I miss the hippies

We're all different. Believe it. Accept it. But, despite all of our differences, we will always be more alike than we are different. We all know love and have felt pain. We all have the ability to learn, and to create. We fundamentally know what is right and what is wrong.  However, we will not always see eye-to-eye. We will not always get along. We will not always believe the same things, but don't worry, because that is the way it is supposed to be. There needs to be a vast pool of knowledge and opinions for us to draw from as a civilization. However, sometimes the details of our lives and these blown-out-of-proportion differences can cloud our moral compasses. Sometimes, we have to take a step or two back...and hit the reset button. In these moments we must realize that we brought to light these self imposed differences; and we can celebrate them as opposed to fight over them. And we should.

What I try to remember about all of this is that we are all passing these things down to the next generation. They are being subjected to the differences we have imposed upon ourselves and squabbled over, as a species, for centuries. We have to pave the way for them. We have to set an example. What chance of peace do any of us have if we can't look past all of these differences? Seriously...

The world needs an anger management course, and we need to break down the barriers put up nationalism, patriotism, racism, and class-ism. These things stand in the way of true world peace, they always have, and always will. They are the classifications we have made up to separate us..and they ultimately serve no purpose to us as a species, except giving us imaginary lines in the sand to fight over.

In this day and age, it really does seem so cliche to say that you want world peace. How very sad that is. Have we become such a world of self absorbed cynics that we no longer bother to get out side of our little box of a life and look at the big picture? Man, I miss the hippies.

also, for those looking for a laugh...check out this video I put together the other day....pretty damned funny, although my brother may not agree....

I found inspiration within the sound of a song from my past, and I was instantly drawn back into that original emotion, that original moment in time where that song held significance. Like nothing else, music moves me...it is like the air I breathe...I need it. I have a music jones, big-time. I have to have it around at nearly all times...I do not like the silence of indoor spaces without it. It has the power to change moods, to uplift and to deflate...it is one powerful ass medium to express oneself...it is a liberator. It is a time machine.

Birthday Self Portrait

2011

     I woke up to a nice, shiny and  glistening world right outside my front window this morning. As I made the coffee and began caffeinating, inspiring and motivating myself I watched the morning news (and tried to not get too pissed off at the world in the process). After the first pot of coffee had been consumed, I felt as though it was time to wander out and see what came my way. I bundled up with many layers, grabbed my trusty digi-cam and my mp3 player and headed out into the world....
  
      Immediately, I discovered it was raining out...which, for me is not a deterrent in the slightest, I usually don't mind the rain one bit. As a matter of fact, I find I throw myself into it quite often. Rainy weather makes for great pictures in my book. I also love empty spaces, where I can wander around, explore and do as I please without anyone asking any questions and what not. For me, there is a certain freedom in being the only person in sight. I'm kind of a loner in that regard I guess. I really enjoy nasty weather (more than most probably) because of that fact.

     As I made my way around town, everything was beautiful. Fresh with rain, the city was crisp and clean. It was still early enough to be quiet. There were not too many people driving on the streets, and I was the only person walking around. I get into my own world alot when walking around taking pictures. I always have my mp3 up full blast, injecting some amazing, sweet jams like Wolfmother's "The joker and the thief", or Rocco Deluca's "Any man" directly into my brain. If you see me, and you honk, or try to get my attention, I probably didn't hear you, I wasn't being rude. I promise. I like you, I really do....you're ok in my book.

     One of the first things I felt justified a picture was the old American Legion on Oak St. between the railroad tracks. I have always thought this was a really cool building in a pretty crazy spot....it's like when the railroad companies came through to run some tracks, the American Legion people said "Fuck you. go around us."...and then the railroad company did.

That's probably not really how it went down, but thats how it happened in my head, and thats all there is to it.

  

    
     I gotta tell ya, walking around these days taking pictures around town feels really good. As I was wandering today, in the rain, I couldn't have been happier. The new opportunity I have recently been given with Wyandotte.Patch.com has been great and is very much appreciated. It's nice to have an outlet that people have access to. It's enough to make a guy smile, even while walking around taking picture in the pouring rain.

it's cold as fuck outside...

but the sunrise was beautiful..

it was almost worth the hypothermia.

so...

(i got this here blog...i have had it since like November of 2009 it tells me...i forgot i had the damned thing at all, but a friend had mentioned i should get a blog, and i thought to myself..."wait a minute, i think i do...hmmm". so i clicked a couple links, tried using a couple screen names and passwords, and BINGO!...ten minutes later i discovered that i did , indeed, have a blog...so here we are... now you are now up with what has gotten us here, you reading this blog, and me writing in it..onwards!)

so, life has been pretty cool so far this year. started off with a great night spent with some good friends and family on new years night (along with a wasted 2 mile walk home from the bar in the pouring rain! it was brilliant. i once heard that rain cleanses the soul...well, if that is true, then honey, mine is squeaky fucking clean after that night...and maybe it is...because, i tell you what...life seems to like me these days.

i recently was approached by the editor of Wyandotte.Patch.com, an AOL project that is spreading to alot of neighborhood communities and is reshaping the face of journalism as we see it. he had stumbled upon my FB page and took notice of the photos i have taken throughout the years and wondered if i would be interested in them doing a story on me and my work...

ok....let's say that again, just because i love to fucking hear it..

he, "....wondered if i would be interested in them doing a story on me and my work..."

uhhhhhhhhhhm....wha?!?! back up, let me read that again...

i had to re-read it several times...

obviously he had made a mistake. why would he want to do a story on me? kinda blew my mind for a bit.

but i went with it, because to do otherwise would make me a fucking idiot. so i messaged him and it turns out he not only had interest in doing a story on me and my work, but he was looking to employ me as well...this was the super jack pot bonus in my eyes...it was really too good to be true i thought...but as i kept corresponding back and forth with my new perspective employer, i realized it was not too good to be true...i have lived my whole life, waiting for something like this to happen. and im ready for it. and it feels really good.

to have an outlet for anything that an artist does is an amazing feeling. i feel like an actor, who has rehearsed the lines over and over and over and over again and finally has a chance to step on the stage, and in front of an audience nonetheless...pretty fucking cool.