One of the things I've learned, while watching shows on Tru TV (not talking about Wipeout here), is to always expect the unexpected when it concerns wildlife. For example, I watched a docudrama about a lady who went to one of those swim with the dolphin events in the carribean and the dolphin ended up grabbing the lady's leg and pulling her under. With that, I've come directly into contact with the local wildlife over the last month or so.
Experience #1
Around three or four weeks ago, I went to my favorite beach,Sunset Beach, to partake in some long awaited body boarding. I was out in the water waiting for some waves when I looked up the coast about 100 feet to some surfers who were going crazy for some dolphins that were coming near shore for some fish and playing in the waves. They came pretty close to me, maybe about 30 feet at least, but I decided to paddle in a bit to get out of their way. They stayed around for a bit but ended taking off for greener pastures. That was actually my first time seeing dolphins in that area and it was indeed pretty cool.
Experience #2
I seem to have gotten the bug and really enjoy hiking the trail to the Bridge to Nowhere. The trail goes right through the Sheep Mountain Wilderness. The first few trips through, I didn't see a single mountain sheep and I assumed it was a BS ploy. My fourth time up was on a rainy/drizzly day and when I was taking my mid hike break at the bridge, I actually saw a group of about 7 or 8 sheep walking on the hill just to the south! I wondered if I would be able to get a better view of the sheep in the future because they look pretty interesting.
This last weekend when I took the trail, I walked the majority of the trail with a guy who commonly prospects on the east fork of the San Gabriel River. He was telling me that the sheep are actually very common sights but most people are looking down at the trail instead of looking up and seeing the awesome sights. We parted at about the four and a half mile point and I continued to the bridge and a nice half hour break and watched the bungee jumping instructor setting up the rig for the morning jumpers. I then started back to the trail head and got about 5 minutes away when I heard a rustling in a bush about 10 feet away from me next to the trail. I grew a tad concerned and I looked over in that direction and saw two more mountain sheep less than 20 feet away from me! They were running parallel to the trail and trying to get up the side of the hill. I was sooooo close that I thought one of the sheep was going to charge straight at me and I'd be running my ass right back to the bridge.Whew! That was close!!
I hope I get the chance to see more wildlife out in the middle of their habitat. They are much more interesting out there than seeing them on a day trip to the LA Zoo.
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Monday, May 27, 2013
It's Time To Go
I've been wanting to write about this for awhile and couldn't find the right words. I'm gonna die ...... maybe. Hopefully. Well, I probably will someday.
I'm leaving an uber cool trip to New York City, today. I'm going by train which is mostly unthinkable mode of transportation in this day and age in the US. I'll post some updates along the way if I can get internet on my phone.
I'm not actually dying, btw.
I'm leaving an uber cool trip to New York City, today. I'm going by train which is mostly unthinkable mode of transportation in this day and age in the US. I'll post some updates along the way if I can get internet on my phone.
I'm not actually dying, btw.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Breaking Out of Purgatory
I just accomplished a task that I have been dreaming and procrastinating for several months. Well, more like the last year.
The quest for any artist is to have their work shown. Now, this really goes against the grain for most of us artsy type people for several reasons. Many are introverted. For others, their work is just so personal that they could never imagine their work being completed or seen by somebody else. Its just one of the grandest feelings that we get to keep ourselves realistic.
I just made that move this past weekend. I looked at about 100 photos that I shot at two different brewerys and at Griffith Park. I wasn't proud of my work one bit. And I had several great photos. But I think I'm straying away from my point.
Just because you do art doesn't mean you should stop moving forward. The way to go is to mow every person in your path down and get to point B. I just sent out my first sales pitch to have my work hung at the new tasting room of a local brewery. Its a good deal for both sides. My photo/s get shown, they get free decorations, and I get experience.The worst thing that will happen is that my photos won't get shown. Well..... They are already not CURRENTLY being shown other than my website. There is no real downside If I get rejected..
I hope this doesn't make it to the eyes of my prospective sale, but I was just looking to gain some experience and some well needed guts/cojones to take me to the next level. I obviously passed that test when I hit send in my email, even if it ends up in the spam filter. I can say now, what many other people in this world can't say is "I did it!".
This year is already starting to shape up as a big win for me! I just need to keep following the lead of my favorite wrestler, CM Punk. Because he is "The Best In The World!"
