Blogject 365 [ BlogProject ]

2006-11-15T10:57:00.000-06:00

“seinfield”

i have never been a big seinfield fan. i have friends that watched the show and dvr the reruns. i never really got hooked on what many called one of the funniest shows about nothing on television. again, i never watched the show religiously nor did i ever find myself engaged in the water cooler dialogue that took place after each and every episode. i’m more of a crime scene investigation meets world series of poker with a dash of sports here and there type of guy. what i did find intriguing about seinfield was the ability to make a show, much less a series, centered around everyday stuff that doesn’t make sense.

i’m no sitcom writer. if you read this blog with any regularity then you will also realize that i am not a very good writer either. the photography is questionable some times too. i guess one could say that this blog is like an episode of seinfield gone really wrong. it, the blog, is truly about nothing at times.

one of those nothings is chick-o-stick. i can just hear seinfield asking, “what in the world is chick-o-stick?” “what is, chick-o-stick?”

i can’t say that i know what is involved with the making of a chick-o-stick roll. i do know that it is downright good. it’s got some peanut butter, some type of butterfinger type of crunchy stuff, and some sugary gooey stuff that gets stuck in between your teeth. it’s better than good. it’s like a crunchy tootsie roll on steroids.

i can remember as a kid going to the local public swimming pool and making sure that i had enough cash for a snowcone, soda and the longest chick-o-stick that a few soggy dollar bills could buy (cause you know you jumped in the pool and forgot to take the money out first). it was a standard part of the summertime routine. you know the drill - call friends, meet up at the pool, pick out a spot, hide money under the towel or in the shoe, jump in as fast as you can, splash around, do a head stand, jump off the high dive and then get out and make your way to the concession stand. yea boy – you know those times were the bomb. chick-o-stick rocked. everyone had to have one. everyone had to chomp down on the chick-o-stick. nobody ever knew what in the world was in a chick-o-stick but everyone knew that they had to have one.

so, now i am in my mid thirties and i just cruised out of a co-workers cubicle with a bite sized portion of chick-o-stick. that’s what stimulated this trip down memory lane. it’s been twenty plus years since i have jumped off the high dive at the local swimming hole and yet i can still remember it like it was yesterday. i’m not trying to go old school nostalgic on you or anything but those times were really cool. they were fun and they were care free. that’s what was so awesome about it all. no worries and no cares accept the standard inquiries such as “what in the world are these things made of”, or “how do you think they make these chick-o-stick things anyway?”

fast forward to november 2006 and i still do not have answers to the chick-o-stick question. i have googled, because that’s what you do when you need answers, and got some interesting take from some guy on myspace described as male, 51 years old from lufkin, texas that seemed to be way more interested in the answer to this age old question than me. i cruised around for a minute and then got scared and left. 51 year olds with friends on myspace make me nervous. he says that the ingredients consist of honeycombed candy filled with peanut butter and rolled in toasted coconut.

the fact finding journey continued as i once again refined the google search. i came across a link that seemed to make sense. it featured a group calling themselves wasaw (writers/artists snacking at work). i figured that i like to write and i like to snack so this has to be the official source for those types of things. i was right! these cats have it going on. they not only validated the 51 year old texans coconut theory, but they also described the candy in a manner in which any walden pond, literary type would be proud of.

“a thin cigar-like, rounded zagnut-looking candy stick that includes "crunchy peanut butter and toasted coconut candy." it not only tastes a good deal like the inside of a butterfinger candy bar, but it crumbles in your mouth much like a butterfinger's innards, as well.”

now that’s good stuff. i’m buyin’ what those guys are sellin’. zagnut’s and all.

2006-11-14T09:55:00.000-06:00

"stop"

i can remember vacationing in cancun mexico as a pre-teen and hanging out at carolos’ n charlie's thinking i was the cooler than an iced down bucket of cerveza dos equis. i was cool, i had pesos in my pocket going chinga-linga-ling, and there was music from the “clash” blaring out loudly from old, busted speakers in the ceiling of the bar. cool times....really cool times. and for those that are trying to ruin my flow and think that i don’t know that the georgia satellites sang “keep your hands to yourself” just stop it. i know what i am doing so stick with me.

so how do these eighties flash backs have anything to do with this blog?

well, it's decision time. the decision has to be made and i need to do it now. just as the “clash” blared out through blown out tweeters in mexico, it's time to decide what to do about this blogject 365 thing. as the "clash" would ask.

should i stay or should i go now?

if i go there will be trouble

an' if i stay it will be double

so come on and let me know...

should i stay or should i go

i have been thinking about it over the last few days. i have had some friends that have encouraged me and i have others that have shot me emails wondering what the problem was. i have thought about falling off of the blog map and simply fading to black, making an exit, and retiring in my prime quicker than tiki barber at mid season (which is killing me in fantasy football by the way). i have gone back and forth in my emotions. one minute i think that the blog is cool, other times i think that it is stupid. i think that i don't have time, and there are days when i think that i need to suck it up and make time. i battle each day with this voice in my head that demands perfection, screams never give up - strive for excellence and my alter ego/personality that screams give up, be lazy and don't worry so much about all of that picture stuff.

so that's where i am at.....

i have to decide....

i need to make a decision......

should i stay or should i go now???????

what should i do with this blogject thing?????

hmmmmmmmmm................

well..............

i love movie quotes and i dig movies. i love sitting around with people that like movies and quotes and trying to guess which matches which. it's entertaining in a geeky, lost in my own movie world kind of way, but hey, i like it. so when i thought about what to do with this blog i immediately thought about a line from shawshank redemption (one of the best movies of all time).

"you have to get busy living or get busy dying".

no, i'm not mental. no, i'm not trying to even remotely imply that this blog is the same as living or dying. however, i am trying to make a parallel between the blog and the movie quote.

i either have to get busy blogging or get busy doing nothing. i have to get busy being creative and doing things that are fun to me or get busy letting the world tear down those things, kill my creativity, and rip to shreds my desire to do something different.

damn the world - let's shoot some pics!

i have decided to get busy blogging. i can't say that i will be consistent each and every day. i can't say that i will have tons of thought provoking dialogue that will inspire or change the world. heck, i'll just start with a simple goal of trying to take a picture each day and see what happens. i'll just take it step by step, one foot in front of the other. so here we go, again....

here's to one small, 5x7 photograph for man, one giant, billboard type poster for mankind.

until tomorrow, maybe, i hope....

2006-11-03T15:53:00.000-06:00

"traffic"

here a honk. there a honk. everywhere a honk, honk. if traffic were a reality tv show it would be one of the most interesting shows around. it would be better than any comedy or drama show that has been created to date.

the actors are real, the scenes change and the dialogue is unpredictable.
on one day traffic might be rated g.
on another day it might be rated r.
it's totally unpredictable. that's why it is the best reality show around. where else can you find this type of reality in a single dose? it's got suspense, it's got anxiety, it's got drama, and it's got style. bumper stickers, hanging dice, wheels that never stop spinning, and birds of all colors, shapes and sizes (not those birds stupid. yes, those birds. the one's that nest in between your index and ring finger). it's got colorful language, it's got road rage, it's got sirens, and more. traffic has been described by television weekly as "captivating, enticing, and action packed". people magazine says that "traffic is the best show to hit reality television since the nick and jessica wreck". us magazine describes the season premier of traffic as "more action and drama packed into a single episode than twelve clowns in a funny, small, car - it's loaded with fun and excitement!"

it's got it all.

where else can you see people picking their noses, talking on the phone, drinking coffee, and driving all at the same time?

where else can you see nascar like maneuvers such as high speed lane changes, bumper to bumper racing, and a little exchange here and there of paint among drivers?

where else can you see soccer moms, business commuters and eighteen wheelers all competing for space in a single lane of traffic? whether it is eight in the morning or five in the afternoon you just never know what you will get with "traffic". each day is different.

traffic rules!

2006-11-02T10:23:00.000-06:00

"pepperoni"

let's summarize the blog thus far.

over the last few weeks and months i have blogged about my wreck of a car in "ramsey", the squirrel adventures in "stupid trees" and have recently been introduced to "CM" - that's starbucks language for caramel macchiato for those that are still lagging behind the progressive movement that is "coffee".

i have referred to myself as a skitzo; i've taken randomness to a new level with my inability to stay focused, and even taught some 80's music history and pushed forward in the movement to modernize candy corn.

as i take a step backwards and look over the last few weeks or so i think to myself - "what the @#%&^$ am i doing?" what started out as a means to reconnect with creativity and the lost of art of photography has turned into a full blown expression of both the creative and written word.

it's been both exciting and challenging at times. it's been exciting because i look at the world in a different way and see things that many people simply take for granted each day. it's been a challenge because i want expression to be more than just posted words. it would have been so easy to simply post an image each day and then a simple sentence that described that image. believe me; i have thought about it each and every time that i sit down to blog. the funny thing is that that one sentence turns into two, then three, then a paragraph, then a blog. words are funny that way. words turn from phrases to sentences to expressions and more. for those that truly embrace creativity and expression then i would submit that the combination of words and photography have been complementary arts since the beginning of time.

it's been said that the pen is mightier than the sword. i agree. words, when used correctly can be powerful and can change a generation. words are not to be taken lightly, ignored, or misused. the same can be said about photography. not to go too far down the road of clichés', but it has also been said that a picture is worth a thousand words. see, the comparison makes sense.

the combination of words and images is like pepperoni to pizza. it goes together perfectly. it makes sense and provides collective balance to the world. pizza without pepperoni would cause the stars to fall out of alignment and shift the balance of the world. it would be a catastrophic tragedy beyond measure.

that's the way i feel about words and photographs. images can be used to stimulate thought and dialogue. images are part of creative expression. words are too. each day as i think to myself that this project is too adventurous or much bigger than i ever imagined i try to think about expression and what a freedom it is. freedom of expression is something that is powerful and magical. expression has created movements, changed history and challenged people to view things differently. for instance, next time you order a pepperoni pizza you might think about this blog for a brief moment. you might think about how words and images have a similar relationship as to pepperoni and pizza. maybe not, maybe i am just being optimistic that this blog might reach a few people or two and start a new movement. a movement that combines creative elements of words and pictures. i know that it's ridiculous to think that this blog could be part of a movement.

hey, what can i say, i'm a dreamer.

i'm also hungry. i think i'll order a pizza. maybe cheese - with pepperoni of course.

