babalon transmissions

Yep, pre-ban Joose

2010-12-26T17:41:00.001-05:00

Good times!

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Untitled

2010-11-14T18:48:00.001-05:00

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Untitled

2010-11-14T18:44:00.001-05:00

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Untitled

2010-11-14T18:39:00.001-05:00

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Woohoo!

2010-09-10T16:10:00.001-05:00

MSV boxset in the mail today.

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Good morning

2010-06-27T09:31:00.001-05:00

Sometimes I forget that there was a cartoon based on the 'Toxic Avenger'. It warms my heart a little.

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Soon I hope.

2010-04-02T16:49:00.001-05:00

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To the pain!

2010-02-03T19:39:00.001-05:00

Come sweet death, one last caress.

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Untitled

2010-01-22T14:28:00.001-05:00

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Untitled

2010-01-21T16:36:00.001-05:00

The inside cover of the "Trio" album.

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Untitled

2010-01-21T16:33:00.001-05:00

According to Dr. Venture, "the worlds worst Porno film." :)

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Inverse?

2010-01-02T23:31:00.001-05:00

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Drunkness!

2010-01-02T22:22:00.001-05:00

Absinthe = yummy! I think I am on my 5th.

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Casualties of War

2009-12-24T20:21:00.003-05:00

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Aftermath

2009-12-24T20:21:00.001-05:00

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Christmas head!

2009-12-24T20:19:00.001-05:00

Yule decapitation.

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Untitled

2009-11-22T17:48:00.001-05:00

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Darkness

2009-11-04T20:21:00.001-05:00

Halloween

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Cobra!

2009-10-26T22:12:00.001-05:00

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How frightening.

2009-10-25T19:41:00.001-05:00

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Lots of fun.

2009-10-25T17:01:00.001-05:00

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Darth Tammy

2009-10-25T16:28:00.001-05:00

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Creepy doll!

2009-10-25T16:20:00.001-05:00

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Outside Al's Bar.

2009-10-03T19:44:00.001-05:00

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Outside Al's Bar.

2009-10-03T19:43:00.001-05:00

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Outside Al's Bar.

2009-10-03T19:41:00.001-05:00

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Outside Al's bar.

2009-10-03T19:38:00.001-05:00

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Linux!

2009-10-03T17:52:00.001-05:00

Just installed ubuntu on the old blueberry iMac. Success. Woohoo!
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A/C...

2009-09-24T19:13:00.001-05:00

The A/C in our apartment is broken again... At least it isn't the middle of the summer.

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Katamari

2009-09-22T21:40:00.001-05:00

It feels good to roll again.

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Strike a pose.

2009-09-13T15:14:00.001-05:00

Yesterday at scarefest.

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Moo drop at scarefest.

2009-09-12T18:42:00.001-05:00

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Moo drop at scarefest.

2009-09-12T18:34:00.001-05:00

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Colin part 2

2009-09-12T18:33:00.001-05:00

The movie was so bad and boring we left the screening. There was some good gore, but not enough to save the movie. I wish I could say it was good for a movie with a $70 dollar budget, but I just can't.

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Male and female Jasons roaming the halls.

2009-09-12T17:59:00.001-05:00

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Colin

2009-09-12T17:55:00.001-05:00

Watching a screening of 'Colin' and becoming rather bored.

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Tammy drank a brain hemmorage.

2009-09-12T15:45:00.001-05:00

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More decor at the scarefest lobby.

2009-09-12T15:32:00.003-05:00

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Decor at the scarefest lobby.

2009-09-12T15:32:00.001-05:00

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George Bonilla booth at scarefest

2009-09-12T15:31:00.001-05:00

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Ken Foree at scarefest

2009-09-12T14:43:00.003-05:00

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Gunner Hansen at scarefest

2009-09-12T14:43:00.001-05:00

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Gunner Hanson at scarefest

2009-09-12T14:42:00.001-05:00

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Creature Corps booth at scarefest

2009-09-12T14:03:00.003-05:00

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Creature Corps booth at scarefest

2009-09-12T14:03:00.001-05:00

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Creature Corps booth at scarefest

2009-09-12T14:01:00.003-05:00

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Creature Corps booth at scarefest

2009-09-12T14:01:00.001-05:00

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Creature Corps booth at scarefest

2009-09-12T14:00:00.001-05:00

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Temporaty

2009-09-11T18:49:00.001-05:00

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Southern Turf on ghost tour.

