Workin' My Magic

New Photography Blog!

2011-12-03T18:31:00.001-06:00

I have a new photography website in which I will be putting up photos and writing articles about them. Essentially, this new page will be my JoeyBLS Photography official photo blog. If you enjoy photo blogs, please be sure to visit my website! I will be adding more functionality to it in the future, and I'm always adding new photos, so be sure to check it out! And please feel free to link to me in a blog post of your own! The more links I get, the more 'important' Google thinks my photo blog is (and it is gosh darn important!) Here is a sample screen shot, just to tempt you a little... ;)

Working for Hyundai

2009-12-15T10:00:00.008-06:00

Working for World Hyundai Matteson

I've started a new job working for a car dealership - World Hyundai Matteson in the south suburbs of Chicago! I'm not selling cars, but I am managing their online web content and social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter. We have a World Hyundai Facebook Fan Pag e too that I manage, as well as a World Hyundai YouTube Channel! I've been here for nearly a month and I've learned quite a bit about search engine optimization (SEO), which in a nutshell, means how to add specific words, phrases and links to your website and other websites in order to drive traffic. I'm also doing small video productions, such as customer testimonies and short how-to videos, and writing and managing their newsletter, which should be up and live soon. Below is a video of our Annual Customer Appreciation Event which we held in November.

I've also gotten to learn about a lot of their new cars! Hyundai makes quite a few models that you've probably heard of, including the Genesis, Santa Fe, Tucson, Sonata, Veracruz, Elantra, Accent, Equus and Azera.

The Hyundai Genesis is by far my favorite car. Check out this video!!!

I've also made a few Christmas photo images that have gone out in email blasts. It's almost the same job I was doing before at the college, but just for a different company.

I'm pretty excited to get working on our newsletter that we're going to do. I'll have a couple of little spots to write about off subject material, like photography, business, video production, and traveling. Maybe I'll even sample new restaurants in the area where I work. Anything that will keep readers reading! Part of my job is ensuring that the materials that I send out are engaging and have purpose so that when the next newsletter arrives, a potential customer will continue to open it and read it. Maybe if we get it up by Christmas I'll put in one of my favorite holiday cookie recipes (which, by the way, I made a bunch of cookies already - the ginger cookies being the best of the bunch). Rose and I even tried making a peppermint and chocolate cookie which turned out really good! Well, thats all from me right now. I may be transitioning this blog into a business-type blog, so stay tuned for updates.

West Coast Trip - 2009

2009-08-05T17:06:00.020-05:00

Well, here I am. I haven't written a blog in three months, but thought I would finally take the time to sum up my west coast trip for any and all who are interested. I can honestly say it was one of the most bizarre trips I've taken, for many reasons, and the time in the car gave me a lot of time to think about things that were happening in my life. The good, the bad, and the ugly.

Monday, June 1, 2009: Woke up early and was on the road around 7:30am. It was cloudy with a light rain lingering over me. As I left home, the rain picked up, and was spotty at times. After about 2 1/2 hours I crossed the Mississippi. I stopped in Des Moines, IA, took a couple pictures of the skyline (not much of one), had lunch, and got back on the road. I made it to Nebraska a few hours later, passing through Omaha. I stopped in Keanrey, NE for a few souvenirs, and got back on the road headed for Denver. The rain hadn't let up by the time I crossed into Colorado and the sky looked dark ahead of me. It began to pour and water quickly covered the highway. It got dark and continued to rain. I hydroplaned a few times and got pretty nervous. It was pitch dark out and I was in the middle of nowhere. I made it to Denver about 10:00pm, checked into the hotel, and went to bed.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009: I woke up around 9:00am and headed out. It was still gloomy and raining. I drove to City Park to get a skyline photo of the city (which was only about 3 miles away) and you couldn't see the city through the rain and mist. I headed north through Boulder, CO and up to Estes Park. As I drove north, the rain let up, but it stayed gloomy and cloudy. When I got to Estes Park, I did a little shopping, had some pizza, then headed into the Rocky Mountain Nat'l Park. As I got into the park, the rain began again. As I climbed to a higher elevation, the fog rolled in. There was snow building as I drove higher and it got to a point where they closed the rest of the road due to snow. I saw quite a few Elk, a couple birds I had never seen, a prairie dog, and that was about it. No bears, wolves, moose. Just Elk. I headed out of the state park by late afternoon to make my way towards the highway heading west. I drove through Vail, which was gorgeous. The weather continued to rain on and off all the way to Grand Junction, where I stopped for the night.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009: Woke up in Grand Junction to blue skies...finally. I headed out of town towards Utah. Once in Utah, I drove to Moab to the Arches Nat'l Park. I saw many of the Arches and took some beautiful photos. About two hours into my visit at the park, I got in my car, started it, and a 'Check Engine' light came on. Sooo...I had to drive into Moab and paid $42 for a guy to tell me my gas cap was loose. After feeling like a fool and out $42, I headed west for Las Vegas. I arrived in Las Vegas just after sunset, around 8:30pm. I met up with my mom and dad, sister and new brother-in-law at Circus Circus to watch a dancing act. After that, I pretty much went back to the hotel and relaxed the rest of the evening.

Thursday, June 4, 2009: Woke up early and went out to breakfast with my dad's cousins who were in town. Afterwards, I went out to the pool and laid out most of the afternoon. It was 82 and cloudy all day, and 5 hours of laying out garnered me NO tan. My parents went to see Santana, and I left and walked the strip by myself, just people watching. It's kinda cool walking through Vegas by yourself, without any purpose. I didn't gamble. Didn't drink. Just walked, and looked. Went in the Forum Shops at Caesar, and a REALLY cool art gallery by Peter Lik . After that, I went to get some NY style pizza, and went up to the hotel room (we stayed at Harrah's).

Friday, June 5, 2009: Woke up and went to the pool. Laid out for a few hours with my mom, and once again, got very little sun. It was still cloudy and only in the lower 80s. Was this Vegas? I had been here three times prior and had heat of 110 consistently. Later in the evening, the girls went out and the boys hung out at the Rio, had some dinner, then we all met up and went to the VooDoo Lounge on top of the Rio. Roseann and Andy had a penthouse for the week just under it. We came back around 2:00am, and I went to bed.

Saturday, June 6, 2009: Woke up around 9:00am and left for Salt Lake City shortly after. Came into Salt Lake around 4:30pm. Got to Ted and Sheila's and hung out with Aunt Donna and Uncle Ronald for a bit. I threw stars with TJ and friends in the back yard, then got ready to go out to eat. Me, Ted, Bailey, Aunt Donna and Uncle Ronald met up with Sandy at Rodizio's in SLC and had a fabulous dinner. The turkey bacon wraps were great, but I really loved the beef. Afterwards, we headed back to Draper, hung out with the family and Sandy came too. Ted, Uncle Ronald and I listened to recordings of Amber in the studio. Then, I tried showing Uncle Ronald how to use facebook, upload photos, and use the chat function, which he used for the first time to talk with Sadie, who was in Las Vegas. After that, I played a few songs on the piano and we stayed up talking and taking a few photos. By midnight, it was about time for bed.

Sunday, June 7, 2009: Uncle Ronald passed away early this Sunday morning. What a horrible day, and how ironic that it happened on both mine and Aunt Donna's birthday. I was suppose to leave and head to Wyoming, but decided to stay an extra day. Besides, I certainly wasn't in any mood to set off by myself for another week of adventure. I helped put a photo slideshow together, and later Ted and I took a bike ride up to Park City and had some fantastic sushi. It rained a bit and got cold on the way back, but being on the motorcycle felt great. It had been a while, and the rain or cold didn't bother me much.

