Greetings all,  

All of the footage I captured at Youmacon 2009 is now live! 

  Feel free to visit the YENonline Youtube channel started by Ron (soulcrash), or for '09 specific videos, click below for links or embeds once I get them working.  Click below for all 96 video links.

( Youmacon 2009 Video Links )

Greetings all,

  So I just got the official email... FFXIV Beta Testing is now open for signup! 

  Don't know how many they will let in but it doesn't hurt to sign up right?

  Final Fantasy XIV Website

  More as it develops.

Greetings all,

I have finally received upload and formatting instructions for all of our photos this year to publish to the website. I am in the final stages of sorting and uploading so they should be live fairly soon.

The videos so far, will be added to Youmacon's YENOnline Youtube Channel.

If things change, of course I will update everyone as to where things are at.

Thanks again for your patience.

More as it develops.

Greetings all,

Time for some heavy-duty shake-ups for our business meeting. Honestly, people have been too lazy and holding a faltering status quo for too long and it's starting to have quite the negative effect.

Starting January, we will be relocating our local Amway Global meeting to Brighton instead of Novi as well as establishing one or two more small but incredibly effective satellite meetings through Livonia and surounding SE Michigan areas because it's just designed to work that way.

This is the time where the rubber meets the road and people either help us move forward or they get left behind. What an exciting new year it will be.

More as it develops.

Greetings all,

Thanks Mark for helping make the holidays a bit more cheery as well as helping both our businesses out.

He placed a ribbon gift order today with me for over $800 because so many people in his office qualified for the higher tier bonuses we discussed about in our plan. Though I only make a fraction of that, it's good to know that this incentive helped him generate more than 130 new clients for his business and that he's definitely considering the program more for the future and next Christmas.... Woot!

More as it develops

http://www.steambaby.net has some of the coolest goggles out there.



but more importantly, they are the only ones I know who sell MY goggles:



These goggles are SUPER light and comfortable, and will fold flat to store in you shirt pockets!

Anyway, go buy some.

Greetings all,

Yep this time I've managed to oust an insanely tough Plague Chigoe. Most insane minute of the game I think I've found to-date... I'm just glad Square Enix doesn't make all things this deadly.


More as it develops.

Greetings all,

So, I'm sitting here thinking of ways to work on this project I have started on.

Anyone have a good suggestion as to how to handle a workflow of 20,000 photos for a slideshow?

I know people make those neat photo-grids and portraits and what not from tons of photos but I've never had to deal with something this big before.

I'll look around but any advice is welcomed.

More as it develops.

Greetings all,

Yep. Only took a few years but I did it 99+% solo. More as it develops.

Lets all talk about what you like best....and I'll tell you a couple little insiders tips:

Until The Day I Die started as a concept: "If Steampunk art is old parts bolted together to make new things, can that be done with very old recordings?" So just like Daniel and Nathaniel's instruments, I started bolting together vintage parts and modern parts to create something new. Prior to this we had taken old STYLES and mixed with new STYLES, but this is the first time we took very old recordings and stitched them together to make something new.

Wanderlust I wrote on the plane back from London. We all have different things we take joy in from the band. Kristina loves MAKING music, and would be happy never leaving the studio. Nathaniel loves the stage, and would never get off if he had his choice. I'm not sure what Dan likes, but it seems to invovle making spread sheets, and counting the money ;)

For me, I love to TRAVEL. If I had my way, we'd never go to the same town twice...and we'd play in southeast Asia A LOT more. I grew up on the move.

Victoria was written mostly be Kristina. I wrote the words and mellowdy, and then said, "Hey, can you do something 'Victoria Piano' with it?" and she rocked all the paino stuff. Being Kristina, it made her super nervous and she thought it wasn't good enough to be on the album. When I finally said "Babe, it HAS to go on the album" she said "Well, maybe it can just be a hidden track or somthing!?"

Throw them overboard was kinda lame at first. I mean, it had funny lyrics and a cool accordian hook, but it just wouldn't turn into a good enough song...UNTIL JODY GOT ON IT. She came and siad "I've got an idea, but its kind of silly, so maybe we should ..." and everybody yelled "GET IN THE BOOTH" at the same time. She did, and that's what you hear. Thats pretty much her first take too, an it made the song in MY opinion a sleeper hit of the album, its so much fun!

Under The Radar was the first song on the album to be written. It started as me alone in the studio dropping down electronic drums, Darbuka, and Puff Organ. Kristina heard the organ parts and stormed into the the studio, "Thats AWESOME, move over!" and we banged out the first version. Months later we brought in Nathaniel, and he dropped down the mandolin lines, which just made every bodies jaw drop. In fact, for the longest time there was a a bit of me at the end of the recording saying "Holy shit!"

Building Steam was unfinished for the longest time. I basically hadn't written the second second verse. I was imagine the Steampunk Cowboy theme of it, but I hadn't really written that in, and we got used to it, and then even start performing it unfinished! Finally, during the mastering phaze which is supposed to take place WAY after the album is done) said "Oh shit!" and wrote that and recorded that second verse. This ways literally three days before it went to press!

Æther Shanty is about the best song to SING I have ever written. I wanted to write a Sea Shanty for the skies, and express all the turmoil we went through over the last year.

The Clockyard so needs a music video. We might start on one soon, actually. This song is about following your dreams, or playing it safe. The message: follow your dreams before you too old to, you old coot!