2006-11-01T11:48:00.000-06:00

"coffee"

coffee has been hip for quite some time now and has become a symbol of this generation. it's not the coffee of yesterday that consisted of the maxwell houses' or the folgers'. the hip, cool and progressive coffee drinkers of today are all about the internet cafes' and the $4.00 lattes'.

it's not that i have been under a rock or anything; i just have been a bit slow to adapt. in most cases i am what they would classify as an early adopter. i buy most anything that is new in the world of technology and geekdom. it would seem to make sense that i too would have been a coffee drinker. it would have seemed to make sense that i would have been among the millions of people that have lined up at starbucks and java houses across the county to just get a shot of the coolness that is coffee. i just never got interested in the movement. i just never became a coffee drinker. until today.

wooohooooooooo!

i have discovered caramel macchiato.

wooooohooooooo!

caramel macchiato, otherwise known as my new best friend, is a caramel explosion of caffeine and flavor. it's got the punch of an energy drink and the flavor of a caramel topped candy. A snickers bar minus the peanuts, chocolate, and cookie layers.

as i type this i can't but help feel the energy flowing through my veins as the boost of caffeine jolts my system. it's awesome! it's like a grown up mountain dew. it's like a jolt of lightning in a styrofoam cup.

woooooohoooooo!

2006-10-31T14:51:00.000-06:00

"9 billion"

alex, i'll take commercialized, consumer driven holiday, packed with chocolate, peanuts, sugary candies, spooky costumes and decorations for $500.

what is halloween?

alex, correct. yep, candy and costumes galore rule this day of days where kids of all ages ring doorbells and say that magic phrase "trick or treat".

halloween. what a great holiday for kids of all ages. it's a time where kids can be kids and adults can eat like kids. there are holiday parties, fall festivals, pumpkin patches, and haunted houses. there's ghost stories, spooky music, smoke machines and lame candy. yes, lame candy.

lame candy is the worst part of halloween. you know what i mean. for instance, you go up to the house, ring the doorbell, do the whole t-o-t routine and there it is - candy corn. the dreaded candy corn. it's the most traditional candy in the history of halloween. it has by far the most sugary content of any other candy that will be handed out per square block, yet it sucks. or at least i thought it did until i did some googling. candy corn's got some clout.

yeah sure, i too thought that it might have been cool back in the 1880s when mr. george renninger was going door to door doing the trick or treat thing (google it folks and learn some history). it was easy for me to say that candy corn was outdated, past it's prime and simply not keeping up to the modern candy standards of kids everywhere. to be honest, i along with the majority of today's kids want snicker bars, reese cups, starbursts, nerds, and other flavors. chocolate rules 90% of the time for today's generation or sugar seekers.

but sit down, take off your costume, because here's where the knowledge is about to get dropped.

did you know that candy corn has been around for longer than any other halloween candy?
did you know that candy corn has other colors? there are varieties for valentines, christmas, etc.
did you know that candy corn is made by the same company that produces jelly belly candies? now that would be awesome! modernized candy corn in the flavors of jelly belly beans (huh, what, could it be done?) that would rock - pop in a candy corn and chomp down on some random flavor that is buttered popcorn, tropical fruit, watermelon, etc. now there's an idea to submit (i need to make a note of that one).
did you know that there is a national freakin' candy corn day (october 30th)? now that's cool. you have to have some serious clout to have your own national day. step back mr. snickers bar and make room for big daddy candy corn. that's capital CC to you little, fruity, starburst.

so i have officially changed my position. i have to say that although the other candies may be winning the popularity contest, ole' mr. cc has got them beat in the longevity department. candy corn may not have the visual appeal of starbursts, or the melts in your mouth and not in your hands marketing power of m&m's; but, you have to give credit where credit is due. anything that has been going strong since the 1880s has been around the block, i mean moon a few times. don't believe me then check out this stat from the national confectioners association.

goelitz candy company will produce more than 35 million pounds of candy corn this year. That equates to nearly 9 billion pieces—enough to circle the moon nearly 4 times if laid end-to-end.

enough said. candy corn officially wins. in my mind it is no longer the lame candy of halloween. it's a piece, or at least this year, 9 billion pieces of history.

2006-10-30T16:02:00.000-06:00

"smells like fun"

is there anything more fun than playdoh?

the other day i wanted to stimulate some creativity among my team members so i bought some playdoh. it's amazing how grown people act when they get the squishy, smelly, color coded, fun in a plastic can. their eyes lit up with enthusiasm.

that's the type of childlike creativity that so many of us have lost. we get so wound up in day to day life that we forget how to have fun. i do it every day. i am mr. fun ruiner. i am so serious that i forget to have fun. each day i get so worked up about work, deadlines and stuff that i forget that how much fun it is to simply have fun.

that's what i like about being around my kids. they have yet to be skewed by society's definition of fun. they have yet to discover that fun is only set aside for the weekends. their definition of fun has yet to be defined as a friday through monday experience.

that's what is so cool about childlike moments and toys such as playdoh. those moments, no matter what age you might be, are cool to recall. every time that you smell the distinct smell of playdoh it automatically stimulates a childhood moment. i can remember playing with playdoh as a child and making dinosaurs, airplanes and anything else that my imagination was capable of dreaming up. there were no limits on my creativity and what my mind could imagine. whether it was a castle or a rocket ship each creation was unique. there were no limits and that was the coolest thing about it.

i have said from the beginning that this blog would be random and spontaneous. i have even said that at time it would make no sense to anyone other than me. i guess you could say that this blog is my own, very big, can of playdoh. each day i get to shape this blog into whatever i feel like making. it has no limits and no boundaries except those that i impose. that's the coolest thing about this blog. no limits, no boundaries. each day is a glob of smelly, colorless, playdoh that i get to shape and mold. i have no idea what type of inspiration or muse will hit me throughout the day. it just happens. i get to define it each day. i get to shape it, mold it, and color it. if i choose, i can squash it and start over again and again and again. it's my choice and it's my prerogative. (bobby brown was so awesome back in the day).

i wonder if bobby ever played with playdoh?

i wonder if whitney did too?

wow, it didn't take much to get me off track. now back to reality.

wait that's another 80's song isn't it? i'm pretty sure it's by the group en vogue.

i wonder if they have ever played with playdoh?

ooops i did it again.

wait, that's a song by brittney spears isn't it? now i know she's played with playdoh.

o.k. i'm loosing my blog r-e-s-p-e-c-t.

good gosh.....it could go on for ever.

2006-10-27T09:19:00.000-05:00

"imagination"

i am a movie lover.

i like everything about movies. i like the plot, the cinematography, the scripts, and the storyline. i like the popcorn, the drinks, the candy and nachos. basically, i like anything and everything about movies. to me, movies are an outlet. they are a gateway into a world of imagination and make believe. movies provide a short window of time where one can separate themselves from the real and enter a world of make believe. i like getting lost in that world from time to time. i like to be entertained and loose myself in a world of mindless entertainment for a few short hours.

not that movies are mindless or don't require thought, it's just a different type of thought. it’s less of the real world and more of entering a world of make believe and fantasy. movies provide that outlet for me and many others.

i can remember when i was a kid growing up in a small southern arkansas town and going to a movie on a friday night. it was the place to be. it was the hub of social activity for a kid that can't drive and wants to hook up with friends. back in the 80's movies theaters were very different than they are today. there was no stadium seating or dolby surround sound. the picture was still projected on a large screen but it wasn't in digital quality like today. it was simpler, original and at the time we didn't know anything different. that made it one of the best places in the world for a pre-teen kid.

the old theater had a balcony. now, that's something that most theaters don't have today. the balcony, a.k.a "the hook up room" was where kids learned a lot about life. sometimes the show upstairs was better than the one on the screen. i'll just leave it at that.

i can also remember drive-in movie theaters. there is no greater experience than an outdoor movie. it's classic and it is a forgotten piece of history. there is only a handful of drive-in movie theaters left in the country. they have all been bulldozed over and swept underneath the rug of modernization.

drive-in theaters have been replaced with conveniences like dvd's, internet downloads and pay per views. as i think about movies it think about how much things have changed and are continuing to change. i think about how much technology has impacted those changes. there's talk about downloading movies via the internet (legally) so one never has to leave the house. there are movie services like netflix and others that provide monthly services and home delivery of movies. i think all of those things are good. i think it is part of the natural evolution of things. i like change, i embrace change and i think that change is a necessary evil at time. let me explain.

change is necessary from the standpoint that it must be done in order to evolve. change is evil from the standpoint that people quickly forget what things used to be like. kids of this generation will never know what a drive in movie experience is like. i have a four year old son and a two year old daughter that will probably never remember what it is like to go to a movie theater and watch a movie. we go to movies alot as a family. i suspect that once they are pre-teens that going to a movie will be replaced with an in-home experience. as with everything else, convenience will win and the movie experience will transition from a get out of the house to a sit on the couch experience. with one collective push of the download button, society will sit on the couch, order a movie, and forever change history, again.

i hope not. i hope that we, consumers, don't give into convenience and forgo the experience that is movies.

2006-10-26T08:27:00.000-05:00

"google me this"

everyone has heard the saying that information is power. i honestly believe that. i think that information and having knowledge is critical in many ways. how much information and what type of information that one has can greatly influence one's decisions. many people have made poor decisions or decisions at the spur of the moment and later regretted those decisions because they didn't have enough information. when you have information you make better decisions. when you have information you are more knowledgeable and more confident in your decisions. so, information is power.

today's information driven world is changing daily. i was listening to a presentation the other day that talked about how people receive information and categorize information in today's world. evidently there are two types of people in today's information age. i don't know if there is any official categorization for these individuals so i'll make up my own. i'll call them the "stackers" and the "searchers". the stackers are those people that continue to try to read, archive and file information in folders, cabinets and bookcases. those people stack information on top of information on top of information. they read, memorize, prioritize and alphabetically file information in some form or fashion. those people have been doing information categorization the same way for years and years. they're not going to change and honestly a new model or way of doing things would only slow them down. change is hard for these people and would really rock their world.

on the opposite end of the spectrum is this new model of information categorization that i have labeled as "searchers". searchers are part of the new movement of individuals that don't want information stored in file cabinets, bookcases or hard copy folders. these people are part of a google oriented, flat file, data driven culture that wants information at the click of a button. a search engine and data base query is the new model for these individuals. i'm one of those individuals. i don't want stacks and stacks of information on my desk. i don't print off emails and then file them in a folder for a rainy day. i'm a proud card carrying member of the generation that stores information in searchable folders that can be found with a simply query.

most of my coworkers are stackers. they don't get my world nor do they try to understand it. their desks are piled high with information that they have yet to read and categorize. that's not my style. i don't know much about interior design, but my desk would be an outstanding example of "Minimalism". i used to think that i was in the minority until it ran across some articles recently.

an october 2006 wired magazine article entitled "the information factories" discusses a new movement of capturing and categorizing information in faster and more efficient server communities. a web presentation by reuters ceo tom glocer says, and i'm paraphrasing here, "today's consumer space is bigger than the corporate space. information technology use to be built for b2b communications and activities and now consumers drive activities". to me that is a huge statement. reuters is one of the most powerful information rich companies in the world and they know that information is power. not only do they know that information is power but they also know that consumers want and desire information in an easy to find, searchable format. cool, really cool.

so the new movement is bigger than just me and my desk. it's worldwide, heck, it's global. today's youtube, myspace, facebook, blogger and google generation is information hungry and believes in speed. the "searchers" of the world are scooping national news agencies with video and posts at a speed that the big networks can't match. if you don't think that the internet and searchable functionality is the next big bang then simply take a look at some of the most recent transactions on the stock market.

news corp's purchase of myspace for a mere $580 million.
google's gobbling up of youtube for $1.65 billion.
yahoo is still negotiating with facebook in an attempt to counter the move by google.
microsoft is doing what microsoft does and believes that a refreshed and improved msn will be their answer.

still not convinced and need more proof? my advice would be to do a quick google search to find out more...

