Chopstixfour11's Journals

A Note To Aspiring Photographers

I love when I find people who love photography as much as I do, but I especially love when I find people who actually want to learn about photography and how to shoot well. I am by NO means anywhere near an expert, but I've got some helpful tools for how to become one and I'm sharing.

1. Any book by Ansel Adams. If you don't know who he is...wow. Seriously. He's God when it comes to photography. We use his books in the art school to learn technique. (Btw, I shoot all film on a manual Pentax K1000 and *rarely* ever shoot digital. I don't even know how to use my DSLR for the most part. Shame on me, I know...) Anywhooo:

MY BIBLE

2. www.kenrockwell.com

This page is bookmarked in a tab at the top of my Firefox browser and I check it frequently. This man knows his shit. This is all you need to know. Voila!

Cheers fellow fotogs. I have every intention of scanning in my prints from the dark room. I literally have hundreds and have spent countless hours working on these prints. If you don't currently shoot film, I'd recommend getting on ebay, finding a K1000 and a local photo lab that has a dark room for you to use. Digital + Photoshop are nothing compared to the beauty of a good film print. I never want to shoot anything else. EVER! Muahahaha. =D

P.S. Pineapple Express came out yesterday and I bought the deluxe edition just because of James Franco's hotness. This was random, but I love that movie.

Top Albums of '08

Well well, it's been quite awhile since I was on Buzznet. Does anyone even remember me?! Lol *sigh.* I miss being active on here, but it's just been that I don't have time. College is killer. Photography takes up all of my time. Concerts take up all of my time.

But this year produced some good music eh? Or I've come to discover some good music. This list might include albums that came out before '08. Idk, I'm making this up as I go.

In no particular order (but I'm starting at #10? Non lo so)

10. Augustana - Can't love, Can't hurt
Favorite Song(s): Dust, Fire

9. Panic At The Disco - Pretty. Odd. (I have no shame.)
Favorite Song(s): That Green Gentleman, Northern Downpour

8. The Whigs - Mission Control (Local band that is AMAZING)
Favorite Song(s): Like A Vibration, Right Hand On My Heart, Already Young

7. The New Frontiers - Mending (Great acoustic band that just broke up and that makes me sad)
Favorite Song(s): Black Lungs, Passing On, Who Will Give Us Love?

6. William Fitzsimmons - The Sparrow & The Crow (Everything from this man is fantastic!)
Favorite Song(s): Song Of The Sparrow, If You Would Come Back Home

5. Coldplay - Viva La Vida (Does anything need to be said? Um...no.)
Favorite Song(s): Everything

4. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
Favorite Song(s): Skinny Love, Flume

3. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend (If you don't have this album, GET IT)
Favorite Song(s): Mansard Roof, Oxford Comma, A-Punk

2. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
Favorite Song(s): Meadowlarks

1. THIS SHOULD NOT COME AS A SURPRISE TO ANYONE AND IF IT DOES...AHH. The others weren't in any order but this one is definitely my favorite album of the year. PLEASE GET THIS ALBUM!

Jack's Mannequin - The Glass Passenger (Along with the EP's released) Andrew McMahon is the only artist who can make me cry when he comes on stage.

Favorite Songs: Everything really, but I'll narrow it down to The Resolution, Caves, Swim, What Gets You Off, Hammers And Strings, and Miss California.

Close runner-ups include: The Twilight Soundtrack, M83, The Killers, The Bridges, and Kanye West

On another note, Nikon has just come out with a 50mm f/1.4 AF-S lens!! Before they didn't work with my D40X and had to be manually focused, but now they focus IN THE FREAKING LENS. It's in the mail and I cannot freaking wait until it arrives.

Hopefully this means I'll have time for BN again. I don't miss the drama though. Somebody catch me up?! Lol, jaykayyy. ;D

Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland?!

Apparently Tim Burton is doing a live action and CGI re-make of Lewis Caroll's "Alice In Wonderland."

Johnny Depp is supposed to be playing the Mad Hatter.

THIS. WILL. BE. AWESOME.

2010

Life's Tough...Get A Helmet (An Update)

If you're a "Boy Meets World" fan, you'll probably have seen that episode.

