danconnortown

Annual Drop In

2011-02-07T17:58:00.001-08:00

Every now and then I'll login to blogger just to see if it still works. Kind of like the old Hotmail account. I had my hotmail account from the spring of 1994 until sometime last year when I gave up and just let the hackers have it.

Originally it was just an email account I had set up in the hopes I could track down an old child hood friend. His name was Ludwig Mims. So I took "LudwigMims@hotmail.com" figuring, maybe one day, he'd want an email account. (back then there was no such thing as Google, or Gmail, or Yahoo, or any of that kind of thing. Hotmail was the Gmail of its day) - Anyway, I figured Ludwig would go looking to set up an email account one day, and discover that someone already had the name LudwigMims@hotmail.com, and then write to that person saying something like, "Hey. My Name is Ludwig Mims too. What are the odds?!"

And I'd write back, "There you are you old so and so! It's me, dan!" and so on, and we'd swap war stories and stay in touch ever after.

I don't know what I was thinking. It was a stupid plan. Obviously, I never heard from Ludwig Mims. Even with the advent of Facebook, and Google both, he's never turned up. I went on road trips dubbed "The Hunt for Ludwig Mims" and though I followed every lead, I never actually found him.

In recent years, folks have told me all kinds of stories about what ever became of him, but none of them have ever been verified. None the least of which is a story about how he was murdered in jail somewhere. It's amazing when you try to find out if any of it is true, how many additional stories present themselves, but no matter what you discover, you (I) found myself only further from the truth.

Friends I've made as an adult always thought of Ludwig Mims as some sort of fictitious character I made up simply to relay wild stories of my youth in a "Big Fish" kind of way, sort of deflecting the blame for my antics, yet still allowing me to have my finger directly on the pulse of some absolute chaos from the perspective of a 3rd person. Most of my stories were received with a polite but noncommittal nod or occasional disbelieving laugh.

The fact is, Ludwig Mims remains one of the unsung heroes of my childhood. That damned kid put up with more grief than just about anyone I knew growing up, and it would really be something to see what that kid grew into. He's got to be 40 by now, and I suppose I haven't seen him since he was about 17.

So many things have happened in the world between the summer of 1988 and now.

Well anyway. That's what I logged in to Blogger for. Just to see if it was still there, and I guess it is.

My hope was that it would inspire me to do something with my site. Update it or something.

We'll see what happens.

dTown 6:27pm

the present

2010-02-18T23:57:00.000-08:00

There's almost no way to really explain it. I mean, there was a time when I would sit and type, and say something every day. I'd take pictures and post them every day. Then there came a time when I took the pictures, but I didn't post them, and I wouldn't say anything about them either. Eventually, I didn't do anything at all.

One day, I started taking pictures again, and posting them, but to the tumblr. Something easier, something I could do on the fly, and that didn't seem so bad. I didn't find myself wanting to punch a hole through the screen of my ever aging G5 every time I opened a photograph. It had become so easy, there was really no need for words. But there was always this moth-balled old site still just sitting here, and it came with the expectation that there would be some words here and there on this little blog attached to the splash page.

Meh, I got a new camera, I got a new computer, I got a new printer, I got new lenses, new software, anything else I could possibly need, and -

-the thing is, I'm just in a period of non-blogging. Thich Nat Hahn would call it a period of non-work, but really, what's the difference? 1 post in July, 1 post in August, another in October, and now this. That's not really blogging, that's more like an apartment that I had once, where I would just stop by once a month to pay the rent.

Hell, come to think of it, that's happened a few times in this ol' life. So it's kind of like that. Maybe one day I'll come back here and move in, dust off the ol' book shelves and have something to say about the adventures, but for now, I'm just doing the adventures.

Check back any ol' time. There'll always be a light on, and hell... the archives are at least as good as the void. Enjoy -

Good times,

dTown - listening to Duke Ellington - it's 50˚ and a little cloudy.

Wha Happen?

2009-10-10T08:41:00.001-07:00

So, what happened was, I got caught up with work and things like that, for what feels like a couple of years. I was looking through some stuff on the ol' computer here recently, and discovered that I hadn't even updated my archives since December of 2008. I mean, obviously something was creating a distraction. The only constant since then has been work. But now, I don't really have that problem, and I find myself with time to revisit the things I like to do.

I also got one of those new iPhones, and the great thing about an iPhone is, it takes me back to the simplicity of my "pinnercam" days. Just a tiny little camera that's in your pocket. No fancy settings to worry about, and it takes pretty good pictures. I also discovered this thing called a tumblr, which I had only been using for reposting other links, or things that I found on the web, or what have you, for a few years now, but when I got the iPhone, I found it was a way for me to post pix without having to deal with any html, or dreamweaver, or slow internet speeds at home, or even having to sit down in front of a computer at all, and THAT knowledge kind of changed things a little.

So for a little while now, I've just been posting to the tumblr and telling myself that when I have time I'll revisit the coding and posting to the scrollers on the regular site. But the thing is, it turned out the tumblr was too easy. It left me with time to do other things, like GO PLACES and see people, and stuff like that. I can just upload anytime of the day from anywhere I happen to be. It turned out that I preferred to go places and see people vs. sitting in front of a "few year old" G5 iMac and haggle with it over whether it wanted to edit my pictures with me, or futz with Comcast on the phone for days on end to decide whether or not they were going to give me a satisfying internet speed.

And so that's kind of what I've been doing. Just tumblin' along. Definitely check it out, because for now, that's my new home away from home.

I hope you'll understand.

You may also be happy to know that I did fire up the ol' DW application yesterday, and made a few (very few) minor tweaks to the original site, with an eye on addressing a real update of some kind, but you and I both know i've been saying that for about 4 years now.

Thing is, now I've got the time, and I'm beginning to get the inclination, so be sure to check back here and again.

Good times,

dTown - 8:50am - listening to the wirrrrr of my trusty (if slow) G5.

by way of explanation.

2009-08-23T17:01:00.000-07:00

What's happened is, I've had to do a full erase / install on my mac. Not a big deal, but just big enough that there has been some impact in my life. Not the kind of impact that cannot be recovered from, but just enough impact that it rattles my cage. In the end, I think it's all going to be okay, but in the short term it's a bit of a crap-sandwich. (Which, as you know, is not always my favorite sandwich to eat, though there is no shortage of them to be had).

So in short, after the update / reinstall i'm missing a few of my tools. The version of Dream weaver that I was most comfortable with, and the preferences therein. Again, it's not the end of the world, but after taking 9 months of not even touching a site, starting off with the possibility of having to start from scratch is not so much daunting as simply "off-putting". I'd rather go drive around by the beach and upload to like a twitter or tumblr account than fuss over a website that is by all accounts a dinosaur...

What i've done in the meantime while I decide if I want to spend 6 to 10 hours at a crack sorting out the issue with the files and so on, is just dumped a link to my Tumblr page which is infinitely easier to update. I don't even have to be home... But of course I will come back to this and rework the site the way I like and get it all tuned in and so on. It's going to be fine, but what i've learned is, as I grow older, I find I have less and less time for technical shenanigans. I'm not up all night drinking tequila and smoking cigarettes and giving two shits about whether or not I'll have to pay for it in the morning.

These days, I drink water and eat fruit & absolutely give a hoot whether I'm going to have to pay for it in the morning. It doesn't make me a better or a worser person, just an older person. As an older person, I have come to realize how much time has been spent sitting in front of this little iMac G5, the eMac G4 before it, and the old MacClone before that, all in the interest of getting a few photos out there to the world, and I begin to question the need to type until my tendons ache, fuss over code until a jpeg appears, and stress over the speed of my processors when managing and editing images, all for the sake of making them just appear on a little website of no major significance.

But it is my little baby I guess. And I suspect I will completely reconfigure it and get it all working nicely again and have the correct software and preferences and settings to make everything work smoothly and effectively and over time it will (never) be like the olden days, and it will be a source of pride and salvation for me after a long day working at The Mall.

Sure. Times have changed a little. But I'm (kind of) still the same guy (basically). Now instead of using the cheapest digital camera I could find, i've gone up the ladder, and was using more and more expensive little point & shoots, and then more expensive DSLR's, and today? I use an iPhone. I really enjoy using the iPhone because it gives me no guff. I click "send" and it's on the internet. It makes keeping it real, even easier than it's ever been, and i'm grateful to have the opportunity to post pictures as quickly as I can make them.

So, for now, I hope you'll enjoy the Tumblr, check back often, because it won't (or shouldn't) be long until we've got his site tuned, honed and throttled to the floor with something worth coming home to.

Good times old buddy,
good times.

dTown | listening to the new aluminum keyboard and the whirr of a G5 fan | 73˚ and Sunny out there.

Up Periscope!

2009-07-08T00:15:00.000-07:00

Well SURE a lot of folks would have given up by now. Who the hell could blame 'em? But really, I gave up too. I have no excuse other than I simply didn't FEEL like it. I mean, sometimes I felt like it, but then i'd sit down in front of the computer and it would like, go to sleep, or just give me the beach ball of LOVE or whatever else can get in the way, and i was like, "Naaaaa...." (thanks though. I'm going to take a pass) and then it was like that with the cameras too. I was somewhere and i dropped that ol' A640, and by now it's got like missing bolts, stuff is bent, etc. and I was just bored with pressing the power button, and then nothing happening. And how many "pretty" pictures of Northern California can a person look at before they say, "okay okay. I get it. It's nice looking right? And you drive a convertible? And the sun's out all the time?! Got it. Thanks."

Because one thing that's different about being here than being there (New York City specifically) is that, it's easy to get lazy. It's easy to get caught up in stuff like, sitting on your ass in the sand. Walking through some woods. Driving up to napa with the top down and jumping in a hot spring.

But if you throw in the curve ball, like say, you meet someone special, and well... Things change. I'll go ahead and let you know. Things changed. I got me one of them curve balls. Nice one. Didn't see it comin' but I tell you I ain't complainin. Sometimes you get a curve ball that's got the right kinda curves if you catch my drift.

A lot has happened since last I was typing here. But nothing too terribly exciting to anyone else. I mean, there was a group show in our gallery here. That was fun. It was the first time i've laid out any actual prints since I moved out here a couple some three years ago. Felt good to see some pictures on paper for a change. There was also the entire season of Spring. (which I enjoyed) Paid off the car, that was great. Oh it got run into and repaired too. I mean, lots of little meaningless things, but altogether, they have meaning, and that's what I wanted to say tonight.

Even if my computer is sputtering on its (faking) last breath, I just wanted to let you know i'm still here. I haven't been here, but i AM here tonight. And Todd C, where ever you are, this post is for you. And of course, i'll be looking forward to you getting out here and getting married and me taking pictures when i'm around it and all of that too. Now let me dig up some photos to post.

I'm pretty sure i won't be doing anything with the actual "site" tonight, but hey. Here's ya' bone. Six lil' pikchaz shot somewhere between January and Today...

Good times,

dTown

eleven

2009-01-08T01:55:00.000-08:00

This is really just a quickie. Eleven little frames so that I don't find myself immersed in the 200 or 300 that happen when I let the eleven turn into 20, and the 20 turns into 60, and then one week turns into one month, and so on before I get an update in place. They aren't much to report about, I mean, I went to the beach and I drove around a little. I saw some turkeys, but OH. There is one thing in there. You'll see my couch. I tell you, I bought that couch out of a garage in Novato. I can't remember if it was free or if it was $75, or if it was free, and I paid $75 to buy some wine to convince the guy to help me pick it up with his truck, but either way, I bought the couch back when I first moved here, and I'd been dreading cleaning it since I got it, not only because it was white, but also because you know, I sometimes have terrible luck with that sort of thing.

I can pay the premium and get the covers professionally cleaned, but hey, the couch is a craigslist find. And besides, whenever I pay the premium, I tend to find myself disappointed. They stain my stuff, or shrink it, or whatever, something happens. It always does, and that's why I always just do things myself. And even then, there's no guarantees i'm going to be happy with it, as is evidenced by the photo of my couch. I can tell you i'm quite UNHAPPY with the result. See what happened is, I washed the covers. I did it all on delicate cold and low, but somewhere in there, I began to get frustrated with the expense of my time. I felt like it was quite an investment of my time, and the sun was out and though it wasn't warm, it sure as hell wasn't like being inside a store at a mall all day, and I wanted to get the hell out and enjoy it.

So what I did was, I kicked the dryer up to "normal" for about 20 minutes to kind of hasten the project.
Well. You don't have to tell me it was a dumb idea, because god damn it, the next thing I know, i've lost about 4 inches of connectivity on my couch. DONE.

Sure, I can rewash them, and stretch the covers when they're wet, but likely I'll wait another year or two before I get around to it. I mean, it took me almost 2 years to get around to cleaning them in the first place, and it's not like they really came out that much cleaner anyway, and on top of that, I somehow broke a plate. I don't remember HOW I broke the plate, but I do remember looking in the sink and saying to the plate in pieces, "oh. So it's like THAT is it?" and again, they were just a thrift store find, but now the set is one place down. I can only have 3 guests with matching plates. Or maybe I can have 4. I don't remember if it was a set of 5 plates? was it 6? The hell if I remember, but I remember when I bought those plates, I was thinking they'd look cute somewhere sometime, and in the end, i've got a smashed one in my sink with an empty can of salmon on top. Go figure. What's cute about that?!

Well anyways. That's the latest.
Any of you cats wanna throw me a 5D MkII, let me know and i'll email you my address. Otherwise, just stay tuned, i'm sure there's more pictures coming on. I can feel 'em in the wings.

Good times,

dTown | 2:06am | Listening to the fans again | 45˚ and sippin' a chelada.

hollandaise

2008-12-19T05:35:00.000-08:00

Well, you never know how it's going to start. I mean, one minute i'm sitting there staring at the computer and listening to it hum along and I'm thinking to myself, "Baaaa... I don't want to spend the time on this." But then, something happens. I begin the editing process, I bang out a few words, kind of a warning shot, a flare off the bow, and then I'm just going along with it. The photos are making their way to the folder, the folder is making its way to Bridge, Bridge is taking care of the dirty work, photoshop has the actions to handle the resizing, and before I know it an hour has passed, and then another, and then another, and lo & behold an update is taking shape. So, there we are.

It's just after 5:30 in the morning, and no, i'm not a fan of pulling the all nighters like that, especially without my traditional study aids, (tequila, tobacco, & punk rock) but when the mood strikes, I never like to put it off. I don't know what you call that. But it's how I work, and I don't have anybody telling me I should be doing something else at the moment, so I'll take it when I can get it.

The real thing that got me moving today on this was I couldn't just leave the site in this eternal limbo in the wake of the wholly catastrophic previous 5 months. Sure, there were some good times in there, but I would be lying to myself, as well as to you, if I didn't acknowledge that letting those last updates just hang for eternity, was the chapter I wanted to kick off the lights in. (I was trying to think of something like, when Cheers ended all those years ago, and as they were walking out, Sam kicked off the lights, but I really couldn't think of anything fast enough, because my fingers were already typing, and they really do have minds of their own when it comes to this sort of thing.) Now, Brad & Melissa's wedding was great. The New York thing was great. The summertime with Sheila was absolutely not without its charm, but here we are stomping at the steps of Christmas, and well, things are all different now.

So, todays pix pretty much pick up where we last left off, the last update was posted after the wedding in October, and then I suppose we had the rest of October, all of November, the front of December, and that of course brings us to today. The last image was taken earlier today on my machine here at home, I was chatting with a friend of mine in Paris, who also went ahead and sent me a funny video, which I always appreciate. (good times wiessla!) He wouldn't have HAD TO (send me a video) if iChat worked nicely between here and France, but alas, it never has. Sure. We could use Skype. We could use probably a hundred different things, but that's not the point.

You'll see that I still exist, I still move around, and I still make photographs when the mood strikes me.

I haven't got anything witty to say about The Government, Technology, or The Weather. I really don't have any funny stories just champing at the bit to get around the track here this morning, and I think that has a little to do with the snapping and crackling and popping that my brain does when I run strong till the next day's sun is brushing the fur off its teeth and making its way across the desert. (Hell Bent on burning some fog off the coast as soon as the Mission Bells ring)

One thing the east coasters will notice is that the leaves are turning here, and in a lot of places they're already fallen from the trees, but mostly due to the rains we've had over the past few days. (Rain is a reasonable contrast to Massive Ice Storms, which I prefer to have no part of.)

I guess I'll wrap it up because i'm not even really saying anything, just rambling away and burning up the cartilage or whatever it is in the knuckles, that you use up by typing all the time, and causes a fella to feel OLD before his time.

You all take care of yourselves out there, and oh, I updated the archives too. I'm not sure if everything is in there, and i'm sure it's not all labeled correctly, but poke around in there and you can find the stuff you've been getting bored of over the past few weeks/months.

Sending love from my little apartment to yours,

Good times,

dTown | 5:51am | Still 50˚ and Moist | Listening to nothing but the fans on my PPC G5 iMac.

Autumn's Past

2008-12-19T01:29:00.000-08:00

Yeah, I've still been taking the pix, but somehow they're not getting to the webs. It's a funny type of stagnation when you find yourself with the camera, though the niggling fact that it rarely feels your index finger on the button is what really matters... I could blame it on any of a thousand different things. I blame work. I blame the economy. I blame the home-life. I blame the weather. I blame the administration. I blame the local police, the state police, and the secret police.

I mean, it's easy to point fingers, but really it's that I haven't been pointing the camera. For example, tonight i'm kind of lolly-gagging through an edit here, and it's got like 150 images in it, and that's what i've got to show for nearly three months of shooting. I mean, sure. There's some nuggets in there, but i'm actually surprised at myself too.

I'm not especially worried about it, I mean, I'm working on them and I am still and forever thinking of some new fancy update but really I sit down and start into it and just completely lose interest. It's not to say that making photographs no longer interests me, it's the spending time making them small and putting them into this little box.

I do like it when I do it with consistency, and I hunt down interesting links, and there are interesting stories to tell, but lately, I feel like it's been kind of hum-drummy. I mean, i'm not getting 35,000 spams a week. I'm warm in the apartment. Maybe it was that really bright moon?

I don't know precisely, other than to say there's something missing. And that something needs to find its way back to my daily routine. (if it ever was a routine)

But this is just a little note to let you know i'm here, and i'm lurking in the background.

Good Times,

dTown | Listening to Kate Nash | about 50˚ and clearing skies.

Upstate

2008-10-07T11:49:00.000-07:00

So I rolled upstate for a couple of days to check out SBJFOUR's big wedding day. The plane ride out was fun because every single passenger was watching the Sarah Palin - Joe Biden debates on their little monitors. I kept thinking how Sarah Palin looked like Max Headroom when she spoke, but to be honest, i really loved the way she did it. Don't get me wrong, i'm not voting for her, (and it's none of your business if i did anyway, but I ain't) but i loved listening to her talk and do her thing. On the ground at JFK was a really good time with a few funny moments that reminded me of the glory of New York... For example, when I got off the plane, it was immediately a mad-dash for the carousels, and the thing is, I didn't have any checked luggage, so I just wanted to get to the Airtrain and get myself a rental car so I could get on up to Poughkeepsie.

Now, it's like 1 in the morning, and there's nobody on queue at the rental place, but as i'm approaching the shop, this swishy british yachtsman comes bumping past me, fairly well pushing me out of the way to get onto the escalator right in front of me. Once he's shoved past, he just stops right in front of me, and I immediately found myself wanting to take one step backwards, up a step so I could have a little leverage, and then just KICK him down the escalator. (Amazing how a simple, "Excuse me." might have prevented those thoughts, but there I was, and thinking to myself, "wow. I'm here 4 minutes and already i'm wanting to kick a guy down a flight of stairs..." (- Welcome to New York mutherfucka where we don't play... )

•EDITOR NOTE: Man, that's hard to find a version of a song without the naughty words in it these days.

So anyway, I get down the escalator, and he pulls off to adjust his luggage, and I b-line straight for the rentals, and get in there, work my way through the stanchions and finally i'm at the front of the line. I'm next. I'm gonna get my car and roll.

Son of a bitch if the little yachtsman doesn't come right up to the front of the line, set his bag down just about on my FEET, and step in front of me, and pull right up to the lady at the counter! (my god, i thought I might snap, but figured "well, he's probably got all the ducks in a row, he'll be like 2 minutes..." ) but no. International traveler with all the BS that happens, so he's 40 minutes at the counter. I'm losing my mind.

Finally he's out and it takes him a few more trips back and forth before he figures out how to get to his car and leave, and after a little chatter, it turns out that the car I had reserved isn't available, but the lady thinks my haircut is cute, so she gives me a towncar. (Now I feel like i'm in NY), but that Towncar was broken, so they had to get me another one. Finally i'm on the road, it's about 2 in the morning and i'm on my way.

I get up to the neighborhood of Poughkeepsie, and i'm starving. I don't know how long it's gonna be till I get to the hotel, so i'm trying to find an open ANYTHING to get a snack, and finally I find a 24 Hour McDonald's drive through. Certainly not my first pick, but it's something, and i pull in for a burger and a coke. The woman is saying on the speaker, "we're closed, we're closed..." i'm like, "what? I can't hear you." she says, "i've got a cold, i've got a cold" i'm like, "lady, i'm sorry i really can't hear you." she speaks into the microphone this time, "can you please HOLD?" I say, "sure, why don't i just pull up to the window?" she hesitates, but guesses that would be okay.

So I pull up, and start fiddling with the stereo. I get bored of it, but still no one has come to the window. I fiddle around with the GPS, still no activity in the Restaurant, so i'm like, "man... what's going ON in there?!" so I figure I'll light a cigarette, you know? Kill a little time.

So i'm smoking and still no one, and of course, there's no little microphone by the window for me to start asking questions, so i'm resigned to my fate. Eventually I finish the cigarette, and still no one comes. I can't believe it.

Finally the girl comes, and she opens the windows, and I can see that it looks like she's stuck her hand in the fryolator or something, and she sees me see her hand, and quickly hides it below the counter, "what would i like to order?" I say, "thanks for your patience, it took me a while to decide. I'd like a Quarter Pounder with Cheese (lovin' it!) and a medium coke please." and she looks at me funny for a second, waiting a beat, and then says, "would you like anything else?" and I say, "well, if it's not too much trouble, I'd love to get some fries too. I mean, whatever's easy. I don't need them, but they do taste good." and she says "no problem" and disappears.

A few minutes later she comes back and hands me the coke. I gratefully straw it up, and take a long pull followed by a short bicarbonate hiccup. She disappears back into the restaurant.

Finally she returns and hands me the bag of goodies and begins to close the window. I'm holding out a 10, and start to say something, and she pulls the windows back open, and I say, "The total?" and she mumbles something, "sshumvidsibbida?" and I say "WHAT?" and she does the universal 2 finger victory sign to the lips, "You got a cigarette?"

!!!

"Sure. I say. I've got a cigarette." I tip the pack and slide out 2 of them, and hand them to her through the window. She says, "Thanks, you have a good night now..." and closes the window.

So it was like that.

Little surprises like that along the way, and easily one of the coolest weddings i've been to in all my days. (And I don't need to remind you, I was a weekend wedding DJ when I was a teenager, so i've been to some weddings son. Beautiful location, beautiful gardens, beautiful ceremony, plenty to drink, plenty to eat, I mean, it was just a rock solid stem to stern romantic and rollicking time. I wrestled a little with the idea that things hadn't worked out with my summertime girlie and she wasn't there to see it too, but you know, there's always going to be something. It's the job of the world to keep you from being completely 100% satisfied on all fronts, otherwise I guess you just fall apart or something, and nobody wants to fall apart at a wedding in upstate New York. Think about it.

I wasn't able to make it into the city at all, it was really a "down to the wire, coming and going" kind of trip. Got to the airport with just enough time to pick up a new book and eat a little Sbarro baked ziti.

On the plane, (flying Virgin, god bless it) the RED media system was being all Janky. I had the choice of CNN or PAY FOR STUFF. So I paid for stuff, (i picked IRON MAN) and it cut out on me twice, they had to restart the movie, and i had to manually fast forward to the scene I got cut off on twice, so by the time everything was working fine, we hit the tarmac, and i missed the ending. I suppose it was fun to watch.

Back on the ground, I got to the whip, top down and immersed in the midnight scent of California Eucalyptus and warm night air.

Delicious.

And now it's time to shower it up and go to work.

Good Times,

dTown | Listening to Jim Noir | It's sunny out there. Maybe high 60's, maybe low 70's.

Reload

2008-09-29T01:27:00.001-07:00

I just had two days off, and although it was in a lot of ways what I would call relaxing, you know, you go to the beach, you lay down. You hike through some forest, you discover another beach, you lay down. You feel the earth beneath your spine, you read a book, you eat a sandwich, you look around... Solitude. Serenity. The beauty of Northern California. Sure. It's good. Good for you. Good for Ye Olde Soul.

Thing is, if you're mind is on something else, it's difficult to get all MINDFUL. And to make matters more complicated, as fate would have it, The Book I was just getting started on just happens to have a main character who shares the name of the person I'm trying not to think about. (Thank you Fate. You're Awesome) So there I am, on the beach, on the trail, on the couch, on the pot, it doesn't matter where I am, and every so many moments, BOOM. "Hi! Just wanted you to think about this, in case you'd forgotten. I'll make it easy for you by making it a nice bold font for you. I'll make the font a color you happen to like, and I'll just float the word on a blanket of white, so that it doesn't get lost amongst all the other words on the page..."

So NICE.

I mean, it's good. It's good for me. Good lesson. You know, you are forever signing up for things. You "put it out there" and the world finds a way to manifest your dream. It comes back to you in spades. You just have to be good and grounded, and I promise you that without fail, the world will conspire to "help" you find your way.

So I went out to Limantour Beach, and I gotta tell you. That place never bores me. Talk about a nice drive. A nice forest. A nice beach. I mean, you're out there by yourself, it's 75, 80˚ and the breeze is welcome, the waves are serene, the colors are punching you in the face, and if you're anything like me, you've got a fucking DELICIOUS sandwich in your backpack, and all is right with the world. In my case, I was indecisive at Sandwich Time, so I brought 2. I brought a Meatloaf & Brie sandwich on sliced sour dough, and a Roast Beef & Provolone sandwich on wheat nut. I ate a half of each, and they were like I said earlier. Fucking Delicious™.

The next day, I went out to Heart's Desire beach on the bay. I was on my way to McClure's to maybe chill with some elk, but it turned out as I started climbing the hill there, I could see the fog out on the coast, and decided I would bank to the east and pull on down to Tomales Bay. EXCEPTIONAL choice. Man, that place is like a mystical magical indian fairy tale. It was awesome. Really. So I hiked on out to this one beach, you have to go through the forest to get there, and it's like you're in that movie Labyrinth, or The Never Ending Story, or Pocahontas, or something. Anyway, I got out there and posted up on this beach, similar to Limantour in that it's all you. You're on the beach and maybe there's some pelicans around, or some seagulls, but aside from that it's you and some sand, & some beauty.

So I'm laying there in the sand reading my book and there's this seagull that comes along. Beautiful bird right? I mean, if seagulls had models, this one was a Giorgia Palmas or whatever. Great looking bird. So I say, "Here's a good looking bird. Maybe she'd like some popped corn..." I mean, if I were a bird, you can bet your ass I'd like me some popped corn. Walking around the beach, not much else to do, except maybe look for some food, and here comes some cool guy with a sack of popped corn? I mean, it's a no brainer.

So I shell out some kernels, and the bird is getting pretty into it. Getting all BRAVE, you know, coming closer. Looking at me all sideways, and I think, "Hey, maybe I can get this bird to model for me." I mean, call me lonely. Call me depressed. Call me what you want, but at the time it seemed like something to DO. So, I reach for my camera, and in that very moment, this OTHER bird comes on down from the sky. A seagull, sure, but not as hot. Kind of like, I don't know. I don't know the names of any ugly models. I mean, I won't say this bird was UGLY, but it wasn't a seagull super model. It wasn't all perfect. I mean, okay. Maybe it was perfect. Who's ever heard of a seagull that wasn't perfect? But it wasn't as you know, Flawless as that first one.

So anyways, this 2nd bird comes down, and he scares the pretty one away, and then he's all, "I'll be your fuckin' model. Where's the popped corn?! Ha?! Gimme the popped corn, and i'll be your little seagull model. I'll be your little monkey, dancing around getting all GULLY for it. Whatever you want. Just gimme the corn (dawg)!" - I mean, he wasn't talking. It was all in the walk.