2009-09-06T20:49:00.001-05:00

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Chet is haunted.

2009-09-06T20:41:00.001-05:00

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More ghost touring. St. Mary.

2009-09-06T20:34:00.001-05:00

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First location on ghost tour.

2009-09-06T20:05:00.001-05:00

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Pre ghost tour.

2009-09-06T19:55:00.001-05:00

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Nashville

2009-09-04T17:49:00.001-05:00

About half way to Nashville. Won't be long now.

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Concern

2009-09-01T17:45:00.001-05:00

So I am re-installing Leopard on my iMac. After 2 hours it is telling me I still have almost 6 hours remaining in the installation process. I am very concerned that a clean install may not solve my problems. I ran a hardware check before I began the process nd it came up clear... Who knows... I just want my computer back to normal.

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Still no A/C

2009-08-26T16:04:00.001-05:00

I was hoping it would be repaired by the time I got off work today, but the air conditioner is still down. It is after 5 so there is no hope for the repair man coming today. I wish there was at least a breeze coming through the open windows... Maybe tomorrow. At least Tammy's tires are fixed and the walkthough at work went well.

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Fal

2009-08-25T20:22:00.001-05:00

Computer is acting up, Tammy had a flat tire, bank had a network failure that denied us access to our account, and the a/c in our apartment isn't working. The theme of the week is failure

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A days work

2009-08-21T20:04:00.001-05:00

I like the vignetting. It reminds me of plastic low-fi camera shots. This was todays project at the family's house

- Posted using Mobypicture.com

2009-08-14T00:09:00.001-05:00

Is the Internet evil?

?

2009-08-13T22:48:00.001-05:00

There is malt liquor everywhere!

?

2009-08-13T22:07:00.001-05:00

Where did I get that beer from?

I like this.

2009-08-13T21:34:00.001-05:00

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Okay, so I am told that this is the way to take a photo.

2009-08-13T20:30:00.001-05:00

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Like a homeless man.

2009-08-13T20:24:00.001-05:00

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Test

2009-08-10T16:36:00.001-05:00

Test post from cellspin.

Eagle Twin and Sunn O))) as the story unfolds... or a night hosted by Southern Lords.

2009-07-14T16:00:00.002-05:00

ascension
Originally uploaded by cthopper93

Tammy and I arrive at Southgate House in Newport, Kentucky about one hour before the doors open. First thing we notice is a sign on the door forbidding flash photography and recording equipment. This sign also states earplugs will be available at the bar. We start a tab at the bar and take in the tone of the house. We notice that there is a lot of fog lingering in the upstairs rooms from what we assume was an earlier sound check and rehersal. We explore a few more of the crevasses we had missed from our first venture to the old house.

We find cases that hold documentation about the house. It was once a mob house that was home to the inventor of the Tommy Gun.

Once the doors opened to the stage downstairs we obtained our tickets and made way to the vendor booth. There I got a neat shirt, but was disappointed because they didn't have the shirt I liked the most in my size. They unfortunately did not have Sunn O)))'s newest album "Monoliths & Dimensions" on vinyl like I hoped they would, either.

After that I stopped off at the bar and obtained a couple of sets of earplugs for us, you know, just in case.

We then went off to find our table for the rest of the evening. We found our table upstairs. It was directly in front of the stage and looked over the floor where the standing crowd would reside for the night. I personally think we had the best seat in the venue.

