The only way to get lost in pictures

For the most part, I wouldn't call myself “artsy”. After my first (and only) year of architecture school, I realized that I have an engineering mind, rather than an art mind. Even though I'm convinced that I am all-left-brained, I seem to have this emotional connection with some art forms (music & photos). I actually like to look at pictures more than I like to make them. I wouldn't quite call myself a photo connoisseur, more of an enthusiast. I have a ritual that I like to go through every so often: I put on some trance music & stare at hundreds of photos. It sounds so trivial, but it's so much more! You'd be surprised at the emotions that can be triggered with this awesome combination. I'll briefly break it down:
Why trance music?

1. Simply put, trance music doesn't distract. It tunes out the world so you can really look at the pictures as if you had blinders on.
2. It's simple. You're not going to find yourself singing along, possibly looking up the lyrics because you forgot that particular line. Most of the time, there are no words to sing along to.
3. It's energetic. You're not going to find yourself falling asleep or bored. I betcha you'll be tapping your foot before you know it.

Why photography?

1. I enjoy photographs more than any other art-form, aside from music. One simple picture can tell a whole story.
2. It's not a video. Pictures don't have to hold your hand. Video takes your hand & leads you down a path for up to 4hrs! A photograph can tell its story in a measly 2-5 seconds, with the same, or greater impact.
3. High consumption rate. Because of the 2-5 second rule (above), you can experience hundreds of pictures in a matter of a few minutes.

Where can you go to find an endless supply of pictures? There are quite a few sites that have zillions of pics, but I have to say, I prefer Flickr's interface. I especially like their slideshow feature. There's a little bit of up-front work to finding what you like, but it's worth it.
Photo preparation: To do this proper, you should create an account. Take a few days to browse around and find photographers that you like, and add them as a contact. This concludes the prerequisite work.
Music preparation: There are several ways to get good trance music these days. For me, the easiest way is to subscribe to the Trance Around the World podcast on iTunes. There you can download the latest episode for free. (You could also listen live on Trancearoundtheworld.com, but to me, that's too much trouble.) There's minimal talking, and it's 2 hours long -­ plenty of time to get lost in some pictures. A State of Trance is another weekly show that's pretty good. There's also a couple dance/trance internet radio stations that are options, Digitally Imported is an oldy & goody.

So, now go. Put on some music, and look at some awesome pics. It's a great experience.

Joy revisited

Finding joy has been one of those things that I've struggled with for a long time. Not really knowing what it looks like makes it all the more difficult to know it when I have it. I've always known it's more than just “being happy”. This weekend, God has blessed me with just a taste of what His joy can be. I can only imagine what His joy can look like at its full glory!

There's no doubt about it, the warm sunny weather did a good deal to improve my attitude this weekend. Saturday was a busy day. The morning was packed with Cheer-Off for the OMYFA. It's always chaotic, but usually worth it in the end. Carly's team got 3rd place out of 10ish teams, & the Chargers managed to get the Sportsmanship award (the whole team, football & cheer). It was so wonderful to see the girls enjoy themselves.
From then it was a nice wedding of a friend, followed by a monster truck show for PJ & I. None of these event were all that special. I don't really know how else to explain it, other than “it came from God.”

Sunday got even better. There was a short section of our church service where people could share their testimonies. I'm not averse to offering mine, but most of the time, I have nothing to share. This day was different. I felt lead to share that I had found just a little bit of joy. Ever since, I'd been on a high.
After church I sat in the sun watching as a bunch of kids (neighborhood, church, & ours) played in the leaves, laughed out loud, & chased each other around the house. The Sunday ended with a nice trip to the cider mill & a dinner out.

The funny thing is, it was so similar to weekends past, yet this one had so much more peace & love. It probably sounds a bit cheesy to the outsider, but very authentic to me; and it's clear as to where these feelings are stemming from.

A dark day...

What the hell? Why does it seem that my recent days are littered with dark days? To many, this will seem like I'm a whiner, and to a certain degree I am; but this issue is important to me.

Take away all other websites, but leave me my internet radio!

We recently received a memo at work re-stating the computer use policy. Teamed with the purchase of some new internet logging software, management wants to crack down on internet use. Generally speaking I don't have any problem with that. They already filter out Facebook, and I could give a rip about Myspace. Obviously, without the distraction of the internet, there's nothing really else to do except work.

