Inside The Perimeter

Yeah, right…

Rock On Alejandro, Rock On
I joined friend and ITP-Reader Betsy at Eddie’s Attic in Decatur for the Alejandro Escovedo show. If memory serves me right this is the fourth time I’ve seen Escovedo play (once at The EARL, once at Variety Playhouse, and twice at Eddie’s Attic).

Last night’s show was solid as usual, although the vibe in Eddie’s was a bit unusual — in a negative way.

Eddie’s Attic has a reputation of being a performers’ venue, it doesn’t allow smoking (I think this was in place prior to Decatur’s banning), and the crowds usually obey their request for silence. Last night however, common courtesy took a holiday. There were two guys who couldn’t seem to keep their emotions internal and shouted during the first two songs, eventually they were taken out and spoken to. Then there were the asshats who refused to turn off their cellphones. At one point Escovedo called people out and asked people to turn off their phones — as one or more produced the all-too-familiar DIRK-DIRK-DIRK over the speakers. People, especially my fellow iPhonians, your cameraphone photos of concerts fucking suck, give it up already! Oh, and you are not that important to warrant keeping your cellphone turned on. And if you happen to be a doctor attending a concert at Eddie’s for God’s sake make arrangements which allow you to be notified without having to keep your cellphone turned on. Remember, it’s a concert and it’s all about the performed, it’s not about you.

I Am The King Of The Snooze Bar
The other day I changed my final morning alarm to be snooze-enabled. What a mistake.

This morning I spent an extra forty-five minutes in bed, hey it was cool in the house and it was warm in bed. While I know that last night’s late bed time combined with this morning’s temperature differential made it easy to sleep in, this behavior is not acceptable and must end.

RELATED: The blog is late today.

ITP Flickr Pic
Yesterday was Tax Day. Mine have been mailed. And if you know about the IRS, they have a different address for refunds and payments.

Why two stamps? My photo doesn’t convey how much paperwork I had to mail.

Small Bubbles, Red And Irritated Skin, Yep I Have Poison Ivy
DANGEN!
For as much as I love hashing there are some side affects that I could do without. I have found out that I am very sensitive to poison ivy and on a trail like Sunday’s there was no avoiding it.

The inside of my left arm is showing the beginnings of minor breakout; I have small bumps and a red patch, all of which itch. This doesn’t surprise me much since I ran in a short-sleeved shirt.

What really irritates me, both figuratively and literally, is that I have two patches on my legs! Those who have seen me hash during the past handful of years know that I wear running tights regardless of the temperature in order to ward off poison ivy as well as scratches from briers.

With all of the rain we’ve had this is going to be an interesting Summer.

Oh, and none of the “tried and true” methods of cleaning after a hash seem to help me. I’ve tried water/soap, rubbing down with alcohol, and the target-market products such as Tecnu all to no avail.

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – frustrated
Current Music – listening to the latest “Mac Geek Gab” podcast
Website Of The Day – Want to reduce the junk mail you receive in your real-life mailbox? I am told that you can register with DMA Choice in order to accomplish this.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – nothing

Monthly
Foot Mileage – 3 miles, Wheel Mileage – 0 miles
Consecutive Days Of Bed-Making (Longest Streak) – 16 (16)
Vegetarian Days – 0, Carnivorous Days – 15
Marta Rides – 0

April Goals
none, and this is not an April Fools joke

2009 Goals
- Reduce my weight to 190 pounds (today’s weight was 199.5 pounds)
- Completely read the book 1001 Paintings You Must See Before You Die
- Earn at least $150 through photography sales in order to cover the cost for the renewal of the Jalapeño Beach SmugMug account I opened the other day.
- Save $500 for the sole purpose of donating to charitable organizations of my choice
- Attend at least one professional photography workshop

The Unmeasurable
- Continue backing up all data, including the off-site storage
- Become a proficient programmer in Objective-C (iPhone development) and Ruby on Rails (Black Sheep web page concept)
- Do not create a solution for something which is not a problem

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]

It’s Tax Day here in the United States.

Bad News: I’m getting money back this year. I don’t like giving the Government a “free loan.”
Good News: I’ll have “found” money to put toward home repairs.
Great News: I am not writing huge checks to pay taxes like I did last year.

Now all I have to do is remember to sign my paperwork and dump it into the mail today.

I Do This To Myself
Yesterday I found out that an opening occurred for next Friday’s (April 24) Atlanta Photography Exhibit’s Southern Fried Photographers exhibit and claimed the spot. Now I have to rush to decide, print, frame, and price one of my shots to put into the exhibit. I sometimes don’t understand why I do these things to myself.

