The World Is My Oyster

Sitting back and taking a breath

2010-12-28T23:40:00.006-05:00

The last month has been absolute madness, as I am sure it has been for most people thanks to the holidays. Sunday was the blizzard. Absolutely serene but bitterly cold. How perfect that it was the day after Christmas. (Merry Belated Christmas, btw.) I finally got a chance to breathe and make some cookies, cookies that I have never made before. I think they turned out pretty decently. Thanks, Emeril.

Hope you guys all had a wonderful snow day.

Goodbye, Summer. Hello, Fall.

2010-09-28T12:12:00.008-04:00

Updates, updates, updates!
Summer has ended, but boy have I been soaking up the summer.
I've been cooking and baking a lot, but failing to have the enthusiasm to take pictures of them.
But, Time at the Table featured my picture and recipe for their September newsletter! (Although my name was misspelled and they are on to their October newsletter, I was excited to see my picture and recipe featured!) I must clarify that the recipe is actual from Anatole's family. And I must thank them for passing this recipe onto us to enjoy.

In reflection, this has been an incredible summer because I have gotten to appreciate food. And by food, I mean fresh food - produce, meat, natural ingredients. I have gotten into a natural food kick, but I must admit, I still have a weakness when it comes to potato chips. I'm working on that though. So feast your eyes on a few of the goodies made this summer, made from all natural ingredients! (and a few of my favorite shots from Vermont.)

cinnamon raisin rolls!

lasagna w/homemade tomato sauce

apple spice muffins

double rainbow!!! in Vermont.

Highest point on Mt. Mansfield, Vermont.

Sunflowers at the Hazendale Farm in Vermont.

Wow.

2010-06-15T13:30:00.007-04:00

How time flies.

So lately, I've just been enjoying the weather and the World Cup. Yeah!

And on I've been trying to sprinkle in some good deeds into my daily routine.

Ome of these god deeds was to help my friend's school out. She's the new director of a nursery school and the school is in bad financial shape.

So they have been holding weekly flea markets to raise money just to paint the school.

Since I have the time but not the money to help, I decidedto make some goodies so that they can sell them to raise money.

I ended up making several dozen chocolate chip cookies and some rice krispy treats. Even had time to experiment with a new recipe for Chocolate Chip Oreo Cookies. (I didn't have enough chocolate chips to meet the recipe, so I added in some peanut butter chips.) I'm not sure, but I think people liked these a lot since they went faster than the traditional Chocolate Chip Cookies I made. But why wouldn't you like it? It's a marriage between two awesome cookies! mmmm.

The cookies and snacks ended up raising more than $30 for the kids. We'll start small and go from there. :)

Back from Slacking

2010-04-21T16:43:00.009-04:00

It's been so long since I've had a new post that I almost forgot how to do it.

But lucky for you readers, I didn't.

It's been nearly 2 months since the last post...this is not atypical as I've done this before. Usually, the reason was because I was too busy or had nothing to post. But I have been out and about doing things, but I could not get myself to blog or even take pictures of what I have been up to. Sheer laziness this time.

So since February I've obviously baked and cooked. I have even travelled!

I tried out a new banana bread recipe using nearly black bananas. Because I have just recently read on numerous blogs and sites that bananas ripened until they are black is the secret to moist banana bread. The recipe I tried the first time around didn't quite measure up to expectations. It was moist, but I'm not sure if it was because it was supposed to be that way or if it was underbaked. Attempt 2 will take place this week and results will be documented.

But last night was a success story! My first time using my deep fryer to make Spicy Fried Chicken. I think it turned out pretty well.

Bonus pictures!

Today's lunch - Cracked peppercorn turkey sandwich with Lars spicy brown mustard (soooo good), swiss cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers on a Brooklyn Bread bagel. Lately, I can only imagine eating sandwiches from fresh baked breads/bagels...so I got some fresh bagels from the neighborhood.

And look how beautiful Turkey is!

News Cred!

2010-02-27T21:40:00.012-05:00

My photos have been published and credited. Link for my first formal picture publication.
Thank you, Melissa.
Check out the well-written article and the awesome Cafe 81 (81 East 7th street between 1st avenue and 2nd avenue) as well.

*Edit: Shot of the article added. Thanks to the Photoshop Nazis for suggesting that addition and for teaching me to piece the entire article together into one shot.

Cake Galore!

