do yourself a favor and jump off a bridge. Or, buy the accessory when you buy your iPod that enables you to catch to those FM waves... oh yeah, and it's also a remote so you don't have to reach into your pocket and change the song when "Prince Ali" comes on in shuffle mode. Thanks but no thanks Apple. But, the new laptop is something I drool over. It's just uber fast and really sleek. A cool feature? Well, since you asked.... it has a backlight keyboard that turns on when it gets dark. The letter itself glows a light green. How cool is that. No more typing in the dark.

Ever seen a satellite image? Want to see them all? Download Google Earth. Just released, it is amazing. Similar programs have been out before, but none as easy as the Google Earth one. You can search any place in the world and pull a pre-recorded satellite image of it. You can zoom too. In really popular places like Atlanta and San Francisco, you can zoom so close to see individual cars.... from freaking space man. Nope, not gonna find your shack in Alapaha, GA, sorry.

Trivia question for y'all... should be real easy. Kelly, you can't answer. What is Alapaha known for? Have a good day!

Potpourri

I just discovered Steve Miller Band all over again. I have their CD, Greatest Hits 1974-1978 but since switching almost completely to the digital side of music, I haven't listened to it in awhile (plus it's scratched to hell and back). I was in a bar the other night and the song "Winter Time" came on. It was like a blast from the past. It's one of those songs that you'll probably never hear on the radio, but I knew all the words to. I went home that night and downloaded the album off the internet (illegally of course, but hey, I originally bought that one... so cut me some slack alright?) Oh man, it's an awesome album.

So I am so excited about this weekend. You know, it's been more than a year since I have been camping. That is a horrible shame. So, Kelly and I are going to Stephen Foster State Park this weekend with the dogs. I can't wait. It's located in south Georgia, right in the middle of the Okefenokee Swamp. We are going to rent a boat and ride around in the swamp. Be prepared to see some cool photos y'all. I'm bringing all the gear.

Had an awesome weekend of just lounging and eating. Could it really get any better? Can I make an aside about how much I hate PC's? Never once have I had an annoying spyware or virus or pop-up on my Mac. You give me a PC user who can say that and I'll kiss you (that should be some good incentive!). Have a wonderful week.

Friday Foto: A personal favorite

It occurred to me that every photo I have posted until now has been more artsy than anything else. This week's photo is different. This is perhaps one of my favorite photos I have ever taken (and probably Kelly's least). It is of Kelly in a tent laughing and exhausted after making up the campsite... all with the bling on.

When I left for college at the end of the summer in 2001, I had just begun to date Kelly. She left for Presbyterian College, and I for Berry College. We met up the first weekend we were both free and went camping in South Carolina. This was our first trip together, and my first trip in college. When I look at this photo, I truly understand how a photo tells a thousand words. I don't just see a girl laughing. I see the memory of sitting around a campfire talking until the fire died. I see our first hike together. I remember how annoyed I was when I had to escort her to the bathroom at 3 a.m. because she was scared to go by herself. I see my life as it was, with my entire college carrier in front of me, without a single clue as to what I wanted out of it. I remember getting so excited about teaching someone all about how to camp; instructing on proper tent set-up, lantern lighting, campfire cooking. I remember feeling so good seeing how impressed she was.

When I look at that photo I don't just see an early memory of my wife. I see a whole chapter of my life that has closed. But this is not sad. It's like a favorite book. You hate to finish it, but you can always go back and reread it. Sure, it's not going to be as good as the first time, but it can be just as good for other reasons... we mature, we learn to read between the lines.

New Year, same me

You know every year I make these wide-open new year's resolutions to change myself or my habits. I get so caught up in the attempt that when I fail, and ultimately I do, I get even more discouraged then before I started. Not this year, nope. I have finally discovered that I am fine the way I am. Sure, their are things that I would like to tweak, and tweaking I shall do... but nope, no TLC Overhaulin' episode featuring Ben's life ending in incompletion this season. I'm (and most of my friends, whether they see it or not) are at a time in our lives in which it is imperative to get that compass reading on life and make sure we are walking down the path we want to be. I like to get that reading ever so often... something resembling slightly what others might call a 'reality check'.

Thanks to you all who have made really nice comments to me about my new website. I appreciate it more than you know. It encourages me to be better and better. If you haven't seen the site yet, stick your head in the toilet and flush. You deserve it. No really, check it out... and check it out often, I plan on updating the site as often as possible. Hope everyone has a great rest of your week. Check ya later.

Wanna see something cool?

Check this out!

www.benjamingalland.com

I will update the site regularly and will keep you posted when I do. So, check back often. Have a great night.

Friday Foto

I took this one jsut this week. This is a single photo with minor photoshop corrections on color. I love the oaks in beautiful light.

Last work day of 2005! Finally! Next year prooves to be even better than before. I am very bsy at work, so I'm sorry posts have been slack lately... I promise to pick them up. Happy New Year!

It's all over

My wife went through withdrawal last night when she finally realized that Christmas was officially over. I tried to console her, informing her that It was perfectly OK with me if she wanted to buy me more presents so we could celebrate all over again this morning. But really, it is over. Is it sad? Yes, but really, this was probably my favorite Christmas (besides the year I got the rock tumbling kit... man, that thing was awesome). We had a very successful soiree. I recall it lasting for roughly 5.5 hours. That's pretty amazing, keeping everybody in the same little house for that long. We sustained injuries, except for a slap to the face of a goat. The house is still in one piece, except for a 'small' hole in the back deck. All in all, I conclude it was a success.

Sunday was perfect. Midnight mass was beautiful. Christmas morning was complete bliss. Nice and quiet, simplicity at it's best. I made out with some nice gifts. Even my puppy got a nice new collar.

Kelly and her dad are spending this week tiling our kitchen floor. Oh, how I wish I could help. He has to leave on Thursday, so they are going to get as much done as possible. If you have ever tiled, you know that tiling is the easy part. It's laying the grout that is a pain. That, will more than likely, fall under my job. It's all good though.

So what was your favorite Christmas memory/present this year? You have to answer both, so lets go! My favorite memory was initiating Christmas traditons with my wife that will now last a life time. My favorite gift was a pipe carving kit. Your turn.

The Waiting is Over, Merry Christmas

Now I sit. One of the hardest times I have found to stay awake is that time between Christmas Eve dinner and Midnight Mass. It's worth the waiting, but man is it hard. Sleep beckons with the aid of a full tummy, yet I wait, knowing I will soon don the traditional coat and tie, venturing once more out into the cold night air. Midnight Mass is a special thing though. In the midst of all holiday parties and presents and fellowship, it's nice to be reminded of the true meaning of Christmas.