For the record, unlike with the auction I don’t expect my piece to sell so I am going to print something that I want to hang in my house.

ITP Flickr Pic Illustration
Did you ever read the Family Circus cartoon? Do you remember those panels that show Billy’s circuitous routes home?

That is how I felt on my hour-long journey home from work yesterday. I encountered one roadblock due to a malfunctioning traffic light and two more due to downed trees and utility work.

Wow, That’s Odd
I ordered that Silversun Pickups “disc” yesterday from Amazon. I had a $5 music credit, and much to my surprise they automatically applied that to the $3.99 purchase price of the download. Cool!

Also yesterday I purchased a physical CD. Through one of Amazon’s retailers I purchased the 2006 release from The Long Winters titles “Putting The Days To Bed.” I employed the “used CD” loophole in last year’s “No Physical Media” rule to justify the purchase of physical media.

I could have downloaded the “disc” from iTunes for $9.99 (yikes!) but found the disc used for $3.30, and with the $2.98 shipping cost the final price was $6.28. I’ll consider my $3.71 savings as wise money management.

One Vacation Destination Keeps Popping Into My Mind
Milwaukee.
Seriously.

I am contemplating a trip to a city I have never visited and Milwaukee keeps popping into my head. Why Milwaukee? Heck if I know.

I’m thinking Summer (duh!). I’m thinking of flying in and out of Chicago, spending a few days there as well. I’m thinking of taking the train that runs between Chicago and Milwaukee. I think that I’m crazy. I think it will be fun.

Now all I have to do is find a cheap flight in/out of Chicago.

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – plump
Current Music – listening to the “MacCast” podcast
Website Of The Day – Organic Batter Blaster — think “Cool Whip, but pancake/waffle batter instead.” Think I’m in love.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – nothing

Monthly
Foot Mileage – 3 miles, Wheel Mileage – 0 miles
Consecutive Days Of Bed-Making (Longest Streak) – 15 (15)
Vegetarian Days – 0, Carnivorous Days – 14
Marta Rides – 0

April Goals
none, and this is not an April Fools joke

2009 Goals
- Reduce my weight to 190 pounds (today’s weight was 199.5 pounds)
- Completely read the book 1001 Paintings You Must See Before You Die
- Earn at least $150 through photography sales in order to cover the cost for the renewal of the Jalapeño Beach SmugMug account I opened the other day.
- Save $500 for the sole purpose of donating to charitable organizations of my choice
- Attend at least one professional photography workshop

The Unmeasurable
- Continue backing up all data, including the off-site storage
- Become a proficient programmer in Objective-C (iPhone development) and Ruby on Rails (Black Sheep web page concept)
- Do not create a solution for something which is not a problem

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]

Each Winter deciduous trees drop a portion of their past and generate anew each Spring. I am trying to do the same. It’s time for me to shed some of my past and concentrate on generating something new.

I’m Contemplating The Separation Of Twitter And Facebook
I’m finding that following the actions of so many people, many of whom are on both Twitter and Facebook, has been chewing up a lot of my time. I’ve decided that I do not wish to spend so much of my time pursuing both of these endeavors and am contemplating dropping people in Twitter who I also have as Facebook friends. This seems like a severe severance of ties but may be the only way that I can effectively use both tools.

Have you encountered this problem? What was your solution.

ITP Flickr Pic
I am fascinated with old utilities, especially those emblazoned with their manufacturer’s name and city of operation.

For me this speaks of a simpler time.

I May Be Falling For Baseball Again
And the iPhone may be playing the roll of Cupid.

For part of my drive home yesterday I listened to the afternoon baseball game between the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Sadly the LA Dodgers play-by-play was not being done by Vince Scully when I was listening and the audio dropped out when I entered an area only served by AT&T‘s EDGE network, but while I was listening all was magical and it was like being a kid all over again.

Digital Download Of The Day
This recommendation is going to cost you money, a mere $4 if you act today. Today Silversun Pickups release a new CD called “Swoon.” I’ve heard one or two of the songs and think they are good, but truth be told I am buying (and recommending) this CD today because of how much I enjoyed their last CD “Carnavas” and the fact that if you download it today from Amazon it will only cost you $4.