Monday, June 8, 2009: Sandy, Sheila, Ted, TJ, Shauna, Bailey, Aunt Donna and I all went out for mexican. The pork tacos were great and I still couldn't finish it all. After lunch, I headed back on the road heading north. I stopped in Idaho and bought a pair of much needed sunglasses. I arrived in Jackson, WY around 6:00pm and went into town. I had a beer at the Cowboy Grill and had a burger from Billy's next door (recommended by Ted). After that, I headed in for the night and went to bed.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009: I woke up and went into town and bought some t-shirts and some hoodies. I headed to Grand Teton Nat'l Park to get some photos. At one point as I was taking a photo of the famous barn, my car got stuck in the mud. It took about 20 minutes of drive, reverse, drive, reverse, but finally I got it out. There was no one nearby to help, so I was lucky! The car was completely covered in mud. I got the photo I wanted and headed further into the park.

I stopped at one of the lodges and had myself my first bison burger. Delicious! Afterwards, I headed north into Yellowstone Nat'l Park. I drove to the center of the park and looked for Old Faithful. I got there just after an eruption, but decided to hang out for another hour and a half in the gift store until the next one. I set up the video camera and taped it from beginning to end. After that, I headed north, occasionally stopping on the side of the road to take a picture of something. A heard of buffalo crossed in front of me at one point (got it on video). I left Yellowstone around 8:00pm and headed north to Montana with a final destination of Billings, MT. Around 10:00pm, my dad called to see where I was and what I was up to. I told him about my trip the last two days and remarked on how many elk I had seen and how there were signs everywhere warning of elk. Just before heading into Billings, I was driving down a dark empty highway as another car approached me in the 'fast' lane. I moved over to the right and as they began to pass me, BOOM! They nailed an elk! Blood splashed up my windshield and front left side of the car and pieces of the front end of their car came over and ricocheted off my car. One of their headlights blew out and they quickly were able to pull over to the side of the road. I didn't stop since I was 5 miles from Billings and my hotel, plus I saw them safely pull over, and what could I do? So I went to sleep with mud and blood covering my car. I can't imagine what the people at the hotel thought!

Wednesday, June 10, 2009: I woke up in Billings, MT and left the hotel around 8:30am. First and foremost, I went and got my car washed. Then, I drove east. In Wyoming, I stopped at a steak house and had elk medallions. Yum! Very lean, gamey, and tasted like venison. I left after lunch and headed east towards South Dakota. It was cloudy and rained most of the day. As I approached the black hills, the rain stopped, but a thick low lying cloud layer went as far as I could see. At Rapid City, I detoured south towards Mount Rushmore. When got there, you couldn't see more than 20 feet in front of my car because the fog was so thick. I drove there and couldn't even see it. I was pretty upset about that, and I know Uncle Ronald wanted me to see it and I wanted to put his face with the presidents. I went and had an ice cream cone, then continued east to Mitchell, SD (outside of Souix Falls) and stayed for the night.

Thursday, June 11, 2009: I woke up around 9:00am and headed east to Souix Falls, then north to Fargo, ND. Once I got to Fargo, I met up with my friend Shelly at her work, then went shopping. We went back to her place, her boyfriend came by shortly after and we all made tacos and just hung out for the night.

Friday, June 12, 2009: We all woke up, and went shopping for a little bit. We went to downtown Fargo and head lunch at a nice Italian restaurant, then headed back to their place. In the evening, we went to a minor league baseball game, which was a lot of fun! It was a high scoring game, with 5 or 6 home runs, so it was exciting. Afterwards, we met up with a couple of her girlfrends and went for a couple drinks, then headed back to her place.

Saturday, June 13, 2009: I woke up around 10:00am, and got my stuff together to head home. I left around 10:30, going through Minnesota and entering Wisconsin around St. Paul. About an hour into Wisconsin, I stopped at a big cheese place and bought 2 lbs of buttercheese (best cheese ever) and a jar of apple butter. I got back on the road, made it to Illinois, then made it home around 9:30pm.

Home Sweet Home.

I'm back...with a new video.

2009-05-16T21:56:00.002-05:00

Hey everyone. Sorry it has been a while since I've posted anything, I've just been distracted by life I guess. I have no excuse really. I've been on Facebook, but have been busy with a project at work lately and I'm just tired and haven't been online as much when I get home.

I wanted to post my new video which I did for the University I work with. Feel free to leave your comments...this video is going to be reviewed by the President of the University on Tuesday. It's corny in many ways, and that is what they wanted...a corny comedy mixed with student testimonies (although they have changed their minds repeatedly). Enjoy!

If you like American Idol...check THIS out!!!

2009-04-14T22:23:00.002-05:00

If you haven't already heard or seen, there was recently a contestant on the UK version of American Idol which is called Britain's Got Talent. Simon, who is also one of the judges on this show, was practically speechless, for possibly one of the first times ever.

All of the YouTube postings have the video disabled for embedding, so you'll have to click on the link below to view it. The original video was first posted two days ago and has already received over 4,000,000 hits!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luRmM1J1sfg

Tell me what you thought. Before and after her song.

Chicago Photos...

2009-03-26T16:56:00.005-05:00

These are a couple of the photos I took in downtown Chicago over St Patty's weekend. They're not 'all-that', but pretty cool. Something new to add to the blog anyways! Notice the green dye in the Chicago River?

Sushi, Sushi, Sushi!!!

2009-03-16T23:48:00.002-05:00

I can't get it out of my head! Lately, I've had a crazy craving for sushi. I never really ate it until fairly recently and had it for the first time when I was 21 in Vegas at a sushi bar, then again on a Cruise Ship when I was 23. A few months ago, I ordered Seared Ahi Tuna Steak from P.F. Changs and I was hooked! On Sushi that is!

My craving led me to the grocery store (which now has a sushi bar inside) and I bought a sushi platter and took it home and ate the whole thing. Now, that may sound like a lot, but it wasn't THAT much. I wanted another one when I was done. Now, when I watch the Discovery channel and see large fish, I want to take a bite out of them!!!

So far, I've had salmon and eel, but haven't tried anything else. I love soy sauce and any Japanese roll with sushi in it. Also, when I went to the store, I bought two frozen tuna steaks to try seared tuna on my own. Has anyone else made sushi at home before? Sheila, have you tried it? I want some tips on what I can do with salmon filets or something else that I can buy and is sushi-safe. My local grocer is really good and gets fresh fish regularly.

Anyways, I thought I would share my wild craving with everyone. Please tell me about your sushi experiences, what you liked, didn't like, or any tips you can give me! I'm new to the sushi world, to teach me a bit and give me suggestions. =)

This was the sushi plate I devoured in minutes...

New Recipe - Eggplant Parmesan

2009-03-02T13:20:00.006-06:00

I tried a new recipe last night...eggplant parmesan. I've never done anything with eggplant before, but the dinner came out great! I even had to take a picture of it. If you'd like to try something new, give it a shot. It took about 3-4 hours from start to finish. I made up some of the recipe myself, but I'll give it to you and wish you the best if you decide to try it yourself...

This recipe serves 2-4 people.

INGREDIENTS:

1 eggplant (medium size)

Bread Crumbs

Flour

Salt
Basil, Oregano, Parsley

2 Eggs

Chicken (optional)

Noodles (optional)

Parmesan Cheese

Mozzarella Cheese

DIRECTIONS:

- Skin eggplant completely. Cut long-ways into 1/3 inch slices.

