ADDRAW

How to give nightmares to kids:

2011-04-19T13:01:00.000-07:00

Metalman

2011-03-11T08:30:00.000-08:00

Here is an inspirational video about metalworking on a level I've never witnessed. It's mesmerizing...this guy knows his stuff.

Found @ MAKE

Up...for real.

2011-03-07T07:52:00.000-08:00

Seatbelts...Use em.

2011-02-21T13:48:00.000-08:00

I thought this was a creative way to make a point.

Free as a bird

2011-01-24T10:48:00.000-08:00

Usually footage of flying is taken from a camera mounted to the bottom of a helicopter or plane. It just straight ahead view, watching the landscape go by.

These clever guys added a special panoramic camera...an INTERACTIVE panoramic camera!

INSTRUCTIONS:
Just play the movie, then click on the movie with your mouse and drag around to see the view.

Kelly Kellogg.... This one's for you.

[GIZMODO]

Digital Paint Brush

2011-01-07T08:18:00.001-08:00

Nomad Brush for the iPad from Don Lee on Vimeo.

Digital Christmas

2010-12-22T06:36:00.000-08:00

Sent to me by my beautiful mother in law:

Getting in the Christmas Mood

2010-12-18T17:37:00.000-08:00

My good buddy Dr. Todd sent this to me to get me in the Christmas spirit.

...It did just that, and so much more.

Its entertaining on so many levels, I highy suggest giving it a listen. *Just listen, looking away from the screen if you want to enjoy the music, if you want to smile while listening, watch these guys get their rock on.

The Swiss Santa

2010-12-18T11:11:00.001-08:00

The Swiss Santa doesn't use reindeer, he uses a fighter jet.

Google Earth...Skydivng

2010-12-14T09:01:00.001-08:00

Disneyworld Trip

2010-11-10T06:57:00.000-08:00

Today is a day of mixed emotions (and irony). The final arrangements are being made this morning for our Disneyworld trip that we won from Southwest Airlines last year for our entry to their home video contest to answer the question "What would you do for $100?" (As they marketed their $100 in savings by not paying bag fees...)

Trip for 4 to Disneyworld Orlando, Florida
Rental Car
Hotel
4 day park hopper tickets
Airfare (for all 6 of us actually ;)

Here was our entry for anyone who missed it last year, or for anyone that wants to enjoy it again:

Also, this morning I received word, that Robbins Barstow passed away. He is the grandfather of home video production. A real pioneer to amateur videography. He is noted for many great home video memories, but one most notably, was a Disneyland vacation his family won in 1956.
Enjoy:

I hope we can record our trip as well as he did, to keep the spirit of home movies alive as one door closes, another opens.

-A special thanks goes out to the fantastic people at Southwest Airlines...that really, truly put people first. They don't just say that. They actually go beyond the call of duty, always.

Iphone vs. Android vs. Blackberry

2010-11-04T15:04:00.001-07:00

Great Costume

2010-10-31T12:32:00.000-07:00

At least the Great Wall worked out...

2010-10-15T12:46:00.000-07:00

I stumbled upon this exibit the other day...and it left an impression on me. ...That impression was short lived. Or rather, it has changed. My awe, turned into Awww.

For any of you that have ever taken on a project, put your heart and soul into it, only to watch it fail... This story is for you.

Lets say, you are a conceptual artist named Ai Weiwei... and lets pretend for a minute, that you decide you want to make a magnificent art piece.... You want it spectacular, and durable enough to walk on. So you set out to do just that.

The idea:
To carpet a HUGE room, with sunflower seeds. It would be like walking in gravel, the sound, the feel under your shoes... But, it would be sunflower seeds! It would be amazing!

The problem:
Sunflower seeds will crush underfoot, leaving cracked shells and mess everywhere.

The solution:
Employ an entire town, whose only activity has been making and selling porcelain for over 1000 years. Have them cast 100 Million (100,000,000) Sunflower seeds out of porcelain. Then painstakingly hand paint each one. How you might ask?!

"Harnessing traditional craft skills, each seed was moulded, fired, and painted with three or four individual brush strokes, often by women taking the objects home to work on them. 1,600 people were involved in the process."

This "Process" took 2 years to complete. The result was unveiled last week in the main hall of Tate Modern. Everything came out perfectly, and it was quite a feat. Here are some pictures of the exhibit. You should read on before booking your trip to China to walk accross this bed of seeds though.... It will be gone in the next couple of days...

The museum is frantically cleaning up this mess... Apparently, walking on ceramic seeds causes them to give off "noxious ceramic dust".

Great idea...Bad execution. At least the poor Chinese workers that build the Great Wall can rest in peace knowing the wall is standing strong. And until it offends an extra terrestrial, for blocking their view of the dirt... I'm sure we'll get to enjoy that painstakingly glorious piece of Chinese art for many years to come.

I can't change a tire in 4 minutes...