2006-10-25T15:54:00.000-05:00

"evolution"

the classic song from the beatles defines this pic perfectly.

you say you want a revolution
well, you know
we all want to change the world
you tell me that it's evolution
well, you know
we all want to change the world

the world's greatest wife surprised me with tickets to the jeremy camp and hawk nelson concert in raleigh, tn. for those that are not familiar with jeremy camp and hawk nelson let me clarify. both are christian music artists that have an unbelievable ability to connect young people to God through praise and worship.

i don't profess to be a music critic nor do i pretend to know all things about the music industry. but, i can officially say that both bands rocked and put on an unbelievable show. not only was there energy and excitement; but, there was everything that one would expect from a concert. there was an awesome light show, great sound and a huge crowd.

now, i have been to some shows in my day. i have been to van halen's 5150 show (still one of the most awesome concerts ever) and i have been to the stones concert at war memorial stadium in little rock, ar that was worth every single penny. both of those bands filled the venues and rocked the house/stadium/coliseum, etc. you get the point.

as i was rockin' out to camp and hawk nelson my mind began to wander, because that's what my mind does, it wanders. i began to think about how far christian music has come over the last few years.

i can remember when i was a kid. rock bands like van halen, poison, rat and others were the coolest around. i can also remember a friend of mine getting me started on stryper and i thought they were cool as well. they were cool in the hey, look at me, i like music that is cool, edgy and different type of way. in the 80's christian music was defined by the amy grants and the strypers of the day. that was then and this is now. that change or evolution is what i find most fascinating.

there has been a revolution or evolution taking place in the christian music scene over the last 5 to 10 years. a revolution led by artists such as third day, david crowder, mercy me and plenty of others that have evolved modern worship into what it is today. those bands have redefined worship and the "christian" experience for today's generation. i would be remiss if i didn't say that each of those bands were probably heavily influenced by other bands that paved the way for them. like i said, i'm not a music industry expert so i can't begin to venture a guess as to whom those bands might be or the type of influence that they may or may not have had upon those bands. that's not my area of expertise and to be honest, not what i'm interested in talking about.

i'm more interested in the movement itself. it's a movement that is being both embraced and shutout of churches across the country. i find it fascinating that some churches are still operating under the mindset that what worked hundreds of years ago will work today. i am further fascinated by the fact that so many people demand standardization in their worship and church experiences. those people, in my opinion, are struggling to maintain a structure that is quickly loosing traction among today's generation. i hear comments from people such as "it's good to hold onto the past and embrace the history of the church" or "it's the way it has always been done and we're not going to change it". i don't completely disagree. i do, however, disagree with that being the only mindset. i, however think that those types of people are one dimensional in their thought processes. i always hear people using phrases like "we shouldn't try to put limits on God's abilities, a.k.a., putting God in a box". it's those same people that try to define worship as a singular experience. an experience that must meet certain criteria and be structured in a particular fashion. that's what i have a problem with. today's generation of jermey camp, hawk nelson listeners have embraced a totally different mindset. a mindset that worship is neither defined nor structured. that God is God and praise is praise and worship is worship. as long as all of those things are united in a way that glorifies God then what does it matter? hymns are hymns are hymns. they are the same words that were inked hundreds of years ago. the integrity of the wording has remained intact. the sound, the pitch, and the beat may be different but the message is exactly the same. does adding a base beat, an electrical guitar, and some deep pounding drums belittle the message? i would submit that is doesn't.

believe me when i say that today's generation is different. i know, i'm part of that generation. i not only embrace that mindset, but i also see how today's worship experience is reaching a new generation of believers. if you don't want to take my word for it then buy a ticket and attend a local concert or two. it's alive and on fire with enthusiasm. the kids, the adults and the college students are embracing this new movement with open arms. there is no way to describe it except as, awesome.

tonight's concert was a testament to the fact that God was not only being praised but that today's generation is being reached. kids and adults of all ages were singing and worshiping in different ways. although each were different, they were all the same. each had a single purpose, to praise and worship. i think that's what makes things so special. i think that's what solidifies a movement or revolution. different people with similar thoughts that work towards a common goal. sounds like a movement to me. sounds like a group of people that have evolved over time and created their own niche' or segment.

i think many of today's churches aren't prepared with how to deal with evolution. they are too worried about darwin's theory of evolution that they are blinded by the evolution taking place within their own walls. an evolution of people that are wanting something different and something that challenges them on a new level.

einstein's definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. he was a smart guy. he seemed to have been able to figure a few things out like the theory of relativity, quantum theory and statistical mechanics. he played around with the whole mass-energy equivalence thing and that seemed to work out alright for him. all in all i would bet that he would know a thing or two about trials and errors, work and rework and experiments and results. i think that i would listen to what he say's since he won a nobel prize and all.

websters definition of evolution is any process of formation or growth; development.

i'm no genius like albert e; but, i'd rather be a part of the evolutionary movement that reaches today's generation rather than trying to do the same thing over and over and over again. i'm just not the type of person that would ever be comfortable in a padded room.

2006-10-24T16:19:00.000-05:00

"the smell of"

holy cow batman! inspiration can come in so many forms.

i was minding my own business, driving down the road, when i noticed a sign that caught my attention. it was a sign that simply read "memphis fragrance".

it was a sign for a local business trying to grab the attention of drivers moving along the road. it worked, but not quite the way that i suspect they had hoped. see, i am an odd bird and i look at things in a different way than most people. anyway, i drove by and that's when inspiration stopped me dead in my tracks. i stopped, snapped a pic, and as paul harvey would say - here's the rest of the story.

i have lived in memphis for about seven years now. i have seen lots of ups and down over that time period. for the most part, memphis stinks. for those that are struggling to see my parallel, let me simplify and say that it has a bad "fragrance". do you get it?

now, settle down you memphians. for all of those people that will immediately start bashing me and calling me a memphis hater let me clarify. i'll start by covering a few of the things that i like about memphis.

i like the smell of hotdogs and rendezvous nachos at a memphis redbirds ballgame.

i like the smell of the smoke-like-stuff in the fed ex forum after they have introduced the memphis grizzlies.

i like the smell of pizza at memphis pizza cafe.

i like the smell of barbecue at the commissary and corky's.

i'm not a nascar fan, but i have been to millington to watch cars race around and i liked the smell of fuel and burning rubber on the race track.

as you can tell, i like the tourist type attractions that memphis has to offer. but, the blog can't end there. that wouldn't make any sense. so now back to the bad "fragrances" or my reasoning behind why memphis stinks.

memphis stinks because it has no control or strategy in place to combat population growth or urban sprawl.

memphis stinks because it has no control or strategy in place to address the increasing crime rate, violent crimes or youth gang activities.

memphis is a bad "fragrance" because it consistently performs below average in educational rankings compared to the national averages.

memphis stinks because the mayor wants to fight everyone that opposes him.

memphis stinks because there is no accountability for spending.

so that's, that. that's why i think memphis stinks.

now don't go throwing me to the fire just yet. let me clarify by saying that memphis has two very different government structures in place. they have the city government ran by the world's most popular boxing mayor and the county government ran by someone that knows a thing or two about management, leadership, and balancing a budget.

he is not a boxer, he is a business man. that's the difference.

when i am saying that memphis stinks it's not directed at the county functions or the government structure that defines the county.

just to clarify, the county smells fine - it's the city that stinks. got it?

2006-10-23T17:37:00.000-05:00

"the growl"

dieting sucks. i haven't officially committed to a diet as of yet. i am only contemplating a diet. you know, sort of a warm up exercise before a big race. you have to psyche yourself up, you have to stretch, and begin to mentally prepare yourself for what is ahead of you. that's where i am right now in reference to my pending diet. i need to loose some weight. if i was calling into the dan patrick show on espn i would have to say that i am 6 ft. 3 in., 240 lbs (ding!); because that's what you do when you call into the show. you give your weight and height. don't ask me why, it's just the way they do things.

anyway. back to the whole weight thing. i thought that i was a normal size guy until i was warming up my "lean starvine" (lean cuisine) in the break room the other day and noticed a bmi chart hanging on the wall. that's when it hit me. it hit me right square in the ole' one pack. according to the chart i am overweight. not obese, but overweight. just a few white chocolate reeses peanut butter cups away from obese according to the chart.

i'm not sure how they calculate the chart or what mechanics are involved in the development of said chart, but i am convinced that it is wrong. it's gotta be wrong. good grief, i surely hope that it is wrong. i can't be overweight and almost tipping the scales as obese. so, in an effort to make myself feel better i have decided to contemplate a diet.

i have thought about adkins. i have thought about slimfast. i have thought about the one where you go and weigh and then buy your food each week. i just can't seem to decide which of those would best work for me. i have some coworkers that have done the adkins thing. they have lost the weight, found it again, lost it again and found it again. so i am not sure about that one.

i also have some coworkers that have counted points, bought meals in a box, and go to weekly weigh in sessions to track their progress. that's not really my style. so i have ruled those out.

i also have some coworkers that exercise everyday and eat in moderation. i think that i could sign on with that type of program. it's the whole eating in moderation that i might have an issue with. i could do fine as long as the diet involves all you can eat pizza and pasta. it's the whole moderation thing that i would struggle with. i guess i would question why one would ever need to go to olive garden and order the all you can eat breadsticks and never ending pasta bowl if you had to enjoy it all in moderation. the way figure it, moderation equals stomach growling. according to my scientific calculations: stomach growls = an automatic trigger or an internal need to feed one's face with food. i just don't deal with 'the growl" well at all.

so, that's why i am contemplating a diet. i have to find the one that is best for me. i have to find the one that will work best into my schedule and is convenient. dieting can't be hard or difficult. it's got to be easy and has got to be instant. not tummy tuck instant; but, good, solid results every day or so. at least five to ten pounds a week. right?

i guess i will continue my research and analysis of the latest and greatest diet trends. i will review the hollywood diet, the zone diet and many more. i will probably get motivated to purchase a new pair of workout shoes and maybe a pair of shorts or two so that i will be in style when i decide upon my workout routine. i have always wanted to be a runner. maybe i will go buy a running magazine. yeah, that's it. i'll get a running magazine. i always see headlines that say things like "learn to run in thirty days", or "step by step guides for beginning runners".

that sounds like something i could do. i'll have to research that for a few weeks before i get started.

