Well, you might not have noticed that my post count and comment count have significantly decreased. I’ve deleted all my commentary on politics, terrorism, Muslims, and other such controversial topics. I figured I can keep those conversations to myself.
I might give up blogging all together since I’ve been kind of bored by it lately. Or I may convert this to my other photoblog.
Tags: Announcements, Blogging
I decided to backup all my data on my Windows computer. I actually turned on this computer earlier this evening because this chat software that we use on Blackboard did not work on Safari. (I found out through a classmate that the software will work fine on my Mac if I use Firefox.)
But anyways, in order to participate in the chat I subjected myself to using a PC. When I turned on the computer, it said that there was a hard drive failure. So I decided to reboot. It worked, but now I’m not taking any chances. I’m backing up all my old data, even stuff that I have not used in a couple of years like all the teaching files that I’ve accumulated over 11 years of that god-awful “profession”.
Fortunately, all the data fits on one DVD. Mission accomplished.
… It is your destiny.
Tags: Announcements, backup, Computers, data, geek_stuff, hard-drive
Remind me never to procrastinate again. I finished my humungus assignment about 15 minutes ago. The professor let me turn it in a couple of hours after midnight.
Tags: Announcements, education_and_training, Life
I’ve finished tagging all my photos from the trip. I’ll try to pre-date some of my thoughts from the conference in the next few days, which will include some reflections on what I experienced and learned.
But in the meantime, enjoy the pics:
Mall of America
Desiring God National Conference
Tags: Announcements, Blogging, conference, Desiring-God, Life, Minneapolis, Spiritual, Travels
In about an hour and a half Josephine will be bringing me to the airport for my 6:30 AM flight to the Twin Cities in Minnesota. I’m attending the Desiring God Conference with my best friend my high school. Not sure about Internet access during the conference, but if there is, I’ll try to live blog it. If not, then I’ll just blog when I get back to the hotel room.
Tags: absolutes, Announcements, Blogging, conference, culture, Desiring-God, postmodern, Spiritual, Travels, truth
What’s the latest here?
Well, I’ve been juggling lots of things lately: two classes, work, and church and stuff.
I was taking Photography 230 Digital Darkroom at Palomar College. But today I dropped the class and am taking Graphics Communications 140 Digital Imaging/Photoshop 1 (online) instead. I dropped the class because I did not like the teacher nor how he conducted his class.
First, he’s a condescending and arrogant person. Second, last night he told us to work on our first assignment, but gave no other direction. So almost everyone in the class stared at their computer screen since he does not like it when people leave early. I opened a few of the pictures that I had taken for the assignment, but beyond that, I did not really know what to do. And with 20+ people in the class, it was very difficult to get his attention.
The other class I take is EdTec 544 Instructional Design through San Diego State. They have the leading instructional design Master’s program in the nation. And I am starting a second master’s there, but through online courses so I have no commuting down to State.
Work has been great, though busy. We’re full-on into storyboarding. And although I struggle with getting started on storyboards, I think I’m getting better at it and producing great-quality design documents.
My reading schedule has been wild to say the least. On top of two classes, Pourpa and I have already finished reading Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist. But now we are finishing up another Piper book, Don’t Waste Your Life. Additionally, I’m trying to read Above All Earthly Pow’rs: Christ in a Postmodern World before the Desiring God conference at the end of this month. But I honestly don’t think I will finish the book before the conference because it’s pretty heady reading. John and I are also finishing up Tender Warrior: God’s Intention for a Man for our monthly accountability and reading times.
Finally, owning a house can sometimes be more of a headache, but I need to remember that having a house is a tremendous blessing. Despite the additional and unexpected expenses of power washing our dirty house, fixing a slab leak underneath the downstairs bathroom, and now learning that we have some fungus rot (due to moisture) in some of our wood fixtures, I’d say I’m content, but kinda irritated with all the outflow of money into maintaining the roof that goes over our head.
Tags: Announcements, Books, education_and_training, Life
Pourpa needed a new printer for school this year. So I gave him my inexpensive Canon PIXMA 1600 that I had bought for $50 awhile back. To replace the color printer, I also bought another $50 printer at Fry’s, an Epson Stylus R320 photo printer. It’s my first foray into Epson printing. Someday I hope to get this one if I ever start printing high-quality photos. But for now, this refurbished one is just fine for me.
Tags: Announcements, Canon, Epson, geek_stuff, Photography, PIXMA, Pourpa, printer, quick_links
Yesterday Josephine and I decided to start a photography business, mainly for shooting pics and home videos for birthday parties and other special occasions. I got the idea because my buddy John from high school asked me to shoot pics at his son’s 2nd birthday party last May. It was a lot of fun and very easy to get great shots of all the people, kids, and the star of the day.
So to start off, I thought I would first create a photoblog to showcase some of my best work. The photoblog will be slightly different than the repository of photos we store on flickr. On the photoblog there will be much fewer pictures since it will serve as a gallery/portfolio.
To create the new photoblog, I used the free open source photoblogging software called PixelPost. Then I used a free template and modified it using CSS and a little bit of HTML. As of right now, I only have one photo in the gallery, but I plan to upload more in the next few days and weeks and add some additional functionalities on the site, nothing major since I don’t know how to program stuff.
