View allAll Photos Tagged Overthinking
German postcard by Verlag Hermann Leiser, Berlin, no. 7798. Photo: Vitascope. Albert Bassermann in Der letzte Tag (Max Mack, 1913), scripted by playwright Paul Lindau. Plot: A professor (Bassermann) overthinks his life (in flashback), remembering the decisive day when he killed his longtime cheating and adulterous wife. On his last day, he dies before he can commit suicide.
Albert Bassermann (1867–1952) was one of the first great German stage actors who worked for the cinema. In 1933 he fled the Nazi regime and became an Oscar nominated stage and film actor in the US.
Daily Dog Challenge143: Simple - take a photo of your dog with a simple composition today. Don't overthink it!
Day Twenty-Seven:
Come closer. Closer. Closer still. Can you feel it? The intensity of a cacophony of hot thoughts dwelling upon each other in an orgy of overthinking. For what is the brain for if not the organ of agonising introspection. For why else would the least little thing snowball into a huge and inventive scenario that will never come to pass.
And that's how they keep you under control.
Once the man has performed their little tweak of your mind they'll bombard you with nothing but devestation to distract you. And then you're there. It is so much quicker and easier than the cracking open the skull and rummaging around in there. Less messy too. Less goo. This way we just need to drop a few key phrases in and off you go.
There are a few little side effects. Nothing major. The mind flaming out of control in an inferno of rumination. It's nothing that can't be fixed. In the next candidate. That other one we'll be pouring out their brain through their eye sockets. It's truly disgusting.
Want to see?
Photo Challenge Week 34 Odd Numbers
This is a picture of my son's toys. I focused on the centre train. This is my first entry and I found this to be quite challenging as I tend to overthink things.
2021. I normally do not include any context for my work but I felt as if I had to make an exception for this series. These are my thoughts put on paper: truths, half-truths, lies, and intrusions. This is overthinking that's been given the treatment of being fleshed out in the most raw. This is documented catharsis.
I've been tagged by my great friend Sergio. So there are 10 things about me!!
# 1 - I have the tendency to overthink and I'm always in doubt and considering the various options I have before making a decision. At this very moment I'm sitting still thinking (way too much) about what I should write next.
# 2 - I worry too much about pleasing other people and I just keep forgetting about myself.
# 3 - Becoming a photographer was something that never crossed my mind and if I haven't got my camera as a gift I would never experience the wonderful feeling that phtography brings me.
# 4 - I experience unconditional love every single day of my life through my biggest passion: my two Yorkies, Jimi Hendrix and Yaritza.
# 5 - I still believe that I'll find the love of my life and I'd love to be a mom. I want a boy and a girl...
# 6 - I lost my father when I was way too young but since then I'm pretty sure he's been looking after me... my personal guardian angel.
# 7 - I'm a very insecure person
# 8 - I'm afraid of the dark (how enbarrassing!!!! LOL)
# 9 - I always try to look at the good side of people and situations but unfortunately it's not rare for me to get disappointed at them.
# 10 - I looooove Christmas time!! The tree, the gifts, the food ... Oh, specially the food!
21-01-10 I rushed a bit today. I think it shows in the picture. So many people commented about the wood grain in the Andy Worhol picture that I figured I would try and do my first texture piece. I felt bad about doing another B&W shot so I tried to keep this one in colour. To be honest I'm not that happy with how it turned out, but if this 365 has taught me one thing it is to not overthink. So here it is, the grain of my coffee table. I am also Including the SOOC shot (straight out of camera) as inspired by Eric M Martin who made me realise I have nothing to fear by doing so. This is something I will now try to do for every shot. Processing wise all I did was bump the saturation and clarity as well as square cropping it.
Manual Page Read: Page 29 - Checking the number of recordable images.
Images Viewed: Well I was checking out my RSS stream last night when I saw one of my own photos! A very weird experience. It turns out that my Mastercard Bokeh image was chosen by the Beyond Megapixels blog as one of their favourites from their monthly photo challenge.
Other Inspiration: One of my friends recently had a stroke. Totally out of the blue. He is a all round brilliant fella who is just too young to have this kind of shit happen to him. Anyway get well soon mate.
On Twitter.
My 365 blog - greg365.mcmull.in
Daughtry
Magazzini Generali - Milano
13 Marzo 2014
Chris Daughtry - Vocals
Josh Paul - Bass
Brian Craddock - Guitar
Josh Steely - Guitar
Robin Diaz - Drums
Elvio Fernandes - Keyboard
Ph.Mairo Cinquetti
When the time arrived to make his fourth full-length studio album, Baptized, Chris Daughtry followed his instincts.