2006-10-22T22:23:00.000-05:00

"minority"

have you ever been in the minority? i was in the minority big time tonight in a voting situation. so much in the minority that it was my vote and another lone vote among a sea of votes for the majority. it was one of the most difficult situations that i think i have ever been in before. not difficult because i was second guessing my vote, but difficult because of the way that i felt afterwards. difficult because i felt so strongly and adamant about my vote and everyone else couldn't understand or accept my position. that part sucked. that part was what i found difficult. see, i have never been one to conform to the masses in order to fit in. i have never been one to just give in and go along for the ride. i may not engage in political conversations (see democracy) because that just isn't my thing. but, when i am passionate about something, nothing can stand in my way. i am not the type to be easily swayed from one side to the other. i am, if the other side presents facts, open to learning and understanding all of those facts and then making up my mind based upon good, solid information. that's what bugs me so much about my vote tonight.

i cast a vote at a church business meeting that was very much in the minority. i voted what i felt was right and wasn't at all worried or concerned about my vote until others became involved. i never second guessed my vote until others started questioning my vote. i never felt as if i offended anyone with my vote until others started to express those feelings to me. that's what really frustrated me the most. it's my vote, it's what i felt, it's the message that i wanted to send and everyone else shouldn't be concerned.

i guess that is what has caused this whirlwind of emotions that i have gone through tonight. i have had calls and calls and calls from individuals wanting me to discuss my vote with them. i have had people calling just to check on me and to see how i was doing. to be honest, i feel like these people are more worried and concerned with my vote than i am. i am over it. i voted the way that i wanted and that was it. i wasn't concerned with justifying my position or having to discuss my vote with anyone. i guess that's polity, oops i mean politics.

i can say that i am a bit frustrated with the whole process. i am frustrated because of things like a standing vote and a show of hands. not that i am trying to hide behind my vote or seek some type of hidden refuge as i vote, but the whole thing seemed a bit odd to me. it seemed a bit odd that an important vote would be cast in the wide open. almost as if to say that we want to identify those that voted in the opposition so that we can talk to them later. i wonder if those 'talks' will ever happen?

so here's to all of those that have been in the minority. here's to all of those people that have marched to the beat of a different drummer and have chosen the path less traveled. it's a good path. it's a path that has lots of resistance at times. it's a path that has more obstacles and barriers along the way. the thing about the path less traveled is that once you have finished your journey it feels like you have earned something. it feels as if you have accomplished something. it feels as if you are better, stronger and more resilient having gone through the journey. you have scars, you have bruises, but at least you tried and succeeded. those that finish the race and all went down the same path may have sweated but they have not cried. tears are emotions that one experiences after they have either given their all and fallen short or have given their all and won. i don't know too many people that cry tears of joy and sorrow that have simply marched in line and followed the collective group.

don't get me wrong, i respect those that follow in line and march to the same beat. it's not that at all. i just have more admiration for those that move outside the line, go down the path that is less traveled, and come through it with the scars and bruises. they have the wounds and the stories to tell about their journey.

that's how i feel right now. i feel as if i have been through the journey. i have taken the path less traveled and have the scars, tears and bruises to show for it. i guess that's really what life is all about. not just living life and going through the motions; but, really experiencing life to the fullest. i guess that casting one of a handful of votes is part of that journey. i guess just being strong enough to cast that vote should mean something to someone. or at least it does to me.

but, what do i know...i'm obviously in the minority here.

2006-10-21T21:38:00.000-05:00

"dextromethorphan hbr 15 mg"

i really have no idea what dextromethorphan is. all i know is that it is one of the major ingredients in what is considered the world's best coughing, aching, stuffy head fever, so you can rest medicine. i was feeling a bit under the weather last night so i took a dose. needless to say, not only does it put you to sleep instantly; but, it creates some pretty wicked dreams. i will spare you all of the details but it involved some high school flashbacks, fast cars, and a national high school nascar-like trophy series. considering the fact that i don't know of any high school that has a race car team or a nascar-like competition among rivalry schools this made my dream really unique. i can say that my dream kicked some serious butt. not only was i the coolest kid in high school but i also had the fastest car and won the trophy. that rocks.

i guess there would be some psychologist that would want to dissect my dream and tell me that it had something to do with emotions hidden deep with subconscious mind. they would go on further to explain that my dream had something to do with my lack of popularity in high school and my desire to achieve success as part of my occ drive, type a personality that is somehow linked to my pursuit of perfection in everything that i do. i for one would like to believe that it has nothing to do with psychology or my subconscious memory and everything to do with me simply having an awesome dream. regardless, it rocked and i was the coolest, fastest, high school kid on a nascar-like team in the country. i almost want to take another dose tonight to see if i win more races and go on to compete in the open wheel series overseas. it might just be my overachieving, perfectionist-like personality type kickin' in here, but i really think i have a chance to be the best in the world.

another cool aspect of my dream was how awesome my car was. my car was the bomb. it was green. not the john deer green but a really cool lime green that was symbolic of, well, a lime. it was lime green with a cool yellow bolt of lightning on it. i don't need any psychologist to further explain the meaning behind the color scheme or the lightning bolt. i too have that one figured out. it has everything to do with fantasy football. let me explain.

the last thing i did before i checked out into the high school nascar championship series was log on to my fantasy football account and set my team for sunday. my son helped me pick out a green helmet with a yellow lightning bolt as my team mascot for this season. so, i am pretty sure that was my subconscious choice for my totally awesome, very fast, championship calibur car design. did i mention that my car rocked.

so that's the 411 behind today's pic. sweet dreams until tomorrow.

2006-10-20T23:44:00.000-05:00

"energizer bunny"

get out of the way energizer bunny there's a new sheriff in town. you know the energizer bunny commercials where they say that the batteries keep going and going and going. well, step back mr. bunny because you not have some serous competition. the competition is the in the form of orange cones.

everyone knows about the orange cones. they are in every city, state and territory in the world. there are more orange barrels per capita than there are schools, churches and grocery stores. these cones are everywhere. they are on every street, sidewalk and interstate that you see. not only are they already making an impact, but their numbers keep growing and growing. much like bunnies...i guess.

i am convinced that the orange barrels are on a quest to rule the world. as i type this blog there are barrels across the country that have shut down traffic, stopped shipments of supplies and many more are waiting in the wings to do the same. they have military like precision and placement in key cities and states. they are in every metropolitan area and even have special access to buildings, offices, airports and parking decks. the cones are everywhere.

overnight, orange cones can shutdown transportation and distribution channels of major interstates and bridges. within a matter of minutes these orange cones have the power to bring thousands of cars and trucks to a screeching halt as they transform three and four lane interstates into single lane thoroughfares. that's the type of power that these cones have.

not only do they have the ability to limit your mobility, but these cones have been trained in psychological warfare as well. without doing a single thing, these cones have the ability to raise ones blood pressure, cause anxiety, and have been known to cause road rage and elevated tempers.

as you can see, these cones are dangerous. they not only have the ability to shutdown distribution and shipping channels with military like precision; but, they have a keen sense of psychological warfare and a keen sense of what it takes to bring people of all types to the breaking point. if you don't believe me then just take a look the next time you are sitting in traffic and notice how many of these orange fellows are hanging around.

it's scary i tell you. really scary.

2006-10-19T17:18:00.000-05:00

"democracy"

signs are everywhere. not the signs that say "we'll buy your home in three days" or the "free satellite dish when you call this number" signs. the signs i am talking about are special. the type of signs that loudly declare that that democracy is alive and well in our great nation. the signs that i am talking about are the ever present election signs. yes, it's that time again where red, white and blue signs are proudly distributed at every intersection in town. a time where candidates from all types of backgrounds and political affiliations compete for each and every single vote.

votes. a simple word with great power. a power that more than forty six percent of americans fail to exercise according to the family education website. compare that with other countries and you will find that the u.s. ranks 35th in voter turnout out of the world's prominent democracies.

now, i have said from the very beginning that i was not a politically motivated individual. nor do i profess to be an all knowing source of information that would woo you at a cocktail party with my in-depth knowledge of politics. to be quite honest, if the subject ever came up and i was asked to engage in political commentary, i would probably just smile, agree with the masses and politely excuse myself in search of an appetizer or two. i would much rather feed my face than attempt to save face as i embarrassed myself trying to make sense of local, national and world events. it's just not my thing. i just don't get excited about politics. i get it, i respect it and i am most thankful for it. again, it's just not my thing.

so why is that? why is it that so many people have lost interest in what is one of the most important responsibilities that we have? a responsibility that many have died for and have fought to ensure. why is it that only 54 percent of eligible voters cast their ballots during the last four decades of presidential elections?

i can only hypothesize as to the reasoning.

i suspect that most people have become immune to the current state of politics. so many people are more than happy sitting around and being a member of the status quo. so many have the attitude that it doesn't affect me, it doesn't impact me; therefore, i don't have time to deal with it.

i suspect that a lot of people may be tired of the drama. each night that you turn on the television you can see some form or fashion of political drama being played out nationally. it might be a debate that has gotten out of hand, it might be a city official threatening council or planning committee members (way to go memphis), or it might simply be a complete lack of faith in the system. lack of faith in a system that is so big it is uncontrollable. a system that depends upon each and every taxpaying dollar; but, cannot identify how more than $2 billion dollars worth of hurricane katrina fraud could have happened. that my friends is a heck of a lot of zeros behind that 2. and no i didn't say "m" as in millions, but that is "b" as in billions.

so those are my thoughts. that is why i think that so many people have grown tired of the political turmoil that is playing out each and everyday. so many times we see the approval ratings of politicians plastered in the media each and everyday. they go up and down much like an afternoon report of the stock exchange. opinions rise and fall. stocks rise and fall. it's simply the cycle.

the bottom line is that each single voice, regardless of how tired or frustrated that it might be, is important in the process. each voice or vote defines our country. individually, those votes may not motivate change but together they mean something.

now close us out lee greenwood. "i am proud to be an american....." until tomorrow.

