Month: September 2012

Never Forgotten

I was planning on writing a recollection post,  what I remembered during this day 11 years ago.  We all know what happened, we all remember.  It’s really hard to forget, something so unthinkable happening so close.

My thoughts are still with those that perished, to those that tried to help, and to those that fought.

Iconic Image of FDNY raising the American flag at Ground Zero.

And even though this happened 10 days after, it is still a vivid memory, a sign of hope, the first step to trying to move forward after that tragic day.

I found this site while looking for the photo up on top.  Very moving images that were captured during that time.  It might be disturbing, so please proceed at your discretion.

http://iconicphotos.wordpress.com/tag/911/

And lastly, the photo below, I took earlier today, from my desk. It’s my view from my office.  The Freedom Tower, being erected.   We only moved into this office a month ago, and the company I work for wasn’t around yet then, but I can only Imagine, if I had been sitting there at that spot 11 years ago.  Actually, I cannot imagine what it may be like.

Freedom Tower

Wow, do I feel stupid.

Forgetting something that you reminded yourself about 2 minutes earlier. One of the worst feelings, ever.

I’m in high school. I try to keep my locker organized. Being 6 feet tall, I keep the books I need to take home at the top shelf of my locker, eye-level. I throw all the useless binders and folders on the bottom.

But, I’m in high school. I have the memory (and attention span) of a lifeless twig.

I told myself that I’d take my Spanish textbook home after Spanish class, which is the first class I have in the morning. Then, once again, I told myself to take my Spanish book home after AP World History class, around noon. And so the end of the school day comes around at 2:20.

I get to my locker. I unlock it. I throw the lock under the Spanish textbook on the top shelf, as usual. I’m conversing with my buddy, who for the sake of anonymity shall be called Bush, and I zone out from the conversation to make a mental list of the things I need to take home.

  • Spanish textbook
  • Homework folder
  • Agenda

Bush keeps blabbering on and on about the awkward stare down he had with the “hot girl in our English class” whilst I rummaged for my skateboard and proper folders.

I get everything I need.

I grab the lock from under the textbook. Lock the locker. Walk away.

A couple of hours later, on the way home from a little after school skateboard session with my buddy, I realize something. I FORGOT MY TEXTBOOK. Panic races through me, for I have the most strict Spanish teacher in the school. “Goddamn it, my fucking luck…” I continually repeat to myself. I frantically search through my phone’s contact list. I blank out on whose numbers I do and do not have.

Thank Mark Zuckerberg (and his underlings) for Facebook. One friend, who shall be called Shelly, whose number I did not have, shares the same teacher. She was able to send me pictures of the textbook pages that I needed to copy and translate.

There was no point to this story. All I was getting at was that I’m an insanely forgetful person, and I need to work on my short term memory. What a waste of your time.

Hopefully you’re still reading. I just made you lose the game.

Random Flickr Photo of the Day

Possibly one of my favorite cars of all time, and one of the sexiest cars of all time, the Aston Martin DB9 is a thing a beauty. Granted this is the drop top version,it still looks absolutely stunning, and it was a treat for me to be able to photograph this DB9 unexpectedly during a Euro Car meet I was attending in Long Island. The owner has had some custom work done on it, with some carbon fiber body work, but it doesn’t detract from the overall beauty of this vehicle. Hopefully I can get together with the owner and take some more shots of this extremely sexy car.

Aston Martin DB9

Nikon D700, Micro Nikkor 60mm

Amazing, a shot I did this year and not from 2 years ago. He he

Random Flickr Photo of The Day

One of my personal favorites, shot at the Storm King Art Center in The Hudson Valley, NY. (http://www.stormking.org/) It’s a massive expanse of a space, and the fields were brimming with life.   It took me a good while to get done taking photos of bees, lady bugs, and of course butterflies.  View my photoset and see what’s what.  I personally love the photographs that came out of that trip.  I used my Pentax K-20D with a DA* 50-135mm Lens, processed in Lightroom.

Butterfly

Pentax K20D
Pentax DA* 50-135mm (135mm)
1/1600 @ f/2.8
ISO 100

Bye bye G4, Bye Bye

I’m not quite sure if this is sad news or not, but I’ve read from various sources that G4 will be dissolved, and rebranded by parent company NBC Universal.  From what i’ve read, they will want to focus more on the male GQ type thing (I really don’t know what that means), and still keep the “tech savvy roots”.  I think, when G4 first started about a decade ago, it was just that, like a Maxim on TV.  I’ve been watching G4 before it was even G4.  Back in the TechTV day’s mostly.  But most of the shows from TechTV got dumped with the exception of X-Play.  They did bring out their own original programming like Cheat, (which somehow got replaced with Cheaters), and Arena, but those soon bit the bullet too.  The only other long time running program they have is Attack of the Show.

