Donald Holman

So, apparently, I disappointed someone here in the really, real world with my red meat fueled, testosterone soaked, antediluvian mentality and ideals. Ok .. they didn't really say that, but I thought it sounded better that way.

And this because of the train-wreck that is Perez Hilton. What did I do, you say? Wait ........ what the hell do you mean what did I do? How dare you judge me! You don't know .. you don't ... well, Ok, I did do it. But, ya know ... not intentionally. I laughed at someone. Well, not at someone, but at what someone said. Namely, paraphrasing, that 'Perez Hilton was right and that no one, no matter what, should ever be hit.' Cue my laughter right about there. I was soon informed, as usually happens with a conversation like this, that 'violence is never the answer.'

Ok .. so, let me just clear this up for anyone out there who is kind of fuzzy on where I stand in this. Yes ... there are people who deserve an ass-whoopin' in this world. It's just the nature of things. Some people just don't seem to understand words like:

"You really need to shut up now."
"You are getting on my last good nerve."
"I'd suggest you don't talk about my mother."
"Keep my girlfriend's name out of your mouth."
"Do I look like I'm joking?"
"Bump me one more time and I'm going to stomp a mudhole in your chest."

Ya know, stuff like that. The severity of the beatdown is, of course, dictated by the level of asshatery that they display. Getting popped in the eye is just about the right beatdown level I'd expect to see of someone who talks shit 24/7 about people. Sadly for him, I think he's got a couple hundred more of those coming before the scales are even. oh well, that's life.

As for the whole 'violence is never the answer' point that people like to throw out. Ummm, yea. There really are times that it is. In fact, not only is violence sometimes a really good answer, it solves problems and creates really cool things. Ya know, like the country I'm living in.


Ok .. done now. Off to work I go.

-=>D

PS. And yes, I also believe in the saying, "Some people just need killing." Because, you know, some people really do. Ya gotta love Texas.

I've got about a ka-jillion LJ posts to catch up on, but had to say that Tim Burton NOW has my full attention.

Ummm .... Alice in Wonderland .... ummmm ... hell yea.


( +2 more images under cut )


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I'm in the middle of retouching a shoot (for the 2nd time) that's kicking my butt. I'm having to do something I despise; using photoshop to fix/repair photos. I didn't pick it up at all during the shoot, but there was something wrong with one of my lenses. It almost looks like an element was loose and gave almost an asymmetrical tilt to the images (most of the image is in sharp focus but part of it is just out of focus). No chance to reshoot and it's kicking my buttocks to get something I can use.

So, when I get ticked off enough and need a break, I've been doing a couple SEAF images since they are so easy to retouch. Stress relief for me and images for you guys to see. There's probably one more of these posts coming up in the near future. And yes, it's Pantera heavy. I'm mesmerized by what she can do on the pole. You just have to deal with my awe. :)

From Friday and Saturday night ... 2009 SEAF, Part II:


( +31 more images under cut )


-=>D

People may scoff and laugh at them, but when I am old and gray, I will be proud to tell future generations how I was there at the dawn of the Golden Age of Superheroes!

http://worldsuperheroregistry.com/world_superhero_registry_maine.htm


:|

-=>D

PS. We should probably start a pool on when one of these guys is gonna get shot. And maybe a side pool on if it'll be by a criminal or law enforcement.

Oh well ... so much for being able to get out to the Rebar tonight. :/

Maybe next week month. Anyone who goes, please let me know how it was.

-=>D

Wondered if anyone was going to this on Thursday?



-=>D

Wow ... it has been a long time since I've been to an event. And it seems like forever since I posted actual photos to my journal. I guess SEAF is as good a choice as any to break both of those. I dunno what I was thinking, shooting Saturday night until 3am when I had to work Sunday. Ah ... who am I kidding .. what thinking?

Anyway, had to go straight back to work and I have a ton of studio stuff I need to retouch but wanted to put up a random sampling from my Friday and Saturday. So much fun seeing so many people I haven't seen in forever. I really enjoyed it.

Ok .. bedtime and photos (not in that order).


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So, I actually climbed down from my cave in the mountains today. It took malixe to pry me out of my studio and away from my job. I had pretty much made up my mind a few months back that I wasn't going to shoot SEAF this year. So much going on and what not. And then he asks me if I'd shoot for him and I of course said yes. He's a sweet guy, what can I say? Of course, he unfairly tempted me with descriptions of lovely ladies in all manner of shiny, skimpy and luscious wardrobes. Such a low, dastardly thing to do.

So, I'm coming up soon on being up for 24 hours ... did stuff all morning/afternoon and shot SEAF all night until about 2:30am. Do not ask me why I am still up. Still kind of jazzed. I almost forgot the buzz I get shooting events. Especially SEAF. There's so much eye candy. And seeing so many familiar faces. Too many to list. Hadn't realized until tonight how much I missed seeing them.

As for performers ... again, so many I haven't seen in forever. Fuchsia Foxxx and Pantera. Jesus ... enough said.

Oh well ... will try to go lay down in a bit .. maybe get a bit of sleep in before I head down to SEAF.