- Get a bowl and make a mix of flour and salt (about 4/5 flour and 1/5 salt)

- Dip and press the sliced eggplants into the powdery mix. This will extract the bitter juices from the eggplant. Lay out eggplant on a papertowel to begin the draining process. The eggplant should go through this process for 1-2 hours. Keep adding flour to eggplant as the juice soaks into the flour already on the slices.

- After 1-2 hours, rinse eggplant under warm water to remove flour and salt.

- Get a bowl and make a mix of flour, bread crumbs, and ground herbs listed above (no salt)

- Get a bowl and mix two eggs (or three if necessary)

- Dip eggplant into breading FIRST, then into egg, then back into the breading. Place into frying pan with vegetable oil for a quick simmer. I only fried mine until they began to crisp and turns a very light tan (not too brown)

- Cook 1/2 lb of chicken in a frying pan, cooking all the way through, but not over cooking.

- boil and prepare 1 cup of noodles (penne preferably)

When the ingredients are done, place a layer of eggplant at the bottom of the pan evenly. On top, spread tomato sauce (I used Classico 4-cheese). Add shredded chicked to your desire. Put grated parmesan cheese and shredded mozzarella cheese on top. Add another layer of eggplant. Again, add sauce, and more chicken if desired. I also added penne noodles here. Put parmesan and mozzarella cheese on top. Add last layer of eggplant. On top, add sauce, parmesian cheese and top it evenly and generously with mozzarella cheese.

Cook at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Wha-laa! You're done!

I won a major award!!!

2009-02-24T12:38:00.003-06:00

And it's not a LEG LAMP!

I won a merit award at the 24th Annual Admissions Marketing Awards for my Welcome Chicago video highlighting our main Chicago campus. The award was in the catagory for Best Video Viewbook and competed against other schools with enrollment between 5,000-9,999. We competed against some unknown schools and some well known ones...most notably, West Point. They just beat us out with their video.

Here is the the winning submission...

This video was written. filmed, and post-produced by yours truly :)

To see the complete list, visit the PDF document below...

http://www.hmrpublicationsgroup.com/Higher_Ed_Marketing_Report/awards/AMR_Winners_List_2009.pdf

Joey for PRESIDENT!

2009-02-21T18:12:00.000-06:00

JOEY FOR PRESIDENT

~ 2024 ~

NEW VIDEO PROJECT!!!

2009-02-11T15:31:00.003-06:00

A while back, I put up a post about what I've been up to lately. I was working on a really cool video for work, and I still am, but it was sidelined for a little bit. It's about 80% finished and I thought I'd share it with you. There is an empty black 5 second black area in the middle and at the end...I will be filling those later. For now...this is what I have...

What Starts With 'C' and Blows in the Wind?

2009-02-08T22:59:00.001-06:00

TWO THINGS ACTUALLY.... see the videos below....

Cats in the Wind - A Blustery Day in Schererville, IN.

It was the first 'warm' day since fall and all of the snow finally melted. The cats love going outside on the balcony but haven't been able to since November. It was very windy outside and the cats didn't like it very much. They withstood as much as they possibly could before making a mad dash back indoors.

Candle in the Wind

I was in the mood to play on my keyboard a little bit tonight. I haven't played much lately because I've had other things going on, but I like to play at night occassionally as I'm winding down and relaxing. This is 'Candle in the Wind' (instrumentally only) by Elton John.

My Likes and Dislikes

2009-02-03T13:17:00.002-06:00

The paragraph below is a collection of things that I like and don't like. I wrote this a while ago, so it's not formatted in the '25 things' format like everyone else had. AND, there is way more than 25 items. These are all just random, no particular order, just the order that I thought of them in.

I love spending time outdoors, going hiking, fishing, camping, etc. I love the summertime. The fall is beautiful but it depresses me because I know winter is on its way. I spend most of my free time either hanging out with friends or working. I love being spontaneous. Weekend trips are a favorite of mine. My political views are liberal. I can't stand liars. I'm not a big fan of people who are overly dependant on others. I love to eat, and to eat out! I love taking pictures and shooting video. I love music too, and playing for people occasionally. I don't eat a lot of junk food. I try to exercise fairly regularly. I don't usually drink a lot when I go out. Bar girls disgust me. Girls that drink too much turn me off big time. I hate when certain people call only because they need something. I have a habit of spoiling my girlfriends. I don't like when people answer their cell phones in restaurants, or when the ringer goes off. Direct connect calls are ANNOYING! I'd rather get a handmade birthday card with a lot of thought than an expensive gift. I can eat a Chipotle burrito bowl faster than heck. I have no known allergies. When I go fishing, I tend to get poison ivy because somehow my shoes end up coming off and I start exploring. DQ and Baskin Robbins are a definate weakness for me. I've never had a sworn enemy. I've ran the bases at The Field of Dreams in Iowa. I travel a lot and have been to 24 states and 2 countries in the past two years. I love Las Vegas and would go yearly if I could. I've never had a cavity and I never had braces. No glasses or contacts either. I work in Illinois and live in Indiana. I drive over 70 miles a day for work. I like Tom Cruise movies, but watching him in an interview makes me want to give him a forearm to the head. I love a good comedy show. I would love to get married if I found a girl who wasn't crazy. I wonder sometimes if there are any girls out there who are not. I think nose piercings are cute, if its the right piece of jewelry on the right girl. Tongue rings aren't so hot. I have no tattoos and wouldn't want one. I'm very close with my family. If I'm shopping and I see something that I really want, I usually buy it. I'm very good with money and finances. My credit score is near perfect. I've considered running for a local political office in my city. I try to make positive differences in other peoples lives. I love cookie dough. I feel strongly that people need to take responsibility for their own actions. I love odd looking animals, like Moose, Hippos, Armadillos, Giraffes, Koalas, and Meercats. I saw my first bald eagle in Southern Indiana. I would rather watch a movie than sports on TV. I currently have no points on my drivers license. My favorite beer is Corona, and my second favorite is Gumballhead (Three Floyds, Munster, IN). I do not like Heineken or Old Style and in fact, I think it tastes like ammonia in a can. Thursday night is my favorite night to go out. Love at first site doesn't happen. I've always had a fish tank. I have very little skeletons in my closet. I like dancing and clubs, but don't go often. I looove green eyes. I do a fantastic Aaron Neville impression. Almost every song I know reminds me of a person or a place and I could name a song that reminds me of each person I know. This list is getting really long. Poop jokes make me laugh. So does the word poop. I'm a night person, but I'm not crabby when I wake up. I don't snore. I'm not a picky eater. Pretty low maintenance. I love Frosted Flakes before bed. Two bowls usually. Peanut butter toast too. I usually eat the same thing at most restaurants. I have a huge 65" HDTV. I haven't eaten McDonalds or Burger King in over three years. I don't drink coffee. I'd love to take pictures of Central Park in the snow. I drink 2% milk. I can't stand the look, smell, or taste of a Payday candy bar. I always sneeze when I walk outside into the sun...usually twice. Target is my favorite department store. I could spend hours in any electronics store like Best Buy. I have a weakness for cheesecake. I'm very particular about having the inside of my car clean and smelling nice. My oldest t-shirt that I own is a 1996 Silverchair tour shirt.

Davey singing at President Obama's Inauguration

2009-01-27T15:54:00.001-06:00

Did anyone take a really close look at who was REALLY singing 'My County Tis of Thee'?