Anyhow, thought I'd update since I'm never on here much and I don't talk to people that often on here anymore. It's not that I don't want to be on here, but more that I don't currently have internet in my new apartment.

The move was fantastic and I feel so grown up now. I had to go grocery shopping for myself. Do you realize how hard that is to do when for 20 years you're parents have planned all homemade meals?! My room looks like it's ready for Halloween 24/7 and that was completely unintentional. The color I painted my walls is a bit more orange than expected; more like spiced pumpkin pie. Not orange orange, but a burnt orange. Ya dig? It wouldn't look so Halloweenie if all of my furniture wasn't black. Tomorrow I head back up to IKEA to get some more furniture/accessories for my place. That store is seriously the effing shizz.

Tonight I went and saw The Dark Knight. A bit late, I know, but I just didn't have the time or money to go see it when it released. Apart from the fact that every show was sold out in town all weekend. I thought it was good; and Ledger remarkable. Bale's "Batman voice" annoyed me though. I realize he was trying to disguise his voice by making it deeper, but he was trying to talk too deep. I really expected Mark (Panasonicyouth of course) to do a Dark Knight review, but where has that dude been? (Comic-Con now I'm sure, but before?) I look forward to his reviews and movie insight, so was expecting to get a preview of the movie from him, but nope, sadly there was none (that I saw).

Anyhow, that's pretty much it. I have some shows lined up; the most exciting being Scary Kids Scaring Kids and Finch (thank God they reunited) but that isn't until Sept 11. The only other date I'm looking forward to is Sept. 30. If you don't know why, then you don't know me. ;) *WINKJMALBUMRELEASEWINK*

Wellll, I miss you all dearly and hopefully will have my wifi fixed by Monday. I need to reunite with BN and since I'm broke and can't afford to do anything but sit home and watch tv, I'll have more than enough time to do so, or so I hope. =D

If I Hear One More Person Complain On This Site....

....About how hard it is to make it in the music/art industry, I'm going to have a cow. Seriously. Nobody said it was easy. It never has been and never will be. Your work can't just be ordinary, it has to be extraordinary to rise above the people that make it just because of who they know. STOP BITCHING AND KEEP WORKING. There are just too many of the same journals here on Buzznet about this topic and it just frustrates me. Some people tend to think life should always treat them fairly, but it won't. Sorry.

On a happier note, all is well here. I'm moving in to my apartment this weekend and I'm freaking out! I don't have a shower rod or hooks. How can I take a shower?! I don't have a curtain rod, or book shelves...GAH. I want everything to be perfect and I've run out of funds, so it's not. (DAMN YOU UGA AND YOUR TUITION!)

Through my moving adventures, I've discovered the beauty of IKEA. Their website just does not do them justice. If you have one near you, please, go. I want every room in my apartment to be one out of their showroom. And everything is so cheap! I got a new dresser, and this pic too does not do it justice. I just love it though.

Last week, I also went to Warped Tour, and let me just say that I've never moshed so much in my life. I'm a HUUUGE fan of hardcore/metal and to me, there is nothing better than going to a show and getting completely beat up in a violent pit. Is that weird? I think not. I got kicked in the face during the first pit and bloodied my lip. I almost broke my nose again too, but somehow avoided that. It's just black and blue from the bruising. The whiplash was also pretty rough the next morning, but again, it was so much fun. Jack's Mannequin (aka my favorite band) is on the mainstage this year, and Andrew never fails to amaze me. I'd have his babayz if I could.

I've also just found out that these lovely lads are on the Sept. issue of AP. OH MERCY. About time they showed up together!

Favorite band as of late: Explosions In The Sky and as always MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA!! Seriously, check out EITS. It's just jam, but so good to read/workout/nap to. Manchester is just amazing, period. I'd recommend listening to "Where have you been?" at max volume.

I'm also a huge fan of Journey, so guess what? Yes, I'm going to go see them in a few weeks. I'm sad it's not Steve Perry with them (the original lead singer) but come on, it's JOURNEY! "Don't stop believing!"

Oh, one more thing. Does anyone have any good movies or books that they recommend? I've been catching up on them, mainly movies, but don't know what else to watch. I'm a big fan of good "cult films" as cliche as they are. They're just my thing.