Fine. So i give him some popped corn. He's into it. I say, "look to the left." he looks to the left. I say, "Look to the right." he looks to the right. (meanwhile, the pretty bird is sort of skulking off in the distance, all pissed about the popped corn) and I say, "okay bird. Now just look at me. Put your beak right here. (pointing to the lens)" and son of a bitch, the bird is a natural. So there I am on the proverbial TARMAC, and I got this bird doing his little fashion shoot. I say, "Okay bird, make like an American Bald Eagle." He throws me a profile. I say, "Not your good side bird, show me your OTHER American Bald Eagle." He flips to the other side. And i think to myself, "what have i become? I'm a god damned middle aged man working a glorified pigeon for some shots in exchange for some organic hippy flavored popped corn on a god forsaken beach in the middle of nowhere." This is what it all comes down to.

So I lay up the camera, and tell the bird to scraminos (el prontimenté like).

About this time, the fog comes in, right on down the bay, and it's gorgeous right? The air is still warm, but the fog is really socking it in. It's beautiful, and i'm there alone on the beach thinking about this girl, and my book is making it easy. And then here comes the pretty bird. So i say to the bird, "you know what pretty bird? You're a pretty bird. You got pretty little seagull knees. If I were a seagull, I'd wanna look just like you. You're perfect. Probably the best looking seagull i've seen all day."

And I shit you not, the seagull comes right over to me, I mean, close enough I could reach out and ring its little seagull neck, and just plunks down in the sand next to my blanket. Just lays there and watches me reading my book. I watch her for a while, and I say, "You're a pretty cool little bird. Don't worry. I'm not gonna hurt you, or take advantage of you, or whatever it is that OTHER people do to seagulls when i'm not around, so you just rest easy. We can both just lie here and watch the fog roll in, and it'll be a nice little afternoon." The bird seems okay with this and takes a little siesta.

And so do I.
No pictures. No chatter. Just Me, The Bird, The Fog, and The Bay.
Good Times.

After a while, I decide I should start thinking about hiking back, in case it gets all dark and there I am tripping through poison oak or something trying to find my way back to the car. I pick up my camera, and the she-bird gets up and takes a few steps, you know, precautionary style, away from me. And I say, "Hey bird. Don't worry man. We've had a nice afternoon. I ain't gonna hurt ya. Let me just take a picture so folks will know I wasn't full of crap, how pretty you are."

And okay. I don't think she understood, but I took a picture anyway. So you'll see some picks of a so-so bird, and then you'll see one frame at the end, with the pretty one I've been telling you about.

And you'll of course see the pix of every chapter that came up to remind me, so you can be reminded too, about how the world works in ways that are just meant to "help" you. To keep things fresh. To mix it up and give you what you really need when you're looking for some answers.

And that's all i've really got for you today. It's a fist full of pictures of my two days off. I didn't go to Indian Springs, though maybe I was supposed to. But I did go to Indian Beach, which if you think about it, is kind of the same thing. Just a little more private. And either way, Indian Springs, Indian Beach, it's semantics. I was right where the world meant me to be.

Oh plus I found this very mysterious hand made wooden box, hidden way up in a tree overhanging the water, which I won't go into. But I discovered it. I tried to comprehend it. And then I put it right back up in that tree.

Good Times,

dTown, listening to Lyrics Born. 52˚, clear as night, and I'm finally finished that book.

Summer's End

2008-09-25T02:14:00.000-07:00

Ironic you know? Tonight I log in to do the little update, put some some words in there, and it turns out there's 267 posts in the history, and it happens that i'm putting up 267 photos on tonight's update. What does it mean?! Hey. I'm no numerologist, but i'm sure it means something. two and six is eight and seven is fifteen and that comes back to six, you do the math. Let's just call it balanced. (apparently though, if you WERE into numerology, Six is the number that is owned by Venus, and well. You probably know about Venus, (the chick planet) all about Love, Harmony, The Arts, and Beauty... Call it a coincidence if you want to, but I'm just letting you know what happened when I logged in to update.

So, yeah. I've been busy with some stuff. I had a summer in my absence from the internet, and therein was a girl. Nobody could tell me different.

You know, this morning I woke up laughing at myself when the clock sounded that now age-old ocean waves sound that it makes. I could never describe it like I saw it, but let me tell you, it rocked my little planet... So there I was. It was me, and Sheila, and of all people, Vince Vaughn. But not your regular old Vince Vaughn, it was the Vince Vaughn from that movie Clay Pigeons, where he plays this guy, Lester Long. But it wasn't really Lester Long either, it was a sort of faux-faux Lester Long, but sure as shootin' it was Vince Vaughn, Me and Sheila sitting at a table in a diner somewhere. And the thing is, we were trading places, this guy Lester Long and me, and I was giving it up. Letting go of Sheila, something about a business card, a number, something, I couldn't tell you what exactly it was, because I already told you, I can't pull up a way to explain it to you like I saw it, but somewhere in that moment, the three of us sitting at a table in the diner, Vince across from the two of us sitting side by side, the whole damned thing turned into a sort of Disney animation, and Sheila and I became these kind of stylized cartoon versions of ourselves, and Vince remained all human, like that movie with Don Knotts where he becomes a fish or something, and I looked over at Sheila, and she was just as beautiful as ever, but just smoothed out like a cartoon would do. Everything all tuned up for you, and even her voice got more feminine (if you could even imagine such a thing) and all the details and color and even the light splashing through the windows was just perfect across the table, and well there it was, I'd handed him the card or whatever, and she flipped her hair one way, and she looked completely heart broken, and her voice kicked up about 4 octaves, and her eyes got even more cartoony as she looked at me, and was saying something like, "I never thought you'd do that to me, I never thought you'd leave like this hunny..." or something like that, and it was totally heart wrenching, and I was looking at her, and there she was with the beautiful blonde hair, and her doe eyes looking at me, and the light just perfect, and she had on this cartoony trench coat, not too much unlike the one she wears all the time in real life, and suddenly it's over. It's ending. I turn into this lug-headed baboon for not realizing that she didn't think i'd really go, like, honestly believed I might just keep taking it, whatever it was in the dream, and so now i'm an ape, and the scene is closing with this funny shape, like when you look through a keyhole in a movie from the late sixties, and you see the shape of a skeleton-key-hole in silhouette around the couple in the room or whatever, except in this case, it's a big stylized fedora, like Sheila wears all the time, and it's zooming in on us... she as beautiful as Jessica Rabbit, times ten, and me a big baboon, and Vince completely blowing out of the picture all High-Key, and it's morphing, this fedora frame, into the kind of Feather Font I saw the other day on Notcot, but still it's the fedora, but all feminine, french, candy stripe-mod style, and it's closing in tighter and tighter on us, and she's so beautiful it's even better than a cartoon can do it, and as it gets smaller and smaller and all i'm seeing is this fedora, the words "the end" start writing themselves in that famous Merry Melodies font from back in the day across the middle of the fedora, and suddenly my alarm clock is making that Ocean Sound that I wake up to every day, and I say to myself outloud, "And... Good Morning!" and suddenly there I am lying in my bed alone here on 4th street laughing out loud at myself to the sound of the ocean, because man, you couldn't have made it more real, more ironic, more painful if you were Saul Zaentz, and you really wanted to prove a point.

Just intense. Perfect.

And pal?

That's really like a 4 second preview. Because I already told you. I could never explain it in a way you would understand it. It's a real "You Had to BE THERE" kind of thing.

The good news?

I was there. And for the most part, there was a camera around.

So the pictures, well. I'll be honest with you, I didn't put them all up. I probably left out a cool HUNDRED or so that I didn't think would be appropriate, but trust me, they're good ones. And another thing that kept getting in my way is, since it didn't end the way either of us wanted it to, I was having a really really hard time even editing them. So for those of you who've seen my pictures over the years, i'll let you in on a little secret.

The pictures that LOOK like I took a second to work on? I did. I did them while Sheila was right here on the couch behind me. She was sitting not more than 10 feet from where I'm typing right now. All the rest? The ones where the color don't seem like dTown color? Where they seem like maybe they're straight out of the camera, or maybe even worse? Well. I just couldn't bring myself to even look at them without her here. ( Get used to it. ) I tried man. I promise I did. I sat in front of this computer for days saying I'd do them justice. I'd make the pictures the best pictures ever. I'd sit right here and tune each one of them however long it took to make them absolutely fucking perfect. Frame after frame was going to just blow you away. Put you there in the driver's seat with me and really take you on home.

The thing is... I couldn't. I simply couldn't stand to look at them knowing what I know. (cut me a little slack. I mean, in the cartoon, she's the hotter than a blonde Jessica Rabbit, and i'm a god damned baboon.) So what I decided tonight was, I would come home from work, (got out around you know, 11) muscle through the photos, and then just get 'em up there. Whatever shape they're in, just GET THEM UP onto the internet, and then I'd make some silly promise about how i'll come back and fix the ones I really want to fix some other time.

But i'll tell you right now. I'm not going to. I'm never going to. They are what they are. They are what my camera saw, and then what i thought I could safely put in front of you without getting too much grief on the backside. They are my entire summer. For whatever it's worth to you. Stem to Stern. Sky to Land. Dust to Dust.

In the series of photos, you can see so many things. So many moments. A whirlwind in the life. I parked my car the closest i've ever parked my car to another car. I saw my father. I went to Yosemite. A friend blew his head off, and I went to the beach. I got dumped. I got back together. I got dumped again. I swam in a lake. I worked. I relaxed at the spa. I went to the beach some more. I mean, everything's there man. It's all right there for you.

It all started with me and a girl named Sheila, and it ends with me and a girl named Sheila.

And in the wake? well. Who knows how it all pans out? I sure as hell can't tell you. But i'm hoping the pictures will tell you something.

They explain where I've been. Why I haven't been on the internet. Why I don't really even take pictures anymore, (truth be told, I still take them, but really I don't.)

I imagined i'd go on about all the different stories. All the things we did together. Down to the purchase of the nice smooth brown sheets. The Cheladas, the 555's, Napa, Lake Berryessa, North Beach, Arcata, all of it. But here I am thinking, Baaaa.

I would go on about the other stuff too, like the release of that new Canon 5d (*SEND ONE TO ME PLEASE), the new iPods, the new Chuck Palahniuk movie, so much new stuff, but they have other blogs for everything, and since I don't even log in any more, what the hell am I going to tell you about that you haven't already read about?

I thought I'd tell you about all the books I read over the summer, what my take was on them, and how I finally started giving ol' Yahoo! the boot for filling my mailbox with over 37,000 spams in the past month alone, but no. I just don't have the juice. It's all there. It's in the pictures.

And just like life. When something bad happens, you look back, and all you see is the good. I look at the pictures, and I gotta tell you, I'm hard pressed to understand why it is that i'm just sitting here banging away on a clickity old keyboard in my apartment and there isn't a Sheila on my couch.

But hey.

It happens to all of us.
Each and every one.

Get your nose out of the water, and your chin off the floor.

Look at some pix, and think to yourself, "well son of a bitch if even when he's down, it still looks like a damn good time in danconnortown."

And Sheila? This post and these pix are dedicated to you.

Good times,

dTown | Listening to Deathcab, 3:00am | 63˚ and this post was "made on a Mac."

(in the future, find under -Archives/ fladeedle, 2008, September 25)

The Tortoise

2008-09-19T11:03:00.000-07:00

Well, i'm getting there little by little. I've got the edit at least into a folder, and many of the pix are close to ready to go, i've been so busy with all this other stuff man, it's just astounding to me how the time goes by when you grow. Today has been very productive so far, I've learned that when under even modest emotional duress, a fella can get things done by simply getting out of bed and driving hard to the hole. This morning I did things like, buy plane tickets, book hotel rooms, visit the cobbler shop, smoke cigarettes and drink coffee, read some book, write and read a few emails, take & make a few phone calls, make a plan to catch up with my ol' Roomy from Brooklyn, water the plant, organize the purchase of a new suit for my friend's wedding, and even managed to get a little walk in, plus spend some time with a neighbor talking about the state of our nation's economy.

And now it's 11am, and i've got a few more things on the list I'd like to hit before the 12 o'clock church bells ring. If I can get all the "Important Stuff" out of the way I hope to get back here by sundown, and hammer out the rest of these photos, try to resize them and get them up and on the ol' internet for ya'll to have a gander.

When they come, it will basically be "What I did on my Summer Vacation 2008" if you would call it a vacation, when you're working the whole time.

It's all about perspective. Maybe it's one of them Staycations™ i've been reading about in the New York Times.

Speaking of times,
It's good times.

danconnortown | 63˚ & listening only to the slow drip of the kitchen sink, mingled with the fans of this ol' G5.

Slippy Fingaz

2008-08-04T00:05:00.000-07:00

It's really not that big of a deal when you think about it. I mean, i've been slinging cameras around like they were fucking donuts in a paper bag for about 20 years, so, from time to time, something's gonna break. I mean, I remember back in the days of you know, FILM, when i would huff the N90s around with 2x SB26 strobes, and so i'm at a party, and drop the camera, smash the strobe, get it fixed for a few hundred, go to hawaii and immediately drop the camera on the rocks, break the strobe again. (DAY 1) And even to this day, no. Wait. I did get that one fixed again, and it wasn't until I moved over to New York, and I was at a party uptown somewhere, in the days before semiprecious weapons existed as a band, and I think I accidentally threw my camera across the room. I mean, I don't remember why it was going so fast, but it totally got away from me. I don't know if I was trying to fling it and catch it, or, not really FLING it, but you know, juggling multiple things, and as will happen when you're dropping something precious, and you don't want to break it, you try to get your foot out there to slow it down, maybe let your toes take some of the pain, cushion the blow or what have you, and as will happen when you try to use your foot to catch something you don't really want to drop, you wind up just kicking the beloved thing across the room.

This is because your legs are typically much more powerful than your arms, and in the moment, you aren't thinking about restraint. You're thinking about you know, "Save the baby" or whatever. So I punted my camera across the room, and that had to be 3 years ago. Well, that strobe is still broken and parked in a bag somewhere.

Today's incident was similar. I was coming back from the lake. I had tossed my bag on the chair, put the groceries on the table, and was in the process of unslinging my camera from my shoulder to put on the coffee table, and well, it just got away from me.

BOOM.

I didn't fully grasp the severity of the incident for a moment, but my mind did register, "Wow. That was a pretty solid hit." And I flashed back to a time when I was just out of my teens and watching a criterium bicycle race in new hampshire, and this guy was switching lenses, he looked like he had a really nice kit, and he was there juggling the lenses, big ones you know? And one of them got away from him, and he, like me, tried to slow it down with his foot, and punted the lens across the pavement. It was bad, and at the time, I think I laughed right out loud. (I've always felt kind of bad about that ever since.)

So today, it was my turn. One of many turns I get to smash my stuff. But I didn't get my foot out for this one. It just happened so fast, it was just, I can't even explain it, it was just one of those things that was meant to happen from the moment I discovered Glide brand dental floss. It was already in the ether. This thing was going to happen before I knew I would even own a Nikon.

So I'm not upset about it, I mean, not in any real sense. It's just a camera on the table for now, and when I get around to it, i'll make more pictures with it, or whatever.

Point being, I was taking pictures with it over the past few days, and in fact the past few months. And though i've been slow to get them up on my site, it's nothing to worry about. It's on my list of things to do.

Last week sometime, I moved all my stuff to a new server, and now i'm just hoping to get the time to move everything else over there too, and get on with the new host and all that stuff.

So there's plenty going on.
I'm sorry I didn't get some more pix up there for you today, but when I saw this one, I just felt like I kind of had to.

It's good.

Good Times,

dTown - Listening to La Traviata, 54˚ and clear. I'll tell you though, 54 feels cool to me.

WooHoo!

2008-07-15T12:45:00.000-07:00

I tell you what this next post is going to be a humdinger. I'm trying to think of how to put it into words, and which words might land me in A Court of Law.

But no, it's good. The pix? I don't know. They'll be what I took, minus some stuff that words will have to suffice for.

Hey. It's coming soon.

Insert MISTER COOL PHOTOBOOTH IMAGE HERE:

Okay. So it's not mister cool. But it reminds me of 90% of the guys on MySpace, (not that i'm trolling MySpace, i mean, maybe i'm just thinking about what my interpretation of MySpace guy images would be.)

that's all for now kids.

-dTown

listening to REALLY COOL MUSIC, wearing a REALLY COOL T-SHIRT, and smoking REALLY COOL CIGARETTES.

the heat

2008-05-14T20:49:00.000-07:00

man i've gotta tell you, i've been wondering when it was gonna get warm around here. I mean, seriously. I remember a year ago, it seemed like it was on average about 20˚ warmer across the board, and finally, yesterday, it happened. So with that burst of heat, i said, "okay. Now i can do this friggin' update" because man, I don't like to be cold, and i don't like to think about why it's cold, and here we are. I'm back to normal. (thank you sun) today's update is probably going to hold for a little while because i'm not sure why because but because i feel like that's going to be it for a minute. It will be apparent to you that i still take the pictures, and eventually they make their way to the interweb.

the big news, which you will gather pretty quickly is that i sold Rusty. Sure. I miss him. It was sad to see him go, he served me well, and we had many many many great times together. There's a frame in there where Rusty is driving away to his new home, and it kind of breaks my heart a little bit each time i see it, but the thing is, you'll probably also notice the new whip in there, and the thing about the new whip is, it really makes it all okay. ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S WARM OUTSIDE.

but pretty much this is what i've been doing. Just driving around out along the coast and out through the countryside of northern california, soaking in the sun, and looking up at the trees. I've been reading books, and mostly books i've already read. I was going to make this particular update have all much larger photos, (like 700px tall) only because there's one photo where you can see the book i'm reading, and you can read all the words on all the pages, and i thought it was nice. I sent a big copy to my friend Silky Jr. and it was nice to share with her, and after i thought about it i thought it would be nice for all of you to get a sense of the day like that, but then, when it came time to resize everything, i was like, 'nnaaaaaaaaa, i'd rather take a nap.' and well. there you have it.

That said, being the first really nice warm night we've had, i'm actually more anxious to go out there and do something, like say (for instance) go play board games and smoke cigarettes with a new friend in Sausalito, than sit here and type about something just off the cuff. Here's my compromise.

I'll write something else soon, and even stick some pictures up there just to prove i still take 'em.

Good times,

dTown 9:13pm 82˚ and spring is in swing. Lovin' IT.

imminent arrival

2008-05-14T03:14:00.000-07:00

the new update is literally almost there man. I've got all the pix to spec, and the thing is it's you know, 3 in the morning, and you know how the ol' saying goes. "The ol' gray mare, she ain't what she used to be..." I mean, i could probably bang out a paragraph or two about it, and call it a night, but i wanted to say something, and the thing is that once i get to banging out paragraphs, well. it's one on top of the other and then it's 4am, and then i'm like, "oh man. Now what have i done?!" and then it's time for work, and i've gotta get my scene all in a bag and out to the shop, and well there you have it.

In the olden days, I wouldn't think twice about it. I'd just stay up right on through and still get it done. But the thing is, that's what makes a fella old. Or no, maybe it's what keeps you young. I haven't really figured that one out yet. But the point is, i'm not going to find out tonight. I'll hit the rest of the little details tomorrow and then you'll see what happens.

It's plain old good times.

In other news, Ye Olde SBJ4 sent me this link this morning, and I rather liked it. Concept, fit & finish. So maybe that will hold you over till i get my new stuff up here for you. Have a peek: A Photo Story.

good times,

dTown 3:18am Listening to The Exploding Hearts, and dudes? It's like 65˚ out there. FINALLY! (woohoo)

Ol' Stanton.

2008-05-08T23:43:00.000-07:00

Now here's a guy I always liked. I don't know if he was built for the gig or not, but the thing I liked about a fella like Stanton is, he worked. He worked hard, he stayed late, and he did what it takes to get shit done. He was one of the good ones. I remember when he first came on board, and I wasn't sure what his skill set would be. How refined his knowledge of the digital world was. Didn't know much about him, other than we needed a guy, and the guy who was out had made some pretty big fuck ups and suffered from a little of the negativity in the work place, and so here comes a guy without a whole lot of drama, and actually did a great job.

I liked how when he would type an email out to someone, he'd open his mail window the full way across his 23 inch display, just a huge sea of white, and there he'd be typing away in 11 point font, the words just kind of inching their way across that great big screen. I've never seen anyone else do that. I mean, It's like, if all the words you just read, took up only 1 line on a page. And it's a very big page. Plenty of more room for plenty of more lines. I can think of at least a few hundred nights, well past midnight when I would come out of the equipment room, and there he'd be typing a letter to a client, listening to System of a Down and just really burning the midnight oil for that company, no complaints, just getting it done, because in New York, that's what you do.

*NOTE: Even though that's Misho at Scott's desk, you get the idea. It's a guy. Sitting at the desk, and there's a big screen. And it's all white. (in this case because the screen is overexposed) So you know, it's like a photo illustration.

Well. You know how it goes when you're one of the good ones. It's simple. In business, there's no such thing as friends. You can say it over and over in your head until you think you understand it, but until someone you thought was a friend proves it to you, you just don't get it.

Kind of like that episode of The Family Guy, where Brian finds out he's got a kid. And he goes on that whole thing that parents will sometimes do, where they say, "Until you HAVE a kid, you don't KNOW." It's a life lesson. Not like saying to a kid, who can't seem to keep his hands away from the stove, "hey, those blue things moving around, kind of flickering under the pan, well. Those things are HOT." I suppose until you touch the blue flickering things, you don't really know. You THOUGHT you knew, but really get a much better sense of it when you touch 'em.

So anyway. Now he knows. That's how it goes. That's what happens. That's what you get.

For me, I was thinking about it again this morning. My lesson about that one. I was tossing a Q-Tip™ into the waste basket under the sink in my bathroom, and having another of my morning dialogues with Kevin Bacon about it, how you know, there's probably a hundred better ways to do a friend, if the guy's really your friend, and that ain't one of 'em. I wasn't thinking about Scott, I was thinking about me. I mean, sure. I'm different now. I do things very differently, and anyone who's out here and around me would not even know the me from NY I guess. They'd say, "Naaaa. not dan. he's not like that. I mean, maybe i can picture it, if i think about it, but naaaaa. He's too laid back. No way."

The thing is, it's one of those lessons that changes you. Because once you understand that there's "no such thing as friends in business", it's kind of like that thing that September 11 thing. You just, well. You just feel different. You think different. You ARE different.

Now most of you know I don't get too involved with the whole 911 thing anymore, mostly because nobody really gives a shit. And by the time people get around to actually giving a shit and doing something about it, it won't matter. It's already too late. The damage is done. It keeps getting done. It's getting more and more done every day. So there's no point in even thinking about it. It's out of your hands. Just buy yourself a hummer or a ski boat and go play. There's people much bigger than you and me moving the pieces on the board, and quite frankly, we're not invited to the table.

That's how it is with Ol' Stanton. I heard he learned about friends & business, and my immediate reaction was, "Of course! Why not?!" and then, my next thought was, "Well that's what you GET." And of course those thoughts were all laced with my trademark sarcasm, but really. It is what you get. That IS what happens. And in the end, someone else decides it's time for you to go somewhere else. You just pack up your little box and do the walk.

You work hard, you trade years of your life, you dedicate yourself to something or somebody else, and then you're expendable, and you are out, and that's life, so grow up. (How's it taste?)

Well I'll tell you what. It doesn't make me happy. And I feel bad about it. But now we have at least one more thing in common. We both KNOW. And for that, we're both a little wiser.

My hat's off to you Scott. I believe in you man. For all the nights we worked later than anyone else we knew, and for all the times we believed we were making a difference, I want you to know, in some small way, I appreciated your dedication, your commitment, and easy smile even when it wasn't always "smiling times", I'm glad to have been a part of it all while you were there too. Here's a picture that you might recognize. It's probably an expression you saw on my face more than once over the years, back when I didn't know any better either. Good Times.

Thank you for being a friend.

dTown | 12:07pm 63˚ and clear, nothing playing on the stereo.

Spring Cleaning

2008-05-06T22:24:00.000-07:00

So it's been a long minute, and i'm not saying it hasn't. Thing is I don't have the same pull to put the things I see up there on the ol' Fridge of the internet that I used to. So tonight I was sitting in my chair and thinking about that, and thinking well, what is it about it, this thing where I don't just show a little discipline and put the pictures out there? What is it that makes me think, "baaa. Who cares? BIG deal?!"

And really, I got nuthin. Maybe i'm just growing into something else. Numerous times i've thought to just take the site down, or at least migrate it to some other place, something. Anything to mix it up, I mean, Yahoo! (the guys hosting my site) aren't that cool. I can't say that they don't at least HOST the site, but really, there's nothing great about them as a host.

The pictures? Well sure. I still take some, but they aren't really something i've been too passionate about lately. Ok, i'll admit, there's some that i've shot that i'm into, but that was never the point. The point was always to just take some pictures and then put them on the internet, and then take some more, lather - rinse - repeat.

So tonight, that's my loose plan. I'm going to just start an edit and see where I land. I'm not going to bust my hump over it, but really, if some of my other friends can manage to get a picture a week up onto their site, and it makes ME happy to see those, well then, there's not really any reason I can't at least do something like that.

I don't mean LIKE that, but i mean, just do something before i forget how to even work with my site at all.

So i'll be back.

Just wanted to let you know that I was thinking about it.

One thing I can say is that, ONE thing that has had an impact on my whole, "let's do a website" thing, is a few months ago, I went with a couple of friends into the city for a party. I was the designated driver, and the prize was that one of my friends let me drive her car down there. It was a convertible.

Now, you all KNOW how much I love a convertible. So the thing is, it reminded me, how much I love to drive a convertible. And the smile that gets onto my face when i'm driving one, is something I really enjoy to have.

You may recall the photo in this particular post from my last update back in March. Well. It was a moment in my life when I made a decision to do something about it. In that frame, I am driving along in SF on Lombard Street, heading toward Filmore, but only just past Lyon Street coming from The Bridge. I still remember it very clearly.

good times,

dTown

a fair amount

2008-03-03T00:58:00.000-08:00

of things have happened over the past few months. None the least of which was the part where I went ahead and purchased some faster internet for my place. Now to many of you the glory of fast internet may already be a distant memory, but I can tell you that it makes a very big difference when you are uploading a lot of photos to your site. Having the slower internet was actually one of the main reasons you haven't seen me at ol' danconnortown "the website" for the last little while. It just got to be so frustrating trying to do a simple update that i decided it wasn't worth my time. Now, i'll admit there have been consequences. Now i guess i see about 20 hits a week on the site, but hey. If i wanted hits, i'd make a site about naked chicks and people wrecking on their skateboards. (not a bad idea)

The pictures in today's little update go all the way back to the end of November when I had just returned from NYC, and you'll notice that there's only about 170 images in today's update, which if you do the quick math, 170÷ Late November + (December + January + February) + The Front of March = you noticing i've slowed down a bit on the clickity clackity of photographs in general. Not to worry. It's just a Period of Non-Work.

Things you won't see in this update:

• That time we got into that street fight with that one guy.
• Many trips to the local watering holes.
• Lots of other things.

Things you will see in this update:

• A photograph of my car.
• A trip back to New Hampshire.
• My Thanksgiving Dinner plate.
• My Christmas Dinner plate.
• My Birthday Cake.
• My cool new keyboard.
• Many trips to the local watering holes.
• Lots of other things.

Tonight it was interesting for me to realize how long it had been since an update, I mean, seeing the trees when their leaves were only beginning to change, and then the leaves were falling, and then the leaves were gone, and then the rains came, and then the sun came, and now the trees are already budding again. That's technically a stretch between updates.

You'll notice also that i'm still using the same host for my site and have not engaged in the work of a complete redesign for the new year or anything like that. That's okay. It doesn't mean i'm not thinking about it. It doesn't mean I won't get to it eventually. It only means that i'm spending time on other things lately. That i'm shifting the way I do things. That i'm growing into something different.

I'm not positive that this website is high on my list of things to worry about, but it doesn't mean I don't want you to see more pictures from my cameras. I'm sure something is going to come of all this rest and moderation. In the meantime, enjoy. I'm sure i'll come up with something to write about in the next little while, and it will be funny or witty or charming.

Have yourselves a nice day, and I tell you what. I'm looking forward to hearing from you.

good times,

dTown

ps. special thanks to those of you who stuck with me over that dry spell, and the shout outs to get the site updated. I really appreciate it, particularly from the likes of my good friends Brad and Todd C you guys are great, and I just want to say thanks.

listening to Robyn Hitchcock | 48˚ and clear out there, but dark.

GASP.

2008-02-07T00:38:00.001-08:00

today i got home from work and i was thinking, MAN, it's BEEN A MINUTE. And I was thinking about all of the things I'd like to do in my minutes when i'm not working or napping or hunting the sun, so i decided to check out ol' dTown on the internet.