2010-09-10T14:48:00.000-07:00

The New Image...

2010-08-26T09:26:00.000-07:00

iPad Band

2010-08-12T15:10:00.000-07:00

Every instrument you hear in this video, was a "Virtual Instrument". Every sound, came from an iPad (except the vocals).

Here are the apps these guys used:

Real Drums

Pro Keys

Baby Scratch

Guitar Mania

All available in the app store.

Comfy Seat

2010-08-12T09:27:00.000-07:00

Who needs a recliner when you can get perfectly comfortable sitting like this?

Rubix Head

2010-08-06T09:57:00.001-07:00

iPhone 4 Reception Issues

2010-07-18T22:39:00.000-07:00

You may have heard of the iPhone 4 "Reception issues". If you haven't... I might ask if you heard there was an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, or if you knew America is currently fighting in a war in Afghanistan? This issue of the long anticipated iPhone, has wildly been blown out of proportion. The phone is not perfect, sure there is room for improvement, but it's really not all that bad. I love the phone. With that being said. I couldn't help but poke fun at some of the people that expected more. If you want a cell phone that never drops calls... don't get one through AT&T. If the device works 'well enough' as a phone, but blows most point and shoot cameras out of the water, has more calculator apps than ASU's engineering school, and can play games as well as the wii...then why give it a hard time for dropping a call or two. Sure I would have liked to see an improvement from my iPhone 3GS... But everything else improved. They are just trapped on a crappy network.

However, if Apple decided to put function above form in an effort to overcome the flawed network where they reside (AT&T)...Then the new iPhone4 might have looked something like this:

I created this image from scratch. It is not real (before you ask)... it is a completely computer generated model.

2010-06-17T22:58:00.000-07:00

Available at Amazon: $13.57

Fast Kid

2010-06-13T19:59:00.001-07:00

iPhone 4 - it will be mine...

2010-06-09T23:14:00.000-07:00

Geographical Irony

2010-06-01T23:14:00.001-07:00

My 8 year old pointed this out to me.

I Dare You...

2010-05-21T11:27:00.000-07:00

Bob, our project manager here at work, calls a Friday morning meeting each week where we update him on our status of the reporting and progress reports. In this meeting, Bob usually brings donuts, and a trinket gift of some sort. He walks around the room as the meeting opens, reaches into a bag, and pulls out a little something for each of us. Its always themed. A few weeks ago, it was Hotwheels cars.

Which is how I scored this sweet '71 Maverick Grabber:

On a later date, I received this Stingray:

Today, the theme was little bath toys.
Which is where I got this dolphin:

Always random, and I'm not sure what the point is. But they make for great decoration in my 'cube'.
"Dr. Todd" works in the cubicle next to mine. He's about my age, and a PhD. We tell jokes to each other, and bust each others chops, all day. This morning, before our project update meeting, Dr. Todd said,
"What would you do if I said, 'I like turtles...' during my status update at the meeting today?"
I always accept his off the wall challenges, because he never follows through. So I responded with,
"I'll give you 5 bucks."

This is the point in our conversation where we get back to work and nothing is ever said about our bet again. Because they are always so off the wall, neither of us actually thinks the other is serious.

...Today was a game changer.

Let me rewind now, to 6 months ago, when I sent this video to Dr. Todd:

...This recollection of previous conversation is typical, because Dr. Todd has a huge brain.... He remembers everything. These random comments about things 6 months or a year ago, are not uncommon. So his comment about wanting to say "I like turtles..." would in fact be hilarious...to him and I. None of the other PhD's, engineers, project managers, or upper management would be amused.... But Dr. Todd and I would have thought this random humor would be priceless.

Fastforward back to this morning's meeting...

As the distribution of trinkets completed, Bob had each one of us report on our progress. A dozen or so of us reported, and the attention turned to Dr. Todd for his updates on the reporting. He started his comments as follows: "First of all, I'd just like to thank Bob for today's toy... Because, I like turtles." He held his toy in one hand, proudly displaying it for us all to see. ...you guessed it... A TURTLE!
Then he glared in my direction and gave me a smug look and a grin. Then carried on with his report.

I couldn't believe it. What are the odds, someone could say "I like turtles..." During a meeting of this caliber, and not look like a complete fool?!
I couldn't contain myself... I interrupted as Bob tried to continue with the meeting,

"Did you seriously give him a turtle?!" I exclaimed.
The meeting carried on... Leaving me to look like the fool.

Bravo, Dr. Todd, you bested me this time. You'll get yours...I'll get you for this.

...Until then. Here's your $5.

(I know what you are thinking...they had to have conspired this ahead of time. Let me say, Bob is much to serious of a guy to be willing to participate in our shenanigans. I'm positive he had nothing to do with this. And Dr. Todd mentioned saying his quote, long before Bob had even shown up today, so I know he had no idea what the trinkets were, and once more... had no idea which one he would receive randomly from the bag. This was a complete, random act. And I'm not sure, it could happen again in a million years.)