Eagle Twin took the stage first. They were a simple two piece band with an enormous sound. The set started off with long reverberating guitar chords similar to that of a Sunn O))) studio recording. The drummer (Tyler Smith) proceeded to enter the sonic assault with pounding drums and cymbal crashes a plenty. Next the guitarist/vocalist (Gentry Densley) began his attack with long drawn out growls that blasted through the room. The vocalists long aggressive drawls explained the self proclamation of blues in the description of their sound, as stated on their website. Each lyric seemed to invoke pain from his very soul. The band kept their energy, never loosing steam even with 10 to 15 minute long songs. We did not use our earplugs for this set, though, by the end I was regretting it a little. Through the show I had to hold onto our camera that was on the table as it kept sliding to the edge from the vibration from the sound. Remember, we were up stairs and not even on the main floor. After the band stopped I noticed I was having to speak a little louder to hear my own voice.

Between sets the crew cleaned up Eagle Twin's gear, and replaced it with Sunn O)))'s gear. The only really noticeable change in gear was the removal of the drum kit and a couple guitars that were replaced by a Moog synthesizer. A man also came on stage with what seemed to be a lot of fog juice for fog machines. The guitar tests were loud... I mean very loud. Each single instrument carrying the vibration of the entire Eagle Twin set. Then a few moments of quiet.

The lights then started to dim. A low droning chant started to creep up upon the room. The deep voice started to increase the darker the room became. The machines started to spew out clouds of fog that obscured the stage even further with an occasional hiss that went well with the chanting. This went on for what seemed like 10 to 15 minutes... long enough to totally obscure the stage before the green light came on. Once the light came on we could see a man in a hooded robe with a guitar (Stephen O’Malley). Thankfully we had the foresight to put in our earplugs prior to the first guitar chord. He created a loud roar with his guitar that shook the the very foundation of the house. The initial chords could be felt deep in my chest cavity and echoed through the rest of my body. It was like being hit with giant waves of sound. Even with earplugs the sound was louder than anything achieved during Eagle Twin's set. Leaning back on my chair it felt like a hand held massager at full strength kneading my back. The figure on stage could only be seen in faint, fading glimpses because once his shape would peek out of the fog it would become obstructed again by another obscuring cloud erupting from the fog machine. A few times he could be seen holding his guitar high into the sky like he was channeling power through the sky. After a little while the vocalization returned with another slightly visible, robed figure (Attila Csihar) on stage. The chanting begat growling, which eventually became the most inhuman screaming I have ever witnessed. Much like the guitar it would come in waves. Light deep spoken incantations would turn into vile, unholy curses that would shake the marrow in your very bones. Accompaniment from another guitarist or bassist came sometime during the performance, but I cannot place the exact moment. This other guitarist/bassist (Greg Anderson) and the keyboardist (Stephen Moore) were obscured most in the performance, but the sheer power from their accompanying instruments helped create the most massive wall of sound I ever experienced. During quiet parts of the set the keyboardists low key chiming would come through the hall in tiny echos like shards of broken glass, taunting and tickling the pain left over from the power chords and screams that still reverberated through everyones body. The show went an for at least an hour and a half... maybe even two hours. The band engulfed you in their world. They controlled you during the set, and there was no escaping. The entire set was immersive in a way I have never experienced. Haunted houses that come out around Halloween can only dream of delivering the same spine tingling experiences this band delivers. I had mentioned the inhuman nature of the vocals above briefly, but words really escape the sheer importance of the sentiment. The vocalist growled and screamed like I have never heard man or beast for almost 2 hours. I can not even imagine having the lung or vocal chord capacity of this man. With a few light changes it could be seen the the show was coming to an end. As the long attacks continued to pummel the crowd their hands reached for the sky, some trying to make the (0) logo. The final death screams and power chords slowly faded into silence and darkness. The applause roared from the audience, but a voice came over the loudspeaker barking at the audience, "Go home, you don't need a fucking encore!" The voice was right. We were exhausted and drained. I am sure the band had to be, but it is hard to tell... I am still not sure these robed figures were human. I was thankful to remove my earplugs and not be deaf. I can only define it as a religious experience where I walked away covered in sweat, lungs full of fog and normal sounds swimming in my ears like I had been underwater for hours. Thank you Sunn O)))... it was amazing.