2006-10-18T23:07:00.000-05:00

"ramsey"

dave ramsey is a great guy and has lots of great advice. i don't know him personally; but, i think that he is a great guy. for those that don't know, he is the christian based financial counselor that believes in a cash based system, minimal debt, and solid financial planning for the future. i like the whole dave ramsey philosophy. i like the cash system. i like the idea that people should only buy things they can afford. to be honest, living outside of ones means is the reason that the average american family now owes more than $9,000 in credit debt, according to gail cunningham of the consumer credit counseling service (CCCS) of greater dallas, a nonprofit financial-management group. And with credit companies mailing out a record 6 billion credit-card offers last year (according to mail monitor, a market research group), american families are averaging about seven cards [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14366431/site/newsweek/].

with all of that being said - i want a new freakin' car. i want to spend a ton of money on a brand spankin' new car that i can't afford. i want it to be a gas guzzlin' suv that has all of the bells and whistles that money; errr, credit can buy. i don't care what it costs. i just want a new car and i want to finance it for an unbelievably long time at a tremendously low interest rate. i want to join the millions of american's that are way over their head in debt and struggle to make payments each and every month. but, i just can't get myself to do it.

see, i am cheap. i am a hybrid of a street peddler and donald trump. i want all of the luxuries that trump affords - for free. i want the finest that someone else's money can buy. i want lottery type money. money that i am just given for doing nothing. so, i guess my 1997 toyota camry will have to do. its paid for, it runs and its a solid car. the kind of car that dave ramsey would be proud of. he would say that i should keep this car, keep up the maintenance, save the monthly payments and pay good ole' cash for a previously owned, luxury car.

i suppose that i will just ignore the various lights that continue to appear on the dashboard. one of those lights has something to do with the brakes. one repair shop said that it was an "electrical" issue and they would be glad to take a look at it for roughly $50-$75 per hour. i am quite sure that would be a simple and inexpensive thing to fix (that my friends is sarcasm).

another illuminating reminder has something to do with my seat belt. sure, the light goes off when i click the seat belt in place. i'm not stupid - that's the easy part. the problem is that my seat belt somehow got pulled all the way out and is stuck. i have enough seat belt to safely secure richard simmons and two more of his "sweatin' to the oldies" friends. again, a repair shop said that they could fix it for a price.

the third light that appears frequently is the fuel light. there is actually nothing wrong with the fuel light. as you might recall, i am just cheap. somehow i have justified in my mind that an old car does not deserve a full tank of gas. i guess in my mind only new cars deserve a full tank of gas. it's silly, stupid and childlike mentality. i know... i have issues.

i guess i will just continue to drive the camry around and wait on my lottery ticket to hit. i guess i will continue to push the limits and truly see how far a toyota camry can go on $5 bucks of fuel. heck, if the lottery ticket hits i might even fill er' up, take er' around the block and trade er' in.

2006-10-17T21:02:00.000-05:00

"stupid trees"

i know that i have just offended tree huggers nationwide with that comment. at this exact moment in time i really don't care. stay with me here as i explain.

see, i like trees, i like shade, and i really like big trees that provide lots of shade during the hot memphis, tn summers. those are all things that i like. i also like sitting in my backyard and watching the leaves shake as a welcomed breeze wisps its way through the treeline. i get the whole tree thing, i embrace the whole nature thing, and i really believe that trees are good. they do the whole carbon dioxide/oxygen exchange thing and keep all of us humans breathing in and out. that i get, that i am thankful for and that i can support.

here's why i have declared today as national "stupid trees" day. squirrels. yep, those little, annoying, tree climbing rascals that serve no purpose other than, well, climbing trees. oh yeah, there is one other purpose that squirrels serve. not only do they climb trees but they also climb into houses and die. that's what i suspect has happened at my house. we live in a heavily wooded area of germantown, tn. there are lots of established neighborhoods built during a time where they built homes around existing trees and didn't clear cut and then build. i have great trees, i have great shade, and now i have a great big, stinking mess of a dead squirrel somewhere in my attic.

how do i know this? well, i'll spare you the details, but lets just say that i don't think i "could smell what the rock is cooking" if i had to (if you have never watched wrestling then sorry, there's no way you will get that one). anyway, it’s the smell. i think that i either have one of the worlds largest stink bugs in my attic or a dead squirrel. at this point i am truly hoping for the world's largest stink bug. at least with the whole stink bug scenario i could call the folks at guinness book of world records and try to secure my place in history. i suspect not.

so, here's my point.

trees are stupid because they provide a climbing apparatus for squirrels. squirrels serve no purpose in the world other than climbing trees and climbing into houses. without trees, then there would be no way that squirrels could climb, so and so on. that's why i am asking that everyone join forces with me to declare this national "stupid trees" day. i am not saying that everyone go out and cut down trees in the name of "stupid tree" day. i wouldn't go that far, yet. however, my attitude might change and become increasingly more hostile as the smell grows stronger and stronger. stay tuned as i work through this.

down with trees; but, not literally...yet....

2006-10-16T20:38:00.000-05:00

"saywhatadorkiam"

i am a dork. there are a couple of ways that one might come to that conclusion.

one is that i am an avid reader of wired magazine. wired is a cool magazine that is cutting edge and revolutionary in many ways. if you are interested in keeping up with all things technological and innovative then wired is the mag to do it. by reading it you are not automatically labeled as a dork. but stick with me. i still have more information that further builds the case.

the other day i went shopping for a watch. i looked at stainless steel watches, i looked at leather bands and i looked at digitals. i looked at some that were titanium, some that were swiss made, and some that were way outside of my price range. ultimately i solidified my place among the kingdom of dorks by purchasing a watch that is solar powered. yes, they make such a thing. they truly make a solar powered watch.

now let me try to tie all of this together. i am not sure if any solar powered watches have ever been featured in the product section of wired magazine but i know that they have showcased some pretty edgy stuff. i have seen computer watches, i have seen watches with usb ports that serve as flash drives, and i am sure that eventually there will be one that has built in gps capabilities. again, i am not sure if they have ever featured a solar watch but they probably should.

my watch, i now say with tremendous pride, is the coolest thing around. it has a lifetime battery that charges in natural or fluorescent lighting. it is awesome. it's waterproof, and even has a nightlight when you pivot the watch to a certain angle - it must have some super secret technology like the segway. it's even smart enough to know whether or not to use the nightlight, at the correct pivoted angle, based upon the light readings within its surroundings. what i am trying to say is that is automatically knows when and where to turn the nightlight on; now that is cool.

so i am a dork. my watch now proves it. not the magazine that i read; but, the watch that i wear. my point can be further exemplified by another magazine based fact. i also read esquire magazine and think that it has some cool stuff in it. if you are looking for the latest trends in fashion, culture and all things manly then they promote esquire magazine as the end all - be all. to further prove my point, i have to say that i have never seen a solar powered watch grace the pages of esquire magazine.

so if you are keeping track, that equals solar powered watch - zero, cool magazines that are on the cutting edge of technology and fashion - two.

another translation might simply be "saywhatadorkiam".

2006-10-14T21:47:00.000-05:00

"gone"

three days of fun and excitement in dallas was awesome but things must come to an end. to be honest i am tired and a little worn out. the shopping and market stuff was great but i am still tired. i have always heard people say that they need to take a few days off following a vacation so that they can get some rest. i sort of know what they mean.

its not that i didn't get enough rest or that i didn't get the chance to veg out and not think about work. i did all of those things but i am still a bit tired. i guess there is nothing like sleeping in ones own bed.

today's pic is the dallas skyline during the evening as we cruised through town. the picture captures all of the excitement of dallas in a fast forward kind of way. the lights streaked across the sky and the camera struggled to keep pace as we moved down the freeway. it turned out kinda cool so i decided to use is. i think that it is especially cool considering that i was driving, fighting through traffic and taking the picture all at the same time. anyway, that's the dallas trip. lots of fun, lots of money spent, and lots of memories. i didn't take as many pictures as i had planned but i did grab a few here and there. the focus of the trip was more on helping my wife and just getting some decompress time from work. for the most part, i did all of that. i suppose that all of the work stuff will be right there waiting for me bright and early on monday morning. until then...

2006-10-13T21:25:00.000-05:00

"language"

today we continued up and down the fifteen floors of retail heaven know as the world trade center in dallas, tx. we spent much of the day shopping, looking and negotiating with the vendors. many of the vendors that we worked with were from other countries and we encountered a few barriers when trying to communicate. the combination of the language barriers and these conveniently placed "questions" signs were the subject of today's pic.

i guess it is the irony of the whole situation that i found intriguing. the irony was that there were question marks and signs all around pointing to ways to get help if one needed; but, negotiating with some vendors was like, well, speaking a totally different language.

today's retail/wholesale market is diverse, well designed, and fast paced. information is being exchanged across t-1 lines, data ports, and phone lines at incredible speeds. orders are being placed, shipped and received every time you turn around. the languages that are used within those transactions are far ranging from spanish to vietnamese to chinese. all are different and all are alive and well in the purchasing process at the world trade center.

what i found most interesting today was how diverse the whole process was. diversity in the styles, colors, languages and people. each vendor was different in their own different way. each vendor had a specialty and took enormous pride in their products and offerings.

that is what i have taken from this whole process.

not only did i get to see first hand the retail/wholesale machine in action, but i got to experience first hand the changing culture of our country. a country that is shaped and defined by people of all different cultures.

another thing that sticks out in my mind the most is a special little lady that helped at one of the stores where we shopped. this special lady could not speak a word of english. although she never spoke a word, she had a kindness and calming spirit about her that was very special. everything about her was unique. she was very short in stature and almost dwarflike in some ways. she was a small vietnamese woman that was assisting her family in the store. it was neat to watch the dynamics of the family relationship. although she never spoke or annunciated a single syllable it was abundantly clear that she was respected among her family. she walked around, motioned to the customers, and worked the sales floor, all the time, never uttering a single word in english. she exchanged dialogue with her family and she talked among others that knew the language. but, you never felt as if language was needed and you never felt like language was a barrier to business.

sure, there are times where language could be a barrier to conducting business among people. there are times when orders get confused or mixed up due to language. but, that happens regardless of whether or not the order is being taken in english, chinese or some other dialect. it's probably more to do with communication, patience, and clarification than anything else.

as the world continues to change and our communities and people become more diverse it is an opportunity not a challenge. it is an opportunity to embrace diversity and to learn more about people. that should be our attitude and we should be enthusiastic about learning about other cultures. that's what makes life special, meeting people, learning about others, and then embracing the diversity that make us all different.

2006-10-12T22:15:00.000-05:00

"trades"

today i got to experience first hand the powerful retail/wholesale machine that is the world trade center in dallas, tx. if you have never been there it is really hard to describe. it is fifteen floors of retail madness. it has more furniture, clothes and jewelry than anyone could ever imagine. we spent the majority of our time on the thirteenth floor, that's the inspiration for today's pic.

the "thirteenth" as i have affectionately named it, is a place where anyone, that owns anything, tries to sell to the masses. the whole process is amazing. there are packages being delivered, shipped, loaded and unloaded throughout the entire day. there are credits, debits card and cash exchanging hands at a miraculous pace. it truly is a retail machine and is fascinating to watch.

more tomorrow about the whole shopping experience.

