Noise
QOTD: "People often write me and ask how I keep my wood floors so clean when I live with a child and a dog, and my answer is that I use a technique called Suffering From a Mental Illness."
So the weekend before last, I went to Hattiesburg for the first time in months. I stayed with Erik, who had since my last visit moved. I took some photos the first night and got some food from Taco Bell. In the process of photographing Erik's aquariums, I changed my ISO to 1250 and never went and changed it back, so the remainder of the photos for the weekend are considerably grainier than I'd have liked. Also as a disclaimer, skin tones may seem off in color. I blame my monitors and have since ordered calibration hardware. Adjustments are surely forthcoming.
Friday morning I took my car in for maintenance, at which point they said I should get new tires. I didn't have a problem getting new tires if I needed new tires, and the mechanic said I did, but the sales guy said it wasn't necessary. I opted against 1) because I was annoyed that my extra-life tire coverage which I didn't ask to be added into my car price but was added anyway, was no longer valid due to a checkup vs. mileage issue and 2) because I didn't have the money in-hand. I got my oil changed and new windshield wipers installed, the latter of which solved my visibility issues that I'd been having in poor weather. I think I may be acquiring small nicks in my windshield, but that's another problem entirely. Erik and I went to the Chinese place by Best Buy (I know the place has a name, I've just never bothered to learn it). I enjoyed the meal.
Having maxed out the first of my two memory cards, I realized that I needed to get another. I priced cards at Best Buy since we were right there already. Encountered Cliff the Elusive there, who reports much sorrow of life. It's beginning to seep through his normally impossibly optimistic demeanor. Pyran became visible also, and I briefly saw a guy I helped in the photo lab (David?) back when I was working the equipment room. Best Buy had a copy of Stay for $20, so I picked it up as I've been tracking it for some time and have had trouble securing a copy at a reasonable price. Erik and I then ventured to Circuit City to continue the memory card pricing. There I saw John, who I'd missed on my last few trips, so I hadn't seen him in a very long time, indeed. He seemed very excited to see me and brought me up to speed on the now vs. then of 3284, which explained why the Gulfport location is so abysmal. I found a card at a good rebated price and bought it. I'll need to buy probably another 6-8 gigs of storage space before Alicia's wedding in December. The card I bought that evening was only one gig, but was a SanDisk Extreme III for $30. Speed, baby, speed. There's a rough spot in my memory right about there, but I think there was some knife-throwing in there somewhere and then a trip to Taco Bell, as I was growing weak.
The next day (Saturday), there was much courtyard activity, much of which involved Pyran saying, "Let's play a game," mostly to Micheal. There was much waiting for a final party member to join for a trip to a Mexican place by the mall (the name of which I also consistently fail to retain). This was my first durational encounter with Alan2, who is also apparently from McComb, which doesn't so much surprise me as intrigue me, given his build. He is/was also a fencer, which is interesting. He has very notable facial features and it will be very interesting to see how those mature.
Erik and I departed separately from the group and since I expressed interest in stopping by Hudson's, that's where we went. I found a book called, The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists, which is bound very interestingly and contained enough verifiable nonverbal information to justify my purchasing it. I also got a set of golf gloves, as they were very thin, yet still had good grip and moderate insulating properties. I've already used them for my purposes, which is to give me some thermal shielding for my hands while on outdoor shoots. I'm pleased with them so far. Erik bought a book on minimalist landscaping, which is an interesting coffee table variety book with good photos. I didn't examine the text very closely. It contained a lot of very interesting design concepts as well as many foolish ones, so the book serves two purposes. The night's food came via Wendy's and Wal-Mart.
The party planned at the apartment complex everyone lives in was already underway by the time Erik and I arrived back. Ultimately, Pyran introduced the world into Erik's apartment, carrying (metaphorically) Beth with him. Matt soon followed. They stayed and chatted for a good long while as Pyran moved to and from the apartment, with refreshed White Russians on each return. I have to say, Pyran is much more agreeable while drinking. So am I, so I understand. I was pleased to see it. Beth not only demonstrated that she could throw a knife, but also that she could reliably hit a target. Rook, Pyran's dog, got loose at one point and ran in Erik's apartment, colliding with a crouched Pyran and spilling the full of his glass. I saw it coming, but not with enough time to do anything about it. And with Pyran on his eighth (?) drink, there just was no way his reaction time could've prevented it.