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – harried
Current Music – listening to yesterday’s “Buzz Out Loud” podcast
Website Of The Day – 100 Abandoned Houses is a photo exhibit documenting, you guessed it, one hundred abandoned house, in Detroit.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – nothing

Monthly
Foot Mileage – 3 miles, Wheel Mileage – 0 miles
Consecutive Days Of Bed-Making (Longest Streak) – 14 (14)
Vegetarian Days – 0, Carnivorous Days – 13
Marta Rides – 0

April Goals
none, and this is not an April Fools joke

2009 Goals
- Reduce my weight to 190 pounds (today’s weight was 199.5 pounds)
- Completely read the book 1001 Paintings You Must See Before You Die
- Earn at least $150 through photography sales in order to cover the cost for the renewal of the Jalapeño Beach SmugMug account I opened the other day.
- Save $500 for the sole purpose of donating to charitable organizations of my choice
- Attend at least one professional photography workshop

The Unmeasurable
- Continue backing up all data, including the off-site storage
- Become a proficient programmer in Objective-C (iPhone development) and Ruby on Rails (Black Sheep web page concept)
- Do not create a solution for something which is not a problem

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]

Adverse weather and beer convinced me to stay at home on Friday night, and an unexpected early start to my drinking on Saturday led to a predictably early bedtime on Saturday night. This just in…. I’m old.

Great Friend, Good Meal, Overserved
I met up with my friend Maigh before the crack of dawn on Saturday. The plan was to do a little photo location scouting. It turned in to a long day of photo location scouting, eating a wonderful brunch at Sun In My Belly, a quick solo side trip to claim my tax paperwork, followed by meeting Maigh and our friend John at The Grange Public House in Decatur as I watched them plan for their trip to Ireland in September.

As an added bonus some out-of-town friends, Gregor and Robin, joined us for a while. I should know better than to start drinking at 1pm when I am planning on attending a Saturday night party, but I apparently don’t. I left The Grange around 6:30pm and headed straight home for a pre-party nap which turned into a long night of sleep.

It’s Not Until Monday That I Realize Why Black Sheep Hashing Hurts So Much
Combine a lack of exercise with a muddy, thorny, poison-ivy littered hash, with too much standing around with beer and you get a painful Monday morning with a side of hope that I haven’t adversely been exposed to poison ivy.

This morning I woke and discovered three brier in my left hand and numerous cuts and scrapes that I had no knowledge of yesterday. This is all on top of the muscle fatigue that I’m suffering and the bodily pain that my inferior genetic makeup blesses me with daily.

And I paid $7 to do this?! I have some serious judgment problems.

ITP Flickr Pic
I took some photos at we scouted locations. I wound up deleting most of them.

This is a window on the side of the restaurant Wisteria.

Want Another Free CD? I’m Here For You
I found another good, free cd for you. It’s another “sampler” CD, this one is the 2009 Sampler from Barsuk Records. Barsuk is a small label with big indie names such as Death Cab For Cutie, Mates Of State, John Vanderslice, and The Long Winters.

Go get it; it’s free for chrissake!

RealiTV Update: The Amazing Race
They can’t follow the instructions and they keep getting penalized, but yet they still remain. Of course I am talking about The Amazing Race stunt-midget contestants Mark and Michael, who I had predicted would get booted off last night.

This race is unintentionally amazing because these contestants seem to be some of the most clueless racers we’ve ever seen. Why can’t they follow directions? Why don’t they know the rules? Why do they continue to leave their personal items behind? Stupid.

I am still rooting for Margie and Luke to win, although I have a feeling in my gut that Tammy and Victor will prevail.

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – wet, confused about life
Current Music – listening to last weekend’s “The Splendid Table” podcast
Website Of The Day – If all light bulbs where constructed like the Livermore’s Centennial Light, which has been burning for over 108 years, we’d have a lot less crap in our landfills.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – hashing yesterday — ruined by beer and food, but at least it’s something
Monday Morning Weigh-In – I forgot

Monthly
Foot Mileage – 0 miles, Wheel Mileage – 0 miles
Consecutive Days Of Bed-Making (Longest Streak) – 13 (13)
Vegetarian Days – 0, Carnivorous Days – 12
Marta Rides – 0

April Goals
none, and this is not an April Fools joke

2009 Goals
- Reduce my weight to 190 pounds (today’s weight was 199.5 pounds)
- Completely read the book 1001 Paintings You Must See Before You Die
- Earn at least $150 through photography sales in order to cover the cost for the renewal of the Jalapeño Beach SmugMug account I opened the other day.
- Save $500 for the sole purpose of donating to charitable organizations of my choice
- Attend at least one professional photography workshop

The Unmeasurable
- Continue backing up all data, including the off-site storage
- Become a proficient programmer in Objective-C (iPhone development) and Ruby on Rails (Black Sheep web page concept)
- Do not create a solution for something which is not a problem

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]

I am not a rock climber, but I dated someone who was. Through her and from the numerous television shows I’ve watched on rock climbing I’ve learned a valuable lesson — going straight up is not always the best way to reach the top. Sometimes you must back track, shift to the right or left and carve a new path, or jump to another rock in order to reach your destination.