Southgate

2009-07-12T18:52:00.001-05:00

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storm over monroeville... day one... the trip

2008-06-27T00:41:00.001-05:00

storm over monroeville
Originally uploaded by cthopper93

We tried to plan for this... we really did. We booked our hotel weeks in advance; requested the required days off; we packed our luggage days in advance based on practical lists; but no amount of preparation could get us ready for the drive. We were really looking forward to the drive. It was going to be the longest trip we had taken by ourselves, and we were determined to enjoy it. One thing got in the way, though, sleep deprivation.

It is really a challenge to travel sometimes being night shift employees. We had the plan of starting the trip at 8 a.m. Friday morning. That way we would get to our room at about check in time at the hotel...3pm. We had not counted on the fact that there was no way in the world we would be able to get to sleep after work. It had been a consideration, but we thought a full belly and couple of drinks might be enough to knock us out. We were wrong. We end up staying up all night in anticipation for our journey. We get the GPS (kindly donated for the trip by my Mom) and map directions ready, pack up and move out.

Everything seems fine at first, but as we approach Columbus we run into a funeral on the interstate at a merge. Like a good motorist I pull over to let the procession pass, but when it is over I end up being stuck on the side of the road with nobody giving an inch to let me back onto the interstate... hence panic attack!

I finally calm down, but by the time I do we realize the battery life of the GPS was going to expire before we hit Columbus with no way to charge it. We get off on an exit to try to assess how we are going to proceed to our destination. Thankfully there was a Radio Shack to by a charger for the GPS. This would not have been a problem if we hadn't already deviated from the printed yahoo map in favor of the directions dictated to us by the GPS.

Well, we hook up the charger and all is well. It seemed to be working and we move onwards. After a little while we begin to notice that we are heading south again. After pulling over and investigating it turns out the GPS had re-routed us home. After re-programming the device a couple more times we finally get back on target. This little detour cost us more time than we could afford, so we kept going without stopping to eat. Man... we were irritable.

One really great thing happened on the trip there, though. As we got deep into Pennsylvania we entered a a tunnel. This tunnel was absolutely amazing, and seemed to go on for miles. After traveling through it for what seemed like 5 minutes or so I could literally see the light at the end of the tunnel, and it looked like we were approaching a bridge. As we came into the light from out of the tunnel we suddenly became overwhelmed by the presence of gorgeous skyscrapers all around us. I though we would by-pass down town Pittsburgh all together, but with out warning we were given an amazing spectacle. It was absolutely amazing.

We finally made it to our rooms and were able to rest for a few minutes before we had to get to the convention. Later I will get to day one of the convention, but this is the story of the trip up. Exhausting... it taught us not to rely on a GPS as a primary source for directions, and no matter how far it will set you back on time, get a bite to eat. Lessons learned.

main entrance

2008-06-26T14:33:00.001-05:00

main entrance
Originally uploaded by cthopper93

Dawn of the Dead is my favorite movie. It has been for over 15 years. Monroeville Mall, where it was shot, has always been my main pilgrimage destination. This weekend I was able to fulfill my dream by going to the HorrorHound weekend in Monroeville. Not only that, but I got to see the film screened AT the mall. There was an incident, and they were unable to turn out the lights, but the experience was was still really cool. I got to meet some really cool people, and had a lot of fun.

I plan to make several more posts detailing some of the events and items acquired. While the trip there and back was taxing, it was well worth it for all the new lovely experiences.

teevee.