Last night we had our Holiday Soiree. My wife swears that she will never do it again, but come on, we all know she is lying. I have to say, it was a blast. I really appreciate all you guys, thanks for coming out and celebrating the holidays. See, to me that's what it's all about. I like to consider last night a celebration of our friendships that have held strong through the years. Some new friendships, some old. Some broken, some made-up. Some inter-mingled, some cross-referenced. Some weird, some perfectly fit. That's what the holidays are all about to me. Fellowship. Yeah, we may drink a little, party a little too hard sometimes, but when the day ends (i.e. morning begins) I know each and every one of you is still there. So thanks, from me and from Kelly.

Below is the link to the photos from last night's Holiday Soiree. Remember, if you like one of the photos and would wish to make a print of it, just email me the photo number, I'll send you the original. The one on the site is too low of a resolution to print out well. I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas. I know we will here on the ol' Galland front. Thanks to you all, for making last night really special.

Pictures from the Holiday Soiree: Part Deux

Winding Down...

Well, I just finished writing this nice long post and the power went off for a split second and I lost the whole thing...

But, I'll write again, I will. Who's ready for the Holiday Festivities to begin? After the success of our last party, we have decided to throw another... hence, The Holiday Soiree, part Deux. Of course, you are all invited. Tired of the transit strike in NY, NY? Come on down for a nice relaxing sit by the fire. Tired of the liberal front in Cali? Come on out for some politically incorrect redneck jokes. How 'bout you Mid-Westerners? Come on over, and well, get a life!

One bad thing about being married to a HS teacher is that you catch all the crap that's going around. I hate being sick. I have stuffed myself with so much medicine that my skin's turning blue. I am GOING to be chipper and full of holiday cheer(s) come Friday night, nothing is stopping me.

I am sorry that I haven't posted much in the past week or so. I have been trying to wind things up for the end of the year. However, I haven't forgotten about y'all. I have something nice in store for you as a little Christmas present... So stay tuned. I hope everybody has safe holiday travels. Ciao!

Perfection

As this weekend comes to a close I think about all that I did. Despite the rain, Kelly being sick, me beginning to catch whatever she had, I found perfection. We stayed a couple of nights at the Village Inn and Pub, a little hotel on St. Simons that doubles as a great place to get a drink. It's a gorgeous little place, very quaint and neat. I highly recommend it to anybody looking for a nice place to stay or drink. While Kelly shopped all day on Saturday, I spent the day installing new countertops in my house with my dad. Kelly was so surprised and loved them. She liked the pearls I gave her too. We had a great dinner at Georgia Sea Grill, although Kelly's cold was really getting to her. The rest of that evening was mostly spent with her sacked out and me playing with the iPod she got me for our anniversary.

Perfection is a funny thing though. This afternoon I was thinking about it. What makes something perfect? I used to think it was something without flaw, without imperfection. I disagree. I think perfection is a state of mind. This weekend it rained non-stop, Kelly was miserably sick for most of the time, and now I'm catching it... however, I classify this weekend as perfect. Perfection is achieved by learning how to deal with the imperfections that life brings us. It has taken me a long time to realize this, and I can't guarantee that I'll always remember. You see, rain happens. Plan and simple. So many people don't seem to realize that it will end, it always does. If we can stop worrying about how wet we'll get when it rains, and while it rains, we just might be able to enjoy it for awhile. Yeah, rain sucks... but don't you always take something from it?

Well, now that I have rambled on enough, I think I will go to bed. Not, however, before I mention that today is my one year wedding anniversary. I'll spare you all with the "I can't believe it's been a year" speech, and just say this. I have learned more about myself and my wife in the past year, then I did in the 4 years we dated. Has it been fun? Yeah. Has it been stressful? Yeah. Has it been all worth it? Yeah. I consider myself lucky to have enjoyed the rain and the sunshine thus far with Kelly by my side.

Friday Foto

Here's a straight out of the camera shot, no frills attached. This was taken down around the village on St. Simons Island. Just a little something that makes you feel all warm in side on this nice cold day. They say that a big cold nasty storm is passing through the South East these couple of days.... I haven't seen it.

I got a busy, but fun weekend ahead.... I can't wait to fill you all in on Monday, so be ready! I hope everyone has a great weekend.

Interesting

So, did you hear about that guy that was acquitted from first degree murder in Colorado? They have a law, dubbed the "Make my Day" law, that gives freedom to those who, in protecting their home/person, wound or kill someone else. Well, this one was a stretch, and the media thinks so too. In 2004 Gary Hill, 24, shot and killed John Knott, 19, after he and three others unwelcomely entered Hill's house and assaulted him. Now, if that was the whole story, no prob... however, the guys wasn't shot in the assaulted man's house, not even his yard. Apparently, after he was assaulted the 4 guys got into their car and drove off. Hill got his gun, ran out into the street and shot at the car, hitting the driver, Knott, and killing him as the car ran into a tree. After a year or so of litigation, the court has acquitted Hill of all charges claiming self-defense under the "Make My Day" law. Pretty interesting huh? If you want to read more about it, go here.

What do you think? I personally think justice acted correctly. Even though he fired from the street, not his personal property, I believe he was acting in self-defense... tricky though, I could definitely argue both sides pretty persuasively. Comments?

Favorite thing about Christmas...

Let's get some activity on the blog today. What is your favorite thing about Christmas. It can be anything... food, family, presents, trees, flannel underwear, etc. I would have to say one of my favorite things (because you can't pick just one really) is coffee cake. I've always had coffee cake, or crumb cake as I call it, in the morning while opening presents. My dad always makes it. This year I get to make it for Kelly and I. I am excited. It's life's little pleasures you know? So, comment below on you favorite thing about Christmas.

Man, I am so excited about this weekend. I've been looking forward to it for a while now. Not only is it my anniversary, but it marks the official countdown to Christmas! Friends start coming back in town, you can almost feel Christmas morning approaching! So, I've decided to give you guys some special treats between now and Christmas. I have now idea what they will be. Maybe some photos, maybe some funny jokes, maybe some original poems, maybe a good story, I don't know... but I'm doing this as a thanks to you out there, all my loyal and devoted readers. You make my heart warm!

So, I've officially decided I am going to help out with the local Boy Scout troop here on St. Simons. I am an Eagle scout and graduated from this troop that I helped start back in HS. It's kind of said, because I have heard that it is not what it used to be. I guess I gave myself a nice year to settle down and now I am getting into the black hole of volunteer work. I tell something though, one of the main reasons I am doing this is for the camping! I mean sure, I care about furthering the minds of young kids, teaching them morals and all that jazz, but just between you and me.... it's the camping. OK, and the S'Mores.