G'nite John-boy ....


-=>D

Thought I was at the end of the tunnel a while ago .. guess not since I fell off the face of the planet yet again. Seems to be lightening up yet again so hopefully in the next couple of weeks I can stop being a hermit and actually pay more attention.

At work, of course, and taking a break to eat a little something.

The place here is kind of buzzing a bit. Hearst Corporation announced today that the Seattle PI that we print tonight will be the final printed edition of the newspaper after 146 years and are moving strictly online (without a large majority of their staff).

Not looking forward to all the rigmarole that will undoubtedly lead up to that final paper rolling off the press.

-=>D

My first day off this week - Thursday - I was in the studio all day/night shooting. Today, I was able to finally catch up on a little sleep. I don't think I've had more than 3 unbroken hours of sleep a night in the last 4 weeks.

The newspapers are finally at their new sizes, not that anyone noticed from what I can tell. I think it's more readable now with the new fonts and layouts. Either way, that project is done. A few more tweaks to optical roll sensors in the robotic system and I don't have to think about it anymore.



Gotta say I was worried about the "after Earth" stories on Battlestar Galactica, but I'm really enjoying these final episodes. Don't know what I'll watch after BSG goes off the air. While on a tangent today, I found this posting from someone who was correlating the numbers of the Cylons to biblical numbers. Really interesting. He posted this on May 14, 2008 (original - http://galacticaquorum.com/?p=91):

( Theory cut for length )

-=>D

Has to be the end of the tunnel up ahead. We are in the final stages of the conversion at work. Next week is the changeover and our workload should lighten up and I can get back to photography and posting actual photos here.

For those that don't know, the Times and PI are about to get a little thinner. We're moving to a 46" wide paper roll (we use a 50" right now). We're one of the last remaining papers to go to that width. The paper in your hand will go from a page width of 12.5" to 11.5". Takes a lot to do that though (front to back adjustments to all equipment in the facility).

I've spent the past couple of weeks making sure the roll handling equipment (robots, PLCs and optical sensors) are able to handle the new roll sizes while still being able to run current size. Blah! A few more changes to the parameter database on the day we switch over next week and I'll be done.

But in the meantime, I've missed cool stuff like this. Luckily, the pretty ladies out there who stand in front of my lens also make sure I am up on the important news of the world. Thanks r_mercedes_k




-=>D

This next week is the final week of me working alone. Being the only engineer in the facility during production can burn you out quick. Of course, with the number of friends and acquaintances I know who have been laid off recently, I sure as hell don't feel like I should be complaining.

Finally got to go shoot this past Thursday so that was cool .. I realize that I need to shoot to keep my stress down and that tenuous grip on what remains of my sanity. Hopefully after this week, I can get back into the studio on a regular basis again.

Been a while since I posted any pics, so here's one of Meeh'shel. She's at 20 weeks.



-=>D

This is funny as hell, but also sad and explains why they can't get a decent Superman movie out the chute. This is Kevin Smith talking about when he was writing the script for the movie based on the "Death and Life of Superman" story arc for Warner Brothers (the whole Nicholas Cage as Superman debacle). Kind of long (20 mins) but worth it for any comic book fans out there.




-=>Donald

Are schools teaching anything beyond assessment test information? I was at the bookstore up here in Lynnwood and while in the discount section, I overheard the following:

"This is kind of cool ... oh wow .. look at that!"
"They're kinda like big faces. That is so cool."
"I wonder what that is?"
"I dunno .. do you think it's real?"

So now my curiosity is peaked and I glance over at the book the two mid-20-something women are looking at. They have it open to a 2 page spread of the statues on Easter Island. *squint*

So, a little later I'm at work and I relate this story to a couple of the guys in my department. One is mid-to-late 20's and the other is in his 50's. The older guy chuckles and shakes his head a bit and the younger guy looks at me for a sec and says, "..... what's Easter Island?"

Ok ... it's time to replace some of these reality TV shows with re-runs of "In Search Of..." and maybe some School House Rock a few times a week. That's just sad.



Pfffft ....

-=>D

Somewhere along the line, I went off on some web tangent and found myself watching videos on Youtube and that somehow led me to:


This brought back so many memories and triggered a massive feeling of nostalgia.

It's 1982/1983 and this know-it-all kid spends most of his free time away from school programming and watching anime that Japanese friends have sent him. On one VHS tape is the opening animation for Daicon IV. I wanted to go to Osaka so bad, but that wasn't going to happen. It brings that time in my life flooding back. That was the year my dad passed. But even with that, looking back on it, there was such a freedom that I don't think I'll ever feel again. If only we could know as kids, what we know as adults.

Still one of the cutest bunny girls to come out of Japan - so loved her legs. :)

-=>D

PS. My Stormbringer Glows in the Dark!

It really is good for the soul to completely veg the hell out every now and then. I finished up Pajama Bottom Friday with a couple more Japanese movies. Again, click images for trailers ...