2008-06-09T15:47:00.001-05:00

teevee.
Originally uploaded by cthopper93

It has been a very nice couple of weeks. I got good news at the bank that could make home ownership possible within the next few months....woohoo. I was able to get a nice shiny new iMac... again, woohoo. I was able to beat Grand Theft Auto 4, and have got almost all of the xbox 360 achievements knocked out for it. I was able to get our landlady to fix our air conditioner... Giant WOOHOO. June has already brought the new season of the Venture Bros. (the first episode was phenomenal!), and will soon bring the season premiere of Weeds! All of these things are great, but the biggest event is yet to come. We are going to the HorrorHound weekend in Monroeville, PA in a couple of weeks. Yep, Monroeville, as in the home of the original Dawn of the Dead. The convention is across the street from the Monroeville Mall, where they shot Dawn of the Dead. On top of that they are screening the original Dawn of the Dead at the mall! This is like the ultimate geekgasm for me. There are going to be members from the cast there including the Krishna zombie. Plus, as if that isn't good enough, there is going to be a screening of the last movie in Argento's Three Mothers trilogy, Mother of Tears. I could not be more excited. On the bad side of things, I have been in a bit of a creative slump. I can only hope that the good things from this month can help inspire and point me in a better direction.

conjuring

2008-04-24T19:43:00.001-05:00

conjuring
Originally uploaded by cthopper93

While watching the dvd of Alex Grey's Chapel of Sacred Mirrors last week I was given the gift of glitch. I do hope, though, that a good disk cleaning will let me view the whole movie. His work is very interesting and amazing. My title is influenced by the "New Backwards" album by Coil. As big of a fan as I am of all of their material, this album may be my new favorite.

new perspective

2008-04-11T23:02:00.001-05:00

new perspective
Originally uploaded by cthopper93

A couple of weeks ago my mother asked me an interesting question. She said, "Why do you use so many different cameras, spending so much money on film and developing, instead of just getting a digital SLR?" I was able to give her several responses quickly, but my favorite reason is highlighted in this shot. It is the unpredictable nature of film processes like using expired film and cross-processing. Using film (especially toy) cameras with these and other processes can give strange, almost supernatural results. I could use Photoshop to make the colors in the trees bleed. I could even paint a skull over the head of the dancing Mayor of Mount Vernon, but to naturally capture these strange images without edits and manipulations is an indescribable rush. Don't get me wrong, I still love to manipulate photos, and plan on purchasing a dSLR in the future, but the results I get from film cameras just keep me coming back. Plus, I haven't even started experimenting with redscale yet :)

dunwich

2008-04-02T16:50:00.002-05:00

dunwich
Originally uploaded by cthopper93

I finally got some shots back from my Diana F+. I really love that camera. I was informed today that I got lomo.home of the day at lomography.com!
My page is here.

speechless

2008-03-19T23:01:00.001-05:00

speechless
Originally uploaded by cthopper93

I went to Renfro Valley with Mom a few weeks ago. They were putting on a musical/play called "Spring in the Valley". I really cannot stand Country music, but to be fair this was more Bluegass than Country. Never the less, I was not really fond of the music. Don't get me wrong, the performers were very good at what they did, but it is just not the type of music I like. On the other hand, I had a bag full of cameras filled with expired Velvia film. This made the night very interesting. The very animated nature of some of the performers gave me some fantastic action shots (like Mount Vernon Mayor Clarice Kirby, pictured). I got more metaphysical shots from this event than a night at the old Glyndon Hotel (one stinking orb). While the Glyndon was beautiful, and a wonderful experience for our Anniversary, I think the new barn at Renfro Valley may be a little more haunted :-)

liver street politics

2007-12-17T14:49:00.001-05:00

liver street politics
Originally uploaded by cthopper93

The week after my birthday a friend sent us a Holga. This camera is unbelievable. It takes the most amazing photos. To do a double exposure all you have to do is not advance the film. How wonderful is that?! It is all taped up to avoid light leaks, but I am considering shooting a roll without so much tape to encourage more light leaks. Yet, again it is another fun camera that encourages a lot of photography!

half flash

2007-12-17T14:44:00.001-05:00

half flash
Originally uploaded by cthopper93

It has been A while since I have blogged. Most of my time had been consumed with Beautiful Katamari on the XBOX 360. Well, that or Halo 3. I have moved on though. I have beat both games, and can play moderately now.