The only page not done on the site is the page that describes the services I plan to offer. It’s about 2:30 AM and I’ve been working on it all afternoon and evening (taking a short break for church). So the services page will have to wait until later.
The business and site name were kind of challenging to come up with. All the cool domain names were already taken like 1000words.com, photologica.com, inspiredimages.com :p (that’s a shoutout to my buddy Ennis). So I started looking at some Greek words since photography comes from the Greek word “fotografia”. And that’s how I came up with the name photo • teknis. You already know what the first word comes from. The second word, teknis, is the Greek word for “artist”. Thus, the translation… photography artist.
And so I present: phototeknis.com.
Tags: Announcements, Blogging, business, CSS, HTML, Photography, PixelPost, site_announcements, web_design
I’m registered. At the end of September I am attending this. The conference theme and title were inspired by this book. So I am going to try to read all of it before the conference starts. It’s pretty serious reading, so in order to better understand it, I will try to write about various sections of my reading and reflect on them here.
Tags: Announcements, Books, conference, Desiring-God, John-Piper, Life, quick_links, Spiritual
It’s coming from Costco.com. I can’t wait. Goodbye 20D. Thank you full refund from Costco. Hello 5D! It’s supposed to arrive on Monday, the 19th of June.
Tags: Announcements, Canon, Photography, quick_links
My new lens arrived today. I picked it up at Will Call from UPS tonight. I can’t shoot pictures tonight, but I will definitely be bringing it with me on Saturday for our adventure to Old Town.
Tags: Announcements, Photography, quick_links
So I woke up this morning to a vivid dream: my guitar had sold on eBay for over $6,000. I remember just watching the closing minute of the auction on My eBay, seeing the bid prices roll like old-fashioned cash register numbers increasing and increasing into the thousands of dollars. After I woke up, I turned on my computer realizing that it was just a dream, but perhaps there might be some good bidding news. The highest bid in the morning was greater than the night before, but it was not over $6000.
My guitar sold on eBay this afternoon. I think I got a pretty good price for it $777.01 not including shipping. The Guitar Center was only going to give me $600, but turn around and sell it for $950.
I feel kinda sad to have sold the guitar, but then I’m also excited to be getting a new macro lens and maybe a tripod and/or a electronic shutter release for my camera.
Tags: Announcements, dreams, eBay, guitar, Photography, Takamine
My PowerBook G4 is back, arriving earlier this morning. Thank you AppleCare. 1 GB RAM is back! I opened up Photoshop and a file and it appears that my machine is running at its normal speed.
Tags: Announcements, Apple, Computers, geek_stuff, memory, Photoshop, PowerBook, RAM, repairs, warranty
So today I was unoficially accepted into the EdTec program at SDSU. I plan to start taking classes regularly again in the fall, one class per semester– all online.
Following a careful review of your application, the Department of Educational Technology is recommending to the Graduate Division that you be admitted to the University with classified graduate standing. Such admission is not official until you receive a formal notice of admission from the Registrars Office.
Will all this schooling never end?
Tags: Announcements, EDTEC, education_and_training, SDSU
During church last night, the pastor mentioned a verse in his sermon; it’s also used in the book that Pourpa and I are reading together: “Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4). Basically, if you’re walking with God, I believe what it says is that your desires will be what God desires. After thinking about that, I realized that part of my passion in life is no longer leading worship music. I’d much rather use my gifts in photography and other skills I have instead.
After talking with our home group bible study leader leader last week, I learned that the entry point for leading music at church would be working with kids and young people. And I know that I really don’t want to be leading music for kids (whether it’s 3rd grade or 10th grade). I did that a long time ago and I think that part of my life is pretty much over. I think that if leading worship was going to be a part of my life again, I would definitely have to sense God leading me that way. I would have a heart to use my musical talents where they are most needed. And I don’t.
So I decided to sell my baby. I think my initial feelings about leading worship again some day were really based on some strong emotions that I felt after Todd’s memorial service. But since that time, I’ve only played once or twice.
What I’d love to do with the money I make from this beautiful guitar is to buy the photography equipment I’ve been dreaming about. I’d love to go on travels with Andy to faraway places, shooting pictures for CRM on a short-term missions trip, sharing the story of what God is doing all over the world via photography. Our church goes on regular missions trip. And it seems that there is always a regular photography/video/media crew that goes along to document the trip for sharing it with the congregation afterwards. I’d love to do that too.
And so I think I’m following this passion for photography that God has given me at this stage in my life; hence, goodbye Takamine.
It was kind of strange going into the Guitar Center today to get my guitar appraised. That’s where I originally bought the guitar in 1996 in La Mesa. The salesperson could not stop admiring and praising the guitar, saying how beautiful it looked and sounded. I felt kind of sad hearing that since the guitar has so many special memories for me. But the money I get from the guitar will be used to further God’s kingdom in a different way. That’s my prayer. And I’m sure there will be many good memories that I will be capturing on digital sensor.
Tags: Announcements, church, eBay, guitar, Photography, Spiritual, Takamine, Worship