YouTube Video

2009-01-23T19:26:00.002-06:00

I mentioned before that I come across some of the most random clips on YouTube. This one below is a little bit sad, just because of the situation, but I also couldn't help but to laugh a little bit. Am I mean?!? It was more of a "Hahaha...poor puppy!" kind of a laugh. Anyways, it is legitimately an interesting ailment that I've never really thought of dogs having...let alone humans! I forget that people actually have this too...

Video of me on the ABC News!

2009-01-10T01:34:00.002-06:00

September 2008 Floods in NW Indiana

This video was taken from ABC News in Chicago on 9/15/08 after we received a record rainfall and flooding across the area. I submitted a photo and they put it on the news.

Old Arizona Photos...are you in one?

2009-01-08T13:28:00.005-06:00

These were all taken when I visited in the August 1997.

RANDOM FACTS ABOUT MY AUGUST 1997 TRIP TO ARIZONA:

1) It was the first time I ever flew on an airplane by myself (and the only time by myself too).

2) It was also the first time I drove a stick-shift (thanks Alisha for taking me cruisin').

3) It was the first time I seen it rain (I mean...monsoon) in Arizona.

4) It was also where I first learned that if you want to cool down your car while driving, turn on the heat.

5) It was the first time I attempted to change a blown-out tire just minutes after Uncle Jack bragged that he had over 80,000 miles on those tires. And yes, we were in the middle of the desert near the Mexico border when we changed that tire.

What have I been up to?!?

2009-01-07T23:09:00.004-06:00

Hey everyone! I hope you all had a great holiday season! Sorry I haven't written much lately, and frankly, I don't really have an excuse other than I was REALLY lazy...and I'll explain why...

Fortunately for me, I work at a college. I get the same holidays off that the students get, which are basically all of the major federal holiday (including MLK Jr Day). Usually in early December, the President of the college announces whether he is giving us two free weeks off for Christmas break (sometimes we have to work a few of the days in between). This year we were given two weeks off, plus I only work a 4-day (10 hr) work week, so I was off from Thurs. Dec 19 - Mon. Jan 5) ...PAID! Yay! The weather here has been terrible...cold, then warm, then snow, then melt, then ice...over and over again. I stayed inside as much as possible. I didn't even leave home from Jan 1 until I went to work Jan 5. I spent New Years Eve with my cousins and Christy at Johnny's new house in Munster.

Christmas was nice! I did the same thing I do every year...wake up, go to my parents and open presents in the morning, then go to Becky's to meet up with everyone else, go to my dad's side of the family's house in the evening, and get home by 9:00 or so. It's pretty routine...the same exact thing I've done every Christmas for my entire life. I did get some nice things and I'm excited about my ShamWow (as seen on TV) and now my eyes are open for things to soak up. I also got Season 4 of The Office (my fav), some nice clothes, a big roasting crock pot, a new camera bag, and a few other things. I didn't get anything that I had on my Christmas list, so I'm assuming that Santa doesn't have a Blogspot yet. He must be on MySpace, or Twitter, or Facebook or something.

Uncle Ronald, you asked me if I was working on any new projects, and actually, I am. I'll tell you a little bit about them. For my own business, I'm just finishing my contract with the Lake County Juvenile Courts for a video that I did for the Judge. It was a short 4 minute video, a paternal affidavit, that I recorded and post-produced and created and labeled 20 DVDs for. I'm working to generate some new business and hoping to book some weddings for the summer and fall.

At the college, I'm working on a really fun project that I came up with. I had a dream one night...a vision, if you will...of a powerful and inspirational video that I could do for the college. I told my boss I had a great idea but I didn't want to explain it to her, I just wanted to do it, then show her. She's liked everything I've done before, so she got excited and told me to go for it. I currently have about 75% of the video done. I have since showed it to my boss and she loves it and said it gives her goose bumps! She told me that this year the college wasn't going to have a new commercial filmed (due to budget) and we were going to run this past years commercials next year. If the president really likes this video, he might want to make this the commercial, which would then air across the Chicago metro area for 3-4 months on most of the major networks, including ABC, CNN, MTV and some of the Food Networks. I don't want to get too ahead of myself because that still is a longshot, but it's a shot!

Well, it is getting late in Indiana. My sleep schedule still feels thrown off from having so much time off and staying up until 4am and waking up at 1:00!

Mmmm...suddenly I have the taste for Pierogi's before bed....NO JOEY NO!!!!

Falcone Family Reunion - July 2008

2009-01-05T00:07:00.001-06:00

Benji, Little Benji, Uncle Ronald, and Joey

July 2008

Ayden and I

2008-12-15T18:17:00.001-06:00

This is a photo taken around Ayden's 1st birthday (end of September). He decided that he wanted to feed me his little cake....so I let him!

My Christmas Wish List

2008-12-06T12:25:00.003-06:00

The holidays are almost here! It's hard to believe that just a few weeks ago, it was 70+ degrees here and now we have snow on the ground. It's amazing how quickly it changes!

I figured for this post, I would post my Christmas list. I had writers block for a while and was really busy at work, so I haven't had a chance to get on here much the last two weeks. Then I was like "DUH!", I could write my Christmas list!

So, below I've provided the things that I'd like for Christmas. I am purposely not including things like "Peace on Earth" and "Economic Prosperity" and other noble suggestions for the sake of it being the obvious. I'm strictly listing the material possessions for that reason...mostly items that can be easily bought at Target, Best Buy, etc. I have listed them in no particular order....

1) Wii Games. Particularly, one that has a combination of party games, one that is full of trivia, and yes...the American Idol Wii game.
2) Clothes. I am in need of some new jeans. I'd like a nice pair of corduroys too. A couple new sweaters maybe. I'm good in the socks, underwear, and tie department.
3) Aquarium Fish (or pet store gift certificate). My fish population has depleted over the last year. I have a 55 gallon that looks pretty empty.
4) Shocks and tune-up. Just recently, I believe my shocks are going out, making this very creaky noise as my car drives over bumps. I need a tune-up too. That's not exactly something you can find under the Christmas tree though.
5) Bigger Humidifier. I bought one recently and it is too small for my big living room and kitchen. It's more of a bedroom model. So it takes a long time to feel the difference and struggles to get near the humidity setting of 55 that I'd like.
6) Weekend getaway. Last year, instead of Christy and I exchanging gifts, we went to Key West. This year, I don't expect to do something quite as big, but there have been a few places that we have wanted to go that we can do in a 4 or 5 day trip. We both have off over Christmas Break and have over two weeks of vacation. Gas is cheap now, so we would be driving. Plus, I think it is just more fun that way. Maybe someone will get me a cruise leaving New Orleans for the holiday!!!
7) Playstation 3. I'm not a big video game person (despite my above comments about the Wii games) and I mostly want this for the Blue-Ray player. It was listed as one of the best players, cheapest, plus you get the joy of having another gaming system. I already have a PS2 and have 20 or so games for it.
8) Granite Countertops. Someday..........someday......
9) Canon Digital Rebel XSi DSLR Camera. I need an upgrade and I've been following this camera for a few months. It's amazing! I'm going to buy it whether I get it for Christmas (which I won't) or not.
10) CD/DVD Duplicator. I need this for my business stuff basically. Not a fun present, but a necessity. I'm all about the practical gifts! :)
11) Photo Studio Lighting. I need this for my portrait shots.
12) LCD Flat screen for Bedroom. I've refrained from putting a TV in my bedroom, but there are times where I actually need one in there! When people stay the night, they sleep on the bed couch in the living room, so if I want to stay up, I can't....without feeling guilty anyways. I'd be looking for between a 32"-42".
13) Over-the-stove Microwave. This would just be so much more convenient. Plus, I'm still using the microwave I bought my sophomore year of college! That was over 8 years ago! And it was a cheap-o then!!!