Monday, Monday

Ahhh, what a nice weekend I had. I finished up my Christmas shopping on Saturday and went kayaking on Sunday. I was supposed to go kayaking with another guy, but he cancelled out and I was about to do the same... But, I went, and it was worth it. I put in at 12th street on East Beach and kayaked to Village Creek landing. Exactly five miles. It's amazing what you accomplish in five miles of paddling 6 inches off the water. I was sitting there just thinking of all this and that that I needed to do when I got back, this coming week, before the end of the year in order to get my life nice and in order. Then it came to me. I spend so much time trying to figure out what I can do to make it so I'm finally living my life that I haven't realized that I am living my life. Make sense? I think that sometimes I get caught up in trying to have this life that I think I am supposed to have, that I loose sight of the fact that I am currently living it. Their will always be things that need to get done. If I tried to do all the things that need to be done, looking for that time when I can just sit back and relax, I would be waiting a long time.

Man, I'm excited about this upcoming weekend. It will be my one year wedding anniversary... lots of plans in store. Sunday marked my one year out of college anniversary. Pretty crazy. Been out of school for more than a year. Have a great week!

Friday Foto

And here you are. This one I took last Friday down in the village. I was riding my bike through the are the day before and noticed the sun was perfect. I went back the next day with my equipment and snapped several shots. I got a couple real nice ones. I really like this one.

I'm dragging today, with the lack of sleep I got last night. I was awake for about 3 hours after blogging. I hope everyone has a great weekend. Christmas is getting closer, yeah!

Not again

So, I thought that since I was tired and fell asleep so fast that I would actually have a good night's sleep... Wrong! I can't sleep.

So we went to this Oyster Roast tonight hosted out on Altama Plantation. This is about 20 miles north of St. Simons Island, some property owned by the Jones family, the same family that owns Sea Island. I love this place. As a kid in the Boy Scouts we used to go camping out there a lot. If you ever get a chance to make it out there, you really should, it is an awesome place. What makes it so cool? Only the several hundred acres of nothing. There's a house on it, a bee farm, several ponds with loads of fish, and nothing else but woods to explore. It's awesome.

So, I got some new music for you. Ever heard of Jamie Cullum? He's a pianist from England. He plays with a jazzy, funky style that I really like. He's got attitude, in his music and in his lyrics... but he can because he's good. The song "Get Your Way" off his new CD Catching Tails has been getting a lot of play on the radio waves lately, you may have heard it. His music is very piano driven, but nothing like Ben Folds Five (another contemporary piano driven band). I urge you to check him out, if nothing but to broaden your horizon.

A little aside... Turner, took your advice on the nightcap to aid in sleep. Did nothing but make it harder to type... perhaps a bigger one next time? Good night.

Surprise for the readers!

I thought I would surprise you all with a photo! After a long last wait by some, here is our Christmas tree. We are very proud of it, being our first tree and all. Just for the record, "A Christmas Story" is the best movie ever! I would give anything for a Red Rider BB gun! Too bad those things couldn't put a hole through a Coke can from point blank. Ahhhh... Merry Christmas to all... I'm pumped about the season.

Insomnia attack

So the past couple of nights I haven't been able to sleep. Oh yes, I have been tired, but no sleep has come. So, I stay up watching the TV, reading, or surfin' the net. Tonight, I decided to share it with y'all. So, what's happening? I'm ready for the holidays. I can't wait for Christmas. However, before that I get to celebrate my one year anniversary. I'm really stoked about that. I have a lot planned for the weekend, and will fill all you in after the weekend. It's weird, it feels like ages since I left my last job with The Darien News. When you are unhappy, time seems to last forever. When I think about my wedding though, it seems like yesterday.

So, what's everybody getting for Christmas? How about giving? Anything you are getting someone that you are really excited about? This Friday I'm going to see The Chronicles of Narnia movie. If you haven't ever read any C.S. Lewis, you really should. He has an unbelievable way of describing the complexities of religion via the written word. My personal favorite is The Screwtape Letters. It is a very interesting take on religion. The book is a collection of letters written to and from Satan and another devil named Screwtape. Screwtape is assigned to a human on earth, much like guardian angels, but trys to make them sin. He writes to Satan about how he is doing, and Satan writes back with advice, pointers and precautions. It's marvelously written and really opens ones eyes to how Satan acts.

Good night.

Fun with themes

Prompted by an earlier email, I thought I would engage you readers in some conversation. So, we are throwing another Holiday Soiree. "Holiday Soiree II: The Return of the Sticky Chicken", if you will. How about giving the party a theme? One suggestion was really tacky Christmas sweaters for guys and long denim skirts with cowboy boots and/or bikinis for girls. Who's in for that one? My suggestion? Dress up like your favorite appetizer... I would definitely be a pig in a blanket. Man, can anything be better than little wieners wrapped in oven-toasted bread? Let the comments fly! Props to Bum for the idea!

Rainy days and Mondays

They're both bad, but when they collide it's something quite un-harmonious. I had a good weekend. Had a nice dinner Friday night with some friends, went and got a couple (said lightly) drinks afterwards and turned in before 1. Saturday was an almost perfect day. The weather was so beautiful... the only thing making it not perfect was the temperature; it could have been colder. We went Christmas tree shopping. I though this was going to be an easy, painless task. I grew up working at a Christmas tree farm every year, so I would consider myself a semi-professional when it comes to the ole' tree. Little did I know that since this was our first Christmas tree, it had to be perfect. Lucky for me we found one... after looking at EVERY tree that Home Depot had (you think I'm kidding?). I had other husbands giving me the I-feel-for-you look, and their wives patting me on the shoulder telling me to have a little Christmas spirit. I have plenty of xmas spirit, but this 6-7 foot Fraser Fir looks just like the last 15. But, we wound up finding the perfect one, and we were both happy. Plus, God had pity on me and I found 20 bucks on the ground, so no more complaining from me. Saturday night we decorated the tree. I'll attach a picture later in the week. It really is gorgeous.

So, who has been following the Saddam trial. I usually would follow something with that much importance, but I'm not... and that brings me to my next topic. I'm not following the trial because I feel he has no chance. The media is so saturated with negativity towards Saddam, I doubt he can possibly get a fair trial (not that he deserves one... go ahead Goat). I think they are just giving him this trial out of procedure. Thoughts? Views? I'd love to hear them.