To Far To Turn Back I tried to cut this from the album a billion times, but it really did come together for tell the last second. Nathan pushed and pushed, and finally it came together and the VERY last second. If you like it, thank Nathaniel. If you don't like it ITS NATHANS FAULT!

So as I'm sure you've read by now, the CD's have been starting to arrive for everyone. Here are some important things to do:

1. Stop asking me "Daddy, are we there yet?" It'll come. Take a deep breathe, we are excited to!

2. Prepare a large silk cushion on which to carry the CD around with.

3. Tell a member of Abney Park thank you for bust'n their asses to get these too you, dispite all the extra work and late hours we had to spend so they'd all go out on time.

4. come back here, and tell me what your favorite songs are! (My next post will be for that!)

Greetings all,

Since Chicago lost the bid for the 2010 Olympic Games, it looks like some of you may be seeing a tall spire outside your windows instead :)

Spire Development Funds Meeting

Push To Finish Tallest Tower

Good to hear things may be going ahead slowly but surely after all. I've always thought this was a wonderful and amazing building but unfortunately looks alone certainly don't get it built.

In case you've not seen the promotional site, it's here: http://www.thechicagospire.com/

More as it develops.

Greetings all,

Well with only a couple weeks to go until Christmas (wow already), I just wanted to make a quick update with regards to the business and Achiever's trip that my mentors went on as always around this time of year.

Just thought I'd toss out a few heads-up ideas for all my friends who might be looking at things for the new year.

1. Some kind of new personalized health assessment is coming out that, as opposed to cardiovascular health, focuses on weight loss via genetic balance. Apparently now, the somewhat lengthy test will help create a unique vitamin packet to the individual based on their genetics and help for a healthier lifestyle. I know I probably don't (and shouldn't) lose any more weight but I'm sure the costs I will be able to get this at will far outweigh any dietary fees imposed by a traditional medical approach or gym regimine).

2. A new flavor of twist tube is coming out that will combine all benefits of each type of vegetable. Think V8 juice but in beautiful, nourishing twist-tube form! Woo.

3. New lipstick + liner blending stuff for the ladies. Also a new vanillia hand-creme and a two-in-one sanitizing lotion to help with all these illnesses going around lately.

4. Oh and Dell upgraded our amount we receive off on stuff so again guys, if there's anything you NEED, please feel free to let me do a look up for you and see if there's anything I might be able to score cheaper or whatever for those whom you're buying for. Whether you're a fan of Amway or not, saving money is something I don't think any friends would argue *against* as being a bad thing.

5. Energy shots are delayed due to refining of production methods. Should be available this month so yeah will try to get some in for Ohayo :)

6. Free Ipod Touches to a few of my friends who qualified at Achievers. Totally awesome. Even engraved them with AG logo - cool!


7. Christmas Cards - I feel so bad for not doing this yet but with the brunt of helping parents' expenses this month, I hate to say I may not even be able to do those. It's been a pretty rough month honestly.

8. Rumor has it now that I *TEMPORARILY* might be moving... yes moving to Alabama to help my uncle start up another restaurant venture and to work on his website. Honestly have no clue as to whether that's a go yet but would think it shouldn't take more than two or three weeks max. Will try to postpone that if I could till February since my January is packed with stuff as it is.

9. For all that Hylian I was babbling about on my entry. You can see it below... not making it up; just need the font installed :)


Comments are screened for anyone wanting to ask questions about things privately.

More as it develops.

Greetings all,

So I guess this bit of news is going around today...

Apparently a group of disguntled artists are suing the record companies for ... pirating their work! Since music is so important to many friends on my LJ, I thought it'd be an amusing article at any rate. Now I just hope the judges rule in favor of the artists even if the RIAA or otherwise will do everything so persuade them to toss the case out. Yes, I think some estimates of $60 billion are fair if not more.

Oh and stuff's a bit rough at home here with bills. Told mom about things and she's not happy but I think she's calmed down a little bit today. Rather not want to dwell on what I was labeled as because well that's depressing. Her whole lack of long-term vision disgusts me. I can't fault her for being upset about paying bills when there's not enough to go around but at the same time, I'm fine with her being angry because I'm just paying what I need to pay first.

More as it develops.

Greetings all,

So one of the forumers on SSC decided to compile a huge photo of the tower with a 5D Mark II. The only difference is he somehow compiled a lot of photos together to create a 2.3 Gigapixel image. He said his new system took about a week to rebuild a 9 Gigapixel image but I can't blame him uploading the "smaller" one first.

You can zoom in 90% of the way and still get a razor sharp shot once it loads! Even almost good enough to identify the workers on something around the 150th floor.

Requires a plug-in due to the HD content but if you like to check it out, it's pretty neat.

http://dxbae.com/HDView/Burj400new.htm

More as it develops.

Greetings all,

Just decided to do another update to my site's gallery. Feel free to take a look. As always comments are welcomed.

Now to figure out what I want to use from Youmacon as samples. Oh yeah and finish backing up that data to my server and Smugmug still... Got gosh probably another 30-40GB to go on top of what I just said I was backing up. Yeah it's taking awhile...

Fullerton Photography Gallery Update

More as it develops.

Greetings all,

Uploading another 40 GB to the server for now while these last 450 or so shots export.

Wow I'm finally done with them!

OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG!! Wooooo.

*headdesks*