Maps for Travelers goes Hollywood

This is where I was able to spend my Sunday morning as I was asked to be a stage hand for Sib Delicious who was hired by the band Maps for Travelers during their early morning (10:00AM) performance. Okay, that doesn't sound that early, but for rockers (and myself) whom didn't sleep much that night before this was a bit extreme. Which I suppose is the point?

Checking the levels of our handy work.

Checking levels again

This is the moment before the show starts, where the band plays about half a song for a final sound check. We finished with 15 minutes to spare.

I believe this is called The Calm...

Before the Storm

This is what a 10:00 AM rock set looks like

This is Sib Delicious, one of the best PA producers in the metro

But he's also a down to earth dude, I mean, look at him.

Sib working through a song, constantly checking levels.

Multi-instrument rockers, I know that is generally the case, but a trumpet?! Your argument is irrelevant.

All packed up and ready to go, but not before check a glimpse of pit row.

This was my first time out to Nascar. It is vastly different from any other sporting (like the one across the street! Hey-0) arena in the metro. To try to sum it up in a sentence, I would say that it is the most chillaxed group of 120,000 people I have ever been a part of.

New Venture Film Photography

This is the from the first two rolls that I captured.  I got some light leak somewhere, but I am thinking I can get it fixed.  I am 29 and have only been doing film for about 10 years and photography for about 5, so it's safe to say that I don't have much experience with film cameras. One of the great things that my fiance is bringing into the relationship is a Hasselblad medium format film camera. So I have been tinkering around with it a little bit and watching vids on the Youtubes in hopes of finally playing with it and getting some cool work out of it.  So much can go wrong with digital in just equipment that sometimes its hard to identify user error. O, but not this guy, nothing but cranks and springs and gears.  It really is the basis for what genuine photographer is, plus film just had a different look to it that is hard to explain.  Anyway, these images were pulled from two rolls that I took here in the Kansas City area.  I had them developed at Photographx Unlimited because I wanted to support local before I thought about sending this stuff off in the mail to anyone. I feel like they got the best out of these considering the light leakage. Hope you enjoy them, or enjoy tearing them apart, whichever. But know that there are more rolls of film coming in the mail so there will be more showing up soon.

From a Trip Suzanne and I took to Tulsa, OK to see Norah Jones. I had to stop in Picher, OK to see what all the fuss was about.

One of the writers on the upcoming short that I am working on. He we see him in his natural habitat.

Nicholaus James is the director of this up and coming short.

Chris Bylsma is playing a lead role an in this moment we see him searching for a Snickers bar.

Shadowing sketchsters being sketchy

Giving out the Whats, Whens, and Wheres, and Why(for actors)

I got caught.

And so did the train

I'm sick and it is Terrible

Saturday night until Mid day Monday I was constantly running a fever, which I haven't had since the mid 90s. It also feels like a demon is destroying my intestines.  Well now the fever is finally gone, but the demon still lurks in my belly, appearing about every 20 minutes and staying for about 10.  It has not been fed anything beyond bread and crackers since Saturday. But this demon apparently doesn't feed on human food but rather human organs. I'm down 3 pounds. I miss food. I'm tired of Pedialyte freeze pops.

The Bet

Whereas, a wager shall be accepted by both parties (Michael A Lopez Vs. Michelle Morrison) regarding the employment status of Tony Romo at the  Dallas Cowboys of the NFL,

Whereas, Michelle Morrison wagers that Antonio Romiro AKA Tony Romo shall be employed with the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL and offered a new binding contract between this day and the opening game of the 2014 football season,

Whereas Michael A Lopez wagers that Antonio Romiro AKA Tony Romo shall not be employed by the Dallas Cowboys of the NFL for the 2014 football Season,

Whereas, both parties agree to the wager of two tickets for attendance to the first game to be played by the Dallas Cowboys at Cowboy Stadium in the 2014 football season,

Whereas, both parties agree to invite the winner of said wager as guest to previously mentioned NFL football game at Cowboys Stadium,

Whereas, both parties agree that loser of said wager shall be responsible for covering the cost of said tickets only, and agree that all other costs associated with, but not limited to, the attendance of the said football game shall be solely responsible to the individual in which additional cost can and shall be incurred.

Whereas, the commissioner of this bet shall be Robert Barrette, furthermore; any and all arbitration shall be brought forth to the commissioner for final decision.

Let it me known, that on this 4th Day of February in the year of 2013 that this agreement has been made between Michelle Morrison and Michael A Lopez for the purposes therein, and shall be binding in all cases expect those of death.