That's all I can think of really. I like buying house decor things myself. We'll see what I actually get this year. The presents get less and less every year. I'll leave a window open on Christmas Eve this year so Santa can come through it (due to the lack of a fireplace and chimney).

I must admit...

2008-11-18T23:31:00.005-06:00

Well, if you knew me well when I was in elementary school and into middle school, you would know that I use to be a big Full House fan. I've seen every episode multiple times, over and over again. Of course, now that I'm older, I watch it to see the corniness of it and hear the lame jokes and laugh at them for what they are. It reminds me of how different television is today.

So I have a confession....one that a couple of you already know, but while I was in San Francisco, I was determined to find the Full House house! I did research online and found the address, and low and behold...there it was. It was beautiful. It was magnificent. It was a middle school boy's dream come true. It was my Lone Ranger Red-Ryder BB Gun. I stood on the Tanner family's porch. Of course, I know that they didn't actually film anything there, but it was just a bit surreal for me to be there. The house looks the same for the most part, except instead of being solid white with a red door, it's a very light shade of gray with a black door. All of the architecture is the same, including the shrubbery outside (trust me, I compared my picture to the Full House house picture... ;p )

Along with the actual Full House house, I wanted to find the Victorian homes that are in the ending of the introduction credits. The part where they are having a picnic and Michelle is carrying the loaf of bread. I found out that it was located in Alamo Square and the houses are called the Painted Ladies houses. For those who might care, a Painted Lady is a Victorian home that has been painted with extreme detail in order to show off it's architecture (something I learned along the trip). That spot is also a spectacular view for a photo, and being that I collect skyline photos that I've taken, I had to add it to my collection of cities.

So in short, I am a geek. Once a geek, always a geek. I was there when Stephanie discovered her courage hangy ball. When Michelle got amnesia. When Danny started dating again. When Papouli died. When DJ got dumped. When Jesse bought the Smash Club. When Joey was on Star Search. All of the good and the bad times with the Tanner family from 1987 - 1995. Ahhh.....those were the years. TGIF was something to look forward to on Friday nights.

"What ever happened to predictability...the milkman, the paperboy, even TV..."

My Condo - Home Sweet Home!

2008-11-17T00:39:00.022-06:00

Last year, I bought my first piece of real estate...a condo. I've enjoyed living in it so far and I have done many improvements, though most of them are just cosmetic. So basically, this blog s going to be a virtual tour on my home for those of you who have not been here to see. I have taken before and after pictures at the same angles to show you what I've done, with the before photo on the left, and the after on the right.

LIVING ROOM

This room is pretty big and I've added the nice 65" HD Flatscreen to complement it. My place is now the official home of future Superbowl games. I changed the walls from flat white to eggshell gray with an accented red wall (that continues down into the foyer), red valences for the windows, and other decor.

KITCHEN
The kitchen appliances haven't changed, but the paint job has and so has the furniture. I have added five bar chairs, a table and chairs set, and a decorative iron wine rack on the wall.

GUEST BATHROOM

I had to change the hideous green paint job from the previous owner in here right away. It was the first room I did. It's MUCH more comfortable now.

THE OFFICE

The pink paint here also had to go quickly. I now use this room for my office, music, and art room, although I hardly ever use it since I usually sit with the laptop out in the living room.

MASTER BEDROOM

The wall color before was a salmon-like color, with some tan-ish or orange-ish hues, and an occassional pink hue. Not anymore! I added some dynamic with this random pattern.

MASTER BATHROOM

The master bathroom made you feel like you were in the clouds. I have painted it since and added artwork on the walls (after this photo was taken). I've toned down the green slightly. I added a bowed curtain rod for my shower. I've also added a cabinet unit behnd the toilet, and new towel racks.

My kitties - AUDI and ATHENA

2008-11-10T09:02:00.021-06:00

Let me introduce you to my two kids.....

AUDI AND ATHENA

I have two cats at home. I like to think of them as kitties still because they're not very old, they're not very big, and it's just nicer to think of them that way. I bought them when I moved into my condo last summer and these two rascals have an interesting little story...

I bought them at a local Petco, but not actually through Petco. On most Saturdays, a non-profit animal rescue company comes to Petco with a bunch of kittens, pups, cats and dogs that they deem 'adoptable'. I went there because I needed to get some fish food (it's funny how those things happen...walking out with fish food...plus two kittens). Actually, it wasn't EXACTLY like that, but almost! We went there and of course we had to look at all the pets. I can't have a dog at the condo and I had been debating on getting two kittens, but I had only lived in the condo for less than two months, so I didn't know if I wanted "roommates" yet. I fell in love with both of the kittens, who are sisters, and then I went home and came back the next day and bought them.

As I talked to the lady who was caring for them at the time, she told me that a man from NW Indiana went on a weekend trip with his boat to Michigan. He came home a few days later, put the boat in the garage, and the next day, kept on hearing meows coming from the garage. When he checked on it, he found four two-week old kittens in his boat without a mother. Apparently, the mother thought the boat would be a good shelter and the man drove away with her babies. It was a pretty sad story. So the kittens were hand raised by people and they are the most affectionate little things. I bought them when they were about 10 weeks old. I joke with people and tell them that I think the cats have 'an attachment complex' because their mother was so suddenly gone from their lives. They act a little needy for affection, but it's very cute. And they both have very distinct personalities.

AUDI

Pronounced - AWW-DEE

Audi is my long-haired orange cat. She is a little bit redder than her sister Athena. Audi looks for attention much more than Athena. She's absolutely beautiful, but sometimes not the sharpest knife in the drawer. She's not a dumb cat, but if she was a human, she would be a little ditsy. Audi likes to lay in my lap any chance that she can get. She likes laying on my laptop when it's closed (keeps her warm). Audi is the talker...if you talk to her, she ALWAYS talks back. She has a very cute meow, not a bratty one like some cats. She likes to chase people's feet under the covers. She likes to unroll all of my toilet paper rolls. She likes to rob my tomato plant of its green tomatoes so that she can bring them inside and play with them until I find them rotten under the couch. She watches my fish tank all the time and tries to catch the fish. She likes my bed. Audi is usually the instigator between her and her sister, Athena. Audi likes to bite photographs if they are left out. She also likes to pounce on specs of things on the carpet that she thinks my be a bug. Audi loves going out on the balcony and will sit out there for hours if its nice and I let her.

ATHENA

Athena is my short-haired orange cat. She is a little bit lighter in color than Audi is. Her stripes are more noticable, particularly the rings around her table. Athena is very mellow and likes to lay around on her back with her legs spread out. She lays in the weirdest positions and falls asleep in ways I can't even imagine. Athena likes to get into anything that she can fit in, like shopping bags (especially the plastic ones). I woke up one morning a couple of months ago and she had the bag from an empty cereal box stuck around her head because she tried to get inside of it. She gets inside of my pants after I take them off, paper towel bags, pretty much anything. Athena doesn't meow much at all unless she's just being extra talkative. She does like to meow at the door when she is by herself. Athena likes dark places, particularly, under my bed and my linen closet (if left open). Athena always wants her tummy rubbed and she will plop down right in front of you and roll on her back so she can get some scratchin'. Athena also likes my bed, but she prefers to lay down by my feet. Athena tolerates being held, but only likes being held one way...swaddled in a little ball. Athena likes to chew on wires, so I have to be careful and tape my wires ahead of time with electrical tape. I woke up one morning with the pedal for my keyboard in my bed. She also severed my Wii sensor.