2010-02-24T17:05:00.006-05:00

Pictures of Anatole's caramel birthday cake. The chocolate glaze clumped, so I had to do without the glaze. Maybe on the next cake it will work out.

Failed Chocolate Glaze. I tried to fix the glaze, but it was too late. The oils and sugars separated from the chocolate. At least I had the strawberries! Something about strawberries and cake - it's always a winning combination.

Tomorrow morning I am going to try to make a carrot cake for a special baby. Chocolate is his favorite, but he loves all cake, so I thought I would make it semi-healthy by baking a carrot cake. lol. I hope to get shots of him with frosting all over his face! lol.

Cake on a Special Day

2010-02-23T14:11:00.004-05:00

Happy Birthday, Anatole!
Today is a special day, so I am making cake and then we are going to eat it! mmmm.
I'm trying out this awesome Caramel Cake with Caramel Frosting and Chocolate Glaze recipe. I may forego the extra layers on account of me being a bit lazy. Nah, the real reason is because I cracked the cake a bit when I flipped it out of the pan so it is quite fragile. I mixed pastry flour with the all purpose flour because I wanted to see if this would make the cake moister, which might be why it was so delicate. In the past I have made cakes that I felt could be better if they were more moist. I would consider this cake a winner if it was moist and tasted delicious, despite having less layers. The birthday boy would never know that I skimped out on the extra layers anyway.
Pics to come soon.

P.S. It is also my sister's birthday. But I bought her a cake. Hey, don't judge me. It's her husbands job to bake her the cake. Maybe next year I will bake two. So Happy Birthday to two very important people in my life.

For the Foodies

2010-02-17T09:59:00.016-05:00

I know I previously hadn't written too much about food, but if you know me, you know that I love, love, love food.
The 3rd Annual Village Voice Choice Eats of 2010 has been announced. Read more here.
Sounds so tempting, but I hate fighting for my food. (Believe me, there will be mobs and food struggles at this event.) I believe everyone should eat and eat well without having to push any little kids down to ensure you get your share.

And now, some food porn. Definitely spent more time shooting the cookies. I couldn't help it. I was hungry by the time the chicken and vegetables were cooking.
Beware, I like to shoot food up close and in your face. I love how everything looks so bright, like I had all morning to cook.

Nestle Toll House Recipe (Simple and satisfying.)
2 sticks of softened unsalted butter smashed.

Mix in Brown Sugar and Sugar mix.

Add Vanilla and Mix. Then add eggs.

Once eggs have been mixed well into the batter, gradually add the flour. Mix until flour is completely mixed in and add the chocolate chips. (I used the whole bag. yummo!)

Ready for the cookie sheets. Bake for about 10-12 minutes.

I started running out of baking sheets for all those cookies, so I decided to make one giant cookie and a few mini ones on the side. Epic fail, but the cookies still tasted good. Looks kind of like a turtle though.

(Tip: Do NOT use butter to line the baking sheets like you normally would for cakes or bread. The butter burns the bottom of the cookies. I learned that the hard way. Use parchment paper of just slap the dough directly onto the pan.)

Dinner was a typical Chicken with Diced Tomatoes since we were going to try to catch a movie. (Percy Jackson, the Lightning Thief if you were wondering. We didn't make it to the movie, but decided to take a walk in the cold.)
Basically we add the chicken to fry on the pan until cooked 3/4 of the way and then add diced tomatoes and seasoned to taste. Let the tomatoes simmer and cook down into a nice sauce.
Tonight is was paired with sauteed zucchini, snow peas and carrots. Seasoned with salt and pepper.

Loving my new shots using my SB-600. I don't know why I never thought to use it indoors to shoot food. Thanks, White on Rice Couple for that helpful tip.

Hungry Much?

2010-02-07T01:03:00.000-05:00

Friday, January 22nd was my last day of work. It's been two weeks now.
And I am not ashamed to say that I have been sleeping 10 hours a day and enjoying the time.
This is not as easy as it seems, folks!
Being the self-imposed workaholic that I was, it's quite a bit for me to just sit down.
I still haven't really been able to do that.

What I have been doing a lot is thinking about food.
Must be the lack of mental stimulation, but since I'm just watching some TV or surfing the internet, I find myself being hungry all the time. Then I look for recipes and think of new things I want to make. I'm always thinking about what I can eat next now a days.

This could be the start of an eating addiction, but hopefully the start of some epiphanies about what I want to do next.