Edit
Booo.....I need a new job :'-(
Edit #2
Wow! What a ramble!
Edit #3
Do these really count as edits since I added them before I posted this the first time?
The quest for any artist is to have their work shown. Now, this really goes against the grain for most of us artsy type people for several reasons. Many are introverted. For others, their work is just so personal that they could never imagine their work being completed or seen by somebody else. Its just one of the grandest feelings that we get to keep ourselves realistic.
I just made that move this past weekend. I looked at about 100 photos that I shot at two different brewerys and at Griffith Park. I wasn't proud of my work one bit. And I had several great photos. But I think I'm straying away from my point.
Just because you do art doesn't mean you should stop moving forward. The way to go is to mow every person in your path down and get to point B. I just sent out my first sales pitch to have my work hung at the new tasting room of a local brewery. Its a good deal for both sides. My photo/s get shown, they get free decorations, and I get experience.The worst thing that will happen is that my photos won't get shown. Well..... They are already not CURRENTLY being shown other than my website. There is no real downside If I get rejected..
I hope this doesn't make it to the eyes of my prospective sale, but I was just looking to gain some experience and some well needed guts/cojones to take me to the next level. I obviously passed that test when I hit send in my email, even if it ends up in the spam filter. I can say now, what many other people in this world can't say is "I did it!".
This year is already starting to shape up as a big win for me! I just need to keep following the lead of my favorite wrestler, CM Punk. Because he is "The Best In The World!"
Edit
Booo.....I need a new job :'-(
Edit #2
Wow! What a ramble!
Edit #3
Do these really count as edits since I added them before I posted this the first time?
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Getting into Music Shape
Whoever thought that starting a podcast would be a breeze. Not much sweat involved, unless it was kinda hot outside. Well, then I remembered I am making a music based podcast. 100% of the music will be written by me.
I haven't really picked up my guitar or my bass much over the past two years.So, the question now is how do I get back into shape with my playing. If you're asking yourself the same questions, here are a couple of ways to get yourself back in:
Exercising your fingers:
This is probably the most painful part of learning a stringed instrument. The best way I've found to do this is to use one of those hand grips that the MMA guys use to work on their fingers. Resold under the Planet Waves brand, this handgrip has on one side a rubber bumper that fits on your palm and the other side has four hard plastic bumpers on springs. Then you kind of just work on your fingerings as though you were playing.
Another technique I read about in an interview with Dino Cazares (of Brujeria, Asesino, and Fear Factory fame), where he used to strap scuba diver ankle weights to his wrist and put black electrical tap on his finger joints. He did this until he finally got to playing at his regular speed without the extras. He then would remove the tape and weights and all of the extra resistance increased his speed and accuracy. The article is no longer available on its former site, but the excerpt is still on the Blabbermouth.net website.
Playing your scales
Practicing scales actually have several different uses when playing a guitar. First off, it helps you learn notes and positions. Second, they help you learn how to switch strings seamlessly. That seems to be a more difficult concept when you're first learning how to play. Third, it helps you learn how to time yourself. Pick up a metronome from Sam Ash or Guitar Center and play along to the pace it sets.
Here is a good link that shows the different guitar scales available
Here is one for the bass
and
Here are the triads and progressions
Listen along
My favorite bassist ever, Tony Campos, mentioned in an interview several years ago that one of the ways he learned to play was by listening to Cannibal Corpse and other death metal and metal bands and trying to figure out what notes they were playing and then try and recreate it himself. By doing this, you also come to respect the different styles of music you play, which in turn makes it easier to remember and pick up.
Another reason to play other peoples music is that its easier to learn techniques and notations that you would look at on a sheet of music and wonder how the hell you would play that. I remember when I first was learning to play, I was looking at an old copy of Guitar World that had the sheet music for Schysm from Tool. It was my first time seeing triplets. I never even saw those when I was playing in my school band. Then I listened to the song 50 million times, and then I was good to go.
Get out there!
My last but not least tip is to just get out there and play! get some type of decent and find an open mic, join a band, or just jam with some dudes (and/or ladies) who enjoy the same style as you do. I was in a very short lived band and it was one of the most fun times of my life! Just make sure they live near you or you all must be willing to meet in the middle. Concerts are a great way of finding others that share your interests, of course. And have fun out there playing music!