I'm sure I'll post more things up about the cats, since those are my little children.

One political blog, then I'm DONE.

2008-11-05T16:53:00.005-06:00

Since getting on the West Coast Lax bandwagon with this Blogspot website, I made a conscious decision not to get political for the sake of just keeping this site a space where I can tell all of you what's going on with me and with the Indiana Lax's. I didn't want to rock the boat since I know that almost everyone that is linked to this page is predominately a conservative Republican. That being said, the election is now over and we have a new President-Elect and this will be one of the only policital blogs (in regards to the candidates and this election) that I will write. I'm doing it not because I want to convince others of my opinions, but to let others understand how I feel and why I feel that way.

It is no suprise that I am not a fan of President Bush and most of his administration and policies. It is also not a suprise that I supported Sen. Barack Obama throughout his entire campaign. Some of you probably got the email I sent to everyone that came from Uncle Ronald about "Baracko Hussein Obama", which again, is another reason why I want to write this blog to clarify where I stand overall.

First and foremost, whether you like him or think he is a sleezeball, former President Clinton made one of the best points I've heard when he was interviewed on The View a month or so back. He said, that he has learned (and I'm quoting very loosely) "never to question why anyone votes for the candidate that they vote for". Some people vote on a large group of policies. Some vote solely on social issues (abortion, stem cell, etc.) Some vote solely on party; some vote on character; some vote on experience; and some vote on looks and presentation. I certainly don't knock anyone for voting how they did, regardless of how I voted. I enjoy challenging others ideas (in a mature, educational way) and I enjoy being challenged. I enjoy arguing politics (respectfully). I like politics. I was very involved this year and seen Barack Obama speak twice in NW Indiana, I saw Hillary speak once in NW Indiana, and I have met Pres. Clinton twice, once in 2005 and once this past June, just days before the Indiana/North Carolina primaries. I educate myself. I research both candidates platforms all the time. I read both candidate's websites and policies. I watched all of the debates. I watched unbiased news programming, like PBS and CNN and stayed away from MSNBC (left-leaning) and FOX News (right-leaning). All of my decisions are made by what I find, what I see, and my OWN decisions.

Photos I took during the campaign. The photo of Pres. Clinton on the left was taken in 2005.

I do not consider myself a Democrat or Republican. I consider myself a moderate Independent swing voter. I voted for Bush in 2000 and 2004 (in hind sight, with much regret) I had my reasons for voting for President Bush (which can be found in the comment section on Uncle Ronald's post about his favorite heros and picture of Reagan/Bush). I consider myself a centrist, with a slight lean to the left, but not far left. I respect decisions and ideas that come from conservatives. The areas that I lean left with are typically social issues. I lean slightly to the right on the role of government.

In a nutshell, I have listed what I am for and against below (in no particular order)...

1) Smaller government
2) A large military (but not obscenely big)
3) Government regulation
4) Bipartisanship
5) States rights
6) Science research - stem cell research, medicinal marijuana, "fruit flys"
7) Pro-life (with exception of insest, rape, mother endangerment)
8) 2nd Amendment - right to bear arms (with much gun control)
9) Alternative renewable energies - solar, wind, hydro.
10) Infrastructure improvements and reconstruction.
11) International trade.
12) NAFTA (which needs to be reviewed and rewritten...but the concept of free trade between USA, Canada and Mexico I very much support)
13) A fair taxing system that works.
14) A universal health care plan option for those who do not have insurance offered through their employers, or for the unemployeed
15) No taxing of health care benefits, life insurance, 401k contributions
16) Major tax breaks/deductions for charities, volunteerism, and other humanitarian work. We need to promote and encourage volunteerism!!!
17) Elimination of individual township/city/county assessors for property values and property tax purposes(this is mainly an Indiana thing)
18) Either lowering drinking age to 19 or not allowing young ones to serve in the military until 19 or 20. Since the first one scares me, I lean toward the later. We shouldn't tell a 19 yr old that they can't have a drink, but they can carry large assault weapons to go into other countries to kill other humans. It doesn't make sense. BTW, I'm not promoting the idea of lowering the drinking age, but moreso, raising the age of those who serve in our military by a year or two.
19) Protect our borders by building barriers, but don't close off our borders.
20) Immigration reform.
21) Minimum wage raises should coincide closely with national inflation.
22) A well regulated oil industry.
23) Talks with ALL nations and world leaders. We MUST talk with our enemies also! We put our country at risk when we shun other leaders, regardless of whether we agree with them or not. To suggest that we should not have talks with our enemies just blows my mind! This doesn't mean that I think our President and Chavez, Putin, Castro, or Ahmedinejad (sp) should be having fun on the golf course, but we must open up talks to better our own country, their countries, and the world.

Those are my beliefs as I see them. I'm sure there are a few that I left out, and if I think of them, I will edit this post and add them to my list. Again, those are not in any particular order and I just wrote them as I thought of them. On a side note, one of the most important ones on my list is the one about States Rights. I believe that each state should have the right to create and enforce laws based on their constituents needs/desires. This gives all of us options on where and how we choose to live. There is too much that divides liberals/conservatives to make everyone happy.

Another thing...I have never voted based on a candidate's 'moralness'...and please don't get me wrong on this...this does not mean that I vote for people who are not moral or who do not have moral values, what I mean by this is that WE...OUR FAMILIES...OUR PARENTS...GRANDPARENTS...should be raising us with the morals and values that we choose to follow...not a CANDIDATE or POLITICIAN! I am not raised by my president! As a child, young teenager, and also as an adult, I have never looked at a politician's wrong-doing and said "well, that must be ok since he did it". I am able-minded enough to determine what is right or wrong. I am not easily influenced by others. I am a very strong-minded person and live my life based on my own decisions, morals, and values. My parents and family are not perfect. Most of you would agree with that statement about your own families. That doesn't mean that we don't live wonderful lives, it just means that we are all human and make mistakes. I am able to step back and see the mistakes of my family and make judgments based on my own values and morals. I would guess that my values and morals were pretty much set in stone in my high school years, when I was really able to look at them and make intelligent decisions on what should be and what shouldn't be. And now, as an adult, I take responsibility for my actions. I hold ONLY MYSELF accountable for what I do and what I say, and I try my best to not just say the right thing, but to do the right thing and to be a positive influence on others with hopes that they take that and also 'Pay it Forward' (...and what a great movie by the way!)

Krista posted a blog today called "Why Obama?" so I am going to answer her question here, and if I have time today, I'll post them on her blog comments too. The reasons below are what influenced me to vote for Barack Obama...

1) The economy. This is not an experience issue with me. John McCain has many years of experience, but little experience in economics. He has openly admitted that he doesn't understand the economy as much as he should. I also don't think Barack Obama knows everything either. I am concerned about this bailout package. While it may be our only choice to move on without diving deeper into a depression, it goes against almost everything I believe in, and frankly, goes against most of what the Republican party believes in. I don't feel that it was just the bankrupt companies fault...this was the fault of many, many Americans who live outside of their means. Credit Card debt. Unaffordable houses and cars. Everything...you've heard it all so I won't go on listing things. There were some scandelous loans being made and many Americans were dumb enough to take them. The loans stated that their adjustable rates were ADJUSTABLE...thats why you don't get a variable rate on a house you plan to live in for more than a year or two! Even I know that. But many others didn't. All of this was written into their contracts. How much their rates would increase weren't, but the fact that they could/would change was in there. It's too bad for them, and I truly feel for them, but I (we) shouldn't have to pay the price for that.

