My Kidneys Have Failed Me

So, as a recommendation, when you have constant shakes, night sweats, lower back pain, and all around confusion - go see a doctor. I'm sitting here, in enormous pain, sweating though my clothes because I have a severe kidney infection. I haven't been able to sleep, I've even broken out into hives (though, they've gone away since yesterday). Mind you, my boss is still on me about the projects that are piling up, even while I'm sitting here about to vomit...Corporate America sucks.

So, how did I get it? Don't know. According to the doctor, they can build up and at the slightest moment hit you like a truck. I walked in from work, and literally passed out on the couch.

Water and Gatorade are my only hope in making it though the next few days.

Teaching an OldBoy new tricks

If I hadn't become a photographer who happened to become a designer who happened to become a digital art director I would have studied film. I adore the medium. Hell, I've written two partial scripts that I should really complete before I start on a new project I've been kicking around. I am privileged enough to have enough information in my head where as I can honestly say "Ask me anything related to photography and I can answer it..." I know a lot about a lot of shit, but photography is my golden concept. Film would be my second. At one time I had a DVD collection of well over 400. I have since pawned off many titles, but all in all I can hang with most on an intellectual level about the art medium of film.

OldBoy. I had read I needed to see it. I had read that it made many "must own" lists. I was anticipating it's DVD release. I watched it last night and I must say, for a film to stay with me 24 hours later must really mean something. It was as if I was watching Taxi Driver for the first time - SE7EN - The Usual Suspects - To Kill A Mocking Bird. Films which I hold in the highest regard. I explained the plot to my wife tonight and she looked at me in awe. The story is such that captured my imagination to express perhaps a minute reflection into my own work. It's been a long time since something has hit me so hard. Rent it. Own it. Watch it multiple times. Even if you don't "like" it the staying power is insane.

Since we're here on this subject, lets allow some other titles that you may have never heard of but should:

City of Lost Children (French)
Dellamorte Dellamore
Charade
Way of the Gun
Insomnia (the ORIGINAL people, the ORIGINAL)
Shallow Grave

Gizmondo

According to WashingtonPost.com this is the new "it" PDA to have for gamers this coming October: Gizmondo. Seems you can get it currently in the UK. See, that's what I'm looking for - not only do I have to deal with crazy drivers on cell phones, reading the newspaper, smoking (ok, you got me), or beating thier children who are in the BACK seat, soon we'll see a new breed of idiot drivers: People who play games while they pretend to be paying attention.

And you know what, I'm going to aspire to be one of those new idiots!

PhotoShop Genius

Just one of those days for cool shit I guess. Glenn Feron does some amazing retouching work. Some of the best I've seen. Check out his portfolio - amazing work.

And no, I'm not posting this as an endorsement of exaggerating the female form which society seems necessary to distort which will most likely give my daughter an eating disorder by the time she's 10. BUT, most people forget that a photograph is an illusion in itself. I can make you look a thousand different ways by use of lighting, lenses, filters, film and even different cameras. It's all fake, not real, and a manipulation. Mr. Feron does it after the fact, where I was taught to do it up front. But damn some of those women are smoking!

White Stripes on Cephalexin

I've been sick. I blame many people other than myself for my current condition. For Father's Day my wife got me tickets to see the White Stripes at Starlight. I love the stripes, but there are only a handful of bands that I would crawl to after being attacked by blind ravenous chiggers (Burden Brothers & FireWater to name a couple). So we opted to go to Everett's instead. Little did I know that on Tuesday night it's "buy one get one free" till 8pm. Holy crap! So when our waitress brings me 2 martini's - lets just say I was up to see the Stripes after all.

Good show. Wife was sick too so we left early to miss the crowd. A crowd that was less then impressive!? What the hell? I figured it would have been sold out? Jack Johnson is sold out this Friday - what gives?

Google is taking over the world

Once again Google has taken an existing technology and added just enough spin to make it better - Google Talk. Seriously, Google is taking over. Once Google Earth catches up with what the government must have in regard to cleaner/crisper imagery, the virtual world we call the web will enable me to stalk a LOT easier.

I mean, honestly, 4 billion:

"Google shares, which have tripled since going public one year ago, closed Wednesday at $285.10 on the Nasdaq Stock Market, giving the offering an estimated value of $4 billion (euro3.25 billion) at that share price."
cnn.com

So the question is, what will Google do with another 4 billion? Buy someone of course.

912 no more

On a totally unrelated note (I know, stabbings are a lot more interesting) I just got an e-mail from my baby's new owner. Yes, I sold one of my children. Screw YOU society; I should be able to sell ANYTHING I WANT! Obviously I'm referring to my 1966 Porsche and not an actual child.

She had been on the market for just about three months. Shit loads of inquires, a couple test drives, and one final buyer. I had just got back from showing her and I got an e-mail. He was interested, of course. We chatted back and forth on gmail. I was tired, and even more tired of these guys never getting back to me. I said "John, if you really want her, send me a deposit and I'll pull the listings..." He says "Ok, how much?" I was dumbfounded. Why didn't you pull that one SOONER dumbass!?!?

Wouldn't you know it, after driving her back from the last showing she wouldn't crank over. The guys over at 912bbs gave me a shit-storm of an "idiot, what you are describing isn't possible! Why not tell us what isn't working and WE'LL tell you what is wrong..." I love being stupid. So, the good people at Imagine Auto changed some wires, bolted a relay back on, and she fired right up. Actually, she drove better after that one modification that she ever did in my possession. GOD DAMN IT!

So John flew in from Denver, drove her back and she started acting the same way again? But this is what he sends me:

"I love her.

Got the Whale tail ready to go on but the sun roof didn't work out so well considering I was probably using the wrong tools...I thought a can opener would work but I guess I was wrong.

Seriously I have only buffed her with a diaper. She is going in for her doctor visit on Thursday and I have checked to see if the starter has some loose wiring but could not find any problems with the starter motor wiring or the booster wiring. I guess that is where the professionals come in right?

Thanks again, I can not say that enough."

She's a dream car. He'll love her for years to come. Part of me hates him.

Teen is charged in mother's death...

This is all I've been hearing about on the BUZZ. The ride home yesterday, the ride in this AM. All the VJs are really messed up about it. Seems a 16 year old Honor Roll student had an off day and possibly stabbed her mother. She's being tried as adult. The Kansas City Star has the story.

What I found interesting on Lazlo's program last night was his honest attempt to find out if there had been anything he missed. The BUZZ has a chat room that this girl (I'm sorry, even if she is being charged as an adult she's still just a kid) posted a number of times. General conversations, comments, images (of herself), general intelligent bullshit. Lazlo even called Dr. Drew to get his thoughts on the whole situation. Dr. Drew ran a number of possibilities on what could have caused the stabbing one of which is the use of drugs. He went on to talk about the effects of SPEED. The catch slogan that was coined in the 70's "Speed Kills" doesn't refer to the fact that by using SPEED you will die, but prolonged use will create the illusion of sever paranoia mixed with strong rage and the desire to physically hurt someone.

I know nothing about the situation other than what I've heard on the radio, read in the newspaper and researched on her BLOG and chatroom posts. I don't know if she was abused, was even ON drugs or has any mental illnesses. I am confident, currently living here in KC that I will find out more details, but doubt anyone will even understand the real reasons.

I mean, christ, BTK is still going on here, what the hell is next? I need a drink.