Rock climbing, it’s a metaphor for life.

It’s Like Being At Stanford, Well Not Really
This week I started downloading and watching two podcasts produced by Stanford University. The two courses I am “taking” are Programming Methodology and iPhone Application Development.

For me the Programming Methodology class is like teaching a professional cyclist how to ride a bike, but starting from ground zero is not always a bad thing so I am going to continue with it. The iPhone Application Development class will be more like drinking from a fire hose.

ITP Flickr Pic
We have a winner! It’s not me, but I’m trying.

Again I’ve gone nearly a week without once pressing the shutter button. Pity.

RealiTV Update: Hell’s Kitchen — Oh, Come On!
This may well be the last season of Hell’s Kitchen for me.

In last night’s episode Ramsay toyed with the hearts of Andrea and Ben by pulling them out of line at the very beginning as if he was going to fire one on the spot. Instead, he combined the read and blue teams into one “unified” black team.

For the reward competition each cook was given fourteen ingredients from which they were to make a dish containing each. Remarkably Ben was the winner, and he chose Robert to join him on a trip to San Francisco. The losers were sentenced to unloading delivery trucks and prepping food for the night.

During the night’s service it appeared that Ramsay was going to fire Andrea mid-service in the same way that he 86′ed J and Lacey in the previous two weeks. However, she was allowed to gather herself and rejoin the cooks. Giovanni found himself digging his own grave by mouthing off to Ramsay during service. In the end Andrea and Giovanni were nominated for elimination and Gio was let go.

At the very end of the show Ramsay called all five remaining contestants from their slumber, and did we need to see all of Robert’s fat as he lay in bed, to come back down to the kitchen. Ramsay told the cooks that he was dismayed and the he was closing Hell’s Kitchen. Yeah, right, what-the-fuck-ever. You can tell from the coming attractions that the contestants “convince” Ramsay not to close the restaurant, in fact I keep having images of them begging like little children — “Can we puhlease keep Hell’s Kitchen open? We’ll be better. We prooooomise!”

There Were Two New Episodes Of “The Office” Last Night?
Looks like I should have used my time to watch The Office instead of Hell’s Kitchen last night. The EARL to take in the Great Lake Swimmers show. The rest of the weekend will be consumed with various activities which involve beer — shocking, I know.

What’s on your agenda for this weekend? Really, I’d like to know.

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – late
Current Music – listening to Leo Laporte’s “The Tech Guy” podcast
Website Of The Day – Want to purchase eco-friendly art supplies? Check out Stubby Pencil Studio. Hell, I’d check them out for that name alone!
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – nothing

Monthly
Foot Mileage – 0 miles, Wheel Mileage – 0 miles
Consecutive Days Of Bed-Making (Longest Streak) – 10 (10)
Vegetarian Days – 0, Carnivorous Days – 9
Marta Rides – 0

April Goals
none, and this is not an April Fools joke

2009 Goals
- Reduce my weight to 190 pounds (today’s weight was 199.5 pounds)
- Completely read the book 1001 Paintings You Must See Before You Die
- Earn at least $150 through photography sales in order to cover the cost for the renewal of the Jalapeño Beach SmugMug account I opened the other day.
- Save $500 for the sole purpose of donating to charitable organizations of my choice
- Attend at least one professional photography workshop

The Unmeasurable
- Continue backing up all data, including the off-site storage
- Become a proficient programmer in Objective-C (iPhone development) and Ruby on Rails (Black Sheep web page concept)
- Do not create a solution for something which is not a problem

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]

Hmm, I have no clever addition to “It Feels Like Starting Over” week.

I Am The World’s Worst Petty Thief
It is rumored that Panera Bread is the only place that you can get black drinking straws. Why would one want black drinking straws? To construct a snoot of course!

I have searched the internets to see if I could purchase black drinking straws at a reasonable quantity and price, and could not. I even visited numerous party supply and craft stores in the area with no luck.

So last night I ate dinner at Panera Bread (and found out that it was like an epicenter for laptop-laden business meetings). Luckily for me there is a Panera Bread very close to my office, so at least I didn’t have to go far out of my way to claim the straws. I tried to do the “right” thing and justifying my theft by ordering a meal and soft drink, but I still felt like a schmuck when an employee saw me walking out of the store with a small handful of straws. I don’t know why I didn’t bring in a bag or briefcase to conceal my booty. I guess that I am just a lousy criminal.