Oh For Pete's Sake!

I missed my 2 year Buzznet member anniversary! It was on the 28th, so yay me? I need to get my ass back on this site, but summer has been so busy; Working, shopping for the apartment, and my goodness have I been going to some amazing shows. That's pretty much all I do now. I've been really in to jam bands lately and Athens has a ton of them. Might I also add that there are some mega hotties in them? MEGA hotties. Therefore my current goal in life is to date them. Jenna/Taylor if you comment on this, say nothing ;)

Woo the 4th is coming up. This should mean good firework pictures! Anybody doing anything exciting??

Cars, Money, Friendship, Bling, and Travel

Anyone know of a line of products called BeautiControl? Most likely not, and I hadn't either until yesterday. Essentially, their consultants hold "Spa Parties" at someone's house and try to sell the products after demonstrating them on the guests. I went to one of these parties yesterday after a friend from work invited me to one she was hosting, and I'll admit, it was certainly nice to be pampered for an hour. I even ended up buying one of their (might I say very overpriced) lip treatments. Got to have kissable lips you know.

The consultant for the company was named Jennifer and came across as being genuinely nice and generally concerned for others. Not to say that she wasn't, but I started noticing towards the end of the hour that the party was more about recruiting new consultants for the company by offering various incentives. The first that she covered was the free red convertible mustang you got after selling the products for 18 months. Apart from that, you could earn several thousand dollars a month and receive jewelry galore. The company also sends everyone on an all expenses paid trip to Hawaii after selling so much or selling for so long.

I can't really see a catch to all of this, and I don't think that there actually is one, but I really disliked being brought to a "Spa Party" whose invitation said it was all about being pampered and relaxing when really it was a campaign and recruitment session. It wasn't about me at all, it was about the consultant. I wonder what she earns for each person she recruits to the company?

After thinking about this, I decided to do a general search for BeautiControl to see what, if anything, I could dig up. One of the first things I came across was this music video that BeautiControl sent in an email to their consultants.

How horrible is this?! It just confirmed my beliefs. There are too many things wrong with this video and I'm not exactly sure where to start. The blinging "BC" sunglasses. The horrible rapping. The dancing, oh the dancing. And how can anyone miss the repeated chant, "Cars, Money, Friendship, Bling and Travel!"

I feel used...but my lips feel nice.

Interivew with John from The Maine (Aug. 2007)

1. Way back in the day when you did your first Q&A video, you said you would love to tour with Brighten. Now that youâ�™ve actually finished your first tour with them, was it everything you thought it would be?

It was absolutely amazing. It really was more than we could have imagined. Being able to watch them play every night was truly an honor. Not to mention, we became really good friends with the guys from The Morning Light. So all in all, it was an incredible experience.

2. Any crazy tour stories? (Apart from Pat being stranded on a creepy road. That was great by the way...)

Haha. That was a pretty good one. Umm, I canâ�™t really think of anything â�œcrazyâ� off hand, but you can only imagine what stupid stuff went on in a Suburban full of 6 dudes.

3. It seems that once a band starts to finally make it, â�œthe hatersâ� tend to come hand in hand. Is that the case with The Maine or are you generally loved by all?

I wouldnâ�™t say weâ�™ve â�œmadeâ� anything yet, but for the most part people have been incredibly supportive. Sure, there are people who arenâ�™t going to dig what you do, but we feel strongly enough about it all that we donâ�™t really pay much attention to it. Plus, the people who support what we do make it easy to not pay attention to those who donâ�™t. You feel me??

4. It appears that many of your devout Myspace fans attended the shows during your tour. How was it to finally meet some of the people who have been interacting with you online? Recognize anybody right off the bat?

It was soooo rad. It just showed how much the internet can do as far as networking goes. We for sure recognized people on the road. That actually made it more fun!! (Thank you to everyone who made it out by the way!!!)

5. A lot of great bands seem to come out of the Phoenix/Tempe area. How into the local music scene are you?

We really support the local music here! Itâ�™s so awesome to see and hear bands you know (and love) do big things. We canâ�™t wait for Goodbye Tomorrowâ�™s new stuff, and of course we love what the guys in Lydia do! Overall, weâ�™re very supportive and try to spread the word as much as possible.