The most incredible thing about the entire event was the wild popularity of (ready for this, Ben?) Electric Six's "Gay Bar" on the playlist. It was the only song I heard played twice, and got a mass sing-along. Pyran was almost alarmedly excited at one of the playings and ran from the apartment, jumped through the threshold onto the balcony deck, and landed in a half-crouch belting out the lyrics to someone out of my view. The widespread enthusiasm was, I think, the single most socially dissonant thing I've ever witnessed. It was truly... stopping. I was in awe.
Sunday was a later start than expected, though it didn't really matter. Food at Hardy St. Wendy's. Apparently Erik and I were on the same wavelength, and both wanted to stop at Target, where we both (I think) got clothes. I bought some jeans that I wasn't so sure about and some boxers I was even less sure about (both Merona, interestingly enough), which I now find were both incredibly outstanding purchases. Pyran was briefly encountered there, as well, which is notable since the same kind of run-in occurred seemingly independently at Best Buy two nights prior. I suspect conspiracy. After that, a Books-A-Million stop to search for a book, then a stop at Bed, Bath & Beyond. Back to Books-A-Million to look for a different book. I picked up two photo magazines there and also found that the Photoshop magazine Layers isn't nearly as useful as I expected it to be. I'm glad I didn't get a subscription. Back at the apartment complex, some staff training with Erik and a maiden run with the golf gloves. Time expired and I returned to the Coast, with a seriously warped sleep schedule intact. I spent over $200 on the trip, so I think it will be some time before I'm able to return. Fortunately, that was before gas went up again.
On one of these nights, I can't remember which, Erik and I went to Angellie's place to indulge in a pasta dish she'd prepared. The food was good and she had us watch Jesus Camp, which I think should be shelved in the Horror section of rental places. After the movie, the cat was let in and it was discovered that he'd been injured, presumably in a fight with another cat. We took it to one of the 24-hour animal hospitals in town, where he was cleaned and given medications. I didn't take any photos there, though it probably would've been nice to have some. Didn't seem like popping flashes in an exam room would help calm a cat laying on a metal table. I was interested in the pleasant demeanor of the staff. I guess I'm just not much of an animal person.
And now for some photos:
Could I do flyers? Of course I could do flyers.
Micheal delights in the technology of image capture. Or something like that.
He delights in his phone considerably more.
Is it Gabe? Yes, it is.
Jordan enticing Rook to... be active.
I've certainly had worse content. They don't look particularly enthused, however.
Erik's illegal turtle, Brody.
It is well-circulated folk knowledge that pet turtles were banned in MS after several children
got salmonella from licking turtles. Well then.
Ghost catfish!
People! On a ledge!
And this what I call a split thirds with bullseye perspective composition.
It's also known as the 'you keep screwing up.'
Oooh, artsy and out of focus... it's a marvel of modern photography.
Send me to grad school, quick.
They found some photos in a small dresser/table outside. Treasure.
Pyran says it was so that Micheal could discover his superpowers.
Now all you need is some crotchless chaps and a line of suitors.
Liege, Defender Pyran of Hattiesburg stands guard.
Let's play a game. You grab on and Pyran will pull you up.
Note the lack of a follow-up action photo.
A slightly more epic shot of Pyran.
And here we have Micheal displaying the expression of uncomfortable prey, while Gabe eats cat food.
Pyran versus unknown combatant!
(unknown combatant is likely an unarmed Micheal)
And... fire!
She practices. Leisurely. Take note.
I love this shot because no one looks like they're from the same photo.
Now this is an unusual grouping of subjects.
I believe Pyran is at Drink #4 here.
Beth is out of focus here because it is her will to be out of focus.
Pyran: Drink #6.
It's Matt!
Pyran: Drink #7.
Erik! Out of focus! Posted anyway!
Pyran: Drink #8.
You know, I just really felt like there weren't enough digital images out there that had the feel of
late-processed film from the mid-70s, so here we are.
That's it, folks. I actually have one or two more that weren't posted, but they're unremarkable for the most part. I've got a black & white of Pyran and Rook which is pretty good. Maybe some other time. Some other post. I am fatiguing as I've been up almost 20 hours and I haven't proofed this entry yet.
