Sunday, May 17, 2009

New Fascination


This isn't always about what I'm carving...

I recently saw the video for Linkin Park's "Leave Out All the Rest" video, along with clips from the movie Sunshine. The visual elements are stunning. The closing shot is of the band (or in the film, just one guy) staring at the sun through a polarized screen. After searching for similar images, I found many real-life pictures of solar flares from NASA.Part of me wants to travel faster than light around this body with hopes of traveling back in time to rob an aquarium.

Started my new job last week. I am currently running tests on cyanoacrylate adhesives, printed circuit board water penetration, and am evaluating some parts designs, not to mention designing a new cutting jig for a friend.

We had by far the best D&D session last night that I've had yet. We finally got the idea to work as a team, and it helped out in a situation where we all needed to be in different rooms. After traveling to the roof of a building and discovering a crystal which was cursing the area in an unseasonable, endless winter and so forth, my character was pushed off and was knocked unconscious.

A lot of people know the story... Most important though is that after the session, the group stayed up and we got some butcher paper out and are now making a map of the "Land of Home Depot", where the campaign takes place. W
e're all pretty good friends.

I've got a pretty cute little niece. For the sake of sharing that fact, I'll redistribute a picture of her here:

There was some bad red-eye, but I was able to shop the photo and take care of that.

A good friend of mine called me today and asked about my cedar log. I have a seven-foot piece of cedar on my porch. Half of it will eventually become a totem pole. The other half is going to be cut into planks for salmon grilling. I think I also want to do some decorative canoe paddles like my uncle's, which means I need more cedar... It's like the delicious cycle again.
"Hey, leftover chips. I could buy some cheese and make nachos... Hey, leftover cheese. I could buy some chips and make nachos."
Except that of course, it's cedar logs and ideas.


Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Experiments with Photoshop and Other Ventures

I recently started working with Photoshop. Adobe Soundbooth was intuitive for me, so I was able to manufacture a new ringtone for my phone in under ten minutes, but there is a reason a lot of people make a life out of the software. I've been poking around online looking at tutorials now for a while, but still, it's a challenge.

Using one tutorial (HDR Photo-Effect, http://www.nill.cz/index.php?set=tu1) I did manage to dress up one picture.


Also dove back into carving. Finished a tortoise I started and got the paint on it the other night. I'm so used to painting miniatures (~25 mm) that a large area of one color felt foreign to me. My favorite part is his face.







The General is turning out to be harder than I thought.