6. Do any of you have any special talents that youâ�™re especially proud of?

Umm, I can make a mean grilled cheese sandwich with a bowl of tomato bisque (which I purchase from Safeway). haha

7. If you could choose one song to describe you/your life, what would it be and why?

I would pick my favorite song ever which is Transatlanticism by Death Cab For Cutie. It doesnâ�™t necessarily describe my life, but I can relate a lot of memories, both good and bad, to that song.

8. Did you ever collect Pogs as a kid? If not, was there something else you collected instead?

For sure! I had an 8-ball slammer that the whole neighborhood wanted. I was way into baseball cards too. And I had a bumble bee yoyo. Haha. Those are a few fads I indulged in.

9. Off the top of your head, what's the first word that comes to mind right now?

Routine.

10. Alright, last question! Where does The Maine go from here, both as a band and individual members?

Well, Pat and Garrett both have to graduate high school (they finish in December), and Kennedy and myself will both be working part-time jobs. All the while, weâ�™ll be writing and recording new stuff 5 days a week in hopes to record a full-length sometime in January.

Thatâ�™s about it for now, be sure to check us out at www.mysapce.com/wearethemaine

Thank you so much for everything!
-John and The Maine

P.S. Did you know your music is on Limewire now? Personally, I think that's pretty awesome. And is Daisy going to ever be put back on the page? I miss it playing on my profile.

Haha, I just looked us up on Limewire, and there we were! That is pretty cool. Weâ�™ll put daisy back up soon! haha

(As a sidenote, after John answered these questions he messaged me back informing me that they had indeed put Daisy back up on their profile. I felt special.) =)

They Say Imitation Is The Sincerest Form Of Flattery

...But I HATE it.

I tend to only write blogs when I want to vent and I know the people that I'm venting about won't ever see this. Especially since the person I'm about to vent about is my "best friend."

I swear she's trying to steal my life. This may sound like a bitch and moan kind of journal, and I'm not even going to disagree with you on that. I just wish people would do things that they want to do, buy the things they want to buy, and dress the way they want to dress simply because THEY want to do it, not because they "envy" me, especially since I'm not really worth envying.

So my best friend and I are quite different. We have complete opposite tastes in guys, clothes, music, and general hobbies. But for some reason she feels the need to compete with me and copy everything I do. It all started about 3 years ago with a Coach purse that my dad got me for my birthday (you know, back before everyone had them...*rolls eyes*) Don't get me wrong, I love the purses my dad gets me, but I'd much rather have that money spent on something more useful like paying for my college or stocking up my wardrobe (because lord knows I need it.)

Really, the main thing that annoys me is not so much that she copies a lot of what I do, but that she has to compete with me over it. She always has to be better. She always has to appear as if she has more money (which is just stupid because I don't come off as such, but she thinks I do. For Pete's sake, I work a job that pays just above min. wage and I have to pay for everything myself). She tries to act all nonchalant about it by casually dropping how much she spent on her Burberry sunglasses or during her latest shopping spree. Unfortunately, I'm petty enough to laugh at her for how fake she comes across. I just wish she'd see it too. Were I a good friend, I might tell her this, but a better friend learns to look past the bad and accept that person for the good. I guess that's why I stick around... =/

[Edit]
Just 2 min. after I posted this, she texts me saying she got a new phone. I have the EnV. Guess what she just got? Oh, the Voyager of course. Seriously, I'm going to have a cow one of these days.

So here's the deal..

This may come as a shocker to some of you, but I just adore guys with scruffy faces, stretched ears, and tattoos. I really think it's the hottest combo of features ever.

That was random, but what I'm getting at is, I think I want to stretch my ears.

Now before you panic, I don't plan on going ridiculously big like such....

(It's ok, you can laugh. Ha. Ha.)

I'm really just doing it so that I can stick flowers through my ears.

(*Sarcasm*)

Now I must go back to studying all the in-depth details of the human reproductive system for my Biology final tomorrow. The good thing about being a former Biology major is that I get to take the easiest Bio class they have for those who aren't science nerds. It should be pretty easy. Or so I hope.