2006-10-11T23:21:00.000-05:00

"road trip"

i'm taking a few days off from work for some vacation time but the blog will continue on.

fifty eight dollars worth of gas
nine hours in the car
getting to meet one of texas' finest....priceless

today officially kicked off a couple of days of relaxation and fun as me and the wife pointed the ole' suv towards the west on a road trip. after a short stop along the interstate to drop off the little ones with the world’s best mother-in-law we pressed forward towards our goal - dallas, tx.

we had some conversation, we had some dinner and we got to see sights and meet people along the way.

one of those people was officer "x" of the texas highway patrol. a nice man, well dressed, very professional and a totally cool guy. i rank him the totally cool category because he clocked me at 78 in a 65 and let me go. no ticket, no citation, just a 'slow it down please' father-like warning. i'll take that any day of the week over a ticket. just an fyi for those that are traveling west - be sure to remember that at night the speed limit goes from 70 to 65, no joke.

so that's day one of the road trip. good food, good times, good conversation, and good luck thus far.

2006-10-10T21:24:00.000-05:00

"stacks"

this is my work life. stacks upon stacks upon stacks of information. information in hardcopy format, information is electronic format, information filed for archive, information entered for database query. information to the right, information to the left, information everywhere. it is enough to drive a person crazy. that's where i am at right now in my work life. too much information that there is hardly enough room for anything else. which brings me to my question? do we really need all of this information?

i heard an interesting presentation the other day through a website called hp change artists. the hp change artists website is dedicated to professional that are senior leaders of fortune 500 companies. these leaders normally include the ceo and the cio or the cto of the company. the whole purpose is to showcase how these individuals are leading change at their companies. how they, as the movers and shakers of their respective companies, are driving goals and stimulating change. i have always thought that these types of people are fascinating. fascinating because they are able to see the big picture and lead people towards a collective goal.

this one particular presentation features the ceo and the cio of reuters news. they were talking about how reuters has become a dominating force in the sharing, collection and distribution business for financial and news information. they have defined their niche' and have taken the information business to a whole new level. not only was i fascinated by their dialogue about how they positioned this and strategically designed that; but, i was captivated by one of their comments. the comment was that today's generation does not like information filed away in a file drawer via hardcopy format. today's generation likes information in a flat file format that can easily be queried and accessed via database driven applications. that statement is what provided the inspiration for today's picture. that statement, is a statement that defines this generation of people.

today's generation is a generation of consumers that wants information that is accessible and easy to find. we are not a generation that looks for all of the facts on the front page of the morning paper. we are generation that wants the information, updates and stories delivered via instant messenger, email, podcast or rss feeds.

as i was leaving my office today i thought about how much information i read and in what format. i thought about the stacks of magazines that lay on the floor that i hoped to someday read. i though about how much information i had already read today via websites, text messages, and emails. i added up today's email in my head and estimated that it must have been around 75 or so. those emails were just the work emails. i had also viewed three other email accounts that i have that help me keep up with all of the non work related stuff. too much information and too little time.

so what did i do?

i vented online in a blog that hopefully someone else might read. how's that for distributing information to the masses.

2006-10-09T19:25:00.000-05:00

"tock"

ever have one of those days where it seems like time just stands still? that was my monday. time was moving at an snails pace and it seemed like everything was in slow motion. i don't know if it was that the weekend moved so fast or if my monday was indeed just a stereotypical monday. regardless, today seemed like the day that would never end.

why is it that we constantly wish our time away. we wish for weekends, we wish for vacations, we wish for quitting time. we spend five days gearing up for the weekend and then we try to stop the clock each friday night.

each week we go through the cycle of fighting the clock. to be honest, we end up wishing our lives away. being in the moment is never enough for the majority of us. now, there are some people that truly embrace the mentality that they have to live in the moment. those people are always soaking up life, peering at sunsets, and they all seem to be content with everything. on days like today, i wonder if those people really exist.

i wonder if those people ever have a ‘monday’. i wonder if those people are always happy and content. i wonder if those people always have smiles on their faces - twenty four hours a day. i also wonder if those people ever shut down, collapse and get exhausted by keeping up the expectation of living in the moment?

now, i am not trying to be mr. negativity and suggest that the entire world needs a prescription for downers. quite the opposite. i think that people that live in the moment are awesome. i think that their enthusiasm for life is contagious and i wish i was one of those people. i just wonder if they ever get tired of living in the moment? i wonder if they work at jobs that are stressful and boring? i wonder if they look back at their lives and never have second thoughts about decisions that they have made? i wonder if they ever think about the past at all, or if they are just absolutely, positively living in the moment? all of those are questions that i would like to ask to the next 'living in the moment' person that i meet.

i guess that is why i like photography so much. it freezes time and forces it to stand still. photography forever memorializes events, figures, people, and places. photography takes all of those moments that we want to hold onto and presses the pause button for a brief moment.

so, i guess that's the answer to the whole question about living in the moment. i guess, in all actuality, that is why so many people look back at their lives through pictures. they have hurried themselves through life so quickly that they cannot remember most of the details. instead, they look back at life through memories defined in pictures. small, little, 5 x 7 momentos of their lives. they may not have lived in the moment; but, they can live that particular moment through snapshots of time.

here's to freezing time with pictures.

2006-10-08T22:18:00.000-05:00

"obsession"

can't blog right now because football is on.

how is that for an obsession? just kidding. the majority of my time this weekend has involved football on the radio, logging on to view my fantasy picks, watching football, playing football and talking about football. i guess growing up in the south it is pretty much a given that football is a standard part of our lives. whether it is friday night football at a local high school, or road tripping to watch your favorite college team, the sport of football is as much a part of america as chevrolets and apple pie.

the newest revolution, or at least partially new to me, is the national obsession with fantasy football. this revolution, and i mean it when i say it is a revolution, has become one of the fastest growing sporting activities in the world. it has men, women, kids and dogs logging in to make picks. o.k., not really dogs - at least i don't think so, yet. but seriously, this whole fantasy football thing is unbelievable. it is totally off the hook. so much off the hook that i wanted to see just how popular it actually is. as with anything these days i wanted to gauge the popularity of the event by conducting a scientific study of sorts. an official study to cross reference the popularity of the event with the national statistics regarding fantasy football. so, yep you guessed it, i went to the power house of scientific study - google.

yep, google.
the all knowing google.

google will never let you down and will always give you an answer. in the case of fantasy football, google resulted in 73,100,000 hits. that is unfreaking believable. that is unheard of.

to further explain how this revolution has taken the world by storm i have to point out an article in the baltimore business journal on august 16 of this year that stated the businesses were losing $1.1 billion weekly in lost productivity to fantasy football. the article also stated that the number of people playing fantasy football has reached upwards of 36.8 million people and growing. again, unfreaking believable. although he probably never played fantasy football, and his focus was primarily on baseball, i think that the late harry caray would have summed it up perfectly by saying - holy cow!

2006-10-07T23:02:00.000-05:00

"pundkins"

that's what my two year old daughter has been talking about the entire day as we planned a family trip to the pumpkin patch.

all day long there has been talk about 'pundkins' and 'my get a pundkin' questions. after all of the build up our trip to the pumpkin patch proved to be worth it. tons of pumpkins, a hay ride and a bon fire were all highlights of the trip. i know it sounds country and only something that people would do in the south - and you are exactly right.

it was the most backwards, countryfide experience that one would/could ever imagine. it was every bit a script from one of jeff foxworthy's 'you might be a redneck if' shows. but, i have to tell you that it was absolutely worth it. we had the best family day and the best time hanging out with friends that joined us later that evening. it was a great experience and the kids truly enjoyed hanging out, cooking hotdogs, and walking through the pumpkin patch. each one found that special pumpkin that would be their very own to take home. just hearing the excitement and joy in their voices may it all worth while.

by now it is pretty clear that this blog is a journey of sorts to regain childlike enthusiasm about life and photography. today was one of those days where it was fun to experience life through the focus of a two year old child. the entire day was focused on getting to pick out a 'pundkin'. the entire day was spent in anticipation of going on an adventure and finding a treasure. that's what life is to a two year old, nothing more and nothing less. the meaning of life to a two year old is anticipation, adventure and treasures.

i have gotta say that two year olds seem to have that right idea.

2006-10-06T21:12:00.000-05:00

"stars"

freedom and expression of creative ideas is something that many of us take for granted. just being able to post to a blog each day is a freedom.

as i post today's image i think about my friend keith who served overseas a few years ago. keith is a quiet, strong, and proud individual. i think the world of keith and how he has served our country over the years that i have know him. i think that he, and others like him, are special people. special because they take pride in serving our country and protecting our freedoms.

i think about two of my coworkers whose son's served overseas at the same time. each of them had different political views but shared a common interest. regardless of their political views or how they vote on election day, both were proud of their kids. proud that they were serving and protecting our country.

i think about fourth of july fireworks, veteran's day, and the commercial that just played on tv advertising the new clint eastwood movie about the men that raised the flag at iwo jima.

i think about one of my all time most favorite movies private ryan. i think about my son and daughter learning the pledge of allegiance at school and i think about whether or not we will ever leave irac and afghanistan.

all of these thoughts raced through my mind as i typed this post. with each keystroke i found myself both struggling to find the words to express my thoughts. i found myself struggling to define how the words blog and freedom can somehow be entangled together in collective harmony. i struggled with how to make sense of it all. i guess i should stick to taking pictures and leave the politics to others. until tomorrow.

2006-10-05T20:21:00.000-05:00

"much"

i was dumping some spare change into a vending machine at my office when i was reminded of a blog entry of one of my friends matt newman (http://www.matthewnewman.blogspot.com/). matt is a talented writer that i met one summer as we worked on a youth project entitled "disciple now" in memphis, tennessee. matt's passion is contagious and if you viewed his postings on his blog it wouldn't take long for you get a sneak peek into what motivates and inspires him. back to today's posting. as i was saying, i was dumping some spare change into a vending machine at my office when i was reminded of a blog entry of one of my friends matt newman. matt and i aren't myspace type friends, nor are we talk on the phone friends either. we are once or twice a year email exchange friends and i hope to catch up if he is ever back in this area again.

anyway, matt's blog if filled with passion about how to combat things like, poverty and homelessness. his blog links to websites that are creating movements centered on challenging this generation to do something great. a challenge to make a difference and break the cycle of homelessness and poverty in this country and around the world. as i was getting ready to donate my spare change i thought about how "much" we have. i know that i said i wouldn't use this blog as a political forum or launch pad; but, on occasion there might be times where i can use this blog as a tool to educate. you won't find me taking a rightwing or leftwing political stand on this blog, but you might find me linking to other sites that i think are worthy of noting. you won't find me elaborating on world events or pushing for political candidates that i think should be endorsed, or not. what you will find are pictures that are motivated by thoughts and emotions. pictures that are deeply rooted in thoughts that i hope will inspire conversation and dialogue. that's the theme of today's post. to hopefully inspire and generate thoughts.

today's post is of a fully stocked vending machine that has every flavor that one could desire. as i took this picture i thought about how much we have. how much stuff, food, drink, and entertainment that we are surrounded by in this world of excess. contrast all of our stuff with the needs, desires and wants of people in third world countries. how blessed we are to have so much. how blessed we are to have the ability to gather much more. how, can we sleep at night knowing that tomorrow we will wake up and conduct ourselves in a manner in which we are encouraged to do much more with much less?

that's the cycle that i have talked about so many times in this blog. the cycle of the world that tends to push us into thinking that everything is driven by a me, me, me mentality. it's that 'me mentality' that causes us to walk by homeless people on the streets and not blink an eye. it's that 'me mentality' that causes us to stash away all of our money for a rainy day. it's that 'me mentality' that causes us not to donate to charities or foundations that could truly make a difference.

so, as you get ready to feed the vending machine during your next hunger pain, take a moment to think about this picture. take a moment to think about what else you could be doing with that spare change. my hope would be that this blog and this picture do exactly that. inspire you to do something "much, much" more than what you/we have been doing.