Motivated by intensely creative writing sessions with the likes of Martin Johnson [Boys Like Girls], Sam Hollander [Gym Class Heroes, Coheed and Cambria] and Claude Kelly [Bruno Mars, Whitney Houston], the singer, songwriter and musician quickly discovered the direction of his latest body of work.
"I needed a change," he admits. "I started hearing these new sounds over my voice, and it was so inspiring. There wasn't just one style either. It was a completely different vibe all around. I really wanted to pursue that to the fullest. This is probably one of the most inspiring records I've ever done."
In early 2013, Chris began working on what would eventually become Baptized. Early on, he made a conscious decision to approach the album from a different angle. It would've been too easy for him to simply repeat himself considering he and the band have been on quite a hot streak since their 2006 self-titled became the fastest-selling rock debut in Soundscan history. 2009's Leave This Town gave them their second consecutive No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200, while Break The Spell reached gold status in merely four weeks of release in 2011. Throughout, they achieved four No. 1 smashes at radio as well as four Grammy Award nominations and four American Music Awards wins. Meanwhile, sales exceeded 7.5 million albums and 17 million singles. Nevertheless, as an artist/band, they chose to evolve for both themselves and their fans.
In between a hectic touring schedule, Chris would fly to Los Angeles for in-studio sessions with Johnson and Hollander or Kelly.
"As fans of the band, they would do things that I normally wouldn't do, and that's why it was so exciting. I was much more open to explore a new style of writing with this album. Whether it was on keyboard, piano, or even banjo in some cases, the soundscape really felt alive. We'd write a song together and cut the vocals right then and there to capture that energy. It happened so quickly. We didn't need to overthink anything. The magic was there."
It's easy to hear, feel, and even see that magic on the first single "Waiting for Superman." Electronics glimmer along with a soft acoustic guitar strum and resounding piano as a cinematic tale unfolds in orchestral pop fashion. It instantly takes flight with one of the vocalist's most powerful hooks yet and an inspiring story.
"It was never about a superhero per se," he reveals. "It’s about waiting for that someone in your life to step up and be what you need in that moment as a ‘rock’ or ‘strength.’ I've heard it so many times. I chose one of the biggest pop culture archetypes out there because it can mean many different things. I love the image of a girl waiting for someone to save her. Personally, it stems from my own experiences with my teenage daughter and wife. They were my muses."
The track "Battleships," sails into new territory. An immersive beat bounces along with the warm production as he delivers an irresistible anthem meant for arenas. In order to test this fresh flavor, he ran it by his toughest critics.
He smiles, "My parents love our music, but they're mainly into country. After I played them 'Battleships,' I expected my dad to say, 'Well, that's different!' Instead, he looked at me and said, 'Man, that's a hit!'
The lyrics find him veering down an uncharted lane as well. "It's not a breakup song—which we've been the ambassadors for over the past six years," Daughtry chuckles. "It's about butting heads with the one you love. You don't want to fight, but it happens. You're both going to stand your ground, but you're really fighting for each other."
Perhaps the most shining example of Chris’ evolution is the rollicking and raucous "Long Live Rock & Roll". Acoustic guitar and banjo charge forward at full steam as he name checks everyone from Elton John and Billy Joel to Mötley Crüe and Guns 'N Roses, even lamenting "Van Hagar" in the process.
"It was so far out of my normal comfort zone," he says. "Everything has always been so serious in the past, but rock 'n' roll is meant to be fun. I wanted to cut loose and have a good time. We went places I'd never been musically."
At the same time, the kinetic "I'll Fight" brandishes a youthful vibrancy, while the title track, “Baptized,” builds from a Western-style dobro hum into a bombastic refrain. In many ways, the title encapsulates Chris’ ethos completely.
"I always wanted to call the album Baptized, because it felt like a new chapter," he declares. "It's a bold statement."
He's ready to proclaim that statement in front of packed venues around the world alongside longtime bandmates Josh Paul [bass], Brian Craddock [guitar], Josh Steely [guitar], Robin Diaz [drums] and new addition Elvio Fernandes [keyboards]. Outside of music, he continues to give back to various charities. He even holds an ambassadorship with DC Comics’ We Can Be Heroes campaign, fighting hunger in underdeveloped countries.
