Border’s finally opened!!! I guess they had their grand opening this weekend. The nearest Border’s from the Sac house was way in the middle of the city, no freeway around here would take us directly there; we’d pretty much have to go around the whole city, cut through with business 80, or just take the inner streets–meaning it’s a 30-45 minute drive regardless.
The closest ones after that are in Roseville, Elk Grove…too far. Now…Border’s is a bikeride away!!!
My parents have been trying to get their HP wireless fax/copier/scanner printer to work for a whole week. In fact, they thought the first one was busted and they exchanged it. They spent hours on the phone, you know, “customer service” that is re-routed to India (seriously). When I came home on Friday night, my parents were still up at it.
I tried to help them out; I felt bad; they wasted hours of their life trying to get the wireless feature to work (yeah…wireless…I know, but my mom wants it). Anyhow, my mom made me a $20 offer if I can get it to work, which brings me to my next point.
I’ve been reading through books and sucking good information like I’m some sexy little librarian. I don’t mean those “Tuesdays with Morrie” type of books. I mean photography books, graphic design books and so forth. Those cost a lot. My loan is practically diminished. My brain is happy though. I am learning so much new info.
Which brings me back to my mom’s $20 offer. Last night, Jhun, Kate and I hung out @ Barnes & Nobles (Fremont) and Kate’s house while I studied for a midterm and read up on the books I bought. I drank a calming cup of coffee at night (thanks Amelia???) and it allowed me a 2am-5am slumber.
I woke up, figured out the wireless printer problem (which has a 1/8 common household success ratio), made $20 bucks + allowance and BOOM! It’s like I didn’t buy $30 bucks of books and a new $10 wallet.
Which brings me to my digressive point. I never wanted to become an
information techie (dad strongly suggested but was open to design). I’d
hate my living. God, I love graphic design.
Yesterday was ADAC’s Chaos II event–a graphic design event with speakers,
vendors and food. I felt nerdy because when there was a 1930 egg carton
for raffle, I was probably the only person very excited about it. I had to
hide it because people around me were laughing, being sarcastic, you know, that
kind of thing. But it would have made the coolest collection of my
packaging and print samples I’ve collected over the years–not to mention the
oldest addition.
The skies were great. It had this ghostly feel to it. The outdoor pictures remain untouched because you can get a feel of what the distant fires did to Sacramento. It was supposed to be a clear/hot day. If your skin were exposed to the sun, only a small portion of your arm would feel the heat.
The pictures take you inside our Thursdays (Kate and me). It’s our 12.5
hour day and we have 3 classes: graphic design lecture, drawing and digital lab.
The pics also encompass what Kate and I have started doing for a few
weeks–hanging out with a few friends and developing film on our offtime.
TRUTH BE TOLD
I feel like an old man! I don’t look so much at other’s people’s photos, because, well, to me, because of a certain person, borrowing (or stealing) ideas is taboo to hell. But when I think of my pictures, I think of an old man with a camera taking pictures. I can do wonders with my Sony, but somehow, I let the fact that my 717 isn’t an SLR hold me back from accomplishing what I want to accomplish. My eye is the eye of a 50 yr old.
My wish is to master zone system photography. WHO THE FUCK AT MY AGE CARES?! I just browsed some pics from Stace’s roommate, Dee, fack…she’s been to some places. I’ve been to some places but I don’t have the kind of pics she has. Why do I think only she can pull it off? I need to re-evaluate myself…here we go again. I thought this was done as soon as I broke 20.
I am limiting myself. Borrowing ideas, I guess isn’t so much taboo as I thought it was. It’s exposure; subliminal lessons in technique.
Mentally critiquing a photograph and graphic design calls for inspiration and
lessons in technique. I mean, there’s stealing, and then there’s borrowing
ideas and acknowledging the person who inspired the idea.
If I take a photo that looks similarly to somebody else’s, please, please PLEASE believe that it was not my intention to steal the idea. I have no such intentions, just inspirations.
I never had such intentions to steal ideas. I always thought my work had
some originality; but re-evaluating my work, to me, it’s dry, unexciting.
I am not moved.
I just don’t want to be classified as an idea stealer. Some people are
already stamped with that horrible label and I always wanted to steer the hell
away from that idea. Why does it matter? Because I really do care of what people think (in this context). I do not intend to rip off other graphic designers, photographers. IT’S
SUBLIMINAL DAGNAMMIT, kind of like the urge to go out an vote because MTV tells me too!