Performance

2010-05-08T16:01:00.000-07:00

Saw this performance vehicle while mothers day shopping.

(in all seriousness... This is someone that likely squeezes the last drop of toothpaste out of the tube before throwing it away. Not a bad personality trait in this economy).

Coolness Level

2010-05-03T09:24:00.000-07:00

The following Photos will be rated on the coolness scale.
(1=Not Cool ...10=Rad to the 9th degree)

1 ...actually ...because of the look on his face... I give it a 3

7.2

Mad Scientist

2010-04-30T11:00:00.000-07:00

Some of my dearest friends, refer to the personality I take on during my late night projects as, "The Mad Scientist".

Last night, I tucked my 2 boys into bed about 9:00 pm, and asked them to be more careful leaving their legos out on the floor at night. I told them they'd be real sorry if they stepped on those barefoot and in the dark. I gently pushed a large pile of yellow and white pieces away from their walkway, tucked them in, and shut the light out. They proceeded to put on their headband LED lights that they wear when the read in the dark. I went to bed.

This morning, at 6:00 am, I found this outside my door. Apparently, they take after their dad, and had a little midnight Mad Scientist session.

My Little Pony

2010-04-26T14:24:00.001-07:00

Look at that gigantic baby!

Photo Caption:
Four-year-old Garrett Mullen watches three-day-old pinto stallion named Einstein in Barnstead, N.H., Sunday, April 25,2010. The diminutive horse born in New Hampshire could lay claim to the world record for lightweight foal. The pinto stallion named Einstein weighed just 6 pounds and measured 14 inches in height when he was born Friday in Barnstead, N.H. Those proportions fit a human baby just about right but are downright tiny for horse, even a miniature breed like Einstein.

So that's how it works...

2010-04-09T14:49:00.000-07:00

WOW!

2010-04-01T08:58:00.000-07:00

Holy cow!

I can't believe it!

...Is that Paul Blart, Mall Cop, in the background?

Delectable

2010-02-08T05:27:00.000-08:00

I'm not a fan of sushi. But cheese and crackers? ...bring it!

My wife pulled out some cheese and crackers, and a bunch of
confections and condiments. I built this little pie and thought it
was amazing, so I made about 20 more.
Ingredients from bottom to top:
-Ritz Cracker
-slice of sharp cheddar cheese
-a piece of deli pastrami
-a circle of mustard
-a jalepenio slice
-topped with a green olive

Eat in one bite (like sushi, but less disgusting)

Delish.

CubeeCrafts

2010-01-12T07:36:00.001-08:00

Cooper and I put this together last night. It's called a CubeeCraft. You print out one of their predesigned 'paperdolls' (onto cardstock...typing paper is too thin to work with). Then just cut it out with a Xacto knife, and assemble... No glue or tape needed. Here is the one we used, if you want to print it:
There are many more patterns on there...just about every character you can think of.
They are all free to download, and you can google CubeeCraft for more that other people have made available for download. They are all FREE. So enjoy.

2010 Consumer Electronics Show

2010-01-07T09:47:00.000-08:00

Candy Store:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Addraw Project 365

2010-01-02T11:04:00.000-08:00

I decided to start a Project 365 blog.
I am trying to make it more art focused.

View it here:
ADDraw 365

Timelapse Transformer

2010-01-02T10:56:00.000-08:00

Never Before Seen! Test Flight Footage

2009-11-18T10:53:00.000-08:00

Like the Wright Brothers, we documented the test 'flights' of the famous, Suitcase Plane from the smash hit "SWA-Team, Bags Fly Free" video.

Here it is in it's raw form:

Southwest Airlines Video Contest Entry

2009-11-15T21:42:00.000-08:00

Here is our video submission for the Southwest Airlines "Bags Fly Free" contest. The subject of the video was to answer the question, "What would you do for $ 100". (the $100 you save by not having to pay excessive baggage fees like on other airlines.)

Cooper's Costume

2009-10-31T22:47:00.000-07:00

I finally finished Cooper's Costume. Cadi had to swoop in and help with the wheels at the end, or we were going to miss the Halloween festivities. You know how I roll... Down to the wire, everytime!

A preview of what I have cookin...

2009-10-07T09:08:00.000-07:00

Custom Paint Job

2009-10-04T19:46:00.000-07:00

I put this custom graphic scheme together for my latest airplane. I thought it came out pretty fancy!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

They don't make them like they used to

2009-09-30T10:18:00.000-07:00

Which from the looks of this video... Might be a good thing.

Barrel Racing Photos

2009-09-28T10:56:00.000-07:00

Mini Wienermobile!

2009-09-25T10:07:00.000-07:00

I AM BUYING/MAKING ONE OF THESE! It's the latest on my needs and wants list.

(it's on the 'need' side by the way).