Friday Foto

I reached back into the archives for this Friday Foto. I was thinking about it all week, something from this era in my life. My buddy just back from Argentina and he had me thinking about the time I lived in Florence, Italy. This picture was taken while on a trip to Cinque Terre. I actually know the girl in the photo. She was traveling with us and had been sunbathing on the rocks . It was bright outside and that led to great backlighting as seen in this photo. I took this with 35mm black and white film. I later scanned it into my computer. This photo was taken in 2002, around March perhaps.

I hope you all have a great weekend. It's supposed to be gorgeous down here, hope everybody can get outside for some play time.

Quantum Leap

Man, did anybody used to watch that show besides me? That was the best show EVER. I used to love staying home from school "sick". I would sit in the recliner and watch Quantum Leap, then The Hulk, then my favorite show of all times, McGuyver. Then, you stop for a nice lunch of cereal, and back to the TV... Unfortunately afternoon TV watching sucks. It's filled with soaps.

So, some scientists in Austria have invented the quantum byte. I don't know much about quantums or whatever it is called, but the must the US has every been able to make is six bytes, not eight. Apparently, an eight byte structure of some sort is wicked fast... like the super computer in "Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy" that can compute the meaning of life. Wow... but can it wipe your ass? That's what truly matters. HA! Who cares about quantums?

Momentary Memories

So I'm feeling slightly nostalgic tonight, and seeing as how we haven't had a good ole' heart-to-heart in awhile, I thought it would be nice to chew the fat.

Tonight I went to this dinner party thing out in Brantly County. It was a Cane-Grinding Party. They make cane syrup out there and were making some and invited people over for breakfast food, with fresh cane syrup. Well, that stuff is very different from Aunt Jamima's I can tell you that much. Very bitter, sweet and thick. A lot like molasses. The food was great though. It got me to thinking. See, whenever I get the chance to be in an environment like that, I go crazy. It's like sunlight for Superman. It rejuvenates my soul. This place was a 1,000 acre plantation with old barns and sheds and lots of open land. It seems to always remind me of childhood.

Every year I was a kid, I looked forward to Christmas time, naturally. About 4 days or so before Christmas, my family and several others would get a big dump truck and fill it with hay. We'd all party at someone's house until dark, and then about 20 of us would pile into the back of this truck and we would ride around St. Simons Christmas caroling. I pity the soul who has never had the opportunity to go on a hayride. That smell of hay still brings back the strongest memories. I can remember clear as day my aunt's fighting over the words to such popular titles as "Deck the Halls" and "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer". I still know every single word to "We Wish you a Merry Christmas" because we were always forced to end each house with another loud and out-of-tune rendition of the "closing song". The best part of the night came at the end however. Seeing as how we were in a dump truck, we discovered early on that with a slight push of the lever we could fancy a rather nice slide ending into a big pile of hay.

It's been several years now since I've been on a hayride. I vote we start the tradition back up. Who's with me? I have an idea where we can find a dump truck big enough. I got first dibs on the slide!

Last day of November

Is it just me or has the year flown by? This month too. I can't believe tomorrow is December. That's cool by me. I love December; the weather, the end of the year, Christmas.

So, I don't follow Stem-cell research at all, so I don't claim to know a lick about it. However, I was reading this article the other day about something very interesting. Have you ever heard of people saving the blood drawn from an umbilical cord when a child is born? Yeah, me neither. Here's the deal... Parents will save this blood, because it is rich in elastic stem-cells (something that is good when trying to duplicate the cells) in preparation of later needs in life. For instance, let's say when you are 35 you are diagnosed with a cancer and your bone marrow is deteriorating. Bone marrow transplants are very hard to do and harder to find someone with the same kind. If your parents saved that blood when you were born, doctors could go and "grow" more marrow for you. Pretty interesting huh? What about if you have a sibling that has a problem? When your born, your parents might save that blood in order to possible help your bro or sis in the future. It's pretty expensive though. A $10k set-up fee and about $100 a year. It may be expensive, but more than 100k people have done it in the US so far. However, saying all that, I still don't know where I stand on Stem-cell research... pretty interesting though. Just some food for though. Have a good day.

Turkey sandwiches for a week!

Possibly the best thing about Thanksgiving is having turkey sandwiches for weeks to come. It's funny, you know we can cook a turkey any day of the year, but no one seems to do that except on Thanksgiving and (some) on Christmas.

So, my Thanksgiving was good. The stomach bug disabled me from consuming mass quantities of tryptophane, so I made out OK. The Holiday Soiree we threw was a blast. I slow-cooked a Boston Butt and man was it tasty. I was very proud of what was coined, my smoky butt.

You know why I like Thanksgiving so much? It is a time in which people can look past their differences and past and come together. Unfortunately, I didn't get to experience that this Thanksgiving. It takes a certain level of maturity to participate in such acts. Oh well, my heart is always open.

So who wants to see pictures of the Holiday Soiree? Oh, I know you do. Come on, beg for it... OK, here they are! Enjoy! Happy Monday.

One day away, still not feeling right

Why oh why does my stomach ache? Is it all in my mind? I'm not as bad off as Kelly was, but things still aren't sitting right inside the ole' intestines. It better get better by tomorrow, because I'm eaten whether I keep it down or not. See, you always got to think about the two players in the eating game: your taste buds and your stomach. Your taste buds will always win, unless you are sick. You either have no desire to eat but are very hungry, or stuffed but still want more (at least, those are the extremes). The heavens align and harmonious chords chime when both are tuned-in just right to reach maximum eating capacity. Needless to say, if my stomach keeps up with this game it's playing, I will be playing favorites tomorrow to the taste buds!

The weather has now reached perfection. Bright blue sky and crisp cold air. You cannot really get any better than this. I'm off of work on Thursday and Friday, so man am I looking forward to the break. I will try to get something fun for you all to read. Hey, you know what? I might even post a photo album of pics from the Holiday Soiree we are hosting on Friday! How would you like that?! I don't know how it will turn out, but we might need a disclaimer for explicit content on the photo album... Good times all around! Have a Happy (early) Thanksgiving!

It's a sad day...

Poor ole Sam is dead. I really liked him. May he rest in peace... At least their are no "sons of sam." HA!

Which One?

Below are two photos I took last night as the front moved across the marsh on St. Simons. The rainbow appeared for about 6 minutes, and then was gone... I timed it right I guess. The horizontal photo is three different photos, combined. The vertical photo is a straight-up shot. Which one do you like better?