Some food porn. Right now, they're pretty dark but I'm researching some tutorials on how to fake good daylight in the kitchen. Cause food looks even more glorious when its all bright. Wait for those to come soon.

Nut up or Shut up

2010-01-08T09:54:00.009-05:00

Title is from Zombieland. Surprisingly one of the better movies of 2009.
I've been MIA for a while. I've been meaning to do a lot of things but not doing it. (I know, my usual MO.)
With the craziness of the holidays and work, I haven't been able to do a 2009 recap or wish everyone a Happy New Year yet. So, Happy New Year, Everyone!

2009 Highlights:

A fresh start is coming for me in 2 weeks. Lots to do.
Hello 2010!

Restless

2009-10-18T23:09:00.002-04:00

I need a new project. What should I tackle?

Paper Ship Armada at Arlene's Grocery

2009-10-12T11:01:00.006-04:00

Check them out! They were awesome last night.
Their first show in NYC. I bet there are many more to come.

New Beginning

2009-10-01T12:06:00.002-04:00

I am picking up 2 lenses that I have rented tonight or tomorrow. 35mm f1.8 and 50mm f2. I will have these puppies for a week and a half. I will be carrying the charger eveywhere so that I can snap away. I really need an 8gb memory card now. :)
Hopefully, I fall madly in love with one of these guys, because the rental guy at Adoroma said the kit lense is not even worth fixing. What does this mean? It means the lense broke because it is made out of crappy plastic. The real good stuff have metal bodies which make them more durable. So there you go, the 18-55mm lense I have now is my new paperweight.

Today is the first day of October. I want to celebrate the end of September because it was a very trying month for me in many ways. I had a rough start this morning, but I'm hoping the September kinks are still making their way out and October will kick September's butt in so many ways.

Cool Stuff. Fun with Photography.

Baby is broke

2009-09-29T10:11:00.003-04:00

It's official. My 18-55mm lense is currently hurt. On Saturday, I took the camera out thinking that it was bruised, but not broken. After a few zoom ins and zoom outs and the lense seemed like it was getting tighter and tighter. Then I was longer able to zoom in or out. I took the lens off of the camera base and there was a piece just floating around all loose. My heart broke.
If it cannot be fixed, I'll have to get a new one. Luckily the 18-55mm is not one of the outrageously expensive lenses.
I felt withdrawal because I didn't have any cameras around and my fingers were itching to click away.

Sadness and Desire

2009-09-24T22:56:00.008-04:00

Sad News - I bumped my Camera at the Kiddie Park while playing with my friend's bebe, Aiden. :*(
The lens gets stuck when zooming. I'm not quite sure how this will affect the picture and focus yet.
Thinking about the repair bill(s) make me sad.
Thinking about my shrinking bank account makes me sad too.

AND I saw this that I want badly too.

Here is the side by side comparison of the Polaroid and the Instax Mini. The Instax 200 Below has the same longer shape than Polaroids, but slightly larger.

Here is the bigger, cheaper alternative. It may be considered since it does the same thing but doesn't look quite as sleek.

Hoping to take some pictures soon.

Speaking of Pictures, here are some from my sister's engagement par-tay.
This is the celebratory roast pig which is presented to my parents by my sister's husband-to-be.

Chop, chop.

Hacked up.

Ready to distribute to family members. (See all the take-out boxes?) Looks gross, but it was pretty delicious.

*Edit: The sweet baby's name is Aiden. I aim to please my followers! ;)

Also, there is now a side by side comparison of the pictures from Polaroid (which is discontinued now and to get film would be ridiculously expensive) and the Instax Mini.

Shopping

2009-09-14T11:07:00.008-04:00

My last entry was in Mid May. It's nearly the middle of September. Wait! It IS the middle of September. Gees. Time flies when you are doing nothing. Well, not nothing. But a lot of things not things I should be doing to better myself.

What's new on the horizon?
2 weddings coming up. 2 Amys too. My good friend, Ada's sister, Amy is getting married in October and my own sister, Amy is getting married in November.
So I am shopping! for a new lense. How exciting, right?!?! It is for me.

I like archiving moments for people.

I'm thinking of these:

#1 is the 50mm f1.8

#2 is the 35mm f1.8

#3 is the 10-24mm f3.5-4.5

Actually only #1 and #2 are in the running because #3 costs at least $800.00!

I'm doing my homework to find out more.

When I know more about these babies and their capabilities, hopefully I will not be lazy and post about it.

In the meantime, I have been reading up a lot on Ken Rockwell's site. Extremely Helpful.