Shadow Puppets

2009-09-18T09:44:00.000-07:00

I was making some shadow puppets on the wall for my girls last night using their nightlight and hand gestures. I stumbled upon this instruction manual for making different animals.

These must be endangered species, because I don't recognize any of the creatures. I can't wait to teach these to my kids.

Anarchy

2009-09-11T09:46:00.000-07:00

In the old days, you used to be able to leave your doors unlocked, and people wouldn't take the key out of the ignition of their vehicles. The world was a better place then. Then the bears started stealing things, and all hell broke loose. Then the teenagers started acting like bears, and stealing things...eating everything in the refrigerator and hibernating late into the day.

Things were better back then. Before the bears taught the children how to be disrespectful.

Urban Art Insparation

2009-09-10T10:25:00.001-07:00

I loved this (site currently under construction):

iPhone MMS

2009-09-09T14:42:00.000-07:00

I've been long awaiting the MMS update (picture and video messaging) for my iPhone, as I was promised it would be here soon. Such a shame that this device is so far behind when it comes to this technology. I have only been able to send and receive text messages since receiving my phone. Rumor had it, that after installing the software update 3.1, that we would have MMS. Well, it released today, and well... No MMS.

AT&T is apparently holding things up. The 'new' date of release is September 25th... of this year I think.

Artistic Driving

2009-09-05T11:09:00.000-07:00

I could watch this all day. ...Love it.

*WARNING...You might need high levels of testosterone to enjoy this fully.

Designers and Clients...

2009-09-04T08:35:00.000-07:00

If you are a designer...you'll love this. If you are not a designer, but have sat down with a designer, or ad agency at one point or another...Maybe this will make you think twice about things you should avoid saying.

It puts my position into perspective for some.

Thought it was brilliant:

I have heard every line used in this clip during negotiations with clients for design, or printwork at one point or another.

Drawing - Video Capture

2009-08-29T12:01:00.000-07:00

I am testing out some new software to capture my drawings as they happen. I tested it on an illustration I am working on of my pal Danny and Me for some marketing materials we are working on.

This is still a work in progress, but I thought I'd put it up here to see how it looks.
(By the way, this is sped up quite a bit!)

Here is a photo of Danny:

Saturday Project

2009-08-27T15:18:00.000-07:00

My Dad just sent me this...

If anyone can donate the following to my cause, I am going to try to replicate this setup.

-a 400 ft slip and slide.
-a freestyle dirtbike ramp.
-a kiddie pool... must be at least 24" deep.
-a large piece of land, that has a valley in the middle of it...preferably covered with grass.

-Oh and a helmet.

I'm going to use a speedo instead of a wetsuit like this guy uses. I think it would be funnier if the camera man at the bottom of the valley could get a shot of my water slide wedgie as soar through the air!

Random Dance Off

2009-08-26T13:44:00.000-07:00

If eggs had faces....

2009-08-25T13:28:00.001-07:00

Here comes the airplane...open up...

2009-08-20T09:40:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it's the only way to get the youngsters to eat...

Big Brothers

2009-08-18T05:00:00.000-07:00

I am the oldest boy in my family... I never had a older brother. Sometimes, I wish I did. I just know we would do all the fun stuff... He'd be so much fun.

He'd probably take me for ice cream.

He'd probably take me fishing.

He'd probably take me for rides in his car.

He'd probably pick me up and carry me around...

It would really be fun to be the little brother...

But no matter how fun that would be... it's much more fun being the big brother.

Draw me.

2009-08-17T13:41:00.000-07:00

Fix a problem, and make a new one

2009-08-16T07:29:00.000-07:00

Absolutely brilliant.
Now, you don't have to clean up messy bread crumbs off the floor.

All you get with this contraption is a nice slice of bread and a bird with a full tummy.
Win-Win.

I mean, how much damage could a bird with a full tummy do loose in a house?
So long nasty, nasty bread crumbs!

Game: Name that debris

2009-08-10T11:42:00.000-07:00

So this local Mexican Food Franchise has some of the most authentic food around. It has been a staple in my diet since High School. My wife on the other hand... decides not to endulge herself in this taste of culture.

My brother and his wife came over the other day, beaming because their tummy's were full of this resturant's famous Chimichanga's.

My wife caved and brought us home dinner the other night. ...Much to my dismay, she was the lucky recipient of the hidden prize. She bit into this little gem while devouring the goodness she's never known.

She promptly called the store and spoke with the manager about a refund, the manager agreed to refunding her $6.

I think it's fair to say we won't be so fortunate to be able to enjoy the goodness that lurks within those gigantic tortilla's anymore. My wife is not lovin it.

Any guess on what this might be?
It's metal... My guess is the cow got tangled up in some chickenwire, and they just thew it in the mix.

Either that or some sort of tiny scultpure by a rare artist...My wife should feel so honored that she discovered it... I can't seem to convince her how lucky she is though.

Strategic Camera Angles

2009-08-07T08:46:00.000-07:00

Bling or Bang?