All weeks should be short weeks

Can I get an Amen?! Although, it really doesn't feel like a short week. You know how short weeks always feel better on Mondays, like you have something to look forward to. Now, I have plenty to look forward to, but for some reason I just can't get too excited yet. Maybe it's the weather that's dragging me down. It's rather gloomy outside, but at least it is cold. I hope it's not the beginning of the same sickness that my wife has (she even stayed home from work today). I doubt it is, I have a pretty good immune system.

OK, so what is your favorite Thanksgiving food? It's hard to beat fried turkey, but I must say I really like cranberry sauce. Call me crazy, but you just can't beat Ocean Spray's canned Cranberry sauce (with the lines in it from the can and all). Now, I am a big fan of sides. I usually start with the Oyster Dressing and fried turkey, and then build around that with assorted sides. Their are two types of eaters in the world. Those that let food touch, and those that do not. If these were federations, consider me the Charlton Heston of the Let Food Touch Federation. I even have a catchy slogan: "It touches in your tummy, so mix it up on your plate for all the more yummy."After laying the foundation for my Thanksgiving day plate masterpiece, I like to go all Picasso on it with an egg beater. Mix that up. The corn with the potatoes, the bread swimming in gravy, not to mention the turkey being smothered by mounds upon mounds of cottage cheese (OK, that was a Joke, who eats Cottage Cheese really?). So, anybody grossed out yet? Well, then you haven't even seen the dessert plate have you. That's one thing my family does right. Lot's of dessert. By the time I have acquired "samples" of each dessert, I have what would appear, to that of a Non-toucher, to be a rather large Indian burial mound upon my plate. Awww.... but I am Eatsmixedfood, son of Kicking Bird and Crying Wolf, I can eat all.

Happy Monday.

dry heaves are the worst

My wife had all these wonderful plans this weekend. She was going to go shopping for Christmas decorations for our house and begin planning our holiday soiree. Then the bug came. She got sick in the middle of the night Friday and stayed in bed all day Saturday. I wound up taking her to the clinic and they hooked her up to an IV. It took them FOUR times to find decent vein because she was so dehydrated. She's on medicine now, and seems to be doing a little bit better, but I imagine she is starving.

Of course in the time I've known her she has been sick before, but never like this. It really shakes you up. Seeing the person you love in so much pain, dry heaving and getting stuck with needle after needle in a vain attempt to find a vein (you like that one?!)... it really scared me. But what can I do really? I mean, pain and suffering are a part of life you know? I can attempt to prevent illness for my (future)family, but that only goes so far. You can't prevent the unexpectable and inevitable.

In other news, the Oyster Roast was fun. Kelly was knocked out on drugs, so I went... on her OK of course. I took a friend and we had a good time. We ate so much food, definitely giving a lot of those brown-nosers a run for their money on the oysters. I think in 15 minutes we cleared a bushel easy! Snagged several commemorative cups as well. All in all, a good haul. Happy Sunday to you.

Friday Foto, etc.

Self Portrait

Today's picture is a little on the creative side. I was photographing the sunset the other day and as I was turning around I saw my reflection in the window of my jeep. It took awhile to get all the detail in the shot and it was very hard to focus, but I think it came out rather cool. I'm open to comments on this one as well.

Man, I'm glad it's Friday. Who's with me? The following week has much in store, and I am really looking forward to it. Tonight, of course, is the release of the newest Harry Potter movie. Yes, I like HP. Am I as obsessed as "some" people I know? No. But the books are really good, and definitely not just for children. The fourth movie should be good. As I wrote earlier, Saturday is a big oyster roast that I get to go to. I am uber-excited about that one. Next week will be filled with holiday spirit, being Thanksgiving. Friends will be coming in to town and some people will leave town. Thanksgiving will be wonderful, although the absent of my family warrants a grade of less than perfect. They are going up to the cabin in the mountains to have Thanksgiving. To me, the Holiday season is at home. Never really liked spending the holidays away.

My buddy from Annapolis is coming into town. I always look forward to seeing him, and we always wind up getting into some sort of trouble. I seem to remember many occasions in which he is hurt, and I am dying with laughter. Ah yes, and after Thanksgiving.... the soiree. Kelly and I are throwing a Holiday Soiree. I'm pumped. See, according to tests during pre-marital counseling, I'm an extrovert. Go figure! That means I get pumped up when a lot is going on, among people, doing things. Kelly's not that way, holding true to the age old saying "opposites attract". Anyway, it should be a blast, needless to say, I'm excited. Oh, and did I mention it's cold outside? HA!

And.... to all you vegan-scrooge's out there... Christmas is here. The local radio station 103.3 has been playing non-stop Christmas music since Monday, so their. If TBS and Sunny 103.3 aren't good enough, well than what is?

A little more brains please

You probably need to be pretty smart to counterfeit money. Acquiring the special paper, ink, plates, etc. Not to mention how hard it would be to launder a large wad of cash like that (not that I have given this any thought). What happens when your printer breaks? Well, you do like the guys in Arizona did... you send it back. However, I recommend taking OUT the jammed counterfeit bills BEFORE sending it back. Idiots, gosh!

It really, never stops!

And just when you think it can't get any worse, introducing Pee & Poo. This furthers my theory that the only think good that comes from Sweden is their meatballs. Man, give me a toothpick and I'll go to town! I personally think 'Poo' looks like a meatball? Any takers?

So how is everybody doing today? I am feeling much more energized and pumped up then usual. Who wants to run around the block? So guess what? Tomorrow it is supposed to get colder out! Man, I am excited. My wife and are I going to the St. Simons Island Land Trust Annual Oyster Roast this weekend. It's going to be a blast, and I am pumped... did I mention free cocktails? Maybe they'll have 'poo' on toothpick (swedish meatballs)....

HA! Eat it Sony!

So has anybody heard what Sony did awhile back? I'll break it up into laymen's terms for ya. They sold CD's with a technology called XCP that basically installed itself (without asking) onto your computer if you tried to copy or download the CD. Once you buy the CD, I feel you own the rights to it. A lot of people out there buy CD's for collectibles, make copies to listen to, and archive the actual original. Sony got a lot of heat from this, rightfully so, and has backed down now. They are now offering anyone who purchased one of the estimated 2 million XCP CD's a regular CD in return for the other. That's gotta hurt Sony just a little. Serves them (and the RIAA) right for trying to mess with our music rights! Booyah!