What prompted me were these SPAMS i've been getting. I mean, nothing special about them, except the volume, and it got me to thinking about it. I mean, i've got this Yahoo! account, that i've been paying for for years now. And the point of it was, you know, if you PAY for your email accounts, that they don't spam the hell out of you. But the things is, I got a Gmail account, and i don't get all spammed to the gills. And that's FREE.

And I know people at Apple right? So i get the deal on the .mac account. And i could just move my site over there, onto one of their servers. And so I save money, and i don't PAY yahoo! to send me spam.

Well, i was thinking about it. And then, i got to thinking about how shitty Yahoo! mail is when it comes to working on macs. And I thought about all the phone calls over the years to Yahoo! and the response of the customer service when i say, "First, i'm on a mac. I'm running bla bla bla on a G5 bla bla bla" and then the customer service dude goes, "oh. we don't really support mac."

And then i got to thinking. "SO WHY DO I SUPPORT Yahoo!?" I mean. I like macs. I support mac. Why should i do business with people who don't SUPPORT mac? That's just stupid. There are plenty of options out there that DO support mac. So that's what i've been thinking about.

And I mean, WHY should I have to PAY for hassles? I don't grasp it. So i'm going to focus on that for a minute over the next couple of a little whiles. And once i've got that all figured out, I think i'm going to storm on back into it.

For now, i know it's not much, but here's three recent images that i made.

I call them, SPAM FROM YESTERDAY AND TODAY. I mean, just 2 days of spam. When i think about how many thousands and thousands of crap emails i've had to sift through or teach a filter to sift through, or just delete over the years, and to think i was paying Yahoo! the whole time for "the pleasure of it" it makes me disappointed. But you know, that's the wrong way to look at it. Really. Just plain old don't use them. Problem solved.

you can click on those pictures to get a better sense of what i'm talking about.

Another thing i did today, was i went and bought one of those "couple gallon jugs" of water. See, when i first moved back out here, i drank the tap water because it seemed silly to buy it from a store. I mean, after all, IT'S CALIFORNIA. But then in the late spring, they started tearing up the road out front to put in some new pipes. And all summer long they were at it, ripping up the road for more pipes. Well, ever since then, the water has tasted terrible. And it's not even CLEAR anymore. For some reason, i just kept on drinking it, and i'd say to myself, "this water sucks. I should just buy some, because i'm sure this can't be GOOD for me." But i never did. Kind of like the Yahoo! thing.

But today i bought some. Guess what? It was fucking DELICIOUS. And i ENJOYED drinking it. In fact i've got a nice cool glass of it right here next to me RIGHT NOW.

So, a year of change. Chinese New Years hits, and all the big changes start falling into place. First, drink water from a "couple gallon jug". Second? Can Yahoo!.

that's a couple of things i can do.

More soon.

dTown 12:56pm 45˚ and clear as clear can be out there. Stars shining down upon me.

yeah yeah yeah...

2007-11-20T23:28:00.000-08:00

so you're all like, "what the fucksup dTown? how come you don't just update your site?!" and i'm like, "yeah yeah, sounds great. Let's do lunch."

ha. but so here's what's been going on. Not a whole lot of taking pictures in the way I used to be taking them all the time anyway, but i mean, i still take 'em. I've just somehow got myself busy again, and with other things I guess. But that's fine. It's an ebb and flow kind of thing. My heart is still in the right place. (nestled within the ol' rib cage) but I haven't been worrying about making sure the batteries in the camera were charged or even if the camera comes out of the bag. it's not a negative thing, it's just a "period of non-work" or rather, maybe it's a period of "working on something else". I say that only because when i finally sat down to work on an edit tonight, and was thinking of the last time i'd done that, i guess mentally i was prepared to see myself with a 300 or 400 image update on my hands, but that wasn't the case. Maybe i'm slowing down. Maybe i've seen what i need to see. I can't really be sure.

Here's what I'll say, there's some new york in there, there's some california in there. On the day where you see the fog, you know from the windshield of my car? that's the day that that dude crashed that boat into that bridge and dumped all the fuel oil into the bay. I don't think it makes the news really, so maybe you didn't hear about it, but a guy drove a pretty big boat into a bridge out here, and tore a whole in his boat, and then dumped like 60,000 gallons of fuel oil into the bay, and it's causing quite a ruckus. Last I heard, they were going to get The Department of Homeland Security on it. ( you know, because they're so effective. I mean, when's the last time you got on a plane without having to take off your shoes? How about the last time you brought a tube of toothpaste on a plane? ) So you can see, it's the right thing to do.

What else. A retired baseball player got on the front page.

And my friend chris got married. That's actually big news, but I didn't want to make an update all about you know, "wedding photos" because that's not what's really going on twentyfourseven. It's just a moment in there, which I will admit was a pretty good moment. Ha, i tell you what, there were a few good moments in there.

If i didn't see you when I was in New York, don't worry. You're not alone. I was in and out of there, and to be honest glad to be back here where it's sunny and warm. I mean, don't get me wrong. It was great to see the city, but i can say i wasn't yearning for it when it came time to leave.

What else? Oh i don't know. Maybe even the blog needs a shift in gears. it's just like yak yak yak, but for what?

ah, the good times.

_dTown

next phase of it

2007-10-15T00:52:00.000-07:00

So now i'm back, and the pix from today's update are all about where I was, and what I was up too. You'll see some new friends in there, and some good times along the way. It's a little less "beachy" and a little more "chico" ha ha! I'm back and i'm working the full time job being the McGenius, and still coming up to speed on what exactly that means. It is good times, Rusty Brown continues to run fine, I continue to read books and listen to rock and roll. Sometimes I smoke cigarettes, sometimes I don't.

The weather is stretching into a NorCal Autumn, we're seeing some rain here and there, some clouds, and some cool nights. It's a nice place to be. I'm growing a little older and finding pleasure in my naps, and getting to bed at a regular time and rising like a regular cat. I'm curious how that's going to impact the pix we make in the coming days. I mean, I go into the archives and I see the mellow vibe of it, and i look at today's update and I see the rip-snortin' good times of it, and I think i'm going to be okay when it comes time to find the balance, split the two in the middle then throw me smack dab in the center!

Good times,

dtown | listening to Ween (La Cucaracha) | 60˚ and moon bright

lately

2007-09-22T17:15:00.000-07:00

This week i've been mostly studying for the Mac exams, to prep ma'seff for 2 weeks at The Mothership in Cupertino. I didn't take many pictures, and really spent most of my time sitting right here at the computer reading and learning and testing and reading and learning and testing. I did get outside from time to time and was conscious of the pictures I wasn't taking, a few times thought I would really like to take a picture, but had deliberately left my camera at home. I don't know if that made me feel like I was "resetting" my defaults or not, but it was interesting to not just whip out a camera all day long. I don't prefer to not take pictures, but wanted to see how I would get along if I didn't.

It was okay. I lived. Tomorrow I head to Cupertino for two weeks of training at the Apple Headquarters, and I'm hoping I'll have the opportunity to take a few pictures while i'm down there, but i'm pretty sure most of my time and energy will be devoted to passing the tests and learning what I need to know.

Just wanted to drop in and let you know that I'm still here, just have some other things on the front burners for a minute. I don't know if I mentioned this before, but recently I went through the archives looking for broken links and missing scrollers, etc. and I did find a few, so i've fixed most (hopefully all) of those, and welcome you to poke around in the archives for old time's sake. When I get back from the southbay, or if I have an opportunity to update from down there, I'll get the latest pix up here, and i'm looking forward to getting some new stuff up there for ya'll.

Until the next time,

be good to each other, play nice, and wish me luck!

good times,

dTown | listening to the wurr of my PPC G5 | overcast and warm

bipass 912

2007-09-16T21:40:00.001-07:00

You know I thought about it more and more as the days unfolded and I just couldn't bring myself to sit and type about the things I thought I wanted to type about the other day, the reason being, what's the point? I can think about it, write about it, make a movie about it, it's not going to change anything. A perfect example of something like this was like what I was talking about on September 11. All those people flew to New York this year to really raise awareness, and try to get their message heard. (You remember that kooky idea about how you know, the "official story" has some holes in it) Anyway, the hope was to finally get some mainstream press coverage. Thousands of people gathered in cities all over the country to make this happen, and well. I never saw anything about it on the mainstream media at all. I mean, there was some thing about Ass Face Rivera and his show about sexy dressing stewardesses on some airline, and him telling the 911 truthers to "get a life". That's not news, and Giraldo does nothing to help the cause. People aren't like, "Oh! Giraldo said something to them wacky conspiracy theorists?! Oh my. We better take a look at this!" So, I figured the same thing. If you ignore it long enough maybe it will just go away.

What I decided to do instead, which is something I've been doing a lot of lately, is just drive on out to the beach. This time I went out to North Beach, which is also out there on the Point Reyes National Seashore, and it was great too. The water was nice etc. and I got it in my mind that sometimes, since where I live now doesn't have as much graffiti and trash and stuff all over the place, that with the landscape photos and everything being so good looking, the scrollers can feel a little jumpy with the images from edge to edge, so this post has a lot of stitched together panoramics which I hope you will enjoy as much as I do. It really never stops amazing me the contrast between my digs in ol' east flatbush brooklyn, and well. Life out here.

There's also some nice pix from the road out there through Inverness, along Tomales Bay, and of course you'll see good ol' Rusty Brown once or twice. Such a great car.

Anyway. That's all for now. More next time.

danconnortown | listening to Pavement | probably like 60˚ & clear out there.

oh nine one two

2007-09-12T01:49:00.000-07:00

This post is really just a place holder. I'm kind of too tired to write the things I wanted to say. I was laying on the couch reading a book while the pix were uploading, and kept nodding off. That's because Tuesday was an eventful day. A couple of things i did want to mention so that I'll remember to touch on them at some point are that today is my friend Jay's birthday. We've been A-List friends since like, 9th grade. This is the first year I've been out here for his birthday in like, 10 years. The other thing is that today is also the 2 year anniversary of Kevin Bacon canning my ass when I got home from my vacation in Tulum. Two Years. Still thinking about it. I was even thinking about it when I was at the beach making pictures today. So those are some things I want to remember to write about when i'm more awake, but i'm sure mostly I'll write about the anniversary more than I will the birthday. I mean, a birthday's a birthday. Not all of them are just birthdays, but you know how I mean. September 12 is now like my own personal September 11. A day I will never forget. A day that I think about on the other 364.

Anyway. Enjoy the pix. They're fresh off the press. Most of them were taken out at Kehoe Beach, at Point Reyes. And no, I didn't give too much of a hoot about matching / balancing color. I just kind of make each picture how I want them to look on their own (Ha! hardly). Though, i wouldn't bitch if they did all match, and I didn't have to be the one to make that happen. Here's a little video I made for ol Brad over at SBJFOUR while I was out there making pictures. If it's good enough for him, maybe it'll be good enough for you too. Cheggit out.

Alright, more soon.

dTown | wiped | listening to SoMa FM

testing mars

2007-09-10T22:48:00.001-07:00

One of the drawbacks i've had with ditching firefox as a primary browser on this end is that I lose some of the perks, editing tools on the blogger, seeing the temp and weather info in the progress bar, and a few other little bells & whistles that are nice plug-ins with the Mozilla products. The big ones for me have been really the stuff with editing on the fly, adding links, text mods (bold / italics / etc) because I have to be mindful of the mark-up code while i'm writing, verses just pressing simple command keys, so good ol' Brad at SBJFOUR.net pointed me to MarsEdit, which I've seen in the past but never really gave it a second thought. Usually the moment I hear I have to pay for something that doesn't pay me, I lose interest. Well, I shouldn't say usually I should say lately. And that's all because i've been trying to keep my existence on the super-low budget so that I wouldn't have to work this year. So tonight i'm testing the trial version, to see if it actually works for me.

Incidentally, that went very well (taking the time off, I mean). I took a nice long stretch off from the "work your tail feathers off" scene, and got a fair amount of R&R in between February and now. Next week that's going to stop and I'll get back to having a regular life with some responsibility and some regular income.

For those not in the know, I've taken a job with Apple out here, and I'm going on board as one of the Mac Geniuses that you get to meet and spend time with at The Genius Bar. I'm actually pretty excited about it because I already spend most of my time immersed in macs anyway, so might as well get a little bread and butter out of it. It's a distinctive shift from the work I've been doing all these years, and I've had plenty of time to think about it. It's a pretty substantial cut in pay, but it's also a pretty substantial cut in work, and I still get to be on top of all the new toys and technology. I'm going to be starting full time with the team here in Corte Madera starting next Monday, and really looking forward to the next year or so getting to really flex my head on all things mac, and in the wake of it be that much more tuned on my own stuff here at home.

Now, to shift gears. It's September 10, and it's a Monday night, so we've come full circle from the September 10 of six years ago, the night before the world "changed" for so many people. I am aware of each hour as it draws closer to the morning, and I remember talking with Laura on this night, and she was telling me how beautiful the silvery moon was over the East River, looking out from our apartment on 34th street. How she was expecting me home, and how much I wished I was able to be home with her that very night. As it was, I was having a great dinner with good friends here in San Francisco, and spending the night in Oakland with my ol' college buddy, Burnt. What a difference a day makes.

Tomorrow I expect there to be some news from New York, as the 911 truth guys, as well as just about every other 911 group dedicated to bringing the government to task over the lies, distortions and yada yada following that tuesday six years ago. The hope is to finally get some attention by the mainstream media on this, and I have to admit, my confidence in their ability has been truly shaken in this arena. I don't delve much into politics as a result of my experience with it, but I do have my fingers crossed and hope that tomorrow will bring some focus on the real issues surrounding the attacks on that day.

Since moving back here, I regularly meet people who have no idea about the sheer numbers of Americans who do not believe the "Official Story" and people who have in a very real sense, been blind to all the commotion in the wake of the attacks. It's discouraging, but it's something that's grown so big I can comfortably say that it's out of my hands. If they haven't been paying attention, they're not likely to start now.

One little detail that really stands out for me tonight, is the glaring fact that Osama Bin Laden isn't even really important anymore, not to the FBI, The White House, or even The Justice Department. And although his name does appear on the 10 most wanted list, he's not charged with having any connection to 911 at all. On top of that, there's never been a bit of evidence produced which links Osama to the attacks. This is something I clearly remember hearing over and over on the news in the weeks and months following the attacks. "We will show you undeniable proof!"

Well. It's been six years. I don't care how slowly a fellow types, it shouldn't take that long to come up with a little document stating what Osama at least "allegedly" did, what was his "role" in these attacks. Of course there are movies and books and pages and pages upon pages and more pages available on the internet pointing fingers at piles of other glaring inconsistencies in the Official 911 report, but somehow this Osama thing has captured my attention this week, and it's really sticking in my mind. I mean, with OJ Simpson, they at least came up with something to give to the people, a bloody glove, etc. to at least create the sense that he may have been involved in the Nicole Brown / Ronald Goldman murders.

I'm not going to waste time trying to make you believe something you don't want to believe, or regurgitate anything i've said over the past several years on the subject. I just wanted to say, that i'm still aware of it every day. From missing videos of anything actually striking The Pentagon, the mysterious collapse of WTC's Tower 7, the lack of an aircraft in the hole at Shanksville, PA. Even the apparent free-fall of The Twins themselves. There certainly is enough information about each of these readily available to anyone interested in knowing, though the questions still beg to be answered.

Let's hope that on Tuesday, there is some sort of awakening, at least in New York City, that finally gets some serious airtime, and hopefully some traction, in the mainstream media, something that explains how we (The United States of America) came to be the laughing stock of the world, and with any luck at all, finally force some answers from the puppets on the strings, or maybe even the masters pulling them.

Please don't hold your breath. Just cross your fingers. And if you're interested, I've gone through my links in the sidebar today. You're welcome to peruse the section about never forgetting there on the right hand side of this page. There may be a wealth of information you were never aware of. Maybe just check out the link there for "loose change" today. I would love it if just flipping through the links, or even reading this post made a difference that really mattered somehow.

Thanks everyone, I'm glad you're here.

dtown | listening to Niño Josele | remembering another time.

presidio ja vu

2007-09-10T00:04:00.000-07:00

today I rolled out with Sargeant Jucker and The Troops to The Presidio for a little field trip. When I got there it was a little foggy but still a beautiful day in that sort of mystical way that "foggy" always seems to be in the city, and more so in The Presidio. At first I thought to myself, this would be a good day to just shoot everything in black & white. and of course, I can only partially commit to shooting in black and white when i've got the option to shoot in color, I mean, if you shoot in color, you can go black and white later, but you can't change your mind the other way around as easily. So I shot everything in color with a mind on the black and white, and while I was at it, I took a few pix with the Nikon, and a few with the Canon just to see what happens. To see how they feel at home, verses in the hand.

I'm over the whole comparison thing between the Canon A640 and the Nikon D200. They do different things. (The Nikon makes me feel macho, and the Canon takes good pictures) so, it was fun to do a semi-side-by-side shoot out with them, not really concerned about the outcomes, but for you, on the viewer side, you might enjoy to see if you can guess which images were made with the canon and which were made with the nikon. But really, that's not what the site is about so don't worry your head about it. Just look and see if you see what I see.

When I got home, and it was time to edit on down, I really had a time of deciding if i wanted to flop back and forth between color and b&w or just do all color, or just do all b&w. In the end, I decided to do all color, and all b&w. But i didn't really commit to the b&w, so don't get all ansel adams on me. I just sort of ran an action on the color ones when they were done and called it Black and White. But it's cool to see them both I think. Maybe open up two scrollers today, (GO CRAZY!) and um, stack 'em on your screen, so you can see one on top of the other. (or the other way around) I haven't done that yet because the images are still uploading and feeding me errors about what didn't upload and so on in the background here, but it's on my list of things to do as soon as the pix are there. Stack 'em up and look at 'em on top of each other.

Also, I ate some Top Ramen tonight. I can't think of the last time I did that, but it seemed appropriate as I was drinking Eye of the Hawk. It's like a sort of "college dinner" vibe. I mean, though I didn't drink when I was in college (per sé) I do associate the two with college.

anyway, that's the poop. Cheggum out. Sunday's pix are hot off the press, the others are from the immediate past.

good times,

dTown | listening to Stargarden | 1217am | 61˚ and the pandas are sleeping in San Diego.

Numero 250

2007-09-08T21:30:00.000-07:00

it's funny, I always imagined that once i got up there in the posts, that i'd be really rolling with something by then. Like a story book or some amazing thing that was totally a "must read" for lots of people, and here I am on post number 250, and still it's just me sitting at the desk, finished a bowl of pasta and not much to report beyond there is incense burning in my hall on account of something rather unpleasant involving feces and a carpet, i'm listening to some music from the mexican side of the fence and drinking water from a glass.

Really. That's the big news. HA. I mean, sure it smells good, the breeze, coming through the window. September 11 is knocking at the door and it's been long enough that it's about to fall on a Tuesday again, and there are still people putting stickers on sign posts that say "end the war on X - Date" etc. But really, what's new with them? what's new at all? Nothing's changing except for the obvious. Summer is on the down slide, though in California as you know (or maybe don't) summer is really just coming up to speed right now. We don't feel the fade for a month or two here, but the sense is there. The sun sets in a different part of the street and so on, but really, it's business as usual. These pix are a testament to that sentiment. Nothing exciting, nothing new, but again, here I am putting them there on a Saturday night and here you are on whichever day just having a look. So everything is just fine.

And you know, thanks for stopping over to read my post. Halfway to 500 of those. Maybe by 500 I'll come up with something interesting to talk about. I mean, i talk about interesting things, it's just that when I wait until i've edited the photos to come up with something to write, well, the steam has left the pipes. Maybe i'll work on that element soon.

Oh, here's something NEW. This morning I noticed when i woke up for work, (around 6:30 this morning, i got to sleep in) I noticed i wasn't thinking about Kevin Bacon. I didn't even notice, that's what makes it funny. But i came to my email, and sure enough there was a spam in the box that said, (in the subject heading) "danconnortown, Get Giving with Kevin Bacon."

Forgive them lord. They know not what they do.

In other news, I can't think of the last time I ate a bit of cheese.

Love,

danconnortown | listening to Juan | 9:38p & 58˚ out there.

the reclaim tanks

2007-09-02T23:28:00.000-07:00

I was just standing out front here drinking a beer and feeling the nice late summer time air while I huffed on a 555, and there was a guy on a motorcyle, the kind with the loud pipes. Not a harley, but a japanese version of the harley, you know the kind. The guy had a nice shiny black helmet, and the nice khaki pants to go with his black leather jacket. He was revving on his way up the street, and i thought to myself, "them's some loud pipes" and of course i remembered the whole 80's thing where everyone had a bumper sticker that said, "Loud Pipes Save Lives" like, as if to say... well. I won't get into it. They were loud pipes. So away he went up the street, then back around the block, and I guess for a victory tour, back down my street the other way revving up a bit (i guess to keep it from just stalling out?! na. i'm sure it was just to hear how loud them pipes are) and he's driving with his turn signal on, he's not turning, he's just not paying attention. I mean it happens. I'm sure all of us have felt like dumbasses when we look down and see that we've had the turn signal on for at least 20 minutes. It happens. That's fine. But this bit with the loud pipes, I feel like I'd be self conscious about them. I mean, when i come home at night, I fairly well tip-toe up the stairs in my building. When i'm in my apartment, I am conscious of the people on either side, even though I know they can't hear me. I don't stomp around from room to room, i'm quiet with the dishes, etc. I won't even take a shower really late at night because i'm aware of the sound it probably makes in the hallway of my building.

I'm sure that comes from being raised by complete assholes, who would punish me, or well, anyone really, for making any noise at all. I lived in one of those houses where you damned well better tip toe, and you sure as hell weren't going to be jumping on your bed, and the whole "clean your room or i'll clean it for you" was not an invitation to test out the maid service. Lately i've been thinking about that kind of stuff, the way I was raised verses the way it appears that a lot of other people were raised, and i think it's so strange that I should come out "the crazy" one. I've had plenty of opportunity to hear people tell me that I don't care what other people think, I do it my way, etc. etc. but really I do care what other people think. I was thinking this as the guy roared by on his bike, because he obviously doesn't care what other people think. It's not like he gives a shit if as he goes up and down the street he's setting off car alarms or scaring the shit out of people with the revs. For him that's the point. I imagine him at 2 or 3 in the morning roaring up 4th street, "BLAP BLAP BLAPBLAPBLAPBLAP!!!!!" on his little bike. Not much bigger than a glorified mountain bike really, but with more noise than just about any other car rolling through town over the course of the day, all of them combined I would say don't compare to this one motorcycle.

What's the point? Most times, if i'm out driving on the freeway, I don't necessarily hear the bike until it's right next to my window, and then they rev it up to let me know that they can rev it up, and my my listen how loud they are. "look at me!" their bikes fairly well shout.

I tell you. A stunt like that under the rule of Evelyn Connor would yield a good beating with whichever shoe or belt or yardstick or anything that happened to be handy. If there was nothing durable enough handy, she would use that item until it broke and then go get something more durable. HA! you wanna talk about loud. That woman was pretty loud when she was throwing a beating, and you didn't want to find your voice rising above hers.

As i turned to watch the bike rumble and roar it's way back down 4th street, something flew into my eye and started to burn there, could have been anything, but as i was thinking of how to get whatever it was out of my eye, I wondered how the biker was raised. Did he have those same kinds of rules? Did he have the parents that would beat the crap out of him for walking too heavily? Perhaps he needed a couple more good ol' fashioned beatings with his dad's shoe.

For most of my adult life, I've thought that you are just supposed to be as quiet as possible in your house, in someone else's house, or out on the street. I don't mean you can't be hootin' and hollerin when you're drunk off your ass with friends, or crank the tunes when you're having a party, I mean, when it's just you. Just you out there on the earth by yourself, walking or talking or heading off to somewhere. There's no need for the whole world to hear it. I thought that that was what being polite was all about. Considering the other guy. Put your trash in the trash, your recycling in the recycling. You're not the only person here on the earth mister connor. MANNERS.

As i've grown, i've come to see that i'm probably very wrong. As a guest at a friends house, the family would set to banging pans, and talking full volume in the room I was staying in, because that's just how they do. Cars pull up to pick people up at home and lay on the horn again and again instead of just getting out and knocking on the person's door. Motorcycles are louder than rockets trying to get out of the atmosphere. People stomp on stairs and from room to room. They slam doors for no apparent reason other than they don't seem to know any better. Cars go by in town with the stereos booming so loud that you really can't hear the music in your own headphones. We've even got a guy here who just does laps up and down 4th cranking 80's pop music at full bore with the windows down. Of course, he's wearing earplugs himself, but that's just his style I guess.

It's times like these that I feel like REALLY doing what I want. Not even trying to be mindful of what's polite, but just being the guy that people are like, "ol' danconnortown. He really does like to have the music so loud it's like a concert all day and all night, and god bless him, he's doing what he wants to do. You gotta love a guy like that. Doesn't give a shit what anybody thinks, he's living for HIM. He's not an inconsiderate asshole, he's just living his life like the rest of us. And dad-blast it, he sure has a good time!"

Of course I won't. My music will stay 8 clicks below where I want it. My doors and windows are closed 90% more often than I really want. I'll still close doors quietly, and walk softly. And I tell you, I know Rusty Brown would sound like a demon from hell with some glass packs and straightpipe coming off of some headers (if I had my druthers), but Rusty will stay muffled like any big block V8 ought to be. And I guess people don't really beat people with shoes anymore. That stuff's gone with the manners of yesterday.

Am I way off base to think I've been going about this whole thing all wrong? How did thathappen?!

happier than a pig in shit,

dTown | listening to Thin Lizard Dawn | 62˚ and simply beautiful

the green man

2007-08-29T22:35:00.000-07:00

aight playin a little ketchup, and one thing that's going on right now is that burning man thing, the green man. So I got this guy with a watermelon. it's green. he's a man. Get it? but then today, that guy (no i won't give him more props) but that guy burned The Man a little early to get famous, and then tonight, I was all queued up for the Tom Green show on his internet, with the headphones, the tinfoil, and a couple of squashes, but we came up short on time. Then, I was hungry after all the waiting so I went down to get a burger and the window display in the shop next door to the burger joint is all "Burning Man / Green Man" so i figured, OKAY. I'll mention it.

Summer is starting to crank it up over here, and the temps have been up there in the 80's i think, which is hot for here, but not like, you know, 80's in NYC. It's a different kind of it, and you already know that.

What about that girl from South Carolina though? The one with the answer about finding the U.S. on maps? And then there was that one about the Senator in the bathroom? Man, i'll admit it. I looked at some news lately, but I don't count it as politics if I don't have an opinion about it.

I keep thinking I want to say something clever, but nothing comes to mind so i'm just going to wrap it up. Here's what, check out the pix, they do the talkin for me. There's a bunch more coming, i'm only a few days behind now, so barring something REALLY exciting, we should be able to stay ahead of the wave. Man, that camera just keeps snappin.

Keep ya chins up.

dTown | listening to Tom Green (prepare for impact) | 57˚ and clear out there.

justrillquik

2007-08-27T22:47:00.000-07:00

took quite a few pix over the past few days, but there's also "kidney recovery" time, sleep deprivation to contend with, and on top of that, there's the work. Upgrade to CS3 over the weekend, and it runs a hundred times better than the beta version from winter time, so i'm hoping the new CS will streamline some of the workflow and hopefully free up a little time to work on other things site related. This is just a shout out to let you know there's an update in the works, and if everything goes alright, the pix should drop by (i'm hoping) Thursday morning. Hopefully there'll be a bit of useful dialogue to go along with it.

btw. you can click on the picture above if you want a little sneak preview, and also a closer look at the CS3 Bridge interface

good times,

dTown | 10:51pm | 66˚ | listening to street noise

fliggity

2007-08-22T20:38:00.000-07:00

After two months of what I'll call "an observation period" I have determined that by having MORON FONT at the top of my blog, directing people back to the main website, there have been only about 4 people who navigate to danconnortown via the banner at the top of the page, so for me, I like the way the old banner looked better. But it was an experiment. Sometimes people tell me that you have to really assume everyone is a dumbass. But I've decided that I can assume people are dumbasses without compromising my aesthetic. So, if you don't know already, you are welcome to click the banner up top, where the flag is, or where it says danconnortown, and you know, that'll take you back to dTown where all the pictures are. And if you don't know how the main site works, you just press the buttons. Like Archives, that's where you find the pictures that aren't right there on the splash page linked to the words. That's pretty much it.