–The rant of a boy who seeks originality.
Ps. Seeking originality was in the back of my head; it was never spoken, I just thought if I
continue to do what I do, and just go out and expose film or digital media, and design, and as long as I have no intent of biting off some other person, it’s original. Now, the thought that placed itself in the back of my head has swallowed me up and I am really
seeking originality. I feel so shallow, so superficial, artificial, unofficial. O God, I need to sleep. I need to do something groundbreaking for myself. I am a bore.
A CALL FOR INSPIRATION. DESPERATE FOR AN IDENTITY.
I’m just trying to step out of the I DON’T WANT TO BE BITER, mentality.
First off, cuz I am not. I just know a guy, and he has a reputation for
it. K, stop Jeff, just stop. Expose yourself. Build a commuity.
God, I feel so lost, but I’ll find my way out and I’ll be "Bigger stronger,
drive a faster car."
"You can’t grow by yourself" -Kate
Sorry for the rant, just opening up.
I bitch when I grow.
I’m feeling inspired. Kate and I shot a b/w roll, each, around the house again, great lighting. We’re shooting tomorrow morning (1 roll each) and tomorrow noon (1 roll each). So, we’ll be developing twice (total of 6 rolls). Anyways, to the point, I’m feeling inspired and hopefully I wake up inspired (yikes) cuz I want to bring my digital too, and share. I haven’t shared my eye in a while. I’m such an eager little hooker.
So, the aim, a view of Sac State, in a non-ambiguous, unobtrusive, but “artsy” kinda detail, if such a thing exist. Forget the explanation. We’ll see What ever the environment makes me feel like doing I will do.
I swear dude, Kate and I are going to kill that 100 feet of bulk film so quickly. That’s $44 bucks a pop! But that’s equivalent to 23 rolls of film, as opposed to $44 being worth only 7 rolls of film @ a store.
Guess what.
>>>Cameras
Sick huh? Well, 3 are mine. 2 are Kate’s. 1 is Huy’s (borrowed
it while my Nikon FM was being repaired. So, there are 5 SLRs under
this roof. Haha… it makes me smile. Yes, I’m so lame. My Nikon FE
came in today–the same model I got for Jun. I’m excited. Yayyy
Whattap whattap. Shout out to my peeps, hollerin at my dawg. Excuse my ghetto (if that’s my ghetto, I am a sad sad man) Yeah. that shout-out was for my homie, Dad. He taught me lots of stuff, but most importantly, how to deal…with PEE EM ESS. Yeah…every month I get PMS…it’s bad. I think the term they use now is called KATE. She blows up at me outta nowhere. It’s insane yo. I hear Mary’s PMS gets bad. I know Kaye’s PMS gets bad. Man…God is laughing at us men…he should…he invented it.
Very funny big guy. Very funny. To all the guys who suffer PMS, like Jay would say, “Aww hell let’s all go titty bar.” Say it fast, say it loud, it’s the new man slogan. Help find a cure for PMS. One love. Holla. I’m out sucka (there’s the Sacramento in me again, sorry.)
Jason, a friend from school, exposed Kate and I to the underground life of hardcore dancing. It’s an updated version of 90s moshpitting and crowdsurfing. I mean, let’s face it, you can most at a Sting concert; that’s how far it’s come. So what did the old school moshers resort to? Metal-like drumming, fast guitar riffs and explicit screaming at the top of the lungs. If it weren’t for the change of progression in the instruments, you would think all of the songs were the same.
Imagine a bunch of white guys dancing with, what I call, rhythm on speed. It’s like a b-boy event, and for those uncool cats like me (yes, I used the term cats) b-boying is breakdancing. They have a circle like they would with b-boy events or moshing circles and they do kick flips, with crazy punches in the air, throwing legs, arms, necks, fists in the air. Suprisingly folks, they have etiquette. There’s is a process and a set of norms to which these people live by, as twisted as it may seem.
I will try to find an mpeg of it. It’s quite interesting–white dudes doing 360 kicks with fist-flying action for well more than the song plays.
It was like dancing to ska on crack.
Wanna see my projects? The first guitar is from a photo a took a few days
before I moved to Sac; it was when my room in Milpitas was empty. Anyhow,
the 2nd guitar is a vector illustration for my digital graphics class. The
newspaper is for USF.
>>>save target as
"University of San Francisco
Graduate Business Journal"
[look for my name on pg. 2]