Mixed nothings from the heart

I'm tired, slightly buzzed and worn out. It is said this is when I speak (or in this case, write) the best. The real reason for this blog? So that people may ultimately understand me the way I try to understand them. I grew up thinking I was differant because I cared more about others than I do myself. My ultimate happiness is derived from your happiness. I'm a caring person, but it has bit me in the ass a time or two, even from those dearest. Some would call me spineless, others, wonderful. I am who I am, and sometimes it hurts. I don't get mad. I can remember two or three times I've ever gotten really mad, and God save the soul of the next guy who pushes me over that line. I'm passive, but not unpassionate. My dog makes me laugh, and we have deep discussions on a regular basis.

I'm going through this phase in where I am trying to condition myself to be the person I want to be, not because I feel I need to, but because I want to. This is hard.

I want to be a photographer. I want to take photos for a living. Not for a Newspaper (tried that and hated it), maybe free-lance, but really art photography. You know how people say, "Find what you really want to do with your life and do it"? Well I have, but they seem to leave out the part in that story about how you get there.

Don't you hate that feeling that you always have something looming over your head? Like, you can never relax because there's something else you should be doing. The problem is, I often forget what that "something" is.

See, this is what the blog is for. A virtual mind-dump if you will, that I can empty my thoughts onto allowing all to read and critique my life. Why? Because I care for you all. Maybe, just maybe one person will learn something significant that will somehow change his/her life and make this all worth the while. Bonne notte.

Happy Monday (is that possible?)

How was everybody's weekend? Man, I couldn't have asked for a better one (well, I guess it could have been colder outside). I went for a little boat excursion on Saturday with some friends. Despite forgetting to fill the gas tank up and almost swamping the boat, it was rather fun. Wound up cooking lunch in Neptune park all ghetto style. What did I do Saturday night you ask? Sat on the floor in my living room and played Scrabble. Man, I love Scrabble. I almost won.

So what about Terrell Owens? Serves him right! These big sports hot-shots think they are untouchable, so they bitch about the rest of their team, and what does the team do? They bench him for the remainder of the season. He's lucky they don't sew some elastic to his big ears and make him the community jock-strap. It's much like the MLB teams when they striked several years back. You get paid to play sports... Stop yer bitchin'!!! Serves them right, MLB is never what it used to be. Of course, T. Owens now has Jessie Jackson on his side... ummm, let me guess Jessie... Is this just another way the man's trying to keep the brother down?

As much as that infuriates me, the nation's favorite atheist (said with barrel's of sarcasm) is at it again. My guess, and call me crazy, but this guy doesn't care a lick about what he's actually fighting for... He's just looking for a little fame. See what happens when you store your treasures else where? HA!

Friday Foto

Mercier Lake panorama
November 5, 2005
9 different images combined

Bourbon Street, Epworth, GA
November 5, 2005

Surprise! Today is Friday Foto and I thought, to get you into the fall mood (since xmas music doesn't work on half of you!) I would post a couple of the photos that I took last weekend in the north Georgia mountains. I'm rewarding you with two because you have been so good in the amount of comments that have been posted lately in regards to our debate on creationism v. evolutionism.

On to the photos... the first one is a merge of nine photos. Three pictures at three different exposures (to catch all the colors perfectly) at three different angles (left, middle, right) in order to create a panorama scene. Pretty neat huh? The second one was taken down the road to my cabin. After crappin' around in town for half the morning on Saturday, we all went back to the cabin, only for everyone to nap... except me. See, I have an unnatural energy source that I can't control, so I got in my Jeep and drove around all the mountains photographing. The best thing about having a GPS (yes, they are the greatest things EVER) is I didn't have to worry about where I was going. I just kept on driving... see a cool road over there, go down it. No worries in trying to keep course. It's very liberating. Kind of like going to work without underwear on..... So, when I was done, I just set the GPS to take me back to the cabin, and tada, I'm back!

So, I keep my fingers crossed, but I think it's cooling of here for the weekend (hopefully longer). We'll see. Ok, my favorite Christmas album, well I have two. The first one is definitely Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton's Once Upon a Christmas. A close second is the Carpenter's Christmas album. I have three favorite Christmas movies, all though all of them are great. The first has to be A Smoky Mountain Christmas (yes the one with Dolly Parton). The second is National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, and the third is Elf. The best scene in National Lampoon's is definitely when Snots the dog makes his appearance. I laugh just thinking about it. Elf is the newest addition, and rightfully so. Will Ferrell cracks me up. Who's got a favorite? Have a great weekend!

Slow it down a little

So, I knew a question like the last post would work up some folk. Here's what I have to say about the whole thing. Obviously I believe in creation. I have a very conservative mind-frame when it comes to religion. However, saying that, I am open to ANY ones take on the matter. I consider myself a very open-minded person. I say this meaning, I will listen (and not argue) to anyone. Will they change my beliefs? Possibly, if their argument is good, but not by there words alone. What really bothers me are those who are as close minded as they come. They pass it off calling it 'passion'. "I'm sorry I fought with you on that matter, I'm just so passionate about abortion." No, that is not passion. I am a very passionate person. My heart is in the things I do, and I am libel to cry if it all goes to hell. A passionate person can be open-minded because of the nature of compassion. You are passionate about something because you feel a deep connection with it. You understand the relationship of one's heart to a subject. Therefore, you have the ability to be open-minded. It annoys me that people pass off there hotheadedness and closed-mindedness on any given subject because they are "just passionate". I'm passionate, yet I can completely understand why some of our previous commenters think they way they do. Do agree with them? Not by a long shot. However, I would listen to them until they were done talking about it. Why? Because being passionate about something, among other things, means understanding (or attempting to) all sides of the issue.

Will it ever stop?

Now there is a lipstick MP3 Player.... may God save us all. Now, if they made a chapstick MP3 player, I'd be sold.

So, here's a question... my boss just told me that evolution is the way. Creation is horse-shit. He said if creation was legit, then it would be perfect and we wouldn't have a tail-bone. Any takers on this discussion? My two-sense... It's a matter of faith, period. Science may provide a lot of interesting ideas and views, but when it comes down to it, if you are christian, it is faith. The end. I await many posts.

Slow goes it

Today is dragging... Anybody got anything they want to talk about? I wish the weather would cool off again. I hate that it is close to 80 outside. Has anybody ever had a Chai Latte? Man, they are amazing. I know, it sounds like something only hippie vegans would indulge in, but no... the are very tasty.

So, what's up with kids these days. When I was in High School I don't remember things like this happening often. I know HS students engage in sexual activities, they have been since Grease, but come on! In school, between classes? "Man, my sandwich is boring, let's go have sex." Yeah, I can almost hear it now. My wife teaches and she tells me weekly of students' comments regarding "it".