P.S. Some pcitures from the summer in Vermont.

Hiking In Mist

2009-05-18T14:25:00.008-04:00

Hiking in misty, cool air is pretty incredible.
To just shrug off all that polluted city air and go some place quiet.
Upon first glance, it seems like there is nothing out there. Fog surrounds you, but don't let it fool you. When you look deeper into the woods, everything is vibrant and lush.

Do-Gooders

2009-05-08T11:29:00.007-04:00

So this morning, I was getting ready for another day of mindless, repetitive emails and Facebook Scrabble, when I finally paid attention to this AT&T ad. This guy is awesome.
I am aiming for my next new pair of shoes to be TOMS.

If you didn't know about TOMS, they are a company who makes and sells shoes. For every shoe they sell, they donate one to kids in need.
I am blown away at what this guy has done. This is the type of company I would love to work for.

I haven't been feeling very opinionated or even passionate for much as of late.
This AT&T ad didn't change my life, but it reminded me of how Americans have so much more. We whine about so much, but we have so much more than a majority of the world.
So this is me trying to be positive and trying to minimize the whining.

I'm not always so eco-friendly or so selfless, but I love companies with a mission like TOMS shoes.

Allergic

2009-03-09T16:56:00.002-04:00

to work. I really might be.
Everytime I try to do something I itch a little. Then my mind wanders off to better things.
Scrabble on Facebook is indeed classified as better things.
Today on Flickr, I rediscovered a photographer who has caught my eye before.
Steph Goralnick has some great stuff on Flickr.
She made wanderlust return and geve me camera envy (might be kinda like a version of penis envy, but in my case i wish i had her G9 and her waterproof case! Oh, and I do not have penis envy.)
I want her camera and her wicked photography style.

A thought also occurred to me. I am waaay older than I thought I was, yet I don't feel as adult and independent as I would like to be. Example: Most people my age have moved out and travelled to as many places as their poor selves can afford. Cause you gotta do it while you can, right? Now look at my situation. I am dirt poor (even with the job. Maybe I exaggerate. I am one step ahead of a struggling college student) and I have no rent to pay nor do I have kids or outstanding bills and I have never toured Europe or Asia.
I expected to be much more....what's the word to describe this?....worldly and experienced about things and places in general.

I need a trip. An exotic one.

Work With What You Have

2009-02-25T10:17:00.003-05:00

Yes, I have gotten lazy, but I am still alive.
February has actually been a big blur.
There was San Francisco, Tahoe, Birthdays, Valentine's Day, Anniversaries, and a whole lot of other things going on.
As greatful as I am to have been out and buzzing for the last month, I am tired.
Only last week have I realized that I have not doodled anything, written anything, or worked on any personal projects in a while.
I did however have a chance to play with my Nikon and take some fun pictures.
Picture taking with the Nikon is a different feel than the compact digicam papparizzi sessions.
It feels nice to have so much more control. I won't post pictures up from that day, because I don't want to post pictures of someone's baby all over a blog they know nothing about.
But trust me when I say they were cute.

I am a person who wants their cake and eat it too.
So I want to try to maintain socializing and being active while still trying to get my creative juices flowing and work on little side things. How does one get so much energy without having to resort to drugs and red bull?
I hope I figure it out because I feel worn.
I may also be feeling worn because I found out that a friend of a many of my friends died yesterday along with his girlfriend in the fire that happened in Chinatown. He was 32 and she was 33. Too young.
I had trouble sleeping because I truly felt for the family and friends. I met him a couple of times and I had a chance to get to know his brothers and sisters, so it is quite sad to hear news of the death of someone. Even sadder when you can put a face and story to the name.
A moment of silence for Tony and Anna.

As I said, they died too young. They're not much older than myself. And it makes me think about how much I have done and how much more I want to do. So I'm trying to do the best with what I have - which is in perspective a lot more than what other people have - and make the most out of things.

Black Buddha and More

2009-01-27T14:00:00.006-05:00

Happy Lunar New Year! (A bit late, but still worth saying since festivities last all week long.)

2009 - Year of the Ox.

I'm going to miss the Big Chinese New Year Parade on Sunday, February 1st, 2009.
I missed it last year too. I guess that's just the way things work out.

But that's okay. I didn't miss the big Lunar New Year's Eve family dinner and New Year's Day dinner. I also didn't forgo the superstitious traditions of not washing your hair on New Year's Day. Hoorah!