2) Throughout the general election campaign, as I tuned in to the debates, John McCain talked more about Barack Obama and his criticisms towards him as opposed to his own policies. I rarely heard details about anything that McCain proposed. What I did hear was broad and vague.

3) The selection of Sarah Palin as Vice President. I am all for a woman in the White House and have no objections to that, but this was an obvious political ploy...seen by both me, and MANY other Republicans. I question McCains overall judgment skills with this choice. In my opinion, he should have tapped Mitt Romney. If he would have, he might have won my vote. This issue itself was reason enough for me not to support the GOP this time around. Palin is absolutely inexperienced. Mayor of a town of 5,000 and governor for 18 months hardly qualifies as experience. Credentials aside, she proved how unknowledgable she was by 1) not knowning and understanding the Bush Doctrine 2) her Katie Couric interview 3) she never answered any questions in her VP debate about the issues, but rather just provided talking points 4) she doesn't known was NAFTA is, or what countries are involved, despite her closeness with Canada and her need for international trade since Alaska is not physically connected to any other states (which came out after the election, but supports by decision) 4) her lack of understanding Africa as a continent with countries within (which came out after the election, but supports by decision). With the options of Mitt Romney, Rudy Guiliani, Ron Paul, Mike Huckabee, and others, how could McCain chose Palin, who, as a VP candidate, is suppose to be almost as knowledgeable about politics as the presidential candidate? This absolutely blows my mind. Given McCain's age, you must consider the chance that Palin would become president should anything bad happen to McCain. If he was younger, it wouldn't have been AS BIG of a deal. Coincidentally, McCain's choice was picked just days after Obama's, which leads me to believe that he waited to see if Obama would put Clinton on the ticket, and if not, then he would choose a female to lure disgruntled Clinton supporters to the Republican side. It is also known that he picked Palin only three days before he announced it. Top McCain aides have admitted that they were suprised because Palin wasn't even on the short list of candidates to choose from. To me, that is politics and manipulation in it's purist form. How could Palin be more qualified than Romney...a prominent, successful business man and former governor??? How could that have even been an option!?!

4) Iraq and Afghanastan. I support a responsible withdrawl from the war. At this point, we can't just call it quits and leave, but we must do it slowly with a timeline for the Iraqi government. This doesn't mean that we lose the war!!! Keep in mind, we are not at war with Iraq or Afghanastan...we are just fighting a war in their contry. We are not fighting their government, we are fighting the extremists, radicals, Taliban, and Al-Quida. For those that think pulling out would be a surrender, I ask, a surrender to whom? The terrorists? The radicals? And if you can say there is a losing option, what would the winning option be? Destroying every terrorist? Killing every extremist? As nice as that would be, that is not even possible! We would fight a war forever if we were going after extremists. We do need to guard ourselves, watch the doings of other countries (for our safety), protect our borders, etc.

5) Universal Health Care. I don't think that the government should take over insurance companies, everyone's benefits, or anything like that, but we need an option for part-time workers who have no insurance, the elderly, the post-retirement, the unemployeed, and a group of others. I don't think it should be free, but they should have an option to purchase healthcare at a fair and reasonable price. At my job, my company pays for my insurance completely, and it is a good plan for an individual. They contribute almost $500/month towards my premium. Under the McCain plan, I would be taxed on those benefits. If I was taxed at a rate of %15, I would pay almost an extra $1000 a year in taxes for my medical benefits.

6) Tax cuts and tax reform. Under the Obama plan, I would receive roughly a $1300 tax cut. Under the McCain plan, I would receive a $300 cut. I make well under $250,000, and am still well under $100,000. I am single with no dependents. I highly doubt that I will ever make over $200k/year, mainly because I just don't have the desire to make that in my life. Not that $200k wouldn't be nice, but I am very happy doing what I do and that is more important to me than working up the salary ladder. I am not a socialist and I do think that it is unfair to tax the rich much more, but I do believe in a fair taxing system where the rich may pay just a little more. For example, I am taxed for somewhere around %18 or my wages. I am not opposed to setting those with salaries of $250/k at a slightly higher rate, perhaps %22 or so (btw...these percentages are just examples). I would be appauled at a %18 rate for the middle-class and a %35 for rich. Of course that doesn't make sense. I also believe that if the rich are in a slightly higher tax bracket, their deductions and tax credits should increase, with major breaks given to those who donate to charities, donate time and supplies to volunteerism, and those that do other humanitarian good.

7) Negative campaigning. Frankly, I was turned off by the negative GOP ads. In Indiana, I did my own little unscientific study on television ads (this was partially what I went to college for...the influence of media advertising on its audiences). From September 1st through the election, I saw 12 different McCain television ads and 17 different Barack Obama ads. Out of the 12 McCain ads, 10 of them were negative, scare tactics directed at Obama, and 2 were positive and talked only about McCain and his policies/experience. Out of the 17 different Barack Obama ads, 15 were positive and discussed his policies on various issues and 2 were negative ads that only talked about John McCain and what he would do. This is disgraceful to me. I want to hear what the candidates are going to do FROM THE CANDIDATES, not their opponents. Scare tactics are another political ploy that was used. The Robo-calls telling people that Obama had close relations with terrorists, specifically Bill Ayers, are just outrageous. I know and understand negative campaigning and I am not totally against it, but the scare tactics I am! When I received forwarded emails talking about "Barack Hussein Obama's" hidden muslim agenda, I became outraged. For one, even if he is Muslim, who cares! Would that mean he would destroy our country? Turn us all Muslim? Should we keep other religions out of office, such as Buddahists, Mormons, or any other religion? Secondly, Hussein is his middle name, given to him in 1961, before any negative conotation. Should we outcast those with the last name Dahmer, Manson, Gacy, Stalin, Hitler, Mousalini (sp), Chavez, or Castro? What would be the difference between ensuring that Hussein is always included as his middle name in email forwards or if we had a Republican candidate named John Castro and I bolded and raised the font on CASTRO while also inferring that he is related to the Castro's of Cuba? People shouldn't scare others into voting for their candidate!!! Lay out the platforms and look them over. Decide what is best for you and your family. That's my opinion. If you were supporting John McCain and received a phone call from the Obama campaign that said "John McCain was not a war hero. In fact, he has been under investigation for cooperating with the Vietnam government in releasing vital national security information. John McCain has put our country and us all at risk by his wreckless actions, you would be outraged too (btw...I made that quote up as an example, so don't take it for more than it is...an example).

Well, since I have written a mini-book above and am exhausted with writing and must get on with my day, I leave you with those thoughts. I don't argue others political choices and I hope to see this blogsite turn into something less political. The campaigning season was exhausting for everyone and all of the points have been made.