2009-07-31T08:56:00.001-07:00

The first terrorist car bomb pictured below... After numerous studies, it was discovered that designing the device to look more like a car, than a bomb would be less suspicious.

Great Wall of China...Pshah, that's nothin

2009-07-28T09:08:00.000-07:00

Crap, someone already stole my idea!.. Back to the drawing board.

(zoom in on the letter 'C')

View Larger Map

Animation

2009-07-27T16:27:00.000-07:00

I made a 10 second animated clip during school, to to demonstrate my ability to focus on the same drawing, changing it only slightly, then redraw. Animation typically moves through a series of still images at a rate of about 30 frames per second (29.97 actually). ...That's 300 pictures, for 10 seconds of motion!

Upon completion of that project, I realized, I can't hypnotize myself having to draw the same thing over and over. I still enjoy studying it, and appreciate the whacky people that can handle that level of redundancy. But as for me, I would make a better 'Keyframer' This person makes the major movements and scene changes, then the peasants do the dirty work. The problem is, I could never sit at the bottom long enough to work my way to the top...I would go insane.

So, I decided to do neither, and instead...took my art to a totally different realm. I am often asked what I do for a living... Rarely do I give the same answer as the time before.

I stumbled apon this sweet bit, and instantly realized... Someone in the animation field doesn't like drawing the same thing over and over, just as much as me! I bet none of you even had deja-vu when watching these movies. You probably never thought, "I know I've seen that somewhere before..."

I couldn't find my 10 second clip... But here are a couple that I have done that I had handy:

School project, demonstrating "Walking Motion"
(everyone else did stick figures for this assignment ;)

This was demonstrating a 4-legged run.

Here is a project I did for a client. It was part of a presentation on energy.

Another Silly Project

2009-07-21T06:16:00.000-07:00

An old client of mine, emailed me last night and asked for some pictures of a project I did for him a couple of years ago. It got me reminiscing. I can't believe it has already been 2 years since I did this project. I had some help on this one... I think I recruited half of my followers, all of my brothers, my neighbor and good friend Bart, and others. I think Matt Sands even scuffed his fresh manicure to help me with this 3 month- 24 hours a day project. But it came out pretty good.

The assignment was to make a portable backdrop for the APS Clown Troupe Character, Ben Franklown. The set needed to be portable enough to be packed up and moved from school to school to teach about energy conservation.

Here is the set all packed up:

No Soliciting

2009-07-17T11:18:00.001-07:00

It is sad that this resident's first instinct was to make a sign to cure a problem... Instead of deciding to just move.

Modern Technology

2009-07-14T09:10:00.001-07:00

In the old days, only wealthy and famous people had mobile phones...

Like Alfred Hitchcock.

And the same went for iPods...

Cute Stuffed Animals

2009-07-13T09:13:00.000-07:00

Creepy Creativity

2009-07-11T22:17:00.001-07:00

Great work on this video... But it gave me nightmares.

Backache

2009-07-09T10:02:00.000-07:00

I've been having more back pain than usual lately, and my schedule doesn't allow for as frequent trips to the chiropractor as I would like.
I'm leaning toward purchasing an inversion table...

I thing that a device like that would straighten out my CKH disorder (Chronic Keyboard-Hunchback) pretty well.

These are some other home equipment options I am considering, If anyone has experience with any of these products, please leave a review in the comments to help with my decision making:

(I am pretty sure my mother-in-law has purchased every one of these through QVC at some point, so I am most excited to hear her opinion)

Fingerpainting

2009-07-08T09:16:00.001-07:00

Stache-Tastic!

2009-07-07T09:03:00.000-07:00

One of my latest liesurley activities includes adding mustaches to people in my new iPhone app...Stachetastic:

Wipe that look off your face

2009-07-02T09:01:00.001-07:00

Recycled art:

Quick Fix for Toothaches

2009-07-01T10:43:00.000-07:00

Here is a method to cure the pain from toothaches in 1885.

A revival to reinstate this medication occurred in 1985.

Although instead of in the form of 'drops' it was a powder, and instead of eating it, you would snort it...

Oh, and instead of helping cure toothaches, it would turn you into David Bowie.

Foreshadowing

2009-06-30T15:47:00.000-07:00

Foreshadowing - the act of providing vague advance indications; representing beforehand.

Or

Tragic Irony?

Broken Buttons

2009-06-30T09:53:00.000-07:00

We interrupt this program for a special bulletin.
Fans have brought it to our attention that the link buttons have stopped working.

The code has been rewritten, and they are now functional. But to regain linking, you will need to recopy the 'new code' and paste it on your site.

Sorry for the inconvenience.
Just click the link below to go to the buttons page.
Thanks,
JD

Want a button for your Blog?
Click here:

Hottest day of the year

2009-06-29T10:48:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was the hottest day of the year, so far. It's early in the summer though... it's only going to get worse before it gets better. It was 109 yesterday...the record for that day here in Arizona was 119.