Here's my dilemma. I've been with this particular company for 9 years. I've been listening to internet radio the entire time. I've watched internet radio go from flourishing in the beginning to the almost skeletal state that resides now. I've written several posts celebrating Pandora for its unique idea, and song selection methods. I've been listening to Pandora almost exclusively for the last 3-4 years. I've found that I'm most productive with the headphones on, and Pandora rockin'. I'm able to tune out all the BS that goes on, and concentrate on my work.

I've written before that music is a lifeblood of mine. I get cranky when I don't get my daily allowance; think of it as sleep. It's hard to explain so I won't do it here. Let's just say music plays an extremely important role in my life so a change like this has its adverse affects.

I can hear it now from all 3 of you...”get an MP3 player!” You're actually missing the point. Internet radio contains music I don't have. In the case of Pandora, it's all about music discovery; finding music I might like based on what I do like. Quite often, they're right. The alternatives (read: bit-Torrent) I don't consider practical; not for music discovery. The radio is a joke, so don't even say it.

I stand by my headline, “take any website, just don't take my internet radio.”

Technorati Tags: music, pandora.com, frustration, work

Not the first time

Pandora Radio - Listen to Free Internet Radio, Find New Music

I don't know what it is, but why is it that music always sounds better through headphones here at work? Normally, I am sick & tired of "classic rock". I grew up on that stuff, and now I'm pretty much over it. For some reason though, I put on the headphones and listen to my Led Zeppelin station, and off I go...peace.

So was sitting there at my desk thinking about ho much better the music sounded. I envisioned listening to the same awesome tunes of the 70s in my car, or the stereo at home. Nuthin'. No thanks. It's not the same! I can't put my finger on it. I think there's something about being 'stuck' in front of the computer; you're forced to listen. Even if you're busy at work...

More than one time my mind was thinking, "MAN, this is good sh*t!" <head groove>, <head groove>

Abandoned Michigan Central Train Station in the fog - Detroit

Abandoned Michigan Central Train Station in the fog - Detroit, originally uploaded by Derek Farr ( DetroitDerek ).

I have fond memories of, as a kid, sitting in the HUGE lobby, on the long wooden benches. I have no idea why I was there, I just remember being there. :)

Suggestion for going out with a bang! (letter to Pandora)

Tim and gang,
Shortly after wiping the tears off my face after reading the New York Times article, my mind was racing to figure out what I'm going to do after Pandora goes black. I have been a huge fan of Pandora for a long time, and I really don't know what I'm going to do without it. So, to my point:

Idea 1) for the last 24hrs (or so) set up all the users' stations so that they only play the thumbed up songs. That way, they'll be guaranteed great radio on their(your) last day.
Idea 2) Make it easy for the user to export all their fave'd (or even thumbed-up) songs so that at a later date the user can refer to the list when looking for the music they like.

The bottom line is that Pandora is a great resource, not only audibly, but it holds a lot of data the I'm sure users would like to have (about themselves).

These are just a couple of thoughts I thought might be worth (someone's) while. Thank you for the many years of AWESOME service. You are loved by many, and will be missed.

Mark
(AmateurX)

Saddest Picture You'll See Today

U.S. Army Capt. Charles Ford plays a video game with seven-year-old Wa'ad, who lost an arm and a leg to an improvised bomb, during a visit to the child's home near Muqdadiyah, about 90 kilometers (60 miles) north of Baghdad in Iraq's volatile Diyala province.

read more | digg story

Mercy

Technorati Tags: kids, photography, friends

Oh, the agony!

I am so exhausted today. I stayed up way too late watching game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals. 3rd overtime finished up at about 12:45am. It was an intense game, with some good play, & some bad calls. This would have been a freakin' fantastic night had the Red Wings won the cup. Oh well, on to game 6.

(BTW, hockey in HD is AWESOME!!)

Technorati Tags: TV, Red Wings, HDTV, Stanley Cup, hockey

photo by KCJACOBY

God bless the internet

There have been countless occasions where Laura & I have gone to the internet to answer our most dire questions. For me specifically, the internet has come to me with answers to problems I didn't even know I had.

