Thought I was getting sick last night. Woke up this morning and was sure of it. Colds usually take it pretty easy on me and this one is no exception. I'm stuffy and I have cough, but I'm not exactly bed-ridden or anything. So, all I've done today is read The Postman Always Rings Twice (excellent, by the way---full of freaky sex and violence. The two main characters beat each other up and get busy next to the dead body of the woman's husband. Frank, the guy, describes looking in her eyes, "It was like being in church.") and watch episodes of Six Feet Under (which, I've found are downloadable from Kazaa, if you've got time and a bunch of free disc space).

I'm avoiding Halloween tonight. It's never been my favorite holiday, anyway. I recognize the potential for fun in it, but I almost never actually have any.

I might see if the boys want to split a Netflix subscription. It looks like a cool deal.

i'm dressing as leela from futurama.

Happy Halloween!

Shelly - I think of you as the Queen of Halloween. What's your costume this year? Whatever it is, it's got to be better than mimes (the work costume of choice this year).

I'm back from Chicago.
highlights: Art Institute, Field Museum, funny Guru covered walls of this health restaurant, that big city bussle, taking photos of cool architecture
lowlights: being egged by some kids on the street, cat allergies from staying at my friend's house, not long enough of a trip

Wellstone was about a far left as you can get in elected politics. Which is not to say that he wasn't part of the problem as much as any of the others up there, but he seemed to honestly care for the plights of real Americans---women, minorities, and workers, for once, included. A hundred shitbags like Trent Lott could die and another would step right up to take his place. Sen. Wellstone's place in the Senate, usually as the lone voice of conscience, will not be replaced. The people of the US is a little bit worse off for his death. The government of this country (don't let there words fool you) are secretly pleased to be rid of him. Bastards.

Weez-I'm a little bothered by the media's coverage of the sniper suspects, but not because their names are all over the papers. Don't they always do that? They're in the paper because the police released their names, which I think is standard procedure. Of course, there's hardly any presumption of innocence, and the newcasters say "Mohammed" with a particular knowingness. Wasn't this guy one of our trained baby-killers? How often is that mentioned? More or less times than they mention his connection to the Nation of Islam? Still, I'm glad to hear they caught somebody. The evidence they released looks pretty solid, which I hope means no more shootings. We'll see.

Upma-I'm so glad to hear about your movie. It sounds really great. You rock.

here's how: To change your password, from the Blogger home page, sign in, and click on one of your blogs. Then click the Team button.

Then click on your name, then click [Edit My Profile]. From there, you can change any of your user information, including your password.

hey everybody. change your passwords. blogger got hacked. i'm gonna try to speed up the pace of getting us off of here but in all likelyhood it will be early 2003 before that will happen. no need to panic. we're backed up cause we're through blogspot and we don't have to worry about ftp passwords and all. but do change your login password.

don't shut up! i love hearing all the details. i'm so excited for you, Upma! congratulations Ms. Filmmaker.

Upma - I want more details about your weekend - it sound incredible.
I'm off to Chicago tomorrow for a few days - visiting friends, meeting up with Ted while he's working there. I expect good food, cool Art Institute exhibits and some photo taking.

very cute!

I got up to 385 on my first single 9 "weeks" ago. It charted as high as number three in the US. I'm currently in the 600s but I have the songs ready for another single, then I plan to tour like crazy for a while. I can't get my songwriting over 50 for some reason. I can't tell if its just one of the quirks of the game engine or if its stalled there until I reach some other goal.

My ID number is 3650. What about yous guys?

This can't be true...I just heard on NPR that after Saddam Hussein won the election, they blasted the following song "I Will Always Love You" (the Whitney version). What the ???

I have no idea. I sit in front of a computer. There aren't too many wacky positions you get in to.
Upma - are you referring to SXSW?? Eeeeee! That will be so much fun. We need to meet up again - I want to see more movies this year (it seems less crazy than trying to get into the music shows).

I think I just pulled my armpit.

So last night in photo class we did liquid light (you paint silver nitrate on any surface and then expose it like a piece of photo paper). I did some a few on fabric of silverware. I'm pretty happy with how they turned out.
Next time someone asks you too many questions, you can go the Miss Manners route...
"WHY do you want to know?" It seems to stop some people.