This is what happened last time we hit that temperature:

Face value

2009-06-26T10:40:00.000-07:00

This may look like an attempt at contemporary art. But a closer look reveals what strategic lighting adds to this seemingly simple display.

Dinner and a Movie? Or Movie in a Dinner?

2009-06-25T11:46:00.000-07:00

Isn't Wall-e a little garbage truck? Think about that while you eat...Yummmy!

Photo Op

2009-06-22T11:23:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the photo you take...Is not a good as the photo you create.
-JD Winters

My last Mac Post for now

2009-06-20T05:48:00.000-07:00

June 18, 2009 2:35 PM
Sherrod and Sarah Martin said...: Traitor. From Sherrod. The VERIZON employee. BAHHHH.; June 19, 2009 11:55 PM
Sherrod and Sarah Martin said...: I second that. From Sarah. The other VERIZON employee.

This subject has gone on long enough... But my cousins left some amusing comments that inspired a new post

...Cadi (my wife) is less than happy about leaving what she referred to as "Eden" (Verizon's...fairly trouble free network with up to par customer service in most cases).

She said that because I switched over to "Apple" that I have voided our contract with "Eden" and now we both must leave.

She's upset about this for now...But it will all work out in the end.

(thanks for that perspective Cadi!)
-JD

Mi Morning

2009-06-19T11:23:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd share my experience with attaining an iPhone this morning. As usual, I was entertained by the iDiocy. (get it?)

AT&T carries the iPhone, but you can also get it at the Mac Store. They will even activate it for you. As I drove to the Mac Store to pick up the iPhone I had reserved online, I wasn't sure what to expect as I remember the wacky line drama from previous releases. As I approached the Biltmore area, (closest store to my work) I noticed an AT&T store with people sleeping on the porch with sleeping bags and chairs, and a line of about 30 people eagerly awaiting the opening. Which left me wondering what was in store at the Mac Store. I wasn't interested in a mess, and I didn't want to converse with anyone that had actually slept there all night.

At about 7:00 am I arrived at the Biltmore and thought I should get a Juice and a muffin from Paradise bakery, just in case there was an hour long wait...any longer and I wouldn't have been interested in waiting.

Muffin and Juice in hand I turned the corner to see a crowd waiting. Maybe 100 people or so. Just as I started to turn around to get back in the car, one of the workers stopped me and said "Are you here for the iPhone?"
"Yes"
"She said the line starts way back there... Unless you pre-ordered."
"I did pre-order" I said.

She said "Oh, lets find you name on the list then and send you right in..."
So in 2 minutes I was in the store, with a warm muffin in my hand and a juice I hadn't even touched yet.

They brought me my phone and I completed the purchase, then they offered to have another worker activate it for me and move my phone number over. They said it would only take a few minutes. So I aggreed.

Mind you...everyone so far, has been the squeeky clean folks I mentioned in my previous post. The activator guy on the other hand...fit the homless category. He had dreadlocks pulled back into a pony tail and a scruffy beard. Very nice guy though.

I set my purchased iPhone, still in the box, on the counter. The iWorker guy...clasped both hands together and just stared at the box. ...after a moment or so I looked at him. He had glossy eyes and a cheesy grin on his face, as though I had just pulled a puppy out of my pocket or something. He said "Do you...want to do the honors?" ...I said "What?" "Would you like to open the box for the first time? Some people consider this a special event." he replied.

I didn't know exactly how to respond to that...I just looked around to see if anyone heard him say such a fruity thing. After a moment, I said "No, you go ahead, I think you'll enjoy it more than me."

By 7:20 am I was on my way. Pretty harmless, I've waited in line longer at Mc Donalds. My only regret is that I didn't stop by AT&T on my way back to work, and take a picture of the dorks on the porch with my new iPhone 3Gs. It must have been a rough night for those morons.

Macnophobia... Worse than the Swine Flu

2009-06-18T06:59:00.000-07:00

I have a confession...two actually.

I love technology.

I hate cotton headed ninny-muggins.

Today I am faced with a dilemma. A powerful piece of technological goodness is set to hit the market tomorrow morning, called the iPhone 3Gs. This fine device is equipped with everything I find great in a handheld device. It has a list a mile long of fancy doodads, including GPS, Music, Video, Internet, MMS, Camera, Voice Recognition.... ... this is just the beginning. The applications this rectangular hockey puck can download make my job go so much easier. (I have been using it’s little brother the Ipod Touch for almost a year now.) There are conversion tools and calculators that I haven’t been able to find elsewhere.

I really haven’t scratched the surface on just how fantastic I think this device is. I am very excited about it’s release. ...But.