Out of Paper

The grip that I had was tighter than any before
not quite enough to make fingers bleed
Nor able to extinguish what is once possessed

Whole civilizations were built under your guise
flat as we saw the world, as we saw you
and America looks like China upon Niña eyes
your spirit of we the people created them, those

All but exterminated we build a new, Sooner
Never were you alone but always together
worth his weight in gold with you, or without
we've made due with fruit, with timber

But full of spirits and thought and you,
you are no where to be found anew
only used, no spaces left
no one to tell this tale and so it shall die

Still a use for paper exists

Digital Lecture

Newspaper ad dollar, 20 million of those
Same level as 1950, classifieds down 92%
pitch the print since 2000
Craigslist indeed

Storytelling, one producer for many consumers but
its many producers for many consumers, even
many producers for few consumers
Journalism is now open for free markets

Advertising equals Hey you! Buy this.
A campaign needs to be entertaining
Youtube views and friends sharing with
friends of strangers

I don't sell stuff, I offer experiences
this is a new drug
Our work needs to be social
We must bring the audience in

Trash out Thursdays

This is a story that begins when I began my shift at a watering hole local to central Overland Park.  I began working here almost two years ago as a way to earn some extra money.  It has since become a place that I go to get paid to vacate my house for reasons other than filming something.  As such, I really have no life and am very money hungry, but more to the point.

Thursdays bring in quite the group of eclectic has-beens, nerver-weres, and never-had-a-chances.  This is due in part to our friendly staff and atmosphere, mostly however; it is directly attributed to $.75 alcohol.  So as the night goes on I decided to guard the back door, this is to ensure no one enters without paying the cover as well as making sure no one tries to sneak out the back with booze; A no-no in the great state of Kansas.

At some point in time I notice two very enthusiastic dumpsters fires that are not too pleased with the cover charge.  From here on out they shall be characterized as "Lithium Fire" and "Old Smokey".  LF is about 24 by my guess while OS is about 45.

OS was not very happy about having to pay the cover but LF had convinced her that it was a good idea and that they would enjoy themselves here.  Now upon entering our bar something was said to LF that brought about a reason for her to pull her pants down and show us her bare ass.  Now first off, I dunno if she is unnecessarily proud or just stupid, but this is something that no one should have been subjected to, especially so soon in what would turn out to be a long winding relationship.

Unfortunately for me, OS needed a cigarette as soon as she got inside and proceeded immediately out to the patio, where I was posted in the corner.  Of course she found me and began to talk to me about:  How she had been drinking since 2PM (it was around 10PM). How LF was a closet meth user.  And how proud she was of her three sons, one of them being named Michael as well.  Well, his name is actually Tristan Michael.  He likes to go by Michael, which we let slide for now; but come adulthood that mother#@$er is Tristan.  Now while she was talking to me about all this LF decided to disappear into the darkness of our bar.  Furthermore, all the other bouncers had discovered that I was being verbally abused and decided to add their own two cents in.  We have walkie talkies with ear buds so of course OS can't hear all the terrible things they are saying about her, how much I appreciate these thing apparently, and all the terrible things I would do to her given the chance.  I'm sure you can guess what they were saying so I won't go into the terrible details of that.  On a side note, they were all impressed that I didn't lose it once and kept a straight face the whole time.

Finally I am free of her as she needs another drink... or so I thought.  Turns out the guys had purchased a rose from the flower lady that peddles her pedals to our customers.  They then promptly gave it to OS and told her that I thought she was the tops and deserved it.  I stayed outside and began talking to other patrons when I see her return to the patio, but this time she has a man with her and they proceed to head out to the parking lot to exchange... things (vomit).  She returns back to the bar about 5 minutes later and finds me as I am hiding from her behind other customers on the patio.  She proceeds to tell me how sweet I am for getting her a rose and how much she appreciates it (all news to me).  Well I didn't want to make her feel like a shit so I went right along with it.  The guys thought that this was just too funny and were so proud of themselves.

By this time LF has resurfaced and is pissed off at these other girls, when the other bouncers ask her why she says because "She didn't take her medicine. She's a lil bi polar, and drinking doesn't help it".  I walk away and laugh and claim victory, because if I am going to give a rose to someone (without my knowledge) I apparently picked the right dumpster fire.  OS heads back out the parking lot with yet another guy, LF is bouncing around angry, people are laughing at me, and we aren't even really that busy.  Anyway long story short towards the end of the night I told OS to make sure she called me and gave her the bouncers number that actually gave her the rose saying it was from me.  LF is that last person out the door, berates the other bouncers for being rude because they would use their tongues to clean up the spillage on her cleavage.  She says nothing to me because she knows I'm "interested" in OS.  How ya like meh now!!!