Boy, I can't wait for my color correction hardware to get in.
So the weekend before last, I went to Hattiesburg for the first time in months. I stayed with Erik, who had since my last visit moved. I took some photos the first night and got some food from Taco Bell. In the process of photographing Erik's aquariums, I changed my ISO to 1250 and never went and changed it back, so the remainder of the photos for the weekend are considerably grainier than I'd have liked. Also as a disclaimer, skin tones may seem off in color. I blame my monitors and have since ordered calibration hardware. Adjustments are surely forthcoming.
Friday morning I took my car in for maintenance, at which point they said I should get new tires. I didn't have a problem getting new tires if I needed new tires, and the mechanic said I did, but the sales guy said it wasn't necessary. I opted against 1) because I was annoyed that my extra-life tire coverage which I didn't ask to be added into my car price but was added anyway, was no longer valid due to a checkup vs. mileage issue and 2) because I didn't have the money in-hand. I got my oil changed and new windshield wipers installed, the latter of which solved my visibility issues that I'd been having in poor weather. I think I may be acquiring small nicks in my windshield, but that's another problem entirely. Erik and I went to the Chinese place by Best Buy (I know the place has a name, I've just never bothered to learn it). I enjoyed the meal.
Having maxed out the first of my two memory cards, I realized that I needed to get another. I priced cards at Best Buy since we were right there already. Encountered Cliff the Elusive there, who reports much sorrow of life. It's beginning to seep through his normally impossibly optimistic demeanor. Pyran became visible also, and I briefly saw a guy I helped in the photo lab (David?) back when I was working the equipment room. Best Buy had a copy of Stay for $20, so I picked it up as I've been tracking it for some time and have had trouble securing a copy at a reasonable price. Erik and I then ventured to Circuit City to continue the memory card pricing. There I saw John, who I'd missed on my last few trips, so I hadn't seen him in a very long time, indeed. He seemed very excited to see me and brought me up to speed on the now vs. then of 3284, which explained why the Gulfport location is so abysmal. I found a card at a good rebated price and bought it. I'll need to buy probably another 6-8 gigs of storage space before Alicia's wedding in December. The card I bought that evening was only one gig, but was a SanDisk Extreme III for $30. Speed, baby, speed. There's a rough spot in my memory right about there, but I think there was some knife-throwing in there somewhere and then a trip to Taco Bell, as I was growing weak.
The next day (Saturday), there was much courtyard activity, much of which involved Pyran saying, "Let's play a game," mostly to Micheal. There was much waiting for a final party member to join for a trip to a Mexican place by the mall (the name of which I also consistently fail to retain). This was my first durational encounter with Alan2, who is also apparently from McComb, which doesn't so much surprise me as intrigue me, given his build. He is/was also a fencer, which is interesting. He has very notable facial features and it will be very interesting to see how those mature.
Erik and I departed separately from the group and since I expressed interest in stopping by Hudson's, that's where we went. I found a book called, The Game: Penetrating the Secret Society of Pickup Artists, which is bound very interestingly and contained enough verifiable nonverbal information to justify my purchasing it. I also got a set of golf gloves, as they were very thin, yet still had good grip and moderate insulating properties. I've already used them for my purposes, which is to give me some thermal shielding for my hands while on outdoor shoots. I'm pleased with them so far. Erik bought a book on minimalist landscaping, which is an interesting coffee table variety book with good photos. I didn't examine the text very closely. It contained a lot of very interesting design concepts as well as many foolish ones, so the book serves two purposes. The night's food came via Wendy's and Wal-Mart.
The party planned at the apartment complex everyone lives in was already underway by the time Erik and I arrived back. Ultimately, Pyran introduced the world into Erik's apartment, carrying (metaphorically) Beth with him. Matt soon followed. They stayed and chatted for a good long while as Pyran moved to and from the apartment, with refreshed White Russians on each return. I have to say, Pyran is much more agreeable while drinking. So am I, so I understand. I was pleased to see it. Beth not only demonstrated that she could throw a knife, but also that she could reliably hit a target. Rook, Pyran's dog, got loose at one point and ran in Erik's apartment, colliding with a crouched Pyran and spilling the full of his glass. I saw it coming, but not with enough time to do anything about it. And with Pyran on his eighth (?) drink, there just was no way his reaction time could've prevented it.