I read a several blogs every day (Lifehacker.com, TWIP, etc), but Dumblittleman ranks up there with my favs. They've always got some great tips to better your quality of life, of which I am always on the lookout. Today, I came across this:

7 Ways to Eliminate Emotional Clutter

Make sure to take a gander. You might find a solution for your 'ism's.


Technorati Tags: emotions, reflection, family,

"I need a vacation." Not just a quote...

If you recall in one of the best Governator movies ever, "True Lies" Arnold just gets done fighting the bad guys. He's feeling overwhelmed, and says, "I need a vacation" in his Austrian accent. That's how I feel. The problem is, I don't want to go on vacation, I want vacation to come to me.

True Lies Clips

Technorati Tags: vacation, reflection, stress

Would you die for the cause?

I don't think about it all the time, but every once in a while I think it would be an honor to die for the cause. This guy died by quickly reacting to a situation, and ended up saving the life of his 4 year old daughter, at the sacrifice of his own.

Dad died saving his little girl :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

The real question for me is, am I willing to die for the glory of God? I don't know. I would easily die for my kids, but for a stranger? I have no idea. I guess you never really know until you're in the situation. Hmmm...




Netherlands American Cemetery - by Time Freeze
Technorati Tags: Reflection, Christ, Jesus, Sacrifice

You're all I need, you're all I want, you're everything...

I've seen this video several times. Every time I become a blubbering mess. I have tried to reflect to really determine why I sob every time.

Lately I've been trying out the Opera browser. It's touted as the most 'standards compliant' browser out there. With that said, it's surprising how many websites don't work with it. Anyway, it's got built-in Widgets. (Basically, there these little doodads that float around on the desktop, similar to the OSX & Vista widgets.) I installed the Opera Bible widget that refreshes Bible verses every so often.

I fired up my Opera browser & the Bible widget first thing this morning. This is what it said:

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

I immediately thought of this video. That is why I sob. I know that God is constantly protecting me & bearing the burdens that I should. He shoulders so much burden, I don't even know. All I have to do is take rest in Him...

Ya know, yesterday was a shitty day for me. In the "thick of it" I didn't seek God's council. I should have. Today though, I feel God's love, and that's important.

Casual Friday

I have just been told that Casual Friday here @ work does not include T-shirts.  The only allowable aspect of Casual Friday is jeans.  (We have not discussed shoes.)  I think we should change the name to "Jean Day" in lieu of Casual Friday since Casual Friday carries implications that work does not recognize.  I'm a little cranky, 'cause I have some sweet T-shirts!  Not to mention, by the time Friday rolls around, I'm tired of the collared shirt.  Tell me about your "Jean Day".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casual_Friday
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_casual


Mark
--
Don't let the RIAA decide what you can or can't listen to!  Save Internet Radio!
http://www.savenetradio.org

Jume 18, 2007

Father's Day. Since the kids were at their gramma's this weekend, we delegated today as Father's Day. As soon as I walked thru the door, Tess was there to yell out, "Happy father's day!" It really warmed my heart. I had forgotten. Tessa was there to remind me.

Everyday struggles, an Easter re-cap.

The premise

So, this morning I was a bit stressed due to restless sleep, & an "early" morning. I wanted to make sure I took some pictures of my brother-in-law's baptism, so I was on the hunt for the camera. Considering our camera setup is pretty expensive, it's usually close by; a table, counter, etc. So, when I was having trouble finding it, I automatically figured Laura had left it somewhere obscure. I later found in a box in the back of the van. It had been there about a week. Now, if you recall it's been pretty cold this past week, with the temperatures hovering in the low 30s. I bring the box in from the van that housed the camera, in addition to a slew of other objects. I had to remove 2 64oz jugs of juice & Laura's watermelon plate.

With the frustration of my expensive camera being subjected to a week of cold weather, looming over my head, I aggressively unpacked the camera from the depths of its cold crate. I tossed the jugs of juice, some papers, & of course, the plate on the floor...crash!

I think, unenthusiastically, "uh-oh, a plate broke." I didn't realize how important the plate was until Laura came in with an "Oh no! My watermelon plate!" But instead of apologizing, and admitting that I was a jerk, I played it off like it was cold, & under the heavy juice that caused it to break.