FRIDAY: fell asleep watching Flower of my Secret - I really like Pedro Alomodovar, but a busy week beat out for my (lack of) attention span
SATURDAY: went to market days at this organic farm, shot some medium format film, bought a really cute miniature eggplant, next up: the Italian Festival - cheesed out, every commercial chain pasta joint in town had a booth, but the spaghetti eating contest was a riot - especially these two very serious women decked out in leopard print who had to eat almost a pound of saunce-drenched pasta with their hands - very messy, more picture taking of that, then - the Mediterranean Festival - sponsored by a local church, homemade food - so delish, I danced in a circle to Turkish music, ate way too much baklava, admired ornate hookahs, took pictures of all the colored lights covering the parking garage next door
SUNDAY: darkroom - ran film, printed a bit - there's this photo competition I want to enter, attended another birthday party (the month of birthdays is almost over - just Ted left - reminds me, I have wrapping to do - wouldn't it be funny though if I had rapping to do?), crashed in bed early
Zach - I'm sorry to hear about the stones. That just sucks.

After a week in Hickory (funeral followed by kidney stone attack followed by favor for my brother), I finally made it back to Greensboro on Thursday morning. I had pretty normal day, reading, eating, went to that movie (24 Hour Party People). Same thing on Friday. Saturday morning I wake up with some serious pains in my plumbing. But, here's my luck. I figured that Tuesday's kidney stones attack was over with and I probably wouldn't have another for a year or so, so I left the demerol at my parent's house. So, I drove back to Hickory yesterday, racked with pain. Fortunately taking demerol is like sniffing Jerry Garcia's beard and I was goooone for the rest of the day.

So, now I'm wondering what I should do. Usually these attacks last for about 6-10 hours, followed by some soreness and, usually, some definative proof that the kidney stone is gone. So far, no proof. (Jesus, I'm sorry, guys, I know this is gross, but honestly I have nothing else to talk about.) Which means another episode is likely. Go to the doctor, you say. I've got no health insurance and despite my parent's talk, they aren't rich. They just paid for a heartattack.

Basically, I'm camping out in Hickory until I feel fairly sure I'm going to be okay. That's really all I can do. This way, if I have to go the hospital or something, they can take me. Plus, the sympathy here is better than the sympathy of my roommates.

Sigh... I never expected to be the broke, bachelor son, crashing at his parent's place for free food and TLC. But, here I am.

Hey, my band's first single made it to number 11 on the US charts (on rockstargame game 2)! Sweet. Check it out. My band is called Unholy Shit.

What are the names of your bands again, Upma and Mike?

As far as I can tell Rockstargame is still offline. Which is a damn shame because my game two band was starting to do alright.

Saw 24 Hour Party People last night. I've never in my life been so bored by something I'm otherwise interested in. Yawn... The movie should have ended with Ian Curtis hanging himself. Has any sober person ever been into the Happy Mondays?

Zach - sorry about your crap weekend. I hope it gets better soon. Angie - to quote (I think, Lou Reed - but correct me if you know) - "My week beats your year" could be applied to you.
So my Holga camera just arrived - it's a cheap camera that shoots a larger negative - and it does cool light leaks and vignetting and weird focus. I can't wait to play with it. I just need to get some gaffer's tape to fix it up first. And I ordered some infrared film which arrived. Hee, hee. I can't wait to start playing. We're doing cyanotypes in a few weeks and the 120 negative will make a much nicer contact print. (pardon the photo dork lingo). Tonight - more polaroid transfers on muslin.

I had an unexpectedly crap weekend, myself. On friday night I learn that my best friend from high school's father died that day of cancer. He was diagnosed and two months later was dead. Came to Hickory for the funeral yesterday. It was a tough funeral to sit through. I felt so bad for Brent.

His dad, Eddy, took Brent and Thad and I to our first concert. We were 14 maybe, Thad was a year younger. We went to see Motley Crue in Raleigh. Eddy didn't care too much about that bands and kept excusing himself to smoke. He was a hell of a nice man.

I was hoping to get back to Greensboro early this morning, but I woke up with kidney pains. I suffer from reoccuring kidney stones. At the moment my hands are shaking and my back feels like something is about to burst out of it. The pain is less than it was thirty minutes ago though, so I thought I write quickly.

I took some demerol but it hasn't helped. Looks like I might stay here another night.