As there must be an opposition in all things... Here too I am plagued by a problem with the Iphone. The manufacturer has placed an icon of an apple with a bite out of it on the back of this device. By so doing, they have summoned all the douche bags from all the land, to surround the only retail establishments that will house this treasure. You see, this symbol is the international sign for cotton headed ninny-muggins. You’ll know when you see one on the street. Often times they have some or all of the following traits:

-If they are wearing glasses, they will always be, thick, dark framed. Often rectangular in shape

-They either have an especially clean appearance, or they look homeless. There is no middle ground.

-If they don’t actually work at the Mac store, they might be wearing cargo shorts.

-They drive either a Volkswagen Golf or a Subaru. (often or always with a white silhouette of a half eaten apple pasted to the back window.)

-Might be mistaken for being gay...or quite likely, there is no mistake at all.

-These people have very skinny arms and hands. Even if their body is overweight.

-They are usually not an actual designer, or have any practical use for a Mac.

You probably wouldn’t notice these people in public whipping out their iPhone every 10 minutes to take a call. In fact, they likely call themselves once a day from a landline to be sure there isn’t a problem with their phone, or to try out their new ringtone. If their iPhone rings in public, chances are high, that it was a wrong number.

A convergence of these flaccid individuals that has occurred twice historically, will be occurring once again on Friday, June 19, 2009. (The iPhone 3Gs release date).

...For the first time ever...I will be seeking the same treasure they seek. I am on the pre-order list for the iPhone.

I have been going through this routine over and over in my head, on how I might be able to avoid eye contact with these people. How I might avoid casual conversation from these career line-waiters. I do not know if their disorder is contagious. But I do not want to be like them, or be mistaken for one of their affiliates. So I have devised a few plans on how I can attain my iPhone without having to interact with the monkeys. I will list them below:

-I have high hopes, that the iPhone will ‘sell out’ to walk-in buyers by about noon. So I can walk into the store, and grab my designated one and get the hell out of there. I have timed myself, I can hold my breath for exactly 74 seconds. Which leaves me about a minute and a half short of what it should take to complete the transaction. I can either step outside and take a fresh breath, or wear a mask and act like I am concerned about the Swine Flu.

-As another option, I could wear a disguise. Kind of like when that guy in “The Mummy”, acted like one of the zombies and went with the mob, they seemed to leave him alone. ...Which begs the question, do I wear a costume like the one I described above, to blend in? Or do I wear one to mess with their emotions? Nothing would make me happier than to pop their red balloon. ...I mean, I could dress just like the guy that used to beat them up in high school (letterman jacket, cool hair, etc.) I am positive that a costume like this would not only make them avoid me, but it would likely cause them to feel awkwardly uncomfortable on a level they haven’t felt in a long time. It might even score me a place in line at the front. I might even take their lunch money and a copy of their homework just for effect... so they know I mean business.

-I could make a giant iPhone costume, and wear that down there. (I am really excited about this one). I could hand out giant foam fingers, that have a giant foam iPhone in them. My enthusiasm would rob them of any dignity they might assume they have. They would quickly realize the level of uncoolness they have when they see that costume. They would be embarrassed for me. If I could get through to just one of them... If just one would think, even for a moment ...”This is wierd...what am I doing here?” ...then my efforts will not be in vain.

Those last 2 options would only help entertain and distract me while waiting for my phone. Kind of like the medical diagrams on the wall of the doctors office do when you have to get a shot.

Anyway, my hopes are that this will clear up any confusion my close friends might feel when they see me with this device in hand. I will likely either cover the ‘apple’ with a decal, or put a decal of a cartoon worm in it. Anything to make it known that I do not embrace the culture that worships the half eaten apple. Mark my words I WILL NOT CONVERT. I am only tasting the sweet nectar of the technology.

I am typing this from a MacBook Pro that I inherited from my boss. I make it known to all around me that I love the sleek look of the computer, but could do without the radio-active icon on the cover. I run Windows XP on this machine, and use it more than OSX.

For almost 10 years, my good friend Pete, and my brother-in-law Greg have been trying to get me to convert. I know that Pete loves the technology, but can share my distain for the culture. Greg on the other hand...I can’t help but think if he was 20 years younger, that he would be getting some new glasses and be shopping for a VW. I’ve battled with him about this for a long time...and he got a chuckle out of the fact I finally ordered the iPhone. Make no mistake Greg. I will use the technology, but I will be sure to use it as a blogging device to expose this bizarre culture for what it is... i’ll be using your own technology against you... Just wait.

Your Clinical Macaphobic Cool Guy,

-JD

Another crafty project from the Archive

2009-06-17T09:00:00.000-07:00

Here is the first Transformer costume I made. I didn't document it as well as the Blackout Transformer Costume. But here it is anyway.

This video just reached 300,000 hits on YouTube by the way! ...well on my way to YouTube viral stardom!