Now, there may have been some truth to conditions (cold, under load) with which the plate broke, but that didn't excuse me for tossing it out of the box onto the floor in a huff.

The baptism

I get out the camera to take pictures & it fogs in the humid, warm, pool atmosphere. I complain to Laura about its condition, & she tells me to hold it under the hot-air hand dryers in the locker room. Brilliant! It works.

Dinner

Laura slaves over a hot stove, barefoot & happy. Her family is together for the first time in a long time, laughing & having a good time. All without any arguments, or ill-will. This is a sight to be seen.

She gives me a card that references sunshine, butterflies, "you" (meaning me), and how "God makes the best stuff ever."

Dinner's over & I'm having trouble with the Netflix website. I'm huffin' & puffin' about Internet Explorer, & Windoze Media Player. Laura encourages me to call Customer Service. I hate calling C.S. with any company. They always talk to me like I'm an idiot. Most of the time I just want to tell them, if they'd only use open standards I wouldn't have this problem.

I call them, & I think they fixed the problem (I'm waiting for this 'fix' to work right now).

The Moral

Her words are absent, but I know in my heart that she has forgiven me for the plate. In fact, she has forgiven me for a lot of asshole things I've done. I will still ask forgiveness, but I feel at this point, it's just a formality.

On the surface she seems like an ordinary woman, but beneath the surface, she's constantly sacrificing herself for her family & being a huge encouragement to me. She's so awesome that I can really only attribute her greatness to God. He's using her all the time to teach me things. I can't help but look at her & thank God.

Is behaviorial medication an acceptable solution?

I'll post more on this later as well, but I wanted to get this thought down on "paper".

Keeping in mind (our) faith in Jesus Christ, is it acceptable to take medication to alter you behavior for the better? I know it's socially acceptable, but is it ok in the eyes of God; say, as opposed to prayer exclusively? Like I said earlier, I'm sure I'll expand on this later, but I wanted to pose the question.

Who needs Jesus?

I just came back from a meeting of guys that get together to pray on a weekly basis. For the last portion of the evening we gather up a list of people to pray for. We prefer to lay hands on, & pray for those within the group, but most often the need is for those outside the group. Tonight there were 7 of us. We generated a list of approximately 20 people that we knew directly who all needed prayer. The needs ranged from people suffering from physical ailments, broken hearts, to struggling with faith, getting a job, etc. I was both amazed at the sheer number of people in need (given there were only 7 of us), and the degree with which their need was. I mean, if the 7 of us were a sample of the entire, say Christian population, then I am blown away by the need of the entire world. How easy it is to get overwhelmed at the needs pf the world. Where do you start? You start by praying for those that you know. Whomever God puts on your heart at that time. And of course, you could always say something to God at the end of your prayer like, :...and all those other people I have forgotten."

One thing I often get caught up in, is the "I'm too cool for God" mentality. I keep thinking that I don't needs God's healing, & grace. Quite the opposite. Although I can't find the quote right now, Don talks about it in Blue Like Jazz. It's worth a read if you haven't.

Mourning, at what point does it cross the line?

It's New Year's Day, mid afternoon. I realize that I had left the phone in the van since the night before. I find the phone & it says 34 Missed calls. Oh, crap! I give it to Laura & she checks the messages. She promptly calls her mother who informs her that her 48 year old brother (Laura's uncle) has died. Her mother immediately transitions into yelling at her because she didn't answer her phone, & she's been trying to get a hold of us since 4am. (Now, keep in mind, had I heard the phone, I wouldn't have answered it anyway.) We had to come get the kids. She even managed to drop a few F-bombs to Laura in her fit of rage. Paraphrasing: "You never answer your F-ing cellphone!"

Laura, not use to this kind of verbal abuse, breaks into tears. Right; not because of her uncle dieing, but because of the yelling on the other end of the phone.

Of course, I flip out and declare that they will never watch our kids again, & that there is never an excuse for yelling at somebody like that. I'm on the verge of screaming because I am so offended, & exasperated.