I ended up having a wonderful birthday that included the Action Sampler Flash. It is an amazing camera that takes four shots on one frame of 35mm film. I love it very much, and it has encouraged me to do more photography. It is very fun to work with.

banishings

2007-08-24T14:48:00.001-05:00

banishings
Originally uploaded by cthopper93

It was good to have a little inspiration back. I have posted several shots over the past couple of week, and while I found some of them to be good, unfortunately, I found many of my efforts to be labored. Don't get me wrong, a few of my shots were fun and inspired, but I felt like I was trying too hard. This image came out with the greatest of ease, and I am very happy with it. I have been really inspired by many of my flickr friends, and this showcases some of my recent influences.

Great Weekend

2007-08-11T13:24:00.001-05:00

More Melora
Originally uploaded by cthopper93

Last week Mom gave me her 35mm SLR. It is a Sears KSX, and when you look through the viewfinder you see all kinds of dirt and gunk. When developed, though, the pictures come out shockingly clear and vibrant. I got a couple of lenses and a flash with it as well. I love the set very much. It was very nice of her.

I also got to see My Brightest Diamond and Rasputina at the Dame last weekend. It was a magnificent show, yet horribly hot. The A/C had broken at 3p.m. that day, and the place was absolutely packed. It was well worth suffering the heat to experience a performance by some of the most talented people alive today. The show will go down as one of my favorite experiences ever.

look ahead

2007-07-16T12:23:00.001-05:00

look ahead
Originally uploaded by cthopper93

So I had a really bad week. Minor falls and impacts accompanied with headaches and broken treasures. I did get to have a great time Friday night watching a midnight showing of the original Friday the 13th at the Kentucky Theater. A giant WooHoo!

2 a.m.

2007-06-28T15:08:00.001-05:00

2 a.m.
Originally uploaded by cthopper93

A 2 a.m. trip through downtown Richmond leads to some mysterious places. To me this is one of the creepiest places in Richmond.

twins

2007-06-27T16:05:00.001-05:00

twins
Originally uploaded by cthopper93

A shot of the abandoned Twins Motel. I thought it had an eerie feel to it.

running up that hill

2007-06-23T02:02:00.001-05:00

running up that hill
Originally uploaded by cthopper93

This is a macro I did yesterday. I was very happy with it.

argon

2007-06-16T14:00:00.001-05:00

argon
Originally uploaded by cthopper93

An un-manipulated shot of Tammy that I love.

electrified

2007-06-16T13:58:00.001-05:00

electrified
Originally uploaded by cthopper93

This is a manipulation of Tammy that I really love. The people of Flickr are very inspiring. It is a shame about all of the censorship issues.

burst

2007-06-16T13:56:00.001-05:00

burst
Originally uploaded by cthopper93

This is one of my favorite macros.

across the universe

2007-06-16T13:55:00.001-05:00

across the universe
Originally uploaded by cthopper93

I love long exposure photography.

pistil whip

2007-06-16T13:54:00.001-05:00

pistil whip
Originally uploaded by cthopper93

I really love the way this manipulation turned out.

creation falls

2007-04-30T12:34:00.001-05:00

creation falls
Originally uploaded by cthopper93.

HDR of Creation Falls found on the Rock Bridge Trail at Red River Gorge. The entire trail was beautiful.

lilac dreams

2007-04-07T13:22:00.001-05:00

lilac dreams
Originally uploaded by cthopper93.

A bittersweet story about the lilac tree... It isn't designed to hold up against snow once it starts to bloom. While it was beautiful to capture the flowers holding soft, fragile snowflakes, the event may kill the tree. It is strange to have snow this late in the year, especially after the 80 degree weather from last week that made all the flowers start to bloom. Even though only a 1/4 inch of snow fell around here, it may have done a lot of damage to the local trees and flowers.

night flowery

2007-03-27T15:37:00.001-05:00

night flowery
Originally uploaded by cthopper93.

This was a night HDR that I took. I really liked the way it turned out.

tiltawhirl

2007-03-25T12:49:00.001-05:00

tiltawhirl
Originally uploaded by cthopper93.