Armored Vehicle

2009-06-16T09:07:00.000-07:00

This early attempt at an armored vehicle proved to be flawed. Some of the details the designers missed, proved to be pretty important.

a.) A bicycle drive system can only be pedaled forward. So this could be driven directly into battle, but not back out. Once you ran out of ammunition, you were as they say... a sitting duck.

b.) The only way back out of the battle area is to turn around. The failure to add rear and side armaments proved to be a crucial oversight.

c.) Bicycle tires tend to pop when you ride on anything other than a paved road. A battleground is hardly free of debris.

d.) The soldiers uniform was more suited for a 'spot of tea', than a barrage of flying bullets.

e.) Although not designed for lethal combat...I am thinking this design would be awesome if fitted with a paintball gun and if you had 2 or more of them... Kind of like Paintball Polo or something. Who's with me??!

Why didn't I think of that!?

2009-06-14T17:45:00.000-07:00

I don't know about this whole Iphone and Nintendo Wii craze... But I was afraid of these selling out. So I ordered a dozen for me and my closest friends. I don't know about you guys, but I'm all about "maintaining my dignity". I won't be left behind as this technological advance makes it's way into mainstream restrooms. Anyone interested in purchasing one of these when they sell out, let me know, I'll be selling a few of them at a premium. These can be valuable bartering tools during a recession.

Oh, man, I can't wait till they get here!

(to answer your question before you ask... yes this is real, this isn't a Saturday Night Live skit or anything.... This thing is for real!)

Stand for something...passionately

2009-06-12T08:48:00.000-07:00

One of my favorites...

Chain Reaction*

2009-06-11T09:06:00.000-07:00

-In 20 years these parents will be living in a freezer, and the child will be in his 20's rocking in the corner and sucking his thumb in the fetal position.

-The photographer gouged his eyes out after this photoshoot, and has been mumbling nonsense ever since.

-The studio was unable to properly restored after this sitting. It had to be burned to the ground and then rebuilt at another site. Other photographers said it just felt 'creepy' after these people left.

...It's just thoughtless and rude to do this kind of stuff. The consequences are staggering.

*This post was not intended to offend my Disney fanatical sister, Brittany. Also, Britt, your comments are welcome, as I am sure your approval of the piece of work pictured above, will only add more humor to my post.

Ah, what a romantic photo...

2009-06-09T10:31:00.000-07:00

(Disregard the drowning tour guide.)

06/2009 Weekend Project

2009-06-08T06:41:00.000-07:00

It was our family reunion this weekend. We went to my grandparent's cabin and once I get with my uncles and brothers...its on.
We built 2 treehouses to pass the time. This is our first afternoon's work. Pictures of the finished product coming soon.
This was shot from a bad angle, but it's the only place that I could keep sawdust out of my equipment. I started a few minutes late, so the foundation had already been laid. The video shows very little of the construction process in detail unfortunately (which is unlike my other 'construction videos'.) But it's still fun to watch.

Apology only accepted if properly submitted

2009-06-05T09:03:00.000-07:00

Here is a form that I hope someone might be able to use. It might be helpful at times when you aren't sure exactly how to say you are sorry.

Efficiency

2009-06-03T14:50:00.001-07:00

Have you ever been told, "Only take what you are going to eat."? What if we applied that to every part of our lives?

Beds might looks something like this:

The Good Ol Days

2009-05-30T09:00:00.000-07:00

Here is another one of my projects. This is a 2 part series of videos that I made of the process I used to make a Halloween costume a couple of years ago.
Here is Part I

Here is Part II

Turn On Here

2009-05-29T15:43:00.000-07:00

Sinus Headache

2009-05-27T11:48:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted due to a lack of wit caused by a major sinus headache.
I am trying to find a photo to describe my condition to the doctor.
I currently feel the following symptoms:

Phlying Sphere

2009-05-25T08:46:00.000-07:00

I've been doing some research to see if it's possible to make a radio controlled flying ball.
I found some very primitive rough designs for some attempts at making one, and it got my juices flowing.

So I designed this creature last week. My brother Derek and I built it yesterday and did some test-flights. There is still work to be done on it...but the prototype already looks promising!
Check it out!

One flaw with this vehicle... Once it's on the ground... It doesn't take much wind at all for it to blow away.

Snugie part II

2009-05-22T09:33:00.001-07:00

Another failed attempt in the Snugie book of horrors.

Poor Dog

2009-05-21T10:13:00.000-07:00

Move over Michael Vic... You got nothin on these folks. Look how scared that poor animal is.

Fantastic Misfortune

2009-05-20T08:29:00.000-07:00

I saw this and my first thought was:
"SAWEEET! I want to build one of these! Looks so fun!"

Be honest... Was your first thought:
a.) How sad, those poor kids in that poor country.
b.) How fun! Those lucky kids!

Some of my own...

2009-05-18T22:56:00.000-07:00

People have been asking me to put some of my own work up here, so I'll try to drop a unique project I've done in the past up here once in a while.
Today, enjoy the 'House of Straw' I did for the Fiesta Bowl Parade several years ago.
(there is a golf cart under there, the driver see's through the window.)

Loving my new pet

2009-05-17T10:53:00.000-07:00