photosynthesis

Four new photos are up on my Flickr page.

Let me know what you think.

Oh. Yeah. I'm still...bugging out on the whole blogging thing. For now. It's not permanent.

I'm just...doing stuff.

Hi!

Hi!

Just wanted to say hello.

Hello!

Okay.

Yeah, tonight I discovered there was a mouse living in my grill. How nutty is that?

Getting ready for Thanksgiving. Expecting a houseful. All that happy horseshit.

I'm a little behind on Internet stuff. Don't get mad. It'll pick up again as soon as the madness dies down.

Just hold a space for me.

Take it easy.

Fear of Motorcycles: CURED

Today I finished a weekend-long motorcycle rider training course and passed. I got my certificate this afternoon. All I need to do is get it to the DMV and I'll be licensed to ride a motorcycle.

To be totally honest, the course was a bit of an ass-kicking both physically and mentally. Well worth it, though. The stuff I learned in a single weekend will be invaluable as I get out there and start to gain some experience. I strongly recommend taking a rider training course to anyone considering getting into motorcycling.

I've always had respect for motorcyclists for making their way on the often less than hospitable roadways but now that respect has grown exponentially. Being a good rider means taking responsibility for your own safety, whether or not the dangers are the result of your own actions or the actions of others. When you think about it that's an awful lot to take on.

Anyway, I'm very happy to have conquered this beast and I can't wait to get out there.

Halloween 2007

Just in case you were wondering what I was so busy with that I couldn't wrap up the spooky music review before Halloween, I put up the first batch of pics of my first official yard haunt.

This wasn't the first time I've ever decorated for Halloween, of course. I do that every year. What was different this year was the creation--from scratch--of a monster to serve as the focal point. Not to mention, a lot of time, effort and creativity went into amping up the rest of the house with the goal of outdoing what we did last year.

Overall, I'm very happy with a haunt that involved a lot of firsts, including my first attempt at wiring basic LED circuits, my first attempt at really using dramatic lighting and a bunch of other crazy stuff that involved a lot of experimentation, a lot of research and a whole lot of help.

I want to thank BOY for helping to conceive and execute The Lurker, including spending a day in my back yard with me weaving branches into an 8-9' body. I also want to thank both my parents and my wife for helping make the front porch look amazing and for humoring my crazy idea of sticking branches all over the place.

Based on the reaction of both kids and parents, I'd say we did a pretty damn good job.

Horrifying Sounds, Part III

I'm a little late but that's just because Halloween was out-of-control busy. Here's a list of honorable mentions and a few singles that are worthing including:

28 Days Later: The Soundtrack Album
Constantine Original Motion Picture Score - Bryan Tyler & Klaus Badelt
12 Monkeys: Music from the Motion Picture - Paul Buckmaster & Others
Interview with the Vampire Original Motion Picture Soundtrack - Elliot Goldenthal
Angelo Badalamenti - Lost Highway Soundtrack - "Fred & Renee Make Love" and "Police"
Celtic Frost - "Winter (Requiem, Chapter Three: Finale) from Monotheist
Celtic Frost - "Danse Macabre" from Morbid Tales
Charles Camille Saint-Saëns - "Danse Macabre, Op. 40"
David Julyan - The Descent Soundtrack
DJ Food - "The Crow" from Kaleidescope
King Diamond - "Halloween"
Kronos Quartet - "Spectre" from Short Stories
Letum - Broken (or most anything else for that matter)
Misfits - "Horror Business", "Halloween", "Ghoul's Night Out", "Night of the Living Dead" etc.
SunnO))) - Anything, esp. "Sin Nanna", "Hell-O)))-Ween" & "Cursed Realms (of the Winterdemon)"

There you have it. I hope you enjoy this stuff.