This is one of my first fake tilt-shifts. I love the effect it has on photos.

nightlife

2007-03-23T13:27:00.001-05:00

nightlife
Originally uploaded by cthopper93.

Been taking a lot of photos and posting them on flickr lately. This is one of my favorites. A night HDR.

the hypocrite is me

2007-01-30T16:51:00.001-05:00

So a couple of weeks have past. I promised myself not to Wii hunt. I broke that promise the week before last. We found a site that gave information about Wii inventory and shipment dates. We decided to go to Circuit City at open the Sunday before last (1/21/07). We de-iced the car while sliding down our inclined driveway, and then drove 30 miles to try to capture the elusive wii. We pulled up to the store and started walking in through the ice storm. A guy was walking out of the store holding a Wii. Upon sighting this man Tammy said, "run!" so we ran. We get to an associate and he tells us that he had just sold the last unit. I was almost in tears. Once I made it to the car there was yelling. The image of the guy walking out of the store with his Wii was etched into my memory. You could just see the satisfaction on his face. This is why I had given up the hunt in the first place, disappointment. The day wasn't all bad. We ended up going to see Pan's Labyrinth. While we were very sleep deprived, the film kept our attention. It is a beautiful modern fairy tale with outstanding music, spectacular special effects and a moving story.

With that incident being over, I found out our local Wal-Mart was going to be getting a large shipment of Wii's this past Sunday (1/28/06). I decided come hell or high water I was getting a Wii. I went at 9pm Saturday night and asked if there was a line for the 12:01 distribution, and there was. I was about 10th in line. Thankfully they had 45 so I was able to get my Wii. It is magnificent. It is all I expected and more. I will write more about it later.

Blogged with Flock

Zombies!!! and Great Movies come together, again!

2007-01-21T09:33:00.001-05:00

Tammy and I played the boardgame Zombies!!! for the second time last night, and we had a blast. The first time playing was kind of confusing. It was difficult working out the subtleties. Some of the rule aren't extraordinarily clear, but if you can master the basic core of rules the rest can be worked out as you play. Twilight Creations, the company that make the game, has a good FAQ
site that answers most of the questions that may have been left out of the instructions. You also have the freedom to create any variation you like which we plan on doing once we become even more comfortable with the core rules. I can't wait to pay with a larger group of people!

While playing the game we watched The Red Queen Kills Seven Times. We picked this movie up as part of the Emilio Miraglia Killer Queen Box Set. I have to say the movie was pretty amazing. Being a huge fan of Dario Argento's movies I have to say this film had the style, colors, and music of a great giallo horror masterpiece. While the movie was almost as good as an Argento movie it lacked the blood and brutality of the Italian masters films. Don't get me wrong, there is plenty of blood for the casual viewer, it is just not as abundant as it is with, let's say, Deep Red.

This movie was brought to us by a company I am going to be keeping my eye on called NoShame who also release the great Italian film Dark Waters that Tammy reviewed on VOX a few months ago. They have great potential, and so far I have been really happy with the movies I have seen from the company.

Blogged with Flock

Finished

2007-01-17T16:34:00.001-05:00

So today we wake up at 9am... For most people that is pretty realistic, maybe even late, but for Tammy and myself it is very uncommon. We work night shift. We wake up at about noon, go to work from 2pm - 5pm and return home from work midnight or later. We come home, eat, and veg out for the rest of the night. It is impossible for us to get to sleep right after work so we end up staying up late. So we wake up at 9am this morning to make it to Toys R Us at open. We did this because last weekend an associate gave us a *wink* "hint" that it would be beneficial to make the 30 mile trek today to try to obtain the elusive Wii. We get up, get ready and on a few hours sleep make the journey hoping it will be our last attempt. We get to Toys R Us and ask an associate in the game department about todays shipment and about the Wii and to our dismay she screeches at us, "No, we don't have em and they never tell us when they are coming." This is the response I have received for 3 solid weeks now. The tone of this particular response just hits me at the wrong place. I understand that these people are as tired of answering the same questions as I am asking them, but come on, it is your job. You are being payed to answer my question. I am polite in asking, please return the courtesy. So anyway, we search the area further. All the other retail stores are sold out and do not know when to expect them. I am done. I am no longer searching. Tammy and I have both spent way too much time and energy on this hunt. If Nintendo doesn't want to ship enough units to meet demand that is their business. I am just going to sit back and wait for them to casually enter the stores when I will say, "Oh! Look there! It is a Wii that hasn't been sold to an employee of the store. Ten people aren't gathered around the game case to fight me for it... Shopkeep! Please fetch me that Wii!" Until then I will ignore my hunting instinct and enjoy the board game I ended up buying today, Zombies!!! from Twilight Creations.