Most of their program lineup really just consists of Cops, Cheaters, and Movies that Don’s Suck.  They will play Ninja Warrior on occasion.  AOTS hasn’t been the same since Olivia Munn left, don’t get me wrong, Candace Bailey is hot in her own right, but I think Olivia Munn just has a certain X-Factor about her.  With the recent departure of Kevin Pereira, I was sort of concerned with where the show was headed.  His departure came not long after Adam Sessler’s sudden departure from X-Play.  Practically 2 staples, and 2 faces of the G4 suddenly gone, in the back of my head, it made me question what the future of the shows, or even the stations was going to be.

After that fall out over the summer, I found myself not catching up to X-Play and AOTS.  It was just not the same without Sess, and KP.  I still did DVR it, but I just never bothered to watch it that night.  As it stands I’m still in the July shows for both.

Now with this news of NBC Universal rebranding the channel, I’m not quite sure X-Play or AOTS will still be in the mix.  I’m gonna be honest though, X-Play has sucked a bit in the last year or so.  It was just not the same anymore, even more so with Adam gone.
I don’t know if i’m even going to miss the channel being gone if i’m honest.

http://gamerant.com/g4-video-game-channel-dead/

One of Olivia Munn’s highlights at AOTS

Earworm: School week special – “Say You’ll Be There” Spice Girls

I was a sophomore in HS when I first found about the Spice Girls from my little cousin.  She was going crazy about them, and had me search the interwebs when she came over for a visit.  Back in the day, we had to dial up, and get amazing speeds of 28.8 Kbps.  Imagine the speed at which we were to get info then.  Anyway, I later found out one of my buddies in school also liked them, and i mean what’s not to like, 5 very attractive British girls, ’nuff said.

From then on in, I sort of followed them on and off, and with my buddy liking them more than I did, he’d just share his cd’s and gave me recordings on a cassette.  (burning a cd wasn’t a household thing yet)
This song in particular reminds me of those days long gone by.

 

This would be my final entry into our school week special.  Next week, Cartoon Themes!

 

Most viewed Flickr photo of the day

And today’s most viewed photograph on my Flickr photostream with a whopping 13 views is….

Canon Powershot S95 @ f/2 part - 2

Canon Powershot S95 @ f/2.0

 

I shot this when I first got my Canon Powershot S95.  By far one of the best camera’s i’ve ever had the pleasure of using.  I was never much for a point and shoot person, but after I picked this up, I cannot recommend this camera enough.  It is up there in price, (the S100 it’s replacement, is about $4-500) but it is also up there in quality.  In full auto mode, it still produces amazing shots.

 

 

Random Flickr Photo of the Day

I shot this during my aunt and uncles renewal of their vows. I also got a stern looking at from the priest after I did, as I stepped on the alter side of the church, and that apparently is a big no no.

This was a shot from 2009 using my Pentax K20D. What I really love with the Pentax bodies is the anti-shake built in the bodies, and not in the lens, granted, my D700 can shoot at low light with no problems at higher ISO’s. The joy’s of having a bigger sensor.

In any case, this was shot in RAW, with some minor corrections in processing via Lightroom.

Body of Christ

Pentax K20D
Pentax DA* 50-135mm (63mm)
1/80 @ f/4
ISO 1600

Back to school. Ugh.

It’s that time of year again here in good ole NY State. Probably most of the US, but… Well… Yeah. So.
Back to school time. Really not my favorite time of the year. It’s stressful. All the parents are rushing to Staples to grab the supplies, clogging the highways to finally rid their houses of their college-bound sons and/or daughters. Meanwhile, the non-veteran students are frantically jogging to class, trying to make a good first impression.
What shocks me about this time of year is that many high school freshmen don’t realize that it is a chance to reinvent themselves. Change your image for the better. Forget the peer pressure and be you. And high school is the perfect place to express yourself! There are bound to be at least tens of kids with the same interest. If you don’t mix in well with a group of kids, who cares? Be that universal guy. Attack all sides of life, people.
I’ve never been a normal kid. I’ve always been weirder and more unusual than most. I’m one of those universal guys. I can mix in with the likes of anyone. There’s no reason to be afraid of tackling new horizons.
Oh, you’re not afraid of making friends? You’re terrified of the workload? Trust me, everyone is. I’m taking a college level course this year. It hasn’t even been a whole week of school yet, and I’m already feeling overwhelmed by the curriculum. But it isn’t a reason to not accept the challenge. It’s a way to better yourself.
Do you have your own thoughts on back to school season? Do you have any advice for the incoming freshies and new students? Leave some comments down below and make sure to like this post!