ITP Flickr Pic
Yep, another from last Saturday’s kickboxing event

This one is different — it’s black and white.

My iPhone: More Than A Phone, It Helps Me Be Smart!
Yesterday the folks at Dictionary.com released an iPhone dictionary/thesaurus application. Oh glory day! You may not know this, although if you’ve read this space for any length of time you probably do, but I have a limited vocabulary and poor spelling skills. I blame both of these on my lack of reading.

Therefore the Dictionary.com application will be a blessing for me when I am not laptop-enabled. Oh the joy of looking up a word to find its meaning, or to make sure that I am using the proper word for a given situation.

And oh, did I mention that the application is free? iPhone, I lurve you!

RealiTV Update: The Chopping Block
NBC was not making it easy to get my fill of their canceled series The Chopping Block last night. First, they didn’t release a new episode to Hulu until late in the evening, and attempting to watch the video off of their site was painful at best.

I arose way early this morning and fired up the laptop so that I could watch the show. The Chopping Block would have been better-named The Teeter Totter as my love for the show appears to be following that pattern.

In “last night’s episode” the remaining teams were to prepare and Italian lunch for Marco Pierre White and his guest Mario Batali, as well as some of the former cast members of The Sopranos (nothing like laying it on a bit thick). Each restaurant struggled mightily but it was the black team to get it in the end. Although I am no fan of the bawling that occurred by Dean and Shari (we get it, you left your kids to come to the show and you miiiiiiss them!) but I was an unapologetic hater of the constant attitude that spewed from Angela and Samantha. In fact, it was almost refreshing to hear Marco Pierre White break them down with insults after he dismissed them from the show.

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – strange, I know I keep saying obtuse things like this but it’s the only way to describe my mood at the moment
Current Music – listening to this week’s “MacCast” podcast
Website Of The Day – Beer? Radio? Together? I’m in! The Brewing Network
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – nothing

Monthly
Foot Mileage – 0 miles, Wheel Mileage – 0 miles
Consecutive Days Of Bed-Making (Longest Streak) – 9 (9)
Vegetarian Days – 0, Carnivorous Days – 8
Marta Rides – 0

April Goals
none, and this is not an April Fools joke

2009 Goals
- Reduce my weight to 190 pounds (today’s weight was 199.5 pounds)
- Completely read the book 1001 Paintings You Must See Before You Die
- Earn at least $150 through photography sales in order to cover the cost for the renewal of the Jalapeño Beach SmugMug account I opened the other day.
- Save $500 for the sole purpose of donating to charitable organizations of my choice
- Attend at least one professional photography workshop

The Unmeasurable
- Continue backing up all data, including the off-site storage
- Become a proficient programmer in Objective-C (iPhone development) and Ruby on Rails (Black Sheep web page concept)
- Do not create a solution for something which is not a problem

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]

Man, there is a lot going on in my life these days. Like sleep! When I got home from work last night I loaded up some videos including the iPhone application development ones, went in to bed to watch them, and almost immediately fell asleep. Dangen!

Take Me Out To The Ballgame — On My iPhone
Last week I hemmed and hawed. $10? For and iPhone application? Oh, it seemed so wrong. This wasn’t just any iPhone application, it was the official application from Major League Baseball. And, it was an application that would provide schedules, scores, stats, along with “real-time” updates and audio for every game played in Major League Baseball this year! I was sold.

I have always been a baseball fan. As I child I was a baseball fanatic who dreamed to play the game for a living, idolized its players, collected baseball cards, and memorized stats. As an adult my love for the sport has waned thanks to expansion, greed, and cheating. This year I’ve decided to listen to baseball instead of watching it because the game is a wonderful sport to have as a background event as I attempt to be productive.

$10 spent. So far it’s $10 well-spent.

ITP Flickr Pic
There were a lot of attractive women at the kickboxing event.

All of which could kick my sorry ass.

The Return Of Spring, The Return Of Spring Cleaning
I’ve returned to cleaning, and by cleaning I mean real cleaning including getting rid of shit. Yesterday I started on my office (the one in which I toil five days a week). It’s starting to look good as things get expelled.

Tonight work will begin again on the house. I’ve been boxing shit up for months, now it’s time to get it out of the house — along with more stuff I should box up and get rid of. Now is the time to focus, take aim at one or two objects, and strike the hell out of them.

Maybe it’s the return of color to the trees, but I am feeling revitalized.