So, when should one start listening to Christmas music? Most say after Thanksgiving. Department stores and my wife start November 1st. I have to admit, I love Christmas music. It does the perfect job of putting me in the mood. That and cookies, fresh baked cookies. The best thing about Thanksgiving is fried turkey. Forget oven-roasted, grilled, micro-waved, etc. The only way to cook turkey is fry it. If you never have had it, email me and I'll email you back a sample. Seriously though, it is incredible.

Commandment 11: No Blogging

A Roman Catholic School in Newark, N.J. has ordered the students to stop blogging. A lot of the kids in the High School keep online journals, much like the one you are reading. The head of school has ordered a cease and desist on the blogs, quoting "protection" versus "censorship". Their claim is that they are trying to protect the students from cybercrimes. They further claim that this has been a rule in their institute for close to five years but they are just now enforcing it. Right, and they new that blogging was going to be a school-wide issue in 2000.

I personally think this is an outrage. A huge hit on freedom of speech. It is not the same case as the censorship of Milblogging (military blogging). A lot of soldiers in Iraq have set up blogs to record their dailey routines and to keep in touch with loved ones. Some have blogged pretty secret stuff and have been ordered to cease and desist for fear of dischargment. Understandable... war time equals keep-your-mouth-shut time.

Friday Foto

Fall on the Altamaha
Canon 10D, 28-135 EF USM IS
Shot bracketed with 1-stop intervals at ISO 100

I neglected you all last week for the Friday Foto, and so to make it up, I give you this little piece of candy. I have to admit, I really like this one. Last Friday I took a boat trip on the Altamaha River (which is around Darien, GA). I went with a group of friends. It was a bit cold, but we hung in there. We stopped to have lunch on Lewis Island (On Lewis Creek, which runs off of the Altamaha). I love Lewis Island... it's one of my favorite places on earth. Anyway, this tree must have just fallen, because all the leaves were still bright with color. No manipulation was done to this photo to brighten up colors. The technique I used is called HDR Generation. You simply take three photos of the exact same thing (needs a tripod). One is correctly exposed, one is under exposed, and one is over exposed. You then combine them and, after a little tweaking to get some things right, there you have it.

I'm leaving this afternoon and going up to my cabin in Blueridge, GA again. Man, I just can't get enough of that place. I heard that the leaves should be just right for some really good photos. If I get some good ones, and you all behave, maybe we'll have a little viewing via the blog. How would like that? Have a great weekend!

Guess who?

This is just disturbing... they can't be this old!

Man gets clued to toilet seat, no music

A Colorado man fell ransom to a prank when he sat on the can in a Denver Home Depot (serves him right for using public restrooms). Some hooligans spread glue all over the toilet seat, and there he sat for quite some time. His calls of distress to the Home Depot staff merely came off as hoaxes. They hold true to their motto, "You can do it, we can help." I guess they were just seeing him through, making sure he did his business.

Unfortunately the man was recovering from heart bypass surgery, and thought he was having a heart attack (must of had a big lunch). He is now suing Home Depot, not because of the glue, but because they waited nearly 30 minutes to respond to his cries. To tell you the truth, if their was an old man screaming from a stall, I would have waited at least 30 minutes... Come on! The store manager at the time was kicking himself, "We should have installed those musical toilet seats, then he would have no reason to cry... Hell, I'd sit in there on my break if we had those."

Did you ever stop and wonder the meaning of the word "toilet"? One would assume the root word is "toil"... think about it.

In other news, this is my 100th post! Chips and dip all around! Ohh, and maybe some yogurt covered raisins too, I love those things.

Redneck Dream

So a man in Arkansas killed a 5-point Buck in his home with his bare hands. What the deer was doing in his home is confusing to me. I bet the guy had a wet dream sitting there watching QVC when a 5-pointer ran across the living room. He broke the deer's neck and now has it chopped up in the freezer. No lie... only in Arkansas. He did all this with a Milwaukie's Best in his hand.

On another note, I had a good friend in college who was a janitor. One morning he told me to go look in the back of his truck. Laying there I saw a nice 7-point Buck. I said, "Donald, where'd you get that, it's not Deer season yet?" He replied that he got it just off the side of the road at the front of the campus. Someone hit it early that morning and it was still warm. A rare find in his mind. Man, who's up for some Bambi Burgers?

Sub $400 laptop

Wal-Mart has teamed up with HP and is introducing a laptop for $398. If you feel like standing in line for the whole day on Black Friday, feel free. See, I expect more out of my computer than they are offering, but hey, it's not a piece of junk. It's OK on speed, decent amount of space, and a 15" screen. Now that I think about it, it might be nice to have. I have a Mac and need a PC to run all my GPS gizmos. Christmas might come early this year.

Does anyone realize how big Wal-Mart is? They control the retail market, literally. Starting in 2006 they are going to stop carrying all VHS tapes, blanks and movies, to make shelf space for DVDs. This is huge. Mark my words, this will speed-up the demise of VHS as we know it.

Mixed Bag

I've never been big on Halloween. I don't know why, I love candy. I liked dressing up, going around with friends and getting loads of candy and eating it 'til you puke, but for some reason, I don't get all excited about it like I do others. I think it has to do with the over all holiday itself. For me, Halloween was just like any other day... except you got lots of candy and got to stay out late. No relatives came in town, no big dinners, no days off school/work, no warm, fuzzy feelings. All the things that seem to make up holidays are absent in Halloween. Don't get me wrong, I love some free candy, but it's just not Easter, or Thanksgiving, or Christmas.

You know what I love? Being older. I love being out of high school. Granted, their are times that I wish I could go back to the simplistic life of a teenager, but all in all being older is so much better. Their are many reasons why I think this, but I'm going to only talk about one right now.

After I sit here and think about the fun I had this weekend, I can't help but think how happy I am that we have all matured. I am still friends with people I knew in high school, some that I wasn't that great of friends with at all back then. I think we all tend to flock towards the people that are as mature as us, or those who's maturity we desire. Stop and think about it. I'm glad
to be a part of a mature group of friends (for the most part) whose company I enjoy and trust I desire. I think what it boils down to is this. I expect a lot from my friends. Why should one not? If you are willing to go balls-to-the-wall for a compadre, shouldn't you at least feel that that love is reciprocated? This is a rarity in high school. It took me a while to relies this. I expected to much from my friends then. They weren't mature enough. Does that mean that I was? I don't know. I know what I wanted, but who knows if even I could have provided that.

I guess one of the things I'm trying to point out is this. The older that I get, the clearer it gets to me who my real friends are, versus those that I call friends simply because we ran in the same crowd in high school. It seems like I have been waiting a long time to finally have people of great caliber that I joyfully call friends in my life. To you all... thanks.