I hope it is as fun as the Wii. We will see!

Blogged with Flock

Wii hunt

2007-01-16T16:36:00.001-05:00

After my last several weeks of futility I want to start a campaign. Why hunt for a Wii when you could be playing Warcraft? Maybe this campaign will distract enough hungry gamers long enough so I can get my hands on a Wii. I will start making posters and place them all over town.

Blogged with Flock

Robert Anton Wilson needs help

2006-10-03T04:03:00.000-05:00

Boing Boing: A Directory of Wonderful Things

It turns out tragedy has struck the life of one of the most inspirational authors of our time.

Monthly contributions of $50.00 or more will be greatly appreciated.
All monies will go directly to Robert and can be sent to his PayPal
address olgaceline@gmail.com. You can also send a check to RAW c/o
Futique Trust, P.O. Box 3561, Santa Cruz, Ca 95063.

Hard Candy

2006-10-03T03:51:00.000-05:00

Every now and then a film comes along that truly makes you appreciate the craft of film making. This movie is one of them. I had seen a trailer for Hard Candy earlier this year, and while impressed, I had not expected just how wonderful this movie would end up being. From the trailer I had gathered the elements of this original plot. Guy picks up underage girl on internet, twist... girl is the predator. The plot had me interested enough to pick up the movie, but the delivery was enough to make me adore it.

The movie starts of in an internet chat room where flirtations are exchanged between our two main characters. A meeting is established and the film begins in a coffee shop. From this point on we are put into a constant exchange of interesting dialogue between two very believable, captivating characters.

Hayley, played by Ellen Page, is a very mature, intelligent teenager who ends up going home with her online friend Jeff, a photographer in his 30's, played by Patrick Wilson. From the moment they enter Jeff's home the tension and chemistry between the characters evolves from subtle teases to psychological torment. It is a delight to see a relationship like this built between the characters and the audience. I tend to believe character development is one of the most lacking qualities in modern film. Most of the time I find myself (especially with the horror and suspense genre) not caring about the characters that are presented to me. They are typically one dimensional creatures that have no depth or interesting qualities. These characters are solid, intelligent people with multi-dimensional motives that the actors deliver with the greatest of ease.

Beyond the characters is the cinematography. From the very beginning of the movie you can see the care put into each frame. The colors come across so vivid and vibrant it feels as though you are standing with the actors witnessing every scene. It turns out that, "The digital color grade was affected by a specially built system designed and operated at the Moving Picture Company by Jean Clement Soret (famous for his transformation of digital video into filmic colour in Danny Boyles 28 Days Later.)" to quote the films website. The light is reflected perfectly on every texture drawing notice to subtle clues and ideas placed like easter eggs through the movie. Each item presented through the movie encourages thought and speculations of the next action. Each action that occurs, in turn, makes you question the consequence to come later. In these ways the sets and setting act like a character in and of itself. All together these elements add up to an uneasy tone that follows the film from beginning to end.

Director David Slade has given us a true masterpiece with this film. I find it difficult to find a flaw in this moving piece of art. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Darren Aronofsky's THE FOUNTAIN

2006-09-15T19:43:00.000-05:00

Darren Aronofsky's THE FOUNTAIN
If you are not excited about this movie, you should be.