2006-10-04T11:49:00.000-05:00

"fuel"

o.k., i have failed.

i am less than two weeks into this blog and i have officially missed my first day. it's not that there is a lack of inspiration - finding images has been the easy part thus far. the hard part is finding time to post the daily blog entry. so, from this point onward i commit to not sucking, by sucking it up and ensuring that i don't miss any more days. the project is way too cool, and has provided me with a renewed sense of enthusiasm about art, creativity and photography. i simply refuse to allow the project to fail.

alright already...enough about my struggles and my wining, crying and moaning about how i have missed posting an image to by blog. i'm over it. i think...

now on to "fuel".

each wednesday night i volunteer at an event in germantown, memphis called "main event". this is a community wide, youth oriented, church outreach project that is designed to bring kids closer to God. i have been working this event for more than a year and a half and it is, in a single word, awesome. it is unlike anything that i have ever done before. that's where i found today's/yesterday's post (or whatever you want to call it). today's post is one of the props used for the another event for senior high students called "fuel".

this old fuel pump had tons of unique and authentic characteristics that make it special. i could have focused on lots of different elements for a photograph; but, i chose to focus on the display as the primary focus. what i found most interesting was the simplicity of the display. today's pumps are designed with electronic displays, credit card readers, and advertisements that offer the newest two for one special. this old pump was simple and raw. it was a reminder of a time where things were simpler, easier. things were less complicated and 24 hours was plenty of time in which to do all the things one needed to get done (like posting to a blog - o.k., i might not be over it yet). i am not trying to imply that we stop immediately and revert back to norman rockwell era; but, things did appear to move at a more reasonable pace.

i think that we all could learn from the people that have walked the path ahead of us. i think that we could learn a lot about how things were done in the past. today's $2.00 plus, per gallon society is vastly different than the $.36 per gallon as depicted in this image. again, not saying that this is good or bad, right or wrong - it just is worth noting.

i'm just saying that life is more complicated than it was when a gallon of gas was hovering around $.36 cents.

that's today's "fuel" for thought....hmmmmm.

2006-10-03T21:07:00.000-05:00

"shiny"

pennies... does anyone still use these things?

today i collected more than 15 of these shiny little nuisances. each one of them found a home in either the floor of my car, you know that place that coins go when they fall out of your pants pocket, or in the ole' piggy bank awaiting a trip to visit mr. coinstar.

coinstar....is awesome, we'll get to that in a minute.

back to the vast territory known as under the driver’s seat of the car. don't lie; everyone knows this is place where more than two-thirds of today's little copper friends reside. everyone knows that we could cut the deficit, end world hunger and stop global warming if every american simply cleaned out under their seats and donated to a good cause. everyone know's the money is there, so how does it get there? here's how.

we all have made a trip to the local convenience store, grabbed a snack, maybe a soda and then made your way to the register to break loose of a ten spot. no matter where you go across the country it always ends with the same result - two bucks and some change. change; yeah that's it - change. mostly pennies. those friendly little tokens of prosperity and wealth. those small, little, round symbols of the american dream and the collective foundation of the almighty american dollar. ninety nine of these little cooper fellows, plus one for good measure, equals a whopping buck. seriously, who in the world needs these things. why in the world do we still continue to produce pennies?

now to coinstar. this is the greatest invention in the world. it is this awesome machine that takes all of your change (pennies too), sorts, counts, and spits out this nice little receipt that you can then use to get cash. yes cash - green, federally approved, laser encrypted, genetically altered paper. it comes in different denominations, different numbers, all useful and beneficial to society. unlike our little copper friends that spend the majority of their life hiding under the seats of millions of cars across the country. if they are lucky, some pennies might find their way onto a railroad track as someone looks to produce their own version of mythbusters and flatten a few in hopes of seeing if a train really will derail. some pennies might make their way into theme parks and carnivals across the country where they are put into little machines that flatten them out and provide useless souvenirs.

others might actually serve a purpose. some might fight diseases, build houses, and even save lives as they are tossed into buckets and cans labeled by various charities in hopes of providing your pennies with a home.

surely they take those buckets and cans to coinstar? they just gotta take those cans to coinstar.

so today's post is, in some ways, a tribute to the penny. a tribute, much like a roast to a celebrity, that pokes fun at one of the most useless pieces of currency know to man. a tribute to a small little coin that, along with a couple hundred of it's closest friends can combine to purchase a single gallon of gasoline. a small little coin that, along with a several thousand friends might fill up half a tank in an economy car.

here's to the penny. our little, useless, friend.

2006-10-02T20:55:00.000-05:00

"roses"

can something this random make sense? that's what i am starting to ask myself. simply unbelievable. almost schizophrenic at times.

over the last couple of days i have some of the most random inspirations. i have gone from car shows with an awesome display of power and style to...roses. how could this happen? how could something as awesome as cars and motorcycles turn into roses. all i can say is that inspiration itself is often random.

creativity has been defined for centuries by artists that have not allowed anything to cloud their judgment. they have not allowed anything or anyone to dictate their style. they defined their muse, they defined their style, and they alone, defined their subjects. one thing that i have noticed about some of the great photographers and artists that i have viewed over the last few years is that they all had an unbelievable vision.... a creative eye. they all found inspiration in many things that most people simply discount and throw away.

that's what i hope to find...the creativity that has been lost or reprogrammed by society. a society that says that everything must make sense. that everything must align perfectly and all things must have their proper place. that's just a facade that we all have bought into. life doesn't have to make sense. children have a totally different perspective on roses, colors, cars, shapes and yes, photography.

i guess my goal is to become childlike in my view of photography and art. to find inspiration in everything that is around me. to slow down and simply absorb everything like a sponge. that's how a blog like this can go from cars to motorcycles to roses. by design...i guess.

2006-10-01T22:25:00.000-05:00

"wheelin"

these wheels have to be the coolest around. while out and about i ran across these bikes lined up at a show. not only did the chrome jump out at you as you walked by but the alignment of the bikes was awesome for a depth of field photo.

i have these prints in color and the assortment was green, orange, yellow and red. the bikes were awesome in color but i wanted to keep them in black and white for this posting. i have to say that the color was a bit distracting for the overall image. too many colors, each one competing for attention from one another and no particular one winning the race.

that's the beauty of black and white photography. strip everything away with the exception of subject. once you stripped away the color, everything takes on a different perspective. a rawness and simplicity that, sometimes, is lost when overwhelmed with color.

more later from blogject 365.

2006-09-30T20:18:00.000-05:00

"collection"

today's inspiration was the easiest yet. the family and i were driving around the suburbs of memphis when we noticed an antique car show taking place. immediately i found my inspiration.
there is nothing more enticing for a photographer and a car lover than a saturday afternoon car show. it is literally like a moth to a flame. something that i couldn't resist. a drug of sorts.

my wife and daughter didn't embrace the same enthusiasm, but my four year old son was up for the challenge. i guess it is officially a guy thing. regardless of the age it seems as if there is a natural fascination among guys, young and old, with cars.

this particular event was in support of the local tennessee special olympics team. they were being supported by a more than, my guess, a couple hundred old cars ranging from early 50's to current day mods. again, the whole moth to a flame analogy can easily be plugged in here again.

as a photographer, i have never truly felt the need to focus on a particular segment such as landscape, portraiture, etc. until today. i was truly fascinated with these cars. i took more than 75 or so pics and really enjoyed every minute of it. my son even snapped a few pics and i have to say they were pretty good. amazing the view point and the clarity that a four year old can bring to photography. pure innocence, not clouded, not warped, not manipulated by anything that society has to say. just simple directions and enthusiasm such as, 'daddy that is cool let's take a picture of that'. i was really impressed with the vision, clarity and simplicity of his creative eye. we all could learn from four year olds...in more ways that just creativity and photography.

that's today's post. till tomorrow.

2006-09-29T16:25:00.000-05:00

"psychoanalysis"

random is the best description of this image. what i found most interesting about this tile work was that it was completely random and made no sense at all. i was hooked and thought that it would make for an interesting subject for photography.

one of the things that i liked most about this image was that it seemed to be a balancing act of sorts. a balancing act, although completely random, of tile combinations of light and dark. i seriously doubt that the person or persons that put down the tile had any sort of plan or particular design in mind. that, to me, is where art seems to make the most sense. it is the random collection of individual pieces that work together to compile a collective work.

as i thought more about the complete randomness of these tiles i began to think about how many times we wish or strive for a lack of conformity or design in our lives. i'm not trying to provide psychoanalysis or collective labeling to our generation; but, sometimes it's the things that don't make any sense that we often are fascinated by. in all actuality, it's the things that don't make any sense that seem to make the most sense. whether it's a random video on youtube or a collection of works on blogger or myspace, we all seem to find some semblance of normality in those things. we laugh, we wonder, and sometimes we just don't react at all. that's our choice and that's why this blog is here. to vent, to share and to create an outlet that otherwise would not exist.

2006-09-28T16:48:00.000-05:00

"flames"

as i was walking out in my garage i noticed something that caused me to stop for a second. the thing that caught my eye was my son's bicycle and how the flames and the chrome seemed to jump off the bike to grab my attention. i immediately began to envision a black and white image with some creative photoshop imaging to give it some punch.

as i continue each day of this project i find myself seeing things in a totally different way. normally, i would have simply passed by that bicycle and never have given it a second look. now things are different, things have seemed to slow down a bit. i find myself seeking inspiration from everything that is around me. a child's bicycle is more than just metal on two wheels. it can, when you take the blinders off, be a creative inspiration.

that's what i have noticed most about this project. i have noticed that time moves slower when you take the time to notice things. now i find myself looking for inspiration in things that i never would have ever imagined before. the journey thus far is pretty cool.