Not much else going on, over here. Eating some meals, making some photos, you see how we do. Oh, you'll see in today's update where Ol' Jon Boy cut his thumb with a dull knife cutting some limes. He got some stitches in there. In case you're thinking it was me. I actually have a sexier thumb, and on top of that, I wouldn't get stitches. You'll recall a few months ago where I had a nice superglue pinky. (incidentally, you wouldn't know which one it was if you were to look at them both today)

I've been watching Canon roll out camera after camera this week, the Mk III 1ds, the A650, the G9, and the 40D are the ones that caught the most of my attention. I'm not in the market for any of these cameras, but i will admit the G9 is looking pretty ballsy, the Mk III, well. That goes without saying, and the 40D doesn't please me so much because it's not full frame. I do like the A650, but not enough so to want to own one. I think the A640 which I make most of my photos with is still the favorite.

But wait. I was supposed to make an interesting post. I was supposed to say something different. Not about cameras or Jon's thumb. Maybe something politcal? I think I was pretty worked up about that Deutsche Bank Fire in Manhattan the other day, and how it somehow wasn't making the news, but I think I decided that WHY SHOULD IT? The whole 911 thing never really made the news, so what's the big deal about the Deutsche Bank? BUT if YOU are interested, you are welcome to google it and maybe piece together what I may have been thinking about it. I mean really, who cares? The big news this week is that K-Fed went to Vegas. Apparently he likes to party now that he's liberated or something. Now, THAT is what I call NEWS.

Ha.

Anyway here's some pix. (over on the mainsite, like i was saying, you just click up on the top) They're not having anything to do with Graffiti or street art, but don't worry. I haven't lost my interest in those things.

If you were wondering, the site that I draw the most traffic from? It's Tembokbomber. You can see them in my links on the sidebar here. That's where the referrals are the highest. I love Tembokbomber. Thanks dudes.

Oh, another thing. I finally figured out where I keep the timestamp info in here. And i set it to Pacific Time finally, but that changes the times on previous posts. I don't mind. But just so you know. Going Forward you will see accurate time stamps for my posts and it will feel like you're really there.

Keep your noses out of the water,

dTown | Listening to Calexico | 70˚ and perfect like usual. BTW it's funny how "perfect" doesn't bore me.

morning joe

2007-08-18T19:04:00.000-07:00

After posting my pix last night, I think I got to sleep around 2 or something. I don't recall, but I remember it was my plan to wake up and tear it on out to the beach, or get a full day of Bocce Ball in at the courts here. When I woke up this morning, I think it was early enough to do some beach, but I think I was maybe too lazy to do it, and opted to walk over and grab a cup of coffee. On the way there I saw the front page of the local paper. It was saying something about some person who was like, I'm not sure exactly. A member on a board of some global warming watchdog group, and she had been charged with being heavily invested in oil and gas and energy stocks. I thought it was pretty funny, so thought i'd ask the guy at the coffee shop what his take on it was.

When I got in there it was quiet. Silent quiet. No morning jazz or whatever I might have expected to hear in the cafe, and the guy wasn't especially chipper either, which normally I won't tolerate. If i'm going to pay 3 bucks for a coffee, you wanna be smiling at me when I come in the door and have something nice to say while you're at it, but i'm open minded. For all i know his wife died or something yesterday. (I assume that wasn't the case because his wife's father was there making sandwiches or something, and i'd wager they'd probably take the day off if that happened) So anyway, I say to him, "did you catch the one about the lady with all her money in the oil & gas?" and he explodes.

(HA HA)

"It's BULLSHIT. It's ALL bullshit. Everything is bullshit. The feds, the taxpayers, the watchdog groups, all of it. I was in stocks. I was a trader. Not even the administration can do anything about it. Even if they wanted to, which they don't. But they wouldn't and they can't. All they can do is raise or maybe lower some rates here and there and hopefully the next administration, or the one after that creates some bubble while they're in office. Is it the internet? is it energy? is it real estate development? is it prisons? whatever it is, it's all bullshit and there's nothing anyone can do about it, so you might as well invest or not invest in whatever the hell you want, because even THAT is bullshit. it's ALL bullshit!"

Changing tack, "Um. Ha! yea. I hear ya man. Good morning. Could I please get an iced mocha?"

"Sure. I mean look at it this way. It's always somebody trying to be a watchdog. But they call themselves a non-profit and are first in line to buy themselves a Mercedes SUV or get their fucking toenails done by some asian lady, or say they're supporting the troops, by what?! By driving a fucking chevy suburban around town all day with a "Save Lake Tahoe" sticker on the back? Did you want that to stay or to go?"

"um, yea. totally. I'll um, I'll take that to go. Thanks."

Anyway, I opted for the Bocce Ball. I don't want anyone saying I drove Ol' Rusty Brown out to the coast just to drive out to the coast, and I don't even have a "save the lake" style sticker. In fact, i've been looking all over the place for one of those fancy american flag stickers like you see on the cop cars and every other fucking car these days, and for the life of me I can't find one. I go to the car part store, I go to the car wash, I OBVIOUSLY go to the gas station, but nobody's got 'em. Don't worry though. I'll find one. It's nothing to worry about. And when I do, I know just how it goes.

Keep ya chins up, and you know, try and shop local.

Good Times,

dtown | 70˚ and perfect out there | Listening to The Shins.

the vibe

2007-08-10T22:02:00.000-07:00

Here's some recent pix. There's some more coming too, I just couldn't get to them all tonight. Let's see. That first one you see on the scroll, that's what a smoker sees when they're done hawking up chunks of lung. I was being polite. I didn't put the big meaty black chunks up, because you should be allowed to ease yourself into the reality of it all. It's been a while since I had a cigarette, I think more than a month now, but I haven't really been paying attention. There's another photo in there with this lightbulb full of water in it. That's my friend Chris, down in LA conducting some sort of experiment in his apartment. And then the lion's share of the images are from my trip up to Lake Berryessa last weekend. Had a great time up there, and there's a lot of pix that I didn't post, but that's mostly because from my experience, I run the risk of being asked to take them down, which isn't how I like to do it.

You know how if you slap a kid, the kid doesn't care for getting slapped the next time? It's kind of like that. Except, none of these folks has slapped me in a long while with the "I don't like that picture of me" card, but I just decided I don't feel like even putting myself at risk over it. ADJUST.

In the meantime, i've been spending some time over at YouTube and getting some little videos up there. I'm sure you can figure out how to search for danconnortown on youtube if it interests you. And there's the zooomr too. (you can learn more about the zooomr on the post below this one)

That's my story. Oh DeEtte's having a birthday party this weekend back in New York. Gosh I wish i could join them for the little birthday bash, and I understand they've scheduled a pretty impressive meteor shower for the weekend too. I hope they have clear skies and nothing but good times. I'm going to try and see me some meteors too. Those are fun to watch when they're falling from the sky. In the meantime (while you're waiting) it's always fun to make up your own stories about the stars. Go to NASA's site for info on the meteor shower. I'd link it but you know how it is....

Keep your chins up out there. That's about all i'm interested in doing right now. Gettin' the nose to the sky.

good times,

dTown | Listening to Guided by Voices | 57˚ and the pandas are asleep in their zoo.

slowly

2007-08-07T23:06:00.001-07:00

Alright, so i'm getting better little by little here. I wouldn't say it's a full recovery. No. I won't say that. But, still I've been making some pictures and that's been good. Another thing that happened was I was finally able to get back into my Flickr account, which i've been locked out of since last november when they did the ol' switcharoo, where you had to have a Yahoo! ID to get on or whatever. There was some sort of mishap, that took until just last week to resolve. ( INFURIATING ) but not really infuriating, I just said, "aah. whatever." and haven't dealt with it, but now it's been dealt with, but dig this.

Ok, so the main reason I even bothered with flickr was I thought it would be cool to have another venue to show my pix, but also because of the tagging, you know, getting to tag your pix. Because I strip all the metadata out when i save them for the scrollers you see, so I thought that would be great to have, but what i learned is, that none of my tags were working anyway. So then, you have to go to the forums, and the FAQs and spend time on that, and I was like, "gimme a break. just DO your job!" jeeez. Bla bla, more emails later, and we're still nowhere.

So, meanwhile, Firefox is acting like a punk rock teenager in a staunch republican's household. I mean, just CRUISIN' for a bruisin, and that's driving me up the wall. Loading pages slowly, failed page loads, random crashes, etc. Enough is enough, it's like a family crisis. I've got the Flickr giving me crap, i've got Firefox begging for a weekend at Boystown USA, and i'm still dealing with what is by now, most likely, throat cancer. OH NICE, and i'm just now seeing (remembering as well) that Safari doesn't have all the bells active with blogger, for like italics and what not, so i have to do it with the HTML lite as I type. (Talk about sounding like Ye Olde dTown all over again. (JIMINY!!) Alright so none of my photos can be found by the tags. So my friend Brad, he tags a photo with "danconnortown" and son of a bitch if it doesn't work fine for him. So i write him and I say, "HEY. What's Different?!" You think i'm gonna hear back? No. I'm not gonna hear back. He's to fancy with his fancy New York lifestyle. So, then I have to come up with something else.

And how'm I gonna do that? Well here's what i did. I was on Pownce™, that's this new thing that's all exclusive. (Oh wait. so i have to do the code for links too? see?! that's just going to slow me down. Thanks Firefox for sucking balls these past few months. 'Preciate it. ) anyway, it's supposed to be the new "big thing" but guess what? It ain't so big. The interface is clunky, it's got some limitations, it's a little confusing, and they want you to buy the "pro" account for it to actually be cool. And even then it's not really cool, it just has no "ads" on it. But here's what happened. I have the "invite only" style, so you know, i'm at least exclusive but trust me, you're not missing anything, but i'm in there and one of the ads is for this thing, a photo site, like flickr, but it's called Zooomr. Now, the thing about zooomr is, it's unlimited across the board, bandwith, images, file sizes, etc. and also offers tagging and so on. So (thanks Pownce) I went there and got an account and have been dumping photos up there because it's easy, and the effing tags WORK. You can see my pix on it by going to the dTown Zooomr. but there's not necessarily some new stuff up there yet. I'm basically migrating some old stuff. Making selects. But that's something you could see if you wanted to.

Tomorrow or so, i might get into editing the pix from the past week or two, but i'm not sure yet how it's all going to play out. There are some good ones though, nothing to get all hurky jerky about but you know, the lake is nice in the summer.

So there's them, and they're coming. Just wanted to give you an update. I'm not dead, but i'm getting closer. There's still pix coming down the pipe, i've had a falling out with Firefox, and i'm a day or two away from deleting my flickr account. What next? Who knows. Maybe i'll start using Opera or Camino?! ha ha

Bueno Noches,

dTown | listening to the hum of my refridgerator | 58˚ and evening mist.

summerflu

2007-07-29T03:12:00.000-07:00

Yo, I'm pretty hopped up on the NyQuil over here, it's about 6 in the morning on Sunday and my first or second or third, i forget which, cycle of NyQuil vs. DayQuil has run its course so here I am. Not much to report other than I'm pretty bored of feeling like i've got the flu in the middle of July, and not much else to report.

I woke up from one of those NyQuil dreams, you know where your head is still spinning and your eyes are crusted shut like in the cartoons where the sandman comes and dumps a whole bag of sand on your eyes, and in my dream I had this strange camera set up. If you're a photographer you might be able to follow along and if you're not, don't worry too much about it, its more about The Vibe than the details. So in the dream there were all these people around, it was a mish-mash of NYC peeps and NorCal peeps, there was some celebrity and some every day folk as well and a fair smattering of hipsters too. I had this camera which was basically my Canon point and shoot (a640) with a stroboframe and a Nikon SB26 strobe on it, using an SC-17 coil cord. The point is that I was using it to shoot through an old Retina twin lens camera with a broken waist level finder, and the strobo-frame had a rotating ball head that allowed me to point the strobe where ever I wanted. So I had the retina on a strap around my neck, and I would point the lens of the canon through the viewfinder on the retina and then jack the flash in whichever direction i needed, and somehow I was supposed to get these sort of old school looking retina style photos, which of course in the dream was really more about

(EDITORS NOTE: I WILL SAY THAT IN THE HOWEVER MANY YEARS I HAVE BEEN WRITING IN A BLOG, THAT THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A SINGLE TIME THAT I DIDN'T INTEND TO USE ITALICS WHEN I WOULD PRESS COMMAND+I AND EXPECT TO SEE ITALICS. I WILL FURTHER STATE THAT THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A TIME SINCE USING BLOGGER THAT PRESSING COMMAND+I ONLY BRINGS FORWARD THE "PAGE INFO" WINDOW WHICH AT NO TIME IN HISTORY HAS PISSED ME OFF MORE OR LESS THAN THE VERY FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED. I WILL ALSO STATE THAT IT IS SOMETHING THAT DOES NOT IRRITATE ME IN A MILD WAY, IT IS SOMETHING THAT IRRITATES ME IN A WAY THAT GOES BEYOND MILD BECAUSE IT CONSISTENTLY JACKS MY FLOW WHEN I'M TRYING TO TYPE, AND IF MY INTENT IS TO JUST SWITCH TO ITALICS, I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO STOP TYPING, TO MOUSE UP TO THE "ITALICS" BUTTON AND THEN MOUSE BACK TO WHERE EVER I LEFT OFF TO CONTINUE TYPING, AND IF I REALIZE THAT I HAVE MADE THE MISTAKE, I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO WAIT FOR FIREFOX OR WHICHEVER BROWSER I AM TYPING WITHIN, TO "POP" THE PAGE INFO WINDOW BEFORE GETTING BACK TO MY ORIGINAL INTENT, WHICH I WILL STATE AGAIN WAS (BOLD) NOT TO LOOK AT THE PAGE INFO WINDOW(UNBOLD) BUT TO JUST SIMPLY ITALICIZE A VERY SMALL POINT WITHIN A STATEMENT)

the process than it was about trying to get pictures quickly or anything like that. Well in the circles of people were that guy Paul, from Interpol, and NO, DJ Aoki was NOT there. But that kid Scott Parsley was there, and there were a bunch of really hot LES style chicks in the cool clothes and it was like a party on the grass somewhere, and there was some sort of NeoBohemian event taking place that lent itself to you know, making good photos and stuff. It was a fun dream, and I was enjoying making pictures there even though the whole camera thing wasn't really doing what I wanted it to do, and now between the NyQuil™ and that incident that just occurred while i was trying to italicize something i've lost my train of thought. So i'm just going to wrap it up and lay it down.

You'll see some pix on this morning's update where ol' Swonetz was up from San Diego, we went out to Drake's Beach, that was good times. Had some Chelada, and hiked around some. Caught a beautiful sunset above the cloudline from up on Bolinas Ridge out between Fairfax and Bolinas. It's moments like that when I know that I moved to the right place. Sure, sometimes I wonder you know, "dTown, are you sure you were done with the New York thing?" and then I'll see a sunsetting above the clouds, and I'll know, "um. yea dan. You were done with that." Also, I saw a minty Ranchero. I'm not a huge fan of the Ranchero myself, but I have an incredible respect for any one who keeps a car that is so unusual in the flossy minty fresh state, such as you will see.

welp. I'm back to bed with some tea, some wildflower honey, and a snowsuit.

happy sunday.

dTown | listening to the whirr of a PPC G5 | 57˚ and the sun's a comin'.

chelada

2007-07-23T21:32:00.000-07:00

Today feels like maybe I got a cold or something. Not a cold, but like, the flu? na. You can't get the flu in the summer. It's something though. I got it. But that's cool. I don't get run down too much any more so you know, I'll take it to the beach, and maybe that'll bring me back in line.

The other day I was lying in the park looking over at bum hill like I do before the church bells ring in the old mission, and I noticed this little bee hanging out on my flip-flop. Now, the thing about bees is, I'm not really into them so much, but I don't go out of my way to kill 'em either. They tend to hang around the dandelions while i'm laying in the grass, so we have this kind of "I won't fuck with you, so long as you don't fuck with me" thing going. Bees for the most part are pretty good like that. They're mostly just interested in the flowers anyway. So this bee, he's kind of hanging out on my flip flop, and I can't really figure out what's so special about it. And he's not moving too fast, so I figure, well. I'm not in too much of a hurry anyway. Whenever he gets around to buzzing off, I'll head back. But the thing is, he's not really in a hurry either. Just hanging out on my flip flop. So I took a few pictures of him, and I was trying to figure out if maybe he was broken, or tired, or maybe getting drunk off the foot bed of my flop. What do I know about it? But he's pretty content just chilling there and I can't make heads or tails of it.

Well after a while, he migrates to my towel in the grass, which you know, I don't mind so long as he doesn't sting me or anything, though I think there was a bee that stung me earlier that day, stung me right on the pinky toe. I don't like to get stung on any toe, but the pinky toe is you know. Well. it takes the fun out of laying in the grass with your flip flops off, is what i'm trying to say, but I had forgotten about that until just now, so it wasn't like some big deal or anything.

Long story short. He hobbled around on my towel for a while, and didn't seem to be in any hurry to get off the towel either. So what I did was, i picked up the towel, gently and gave it a little shake toward the baseball fields. Now, I can't say that I saw him fly away, but I can't say I saw him just fall into the grass either. So I packed up my stuff, put on my flops and went on home.

Tonight I downloaded the pix, and remembered that little bee. And when i'm looking at the pictures, it looks like his wings were kind of bummed. But he also appeared to have a fine stinger still intact. So I don't know what to tell you there.

Also discovered this great new product. The Chelada. You're not going to see those in a lot of places, but Brad says we have 'em here in California, and some folks have them down in Texas. It's a Budweiser mixed with Clamato. What a GREAT idea! I had to buy it the moment I saw it. It's GENIUS. So I went looking around on the internet, starting of course at Budweiser dot com, and son of a bitch if it isn't their dirty little secret. I can't find a link that isn't some dork-blog or somebody ripping on it, but here's what I can say. It's great. I mean, you probably don't want to make it your only beer in the fridge, but I mean, it's a great one to have in there. If you like bloody marys you'll appreciate it. I didn't get a chance to put some scrimps in it, or any other spices, but I could see it being a beer you might like to fine tune yourself. It's amazing to me that with 20 or more pages of results from Google that I can't just get the straight poop on that product from the horse's mouth (so to speak, you know, because budweiser does that whole, Clydesdale thing.) I'm not exactly sure what "certified color" is, but i'm sure it can't be worse for me than say, using a cellphone.

Anyway I've discovered some sort of problem with the archives today, I see that june and july 2007 are getting munched together somehow. I'll look into it over the next few days and see if I can get it back together, but the good news is, all the pictures are there at least.

So in the meantime, be kind to animals, try new things and enjoy the remains of your summer.

Good Times,

dTown | drinking tea | listening to Soma FM

suntown

2007-07-16T09:46:00.000-07:00

I went up to Santa Rosa over the weekend, and man, I gotta say, everytime I go there, (how many commas can I use in 1 sentence?) I gotta say, it's nice up there. I always run into people who hate it because they "grew up there". I say GROW UP. It's a great little town. Sunny and warm. People ride their bicycles around, there's a cool little scene, they got mountains and redwoods and really warm air. Housing is cheaper by a mile compared to here, and it's just plain old fashioned good times.

Pretty much all of my friends up there have kids, so you know, the vibe has changed a little bit in the past 10 years or so, but I like it. One thing I really like is they have a swimming pool. I can't find one to save my life here in San Rafael. I mean, Victor's got one at his place, but you know, you can't just roll up on it when you want and hang out by the pool in the sun all day. San Rafael has a skate park, but it's not the same thing at all.

Got to watch some of the tour this weekend. First time i've done that in years. I used to watch that religiously when I lived up there ten years ago. Funny how in New York I was content to just hear what was happening after every so-many days.

Got back last night and found myself in bed by 8:30, which you know isn't what I had expected, but I suppose all that good ol' fashioned country livin' took its toll on my aging self.

Not too much to report, other than I spent some time with some old friends and had a nice time doing it.

Good Times,

dTown | Sunny and Cool.

recompress

2007-07-12T13:00:00.000-07:00

Sitting eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, thinking more about The Plan. What it is that I can bring myself to be interested in doing with my time. (my time on earth) I mean, I know i don't want to wear a kilt and a cowboy hat and make some sort of combustible art for Burning Man™ or something like that. But that's kind of as far as i've taken it. Interesting process of elimination. I know that the short term plan is to put some words here and then take my towel and a book to the park, lay down on the towel and read some of the book. Mostly I want to lay down on the towel and think about whatever comes to mind.

Every now and then, something will come to mind that I either don't want to think about, or wish I wasn't thinking about, and that's when I'll roll over and light a cigarette and while smoking it, i'll think about smoking a cigarette, and usually when i'm doing that, i'll think about other times I smoked a cigarette, and what I thought about then, and you know, something usually comes from it, but if nothing comes, i'll snuff it out and lay back down to let the sun give me some ideas.

It's nice to think that way. Just not really worrying about what you think about, except the parts where I still have to think about my Kevin Bacon experience. That part gets really boring, especially where it's been years and still it eats up my time. It would make more sense if say, I had been driving drunk, and I killed some little kid who ran out in the road to catch a ball or something. Then I would get it. I'd be like, 'well yea dTown. why don't you think about that for a while? But this is nothing like that. This is more like spending time thinking about why George Bush gets to be The President. There's no point to it. There's No Reason for it. It just IS, so there you go.

Ironically, i've even come to terms with that Bush can be president all he wants. That's fine with me. Whatever makes the rest of the world happy. Drive your hummers. Watch your Fox News. Go ahead and think that everything that's come to pass since 911 really really was about 19 saudi's with box cutters. OF COURSE it was. There's no question marks there. It's already been PROVEN by the president.

*I digress. That's politics, and we've already talked about that. No Politics.

Today there are some pix from yesterday, (7-11) and basically what happened there is I went out to Oakland, met up with sQQ and friends, ate some thai food? or maybe it was vietnamese. Either way, it was pretty tasty. I had some eggplant and stuff like that. Then we went to The Crucible's Fire Arts Festival. It's always fun to see stuff on fire, even if it's completely controlled and there's fire trucks around, and you know, security and wrist bands and all that stuff. Fire is something to watch. It doesn't ask questions, and it's always changing. (oh my how profound)

Anyway. That's what's going on. Ope. 4 o'clock. You know the rules.

i'm out

dTown | listening to Graham Coxon | 73˚ and of course, Perfect

flimnographant

2007-07-09T01:25:00.000-07:00

I had a million ideas just a minute ago. I looked at the clock and it was like, man. What was that one idea? But I was taking notes. These pix were just baaa. I don't know. I mean, there was this truck full of goats that took a little flip here, and I can't think straight. I mean, goats. You know? They're not made for the freeway. You don't see a lot of goats out on the roadway. So I got to thinking about that and it was distracting. I started looking up goat shirts and buttons and magnets and all kinds of goat stuff. There's a whole goat culture. I mean, people are REALLY into it. Rest In Peace goats.

Saw that movie, The Bridge today. That was a real uplifter. Felt like I just walked out of the original Back to the Future movie. Just so PUMPED. Also saw Sicko, that other movie by that one guy. HA now THAT movie made me feel good. Wow. It got me so excited to think about 911 all over again, so then I watched Loose Change v2.0 because I wasn't quite where I needed to be in my head. I like to keep myself fresh with all the good news.

So then, I felt finely tuned again. Those three movies really bring it home for you, especially if you watch them back to back. So I was reading this book, (to kind of smooth out the edges) Spiritual Enlightenment, The Damnedest Thing. Ha Ha! I mean that one, really gets to the meat of it. (Synopsis, it's all bullshit. Everything. Zen, Buddha, Bush, Paris Hilton, ALL OF IT.) So, at least now I know. I mean what was killing me about this book, was I actually think like that guy writes. And here I thought I was unique. I was special. But No. I'm not even anybody. I'm nothing. You're nothing. We're all nothing. We just ARE, and we can't even prove THAT. Heavy. (don't forget to rotate the goat milk)

So then to help with that little mental adjustment, I started playing some Pavement. Always seems to help.

good times,

dTown | Listening to Pavement | nice and cool out.

independence | codependence

2007-07-04T14:10:00.000-07:00

Finally taking a minute to catch up on the pix, and so far it looks like i've covered some ground. Today's update has like over 400 new pix, so happy motoring. There's one photo in there which i did not take, well. What i mean, there is one photo in there which was not shot using one of my cameras, or in my presence. See, I don't really take any of the pix on this site. They just like, find their way onto my camera. But like, usually i'm around it when it happens. But there's ONE picture, which i had nothing to do with and that's because I wasn't even around. But the thing is, this picture is a picture of something I was talking about on a previous post. It's got to do with that fire in town on Bum Hill. So, I found it on Flickr. I don't remember the name of the fella what made it, but you know, you could flickr and search under san rafael fire, and i'm sure you'd find it.

the things is, the guy who made the picture had a bunch of other pictures that I really liked a lot, and wanted to link to it, so you could see too. In fact, I had thought i'd shoot an email over there and say like, "you know. Tight pix man." or something like that, but it turns out I didn't even do that. I mean it's holiday time. It's about celebrating my independence. About my freedom from the powers that govern me. About claiming a little plot of soil for which my own two feet can rest unmolested.

So I'm going link free today. INDEPENDENT of other entities on the world wide web. On The Innanout. I've had a lot of guests in this period of time. People confirming my existence here on the left hand side of the road.

There was an injury during these past weeks, where I managed to create an incision on my pinky, which is used mostly for typing the letters Q, A & Z, as well as ministerting to the Tab, Shift, Caps Lock, Option Control, and Command keys. (i like to say Option Control as one word, because it implies a significant understanding of the Qwerty layout.)

By the time of this writing, the wound is fairly well healed, and the last photo in the absolute latest scroll, was taken only a few short minutes ago.

I hope you'll enjoy them, as well as your own independence, and as well take a moment to consider those who are lacking independence. Feel MIGHTY about it, or feel sadness for them, but so long as your Feeling Something. Independence is about having FREEDOM. Freedom to choose and do and be whoever you want to be, whenever you want to be it. (with the exception of certain positions which require a majority vote, whether popular or electoral)

Smiling because i WANT to. And dear ol' Uncle Sam doesn't WANT you.

Or whatever. It's not always about funny. It's about trying. Doing. Feeling.

HA HA!!! Oh Man. I gotta get out there.

-dTown | Listening to Music | Sunny Clear and Hot

three oh three

2007-06-28T00:19:00.000-07:00

Man, I can't believe it's been so long! The pix keep stacking up! Things keep happening. It's like, what is it that keeps me from typing on the keyboard? I mean, pushing on the buttons, moving the mouse around? It's a new keyboard, it's a nice mouse. And every now and then, I look at the internet, and it's like, "wait. I'm on the interenet... I should do something about that. Do something wit that. (btw, the new keyboard? It's already getting the black keys. Even out here the dust is a steady flow. I want to give Apple Design "props" for the GENIUS idea to use WHITE for keyboards. MAN that is SUCH a good idea!

**EDITORS NOTE: Suzy says I should put something more obvious at the top of my blog so that people will know that I have more than just this piddly little blog, which apparently is MORE piddly because it's a BLOGGER blog, not a typepad blog or one of those other kinds like wordpress™ but really it's okay. this blog. Even if it is a blogger blog. hooked on phonix worked or me.

Tonight there's a fire in town. We call the area Bum Hill. Kind of a nod to the homeless camped out in the park up the hill here. Not the park I lay down and read in every day. This is another one. It's nice too. Big, but it's choc-full-o-bums, so I just let 'em have it. But tonight a FIRE had it. And from what I can gather, BUM HILL BURNED. I was still hearing chainsaws up there a little while ago, but I believe the local FD licked them flames. I'll check it out tomorrow and get back to you on that. (ha ha. UP TO THE MINUTE REPORTING)

Ok. Just stop. Stop. It's not funny, and you're not even really saying anything.

But I just wanted to say I'm here. "I'm here world! Internet! I'm here!" like that guy, in that movie, (28 days later) when he's going around shouting "hello!" and so on.

Let me pick a photo or two to just shove in here as a hold over. I won't even say if I shot 'em, cuz I won't know until i pick 'em. (Live Updating) Also, I feel like i forgot to mention that i started a tumblr sometime back. You can check it out, it updates sometimes faster than here... The dTumblr click it sometimes.

Lates,

dTown | listening to KCRW -

Which reminds me. What's with this whole like, "streaming audio" stuff, where suddenly they don't stream the track names any more? How'm I supposed to know what i liked and go buy it? Are you saying I have to take little time stamps of songs I hear now and by like, "Oh, i like that song, 3:12am on KCRW FM, but not KCRW FM, just like KCRW internet channel?

