Cause for celebration?

What an election, truly flabbergasted. Congrats to president elect. Congrats to America. Obama's speech was the rush of air, in relief of baited breath held of how to find common ground between two side of a seemingly opposed parties. but are we so far from each other. both parties cried for change or being a maverick and ready to do things differently. the 349 to 162 in electoral votes seems like a landslide, yet a 7 million people difference, out of 111 million, doesn't seem that drastic. the battle for North Carolina and Missoiuri makes the outcome of these candidates were even closer. how does a race so close still rouse threats to expatriate? Did Bush instill a strong identity and a following and McCain is just the fall-out?

Is Barack's podium of change going to be that hard for us stand behind. will we listen to the actions that need to be done so that we don't pass up our opportunity as we would if it were a vagrant on the streets asking for change. in reality, the differences between the bi-polar ideologies aren't that stark. we are all Americans and when we unify under the banner of saving the environment or protecting ourselves from terrorism, we do a good job of succeeding. when the opportunity of confrontation arises between yourself and someone different, its the movement towards someone else's interests that will make a difference. when some says pro life and you think they should have been aborted, bite your tongue and listen to why. what motivates us isn't to drastic. lets listen to those who ask for change.

WHAT, WHAT, WHAT?

I knew their demise couldn't last too long. Nau is now back, dontcha know? Their blog was excellent, glad to see its back up and running. Interested to hear about why someone brought them back and whats the new plan of attack.

signs of democracy

I like this. I like the end point that the actors came to outside of AB and did it with a small comedy group. Maybe that's a sign that the economy is that bad.

Let your imagination die

This is probably a side effect of thinking to early, but . .
Perhaps it’s the crisp cold smell of fallen leaves that bring up the topic of change and death. The topic of death seems to be following me slightly closer. Lyle Owerko has put out some cool work but he keeps being noted as that one guy who photographed the world trade center jumpers (his work is worth more credit than a one hit wonder). However people’s draw towards the work is undeniable. What is it with people’s fascination of death? “What were they thinking right before they jumped?” “The rush of oxygen must have made them pass out, no-one would jump in their right mind” “does your life actually flash before your eyes?”
Maybe it’s the looming of all hallows eve (the best holiday in American culture, in my humble opinion), but the personage of how American’s think about death, is all about us. The ominous scarecrows on porches and the shadowy faces carved in pumpkins, all point us to America’s fear of death. SIDE NOTE: Most countries in the world celebrate death, as much as anyone can celebrate the death of friends, family, et cetera. Other cultures understand that death is inevitable and celebrate death as another step in life. Just as you have your years of teenage angst, you have your dead years. We on the other hand have built a billion dollar industry on shielding us from death. We have medicine to extend a terminal life, we have housing for our elderly loved ones (healthcare provides approx. 13 million job of which 25% are for elder care); death seems to be an admission of our flaws, loss and defeat. One the other side of our coin of denial is a bottomless pit of imagination that fosters its own industry, scary movies, Halloween costumes and candies.
All industry and notes aside, when people talk about death they talk about it with imagination. I’m sure you could pass people through MRI machines and see the creative centers in their brain light up like a Technicolor dream. I’m sure this isn’t any profound idea. Any time you peer into the unknown, you use your creativity. The simple fact is, that it is unknown.
I was discussing with some friends earlier this week, as Chuck Klosterman nears the end of his novel, living to die, I half expected a summation of why we canonize all of the artists that die. Some artist live underwhelmed lives but their death creates an explosion of fame. Other artist, meet death as they were half expected to die, that would be the only way people could see that artists career go. However they die and what their path may have been fans like to preserve the image of their death famed artists in their own mind. In a fans mind they can have a pristine image of what they want, with out any corruption. With art creativity come easily, with the fear of the unknown dusting off the unfamiliar art of creativity is harder. Fear seems to become some. It seems as though some people have a fear of their creative side just as much as they fear death. Maybe chuck had it right, don’t tell us what to think about death leave us to our own tools, let us become the artists of fame and the result will be much more fearful.

Jus' chillaxin'

You can't make this shit up. Relics in my yard




There was an amazing double rainbow, but I felt like taking a picture of the trash instead




Who has a miner cart in their backyard, I DO



"Horse shack," an un-known diddy by the B-52s




My unbelievable back yard

My procrastination project

A pic taken by my college roomie, Bredan (very talented photo taker). Only some touch up. Much love for Tyler "Baker" Thurman, the skater in the frame.



The Tres Hombres headed to surf trestles.



Suiting up



The two boys into the water like fish



Dude you totally could have kicked that guys ass from prison break, that was him right?
Man he had a huge head.

Boulder Love

Never thought I would see so much heart in a wolf tee! Nor did I think my next door neighbor and tallest kid ever that I played lax with would come out with music as sick as this. Much boulder love!