On Sunday, I finally got to try out my brand spanking new SB-600 light (courtesy of AXH).

And I found out that I still have a lot of learning to do about composition and how to make the light work for me. It was bright here, not so much there, and not at all a few times.

I'll keep practicing in San Fran next week. Can't wait!

And here's black Buddha! (and more...from Sunday night's festivities.)

SAD?

2009-01-20T11:56:00.007-05:00

I normally don't like to post anything unless I have been doing things...but if I were strict on that then I would not have very much to post.
I was reading A.M. New York and I came across a health article about Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). I guess this is basically seasonal depression characterized by sadness, lethargy, irritability, lost of interest, impaired concentration, and in several cases, oversleeping and overeating.
I was reading this, and I was making mental checks of all these symptoms!
I think I have just found my diagnosis.

Apparently some cures would be a Caribbean vacation, a mild antidepressant in the Prozac family, or long walks in the daylight.

What?!?! Dark Chocolate and Jalepeno chips should be on that list of "cures".

Anyhow, I just wanted to mention that little bit of information.
And Today is Inauguration Day! Happy New President Day!
I'm watching the inauguration as I write this. (Finally, the 2 computer screens at work come in handy.)
I have to pee so badly, but I can't pry myself away from the speeches and the beautiful instrumentals of YoYo Ma.
And Barack Obama is now officially president!
Hahaha. The dumb newscasters nitpicking. They say he "bollixed" the speech by saying "to" the people instead of "of" the people. or something silly like that.
Reporters need to find better hobbies.

I have to say the turn out in D.C. looks even more powerful than the crowds that gathered the night he was elected. Pretty amazing.

My current philosophy is, "Tomorrow will be a better day."
On winter days, I just love listening to Kirk Franklin.

Just Pathetic

2009-01-15T10:57:00.007-05:00

January 15th. My first post of the new year.

Pro - Pay Day! Woot woot!
Con - No pay raise, so pay check is still as crappy as 2008. What happened to "out with the old, and in with the new"?

Pro - I'm updating.
Con - I have nothing to update about.

Pro - I've gotten past my Twilight madness and I'm reading "Running with Scissors" by Augusten Burroughs.
Con - I still think about Twilight. And I haven't been able to get myself to do anything else but eat, sleep and read for longer than 15 minutes.

Pro - I went to the James Jean Kindling Opening on Saturday, January 10th. AND I touched him and got my photo-op with him.
Con - I didn't bring my Fables Covers book for him to sign and I would have liked him to be wackier. (But I'm told artists are more reserved people. pffft. whatever.)

Some things from the Exhibit. Check it out.

Admiring from afar and upclose.

Some other wonderful things from the same building:
Tom Duncan: In Serach of Lost Time, 6th Floor.

Kim Foster Gallery, Various Artists. 1st Floor.

Getting over a cold now, so I have no more excuses to not do more this year.....except it's so damn cold out and there's a recession, so money's tight.....

Year End Slump

2008-12-29T09:48:00.005-05:00

2 more days until 2009.
It's been quite a December. But the last week or so has just been zipping by. Zipping by, but not in a productive sort of way. It always makes me kind of grumpy to refelect and know that I haven't been doing more. No motivation to PS lately. Hopefully after the new year, I'll get pumped by all the festivities and new year resolutions to start doing my personal projects again.

Most recently, my only "accomplishment" was that I finished the Twilight Saga. Instead of waiting up for Santa, I was up finishing the fourth and final book, Breaking Dawn. It wrapped up nicely. Needless to say that I was wound up and suffering from Twilight withdrawal.
The whole Christmas day was spent rereading the draft of Midnight Sun and sifting through fan sites and discussion forums. I know, sad isn't it?
On Saturday, I finally got to see the movie. I was in a state of disbelief! How could they screw up the movie so badly? The movie was set at a pace so fast that you couldn't understand where the attraction between Edward and Bella came from. I was prepared for a bad movie, but that was a whole new level of bad. It's true that most movies can't compare to the books they are based on, but it's doable. Harry Potter may lack in certain areas, but the scenes and acting were far better. The Notebook, the movie was (in my opinion) quite comparable to the book (if you like that romance sort of thing). Even the Da Vinci Code movie was good.

I've gone back to reading Twilight again. Just going over the story and trying to figure out what went wrong with the movie. Hahaha. I've gone a bit over the top.