And then you can either look it up yourself, or I have to, but SOMEBODY has to, and by then the mood is totally lost. Because then I gotta look it up if I wanna know for myself, I have to go then to ANOTHER site to hear more, and you? The guy coming in cold, you have no idea even what it MIGHT have sounded like, let alone if you already have a low musical compatibility with me, cuz you've been checking it up on last.fm. So you're not going to take 2 EXTRA steps, but if i was like, wrapping up a post, and i said, you know, "good times, dtown, listening to some like, latin sounding chick singing along to a piano, or maybe it's not a chick, it kind of sounds like the guy from gypsy kings, but it doesn't sound like gypsy kings, because i would just not even mention it, but i mentioned it because it kind of sounded like a chick at first, but anyway, that was on KCRW internet at like 3:15 in the morning on wednesday, but Pacific Time, not Eastern, which works out because KCRW is out here, but if you're not out here then the soundtrack might be different, because you know, by your IP address or something."

Seriously. I'd love to tell you. But I can't.

good times,

dTown | listening to KCRW Internet Channel | pretty nice out.

kink

2007-06-16T00:50:00.000-07:00

i've got this kink in my neck. I was caught in a whirlwind for a week there. The astrologers say we got a new moon on thursday night. Whew. It's one of those I think, stress kinks. I did get a bed frame last week that turned out to be too small for the mattress. Simple mistake. Worked out a remedy, but it could be the bed that gave me the kink. It's always been a comfortable mattress, just real low to the ground. But it might not be the bed. I've been trying to figure out which it is, and was even thinking of putting the bed on the floor tonight to see if it made a difference. If it did, well. I'd have to say it was probably the bed. Because the whirlwind I was caught in, well. It wasn't like worse than other stressful times in my world.

Like, there was a time when my eyes would shut off if I got to taxed. It wouldn't have to be like, someone yelling at me, or you know like, The Mortgage or something. It could be like, working on a project with a deadline. Confident you can get it done, but you ain't gonna do it half way, so you know, you're cranking it up a notch. Firing up the nitros and gassing into the turns. When that would happen, my eyes would just go to snow and then click off. The snow part might be like 10 seconds and then just fading out, like if you're going to pass out. But you're not nauseous or anything, you're just you know, kicking off the monitors for a bit.

Ha. I remember the first time that happened, it was because i'd been drinking too much, and probably not eating enough. I think I was 17. I was on a beach in Maine, with a bunch of my punk rock friends. I remember I was with my favorite like, post highschool / pre college girlfriend, Brenda. Woooo, that was a pretty girl. My God. Well anyways.

We were out on the beach and I went totally blind. It was so awesome. Not in a good way, but like, WOW. Everything else was totally fine. I wasn't dizzy or weak or sleepy, just my eyes shut off. Stayed like that for about half an hour. Ha Ha!

Well. It wasn't a week like that. The week before was pretty nice, some wind and cool nights, but it got toasty and rocked the good sun all over the place, even getting hot a few times, last week being the hottest. SO NICE. I like a good hot sun. Feels good on the bones.

The pix in today's update cover elements of my time between the last and now. I notice i don't take as many photos in a day, like i used to but I am conscious of the images as I pass them. Especially at night. When I stroll around the block at night I see hundreds of pictures, and always wonder why I take the evening constitutional sans-camera. I think I like to just look at the pictures. Not think about them in photoshop getting shrunk on down or criticized. I keep thinking I will make a night of it one time and roam around making pictures of all the things i've been noticing at night and during the day times as well. One fell swoop.

But that I think only works with static things. It's nice to take pictures with people in them too. People are cool to look at. I mean, that's nothing new. People talk about "people watching" and you know, there's TV and movies and stuff. People like to look at people. But it's cool to take pictures of people, and add them to the piles of other pictures of people, kind of making this or that particular person for at least a moment, one of those people. "The people in the pictures." Like one of them actors in the talkie.

Like Paris Hilton. Everybody is Paris Hilton the moment I take their picture. The moment I post their picture on the scroller, they are Paris. Each and everyone of them.

I didn't even know she got sent back to the slammer. It came up today. How could I have missed that? Well, in my defense, I wasn't looking at the internet a whole lot over these past days, but seriously. That's so cool they sent her back. I tried to imagine what it must be like for her. How traumatic, the poor thing. She may be sort of a laughing stock for mainstream america, but you know, imagine. She's used to a very priveledged life, and you know, never thought this sort of thing could happen to her. And now she knows, and although she deserves to be punished for her crimes, and maybe for a few other things that have been let to slide, but ...

She's probably bummed. I'm sure she'll be fine. Hopefully this will make it clear to her the choices she can make with her life that could be more helpful to the world. Maybe she becomes the next Mother Theresa. What do i know? This could be the big sea change for her.

Well. I don't know. I mean, 10 minutes ago I was outside looking at the blinking lights and thinking, "man. you gotta write SOMETHING" but i couldn't think of a thing to say. Next thing I know it's Paris this, and Paris that. So I guess i've said my fill.

Ya'll be nice to each other. (one love brudda. one love)

goodtimes,
dTown

listening to Guided by Voices | 54˚ & pleasant

ravision

2007-06-05T00:51:00.000-07:00

and boy are my arms tired... Today's images should bring us up until this past friday night, June 1st. The eve of Artrageous!™ and ArtRager!® here in SR. There's also a bit in the middle there from a few mondays ago. I was like, off a little bit on the calendar setting in the camera, but it was monday. Believe me. I was there. What makes those pix cool is they're just like, straight out of the camera you know? no fiddling with 'em. And that made me think about not fiddling with anything again, but you know that's not the nature of cameras. Even if i wasn't shooting digital, i'd at least spend a minute or two in the darkroom on each one (massive understatement) but I mean, you know. I thought about doing the ol' Straight Print Style with these images, and in the end Shewzy helped me to understand there's only one way to do my own work. My Way. (*editors note: There is no HALF way in MY way.)

I will say though that there were a few omissions regarding detail in today's update. See if you can figure it/them/? out. Like a little puzzle. A little sudoku or whatever. You know. That numbers game that folks like to play when they on da'train.

(for those in the know, read the words on da'train above as though you just heard me saying, "bacon n' eggs!" and you'll be properly calibrated to the tone here)

My brain is taking a crap inside my head right now so i'm going to minimize the chatter and let you get to it. More pix coming soon, and i'm hopin' sooner than the later. Oh, another thing I wanted to say about them 100 in the middle, with the time stamps, you might notice they only cover the work hours. Its like Genius. (except it's completely coincidence. but some people say there's no such thing as coincidence. So it's like Genius, which is what i was saying) So there's a rare glimpse at raw genius. Now thems some refind skils.

Exactly.

gonna nap now. been listening to NIN tonight, along with RATATAT, and Arcti... Hey. I don't have to tell you what i'm listening to anymore, because it says what i'm listening to right there in the sidebar. JESUS. That's GENIUS! Well it's 57˚ and it's way past ma'bed time.

dot colm

2007-05-20T19:54:00.000-07:00

It took me forever to get around to posting these pix because they just weren't doing it for me. What I mean to say is, I was thinking as I looked at them, how much I HATE them, but I really don't hate them. It was that whole Nikon thing I was going through. Most of these, if not all of them were shot with the D200, and it was like, the color, the sharpness, lots of things were driving me effing bananas about it. But now, I think i've really got it figured out. Shot a bunch with it yesterday and I think we're finally getting to the spot I want to be at with that camera. ABOUT GOD DAMNED TIME.

Not much else to report at the moment, but you know, I do have things on the mind, so maybe later this week i'll try and hit it back.

Noice,

dTown | listening to Britt Daniel | 59˚ and windy

tivated

2007-05-12T01:50:00.000-07:00

Finally get the go-go juice to setter down and fill in the little box for words, but it turns out that when i get their i'm tied. Ha ha. It's just passed 4:30 in the a.m. on Saturday, but the thing is, for me, every day is Saturday, so it's aight to stay up late on some of 'em and get things caught up. There's a Natty Ice, but by now it's just room temp dregs. I'll have to get another on Saturday, in another few hours.

Really at a loss for the words on account of the being so tired by now, but i do want to mention that I got out to McClures Beach the other day. That's pretty much my favorite beach out here. I mean, there are other really nice ones, but this one is the one that I always like to go to. It's been my favorite beach for probably 15 years by now. So many great memories, plus it's just beautiful beyond you know, the standard A plus-plus Point Reyes style beach. It's got all these Elk on the cliffs above the beach, and it's a pretty little peninsula between Tomales Bay and the Ocean, and it's far enough away from the regular folks that its easy to find yourself completely alone on the beach for the whole day. On top of that, it's a gorgeous drive, a gorgeous hike, and even on a foggy day it's more beautiful than just about anyplace, but on a sunny day? Better bring some adult diapers. It's quite RELAXING.

Still finding myself making photos of things without graffiti on them. I am so conditioned to seeing a tag on every thing in site, and now I am dumbfounded at the great expanses of walls and benches and work trucks and panel wagons and trash cans and mailboxes and just everything there is in anytown USA, except MINUS all the tags. So strange that i'm still getting used to that.

A lot of times when I take pictures of just the sides of buildings or other not very interesting types of things, it's really because i can't believe someone didn't just come along and spray paint all over it. And then like, someone else didn't decide to come along and spray paint over that and then someone else comes and... And another thing that i'm actually getting used to without much problem, is the trash makes its way into the trash cans instead of just all over the god damned place. I'm thinking back now to the time I had a massive long scroll of just overflowing trashcans and trash cans with most of the trash outside of them on the streets and flowing into the gutters. My LORD that was a night.

Meanwhile ol' Rusty Brown is still tearing it up. Folks were saying before I left NYC, "man, you're crazy. That car will never make it." (*comments dumbed down for mainstream consumption) But the thing is, the car totally made it. And it completely and totally makes it every time i get in it. It's awesome. Good Ol' Rusty.

And that's my story. I'm gonna lay it down now.

Good Times,
dTown | listening to Decemberists | 49˚ and late

Eff Minus

2007-05-07T13:06:00.000-07:00

Welp hurrow, today i'm handing in my grade on the Nikon D200. It's not a good one. It gets an Eff Minus. Now, i'm not saying that Nikon doesn't make a good camera, that's just not how i feel. But what i will say is that my little Canon A640 kicks the bloody piss out of the D200 every single time i compare them. I just spent quite a while going through pix from the weekend and last week, and yesterday i used the D200 pretty much exclusively, and i'm the opposite of impressed. Now, some folks might say, "well. Are you sure you're using it properly?" ha ha. I love that kind of stuff. Sure. I'm using it properly. I turn it on, I press the button. That's about as properly as it should be.

Now, my issues are with its failure to capture color with consistency, meter with accuracy, and release the shutter when i press the button. Now, i've had some cameras in my day. I've got some experience with digital and the process and all of that, so believe me, i've gone through it with this camera. I'm not like some marin housewife who just decided one day that the best camera for me would be the Canon EOS MkII. I've got a handle on it. But the fact is, the images are soft, distant horizons don't render any detail. There is color noise in details, horizons and chrome and stuff like this pushes hard toward purple. That's what i'm saying. For camera that costs 4 or 5 times what my daily driver cost, plus lenses, i'm expecting some results that at least COMPETE with the $300 kid brother.

but that's just me. I'm going to give it my undivided attention for a minute today, but I will say, i've given it some undivided attention a few times since i've had it, and so far it's never made amends.

In other news? hey. it's sunny. it's warm. it's pretty. food's cheap. it's good times.

_dtown | listening to The Shins | 80˚ and effing ga-whore juss.

butter & eggs

2007-04-29T22:55:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend I seized the opportunity to climb a volcano. I didn't make it. I mean, I made it, but I really got into some worrisome terrain while I was doing it. You see, The Volcano is this special vaporizer. Now, some folks may say, "oh. you know, the vaporizer doesn't do anything for me." or, "I don't believe in vaporizers" or something like this. But I'm here to tell you today, that yes. There are vaporizers our there which are capable of reminding you what it's like to go One Toke Over The Line. (ha ha!) Now, there's been a few BBQ's on my daily planner this past week, but the one where I succumbed to The Volcano is one for the books. I managed to kick off all the switches in the ol' brain and grab a seat in absolute blindness for a good little while. It was sunny out, and there I was in nature surrounded by a bunch of other folks who were conscious of the sun, but I was not. I was in a light-tight dark-room of near panic, and it wasn't as good times as other good times i've had, but it was nice to get smacked on the nose with the humblestick. To really understand the term, Sonoma Coma.

When I came back around, I was wiser for the experience, and ready to eat some tri-tip steak off the grill. But there was a good solid little while where even I became concerned that my eyes were not going to turn back on, and you know, when you make pictures all the time, the eyeballs aren't something you want to take for granted.

Still thinking about how long it took (or seemed to take) before I was back to normal vision, there was a stretch of being about 5 or 6 stops down, but on the rebound I was seeing everything blown out, high-key, maybe 5 or 6 stops over which, although flattering for the skin tones, wasn't going to aid me with navigation to a nearby couch. So I just relaxed.

Which is kind of what you do when you live here. You just relax for a spell.

I relaxed a bit more today, though I did go out and pick up a little stereo to replace the cheapy speakers i've been rocking since i moved here. Nothing too special, just a little amp, some little bose, and a little sub to kind of round it out. You'll see them on and around my desk at the end of today's scroll. By the time you see the scroll, they will have been arranged in a some way that will be decidedly more discrete.

Other news? HEY! i think some pix didn't make it into the scroll, let me just go investigate that.

(insert mental search lasting only minutes)

HUH. it's true. They didn't. Not sure why that happened. But maybe they'll make the next round. STRANGE. There are some beach ones, and some other stuff, but the one I wanted to mention was how i got pulled over again. Different town, same situation. Cop comes flying out of nowhere and right up my ass lights a blazin' and sure enough, he says the reason he's pulled me over is that my trailer hitch is obstructing the view of the license plate. (which, is horsecrap, but at least they've got an excuse for pulling me over) Thing is, that's the 2nd time i've been pulled over in 10 years, and it's also the 2nd time in 2 weeks, and both times they say it's the trailer hitch. (interesting how nobody noticed that between brooklyn and here...) So naturally i'm going to take it off, but as you may have seen in pictures of yore, it's on their PRETTY GOOD. In fact, I'd say it may be rusted on there for keeps.

(insert physical investigation regarding these missing images)

Alright. I see what's happened. Somehow 4 of the pix didn't make it onto the scroll. And i really can't be going back in there and putting them on now, because they belong in the front, and well, it's not that big of a hassle to do it, but i'm just not going to. (because then i'll find out i missed like 20 more pix)So here's what i'm willing to do.

(insert mental realization that one of the missing pix would have been a more appropriate splash image)

As a compromise, I'll put the 4 pix that somehow missed the scroll right here.

So there's me riding out to the beach right? And on the way to the beach, i observed the gnarliest bike wreck i've ever seen with my own two eyes (including when i completely ate shit riding home from Sd and broke my collarbone coming off the Manhattan Bridge). See, this girl was hauling balls on her little spendy touring bike, and she did a full air-over-the-bars style face plant.(actually, it was more of a grind.) No time to get the hands out, and she wasn't like, "light as a feather" if you catch my drift. So she came down you know, broken nose and some teeth style right smack in front of us. What a bloody mess she was. But you know, you've got to watch your speed.

So then, after that, some beach. Good times. I watched this big ass dog bowl over a couple kids because he was off leash, and that really created a ruckus. Then I went back to town and hung out with Ye Olde Victor, where upon, after leaving I was allowed to show my license, registration, and proof of insurance to San Rafael's Finest. It really bothers them somehow that i'm just a white guy with all my ducks in a row. I guess the car, (finally properly named BTW) Good Ol' Rusty Brown, just loves to catch the attention of Them Fuzz. So there's a little sequence you would've missed.

Now then, i'm tired enough that my eyes are watering, so I won't be updating the archives tonight, or putting up a little tutorial for you to watch, but both of those things are coming soon.

Good Times,

dTown | listening to Ludwig Van Beethoven (symphony no. 5) | 57˚ & easy cheezy.

sweeks

2007-04-23T15:26:00.000-07:00

this weekend was pretty good times, got out to the Marin Headlands open studios, where there was a range of skills to check out. There was a fair amount of "Artist Stroking Self" style work, and by the end of the day I saw some work that was worth the look. The vibe was true blue Nor-Cal which I always appreciate, and of course the afternoon wrapped out with a distinctly SoCal snack (double double animal style) over at In & Out Burger. It's a strange phenomenon how people are drawn to the In & Out. It's not like their burgers are the BEST or, that the service is overwhelming, or that the costumes are super sexy, but there's something uniquely californian about them, that makes people just want to go there. Myself? I like a medium to medium rare burger, and I like it with swiss cheese, avocados, lettuce, tomato and pickle. I like ketchup, mayo, and mustard on there. I like raw or cooked onions, but typically i'll rock a no-onion burger. You aren't going to get swiss cheese, avocado, OR mushrooms at In & Out, so for me, it's not like the hand of God reaching down from the heavens and rubbing my belly, but sure. I appreciate a little IO.

One picture you may not have noticed on the line up was this picture of a car bumper with that hipster trucker chick, except it ain't a chick, it's a fat dude with a trucker's cap on. Well, aside from the fact that I think the sticker is funny, and subversive in a way that makes me laugh on the inside, is the number on the plate. I don't know what the prefix numbers were, but the last three, 957, those took me back to grade school. 5th grade. I had Miss Davis for my homeroom teacher. Good ol' June Davis. She was one of those sort of "bombshell" teachers you want to have when you're in 5th grade. You know the kind, blonde hair, blue eyes, the naughty suzy cream cheese style. Always wore the "nice" clothes, and drove a little sports car. Her license plate was JD 957. And the rumor was, (and i would suspect still IS) that she was having this on going affair with Mr. Brendle, the school principle. I had heard about it numerous times by 4th grade, and there were several times when I was in her class that it seemed the rumors could be true. Thing is, about 2 or 3 years back, i heard she was still teaching there, and I heard that she was still hot to trot over Mr. Brendle. Common sense would dictate that this is no longer possible. I mean, surely, if every single kid in every single class, counting forward from 1978 or so forward, was in on it, then SURELY someone would have found them out by now. Of course, there's always the story of "so and so, such and such's brother" who walked in on them in "the broom closet" or "the nurse's office" or "the teacher's lounge" 69'ing it on the couch, or table, or mop bucket. Anyway, I saw that license plate next to that sticker, and it just made me think of her. I never saw her when i was all grown up, but I wonder if i would think now what i thought then. I'm guessing I wouldn't. But I thought i'd share that little bit with you. I can't say as i've thought about her, and that ol' plate JD 957, in at least 15 or maybe 20 years, and there it is, walking down the sidewalk, i glimpse a small piece of the equation and i'm immediately back there. Remembering sitting in that class, and the local lunatic, Joey Connelly, (remember, these were the days when a good beating was the equivalent to a presription for ritalin) man that kid Joey Connelly. Always up to no good. Always in the principle's office getting sent home for another beating from his drunk ass postal workin' dad. Ha. And never for anything worth getting beat for of course. You know, trying to make pencils stick into the ceiling, or using those elastic band / paper clip hand guns that were so popular in the early 80s. (I imagine those are still popular, but most kids are on the pills now, so they tend to be nice to each other, or just bring real guns to class)

Lately i've been trying to use the D200 a little more for my pix, but it has a habit of stepping on my toes and not doing what i want when I want, which yields on marginal results, and therefore earns it's position IN the backpack instead of IN the hand, but one day i'm going to just sit down or walk around with it and just nail it. Somehow it doesn't make exposures in a way that is "expected" and no, I don't need a tutorial... It just needs to do what i say when i say it, and do so with results that are more befitting a camera that costs 5 or 6 times what the little A640 can do.

Something else has been standing on my toes a little, and that's the Photoshop CS3 Beta. I decided to just uninstall it today. It's been a fun little run, but the beta is simply too buggy, and too restrictive for regular use. I found that I was spending more time coming up with work-arounds than actually doing what i wanted to do, so i'm back to regular old CS2 and things are working smoothly and just as fast as ever, so I don't think i'm going to miss CS3, though I would love to have the full version when it suits my budget.

Anyway, the pix from today's post will give you another sense of how it is over here. It's not much like the city on the other side of the mississippi, but you know, I think this just suits me better. Sure, i wish a chunk of my friends from that side of the country were already over here too, but you can't have everything, and so far i'm liking what i have. Tell me if you can see George Washington's profile in the shadow on the bay alongside one of those pictures by the cliffs. I see it every time, and it makes me think of the good ol' american quarter.

Good Times

dTown | listening to Iron & Wine | 60˚ and sunny

three twenny

2007-04-21T00:22:00.000-07:00

I sure didn't expect to be up this late, there were just a few things going on that kept a man from "gettin' it done" earlier. Like for instance, earlier tonight I went downstairs to get some fresh air while the actions were running on the photos, you know, taking them from like 28MB each to you know, like 56k or so. Putting 'em all in a neat little folder for me. But I got down there, and as soon as the door closed, i remembered that i had left my keys on the table back upstairs. So there was that. It took me a while to fix that problem too, because it was already late, and i didn't want to go waking anybody up, and after a few laps around the building, it was clear that either everyone had gone to bed in my building, or at least, i was the only one with any lights on. I wrestled with the door for a while, tried various ways to circumnavigate the lock, but in the end, it was monkey style on the underside of the fire escape, and upsa-daisy to the top where the door was slightly ajar. Now, if that door had been locked, it would have been no problem for me to get in, but that one down in the front? Well. You just need the right tools. All i had to my avail was some spent cardboard and an old umbrella someone had left hanging on a parking meter.

So there was that. And then, on account of a few little errors I made yesterday moving some files around and so on, there were a fair amount of permissions issues, and little conflicts with my droplets, that had me logging in and out of multiple users, and ultimately just making new action sets and new droplets all around.

In the end, all that extra doody-doody yields a better workflow and workspace all around for ol' dTown, so it was worth it. And i have to admit, walking the blocks up and downtown here at 2 in the morning is a far cry from LES or even Trinidad at 2am. I'll make a picture next time i'm out that late and not locked out and happen to have my camera. There are no people. There are no cars. In fact, there aren't even any cars parked on the street, all the way down. In both directions. It's hard to imagine that but there it is. I walked about 10 or 15 blocks in both directions just trying to come up with an idea better than going monkey style under the fire escape, a couple of times i walked the blocks, and out of maybe 40 minutes of walking, I saw only 3 people. Hanging around in front of the Rafael Theater, smoking cigarettes and standing around a small puddle of vomit on the sidewalk, each person talking with someone else on their cellphones.

The other day a friend of mine was saying that every time they go to my website, they only see like 1 new picture, (and sometimes it's 2, you know, if you roll over it.) and that's something i had never considered. There are people out there that just don't know what to make of the site, how the navigation works, all that stuff. So I got this new software yesterday that will help with that, and I will make a little dTown Tutorial on the how to, and what-fors of my site, that you can just go to and check out when nobody's looking.

We had some rain yesterday, (the 19th) and I walked around in it for a while. It wasn't really "rain" like in the sense that, there are massive raindrops filling the sky and causing roads to flood or even really get puddles in them. It was more of an upgraded mist. Not even really mist, because, as an eyeglass wearer, mists are my least favorite precipitations. This was a "you don't have to wipe your glasses, even though it's moist outside" style rain. And then back to normal this morning with the blue skies i'm paying for.

Got my new shuffle today. Gotta hand it to apple. I didn't think they'd engrave a second iPod shuffle with "kill whitey" but I guess they're just all automated now. I wonder what else you could get apple to engrave on the back of your iPod and get away with. The only reason i went with "kill whitey" in the first place was i had had a friend some years ago trying to get them custom nikes they were making, and under the swoosh instead of nike, he wanted "sweatshop" and Nike turned him down and gave him his money back. So i just wanted to see how Apple would handle something like that. Seems like they really don't mind, so long as you're a payin' customer. I appreciate that when i'm getting something "personalized". I don't like when i want to do something and somebody upstairs says, "Nuh-Uh" like, if you have to get a new password, but all the things you want to use for a password are unacceptable. I mean, it's MY password. I'll be the judge of what's acceptable. It makes me go bananas when they (the people that insist on complex passwords) need me to come up with a password that i'm sure to forget. My bank did that, nice bank, but this whole, name your first car, name your first pet, name your 1st elementary school, name your school mascot, bla bla, before you can just get logged in to your account? Man. i got burned on that a few times. My first car? 1970 Triumph Spitfire MkIII. That part of my story doesn't change at all, but somehow, my bank kept telling me i was wrong. And of course, they aren't authorized to tell me what it should be. I mean, everybody's first car is their first car. How could you forget it? Well, finally we got it all sorted out. I've got a way that i remember everything. (except my keys) What i've done is i've come up with a series of passwords that have nothing to do with the questions. Crafty right? Man that took me a while to come up with, but i thought it was genius.

Now and again I talk to New York, and it's always a good time just to catch up with some folks and get a feel for the pulse of it, and there are moments that I miss, sure... but man, we got KICK ASS BURRITOS out here. So, i'm stayin.

I gotta lay it down for now, but you have a good time whatever you're doing. Check out the pix, and check back whenever you like.

dTown | listening to Blonde Redhead | 48˚ and clear

sidetrack

2007-04-19T13:08:00.000-07:00

i'm still here, and i'm still making pictures, and i'm still gathering furniture, and i'm still tuning down from the NYC vibe, which I would say on the whole is going really well, but I noticed the other day that it had been like a week since i've updated anything, and I keep sitting down to get to that edit, but then something else catches my attention. One day it's something on NotCot, the next it's those videos from the Toxic Brooklyn series, and today it was the release of the Magnetic Baby podcast on iTunes. I've got to tell you there's a million different things that can pull me away from the edit. Like the other night I spent a few hours just rooting through the YouTube drum solos. It all started with this Terry Bozzio one, and then from there, i just gave the next 6 or 7 hours to DRUM SOLO! who knew?

Then there was the desk. Getting the desk up here, buffing it out, tuning it in and creating the new workspace. Oh, and then Napa. Getting up to the grapes and spending some time with little Brady, (he turned 2 yesterday) and just being the the grass for a lawnmower made of kids. A bunch of other stuff too. You know, getting hangers for the clothes, hanging the clothes, putting cut flowers on the tables and desk, oh, there was a day or two of dealing with digital asset management, (HA HA) my drives were getting a little overstuffed here, so that was actually a big chunk of the past two days. Weeding out the dupes and extras and redoing the back ups, you know stuff like this...

It's healthy. It's good for me. Finding whatever it is that's pulling me this way or that, and just going with the flow of it. But don't worry. Check back again, and probably sooner than later, i'll have some new pix up. They're here. So i'll put 'em there.

dTown | Listening to Semi-Precious-Weapons | 55˚ and puffy clouds.

eff one three

2007-04-14T20:54:00.000-07:00

Nice. Kept it local today. I was starting to feel a little bananas about this desk hunt i've been on since moving here. Seemed the desks were being ever-elusive. They were just there, but then, somehow, just out of my grasp. Came really close today. It was one of those moments where i even considered driving some distance into the east bay, not far, but you know, OVER the bay. So, crossing the bay. Going around the bay. Some sort of navigation involving me, the roach (my pet name for "brownie", which you know i've never been to sure about.) and the bay. Well so we biodieseled it instead, up into the hills here to see this desk. An old Tanker Style desk. You know the government steel ones from like, WWII up until probably sometime before Gee Dubya One, Operation Desert Storm (starring Norman Schwarzkopf as Stormin' Norman America's favorite Arab Killin' "John Wayne" on Fox TV's hit war series of the '90-'91 season.)*

*I Digress.

We went up there, and the desk was in a very sorry state of repair. It was much like discovering an old military relic, in a field behind some war vet's home, covered in tar and cracking and peeling away from the top down. Like as if, at some point, the desk itself had seen time, either in WWII or maybe Gee Dubya One Operation Desert Storm (starring Norman Schwarzkopf as Stormin' Norman America's favorite Arab Killin' "John Wayne" on Fox TV's hit war series of the '90-'91 season.) And maybe that desk was on the episode where that wacked out cuckoo bird leader of the terrorist group (then known as) Iraq, was going around burning down oil fields. Oil wells. Oil fields. Oil getting all up in the Ocean, all over everything. And like this desk, had some how got a shit-load of oil dumped on it, and then, it came back, maybe with the guy who had been driving it over there for the 3 or 4 months it took to finish the war season, and then it had just been baking out in the yard ever since.

I said, "NO. I'm not going to take it." But the woman speaking on behalf of the man inside, surely the vet, he himself with a bit of The Tainten'im (using the parlance of the times) she was going to try and make us take it anyway. Like we'd seen it, so now we own it. Like watching that movie The Ring, except somehow this one was about an old desk and The Gulf War.

We escaped. THANK JESUS. GOD BLESS AMERICA. UNITED WE STAND. THESE COLORS DON'T RUN. FEAR THIS. (and so on) We went back to the Art place downtown and ate cookies and organic grapes. FREEDOM.