Upma - that conference sounds wonderful. That's how I felt when I got back from Maine. Awed and inspired.
So I got up early Saturday morning to take color photos of pinatas at this big store called Pinatas! Pinatas! Pinatas! on the East side. And of course had to purchase one for the tri-birthday party I was attending that night.
sidenote: why are all pinatas so cute? don't they realize that we have to beat those things with a stick? I bought a big blue dog one, but who isn't going to feel guilty attacking that. Perhaps I should have purchased the generic star shaped.
Anyway, I got the slide film developed - and then printed the images onto muslin. Three out of ten looked really good (the witch pinata, the princess and the big-eyed girl). The rest - either the fabric was too wet or the hairdryer wasn't hot enough to help the dyes transfer. But it was really fun. I think I'll keep experimenting until I figure out how to do it well.
Disappointing sidenote: I had bad food at two restaurants this weekend - everything was soaked in either olive oil or dressing. My insides are very lubricated right now.

Thanks, Zach. You are great.

Here are Stephanie's photos. The house one in particular is just fantastic. Send us more, Steph.

Thanks Zach! Whichever is easier for you - either on the site or a seperate page. I'll email you a few more photos.

Stephanie-I can post your photo now. Do you want me just to post it here or should I make a little page for it? Do you have others you want to send me? Anybody else?

Upma said hi.

So I've been hanging up pictures from my B&W photo class at work. Got my first offer to buy a print today. I plan on buying some muslin or other pale fabric this weekend and doing some polaroid transfers on those - which will probably turn into holiday gifts.

Are there over the counter sleeping pills that work? Has anyone ever tried those? I'm nervous about buying anything like that. I mean, chances are my insomnia is caused mostly by anxiety (over not having a job, etc) and this shitty lingering heat. I got to sleep at about two last night, but I tossed and turned until about four when I had to get up and go lie down on the living room couch for a while. Tonight, jeez, I don't know, it's already ten after three and I don't think lying down will do me much good.

I'm convinced that if I could somehow make my room 65 degrees or so, very cool, that I could whup this. But, I can't cool it off in here. The others in the house are worried about the power bill. It was pretty high last month. They don't want the air to run more than a little bit all day. Could turn this place into an icebox if they would let me. Somebody (probably Benji) actually turned the AC off last night. I promptly turned it back on. Fuck that.

The living room couches, once so good for middle of the night mini-naps, are falling apart. My sofa is busted down on either end. But, you can really sleep on it anymore. The ends droop too much to get comfortable. You feel like you're turned ass over elbows. The other sofa is in slightly better shape, but the cushions are disintegrating and the fabric is ripping. Plus, there has been a return to our house of the canine kind. I'm not a germ-aphobe. Really. I'd drink a grape soda out of a bedpan. But, if a dog some much as looks at something, I want it washed, disinfected, and, possibly burned. And I relaxed my tight-ass no-dogs-on-the-furniture rule one time to avoid looking like an asshole and now the dirty shiteater is on our sofas, feet up with a Corona in its paw two, three times a week. I know its a little neurotic, but I seriously can't sit there after its been around. I have visions of cat shit dinners and butthole lickings.

(You know how smokers and christians whine nonstop about how oppressed they are in modern society? Well, try telling someone you don't like pets. The look you get is something like pity mixed with revulsion. If I told someone I ate stewed abortion they'd give me about half the bullshit I get for not inviting farm animals into my living space. I imagine that people who don't like kids get just sort of the same thing. I like kids. To each his own. Now please get your own off my couch.)

Three-thirty now. I'm starting to feel a little drowsy. Maybe I will lie down.

Sorry about the anger.

Good luck with your cat, weez. Sorry about your godson, Joe. Tucker is cuter than a poo-smeared monkey, Upma. Hot rats! Shelly. Me, I'm going to buy a horse and ride him night night.

Angie - it sounds like you had a blast. It felt more like 90 degrees to me. I saw bits of Gillian Welch, Wilco, Patty Griffin, the Derailers, Nickle Creek, Natalie Zoe, and Patrice Pike. I drank about 78 gallons of water. I bought a pretty homemade skirt, part green bamboo pattern, part brown flowered. I stood in the food line for over 45 minutes to eat crawfish etouffee - they are no Jazz Fest. Poor Ted - all the vegetarian options were sold out. I took a few photos - mostly of my friends hanging out on our orange tarp.
The next day I spent most of the afternoon in the cool, underground basement darkroom - printed some horse pictures from the barn I went to last weekend.
This week I start my alternative photo process class.