On another note, I want you guys to know I don't live and breath Twilight. I recently saw Che. It wasn't 5 hours. I think it was about 4 1/2 hours. Be warned that it is $18/adult movie ticket since it is technically two movies. It was a long movie and since I am not polished on my Che history, I couldn't fully appreciate it. But it was a pretty good film overall. I'm catching up on my Che knowledge now. Viva la revolucion!

*Edit: Note that Twilight seems to only be liked by those with 2 X chromosomes. If you know any guys who liked Twilight, let me know. Haven't met one yet, so that would be interesting.

The Two-Five

2008-12-19T12:32:00.001-05:00

Snow and a day off. Love it.

Don't Bring Me Down!

2008-12-09T09:05:00.004-05:00

I woke up in a great mood. This doesn't happen too often.
Usually the cycle is to bitch, moan, roll around, grunt, bitch some more, roll myself out of bed, and be grumpy all the way to work especially because it's too damn early to deal with people who walk all slow in the subway. Then while at the VoS, I surf the internet and work intermittently.

I came into the office and the sink isn't working, so I have to forgo washing subway grime off my hands or run to the bathroom. (FYI, I nixed the hand washing, because I didn't want to walk down the hall to wash my hands. Don't judge me!)
Then as I was reading my morning emails and the big honcho announces that as saddened as he is by telling us, there will be NO bonus this year. Luckily I already knew through the grapevine or this would've really soured my mood.

Ah well, I'm hear to tell Murphy and all this other bad karma around me, "Don't bring me down!"
Happy Tuesday.

PS Robot

2008-12-08T10:30:00.008-05:00

My oh my, I have had a long weekend of doing absolutely nothing. And who could blame me when the weather outside is so frigid.
Luckily I did do my usual routine of swimming on Sundays despite below freezing temperatures. And I practiced some more selective color in PS.
Not works of art or anything mind-blowingly spectacular, but more practice since I haven't really PS-ed in a while.
Here is Take 2 of the Easter Moon and Gold Fever flowers photo. If you compare the 2 pictures full size, you can really see the difference. (original post was done on 11/26/2008.)

And the rest of these were done in about an hour. haha. Results of speed "shopping".

Plus, I finished Twilight and the draft of Midnight Sun. (Book 5 that will most likely not be completed as the draft was leaked. boo hoo.) Twilight is honestly a pretty good (and entertaining) book for the girls (or guys who enjoy teen romances). I single out the girls, because I honestly don't know any guys who have read this book. Now I am anxiously waiting for the arrival of Breaking Dawn (Book 2 of the saga).

Do-Over

2008-11-28T02:08:00.004-05:00

It's 2 am on Thanksgiving night. Jamming to some Prince music. I am experiencing extreme drowsiness from the long day and all the turkey hormones inducing food coma. But I could not let myself fall asleep before I made a less pathetic attempt at selective color in PS. So here is another picture of some lovely flowers.

And now I can sleep soundly. Good night.

BTW, I started reading Twilight tonight. It's not so bad, but I have high expectations considering all the things I have heard about this book from everyone. I am still on page 3, so the verdict is still out on what I think about Twilight.

Groundhog Day

2008-11-26T23:17:00.004-05:00

On this Thanksgiving eve, I am thankful for so many things. I am thankful that I am healthy, I have a roof over my head, food in my belly and that I still have a job. As appreciative as I am to have a job, I must say that having the job I have is very draining. It's so repetitive and mundane. On the plus side, I have ample time to blog and surf the internet at work. One good thing that has come out of that is that I have become very good at the Facebook game Geo Challenge. I can identify 30-50 countries' flags. Hooray for useless trivia knowledge!

As this is a long weekend, I am trying to make the most out of it. No, not by searching for the best Black Friday deals, but by practicing my PS skills.
I know it still needs work, but I'm glad that I am putting PS to use.

Attempt 2 of the picture that I was working on last week.

Selective Coloring on Easter Moon Flowers.

(And thanks to my PLP and to Anatole for continuing to help me in learning PS when even "Photoshop for Dummies" has failed me.)
P.S. I am also thankful that the seemingly never ending work days are over for this week.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Last time, I swear

2008-11-21T10:11:00.008-05:00

Okay, last time I talk about getting the James Jean Fable's Cover book, because the package came to the Vortex of Suck (aka the job) today! And I only ordered it on Amazon on Tuesday night. Since I saved some money on shipping and by buying through Amazon, I couldn't help but slip in Twilight by Stephanie Meyers in the shopping cart too. I have to see what the hype is all about.