Death Trance

This was probably the most stylish and well filmed movie I watched today. I had high hopes for this one. It seemed like it had all the right elements, but something was missing. I think I need to get the Japanese Language version with English subtitles to see if it broke down in the dubbing. The action scenes were choppy at best, even within the same scene. One minute I'm thinking "Sweet!" and the next "WTF?" I did like the elements of humor and just the look and styling of the movie. Even if I don't get the subtitled version, I think I'm still going to watch this one a second time just to see if I missed something. I want to like this movie, so I'm gonna give it another chance.

La Blue Girl: Revenge of the Sex Demon King

[No trailer for this one]

Ok ... Early 90's Japanese live-action hentai tentacle exploitation movie. I think that should make it clear. If not, just think naked Japanese girls every 10 minutes either engaged in cute girl-girl sex or being fondled by plastic, slime covered tentacles. I think I should have stopped at Death Trance. :)

-=>D

.. Pajama-bottom Friday is going well. I have slacked off admirably today. I've caught up on quite a few magazines that I've been stacking up and I've surely rotted my brain with wacky Japanese movies I can't get enough of. So far I've watched the following (expect them to all be *Not Safe For Work*), click on images to go to trailers and what-not:

OneChanbara

The live-action movie, based on "The Onee Chanbara" series of video games, features a bikini-clad, katana wielding, Japanese cowgirl facing an army of blood-thirsty (aren't they always) killer zombies. How am I -not- watching this. :D


The Girls Rebel Force of Competitive Swimmers aka Joshikyoei Hanrangun aka Attack Girls' Swim Team vs The Undead aka Attack Girls' Swim Team vs The Unliving Dead aka Undead Pool aka Nohonbi 2 aka Nihombie 2

With that many aka's you know what to expect. Japanese exploitation, that's what. A mad scientist inoculates an entire school with a virus that turns everyone into blood-thirsty (aren't they always) killer zombies. The only thing in their way, the girls' swim team. Expect rivers and geysers of blood, lots of naked Japanese girls, sex and cheesiness. Oh the cheese ... ahhh ... mindless fun.

Tokyo Gore Police

Giant rivers of spraying blood ... it runs like water in this movie. Set in a future-Tokyo, where the police force has been privatized and blood-thirsty (aren't they always) mutants known as Engineers run amok. They have the ability to transform their wounds into bio-weapons (ex. cut off an arm, it grows back as an organic/machine chainsaw). The only thing standing in their way, a sword wielding, self-mutilating (cutter) female Engineer Hunter who has her own problems dealing with the murder of her police officer father at the hands of Engineers.

The Machine Girl

Japanese schoolgirl ... check. Arm mounted Gatling gun ... check. Yakuza ... check. Ninjas ... check. Flying Guillotine ... check. Drill bra ... WTF?

Ok .. I thought there was a lot of blood and gore in the other ones, but this movie takes it to new levels. This is so bloody, so gorey, so over the freaking top I couldn't stop laughing. They must have rolled onto this set with tanker trucks full of thin blood and high pressure hoses to spray it all. Oh what would my world be without the Japanese .. god bless them. :D

-=>D

Looks like the report by King-TV on the Seattle PI yesterday was correct. Here's a letter from the Hearst Corporation that they sent around internally to PI Employees. I put it behind a cut due to length.

( Hearst Letter to PI Employees )

-=>D

Whew ... finally, a day off. I don't have anything planned .. I don't have to do anything I don't wanna do. I might turn the day into Pajama Bottom Friday. Who knows ....

I'm starting to get ticked off. The deadline for SEAF approaches quickly and I still have not shot anything and I don't have any real confidence in anything I've shot up to this point.

Life is just weird right now and on all fronts, the most perplexing being work. Can't set my feet and get my bearings, it's like one thing after another. First we had the new round of layoffs (the engineering department lost another body, so we're down to 7 now). Then we were notified that all unaffiliated workers (non-union) were required to take a one-week furlough without pay by the end of February. Soon after that, we were notified that the Times will not be paying into our pension for 2009. Then things got quiet for all of, oh, 8 days.

Now tonight, King-TV broke the story that Hearst is putting the Seattle PI up for sale and if it's not sold in 30 days they're closing the doors. This still hasn't been confirmed and no one I talked to at the PI has heard anything, but then this kind of thing usually happens fast and at the highest levels.

I don't work for the PI, I work for the Seattle Times, but my facility is where both the Times and PI are printed, packaged and sent out. That means, if the PI folds, it will have an effect on us too.

I hate being this far out of control of my life pretty much across the board.

-=>D

Just wanted to wish everyone a belated Happy New Year. Here's to peace, prosperity and well being in the new year.

I haven't been around much the last week or two. Crap going on at work and just feeling a general holiday blah that I'm not gonna bother you guys with.

2009 already. Yow. Looking forward to 2009 being different and hopefully better than 2008. I especially look forward to pushing my photography forward and hopefully growing. I've felt stagnant for quite a while and feel like I need to seriously do something about it. Here's hoping 2009 gives me that chance.

And speaking of photography, here's a few from the last set of shots I did with Meeh'shel (same shoot as the maternity fishnet ones) ...


( +2 more images under cut )


-=>D