For $1.29 Per Song You Can Keep Your Damn Shit
Yesterday iTunes went 100% Digital Rights Management free — good, and in the process adopted a variable-price scheme per song where “popular” music is now $1.29, mid-level remains $0.99, and “back catalog” is $0.69. Thanks, but you can keep it. I’m not boycotting, I’m speaking with my wallet.

Feel free to grease the palms of the music industry by using the iTunes store, as I still hold Apple stock and wouldn’t mind seeing it climb a bit more before I dump it. I need as much cash as possible; I have house repair bills to acquire and pay.

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – very strange, things are changing wondering if the light at the end of the tunnel is a train, but not worried if it is
Current Music – listening to yesterday’s “Buzz Out Loud” podcast from C|Net
Website Of The Day – ITP-Reader Barb has done it again! Check out Phil Rides Across America. This is the same Phil as The Amazing Race Phil.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – nothing

Monthly
Foot Mileage – 0 miles, Wheel Mileage – 0 miles
Consecutive Days Of Bed-Making (Longest Streak) – 8 (8)
Vegetarian Days – 0, Carnivorous Days – 7
Marta Rides – 0

April Goals
none, and this is not an April Fools joke

2009 Goals
- Reduce my weight to 190 pounds (today’s weight was 199.5 pounds)
- Completely read the book 1001 Paintings You Must See Before You Die
- Earn at least $150 through photography sales in order to cover the cost for the renewal of the Jalapeño Beach SmugMug account I opened the other day.
- Save $500 for the sole purpose of donating to charitable organizations of my choice
- Attend at least one professional photography workshop

The Unmeasurable
- Continue backing up all data, including the off-site storage
- Become a proficient programmer in Objective-C (iPhone development) and Ruby on Rails (Black Sheep web page concept)
- Do not create a solution for something which is not a problem

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]

Dear Mother Nature:

Had I desired a blow job like the one you have provided for the past twenty-four hours I certainly would have asked for it. Near-freezing temperature in Atlanta at the beginning of April? You have turned into one, cold bitch! Has the failing economy gotten to you too? Have you started working for the Internal Revenue Service as well, your current temperament seems as if you have. Please settle down and return Spring-like weather to our fair city before I decide it’s time for me to pull up stakes and run away.

Regards,
Paulie

Someone Is Lifting A Boycott
This may be a repeat (hey, if they can do it on tv, why can’t I?)…

What can I say, because I don’t wish to be a hypocrite I must lift my long-standing boycott against Chick-fil-A. My boycott has been in place for years as I “fought with my wallet” against Chick-fil-A’s policy to close its stores on Sundays for religious reasons. Why the change? Because I find myself doing a lot of business with New York’s B&H Photo which is owned and operated by people of Jewish faith who close their operations in accordance to their faith. Sure, I could stop spending money with B&H, but truth be told, I don’t want to stop, so I’ll drop my Chick-fil-A boycott instead.

Oh, and take a guess where I ate dinner before the Roswell Photographic Society meeting last night?

ITP Flickr Pic
Get used to seeing kickboxing photos this week.

I am still processing shots from Saturday and working hard to create time to take new shots.

Roswell Photographic Society: Good, But Not Sure If It’s For Me
I like the concept of the Roswell Photographic Society, but I’m not really sure if it’s the club for me.

First is the obvious — they meet in Roswell! Even when the group moves to its new meeting space in mid-May the meetings will still be held in Roswell.

In addition to their geographic undesirability there is something else — I am one of the youngest members. This photo group reminds me of the computer user group meetings that I used to attend back in the 1980s. And don’t get me started about the lack of dating potential…

In the coming months I think I will start exploring new options like the Atlanta Photography Group. Hey, at they meet inside the perimeter.

It Feels Like Starting Over, Part 2
Tonight I will be making a huge effort to restart my iPhone application development learning. I’ve been derailed for a few weeks and like with learning a spoken language if you don’t use it, you lose it. I have no delusion of writing the Next Great iPhone Application, but since I really like programming I want to learn how to do this in order to be able to add it to my resume.

When It’s Not About Me, It’s All About You
Four more things I’d like to add today

1. Last week ITP-Readers Lisa and Randy had their second child. I’m assuming that I’ve given them enough time to toot their own horn, so it’s safe to announce this.
2. On Sunday I met an ITP-Reader at Publix! I was walking into the fruits and vegetable area and heard “Are you Paulie?” When I confirmed he said “Hi, I read your blog.” This was not the first time that this has happened to me but I am extremely flattered when someone actually recognizes me and goes out of their way to say hello.
3. Yesterday was the seventh wedding anniversary of ITP-Reader Barb and never-to-read-this-space husband Allan. Has it really been seven years since I drank Delicato and failed miserably to hook up?
4. Today is the wedding anniversary of ITP-Readers, and more importantly proprietors of the Moreland Day Spa, Steve and Debbie! Happy Anniversary kids.