At the end of the day, Baptized certainly signals a rebirth for Chris and the band. "I want fans to keep an open mind about it," he concludes. "The songs are very much what I do lyrically and melodically. I've always been a sucker for a great melody. That's what songwriting is all about. Can people relate to this? Is it real? Is it honest? That's what everyone should take away. It's real and authentic. This is where I am right now."
overthinking
I'm doing a lot of it lately, and it's bumming me out. I should just stop worrying about shit that isn't even happening yet, and cross that bridge when I get there. Anyways, I thought this kinda represented it. Shit photoshopping job I know lol. Oh well, come at me bro.
194 / 365 : A-Symmetrical
I'm starting to get why someone once described japan as the "Street Photographer's Heaven".
Lately i've been questioning myself pretty often regards that matter and at one point i thought the answer was : " Symmetry "
But it's not, actually is the opposite : was makes (at least, in my opinion) shooting street photos so easy and satisfying here in Japan is the Asymmetry in Symmetry.
Small small details characterize different parts or areas in the city that would be otherwise completely identical. Like in this case, the yellow line (it's for blind people to understand where they are going and when to stop depending on the texture of the surface, i just discovered it!).
Maybe i'm overthinking the whole thing, and i should just say that i like street photography but judging from this image, that's what i thought.
Camera Info: Nikon D300 | Samyang 8mm (ƒ/3.5) @ 8mm | ƒ/8 | ISO 200 | 1/125 s — Camera Handheld
Daughtry
Magazzini Generali - Milano
13 Marzo 2014
Chris Daughtry - Vocals
Josh Paul - Bass
Brian Craddock - Guitar
Josh Steely - Guitar
Robin Diaz - Drums
Elvio Fernandes - Keyboard
Ph.Mairo Cinquetti
When the time arrived to make his fourth full-length studio album, Baptized, Chris Daughtry followed his instincts.
Motivated by intensely creative writing sessions with the likes of Martin Johnson [Boys Like Girls], Sam Hollander [Gym Class Heroes, Coheed and Cambria] and Claude Kelly [Bruno Mars, Whitney Houston], the singer, songwriter and musician quickly discovered the direction of his latest body of work.
"I needed a change," he admits. "I started hearing these new sounds over my voice, and it was so inspiring. There wasn't just one style either. It was a completely different vibe all around. I really wanted to pursue that to the fullest. This is probably one of the most inspiring records I've ever done."
In early 2013, Chris began working on what would eventually become Baptized. Early on, he made a conscious decision to approach the album from a different angle. It would've been too easy for him to simply repeat himself considering he and the band have been on quite a hot streak since their 2006 self-titled became the fastest-selling rock debut in Soundscan history. 2009's Leave This Town gave them their second consecutive No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200, while Break The Spell reached gold status in merely four weeks of release in 2011. Throughout, they achieved four No. 1 smashes at radio as well as four Grammy Award nominations and four American Music Awards wins. Meanwhile, sales exceeded 7.5 million albums and 17 million singles. Nevertheless, as an artist/band, they chose to evolve for both themselves and their fans.
In between a hectic touring schedule, Chris would fly to Los Angeles for in-studio sessions with Johnson and Hollander or Kelly.
"As fans of the band, they would do things that I normally wouldn't do, and that's why it was so exciting. I was much more open to explore a new style of writing with this album. Whether it was on keyboard, piano, or even banjo in some cases, the soundscape really felt alive. We'd write a song together and cut the vocals right then and there to capture that energy. It happened so quickly. We didn't need to overthink anything. The magic was there."
It's easy to hear, feel, and even see that magic on the first single "Waiting for Superman." Electronics glimmer along with a soft acoustic guitar strum and resounding piano as a cinematic tale unfolds in orchestral pop fashion. It instantly takes flight with one of the vocalist's most powerful hooks yet and an inspiring story.
"It was never about a superhero per se," he reveals. "It’s about waiting for that someone in your life to step up and be what you need in that moment as a ‘rock’ or ‘strength.’ I've heard it so many times. I chose one of the biggest pop culture archetypes out there because it can mean many different things. I love the image of a girl waiting for someone to save her. Personally, it stems from my own experiences with my teenage daughter and wife. They were my muses."
The track "Battleships," sails into new territory. An immersive beat bounces along with the warm production as he delivers an irresistible anthem meant for arenas. In order to test this fresh flavor, he ran it by his toughest critics.
He smiles, "My parents love our music, but they're mainly into country. After I played them 'Battleships,' I expected my dad to say, 'Well, that's different!' Instead, he looked at me and said, 'Man, that's a hit!'
The lyrics find him veering down an uncharted lane as well. "It's not a breakup song—which we've been the ambassadors for over the past six years," Daughtry chuckles. "It's about butting heads with the one you love. You don't want to fight, but it happens. You're both going to stand your ground, but you're really fighting for each other."