Whew!

What a nice, long weekend! Having taken Friday off, it seemed like it lasted for ever. I am not complaining though. I feel like I neglected you guys over the weekend, and for that I apologize. I had all intentions of sending a blog post along with picture from my phone on Friday when I was on the Altamaha River, but ran into technology issues. I'm sad to see the weekend go, but sure am glad to reclaim the island for the locals.

Let's start with a Monday morning filibuster! Is anyone keeping up with Bush's nomination process for Supreme Court Judge? Here's the easy dirty lowdown. Justice Sandra Day O'Conner retired a couple weeks back. When this happens, the president gets to nominate a new candidate. He did this once already when he nominated White House attorney Harriet Miers. She withdrew her nomination and now he has another chance. He is expected to nominate U.S. appeals court judge Samuel Alito this morning in a press conference. Why does this all matter? Because the 9 judges on the panel have the final say-so in very important matters (although the President can veto if he sees fit). Alito is a conservative. He will add a very right-winged weight to the court... can anybody say, overturn Roe v. Wade?

What a fantastic idea!

I've talked about boobs with music, and when I think it can't get any better... It's time to poop to music! That's right, you heard me folks. They now make toilet seat mp3 players. I've heard of talking on the phone, reading, eating... why not crank some tunes to pass the time and day's vittles? Great idea. And just think, the music will 'wipe' out and other ambient sounds! (couldn't resist)

Nothing says fall like football

Now let me start by saying that I am not what you would call a sports fanatic. I know a little bit about a handful of sports, I played in various little league teams, but never worshipped it like most men. I was the one taking piano lessons while the others were away on soccer trips. Is there any regret? Absolutely not. I mean, I wish I could have played HS football, I think I would have gotten a lot of aggression out, some that may be still here today... But, that's what college intramural football teams are for, right? Man, I pulled those flags so hard, wishing I could have sacked everybody out there. I was only invited once to play tackle when it rained... I wonder why.

Anyway, nothing sums fall football up like the college game, and to be more specific, The University of Georgia v. University of Florida. The Dawgs and Gators (respectfully, for all you lost souls) have been rivals forever. I know every team has their rivals, so maybe mine is not as important as any other. But, on Halloween weekend every year, it sure feels different.

The last weekend in October finds St. Simons Island more crowded than a KFC after a Baptist church service. We are located only 80 miles from Jacksonville, where the game is held. Every Dawg fan seems to make their way down and crash on the island, being the real last haven until the Florida border. Most of the fans rent charter buses for the hour and a half drive down to the game, enabling them to take part in extra pre-game activities. You get there, and tail-gaitin' starts. Red and black and orange and blue everywhere. See, you would think that everybody goes to the game right? Wrong. Most people just come to St. Simons for the weekend. Georgia has their fall break the Thursday and Friday before the game, so the island becomes a breading ground for red and black sorority bops. All the frat boys come down in their red pants hoping to get a piece of "gator-tail" (no, not the reptile), but in all realty, wind up passed out before the game begins.

What do I like so much about GA/FLA? I didn't go to either school. I don't love football as much as some. So why do I care? It's a symbol. It is one of the chapters that would have to be written about in the book on St. Simons. It's a mark of the fall; time to see friends, have partys, cookouts, fires. It's more than a football game.

Now it's time to share favorite memories! Whose in? The memory can be related to GA/FLA or not. Perhaps you have a different fall memory you'd like to share. Whatever it may be, post it below so we can all enjoy.

Hush that fuss.

It's horrible how modern media can distort our perception of history. Last night Rosa Parks died at 92. Unfortunately, whenever I hear that name I immediately start grindin' to Outkast. I don't think about the icon she was, nor do I give recollection to the movement she started and participated in. I am not incoherent to what she stood for, it's just not the first thing that pops into my head. Did you know that a while back Outkast was being sued over that song Rosa Parks (LaFace Records v. Parks)? Yeah, the suit claimed it defiled her name. I don't remember what happened... Maybe someone can look it up and find out.

FINALLY!

Finally I get a chance to blog. Finally I get a chance to sit down. Finally I have my first fire in my fireplace. FINALLY it's cold outside! With a high of only 60 today I could not have been more happier. So what it rained a little today. So what I got a little wet on my 7 o'clock scooter ride to work. So what that I'm stressed out right now with work. The point is, I'm content for this moment. I'm content sitting here next to my fire with hot cocoa (yes) and writing to you. My house smells like candles, cooking and fire. The windows are open and the breeze is ever so gentle. My stress is temporarily on vacation (or at least until I am done writing). The point is, right now, I am perfect.

Don't you just love moments like this? Moments when you are so content, that the only thing that could make you happier would be the knowledge that it would last forever. However, I don't think I would like this feeling to last forever. Why? Because then it wouldn't be so special. For me, the rarity of contentment, in essence, is a tort of it's definition. For me, contentment is rare. I am always searching for the better... And no, this is not good. I need to work on that.

But for now, I will leave you with this. Whether you live your life in total contentment or sporadic contentment never loose sight on what it is that makes it good for you. For me, it's the peace. It's the knowledge and feeling that I get from that moment of time when I feel that hand of God holding me up and the forsight to see that everything will actually be OK... And yes, maybe a little cold weather helps too.

Wanna laugh?

I love comedy. Improve and stand-up are two of my favorite genres. Mix this together, add some interesting places and talented comedians, and you got Prangstrup. These guys are hilarious. They perform comedy sketches in the most bizarre places, like bathroom stalls. My favorite of the ones I have watched is "Lecture Musical". A couple of the kids start a musical performance right in the middle of a college lecture. It's great.

Russia controls the weather

I'm not one for conspiracy theories. I would rather just live a peaceful life and not worry how big "big brother" is. My wife and her mother have been going on and on about a new theory (read: take this with a bag of salt). They think the Russian's are controlling the weather. Their theory is this. Russians control the weather and brought all the hurricanes to America to drive the price of oil way up. Apparently the Russians have a big hold in the oil market. Here's an interesting link.

My thoughts? I think the Russians just want to make every place as cold as Russia, so we all have to wear those great hats!

Friday Foto

Fightingtown Creek
Canon 10D
1.5s @ f4.5, 100 ISO

Last week I got the opportunity to spend a night up in Blueridge, GA at our family cabin. I'm not one to sleep in and enjoy the peaceful sounds of nature. I prefer to get up at the crack of dawn and actually experience it. This photo (and others) is the product of such experience. The camera shutter was left open just enough to capture the movement (is that an oxymoron?) of the stream, still allowing for correct exposure.