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – fair
Current Music – listening to this week’s TWiT podcast
Website Of The Day – Wondering if you are getting you money’s worth from Netflix? Check out Feed Flix see how much each of you Netflix rentals is really costing you.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – nothing

Monthly
Foot Mileage – 0 miles, Wheel Mileage – 0 miles
Consecutive Days Of Bed-Making (Longest Streak) – 7 (7)
Vegetarian Days – 0, Carnivorous Days – 6
Marta Rides – 0

April Goals
none, and this is not an April Fools joke

2009 Goals
- Reduce my weight to 190 pounds (today’s weight was 199.5 pounds)
- Completely read the book 1001 Paintings You Must See Before You Die
- Earn at least $150 through photography sales in order to cover the cost for the renewal of the Jalapeño Beach SmugMug account I opened the other day.
- Save $500 for the sole purpose of donating to charitable organizations of my choice
- Attend at least one professional photography workshop

The Unmeasurable
- Continue backing up all data, including the off-site storage
- Become a proficient programmer in Objective-C (iPhone development) and Ruby on Rails (Black Sheep web page concept)
- Do not create a solution for something which is not a problem

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]

Oh Monday. Sometimes you are okay, but most times I dislike you…

This Weight’s Not Going To Lose Itself, Especially If I Keep Eating Like I Did On Friday
On Friday evening I headed over to ITP-Reader Betsy’s house which was hosting a party thrown by ITP-Reader Terri and had meat supplied by ITP-Reader Tony. Tony brought over a slew (technical term) of brisket, pulled pork, and home-made sausages; I ate as if I were a man on Death Row consuming his final meal. If you remember the opening scene of Monty Python’s movie The Meaning Of Life as I left the party I felt like that man who exploded.

I plan to return to exercising this week. Don’t strain your eyes looking for me, however, as I’m going to continue to fly solo for a while.

If You Think Kickboxing Is Hard, You Should Try Photographing It
I woke early on Saturday morning with a very full stomach (gee, I wonder why?). This gave me plenty of time to head to midtown and attend the kickboxing photography workshop put on by Atlanta Photography Exhibit. I arrived early (of course), in fact early enough to wander over to Krispy Kreme for a coffee and donut — why I didn’t bring my camera with me to Krispy Kreme, I still don’t know.

The start of the workshop was ominous at best. There was to be a portrait session which ran in tandem with the competition shooting. Unfortunately, traffic was snarled on The Connector so the combatants and doctor arrived late. When we Maigh finally cajoled some of the fighters into come over for portraits it turned into an Atlanta Photographers Guild meeting at Elliott Street Pub with photogs climbing all over each other in order to take photos. Because I don’t thrive in this sort of Battle Royale Photography I shut down, backed away, and waited for the real fighting to begin. I’ve come to the conclusion that I am going to avoid signing up for studio workshops unless I can be guaranteed that this sort of paparazzi behavior will not be tolerated, because I’m not getting my money’s worth if it is.

I have a renewed respect for sports photographers. Shooting a fast action sport such as kickboxing in the poor lighting of a local gym is fucking brutal. I may have walked away with a dozen shots that please me, but I’ve already thrown away at least one hundred and have not completed my editing yet.

ITP Flickr Pic
One of the “keepers” from Saturday.

I like this shot, but I still think it has many flaws.

One Book Read, Nearly One Book Heard, And One Book Purchased
This weekend I accomplished a monumental task _{(for me)} by completing a book that I had started reading. Admittedly the book, Joe McNally’s The Hot Shoe Diaries, was an easy read but has been read! W00t!

I am almost completely done listening to Carl Haissen’s Native Tongue, and have purchased and downloaded Richard Feynman’s Perfectly Reasonable Deviations From The Beaten Track for my next listen. I am really trying to make my Audible pay off — now if I could only get them to remember my password so that I didn’t have to log in every time I restart iTunes.