I joined this site so I can look at pictures of my cousins out west and I CERTAINLY don't want politics to come inbetween us. I joined this site because I know all of you out there, but I don't KNOW all of you out there. I am SOOOO looking forward to many things...and since I've been on a roll listing things on this blog, I will list what I look forward to (in no particular order)

1) Not only being in contact with my distant cousins, but learning more about them and the types of people they are. I want to hear about Krista and her life in CA. I'm secretly jealous cause I've always wanted to live there. I want to see her beautiful son grow up through pictures and to be able to see him someday too. That goes the same with Curtiss, Alicia, E.V., Jenn, Amber, Shauna, Robyn...all of you (including everyone I didn't name). I want to know more about Ted's political aspirations. Also his music, which I know he is into. I miss you guys and wish that we were closer, not to talk politics, but to be able to say, "Hey, let's go on a hike!" or just share things, thoughts, that sort of stuff.

2) To be in contact with Uncle Ronald and Aunt Donna. I was unfortunate to lose my grandpa at a young age (I was almost 7) and I, as well as most of my cousins, have always looked at Uncle Ronald and Aunt Donna as second grandparents. I love you guys soo much and you have done more for me than you probably know, so I want you to know that.

3) I want to learn something. I don't like being stagnant in life. I am very much an observer, a traveler, a wonderer, and kind of a modern day hippie of sorts. Teach me stuff! I want to know about the Arches Ntl Park in Utah. I want to know about life as a teacher in the 60s, 70s, and 80s. I want to cheer with you when OSU beats Michigan, but cheer against you when IU plays OSU.

That's all I have for now. I love you all despite the distance, views, or anything between us! I hope to learn more about you and your lives on here and look forward to sharing my trivial doings with you, hoping that you continue to do the same.

President-Elect Barack Obama

Taken in Highland, IN. October 31, 2008

Washington, DC Photo

2008-11-02T23:04:00.005-06:00

This is a photo taken when I visited Washington, DC in May 2006. I took a big roadtrip, half of it by myself, and half of it with my friend Tim. Washington, DC was one of many stops on the way. I was able to tour the White House and walk the National Mall. It was a great experience and I would love to go back and see so much of what I missed when I was there for the short day and a half. The trip I took lasted about 11 days and I produced an entire fully produced documentary with all of my raw footage that I captured. I'll tell you more about the trip in a future blog.

This photo was also taken during my long hair stint. =)

Office Life - Episode 1

2008-10-29T18:10:00.000-05:00

Office Project UPDATE

2008-10-27T21:05:00.002-05:00

I'm making a mini-sitcom! Well, we'll see how far it goes, but I finished the intro and I've taped the first episode (a.k.a webisode). The episodes will be about 4-5 minutes long and will be about simple office life and the frustrations associated with it. Since I don't know how many of these I'll actually create, I will be starting a different series soon that I will do at home on my own time, but for now, this should be fun. I will post the video as soon as I get it finished. It should be in the next day or two! Anyways...just keeping everyone posted :)

A New Office Project....

2008-10-22T11:26:00.004-05:00

HELP!! I need some ideas!!!!

Here is my plan: The president of the college I work at would LOVE to get a viral video going around about the college. It's a small private school in Chicago that is well known in this area, but little known outside of the State of Illinois. He has created video contests with the students (with very little participation) and encouraged employees to create something fun and catchy that may get a few thousand hits on the school's YouTube page. A couple of years ago, I created all of the student social networking pages for the college, for example, MySpace, Facebook, YouTube, etc. and have been tracking the profile views. We are trying new media marketing tactics to see how it effects our lead results.

My idea is to create many 5 minute 'webisodes' of things happening around the office. I would be drawing some of my ideas from the movie "Office Space" and from the TV show "The Office". It would be about those little frustrations that we experience in office life. But I'm looking for an array of ideas to put at least 5 episodes together. I'm known to be a prankster in the office, so I will draw from my experiences also. Here are a couple that I already have...

1) A while back, me and a co-worker played a prank on my other co-worker where we changed the sounds on her computer. When the computer started up, instead of doing the normal Windows XP start up sound, it was us screaming really loud (plus we turned her volume up). Then, we rearranged her sounds, replaced some of them with other recorded sounds (for example...when the computer beeps because you can't do something, it played my voice saying "Whoops! Excuse me!" in a high-pitched funny voice.

2) We have had a few crazy interns in the few years that I've been here. I have an idea to have a 'craxy' intern working the reception desk.

3) Other ideas I have involve: broken fax machines, extended lunches, the Internet's ups and downs, employee harassment, the smoker's circle, sneaking out and leaving a fake person in the office chair, and some others that have to be thought out.

I am going to work on the into for the webisodes...it will look semi-similar to most of the sitcoms of the 1990s. I'll post it up once I get it done! But please let me know of any crazy office ideas or experiences that you have had that I may be able to make a short story out of!

Thanks everyone,
Joey

My YouTube Addiction...

2008-10-20T14:30:00.003-05:00

I'm a HUGE YouTube fan. Almost everyday when I get to work, I turn the computer on, check my email, send my replies, and then get on YouTube. Without getting into the fine details of what I actually do at work, in short, I have very busy times and very slow times. There have been occassions where three weeks have gone by and I have had nothing to do. BORING! So, I work on my own business stuff or get on YouTube and look up random stupid videos that are meaningless for the most part. I have watched videos about Panda Bears sneezing, pet raccoons and other odd pets, skunk sprays, wedding disasters, news bloopers, old sitcom shows...you name it, I've found it. I received an email recently from someone who wanted me to go check out a really cool video that they had come across. I don't want to tell you too much about the video before you see it, but it is very unique and artistic and I thought everyone would enjoy this.

The video involves 207 people who went to Grand Central Station in NYC and stood frozen among the other New Yorkers passing through the terminal. The video documents the reactions of all the people around. It's already received over 13 million views. It's sooo cool!!!

Joey and Baby Peyton

2008-10-17T01:13:00.003-05:00

Here is a picture of me and baby Peyton! Peyton is Rachel's son and was born on Saturday, October 11, 2008 at 3:02pm weighing 8 lbs 10 oz! And 21 3/4 inches long...that's a big baby! I am now the proud uncle of THREE youngin's...Aydan (1 yr), Peyton (1 week) and Ava (5 days). I'm sure that I will be spoiling the heck out of them...I love buying them funny t-shirts. Peyton has a nice little Tigger costume to wear for Halloween and to our annual Pumpkin Carving contest this Sunday afternoon.

Being an uncle is pretty darn cool.

Another Exciting Assignment!

2008-10-17T00:54:00.001-05:00

For the past few years, I've been working hard to grow my own business doing photography, cinematography, graphic art and other creative things that I like to do. I did video production in college and enjoyed creating short films and other funny clips. I was recently contacted by a production company in Studio City, CA to do a video shoot here in NW Indiana! I'll be interviewing the juvenille judge here in Lake County for a project TBA another time. The judge that I am interviewing was recently featured in the MTV production "Juvies", a show about juvenille delinquents in Lake County, Indiana. She was the presiding judge throughout the entire season. The footage may be used in their television special when it airs on MSNBC. The production company, 44 Blue Productions, has contributed to many reputable networks, such as The History Channel, TLC, Discovery, MSNBC, PBS, CourtTV, and others. I'm really excited! The interview is tomorrow morning (Friday) at 10:00am. After the interview, I fed-ex the tapes back to California. Quick and easy. But for me, I'm just excited about the possibility of getting some exposure on national television. I'll keep you posted if I hear of an air date or if they use the footage from the interview!

My First Blog!

2008-10-14T17:41:00.000-05:00

Well well, look who made it!!! I finally made it to the blogging world (at least here on blogspot). I will be using this blog forum to give updates on what is happening with me, my family, work, and whatever else for that matter. I can only hope to be able to blog often and I will do my best to make sure that it happens.