So last night was my "stop being a lazy douchebag and try to do something" night.
And I did try to do something. I photoshopped while watching VH1's 100 greatest songs from the 90's. If y'all didn't know. I love the 90's. Here's the top 10.
Note top song #3! I knew they were pretty damn good! #1 was pretty awesome too, but no where near as cute.

100 Greatest Songs Of The '90s
01. Nirvana "Smells Like Teen Spirit"
02. U2 "One"
03. Backstreet Boys "I Want It That Way"
04. Whitney Houston "I Will Always Love You"
05. Madonna "Vogue"
06. Sir Mix-A-Lot "Baby Got Back"
07. Britney Spears "...Baby One More Time"
08. TLC"Waterfalls"
09. R.E.M. "Losing My Religion"
10. Sinéad O'Connor "Nothing Compares 2 U"

My PLP (platonic life partner) was kind enough to encourage me to do some PS and to do a selective color (or color on B&W) picture on one of my many many many flower photos.

Here's what I got:
Original v. My version

Like I told her, I don't know how, but it looks cross-processed to me.

And here are her examples for me.

0, 10, 50, 100 feathering.

Not sure I can do that yet, seeing as I only know PS actions that change an entire photo.
I'm going to do an attempt 2, so we'll see.

Nothing Special

2008-11-19T10:26:00.012-05:00

Just to update you all once again on the James Jean Book.

As predicted, the signed Fables Covers book is waaaay sold out on James Jean's website. But that's okay because I went and I bought it on Amazon.com with FREE Super Saver Shipping! That's right. I cheapo-ed out, but I got the book and I will track James Jean down until I get his personalized signature and a picture with him and my infamous cheese grin.
So that is something to look out for on my blog in January.

In the meantime, things have been going slowly in other aspects of life. I haven't been working on any projects, but I did go to a kick-ass show on Saturday, November 15th. The Giraffes, Prime Motivator Record Release Party at the Mercury Lounge. If you didn't hear about it, read all about it on Anatole's Blog.

I have to say that the show was a nice break from all the financial panic happening all around us.

I leave you with random pictures from the weekend.

(Yes, That's Adrien Grenier from Entourage behind Sohail. He was checking out The Giraffes.)

Two in One Day!

2008-11-11T19:36:00.006-05:00

I know, I must be on a roll. Two posts in one day.

FYI. I decided NOT to buy the Fables Book...yet.
I thought I would try to get the book at Amazon or at Midtown and save one way or another.
Yes, that $8.75 S&H is a lot in a time of recession.
Then I will bring it to his show on January 10th in NYC and stalk him until he signs my book, "To Oi. With Love, James Jean." LMAO.

Okay, enough nonsense.
I actually wanted to post this link to Keith Olbermann on Prop 8.

Many religious people may think that homosexuality is a "choice". I may be super liberal in saying this, but each individual should have the right to choose what is best for them. So even if homosexuality is a "choice", shouldn't people still have a right to be happy living life the way that they choose?

Torn

2008-11-11T15:24:00.006-05:00

I want this! But do I need it?

No, But it's signed!

Ugh! And shipping is $8.75!

I'm sure the signed copies won't last very long too.

People just love this guy.

So what should I do?!?!?

Picture Extravaganza

2008-11-07T14:08:00.018-05:00

I know all of you guys have been on pins and needles waiting for me to upload photos! Cause everyone loves pictures! Not to sound too hokey, but pictures are worth a thousand words. And the blurry/not so good pictures might say 100 words or so.

Enjoy.

Everyone hanging out around St. Mark's on Halloween Night.

Cutest Dog in Costume.

Best costume. Look at this guy completely nailing the role of disgruntled clown.

APW Gallery Halloween submissions.

Monkey by Patrick Francisco.

No words needed to explain this...

Obama -Biden Win!

Celebrating with pans, flags and cigarettes on the streets of St. Mark's and 1st Avenue.

Somebody pimping his Obama goodies in Union Square.

An ecstatic fan in Union Square.

This crazy guy climbed on top of this light post in Union Square and knocked one of the bulbs down. Almost knocked another one down in the process of his flag waving. If you're wondering, of course he got arrested.

A hero's welcome for the bearer of good news. Anatole with the "President Obama" headline at 1:00 AM, 11/5/08.

(If you enjoyed the photos of Halloween, you can check more out on my Flickr. If you enjoyed the Obama celebration pictures, check more out on Anatole's Flickr.)