Well anyways. (I love to pluralize "anyway", it's subtle. It's like there's actually a few more ways than ANYway.) But ANYWAYS...

I get to talking with This Artist in the Art Place, and we get to talking about Banksy, and how we could rip him off and make some money. Or like, how the government is totally in on it. (you know, Banksy's success. Like, the government lets us have our Banksy, so we don't rat them out for all the shenanigans going down on capital hill and stuff like this) BUT NOT REALLY. And she says, you know i've got some stuff just up the road a bit and we can take a look, maybe there's something you could use, right?

So sure, we go up there, and Bob's Your Uncle, There it is! Smack there sitting on the concrete driveway, (which looks nothing like a scene from the Gulf War, there's no like, Oil around or, I don't know. Anything. It's like plants, and some flowers, and I can see a soccer field and some mountains, a pool, you know. Stuff like that. NICE things. Not WAR things.) But there on the concrete is a DESK. And it's a NICE one. Executive style. Not Schwarzkopf's Lackey style. It was great. A little pollen on it, and that's it. Looks very much like the one I had back in Trinidad, but FREE. NOICE!

So that was a good day. And I gotta tell you. I ain't gettinboar'da those.

THE POINT IS: I didn't have to drive anywhere. It was all right here. Right up the block. NO involvement with The Bay. I didn't interact with it. I didn't pollute it with my presence. I was ACTIVE in protecting my environment. And i did it without any disappointing side effects. I actually SAVED cash, and got what i was looking for. I helped to save the world and was rewarded handsomely. Thanks Stephanie, way to ROCK IT OUT. The dTown workspace will be an official workspace again, and the dTown dining table will be used for dining, and eating. (things like that)

Good Times,

have ya'seff a good weekend, and try to stay loco.

dTown | listening to Loquat | 52˚ pleasant

memory and time

2007-04-12T16:51:00.000-07:00

Every now and then i'll get a note from someone that completely contradicts my understanding of a situation. For instance, most days most people say things to me like, "Seriously. Do you ever stop talking?! And if it's dialog in text form then it's things like, "Jesus. You type as fast and MUCH as you talk!" And I absorb this as just, I guess, the TYPE of person that I am, because I think i've always been this way.

I think back. Back Back Back. I'm a kid. I'm 10 years old. I'm in Goffstown, New Hampshire. I'm in the 4th grade. It's 1980. My first "DECADE". My favorite pretty girls are Heather Farrell and JoAnne Kula. Everyone else is in love with Dawn Chakis, and of course she's beautiful too, but I mean, come on, this is the 4th Grade. Wait till you see Cheryl Sutherland in 2 years, or Cecily Feick. I mean, this town's about to explode with new hotties and I'm not even in Junior High. It's going to be fine. My phone number is 497-2068, and I live right on Elm Street in the HEART of it all. My house is midway between the grammar school and the middle school. I'm not like, "the popular kid" but you know, I've got my groove. I'm the skinny nerd kid with the good grades. I have my hair parted in the middle and feathered. I'm wearing tear drop raybans with gold frames, like Ponch from chips, but not tinted, because well. I'm in the fourth grade. But after school, at night, I'm on the phone. We have a phone on the wall in the bathroom, and that's where a guy can get a little privacy. I mean, my sister is peeking through the skeleton keyhole in the door, but she's little and not much of a bother.

I can remember being on the phone with the girls from school talking about anything at all. "So and so got a gerbil. Do you have any pets?" and "I heard what's her name got a chinchilla. They must be RICH!" and so on.

When I got older, and I needed MORE privacy, I would go to the payphone in front of the Town Hall on Main Street, or Mast Road or whatever it was, and I'd call girls way the hell out in the sticks at their 529 numbers and talk for hours. They could call me back at the payphone and i'd chat with them all afternoon while straddling my faux bmx bike. (BMX was still a brand new bastardized form of the hand me down cruisers we had, that as 20 year olds we'd go bananas over at thrift stores if they were "original" or NOT all BMX'd out.)

Older still, done with college, nice 2 bedroom apartment in Santa Rosa, I had the vintage style. Listening to sinatra and swing music, have the rotary phones all over the house, and even then i had a plantronics stereo headset like those people taking orders over the phone on TV, but with a 100 foot cord so i wasn't tethered by a short leash. I could talk for hours and pace and clean my apartment all the night long.

I always had jobs that kept me on the phone talking to people, all day long, and then finally they invented the fucking internet. Man. I was all over it. emails, chat rooms, all day every day. And before the internet i was forever writing letters, making envelopes, writing writing writing to friends.

So it blows me away when a friend of mine posts a comment, "you never write, you never call, you never email, WHATEVER!" I try and think how this is even possible. I mean, I always write. I mean, i'm writing RIGHT NOW! I could be lying on my couch reading a book and listening to Indie Pop Rocks! on SomaFM, but i'm not. I'm writing. I'm thinking outloud. I'm communicating. Even when i'm alone and the time i'm most likely to TRY and be quiet, there I am, writing. talking. Forever writing and forever talking. I couldn't understand it. I went through my folders. SURELY i've written to my friend. Surely i've emailed my friend. I know we've even talked. Video Chatted. And i find it. I find the little folder with her name. It's true. Since the day I left New York, I've written with her back and forth more than 26 times. I left NY on March 16. It's only April 12. I figure that's a little more than twice a day we've been in touch since i left, including the time spent on the road getting here.

I just wanted to set the record straight. I don't want people thinking that i just ditched. That I just disappeared. That I suddenly stopped writing, suddenly stopped being there. I'm always here. I'm actually a good person. I mean well by most, and I want people to know that i care. That i'm thinking of them. That even if they "think" i'm quiet, somebody, somewhere is wishing i would shut the hell up for just one second.

Good Times,
dTown | Listening to Datarock | 56˚ clear blue overhead.

eStar

2007-04-10T21:56:00.000-07:00

It's not that i'm incapable of figuring the code to make the pictures a little smaller, and then wrapping the text around them either to the left or to the right. There's something about those two pix stacked in the center that made me seriously consider just making a totally new post. I mean, you have a picture with some massive redwood trees, and then a picture of a pretty burly fire truck, and underneath it says, "to be continued" which can be taken any number of ways, so why would i fuck with that? But the thing is, I don't maybe wanna be taken any number of ways. And so I get to figuring, "why make people wonder what the hell you mean by that?!" Which I guess is part of my own learning curve, because really, I don't have to worry about what you wonder when you see the pictures and the words. That's never been the point. It's always been about "these are my pictures, these are my words." With an option to just change any of them around whenever I like. So it's possible that tomorrow these words won't even be here. (ha ha. NO. I saw them pix without text wrap. NOT gonna happen.)

I just got back from seeing that movie, THE HOST. Which I really enjoyed. I've been wanting to see it for a while, and tonight it got to happen. I really liked how it was like 15 movies in one. It didn't try to be any specific type of movie, and in the end I think we all agreed it is destined for cult classic status as easily as Donnie Darko and Howard the Duck.

The pictures in the recent post are about me taking a day or two off again. (yes. it takes a few days off to recover from the toxicity of driveinitis but the good news is, I am recovering and it is likely I will work again one day. The weekend was spent with nature, with little kids, with steaks on the bbq, with friends. I am reminded daily of how much of those elements had been completely left out of my daily life while working in NYC. I can assure you, I now know there are much more important things in the world than making some other person rich. Funny how I hadn't clued in on that one yet, but i'm grateful to have that knowledge now.

I've been giving a lot of thought to the pictures lately, the capabilities of the pinnercam, and the point of it in the first place. It's not really meant to make these 500 pixel tall images, which, sure, it can do, but i feel like something gets lost when they're not smaller, more compressed. I feel like the 400 pixel height was working nicely. My vote is not yet totally IN on this yet, but it's something i've been looking at and thinking about. Been thinking about a lot of things actually. Every day is like a full course meditation on The Point of It All. I'm grateful for the friends who are here and being present, as well as for those of you I've left behind who are still present each day for me to talk with and tune in to. Here you can see a picture of my little town. That's pretty much it. This is where i live now, and the contrast between here and trinidad (east flatbush) is sometimes an overwhelming, but always fresh breath of air.

One thing i've rediscovered since returning here is how very fragile everything is. How extremely temporary everything can be, and the speed with which everything can suddenly be flipped completely onto its ass. In NYC I think the same was true, but the fact is everyone was just too damned busy trying to stay ahead of the wolves to even pay attention to what that all really means. Here, I have a minute or several in a day to really think about what it means to me to be here, to be present, to be mindful of my friends who are no longer here, and the significance as well as the simplicity of it all.

So sure. It's good times. It's the best of them, even when it's just me and this sticky ol' keyboard.

Keep your chins up and let your friends know you love 'em while you got 'em.

_dTown | Listening to Ladytron | 49˚ and flag snappin' breezy

ground hog

2007-04-07T01:21:00.000-07:00

It's like in that movie. the one with bill murray. every day he wakes up, and there he is. I always remember that movie, because it was ground hog day, but it came out on valentine's day. I remember because I went with my girlfriend to that on opening day, and we laughed our asses off, and it was fun. And when you're laughing your ass off and having fun, AND it's valentine's day, well... THEM'S GOOD TIMES. But that's kind of like what's going on here. I mean, some days I still step in the puddle, and there's that guy going, "watch that first step... it's a daaa-hooooooozy!" and still there i am with slush on my shoes, except, here of course, NO SLUSH. So it's just like, I wake up and it's good times. Even like when i did Tax Day. That started out like slush on my shoes, but in the end? Good Times.

Today was a day filled with friends and solace. The front half was all me. I woke up from a dream filled to the gills with stuff, like a big black tornado, some Semi-Precious-Weapons, Pimpin' out the Olds, Running on a beach, I mean, it was one of those Nicotine Patch Dreams that only the nicotine patch can do for you. So for breakfast? That's a great start.

Then a slew of friends came by. Cobo, The Whizz, PP, even SV & her little boy. I had a great carnitas burrito & one of them mexican bottled cokes I love. GOOD TIMES i tell you. Then we drove on down to the city, went to Chrissy Field, poked around the Observatory, and then out to The Presidio. After that? I walked from the Presidio on out across the bridge and down into Sausalito. I'll tell you, THAT is a long walk. But not a long walk like walking from williamsburg through bedstuy to redhook. It was nothing like that, because it's fresh air, and no fear THE WHOLE WAY. I loved it. Even if my legs were like, "what the hell are you trying to prove?!" Which they weren't, because i'm powerfully built, but if they were, it wouldn't have mattered. I've walked the bridge many times before, but i've never done the walk up and the cool down on the other side. It was great to just be me, alone, and walking in the fog with the friday night wind blowing through the cypress and eucalyptus. Flowers everywhere, I can't really say that enough to get the point across, but really, EVERYWHERE.

Then when i got home? The new California driver's license. It's official. I'm here. I'm in. I'm ONE OF THEM. And man, it feels nice. Many highlights in a day like today. Some as simple as an email with a couple pictures of a pomeranian in it, and others more complex, like the piece of paper my license was attached to, and at the top it said, "ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, Governor State of California" ha ha. Imagine that.

Now i've just had some delicious strawberries and even a tasty orange. I'm listening to Spy Radio, which now they call Secret Agent, but it's the same thing, and I'm winding down for the night. THAT is a good day no matter how you look at it. Oh, and i figured out about the links thing I was talking about yesterday. I didn't put any links in today, but you'll see next time. I saw what i gotta do.

sQ, I haven't forgotten you. It was just an event filled day, but you're on my list. I promise.

Love and all the good stuff.

dTown | listening to Peter Thomas-Space Patrol | 54˚ and ready

springin

2007-04-05T23:14:00.000-07:00

It's nice to have a regular ol' day. Today was kind of like that. I mean, it was "do the taxes" day, but you know in the end, it was kind of a regular day. Still adapting to the environs. I mean, I really can't get used to the idea that it's okay to step into the street and the cars will really just stop. You have to be careful not to just step in the street by accident. Everybody just stops. When i was back in the city, I used to be one of those guys that lead way out there. The furthest from the curb so i could get a jump on the cars when the light turned to my favor. You can't do that here. People just stop and wait for you to go.

It's really nice actually, but it's an adjustment. A calibration. Another thing i'm sort of getting used to is walking down the street and seeing block after block of homes and buildings with absolutely NO graffiti on them. Don't get me wrong. I appreciate some graffiti, (OBVIOUSLY) but it's really really nice to see that when someone buys a house, and they paint it a certain way, it's still that way even when I walk by it years later. It's nice that not EVERYTHING has to have scrawled black drippy tags all over it. It makes me happy. I smile a lot. Another thing that makes me smile a lot is the lack of trash all over the god damned place. It's flowers, and it's clean, and it's sunny and it's nice. Fine. Make me soft. I've had my share of the grit. I appreciate it nice. It suits me better.

There was something else too, but i can't recall what it was now. I did see a cool video today which i also appreciated. That guy Geoff McFetridge has his shiznit together. Oh yea. I remember now. Hot tubbin out under the trees in the night. Wow. haven't done that in a minute. It was great man, put my nekked rump in some hot hot water under the california live oaks. Just takes the edge off I tell you. No sirens, nobody honking their horns the MOMENT the light turns green, or red, or yellow. Oh, no. that's not what i wanted to say. I wanted to say, I bought myself a nice Pink Jasmine vine yesterday for the lightwell in my apartment. It smells delicious. Reminds me of california every time I smell it wafting through the kitchen & bathroom windows. The sweetest smell in my little world. I've loved that smell since the first time I smelled it, back in March of '87 when I was a runaway punk rock kid, suddenly chillin' in Palo Alto. mmm mmm goood.

It's very good times. Even in the good times like this, I often find myself STILL angry about the way ol' Bacon did it back on September 12 those years ago (*scroll on down to september 12 from that link and work your way up if you're a newcomer). I was thinking about that while i was toweling off my feet this morning actually. It was just the wrong way to do a guy, and I probably won't forget it until they ZAP it out of me, but it is what it is. I guess that's why they call it emotional scarring. I've got that one for keeps. Too bad too, because I always really liked that dude. Busted my fucking ass for that guy. But now I know. Even if it's sunny, and it's pretty, and there's flowers, don't trust NOBODY.

ha ha ha!
man, now THAT'S good times.

*quick note. I'm discovering tonight that the "new" blogger won't let me make the links pop in a new tab for you. I'm sorry about that, and i'll look into it, and then i'll fix it. But for now, it's okay for you to navigate away from my page to look around. I'll still be here.

dTown | listening to Stephen Malkmus | 49˚ and delicious

yahd pissins

2007-04-04T03:25:00.000-07:00

One thing about a car like ol' Brownie is, (still not 100% on that name...) but you get the idea. Is in a place where cars are king, and the newer the better, a car like mine stands out more than say, a Ferrari Mondial with a headlight out.

Last night I got pulled over for the first time in probably 10 or 11 years. The infraction? The officer said he couldn't read the letter "S" on my license plate because the trailer hitch was obstructing it. Seems reasonable enough. I mean, i'm sure that's cause enough to pull a guy over and risk getting mashed like a bugar between the fingers of my car and a passing drunkard in a shiny new Hummer H2. Why not?

Well, I got more of the story tonight actually. Turns out that while I was loading up on some free furniture (a night stand and coffee table, as well as the wooden chair i'm sitting on right now) from a friend of mine's garage, a watchful neighbor smartly called the police and made a report that my friend was being robbed. Apparently while I was 2 blocks away refilling the ol' tank, the cops had his block surrounded. Up and down the alleys, surely with guns drawn looking for the tweaker in a ski mask. So, I guess I was doomed from go. The officer was nice enough, surely better than the ones they keep over there at the 6th Precinct in the West Village, i can tell you that. But it could easily have turned into a disaster. Naturally he had the double take on my NY license, which has been rendered invalid by California DMV by way of the common hole punch, but there I was with a car full of supposed LOOT.

Naturally I came up clean on the local police radio, I mean, for pete's sake I was a god damned BOY SCOUT. I also managed to squeak in my story about the time I had to sleep on Highway 40, and spent the night thinking I was going to get fucking CREAMED from behind every time trucker stomped on his Jake Break coming down the hill behind me. (the sound of those sounds too much like the sound a truck makes when he drifts across the white break-down line and onto the grooved pavement meant to remind the driver to keep it between the lines...) So it was nice. Kind of like practice for an episode of Garrison Keillor's weekend address. It was an adventure, and I drove away happy that I wasn't going to have to go to the local jail on my first trip back to Sonoma County, even though i've heard they have good Corn Bread up in there. I'd say yesterday was one of the more relaxing days i've had since leaving Brooklyn. Took a nice leisurely drive west out through San Anselmo, Lagunitas, and Point Reyes before banging north and rolling through the hills alongside Tomales Bay and over on down through Petaluma and on up to Santa Rosa for some Tacos before heading up to Healdsburg to walk around in the vineyards and listen to some Sonomacore. It was good times walking the rows with a couple of dogs (Mogli and Mabel) sniffing in all the fresh air and just soaking in the silence of the california countryside.

Had a couple of beers, ate some peanuts, took a little piss on the ground. You know, my good friend Aaron used to say to me after moving up to my place in Santa Rosa probably 15 years ago now, hell, i'm sure it's 16, but hey, who's counting? He had been living in the city for a while and needed a break from the pace of it. ( ha! imagine. San Francisco. TOO FAST?) Anyway, I had a pair of Bose 501's flying from the ceiling in the living room, playing some old jazz standards, a strawberry patch out front with a hammock on the porch. 40 acres in the back, and vineyards stretching to the sunset off the front, there we are outside having some beers, and he says to me, "Nuthin' like pissin' in the yahd!"

He's right. And i've always remembered that. Anytime I find myself out pissin' in the yahd, I say to myself, "nuthin' like pissin' in the yahd..." There really isn't anything quite like it. It's FREEDOM. It's AMERICA in the nutshell. Well, I tell you. It's much later than I thought it would be when i got to this part. Not sure if you noticed but i bumped up the size of the pictures on that last update, and was thinking i'd keep it going like that. California Sized, but I don't know yet. It really doubles them file sizes, and I don't have the turbo fiber channel here for the uploads, but i'll try a few other things in the days to come, see if we can't strike upon us a compromise.

Today's post is a bit of my new neighborhood. Hope it gives all you city folk a sense of it. For me it keeps me grinning ear to ear all day just looking around at a place so pretty as this one. Hell or High Water, if you're gonna be in either, I think I like 'em both better from over here.

One small thing is i'm rocking the shared wireless which has an impact on them big uploads, and there's a bit of hen pecking involved with some of the files to make sure they get where they're going. My friend Facundo found a cheap and effective solution for me. I've got FedEx all over it. Should be FLYING down the pipes any minute now.

Have a good day out there, and if you do, well, then them pictures are doin' their job.

good times,

dTown | listening to the whir of my G5's fan

on the post

2007-04-01T00:29:00.000-07:00

nice. i got through all the pictures from the trip out and it's nice to get them up there. I had to pull out of brooklyn a little ahead of schedule to beat the blizzard, and in the end i caught the tail end of the storm as it passed through virginia. I think the trip took a couple of weeks, 10 or 11 days anyway, a bit longer than i'd expected, but it wasn't a race either.

as soon as the last boxes were gone from the apartment, I took to driving south and huffing fumes. The car had a mighty scent of fuel, but it was raining from Jersey to Tenessee, and then a few nice days in Kentucky, followed by more rain till Arkansas. That's where I was finally able to source the gas smell, and ultimately the ungodly consumption of 89 octane super de-caf. A 2 dollar hose and "PRESTO!" the car saves about 40 gallons a day.

I think i'll have to come back to this story, i feel like there are too many little stories here to get lost on... The photos flow pretty close to sequential from brooklyn to marin county, and you'll see that there were a few stops to the shop along the way, you'll see my uncle, my niece, my brother, and The United States of America playing the part of "the backdrop" for an overwhelming series of photos involving my favorite Oldsmobile, ( as yet unnamed, and referred to as many things, each of which are endearing if not at least sincere ) Brownie. hmmm... i think that car just named himself.

anyway, you'll get a sense of it, and after i've had a nap, i may come back and add a few bits to the story. But if i don't, I mean, if i don't come back to the story of the trip, you can write me and ask what you want to know about it, and i'll tell you.

good times,

dTown | listening to Ravi Shankar, Veenaa-Murali | moon's coming on full.

mission accomplished

2007-03-30T13:26:00.000-07:00

A lot of people had serious doubts about this car, and my rump making it to California together, and there was (maybe) one moment when i began to feel they might be right. In the end, it was me who was right, and there is nothing more satisfying than being right about California. It's everything that i want it to be, and the car seems to love it here too. This morning we did the DMV Dance, and got the new plates, traded in my old NY license for the new California one, and I am settling into the new digs. There are tons of photos to edit, but at the moment i don't have a desk or chair to work from, and it's not especially comfortable to lie on the floor and weed through all the photos, (that incidentally is not a complaint. It's just a statement, about comfort when editing photos, hundreds of photos...) I noticed a comment that I have to assume comes from FRANCE, about how the site will change content-wise, now that i'm no longer in NYC. YES. that's true. It sure as hell will. It's beautiful here, and it would be difficult (and stupid) to mask that. Every day is a happy day, and sure, there aren't heaps of dead umbrellas around... That's fine with me. And i think once i'm up and rolling you'll agree too. There's nothing wrong with things that look nice, and are clean, and that punk kids haven't come and fucked up with spray paint and markers just because they're bored. Trust me, it's all going to be fine.

Now, for some REAL mexican food.

Love, and misses.

dTown | listening to Cap'n Jazz "Hey Ma, Do I Hafta Choke on These?"

Santa Fe South

2007-03-25T09:58:00.000-07:00

Word. So I found my sister, out in the hills out of town in Santa Fe. Got REALLY stuck in the mud, and all around, very contrasty times. The drive shaft turned out to need an extra day in Alba-Kirky, and another 150 bones to rebuild the little guy, but the car is fine and running good and quiet now. I spent a couple of days with my sister, the car was not into running at all yesterday mostly because of the elevation and moisture. Woke up to a few snow squalls yesterday, but today it's in the 70's and sunshiny so i'm hoping to get ma'rump back onto the 40 and heading west. There's much more to say about all of it, but i'm anxious to get on the road, it's already coming on 1 in the afternoon, and not only was i thinking i'd be rolling into San Rafael tonight, I was pretty sure i'd be rolling out of Santa Fe by around 10 this morning... Just gonna keep this one short and get my ass out there on Ye Olde Road ta'Home.

love and miss most of you,

_dTown | RoadRunner West Trailer Park | Santa Fe, NM

Alba Kirky

2007-03-21T20:51:00.000-07:00

You know, I've spent the past few hours trying to just do a Wang-Bang edit of all the video clips i've shot since leaving NYC, i've got about 80 of them, and the idea was i would sit and make a little nice something that streams, well. The original idea was that I would upload the little clips each day, and you would have a sort of running story line that was fun to watch, with some humor and some video, and you know that kind of thing. But It's been about 3 hours here, and i'm nowhere closer than i was when i was asleep at 8am this morning. It's a combination of my computer not having the balls, and me not having the patience i think, because the clips aren't very big, you know, a couple megs each, email sized, but it (the machine) spent an hour and a half just trying to figure out how to get the clips to the play head, (and so on) so i just clicked cancel, cancel, quit.

Today, I spent the day at the car shop, replacing the U-Joints in the drive shaft. $140 later, we still have the same problem, which is, basically, the drive shaft, has a knuckle, with U-Joints on either side. That whole assembly connects to the rear end and ultimately to drive the rear wheels. Well there's some play in the knuckle. So replacing the U-Joints was like buying some expensive insurance. The car (at low speeds) still shakes and rattles like the space shuttle coming in for a bumpy landing, but once we get up to about 65 or 70, it mellows out. I did find a place to get a new driver's seat which has been kicking my ass the whole way, and i'm going to go pick one up tomorrow, for $10. The seat i have now is completely worn out and i spend the whole day listing toward the door and at the day's end it feels like i've put the ol' spinal column in a wringer. So i'm going to take care of that tomorrow morning, and then head back up the trail to Santa Fe, where my sister "really" lives. (and all this time i was sure it was Albuquerque...) From there I will get back out on the road west to California and hope to land there over the weekend.

Gotta go get a bite to eat, but from here it's looking like all the photos between the last update and now are going to have to wait until i can get to California. I'm sad about it, but I think it's just too much on my plate after a long day on the buckboard so to speak.

These images were released earlier to ol' SuzyQ for review, and that's how it is that they're available for your observation today. One is my car shot from above on a county road in Forrest City, Arkansas and the other is a shot of her up on the lift getting a new return line affixed to the gas tank.

more soon.

_dTown | listening to Snakebite (Ram Trilogy) | Econo-Lodge, Downtown Albuquerque NM

coast to coast (almost)

2007-03-21T03:27:00.000-07:00

Just a quick blip from the road. I'm on it. The Road. The photo on the splash today was somewhere in Missouri. I'm in Albuquerque right now, so you know, it was just an oil change. There were adventures, and I will absolutely get to them. That's a promise. But for now, I just wanted to let you know i'm here, I didn't die, the car didn't die, and we're getting closer to the Northern California Zone every day. Yes, there have been some expenses, no, i don't wish i had a cell phone with me, (well, sometimes maybe just a little) but for the most part, it's all been good. Once i replaced the return line for the fuel system, which i did this morning in Forrest City, Arkansas, we started saving some serious dollars. If i had to guess, the fuel leak, which i will detail in another post a little later on, was something along the lines of say, oh... maybe like, 30 gallons a day? Something like that i'm sure. I know it took me about 6 or 8 tanks of gas at $65 each to get from Brooklyn to Forrest City, Arkansas, and it took me about 2 and a half to get from Forrest City to Albuquerque. But i haven't done the MATH yet.

more soon. Keep your chin up. TODAY is a VERY SPECIAL DAY.

love,
dan

paring down

2007-03-09T13:38:00.000-08:00

you know what's funny? As i decide what stays and what goes, it's funny what's staying. I haven't got many boxes when i get right down to it, and a noticeable percentage of those boxes are boxes i haevn't even unpacked from when i moved here 6 years ago. They're just turning around and going home. They still have to To NY from LA address labels on them. It's funny to me that the things i find the most important to me, are the things i've not even looked at since i came here.

the van is on its way here now to help me get them back on their way home. As i look around this apartment, I am not filled with nostalgia of all the great times i've had inside, but more a sort of melancholy for the times that never happened. People are always saying to live your life with no regrets. Well, i'm not regretting, but I guess i just look at the stuff in the boxes, and the empty space around them, and sort of pine for the things I still would have liked to do. I'm not stuck on it, but I think if you looked around your own apartment, imagined everything pared down to just the bare essentials, the stuff that even if there was a fire, you'd wish you still had, and imagine it in boxes by the door, waiting for the van, you'd understand what i mean.

The things i care about, the most; that i own, are residing in these boxes you see, and that is all there is.

>> a nice update. Back when this all began, i had a flat rate estimate to move my stuff, all the furniture, the stereos, the boxes, everything. They come and pack it up, i sit back and drink a bloody mary. $1400 and they deliver it to my apartment out west. I decided that was too high because hey, it's only "stuff" so i got rid of everything, figuring i'd just ship the bare bones.

I just came from shipping the bare bones. Now, for perspective, when i did the same thing to move here in 2001, I shipped all my boxes through UPS from LA to NYC, totalled out at about $300. Tonight? Roughly the same number of boxes, and in fact, most of the exact same things. Shipping UPS ground, minimum insurance, bla bla. You ready? $1100. So, for $300 more, I could have kept all of my things, my furniture, not hassled with trying to sell it all on craigslist, not bothered with the packing and throwing away, just kick back and let "the movers" do their thing. mmm mmmm good.

good times,

dTown

The Charity Event 2k7

2007-03-01T01:18:00.000-08:00

Along with my move, comes The Great Charity Event of 2007. It's not really a black-tie $5,000.00 a plate kind of thing. This is much more like a, "dTown needs a hand unloading some ballast" kind of thing. And this is where you, the viewer, the friend, the cohort, comes in and says, (to yourself) "You know, Ol' dTown's always been there for me. I see he's in a pinch right now, trying to move all the way to the left side, and shoot, he's gotta get new stuff. New furniture. New Silverware. New all kinds of stuff. And willickers, if I get in on this charity event, and buy up some of these ol' dTown artifacts he's got here in New York, i've got a little bit of dTown history, AND i'm helping a brother out. I'm supporting the ARTS. I'm keeping HOPE alive. It's like saving them damned Hoot Owls. Or getting that politician into office..." And you all know how important it is to put the right person in the right place at the right time.