I haven't really picked up my guitar or my bass much over the past two years.So, the question now is how do I get back into shape with my playing. If you're asking yourself the same questions, here are a couple of ways to get yourself back in:
Exercising your fingers:
This is probably the most painful part of learning a stringed instrument. The best way I've found to do this is to use one of those hand grips that the MMA guys use to work on their fingers. Resold under the Planet Waves brand, this handgrip has on one side a rubber bumper that fits on your palm and the other side has four hard plastic bumpers on springs. Then you kind of just work on your fingerings as though you were playing.
Another technique I read about in an interview with Dino Cazares (of Brujeria, Asesino, and Fear Factory fame), where he used to strap scuba diver ankle weights to his wrist and put black electrical tap on his finger joints. He did this until he finally got to playing at his regular speed without the extras. He then would remove the tape and weights and all of the extra resistance increased his speed and accuracy. The article is no longer available on its former site, but the excerpt is still on the Blabbermouth.net website.
Playing your scales
Practicing scales actually have several different uses when playing a guitar. First off, it helps you learn notes and positions. Second, they help you learn how to switch strings seamlessly. That seems to be a more difficult concept when you're first learning how to play. Third, it helps you learn how to time yourself. Pick up a metronome from Sam Ash or Guitar Center and play along to the pace it sets.
Here is a good link that shows the different guitar scales available
Here is one for the bass
and
Here are the triads and progressions
Listen along
My favorite bassist ever, Tony Campos, mentioned in an interview several years ago that one of the ways he learned to play was by listening to Cannibal Corpse and other death metal and metal bands and trying to figure out what notes they were playing and then try and recreate it himself. By doing this, you also come to respect the different styles of music you play, which in turn makes it easier to remember and pick up.
Another reason to play other peoples music is that its easier to learn techniques and notations that you would look at on a sheet of music and wonder how the hell you would play that. I remember when I first was learning to play, I was looking at an old copy of Guitar World that had the sheet music for Schysm from Tool. It was my first time seeing triplets. I never even saw those when I was playing in my school band. Then I listened to the song 50 million times, and then I was good to go.
Get out there!
My last but not least tip is to just get out there and play! get some type of decent and find an open mic, join a band, or just jam with some dudes (and/or ladies) who enjoy the same style as you do. I was in a very short lived band and it was one of the most fun times of my life! Just make sure they live near you or you all must be willing to meet in the middle. Concerts are a great way of finding others that share your interests, of course. And have fun out there playing music!
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
The Sounds of Hell
I was sitting here and thinking about what I wanted to write about. At first, I was going to write my next entry for starting a podcast, but then after I had written everything out, I thought I would like to mention something I've found interesting since I was a little kid. The Sounds of Hell!!!
This clip was taken from my most favorite radio show ever, Coast to Coast AM. Click Here to read the backstory.
I actually listened to that recording when it played live on the radio about 8 or 9 years ago. At the time I was a delivery driver for a pharmacy, a job I strongly disliked. When you are on the road for 8 hours a day, you end up listening to talk radio. Well, I used to drive from midnight to about 4 AM every night. So I had just returned to the pharmacy after finishing up my delivery run.I had to drop off my paperwork and split. The pharmacy was located in a commercial zone that was virtually empty in the middle of the night. Nobody driving on the road and the pharmacy was closed.
So I pull up to the entryway from the street and sit there to listen to this recording. It kinda freaked me out. and all of a sudden from the right side of my car, I see this tiny orange glow come out of nowhere. I started freaking out, and then I see it was a homeless man sitting on the lawn of the business and I jump like 4 feet into the air! OMG!
I thought that was the best piece of radio I had heard ever, that is until they had on the guest who was the spokesperson for the Maitreya and the guests who shared their recordings of EVPs and Exorcisms. Very compelling radio! To be honest the exorcisms are the best but the EVPs are the freakiest. Especially when in one area you hear the voice of the kid and in another you hear the voice of an adult and its determined that they are the same spirit messing with the investigators!
Unfortunately, people get a little too upset when great topics such as this get talked about. Mostly, its done by people who take religion a bit too seriously. Its worth it to take a step back and just enjoy life. Tightwads!
This clip was taken from my most favorite radio show ever, Coast to Coast AM. Click Here to read the backstory.
