I Just Can't Stop Watching!!!

Awesomeness defined.

Get Your Bellini Fix - Relavent Style

Be sure to check out the latest issue of Relavent magazine and my buddy, Jason Bellini's (aka Sketch the Journalist) article Entitled "Gene 'Malice' Thornton Finds God."

Kudos to Bellini!

Obama Twiddles While Texas Burns

From WOAI:

As dry conditions and gusty winds whip up new wildfires in parched Texas, Gov. Rick Perry Thursday blasted the Obama Administration for failing to issue a disaster declaration for the state, widening the growing rift between the White House and the states rights advocate governor, 1200 WOAI news reports.

  "There is a point in time where you say, hey, what's going on here," Perry said.  "You have to ask why are you taking care of Alabama and other states?  I know our letter didn't get lost in the mail."

  The White House says President Obama will visit Alabama, hard hit by tornadoes Wednesday, later today.

  Perry requested a federal declaration of emergency for Texas on April 16, as wildfires began to rage across the entire state.  So far, the request has not been answered, although several federal agencies, including the National Park Service, are supplying firefighters to the state's effort.

  "They watch TV, they know what's going on here, they can recognize that there is going to be a request for assistance, a request for help," Perry said.

You stay classy, Obama.

Back

I just got back from a week-long photo trip to central and west Texas shooting images of the devistastation caused by the wildfires there. I also got the chance to shoot some hail storm aftermath photos and a lot of great photos of beautiful, beautiful Texas. Even though things weren't as green as they we supposed to be, it was still a successful trip. I can't wait to share some of what I saw.

One thing is for certain. After this trip, I have a whitened respect for fighfighters and the job they do. The stories I heard from people everywhere I went were amazing.

But I'm especially glad to be back with my family again. Thank God for keeping me -and them - safe. Some of the best parts of my trip were Facetimeing with Kristi and the kids. At the end (or beginning) of a long day of shooting, just being able to see and talk to them was great - so much better than just talking on the phone. Thanks for that, Skype and Apple.

Thanks, Environmentalists...

From the UK Telegraph:

Fears have been reignited about the safety of energy saving light bulbs after a group of scientists warned that they contain cancer causing chemicals.

Their report advises that the bulbs should not be left on for extended periods, particularly near someone’s head, as they emit poisonous materials when switched on.

Peter Braun, who carried out the tests at the Berlin's Alab Laboratory, said: “For such carcinogenic substances it is important they are kept as far away as possible from the human environment.”

Great. Just great.

Stupid, Stupid Kids.

Happy San Jacinto Day

175 Years ago today, in a marshy grassland near Lynchburg the course of world history was changed forever when the ragtag remnants of the Texas army took the seasoned Mexican army by surprise. 17 minutes later, Texas was free, the Alamo and Goliad were avenged and Santa Anna was defeated. The Republic of Texas was born.

God Bless Texas.

Eat the Rich

Bill Whittle is simply awesome.

Final Cut Pro X - or - How I'm Going to Spend $300 in June

I can't remember the last time I was this excited about a software release. I have got to have this piece of software. I literally laughed out loud with joy at the color correction tool segment at about 15:36 in the second video.





After watching this video yesterday, editing with the current version of Final Cut this morning was somewhat of a disappointment, especially when I had a couple of sync issues and needed to do some quick trial fades on the fly. And the ability to mix types of video with resolution independence is going to be amazing. I've been doing a mix of 720p and DV for awhile now with disappointing results and looooooong render times. Background rendering is going to be much appreciated.

There may be a learning curve, but whatever it is, I'm sure it will be worth it.

Ridiculous.

I have no words, other than thanks to Rick B. for showing me this.

Who Are You Going to Believe? Lady Gaga or Your Own Lying Eyes?

From Access Hollywood:

Lady Gaga might adhere horns to her arms and face, but she’s never permanently altered her body.

“I have never had plastic surgery, and there are many pop singers who have. I think that promoting insecurity in the form of plastic surgery is infinitely more harmful than an artistic expression related to body modification,” the singer told Harper’s Bazaar for its May issue.

“And how many models and actresses do you see on magazine covers who have brand-new faces and have had plastic surgery, while I myself have never had any plastic surgery? I am an artist, and I have the ability and the free will to choose the way the world will envision me,” she continued.

Uh huh. Sure. Just check out these two photos - one from 2005 before Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, aka "Lady Gaga" made it big and one from a magazine cover a couple of months ago:





As Mr. Plinkett might say, "what the hell happened to your faaaaaaace?"

Here - Just Eat This Pile of Crap Now and I PROMISE You'll Get Steak Next Year...

from the Washington Examiner:

A House vote on the 2012 budget resolution is slated for Friday, but the GOP must first push through the 2011 spending bill despite growing opposition from some Republican lawmakers who say it cuts far too little.

House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, who was largely deemed the victor in last week's budget standoff between Republicans and Democrats, must sell this plan to the most fiscally conservative in his party. He made the case Monday in a USA Today opinion piece that it is time for the House to pass the 2011 budget and move onto the 2012 spending plan, which he said advances the Republican cost-cutting effort "from saving billions of dollars to saving trillions of dollars."

Same old crap, different congress.