So when you're checking the listings, don't ask yourself, "do i really need this ITEM?" because it's not about the item. It's not about the couch or the table, It's about the fella who's trying to make them go away. It's about that dude who put New York in your lap, hook, line and sinker. Low Res, all the way.

Here are a few links to the things i'm talking about. Have some fun, don't dawdle, and you know, dTown is open to donations too. So if that cheap-ass toaster you wanted is already sold, don't feel left out in the cold. There's plenty of good will to be bought up. Dig Deep. This is one of the rarest of times. Here is yours truly standing face first, and palms up.

http://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/ele/286483781.html
http://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/gms/286480674.html
http://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/fur/286482444.html

And hey, seriously now. I thank you for your support.

Good Times,

_dTown | selling it all, moving it out | 32˚ and Tie Red.

and so on

2007-02-27T23:16:00.000-08:00

And then tonight, when i go to log in, I have the option again to log in to the OLD blogger. I tell you it's like there's god damned ghosts in this machine. I "upgrade" because after like 6 attempts to log in to the old blogger, i figure, they've just made it that you don't have a choice. Then i switch, and the next time i try to log in, it's all, "you wanna log in Old Style?" and i'm like, "well. yes. I do, but didn't just get an upgrade shoved deep in my pooper, like TWO days ago?" and then it's all, "Oh yea. YOU can't log in the old way. You've been upgraded. You have to do it the NEW way." And again, my train of thought gets all JIMMIED. Lordy. Much to do, much to do. The clock is ticking, and like it or not I've got to get on one of them Jet Planes. Everyone is asking, "when's the big going away party?!" and i'm like, "well... I gotta get the 'going away' part tuned first!" I mean, don't I ? But sure there's been plenty of days where I just want to go and get on the plane. Like right this second. Leave everything behind. It's not as important. Nothing could be more important than just getting on that plane and getting to the left side. But each day there is one more thing I get nostalgic about, or secretly wish to myself that things might have turned out differently.

But that's a secret. I don't want to talk about my secrets. (like right now, i'm craving a cigarette) In fact, i've really found myself tonight without a whole lot to say. I'm just anxious to get into my bed, pull that comforter up, and snuggle into a pillow. Recently i got some nice ones. Not like, top of the line bentley pillows, but you know, good enough that I don't feel like getting new ones when i get out west, but probably i won't be shipping pillows. I mean, maybe i will? what's it cost to ship a pillow?

That's the big thing i'm going around and around about lately. How much did it cost? How much does it cost to ship? How much time does it take to sell? How much is my time worth? Man. So many questions. It must be like those dudes sitting up in the front seats on the space shuttle. "did i remember to turn the fuel-purge off? Is my wife really going to try and race me to Cape Canaveral ? Will she pee in some adult diapers on the way? Did i really see Britney with a shaved head? What the hell is she doing? Can't she just let Anna have the spotlight for like, 1 more week?!

Seriously though. I haven't been following this whole Britney Thing. What is she like, joining fight club or something? I feel like i missed a few episodes. I'll be honest, and hey, it's no secret, I really don't give a shit, but i'm sure SOMETHING has gone wrong. Keep an eye on her. There's a right way and a wrong way to go about "taking a break" from the business. Where are all the pros that are supposed to keep an eye on her? Again, I don't care what she does. She wants to beat up an Escalade with an umbrella, fine. I've seen worse things done to an umbrella. Hell, one time there was this dude who tried to beat me up with an umbrella. I've still got some sore knuckles to prove it. I tell you that was something. Remember that? Going to jail over a guy attacking me with an umbrella? (well. sure, it was more complicated than that, but that's no secret either) Ah, the memories. Nobody ever said, "New York sure ain't no god damned kick in the pants!" at least not that i've ever heard.

It's a kick in the pants alright. Careful you don't drop the soap. Don't slip on it either. And don't take no wooden nickels. And you know what happened the other day? I don't have a picture of this, but it happened. I was going into the train station right? West 4th. And you know how there's always a stream of people coming out? And you wait and you wait, because you know if they're streaming out, that you aren't gonna catch the train anyway. Well I decided to be like the morons i've had to deal with for the past 6 years that think about it differently. I figured, "fuggit, let's try this New York style" and i just swiped my card and went on through. Sure. Of course, it had to be a regular, sort of (probably sort of) respectable woman trying to get out right? but i didn't even slow down. She was half way into the turnstyle, but i tell you what, i was 3/4's if i was an inch, so BACK THE FUCK UP. Just back up, and SHUT up. I'm bigger than you, and i'm coming through. I'm a PAYING customer. You already GOT your ride. MTA could give two shits about you. You're going to go spend your money somewhere else now. I'm trying to pay the MTA. That's my deal. Wait till i get to the stairs...

Man, she got huffy. That's what you do. You get huffy. And she was all, "excuse me!" and i was all, "NEW YONK!" you just got new YONKED biotch! ha ! YONKED ya. NEW YONK! (the stuff out of quotes was only in my head)

Well. It didn't feel better. I felt like a jerk, and i still think folks that are pushy like that at the trains are jerks. But lately, what's been happening is, I find myself fighting the urge to just shove those cats. Shove 'em right onto the tracks. You can tell which ones if you've been around a while, you know who's going to try and JAM right into the train ahead of you, even if you're clearly standing there ahead of them, and lately, when i see them, i think to myself, "what would happen if i just fucking BELTED that dude right in the mouth? Just sort of in passing. You know, as long as we're being dicks to everyone, why not just fucking GO for it? Give 'em the ol' HOWDY DOODY.

And that's how i know my time here is done. I mean, when you find yourself thinking about shoving folks off the platform, or popping them in the head just for being idiots, well, it sort of stops being fun. You're kind of becoming one of them. This ain't cartoons. Those are real people. And you know, the cops, they frown on that kind of crap. Not like they're anywhere to be seen. I guess most of the 911 EXTREME SECURITY money has dried up. But you know? I'd rather just think about other things when i'm walking around. And there again, we're touching on my secrets.

Oh crap. I was supposed to write about a nice walk in the park, and how the light was really nice, and the days seem to be getting longer. What the hell just happened?!

dTown | listening to Rancid | 32˚ and late outside.

forced to smile

2007-02-25T23:28:00.000-08:00

You know, i was on a little roll there. I had this idea about a post i'd like to make, about looking at the "bright side" and when i went to log in to my blogger account, it FORCED me to "upgrade" to the new "google" version. I tell you, i don't like being forced to do anything on someone else's terms. I mean, I liked the way the old blogger worked, plenty. It worked for me. Now, let's just see what happens, like how much new spam i get for "playing along" with the big boys. I mean, YES i'm complaining, and NO, i shouldn't complain, because ultimately it's still a free service, and i guess i could always go back to those little pop-ups i used to do back in the day if i don't like the new deal, but the point is, with going over the terms of service, and then having certain elements of my log in rejected like 5 times, i sort of lost my train of thought. The train that brought me to my desk at 2:30 in the morning to write it down.

What i had wanted to do was post that picture of my living room, which started out as a joke, right? because i'm in a first floor apartment with 10 windows that never, under any circumstances get any sunlight through them. I mean, One time there was a reflection from the building across the way, and the sun bounced off and came through one of the kitchen windows, and it looked like sunlight enough that i ran for my camera, so i could always savor the moment when i thought there was actually sun inside my apartment, but tonight i thought it would be funny to put sun in each of the rooms, and be fucking obvious about it. It was a great source of amusement for me for a while, and i thought i would share that moment with you all, because i'm on the brink of some full time sunlight. Not the Photoshop variety that you find in the RENDER pulldowns, but the real deal. The golden sun blazing through the windows, everywhere I look.

I'm going to move back home to Northern California in the next few weeks, and I imagine that's going to change the way i do things for a while.

You see? When i first moved here, my friends always said, "Listen. You move to New York, and if you don't like it, Northern California will still be here. You can always come home when you want to, but you gotta get out there and see what there is to see."

They were right. Northern California is still there, and i'm glad i got to see the things there were to see. Over the next few weeks, i might just take a look back over the things i saw, just to kind of shake 'em loose, but i'm really looking forward to getting back to the sunshine and golden hills that make me happy to my core just thinking about them.

I learned over my years here that i'm just not a New Yorker. I mean, don't get me wrong. It's just as love/hate for me as it is for anyone. I love this city in so many ways. The summers, the winters, the springs and falls. Yes I Do. I'm glad i learned that. I was never one of those kids who wanted to live in New York growing up. In fact, growing up, i vowed I would never live here. ( A lesson in making vows has been learned ) But i'm glad i did. I'm glad i lived in all of the places i've had, and i'm glad i met all the people I have while i was here. It's been some of the best parts of my young adult life, and I'm going to have a million stories to write about when i finally sit down and try to make sense of it all. It's just that, I don't ever want to be one of those assholes who has to stomp people out, in the interest of making more money, or making myself look better to other people who are making money. I like people. I like working hard, and i like the integrity that comes with being honest and committed to something, but the gray hairs in my beard aren't from any of those things. They're a little bit to do with getting older, and an awful lot to do with working for people who believe it's right to stomp a mudhole in the ass of the little people who are busting their asses to make the "brass" a little richer. I don't care for it. It's not my style, and it's not a style I ever want to develop. In this town, it seems you can't really have one without the other, or at least, that's been my observation. People are here to prove something. And to hopefully make something of themselves while they're here taking the big test.

For that? Yea. I'm grateful. I mean, without New York, there would have never been a danconnortown at all. Every single bit of danconnortown was born and raised right here in New York City, and I'm glad it was. It's been a great few chapters with all the trimmings, nights in the hospital, nights in jail, even nights in the ruts. I had a taste of the good life and the low life while i was here, and one thing i can say for absolute certain, New York City is THE MOST FUN when you have a pocket full of cash. A couple pockets full is really ideal, and the supreme is if you've got a couple pockets full, and then a big ol' BANK full of cash just around the corner, at any given moment.

I'll never understand how or why people do it on the super-poor style, it's just too damned difficult if you ask me. When life becomes difficult and the difficulty is based on dollar bills? Na. I'd rather live somewhere else. That's kind of what's happening to me. I mean, i can afford to keep doing this. I can afford to keep slogging away at the demons that hold me here, but when i sit down and ask myself why, or what for, or what i'm trying to prove, I've got nothing. I like redwood trees. I like The Pacific Ocean. I like Yosemite National Park, and I love little northern california towns. I like the accents of the people there, and I love the smell of the air, the color of the sky, the mindsets of the masses, and the soothing "dry heat" that you just simply cannot have here east of the Mississippi.

That's what makes it easy for me to say, "welp dTown. Have you had enough? Are you ready to pack your bag and head on back home?" and even easier to answer, "why yes. Yes dTown, i believe i've had enough. I've managed to stop smoking for long enough that it shouldn't be a hassle for me to fit back in to the old, more relaxed way of life, and i've learned enough things about living in the fast lane to feel confident i'm tuned enough to come back and do it again whenever I like."

I'm looking forward to the part when my friends here will say, "You know, New York will always be there. You can go home to your little country house in the hills of northern california, and when you get bored or tired of it, or feel like it's just not doing it for you, you can always come back. New York won't change on you. It'll still be expensive as hell, and it will force you to MOVE YOUR ASS from the moment you step foot off the plane." It will always be there. Ready to kick the ass of anyone who needs an ass kicking, and every street, every avenue will hold untold volumes of opportunity for the wiley and open minded folks willing to divine the information. Anyone with a dream to chase, or a chip on their shoulder, or just something to prove to themselves, New York will be open for business and standing by. That's something that I can take comfort in knowing.

It's been a pleasure New York, and since i've made it here, Frank says i'm good to go anywhere there is to make it. I passed. (pet pet) So for now I just want to sit back with a nice glass of something from the Carneros region and reflect for just a moment (or three years).

Thank you, every last one of you. Even that old Son of a Bitch, Kevin Bacon. Thanks man. Themz was some good times.

dTown | 254am | 31˚ and snowing

cutting loose

2007-02-22T08:11:00.000-08:00

On Friday night, i took a minute to reacquaint myself with some things i had parked up on a shelf for a while. Margaritas, and stuff. I remember now why I had parked those things, they're expensive, and they lead you down a road to even more expensive things. The rest of the weekend was spent in a state of recovery and wonder. It's interesting how a hang over usually subtracts one full day from your life. I am reminded that i don't like the trade. (though at the time, when i'm signing on the dotted line for a docked-day, it seems like a pittance) Not that I don't agree that there should be trades when it comes to beating the shit out of your brain with booze and what-not, it's just that I've come to thinking that the beating the wallet takes should be good enough payment, without having to trade up a day of your life as well.

To recover, i went out to connecticut for a few days, where I slowly regained my strength, and did milder things, like, sit down, and write letters, and play chess, and watch TV, and so on. The ride out was basically horrible, I was sure i could very well meet my untimely end on the train ride, and to make matters worse, that little iPod shuffle died on the first song. It really drives me to a sort of brink, this bit about how the iPod shuffle has to dock to USB for power, because my experience has been that you plug it in to charge, and maybe it's a day or two before I might use it again, but somehow, regardless of which steps i take to insure i've got the power, between the machine waking up and going to sleep and so on, it never gets a full charge. I mean, what's the big deal about making the computer so that if there's something plugged in to the USB, the computer can go to sleep, but if there's something charging on it, you know, LET THE FUCKING THING CHARGE. How hard can that be? Anyway, my work around is, if i happen to notice the green light on it, indicating a full charge, i just unplug it and let it ride. We'll see if that actually works out, but i'm not going to hold my breath.

So I went out to this club, and it was something, because i was reminded how very not-cool i actually am. I mean, that club was crawling with the "real" cool people of NYC. (to be said and read like, The Real Housewives of the OC) I mean, i don't have the right clothes, I don't dance like them folks, I don't get their jokes, I don't look anything like them, and i don't dig on the like, $400 or $800 table service for drinks. I mean, i'm not a cheapskate, i just don't get it.

Hang on. I'm not saying I don't like a good time. The cool folks seemed like they were having a good enough time, but i couldn't shake how hollow and empty and fucking EXPENSIVE it was to be that way. Wait now. Don't get ahead of me. I'm not saying that if you get table service at a club that you are hollow and empty, but somehow, there was nothing that struck me as meaningful or real the whole time i was in there. Even though i was just as drunk as they were, i felt like "the sober guy" at the party, where everyone was acting like god-damned morons.

Morons that felt they were in some exclusive place, like, they were so lucky to be able to pay a premium to hear some deejay spinning the latest POP music. No, not lucky, more like, holier than thou. Now, sure there were pretty folk inside. Sure some of the clothes weren't all H&M knock-offs, and sure, the people I was with were cool, but the thing is, once we got inside, i never really saw them again.

I walked up and down and all over, front to back, side to side, going in and out of these various groups of people, and some were very snooty, and some were fun and rambunctious, you know, doing their thing, and of course it was some sort of party, you know with the balloons, and there were pretty girls with lots of make-up on, stuff like that. It's fun to look at, but it's like going to the zoo. Except you get to go inside the cages and hang with the animals. I guess that part's okay, but I really felt like I've finally grown up enough that it doesn't do a god damned thing for me to go to some bar or club, pay 10 bucks plus per watered down drink, and never have a place to sit down and drink it. So, call me old.

Speaking of "Desperate Housewives of the OC", there's this one couple on there that sort of really nails the feeling i got in this club friday night. You know, Slade and JoJo. I mean JoJo is (in my opinion) exactly what i'm talking about. Just a complete dumbass, who (Hopefully) will not get to live her life till she's old pulling the stunts she pulls, and guys like Slade who somehow make all the dough but are obviously complete dumbasses when it comes to knowing which are the "real" people.

Well listen. i'd love to write more, but i'm getting grief from an old co-worker about more current events, so i have to go now. But I think i was on a roll there. And that felt better than yesterday. I mean, that piece of crap post was an embarrassment, but i'm leaving it up.

you be nice to each other. Maybe i'll write again when everyone else is in bed.

dTown | listening to Dinosaur Jr. | Overcast and 40˚

*OH. i did want to say this though. One thing that happened on Friday night was a met this new dude, well, I met him and his girlfriend, and the thing about it was, he was a real person. So there's still plenty of good ones here, and i really had a great time about it, it was a moment where i thought to myself, "really? i'm going to move away from NYC? I mean, seems like there's still plenty of opportunity here if you want it, but... do I want it?" well. After thinking and processing over the weekend, and some tepid conversations with the people i would lean on in a pinch, I guess it's just going to be up to me. And an off the cuff answer, from me? well. No. it's not worth it. There's cool people anywhere you go. And NYC isn't really making a good argument for sticking around. So i just wanted to touch on that real quick.
Good Times.

mercury falls

2007-02-21T11:26:00.000-08:00

it's not a whole lot colder, and winters here on the east side haven't been nearly as brutal as i remember them when i was a kid, though this is New York, and not New Hampshire, and I don't find myself huffing around in waste deep snow with soggy mittens ever at all really.

One thing that is cold this winter is my freezer. That fucker will freeze the hell out of anything you put in there. I was looking in there a few minutes ago, and it was solid.

Oh man. has it come to that? Trying to think of what to say?! Forcing stupid crap out there to pawn off as a "post"? So maybe it has. Maybe it's better to not say anything at all rather than to force something that plain old doesn't want to go. I mean, just this morning, (i know a paragraph belonged up there, but the thing is, if you go putting paragraphs everywhere, it makes the photos jump all over the place. You've gotta have some stretches with words in them to make 'em look nice, so you know, just hang in there.) I was sitting at my desk thinking about posts, and how mine have changed, you know, back in the day they were filled with links and info about stuff, i mean, not like engadget, but more like, oh i don't know, specific things. Maybe it was when i was more into politics, or more into taking drugs because then i'd go off on some tangent about something i saw, or something i'd read about somewhere, and i'd toggle back and forth between surfing around on the internet, editing photos and writing at the same time. Now i mostly sit here and go, "Look Connor, it's just 30 crappy little photos. Just Get Them Done, so you can get on to the next thing." Which is really not the same thing at all. I tell you what, i'm going to blame it on this house. It's got no vibe. I mean, it's nice enough. It's big enough, but I'll be damned if it's inspiring at all. From day one, i've had zero drive to do computer stuff in it.

baa. i'm just going to stop. this post fucking blows. And after all that talk about the cold it's actually like 50˚ outside, so why bother? I'll be back when i think of something to say.

d_ listening to "the new" modest mouse | 50˚

Happiness Pie

2007-02-12T11:05:00.000-08:00

Mmm mmm mmm delicious. Finally caught up again, you know how it is. With the pictures. The camera keeps grabbin'em, and somehow they have to get up onto the interweb whether you think they go there or not. This particular run of 'em covers last week here in town. Over the week a lot of different things were going on, across the board. I believe there were some politics occurring in the world, why just this morning i saw that a bunch of bombs went off at a mall or something in Baghdad, looked like some smoky bombs. Whoever was shooting for AP on that one was right up in the shit. Some great photos man. Dead children, bright orange flames, lots of black black smoke. I tell you, these cameras today. They are really astounding. It's not even about the photographer anymore, i mean, sure, he frames the shot, but exposure and all that? these cameras are just delivering the goods. It's amazing. So there's that going on. And even though i'm not involved in politics anymore, i mean, sure. The news happens, but i don't follow it. (I also don't like to capitalize the letter "I" for some reason, I feel like, it's a pain in the ass, kind of slows me down when i'm typing, but i always wish i had done it later. It's just so much effort for just one letter.) So even though i don't follow the news, the thing is, it trickles through. At least here in NYC it does. You're constantly being smacked in the face with a wet mop of news.

There's newspapers everywhere you look. They're cramming them in your face on the street, in the train, the fucking street folk are wearing them as blankets, they're blowing up and down the avenues, it's on the sides of buses and up and down the walls inside the trains, it never ends, and so what i've noticed in the glimpses i've had jammed in my face is, it seems like there's a lot going on out there. Like this whole president thing is turning funny, Obama and Hilary, this whole skooter libby thing seems to be in the news again, something about condy rice, i mean, it's all the same players, oh, and I saw that they were going to do some new coins, Dollar Coins. Well god bless 'em. That's a good idea. I always wonder about the money. Like, Hamilton, and them other dudes, how do they rate? How did they get onto the bill and when did they do it? And i think, well. I could look it up, but you know, that's politics. I don't do politics, but i wonder if maybe it's time they just revamped the bills and put on some people that everyone knew. Like, why not put Anna Nicole on a bill. Michael Jackson. Fuckit, put Eminem on one. HA, how about this, since they're always going on about how much money it costs to print money, how about if you're rich enough, you can pay some money, and just have your name on the bill. Your picture and your name here: for you know, "X dollars". Or do it like the back of the 2 dollar bill. you know, but some bing bang rapper posse on the back. Ha. and everyone could dress like they do now. Do away with the tights and the powder wigs.

Maybe we could have like WAR SERIES bills, and they have like bombers and tanks and shit on them. Turn money into something collectible, and i don't mean like people that collect coins and stuff, i mean, something BIG. Like the 1 dollar bill becomes the next Beanie Baby, or the next Cabbage Patch Kid, or the next Tickle Me Elmo, or the next PT Cruiser. HA. what a pile. the PT. Cruizer.

So, but yea. there's been much going on. As you know, i've left the studio where i was working, i've relinquished my cellphone, and as of just yesterday i've become single again. Now it's just a matter of selling the yacht and getting my house out onto the market. It's just not practical to have such a big place any more. I mean, the kids are grown, my hip's not getting any younger, and I haven't got time for the upkeep of the boat down at the mooring.

Ah. Retirement. Who knew? It just comes up so fast, I can't believe it sometimes, how quickly the years have all flown by. I try to think of my new york experience in terms of: "how many cigarettes was that?" or "how many slices of cheese, sprinkled with oregano, crushed red pepper, garlic powder, parmesan, and black pepper, folded in half and shoved into the front of my head was that?" or whatever. You get a sense of it. The point is, i'm asking myself, "HAVE YOU HAD ENOUGH?!" I don't feel like i've been beaten into the ground. New York worked out. Sure. I lived in the nice places, I lived in the rough places, i hung out with the artists and the suits, the good and the bad of it. I learned about how it's good times; as good as any, and it's hard times, as hard as they can get.

Hell. there's this one guy in today's scroll, you can see him, he's on the 6 train, heading downtown. Black hood, Black bag with an aquafina bottle sticking out of the top. That fucking guy. Jesus christ did he smell bad. I can't even tell you. You have to live here in the city to know what i'm talking about. He was one of those guys that can clear out a whole train car with his smell. And after he's gone, folks just don't sit there for at least another hour. Well. I was trying to get the hell out of the train car myself, that's how i wound up so close to the guy. I mean, it's a smell that's crossed between feces with the flu, and stale urine, but cranked on up to like 20. It's one thing to smell piss, but this is something else. this is piss that smells YOU. from across the room. HOW do they do it i don't understand. I mean, even in a horse stall where the piss in the hay turns into ammonia, it doesn't waft through an entire train car with the intensity of this man. Overwhelming. So i had to take a picture. It made me think of how happy i was when Misha and I went hiking up in them foothills, outside of pasadena right? i'm like in tears over how happy I am just to be there, and here i am on the six train in tears because it feels like i've been sprayed in the eyes. So i'm wearing my headphones, and there's a couple pair of 'em on, so i can't hear a god damned thing except for whatever was playing, and probably it was nothing exciting, because i can't remember what it was. I mean, i'll tell you what's on my shuffle if you want to know but the point of the story is, i was in a bubble. And i'm pointing my camera at him, and he looks up at me, because he hears the door opening between cars, and i can't help it, i say out loud, "my goodness you smell good. gracious me, how do you do it?" obviously i'm not looking for an answer, i just went to the next car. But it was in there that i came to realize that I believe i've had enough. It was fun, but why wait until I just can't take it for a second longer? why not just retire from it while you still kind of like it?

Let's see how this week pans out. As most of you know, Valentine's Day is my favorite holiday of the year. Not the "Hallmark-ness" of it, just the principal of it. I love that there's a whole day just dedicated to the person you love the most. A day where you're okay to be in love with your girlfriend, and everyone is out to crank up the romance in their little worlds. And new york is really good at it. Even the Empire State Building looks his best. (I obsessed about that for a second, naturally you would say, the building looked her best, but the building is masculine, even with the red lights on, and well, so i just want you to know i thought about it) New York becomes the city you remember from the movies on the night of Valentine's. Couples are walking arm in arm, restaurants are packed with lovers holding hands, and everything is just nice that way. After dark i mean. In the day time, it can be a little contrasty, with the cold white light of the sun and all that red and them paper hearts, but this year? I'll be on the bench. Watching from the sidelines. If you've got a love, hold them tight, nuzzle and smile and play nice with each other.

Good Times,

dTown | listening to Billie Holiday | 38˚ and pretty

Rearview

2007-02-12T00:12:00.000-08:00

Man it's really interesting that 2k7. Off to a RIP SNORTIN' start. I tell you at this rate I can really just set my ass on the couch and watch. All the really hard decisions are being made FOR me for once, and I tell you, I'm not minding it one bit. Talk about "go with the flow" I may not like the taste of some of these shit sandwiches, but you at least I'm eating, and I'm definitely getting three squares a day. The nicest thing about when other people decide your fate for you, like, if your landlord sells the building you're living in, or your boss decides he'd rather you work somewhere else, or your girlfriend decides she'd rather be single, is that you really don't have to think. There's no point in worrying about whether you're doing the right thing or not. You just have to think about keeping your nose out of the water. That's it. Everything else will just continue to happen, regardless of how you react.

Like the other night, I was downstairs in the West 4th Street train station, and I saw a woman in a gleaming white snow parka, and I thought to myself, "No white after labor day." I don't know what the rule is, but it's just what came to mind when i saw that coat. And then, like a second later, this other girl came down the stairs wearing an all white ski suit. The pants, the boots, the jacket, all white. I laughed right out loud. I felt like the caveman in the Geico commercial when he shakes his head in disbelief. But then i looked up toward the north end of the West 4th stop, standing there waiting for a B, and I saw another kid coming my way in an all white Parka.

When the train finally came, there were two other people in there wearing white coats. And since that moment, i've seen at least five or six white coats a day. Makes sense to have an all white outfit for winter. You never know when we might catch a blizzard. You definitely want to be in a big fluffy white coat crossing broadway against the light in a blizzard. Totally makes sense. PLUS it's totally fashionable.

Looking backwards at the path that led me to here, I am surprised at how hard i've pushed to get right to where I am today. I am reminded of the olden days when all anyone wanted was to figure out a way to get me back to California. Whatever it took to get me there, to get me "happy" again would be the only sensible thing to do, no matter what the circumstances. Just get him there, and things will get back to normal again. It's not about smoking cigarettes or drinking tequila or eating zoloft or how hot your girlfriend is dTown. It's about being where you're built to be, so just get there.

That said, I believe that the gods have been conspiring to make that happen whether I was going to play along or not. And finally, I am no longer resisting. It's true, even the dialog in the in the "comments" section of this little blog are gently pushing in this direction. So I will liquidate my belongings and go back to where I belong.

For a moment, I was able to get caught up in the question of where I would go. Would I move to southern california, or Northern California? Well. Even those decisions are being answered and made FOR me, which is absolutely DELICIOUS, but in the good way. Not delicious like my job at the studio, which was the bad way.

If I were to move to where I prefer to be, it's Northern California. I just want to convalesce for a minute. To slow down. To meet the children of my childhood friends. And that is what i'm going to do. There really is nothing more for me to do. I am anxious to figure out what will fall into my lap next, but I am content in the knowledge that so far, 2007 is delivering everything the doctor ordered, and with a pretty little bow on top.

Finally the next chapter is beginning, and for once i'm going to just let go of the wheel and just stay on the gas, Ol' Michal Anderson once said that anytime her little car would lose control, all she had to do was let go of the wheel, and the car just corrected itself as though by magic, EVERY time. Well, it's been at least a dozen years since she told me that story, and though I felt I understood her meaning then, I am only now applying that mentality to my own life. It seems that each time I try to plan something out, to try and be mature about the longview, something comes up, some event occurs which completely fux my plan right in the poop hole. This time, i'm just going to go with it, all the way, and the irony is I feel more calm, more relaxed, and more confident that whatever was going to happen is still going to happen.

Stay tuned. I'm about to take a breath and go under. When I resurface, I expect to be standing in the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel, and something tells me i'm going to be grinning from ear to ear.

Just the thought of it makes me smile broadly, even here in Trinidad, with no job, no bunny, and nothing in the bank to prove I earned these gray hairs all over my face.