Blue Never Looked So Good

2008-11-05T09:14:00.005-05:00

Quick note because I am tired from PARTYING in the STREETS until 2:30AM. As you all know, We did it! Yes, we did! Si se puede!

Barack Obama is the 44th President of the United States of America.
It was a nice feeling, because I did my part and as tempting as it was, I did NOT go out and get free stuff for voting. (Just because I was stuck at work, otherwise I would have been all over that stuff.)

So Congratulations, President Obama!

More pictures from the crazy celebrations that happened in the Lower East Side and in Union Square as soon as it is uploaded.

Quote of the Day: "We're in the White House!" - Middle Eastern/Muslim Deli Man screaming from his Deli on 8th Street and Avenue A at 2:00 AM (True Story.)

Pumpkins and such

2008-10-31T10:35:00.007-04:00

A new post about Some random fall things, because I am sick of the post about Pat aging. Aren't you guys? (And by "guys", I am speaking to my glorious readers. All 2 maybe 3 of you, Thanks.)

And on to the meat of the new post. Anatole suggested I do a great post exposing dirty dog orgies and fetishes at the 18th Annual Tompkins Square Park Dog Costume Contest. I'm not that great of a writer. So don't expect that from me. But I am posting some of the photos from last Sunday.

Here are two photos I took of Little Red Riding Hood and Granny. Even though I griped about my DC photos being too dark and orangey, I tried the shade technique again. The first photo on 'P' setting and 'direct sunlight' made the whites too bright in some areas. The 'P' setting and 'shade' gave me a nicer, easier on the eyes look, but a bit too dark for my taste. Still trying to work a middle ground out. I've been watching You Suck At Photoshop ('cause I do suck at PS), but I am still resistant to learning it.

And since tonight is HALLOWEEN, there should be more photos of the festivities as soon as I kick my butt into gear to post another blog update. I will be taking pictures tonight.
So just bask in the beauty of the photos I have taken so far.

And this is just a cute picture of my dog, Peko and his new haircut.

P.S. HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Merry candy grubbing.

Aging Ain't so Bad, Right?

2008-10-17T12:53:00.007-04:00

Right, Pat?

LOL. 'Cause you are having a BIRTHDAY this weekend.
So Happy 21st Birthday, Pat!

Hope it's a good one.
Don't break a hip partying this weekend.
I'll see you tonight.

And in Other Uneventful News...

2008-10-14T12:18:00.009-04:00

My eyes are blurry.
Today is another day in which a large number of brain cells could potentially die...

Over the weekend I went to D.C. to see Buckethead and be that annoying tourist taking pictures of really stupid things.
I was reading Ken Rockwell's Photography Blog last week and I remembered that he suggested taking pictures in "Shade" mode even in direct sunlight to get a nice warm and inviting (slightly orange look instead of blueish) look. I think it backfired on me and I got a bunch of dark-orangey photos. Maybe I didn't follow the instructions right. Seems like the powers that be are forcing me to use Photoshop. How dreadful! I'm such a moron when it comes to PS.

So this is what I have so far:

(Some were just too dark because I didn't put the flash on. But flash would have just created super glare. Any suggestions and tips either on photography, photoshop or just random rants are welcome.)

Planning my Escape

2008-10-10T14:58:00.003-04:00

Today was an especially uneventful day.
So the thought occurred to me to write down how I can escape being a cube monkey...
But the recession we're in makes is scary to think about finding another job.

Well, here goes anyway...
1. STOP making excuses.
2. Give the resume a make over.
3. Look for jobs that I won't fall asleep doing. (Cause seriously, I've fallen asleep, many times at my current job.)
4. Just jump. Do it. Apply.
5. Don't cry about failing if you didn't even try.

Am I missing anything?

Cleaning House

2008-10-05T21:48:00.012-04:00

I've been doing some Fall cleaning.
One good thing is that I'm taking out the garbage (or as much as I can bear to part with) and making room for an actual work space in my room.
While cleaning, I found an old phone with some photos that bring back memories.

Anatole after one of Pat's shows. He's still wearing his Doodlechimp sticker. What a great friend he is. ;)

Go visit Pat's site for some great artwork.
(BTW, newly posted on the site is a process video on a piece for the APW vinyl art show. Created by Anatole. Check out his work.

Pat's "Jawbreaker" skateboard deck listed at a showing at Think Cafe.

So check out their cool work.