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – okay
Current Music – listening to one of Leo Laporte’s “The Tech Guy” podcasts
Website Of The Day – Feel like being creative with some of your portraiture photography? Check out PhotoFunia.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – nothing
Monday Morning Weigh-In – 199 pounds

Monthly
Foot Mileage – 0 miles, Wheel Mileage – 0 miles
Consecutive Days Of Bed-Making (Longest Streak) – 6 (6)
Vegetarian Days – 0, Carnivorous Days – 5
Marta Rides – 0

April Goals
none, and this is not an April Fools joke

2009 Goals
- Reduce my weight to 190 pounds (today’s weight was 199.5 pounds)
- Completely read the book 1001 Paintings You Must See Before You Die
- Earn at least $150 through photography sales in order to cover the cost for the renewal of the Jalapeño Beach SmugMug account I opened the other day.
- Save $500 for the sole purpose of donating to charitable organizations of my choice
- Attend at least one professional photography workshop

The Unmeasurable
- Continue backing up all data, including the off-site storage
- Become a proficient programmer in Objective-C (iPhone development) and Ruby on Rails (Black Sheep web page concept)
- Do not create a solution for something which is not a problem

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]

I am worn out. Upon leaving work tonight I’m shutting my brain down until Monday. If you see me around, please don’t ask me any complex math problems. And if you do decided to pepper me with complex problems be prepared for the deer-in-the-headlights stare that will be present upon my face.

Sometimes It Works For Me, And Some Time It Doesn’t
After finally finding a parking place in Little 5 Points last night I headed into Variety Playhouse for the Neko Case show. The show was sold out and last night’s humidity didn’t help my comfort level inside the building.

Sometimes shows pull me in and I feel like I am the only one in the building. and sometimes they don’t and I wonder why I am there.

I’ve seen Neko Case before and I knew what I was in for — a great night of music listening but nothing that would move me to the point that I felt I was going to miss something huge by leaving early, so I did. I lasted about six songs before my comfort level sank to the point where all I could think about was getting home early enough to do a few things before going to bed. From what I saw and heard it was a good show, however I think I made the right decision.

RealiTV : Maybe NBC Was Right About “The Chopping Block”
I am always confused when a broadcasting network cancels a program mid-way through its run, especially when it’s a “reality” show. After watching the latest The Chopping Block I think I understand NBC’s decision.

While I really liked the first few episodes it is becoming clear that the format is stale. I think that Marco Pierre White is a good television host and from his past accomplishments is probably one hell of a chef. However, the contestants he was saddled with on The Chopping Block just made the show a dud.

And after saying all of that, I will continue to watch the show to the end on Hulu. I want to know who “wins.”

ITP Flickr Pic
The last of the shots from last Sunday’s photostroll.

I’m hoping to shoot a lot this weekend and produce a cache of photos that I’ll be proud to show.

One Well-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet + Two Chicken Breasts Seasoned With (Salt+Pepper) + A Smidgen Of Bacon Fat = One Delicious Dinner
If there is one thing my faulty plumbing has taught me it is the beauty of minimalistic cooking. The fewer pans and utensils I dirty, the less water goes into the sink. Some dishes can be constructed using only “disposable” cookware, but many times that is not the case.

The other night I took my gigantic, and now well-seasoned, cast iron skillet and put it over flame to heat thoroughly. To the heated pan I plopped in some bacon fat (now conveniently on-hand in my refrigerator) and then carefully added two room-temperature chicken breasts. Once in the pan I added some salt and pepper to each breast. In a very short time I had two perfectly-cooked, moist, breasts each with a browned exterior for added flavor.

Simple. Deliciously simple.

Be Safe, Have Fun, Hope To See You All Again On Monday!
Cheers.

Stats & Goals
Daily
Current Mood – tired
Current Music – watching last night’s Hell’s Kitchen
Website Of The Day – The other night I was turned onto an Atlanta photography blog called Too Busy To Hate which contains images taken along Ponce de Leon. Good stuff.
Mode Of Transportation To Work – my car
Exercise (b)Log – nothing

Monthly
Foot Mileage – 0 miles, Wheel Mileage – 0 miles
Consecutive Days Of Bed-Making (Longest Streak) – 3 (3)
Vegetarian Days – 0, Carnivorous Days – 2
Marta Rides – 0

April Goals
none, and this is not an April Fools joke

2009 Goals
- Reduce my weight to 190 pounds (today’s weight was 199.5 pounds)
- Completely read the book 1001 Paintings You Must See Before You Die
- Earn at least $150 through photography sales in order to cover the cost for the renewal of the Jalapeño Beach SmugMug account I opened the other day.
- Save $500 for the sole purpose of donating to charitable organizations of my choice
- Attend at least one professional photography workshop

The Unmeasurable
- Continue backing up all data, including the off-site storage
- Become a proficient programmer in Objective-C (iPhone development) and Ruby on Rails (Black Sheep web page concept)
- Do not create a solution for something which is not a problem

Cheers,
Paulie [eatl/ga]