This photograph here is a photo i took on christmas eve day. I was with my friend Misha, and we had been hiking in the hills with ol' Señor Verde, and I realized how much damage smoking cigarettes had done to my overall fitness, but there was a moment at the front of the hike, where we passed through these gates, and I was stricken by a wave of total happiness that completely overwhelmed me. I was smiling so wide that tears were streaming down from the corners of my eyes, and I couldn't even begin to express in words how happy i was to just be there, in california, at the base of a mountain, with the smell of the trees and the, the just... i don't know, the "california" of it all. There was nothing special about the scenery just there past the gate as you can see by the photograph. It's nothing special or outstanding in anyway, but even now i can look at that boring photograph and be immediately transported to what was absolutely one of the happiest moments i've had in the past 5 years altogether.

It only lasted for about 3 minutes, but the intensity of my happiness in that moment is still with me now. I wish there was a way to show in that one photograph what i felt as i was covering the terrain in that image. I will work on that when i get back home.

ah. i've been meaning to have these things happen for so long now, that even as they unfold in front of me, I have to wonder if it's all a dream, or what sort of wrench is even now flying right toward me at the speed of sound. It better be a big fucker if it plans to stop me.

Good Night Anna

2007-02-08T13:32:00.000-08:00

You were my favorite rollercoaster rockstar celebrity. I even bought some of that TrimSpa water to mix with my Tab Energy and Corn Whiskey back in the day. There was something to the campaign. Something about making people envy you, or to be envied, or something, I can't recall what it was, but something. A way to make it simply delicious drinking TrimSpa Water. I hope your spirit lives on through the product. And I hope your life after death has at least as much scandal as Cobain or Monroe, because baby? You deserve it. Surely there was something shady going on. And it deserves as much speculation as Kennedy's mysterious death back in the day.

You know, this week I was only just starting to get really into your mini-series on the Entertainment Tonight tv show.

And now, you're gone. I really wanted to find out what kind of pills those were you seemed to be MANGLED on in those interviews. They seemed to really keep you mellow. My favorite moments were your come back with TrimSpa and the miles and miles of ads in the NY subways, The moment you fell off that bull at that bar out in LA, you know, on sunset, with the bull inside, there over by um... what is it, havenhurst. you know the one. The place with the plate of sliders. And of course, your success as a guess broad, you know, way back. But the memory that will live in my mind the longest, will be those last interviews. The one's i've been seeing lately since i'm "unemployed" and get to be home in time to see E.T. on the tv. You were so MELLOW. Really cool.

Well. I'm sorry you died. But it's pretty rock and roll. Good Hustle.

dTown listening to Stack O'Lees

resurfaced

2007-02-02T20:27:00.000-08:00

I made a different post earlier, but i didn't post it. Because it felt irrelevant when i was done with the pictures. I wrote it before i looked at any. That's what made it different. And it was dumb anyway. About cameras mostly. Which, who cares? It's not a tech site. If i'm going to talk about something, i'm going to talk about something i'm getting PAID to talk about. Like SkullCrushers, or that Christian Hosoi Movie. Those are things i'll talk about, but not right now. They're both good though.

Well. i'll say this. That movie, Rising Son, that's a good movie. But the soundtrack, that came with it, sounds is all wrong. And i would have to listen again, or double check or something, but all the songs on the movie? I liked 'em. I remembered them. And i remembered liking them. But the CD soundtrack of the movie? Na. Most of the songs were gay, and i hated them. And i don't mean gay like, "two guys bangin around with their pants off" I mean gay like, THE SONGS SUCKED. But that's not what i'm fixing to write about either. To be honest, i haven't thought about it any further than i ain't going to post what i wrote earlier, and so i'd better write something else.

These pix go back to the time of my last post. The time i hung up dTown to dry. The thrill was gone. But you know. It wasn't the thrill. It was a whole lot of other things all at once, and the website was the easiest thing to quit. To kill. It took up time, and wasn't giving me anything back. Now i'm killing other things instead. I'm going through them one at a time until i find the thing that's driving me nuts.

I've tuned most aspects of my life right down to about zero. I don't smoke, I rarely drink and hardly at all when i do, I don't burn, i don't take pictures, i don't go out, and i get my sleep. SO, that leaves only a few things. WORK and HOME. I tested out NO WORK this week. It helped, but i'm not sure that's it either. I think the issue has to do with HOME.

You know what they always say.

And my heart ain't in Trinidad. Well. Not in Trinidad, Brooklyn anyway. I've been back out to california a few times in the past month or two, and i've got a pretty good sense of where my heart is.

There's a few more updates coming here. But they're coming at my pace, so check back when you like. they'll get there. There's only about 130 images left in this update, so i should be able to knock them out (if i feel like it) by the front of the week.

And though i'm not all here, i'm glad to be here. For what that's worth.
not here here. but you know, internet here. here on the internet. that's what i mean.

Personal Days

2007-02-02T10:55:00.000-08:00

you know, i'm all fixed over here. Finally, i've got the photoshop reinstalled and working, i've updated the dreamweaving software, for weaving my dreams, so that's all working. I've got the new everything. Dreamweaver 8. Photoshop CS3, what else could i need? Oh, i got a new camera too. (thanks Katzy!) Yes. we went around and around on it, when mine got stolen last week, (which did piss me off) and you know me, i'm not a big fan of just going out and buying the new shit because it's new. And there weren't any cameras out there that were doing what i wanted for the price i wanted to pay. Everyone was getting all uppity about the new Canon G7. But i wasn't feeling it. A lot of people like it. I mean, for one, it's Black. People like black cameras. They always have. And it's got a nice User Interface so when you use the little scroll wheel or whatever, it's cool. And everyone has some big thing to say about the fact that it uses a regular camera strap.

For some reason, that part actually pisses me off. I don't mind that it uses a regular camera strap, but that THAT is the element everyone is fucking goo-goo over makes me go bananas. (I GO BANANAS)

Me? I liked my Canon A70. Bang for the buck, there was nothing better out there. Then, they stopped making it and made the A620. Now that camera had a nice little bit of upgrading, and i really liked it. Vast improvement over the A70. But elsewise? Na. there's no justification for cameras going like they're going now. People on the street would say that the G7 is the best one out there in that range of cameras. But i tell you, i just couldn't get a feel for it. It's got no grip. It's got that god damned proprietary battery. It's difficult to use with one hand. And it AIN'T CHEAP. But if it ain't cheap, it needs to have a lot more balls. So after my exhaustive research, i decided on the A640. It's basically the same as every camera i've had all along, except it's black. Everyone likes a black camera.

Here's how i decide on a camera. I really ask myself these questions.

Is it inexpensive?
Is it easy to use?
Can I use it with one hand?
Can I use regular batteries in a pinch?
If it gets stolen, lost, or broken, does that event MURDER my savings?
Is it cumbersome?
Do I even HAVE any savings?
What the fuck. Why is my savings always coming into things?
What am i doing here?
Why do i have to choose inexpensive things?
Aren't I good enough that i should just have the BALLSY camera?
Why don't I just have 2 Ballsy Cameras instead?!

and so on.
So, in the end, I will default to the top of the line poor man's camera, vs. the bottom of the line rich man's camera. And sure. It was cheap. In my case, all i had to do was Turn Old. But, bang for buck, it's a good value.

So, a page later, the point is, New Camera. New Software. New Year. and there i am looking at the index page, and i just Don't Feel Like It. I click on the picture, and i think, well. what's a good picture to put in there? On the cover. And i'm immediately like, "Right. Like I want to start sorting through all of that stuff again..." and an hour ticks by.

So i'm not sure if i'm fixed yet. I'm taking some "personal" days. To figure out just what's going to happen. Just how i'm going to address this problem. It's not that i don't have the energy. It's something else entirely. I'm sure of it.

But i'm here. I'm trying. I'm not floundering. i'm not really anything. but i'm... well. I am.

Happy Face

2007-01-11T20:09:00.000-08:00

The thing is, of all of them, and i don't know why exactly, but out of them all, when i get the note from Todd C, and he's waxing nostalgic about the good ol' days, I feel responsible. Like it's my DUTY to do something. To get back to work. To get something done. Out there. I can't explain why. I've never met Todd C. Sure, we've shared music files over the internet. It was even a Mac/PC swap. But if he walked up to me on the street, would i say, "Oh Shit! That's Todd C!" Na. I'd probably be like, "this dude better step left, and ON THE QUICK."

So I just wanna say, Man. It's not that a wouldn'ta. I even had a holiday plan for a sneak update. a surprise show. But there's been trouble up there in middletown. There were problems you see. It all started the day i thought it would be a great idea to buy myself a printer. (ha ha)

Long story short, there's Photoshop Problems. There's Dreamweaver Problems. And those are two PRETTY IMPORTANT bits of software in this line of work, for me. Yes. I know code. Yes, i have other FTP clients i can use. There are WAYS of making it happen, but the key to this, this, peaking in from premature retirement is convenience. And work-arounds are not convenient. So some days i sit down with the steam and the juice and i'm ready to put it out there, and those little issues put on the skids. And I press Command+Option+Delete and walk away from the machine in disgust. Occasionally, i'll snicker to myself as i'm passing the full length mirror on the hall closet door, and i'll say to myself "...and then i died." and then i'll lumber into the bedroom, and i'll get in the bed. And that's my story.

Tonight is one of those nights. I even opened the hall closet and started rooting through the liquor box full of CD's to see if i have my old install disks in there for the dreamweaver. I didn't find them, but i DID find that picture up top. That's me with my "Happy Face" on. I'm on my never ending HUNT for Ludwig Mims. We're heading east on Highway 62, hellbent on Joshua Tree and FINDING the elusive Ludwig Mims.

Today another todd asked me, "hey. Where's Happy Dan? We haven't seen Happy Dan in a while. We miss Happy Dan. We like Happy Dan."

I didn't think too long about it. I said, "He ain't HERE. Try being me. Trying being Dan. Dan misses Happy Dan too."

No. it's not a pity party. It's just... It just is.

People tell me they love me. I get that i'm "smart". Sure. I'm fucking awesome. But when you're not feeling it when the clock wakes you in the morning, and it just keeps going like that, then all the other stuff is just dumb.

You ever feel that way?
Sure you do.
Everybody does. That's LIFE. That's The Way It Goes.

Dumbasses are always telling me, "that's so you'll APPRECIATE the good times."

Sure. But between you and me, when it's good times, I appreciate them anyway. And to be honest, I'd appreciate them if that's all i had was good times. I've had bad times, and they're harder to forget than the good times. I bet i've had enough bad times to remember them for a long enough time that if starting right this very now, I WOULD STILL APPRECIATE THE GOOD TIMES, Even if they just kept coming.

Others would say, "well. that's what you always wanted. The Big Ups, and The Big Downs." That's true. I'm living the dream. This is why the folks who hear my voice often hear it say, "Careful what you wish for." I think the first time i had a comment about that was when i was in the 8th Grade, and kate lally answered this teacher's question about, "if you could have anything you wanted in the world right now, what would it be?" and her answer, as a disaffected apathetic punk rock teen from 1983 SHOULD answer, was, "All I want is a Chicken Sandwich."

I'm 36 years old, and that answer STILL pisses me off. I mean, WHAT IF? Just for argument, let's say she got the chicken sandwich? Man. What 8th Grader's only worldly wish is a chicken sandwich? Come on.

The point is, I think about you all too. I think, "Here i've created this thing. This existence outside of me. Bigger than me. And folks expect it to be there. And the reason they expect it to be there, is because I SAID it would be there." So, it's my obligation to PUT IT THERE. And sure. I will. But there's other stuff clogging the nose holes at the moment, which are taking DIBS on my time.

So rest easy. And Todd? Thanks again.

and therein, lies your hope.

love,
dTown

Listening to Lemonheads | it's 35˚, and I'm living in Trinidad, Brooklyn.

I'm not saying

2006-12-17T20:58:00.000-08:00

that i'm coming back to it, because really, i'm not. But there have been a few notes and visits and messages along the way that caught my attention.

One factoid that may or may not be of interest to folks who check back from time to time for the hell of it, is that the number of hits has only decreased by maybe 20 in a week which doesn't make any difference really to me. 100 hits in a week, goes down to 75, and I still think it's the same thing. If it was 10,000 hits in a week, well. Then maybe I wouldn't have put the dTown thing on the skids. But it was interesting to see, a month later and the viewership is basically the same. (painfully low and discouraging)

That said, I'll say this. I've also kind of stopped taking pictures. It's an interesting phenomenon. For instance, I'll be walking along, same as always. Camera at my right hand side there in the little water bottle pouch on my backpack. I still carry a back pack just so there's a pocket with the camera in it. Even if i've got nothing else to carry. I mean, sure. There's dental floss inside the bag. There's a pair of tweezers in the bag. There's a ziploc bag of nicotine patches in there, in case i want to really step up the intake. There's some of those chewable pink bizmuth tabs in there, for those times you get caught short and need the cork. I've got glitter for sprinkling on dogshit found on the sidewalks. Those things are always in the bag. So i guess it's like a purse. But certainly not enough stuff to warrant a back pack.

Well i'll be walking along, and i'll see something that i would normally have to take a picture of, and i'll look at it. I'll absorb the information, and I'll say to it, "fuck you". And I'll start walking. And what's funny is, when i look at the little bit of street art, or the little bit of Urban Irony, and no sooner do the words tumble from my lips, or at the very least, my mind's lips, then i think of Kevin Bacon. And i say again to myself or out loud, "fuck you too." And then the waves of rage splash over me, and still I walk.

So, i'm guessing something got broken. Some little connection in my mind no associates the things that I used to enjoy with the phrase, "fuck you" which of course reminds me of this fella, Holden Caulfield, from the olden days. You know the bit about "there's always someone writing fuck-you on the walls..." And all of these things go through my mind in a matter of seconds, and I ask myself a few paces later, "Jesus dTown. What the hell was that all about?"

Anyway, even with all the Fuck You's flying around in my brain over it, i'll come home time and again, and dump the card from my camera, sure as hell that i haven't even turned it on in weeks, and i'll be damned, but there's always a hundred or so new pictures on that card. So the pictures are still "getting took" even when i'm consciously trying not to. But i can think of several that i KNOW i didn't take, and that isn't as satisfying as i thought it would be, but it shows there's some control somewhere. Something is in my hands. I am deciding for myself about something

So i'm at this party the other night, and this Vet from Iraq rolls up, and he says he's seen every picture on my site, and how he's been following along for years. Loves the stuff, but wants to know why i drive a Mercedes. Why don't i drive an American Car?

Well. That's easy, but I think he was hitting at something else. There's a bit of the Buy American that gets instilled in a man serving the country, and i understand and respect that, but I don't think that means I want to Buy American. First off, Mercedes makes a nice car. I can't think of any nice American ones. I mean, you can go on about your muscle cars. Sure. there's nice ones. But they don't handle. they drink gas. They're over valued. They're fucking BIG and a pain in the ass to park. The interiors are poorly crafted. The carpeting is as cheap as can be found. And these days, even the american cars are made somewhere else, and in the end Mercedes is made by Chrysler.

But the real reason i drive a mercedes? (well. i don't drive it. it's been sitting under a tree in long island for 5 years now) But if i did drive it, why would i drive it? Well. I OWN it. And it only cost about $2400 when I bought it. And i guess it's nice looking.

Anyway, in talking with him he was telling me how i HAVE to keep doing it. The website i mean. And as he was saying the words, i flashed on how many times i've heard that from people since i stopped. (Quite a few actually) Thing is, i don't HAVE to do a damned thing.

Today i went to that Elbow Toe /dFace/ You Name it hoooze hoo on Spring and Elizabeth, you know, the 4 story Street Art Extravaganza. I saw more "danconnortown" style photographs being taken by more people than i'd seen street art altogether in the past 4 years. Everyone with some sort of 600 to 3200 dollar digital camera. It was like Japanese Tourists outside of a Hello Kitty Store in Manhattan circa 2003. So i know the torch is being carried. They can't ALL be bad pictures. I mean, everyone's shooting the same god damned thing. And then, i caught myself doing it too.

Which was funny. I was suddenly the ironic element of my own photography.

Circle the wagons boys, thars injuns in them thar hills.

I saw a video tonight, it's an episode of doctor phil, and he has the "bum fights" guy on. And he's basically kicking the guest off his own show. Which is stupid. If you don't know anything about what your guest does, at least have the courtesy to hear him out, he might have something interesting to say. What i thought was interesting came in a few points.

A. he had shaved his head out, male pattern balding style. That's funny.
B. he said he'd made literally MILLIONS off of the whole Bum Fight business.
C. his points although brief, were all completely valid.
D. he handled his dismissal all wrong.
E. he had a golden opportunity to turn that whole thing around, and blew it.

I saw another little tidbit the other day, about this same sort of thing. The whole, Girls Gone Wild empire, BangBus, all that kind of crap. It's true. People love it. It sells better than the real deal. Better than what's really going on in the world. It's old news. it's not a new discovery, but as time goes by I'm always amazed that it still holds true. This guy had figured out that a blip about a blown sphincter made his website go monster, almost overnight. With a diagram to back it up.

That's the kind of stuff that makes me realize i'm just barking up the wrong tree. If i had a video of a girl crapping in a hot tub on my site, I could probably get pepsi to sign up as a sponsor. I'd blow up to 100,000 hits overnight. Go figure.

Well. I thought about it. I don't wanna. that's not how i want to do it. I was surprised to see a fellow who had served in Iraq that was familiar with my work, on account of the subversion. I would think that my site would have been blocked. So, Thank you George Bush. I guess you're okay after all. What the hell did I know?

And for any of you cats over there in Iraq, well, anywhere abroad for that matter under the current administration's orders, I'm with you. You're doing what you gotta do, and you know now that you were lied to, like the rest of us, but i appreciate you're accepting the consequences of those decisions you made when you thought it was all about "finding" those responsible for 911. Your hearts were in the right place. You were young still, and didn't get the whole story. Now you know. I want you to know that here stateside, nothing has changed. People still like poopoo cucka jokes. Bums fighting is funny, and hummers are still selling like hot cakes. Gas is still cheap, and now you know exactly why that is. Thank you.

I'm wearing one sock right now. Thought i had a splinter in my foot, but can't seem to find it. you know, in that crease at under the knuckle of the big toe. Gets my attention from time to time, but there's nothing there. Plus i'm out of cigarettes.

I'm going back to california on tuesday morning. Gonna stay there for a minute. try and recalibrate the ol' brainstem. When i get back, it'll be a new year, and maybe i'll try a different approach.

And when i come back i'll tell you what i thought of that new Christian Hosoi movie i saw. I really liked it. I can tell you that. Brought me back. Sometimes i'd like to go back. A lot of people say they'd never do it again, being a teenager. I'd do it. Why the hell not? So i'll tell you about that when i come back. I'll tell you my headphone story too. Had another Great Skullcandy / SkullCrushers episode. Every now and then you will run into someone working away at a company, and they'll surprise you with their understanding of The Right Way to do business with people.

And i'll tell you what i think of the new photoshop CS3. Which i like. and you should try it out yourselves.

For now? I'm going to go lay down on that bed. If i can make it through one more day, I get to go west. So just keep me off the tracks for 32 hours, and it will all be better.

I miss you too.

danconnortown | listening to Regina Spektor | 51˚

and lastly

2006-11-19T20:23:00.000-08:00

I just want to say, it's been fun. Really. I enjoyed making the photos and typing the words. It's just, well. It's not fun any more. So i'm stopping with that for until i feel like it's fun again. I mean, don't get me wrong. I like taking pictures. I like writing words. It's the "Man i've GOT to get them pictures took, or MAN I've GOT TO write them words..."

Na. I really don't have to. I mean, I have to yes. but i don't have to get 'em off the camera, get 'em into a folder, edit them down, tweak 'em, resize 'em, sequence 'em, rename 'em, upload 'em, make links for 'em, or even have to say anything about 'em.

I just take 'em.

Same with the words. I'll just write 'em. But not on the "When are you ever gonna update your site again?!" time frame. I'll write when i wanna write. I'll take pictures when i wanna take pictures.

At least, that's the plan. But listen,
thanks. really. for checking back and poking around in my little scene. It was good times. Come back whenever suits ya.

this last update is like that. like always. some are good, some blow, but there they are. a walk in the life.

Good times.

listening to Morphine | maybe 40˚ or something.

she only wants to...

2006-11-01T00:51:00.000-08:00

Ok, there it is. That's the edit i did way back in the day man. I did it. I sat down and i just muscled right the hell on through it. Because that's what it takes. That's how I do. Now this needs to be brief, because I was told earlier that I have to get at least 4 hours of sleep. That's apparently the boundary. And the thing is, is coming up on Quarter to Four, (which by the way reminds me of a phone message i got one time from this friend of mine, i guess i shouldn't say this friend of mine like he's just some friend that I could give two shits about, I mean, it was my friend Aaron, and a few years ago, he left me this voice mail, that for some reason i saved, and it wasn't anything important, you know, one of those, "busting your balls" calls that you get from an old friend once in a while, and this one was something on the order of, "what's up you fuckin' drama queen?! where the fuck you been?! it's aaaaaaaaaahhhh.... quarter to four, (dot dot dot)" and so now, as a full grown adult male, living in The United States of America, whenever I write or say, or even hear, "it's aaah... quarter to four" my brain just ticks on it. So, hopefully now yours will too, but I doubt it.)

The point is, it's quarter to four, and you know, i get up around 7:30, so getting the 4 hours is going to be a challenge now. I'll need a god damned FLUX CAPACITOR to do that. The final leg of the tour (so to speak) was to get through this last bit of photos. They were actually shot back on like, October 1, or maybe it was even September 30, now that i think about it. They got dumped from the camera on The One, or, well. Google it. I'm sure it was back there somewhere anyway. They were from the last night of the Semi-Precious-Weapons residency over at Ars Nova. Ars Nova. HA! that's funny. But not a funny place. It was a great venue, and the show was fucking great too. And i'll tell you what. I was saving these pix till i could sit down and look at them. Which is what i finally did tonight. You might remember sometime back, when I thought I thought i was (OH MY GOD. YOU CANNOT IMAGINE HOW ANNOYING IT IS TO HAVE TO GO BACK AND CAPITALIZE THE STANDALONE LETTER "I" IN A BLOG, THAT I'M WRITING about ME. JESUS. I'M DONE WITH THAT. FROM NOW ON, IF I THINK OF IT, I'LL DO IT, BUT NOT LIKE I'VE BEEN DOING THESE PAST FIVE MINUTES) ANYWAYS....When i thought i thought i was getting all caught up on this backlog of images right? And then i said, you know, NICE. I've finally caught up, and then Semi Precious Weapons comes around, and there i am with a 5d, and BOOM, i have over 1500 images to sift through again. Lord Almighty, wasn't that a gas?! Well. Here we are. I've done it. And sure, there's still a giant stack of new ones, but like i said a long fucking time ago, PERSEVERANCE. Like that god damned anchor, at the god damned bottom of that god damned lake. You keep doing doing doing until it's done. And there it is. (so that's the intro)

Here's the thing. It was a great show. An awesome show. They came out, and rocked the heads off of everyone in the house. No way around it. It was like one of those moments in history. When you know you're somewhere special. It's like being at that show in San Francisco, 1991, when Nirvana was just about to EXPLODE, and they were playing The Warfield, and they (nirvana) had no idea how big they were about to become, and the people in the audience already knew. They didn't have a sense of the scope of it yet, OBVIOUSLY, because the god damned chili peppers were the big turd in that pond at the time, but people knew. They FELT it.

It wasn't until many years later, when Dave Grohl was playing with his band, (them foo fighters) at the warfield, as far as i can remember, they were headlining for WEEN, {who by the way, COMPLETELY SUCKED that night, and i nearly didn't forgive them for it, but i did, but that's another story, and it takes place in riverside with a bunch of vicodin and tequila and a god damned itchy nose, and i don't want to talk about that right now} Dave Grohl is up there on stage, and he tells this story about that time they played that first show in SF. The first important one. The big splash so to speak. I mean, Smells Like Teen Spirit was a brand new song on the radio. People had no idea about the other songs on the album yet.

Well anyway, there's dave and kurt and krist are on the stage, getting ready for the curtains to open right? i mean, maybe they're not all ON the stage, but Dave is, and there's this stage hand, he keeps bugging him, saying, "ARE YOU READY?! ARE YOU READY?!" and dave's like, "yea. i'm ready. jesus. why does he keep asking me that?" and like every 2 or 3 minutes there he is again, "you're on in two. ARE YOU READY?!" and so on. And surely, dave's shrugging it off like, "who is this san francisco HIPPY already?! I'm GOD DAMNED READY I TELL YA." and he's sitting there on the throne, and just for the hell of it he stomps the pedal right? Stomps it to quick beats. "TA BOOM BOOM!" through the PA. (or whatever you call it when you're that big) and at that moment there comes from the other side of the curtain, THE ROAR of San Francisco about to witness Nirvana before they broke. Before they fucking erupted on stage for the last time as some small town little band that only the hipsters new about. ROOOOAAAAAARRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!

And Dave said he nearly shit his pants. It was a moment where he was on the stage, he's obviously played a thousand times already, and here he is with his heart in his throat. WHY? The ENERGY man. That's why. There he was on the cliff, overlooking supermegastardom, and the only thing separating him, the band, and his life from the ravenous talons of success was that heavy velvet curtain. He knew it. The audience knew it, and although the rest of the world still had their heads up their collective asses, they knew it too.

THIS is what that show was like. This will always be the show that I will look back on SPW and say, I REMEMBER WHEN... And i'm glad as hell i didn't miss it. Now i'm not saying that SPW is the next NIRVANA. But what I am saying is, that night, was the moment. The moment before that next giant leap. It's up to them, and i have no reason to believe they're going anywhere but up after a performance like that. I was on the floor, on the stage, on the sound board, all over the god damned place, and i kept flashing on images of these guys jetting off to japan, to europe, just like any other band that gets that flash, that opportunity to really STOMP on the gas, and make break for it. To NOT just be some little band that plays the local circuit and has a decent local following. It was just AWESOME.

So when I was trying to edit the photos, I kept asking myself, "how can i put somebody in some other town there?!" Deleting photos didn't seem like the answer to me, but i had more than 1200 from that show alone. There was no way i was going to put up a 1200 image scroll. you'd probably come to my house and knife me in the face. But I had trouble choosing which images said what i wanted to say. I mean, At the start of the night here tonight i had maybe 200 and something on the stand by edit, you know, and then i started nicking images, just ticking them off here and there, and finally i was able to wittle it down to a cool 181. And one of them is a picture of my god damned iTunes, and the last one is when i was stumbling home and stopped off at like, Gray's Papaya for some hot dogs. So really, 179? from over 1200? yes. that's an edit. But i like ALL the ones i shot. Even the ones i trashed. I think it would have been possible to shave more too, and there are probably some others i should have kept in the post, but you gotta trust me. I know what i'm doing. I think you'll get a sense of the show, even minus the music, and that's the point of it. I hope you'll enjoy the pix, and one thing i want to point out is the range of that god damned camera. It was the first time i really got to throttle it up and see what it can do. I liked it. Colors Schmullers. I don't care if justin's outfit doesn't appear the color it really was in some of the images, that's not the point. It's the feel man. It's the vibe. The flow of the show. And I think you'll get that.

And i tell you what else. I hope i have the opportunity to make more photos of them in other cities, in other countries, but who can say how that pans out? Maybe they really do explode, and suddenly they have to have folks like, Tom Munro or whoever the bigshots are shooting them. I tell you what though, no matter who it is, if they don't have their heads up their asses, they're going to have an opportunity to make iconic photographs, and they damned well better capture the moments. Nothing i hate more than a hotshot who takes DEAD pictures. Drives me bananas.

As Claus Wickrath would say in his trademark swiss-german accent, "I GO Buh NUH NUZZZ!!!"

So, enjoy. I might be a minute before the next update. I have to work on getting the archives back up to date. I have to edit the 15th through today. (and everything else in between) PLUS i have to watch Season 2 of LOST which i've recently acquired from none other than Dan Foley.

So here's what you do in the meantime.

UNLOCK your music. If it's not TOO LATE, don't update your iTunes to the newest version (7.0.2) DO NOT UPDATE to that version, and then click on this link, and set your shizzay free. UNCHAIN THEM BITCHES!!! That's something you can do. It'll take a minute, but it's the right thing to do.

Me? i'm going to push for 4 hours of sleep, and then just keep fucking shooting. And when i'm done shooting, i wanna do some god damned editing. And when i'm done that? I wanna do some flippin' posting.

I'll check you all out soon. Don't go getting knifed in the face.

dTown | listening to SPW | 59˚ | and sure. i'm still conscious of my rage over Mister Bacon. I could be in a god damned private jet eating bon bons, and it would be on my mind. 4:24am, 6:52pm, it don't matter. It's on my mind like skin on my bones.