That’s right!  Dannon and I are heading to Utah to visit Blendtec (and maybe make a visit to the Bonneville Salt Flats).  Make sure to follow me on Twitter and subscribe to my videos on the Youtubes – we’ll be updating them both frequently!  Unless there’s no internet or cell coverage along the way…then we won’t.  You will be sad.

I love the Flip brand of cameras.  They’re cheap (relatively) and very versatil.  You can put them just about anywhere (so as not to risk a more expensive rig) and the quality you get for your $200ish dollars is comendable.  The only problem?  The field of view is too narrow.  A little super glue and cheap lens kit from Best Buy can fix that though.

Props to Anthony Skelton for his write up here.  I had some vignetting with the 2x lens when doing this to my Flip Ultra HD – I think modifying the Mino HD eliminates this problem because the “lens hump” is less pronounced.  Happy Hacking!

(Anthony Skelton Photography)

I’m getting married in 65 days 4 hours 23 minutes and 50 seconds.

And, and least currently, I’m not looking so hot.  Or Hawt even.  I read somewhere that that’s how the geeky kids say it.  With a “W”.

Anyways, as a gift to my lovely fiance, Kristen, but mostly as a gift to myself, I’ve decided to get myself looking more like the strapping young lad she met and fell in love with over 7 years ago.  In the interest of honesty I’ve let things go a little…ok…maybe a lot.  I was very physically active in college, but that was 4 years ago.  Slowly but surely I gained weight, my flat stomach became not flat, a double chin appeared… well, you get the picture.  I’ve basically gained 10 pounds per year.

So when I made the rather cliche New Years Resolution to start getting back in shape in January, I decided to really do it.

I met with Ambrose from Mispibo at the SNAP Fitness down in the Third Ward (I work nearby), and rocked out a four session introduction that taught me the basics.  The best part was, given my steadfast decision to make a change, I stuck with it, for 3 or 4 months at least.  Unexpected international travel two months ago jarred me out of my routine.

I had fallen off of the wagon.

During my attempt to get back on the wagon I ran into Ambrose again, and we decided it was time to hit it hard so I can look good for my soon to be wife on my wedding day.  It turns out that in the 6 months of unsupervised fitness I had lost about 15 pounds.  It was a good start but no where near where I needed to be.  It was on.

And it’s been “on” for a week now.  I know this because it hurts – I’ve been coming into the gym 6 days a week.  My first appointment, where we established my baseline, left me vomiting in the bathroom at SNAP.  Ambrose was quick to point out that I needed get a better handle on my nutrition.  I had been rocking out a low calorie diet to try and keep losing the weight.  Too low.

The actual week of working out that has since followed my somewhat embarrassing experience at the gym has been decent.  I felt like Ambrose was going easy on me because I had puked.  By Friday I was annoyed enough to ask him about it.  His response?  “We’re learning form and figuring out where you’re at this week, next week we’ll hit it hard.”

He wasn’t lying – Monday and Tuesday this week left me wringing the sweat out of my gym clothes.  Kristen insists that I’m already starting to look thinner.  I don’t know that I am, I can’t see it.  But I can honestly say that I feel thinner.  I can also honestly say that I have more energy than before we started this whole thing two weeks ago.

I’m going to chronicle the next 65 days here on this blog.  I’ve warned Ambrose that my intent in writing this is to be 100% honest and candid about my experience.  If we win you’ll know it, but you’ll also know if we fail (not that I’m particularly planning on it.)  Feel free to ask any questions you might have in the comments section – I’ll do my best to answer them as honestly and correctly as possible.  The next 65 days are going to be rough, but I’m always up for a challenge.

Abandoned Cine @ Dembrography

I haven’t been writing anything with these update posts lately, but I just wanted to say that this Abandoned Movie Theatre in Racine, WI is one of the most beautifully tragic things I have ever seen.  I’d love to get inside – I wonder who lives there now.

Loyola Park @ Dembrography

If the Spetznaz could (can still?) throw axes while backflipping over barbed wire did we really win the Cold War?

Backflipping Spetsnaz Badassery

In the interest of full disclosure, I have no idea where that picture is from – my friend Nicolas showed it to me on the googles – it’s tagged with the word Spetsnaz so I’ll take it.  If anyone knows the true origin of the photo sound off below!

My response?  OMGWTFBBQ!?!?  The best I could come up with (based on the height of the camera) was a really long jib arm on a dolly.  I was wrong.  It’s much simpler and much more impressive:

That’s right!  High Speed Segway (no handlebars!) to running dismount.  For those that are wondering the Steadicam Operator is reportedly Karsten Jacobsten.  Seriously – I can’t stop watching this.  Thanks Paul!

Hong Kong Night Market @ Dembrography

Kowloon Skyline @ Dembrography

Hong Kong Night Market @ Dembrography