The most incredible thing about the entire event was the wild popularity of (ready for this, Ben?) Electric Six's "Gay Bar" on the playlist. It was the only song I heard played twice, and got a mass sing-along. Pyran was almost alarmedly excited at one of the playings and ran from the apartment, jumped through the threshold onto the balcony deck, and landed in a half-crouch belting out the lyrics to someone out of my view. The widespread enthusiasm was, I think, the single most socially dissonant thing I've ever witnessed. It was truly... stopping. I was in awe.
Sunday was a later start than expected, though it didn't really matter. Food at Hardy St. Wendy's. Apparently Erik and I were on the same wavelength, and both wanted to stop at Target, where we both (I think) got clothes. I bought some jeans that I wasn't so sure about and some boxers I was even less sure about (both Merona, interestingly enough), which I now find were both incredibly outstanding purchases. Pyran was briefly encountered there, as well, which is notable since the same kind of run-in occurred seemingly independently at Best Buy two nights prior. I suspect conspiracy. After that, a Books-A-Million stop to search for a book, then a stop at Bed, Bath & Beyond. Back to Books-A-Million to look for a different book. I picked up two photo magazines there and also found that the Photoshop magazine Layers isn't nearly as useful as I expected it to be. I'm glad I didn't get a subscription. Back at the apartment complex, some staff training with Erik and a maiden run with the golf gloves. Time expired and I returned to the Coast, with a seriously warped sleep schedule intact. I spent over $200 on the trip, so I think it will be some time before I'm able to return. Fortunately, that was before gas went up again.
On one of these nights, I can't remember which, Erik and I went to Angellie's place to indulge in a pasta dish she'd prepared. The food was good and she had us watch Jesus Camp, which I think should be shelved in the Horror section of rental places. After the movie, the cat was let in and it was discovered that he'd been injured, presumably in a fight with another cat. We took it to one of the 24-hour animal hospitals in town, where he was cleaned and given medications. I didn't take any photos there, though it probably would've been nice to have some. Didn't seem like popping flashes in an exam room would help calm a cat laying on a metal table. I was interested in the pleasant demeanor of the staff. I guess I'm just not much of an animal person.
And now for some photos:
Could I do flyers? Of course I could do flyers.
Micheal delights in the technology of image capture. Or something like that.
He delights in his phone considerably more.
Is it Gabe? Yes, it is.
Jordan enticing Rook to... be active.
I've certainly had worse content. They don't look particularly enthused, however.
Erik's illegal turtle, Brody.
It is well-circulated folk knowledge that pet turtles were banned in MS after several children
got salmonella from licking turtles. Well then.
Ghost catfish!
People! On a ledge!
And this what I call a split thirds with bullseye perspective composition.
It's also known as the 'you keep screwing up.'
Oooh, artsy and out of focus... it's a marvel of modern photography.
Send me to grad school, quick.
They found some photos in a small dresser/table outside. Treasure.
Pyran says it was so that Micheal could discover his superpowers.
Now all you need is some crotchless chaps and a line of suitors.
Liege, Defender Pyran of Hattiesburg stands guard.
Let's play a game. You grab on and Pyran will pull you up.
Note the lack of a follow-up action photo.
A slightly more epic shot of Pyran.
And here we have Micheal displaying the expression of uncomfortable prey, while Gabe eats cat food.
Pyran versus unknown combatant!
(unknown combatant is likely an unarmed Micheal)
And... fire!
She practices. Leisurely. Take note.
I love this shot because no one looks like they're from the same photo.
Now this is an unusual grouping of subjects.
I believe Pyran is at Drink #4 here.
Beth is out of focus here because it is her will to be out of focus.
Pyran: Drink #6.
It's Matt!
Pyran: Drink #7.
Erik! Out of focus! Posted anyway!
Pyran: Drink #8.
You know, I just really felt like there weren't enough digital images out there that had the feel of
late-processed film from the mid-70s, so here we are.
That's it, folks. I actually have one or two more that weren't posted, but they're unremarkable for the most part. I've got a black & white of Pyran and Rook which is pretty good. Maybe some other time. Some other post. I am fatiguing as I've been up almost 20 hours and I haven't proofed this entry yet.
Boy, I can't wait for my color correction hardware to get in.