On the 2 hour car ride out to her folks' we discuss further. She makes a good point, that if I had lost somebody close, she would be the first I would yell at. I agreed that we often take out our grief on the people closest to us. And, since anger is the first stage of grief, it only made sense that she was angry at Laura. The problem I have is the intensity, & manner with which that anger was unleashed upon her. I still find this unacceptable, except I have not experienced loss to that degree. I really am curious of your opinion. Please, make a comment. Was that unacceptable?

Imgen Heap feat. Kid Beyond

On Monday I went to see Imogen Heap at the Royal Oak Music Theater. The following day I had to write a friend to tell her how the show went. This was the email. It's a little personal, but I think it explains my take on the concert pretty well.

Mariam,

There were a lot of words going through my head last night, but one kept coming up: wow.

 We walk in and this guy is playing a guitar with a violin bow.  The first song was okay, but it
quickly went down hill.  He had some issues with his microphone setup & his looping machine didn't
seem to pick up much of the audio spectrum.  I thought, "okay, good. Mariam's not missing anything."
 He finally redeemed himself by the last song.  It had some pretty good riffs & his looping
troubles seemed to be solved. Levi *something*...in the top 10 for Folk in iTunes.

 The stage setup was quite simple.  It included several rows of, what looked to be Christmas lights,
here & there.  Her plexi-glass piano/keyboard was slightly off-center.  My favorite part of the
staging had to be the Christmas tree, off to the side, topped with a lit, white corset.

  The next guy came out with mouth a'blazin.  The first song was with any loop machines or
instruments.  All beatbox, nothing else.  I believe the audience was pleasantly surprised.  I even
noticed some Nine Inch Nails within that first song.  The next 4 songs were awesome.  He wound up
the loop machine with more beatbox & managed to sing some pretty good melodies on top.  Needless to
say, we were all pretty impressed.  I was impressed enough to bum some money to buy his CD.  His
name was Kid Beyond.

 Now, because I am only familiar Imogen, & not an expert, I have to apologize in advance.  She
actually started the first song in the audience & even walked all the way up into the bar area.  She
of course ended the song on stage.  She then moved on to introducing the us to "the band."  Which
was her keyboards looping machines & effects doodads.  You have to picture he tall, lanky body
coupled with the mumbling British accent.  In fact, she would mumble something in-between each song.
It took some real concentration to catch most of it.
 The next two songs involved both Levi & Kid Beyond, & two other people.  I thought it was very cool
how Kid Beyond did percussion while Levi played guitar.  I think that's why they were the opening
act.  T'was an *Oh!* moment for me.  After two upbeat songs she dismissed the band and played a
couple slow tunes, one of which from Frou Frou, Let Go.  During one song there was this girl about
30 feet up from me, who could contain herself & decided to sing along with her.  I think you can
gather, that if I heard her over Imogen (who was amplified mind you), then...  Imogen made a point
to say something. "As a general rule, I'm supposed to be louder than you.  On that last song, there
was one girl..."  Was pretty funny.  The audience cheered.
 Right before the "last song" she announced it just that way, quotes and all.  She made a comment
like "You guys are supposed to say 'No, don't go!'"  That "joke" wasn't well received.  But we made
up for it right after, by the thunderous applause.  She came back out and said, "You didn't expect
me to go without doing that one song?" (or something to that effect)  She didn't even need to
announce it.  It was Hide And Seek.  Just her standing in the center with a strap-on keyboard.  One
single light overhead.  Very well done.
 (warning: cheeziness ahead) I was really impressed.  I guess I didn't really know what to expect.
And in fact, her type of music I wouldn't say is my favorite by any means.  I now consider myself a
convert.  I think it's  a clue when you find yourself most brought to tears by a song.  It actually
got me thinking about how God uses music in my life.  I even went as far as to reminisce about the
courtship of Laura & me, but that's another story.


Here are a few of the songs she did:
- -Headlock
- -Goodnight And Go
- -Have You Got In You
- -Come Here Boy
- -Hide And Seek

That's all I can put together for now.  I hope you get the idea.  Here are some pictures of the
show.

Mark

Oh, by the way, I almost text'd you last night to say, I understand where you get your inspiration
from.  I totally got the correlation.  Take care.

As you can see, I had a pretty good time. I later went on to say that this was one of the best shows I've ever seen; right up there with Metallica in the 90s.