I actually listened to that recording when it played live on the radio about 8 or 9 years ago. At the time I was a delivery driver for a pharmacy, a job I strongly disliked. When you are on the road for 8 hours a day, you end up listening to talk radio. Well, I used to drive from midnight to about 4 AM every night. So I had just returned to the pharmacy after finishing up my delivery run.I had to drop off my paperwork and split. The pharmacy was located in a commercial zone that was virtually empty in the middle of the night. Nobody driving on the road and the pharmacy was closed.
So I pull up to the entryway from the street and sit there to listen to this recording. It kinda freaked me out. and all of a sudden from the right side of my car, I see this tiny orange glow come out of nowhere. I started freaking out, and then I see it was a homeless man sitting on the lawn of the business and I jump like 4 feet into the air! OMG!
I thought that was the best piece of radio I had heard ever, that is until they had on the guest who was the spokesperson for the Maitreya and the guests who shared their recordings of EVPs and Exorcisms. Very compelling radio! To be honest the exorcisms are the best but the EVPs are the freakiest. Especially when in one area you hear the voice of the kid and in another you hear the voice of an adult and its determined that they are the same spirit messing with the investigators!
Unfortunately, people get a little too upset when great topics such as this get talked about. Mostly, its done by people who take religion a bit too seriously. Its worth it to take a step back and just enjoy life. Tightwads!
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Big Man in a Big Small City
I was going to post this on my photo blog Yashmat United, but I found it better suited towards my personal blog. Maybe, I'll reblog it over there too.
This weeks adventures bring me to the blog hop setup by Kathryn over at her blog, Project Kathryn. What better way than to get out there and meet other people, be it in person or over the internet, then to participate in a wonderful activity made to bring people together? So I bring to you, finally, My city.
I'm not sure if I'm following the rules with this post, but I have a strong aversion to following rules in general. I took a 5 minute drive to the downtown section of my city, a place I've never traveled while carrying a camera. It was an area I traveled to and from frequently as a young kid, since my mom worked at the city hall before kicking the proverbial bucket. It was a place I had mixed emotions about. o.0 I should see if they have the farmers market down there still.
This weeks adventures bring me to the blog hop setup by Kathryn over at her blog, Project Kathryn. What better way than to get out there and meet other people, be it in person or over the internet, then to participate in a wonderful activity made to bring people together? So I bring to you, finally, My city.
I'm not sure if I'm following the rules with this post, but I have a strong aversion to following rules in general. I took a 5 minute drive to the downtown section of my city, a place I've never traveled while carrying a camera. It was an area I traveled to and from frequently as a young kid, since my mom worked at the city hall before kicking the proverbial bucket. It was a place I had mixed emotions about. o.0 I should see if they have the farmers market down there still.
I really didn't have too much to work with on this one, so I gave it my best. I think I used almost all of the shots I took too. So, I give you this one last shot that brings it all together. How? No clue, I just wanted to post it. Its of one of our strays that lives outside.
If you have a sec, take a stop by my portfolio site The Other Side of Time. See ya!
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Creating a Podcast: Character Planning
One of the most difficult parts when you start a new project is yourself. I tend to be a big thinker so the ideas rush right in like a fast moving stream. They also tend to flow right out equally as fast. Other times I tend to scrap an entire idea after weeks of thinking back and forth. Since my last post the other day, I've talked myself in and out of this idea several times, and now its here to stay.
To start off a show, like mine, that will be character driven, is a main character. With that, there are two ways you can take it, a good guy or a real bastard. Now when I mention either of these two options, I don't mean coming up with "Goody Two Shoes" or the person who is completely void of any bad intentions, or the exact opposite with the bad guy. You have to have a character who tends to lean around the gray area and fall slightly in one direction. At least, from all of my pro wrestling viewing over the years, that's how it seems to me.
Now whenever I listen to the radio, the talk show hosts seem to be relatively good guys who just happen to have little streaks of jackass in them. For some good examples, Check out Bill Handel and John and Ken. These are the type of guys that I would love to use as inspiration. Well, actually more like Adam Carolla. The Aceman Is the king at being cool and a dick at the same time.
Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be revealing too much more info on the main character just yet. All I can say is that I've been thinking and planning this guy for a few years now.
On my next post, I'll go into a bit more of guest and recurring characters. Thanks for stopping by.
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