2006-09-27T23:26:00.000-05:00

"favorite hat"

weathered, torn, sweat stained; but, it fits perfectly. that's the story of today's post.

this is my favorite hat. it's been around for about a two years now and it is still going strong. it's been on golf courses, baseball fields, soccer fields and more. it's been around the block and back again.

it's created conversations in airports with both yankee and red sox fans during the world series and playoff games. it's been wadded up, twisted, and tossed around more times than a sunday morning paper. this ole' hat has been thrown across the room when the sox stranded runners in scoring postion and then picked up again when a long ball changed the tone of the game.

so that's the story of today's featured post. just goes to prove that inspiration can be found in lots of places, shapes, and sizes. even if it is a one size fits all red sox hat that has been around the block a time or two.

2006-09-26T22:16:00.000-05:00

"the state we are in"

there is nothing more patriotic and amusing than hearing a four year old recite the pledge of allegiance. that's the motivation behind today's post. my son has been learning the pledge at school. he has got the words memorized and places correct emphasis and tone to all of the phrases. it is very amusing to hear him proclaim 'an to the wepublic' with so much passion and excitement that only a four year old can muster.

i ran across this image in a local school yard not far from the house. since the pledge has been echoing in my ear for the last 24 hours it wasn't hard to find my motivation. once i saw this huge rendition of the united states i knew that i had found my subject.

after spending a couple of minute snapping photos i was done. the image was captured and forever documented in blogject 365.

once the work had been completed, i simply sat for a couple of minutes and looked around at the local playground. for a brief moment everything stopped. no obligations, no responsibility, no worries, no stress....everything went back to grade school and days of carefree play. i looked around and noticed all of the playground equipment, basketball goals, and four square courts. i immediately took a trip back in time to where everything was simple. a time, where the only thing that caused worry was whether or not we had enough time for a good ole' fashioned game of kickball during recess.

that's what this project is about, taking a moment in time to capture images that stimulate, motivate and generate thought. this image, inspired by a four year old boy, reminds me of that creativity that is lost as we get older. a child would look at this map in a very different way than we adults do. they think of planes, trains, travels and shapes. we, adults that is, think of business trips, time zones, and places that we have been, but spent too little time. that's where we have come to in this life we live - or as the image is called the 'state that we are in'. the correlation is not hard to make. we have a choice. to live in a state of worry, stress, and constant turmoil; or to regain that childlike viewpoint where life is simple and easy. here's to looking at a map without blinders on.

2006-09-25T21:43:00.000-05:00

"millions of pieces"

today's picture was a no brainer. as i was driving to work today to do the whole corporate monday - friday thing i heard a loud crash. after taking a quick look around it didn't take long for me to figure out what had happened. the loud crash that i had heard was the rear passenger window of my car exploding into a million pieces. the culprit, a weed eater and a landscaping company that was working on the side of the road. the loud crash was a rock that flew off of a weed eater and made a mad dash for my window. unbelievable...

so that's how today's picture happened. how could you not take a picture of that? what are the odds of that happening? out of all of the cars and trucks that pass along that road every day - what are the odds? so, that's what happened and that's why i chose this picture as today's post.

2006-09-24T23:00:00.000-05:00

"simplicity"

let me just say that i warned you that the overall focus of this photo blog would be a lack of focus. i have said from day one that this whole project is self described as "random" and that the purpose is to serve as an artistic outlet. i know that some may disagree with me and think that the images within this blog are at times motivated by political views and individual beliefs. although i would disagree with that statement 95% of the time, i can understand how one might come to that conclusion. let's summarize the last weeks of postings. i have posted an image with the title "please recycle" and now i have posted an image of a cross entitled "simplicity".

well, to be honest this image is one that i found really fascinating. i was in germantown, tennessee and came across a local church with hundreds of crosses lining the main street in front of the church. just to prove my point that i am not politically motivated nor do i aspire to use this blog as anything more than a creative outlet i will spare the details about the reason or the cause behind the event. the overall scope and purpose, although relevant and meaningful, was not my focus. what caught my attention was the simplicity of this particular image.

this cross was one of many but it stood alone, strong and straight. i found that intriguing. i thought that there was beauty in the simplicity of the cross. i could go on about other details about the symbolism of the cross and the make correlations as to simplicity in other respects; but, again that would cross the barrier between art and politics that i am trying to abide by.

ultimately, this image was strong, beautiful and peaceful. the cross was one of hundreds united with a greater purpose, but just as strong and powerful when photographed alone. that is what i thought was most compelling about this image. that's why it made it into the blog.

2006-09-23T22:17:00.000-05:00

"after the rain"

one thing that i have noticed since i launched this project is how blind i have been over the last few years. i never really slowed down to see how beautiful things are and how much there is to see. i have spent a good bit of my last few years just going through life and not really taking in all the sights. today was one of those days where i really slowed down and soaked it all in - literally. it rained most of the day and there was this weird glow on the leaves that takes place when the sun is shining through the clouds.

i came across this plant and it caught my eye. i really liked the way that it was shaped and how the light seemed to leap off the leaves. there was still a few rain drops hanging on to the leaves and the simplicity of it all seemed to be what appealed to me most. simple, yet complex. rough, yet elegant and surreal. a perfect combination...

2006-09-22T22:39:00.000-05:00

"please recycle"

first let me say that i am not a political person nor do i aspire to change the world via pictures and political commentary. that's not me, that's not my thing. but, irony is something that i happen to find amusing.

everywhere you look today you see a new movement of conservation that is sweeping the nation. this revitalized movement has been featured recently on mtv, the cover of wired magazine and hundreds of websites that are pitching the latest and greatest invention that promises to shift the global warming trend and produce fuel from by products. now, conservation is cooler than ever - it's trendy, it’s awesome, it's freakin everywhere. whether its fuel efficient vehicles, a former presidential candidate fueling the new green movement, or in this case recycling, i think the movement is fascinating and should get more clout. hell, brad pitt even talked about how we need to be more efficient and mindful of our resources in the last issue of esquire magazine.

the movement is everywhere. it’s on magazine covers, it’s on billboards and it’s on the ground. yep, i said it…on the ground. i stumbled across this empty can outside in a parking lot. it had been tossed on its side and the please recycle emblem was staring me right in the lens. i had to snap a shot, it was irony at it's finest and it was perfect. o.k., i know what you are going to ask – yes i picked it up and threw it away. but, i couldn’t find a recycling bin anywhere….again, irony...

2006-09-21T20:57:00.000-05:00

"light rail"

still in baltimore on business and had a little time to catch the light rail and see some local sites. i got off the light rail at the timonium square to snap some pictures. no particular reason that i chose timonium, it just sounded like a cool place to visit. i didn't make it far from the light rail train before i found my subject. i ran across these huge bolts locked down on this old, rusty, iron plate. i know that most people would have simply walked on by and never even noticed something like this but it caught my eye. i thought that the combination of silver and deep rust were complimentary to one another. the characteristics of the coloring seemed perfect for black and white photography.

i took lots of different pictures at this stop but these bolts captivated me for more than an hour. i spent so much time at this stop that evidently one of the light rail conductors made a call to the police about someone taking pictures. i had to cut my session short when one of baltimores finest asked me to stop taking pictures. i guess lots of things have changed since september 11th.

2006-09-20T18:28:00.000-05:00

"baltimore"

if you have ever been to baltimore, maryland then you know that there is no lack of photo opportunities. whether it's the inner harbor, or just walking around downtown, the city is alive and full of excitement. especially around football and baseball season.

sure, i have snapped a few shots at camden yards and the boats docked at the harbor; but, this trip i found something else that caught my eye. while on business in hunt valley i attended a conference at the marriott. all day long i was captivated by the interior decor of the hotel. everywhere you look there are random images and tons of different colors. it's new, it's edgy, it's cool, and it's bright. at first i struggled with the bright colors and the random patterns of the decor. i walked around the hotel and was in awe of all of the bright shades of blue, green, yellow, orange, white and a more and more color piled upon layer after layer. to see it in person is a bit overwhelming. it took a little while to adjust.

that's when it hit me. subtract the color. i began to think about how some of these images would look if i stripped off the color. that's what i did and that's how this image happened.

this image is actually the carpet patterns of the hotel. throw in a creative camera angle, subtract the color and all of a sudden you have something special. this is what the whole blogject 365 is all about. looking at things differently, outside of the box....

2006-09-19T21:44:00.000-05:00

the launch of Blogject 365

random.

that's the word i would use to define this project. blogject 365 is the official name for those that need to define things.

ultimately, blogject 365 is a self defined journey of sorts. a journey to take a picture a day for an entire year or 365 days. a journey to break away from the standardization that collectively makes up today's world. standardization of everything from time, how we look, how we dress, and much more. the world has been standardized and is marching in a nice, orderly, fashion down a singlefile line. that is where i found myself just a few short days ago. i found myself losing grasp of the creativty that defines who i was, am, and hope to be again. see, i fell into the same trap that countless others have fallen into over and over again. i fell, skinned my knee, bumped my head and decided enough was enough.

i feel into the trap that life is simple and must be defined....standardized....organized...neatly groomed and everything in it's proper place. don't get me wrong, i haven't gone completely crazy. i still have the ole' corporate, monday - friday gig that pays the bills; but now something is different.

o.k., some of you are saying that this guy is crazy. well, no and yes.

crazy - yes, because i think that taking a picture a day will somehow reconnect me with the creativity that i once had as a child and young adult. crazy because i think that by snapping some random images that i will feel better about myself and not feel as if i have lost touch with who i always wanted to be. o.k., i'll give you that part - in that sense i might have a touch of the crazy.

but the definition of crazy is "senseless; impractical; totally unsound" and i don't feel that way at all. quite the contrary. i feel totally sound. i have never been more committed to anything other than my wife and kids. this, in my mind, makes complete sense. it gives me an outlet to be creative and break out of the box, shift the paridigm, or whatever else you want to call it. to me this the first step on a journey to regain life. the first of 365 steps along the path towards getting reacquainted with good ole' mr. creativity.

along this path i hope to get away from today's text message, email packed, corporate ladder climbing world and take a step back. take a step back, look through the lens and freeze time for just a brief moment. that's what photography is - freezing a frame of time and capturing it forever. that's what i hope to accomplish along the way. there will be days where the images don't make sense to anyone else but me and that's o.k. there will be other day's when some bloggers find a pic or two that they like and that will be really cool. regardless of the outcome, my goal is to just enjoy the journey and somewhere along the way to reacquaint myself with mr. creativity, shake his hand and sit down and chat for a while. anything above that will be icing on the cake - strawberry of course with cream cheese icing.

here we go.