Perhaps the most shining example of Chris’ evolution is the rollicking and raucous "Long Live Rock & Roll". Acoustic guitar and banjo charge forward at full steam as he name checks everyone from Elton John and Billy Joel to Mötley Crüe and Guns 'N Roses, even lamenting "Van Hagar" in the process.
"It was so far out of my normal comfort zone," he says. "Everything has always been so serious in the past, but rock 'n' roll is meant to be fun. I wanted to cut loose and have a good time. We went places I'd never been musically."
At the same time, the kinetic "I'll Fight" brandishes a youthful vibrancy, while the title track, “Baptized,” builds from a Western-style dobro hum into a bombastic refrain. In many ways, the title encapsulates Chris’ ethos completely.
"I always wanted to call the album Baptized, because it felt like a new chapter," he declares. "It's a bold statement."
He's ready to proclaim that statement in front of packed venues around the world alongside longtime bandmates Josh Paul [bass], Brian Craddock [guitar], Josh Steely [guitar], Robin Diaz [drums] and new addition Elvio Fernandes [keyboards]. Outside of music, he continues to give back to various charities. He even holds an ambassadorship with DC Comics’ We Can Be Heroes campaign, fighting hunger in underdeveloped countries.
At the end of the day, Baptized certainly signals a rebirth for Chris and the band. "I want fans to keep an open mind about it," he concludes. "The songs are very much what I do lyrically and melodically. I've always been a sucker for a great melody. That's what songwriting is all about. Can people relate to this? Is it real? Is it honest? That's what everyone should take away. It's real and authentic. This is where I am right now."
I usually don't want to write my thoughts, but this time I'll do.
These things come from my deepest part of my heart.
I was very little when this tragedy took place and I just remember my parents worried about what would will happened later.
As we all know, the world changed, but it didn't completely.
I wonder why there are still wars and fights between different religions? Why there are still enemies?
I believe in peace, and I find it like the only way to survive in this wonderful world which is ruined by ourselves.
After fifteen years, this episode is not forgotten and I will try until the end of my days to fight and defend every single human, his rights and try to settle peace and love in the whole world. We must all do this. We deserve it and if we believe it, we could definitely succeed.
It was the 2nd time I visited this location. The first time I tried to visit it some weeks ago. After a long walk through the forest I entered the domain and immediately I saw a man walking there. He looked like a gardener or caretaker. He did not notice me but came walking my way. I freezed, and in seconds was overthinking my next move: Wait and hide or run back through the dense forest. In milliseconds I chose the seconds option and run through the forest. The man must have been thinking there was a pack of deer wandering the surrounding forest.
This second time I planned a day of exploring with a team mate who more or less found this castle himself. He already visited it three times, but I had to go there another time to get my pictures. So, my friend visited Château Henri for the 4th time
When we walked around the castle I noticed people inside. A lady with a big smile waved at us and we could enter the castle. We shook hands and found out that I know the guy who was there with his girlfriend. They come from Germany and we have had contact through Flickr and FB. It was very nice meeting each other and again this shows what a small world UE is.
We did our thing, and after some time we were done and left the castle. As we had lovely weather we all walked towards one of the pools to take some outside shots before we leave. Suddenly we heard the sound of a motorscooter and within no time there were two guys on a motorscooter in front of the castle. Damn, were fooked!! We slowly walked our way to the entrance, but 20 meters before we were there the motorscooter showed up and we were stopped. After some smarttalk the guys were more at ease. It was the gardener and one of his friends. The gardener looked after the castle for 22 years already. It was a very friendly guy, but still he called the police.
After waiting for 30 minutes I started to friendly annoy this gardener by asking him every 5 minutes where the police are. And everytime he excused himself and every time he called the police again where they were. I need to continue this, as the police will be fed up with the man at one time In the meantime we changed memorycards and decided what our story would be.
After 45 minutes the police arrived. My plan was to lie flat on our bellies and start photographing small flowers as soon as we saw the police. Unfortunately we didn’t After some ID checks our bags were opened (but not searched) and the gardener excused himself as he needed to do some groceries. Pretty awkward, but ok. And again, we were excused by the man that it took so long before the police came, and I started to feel sorry for the guy. But the best part is yet to come….
The police asked us where our cars are parked. Our German friends were parked two streets to the right, and we were parked two streets to the left. The officer decided to join the Germans and walked to their car for a small car search. We were asked to walk to our car and wait there until they come to us. I cannot believe this happened. If I had some contraband in the car I had plenty of time to hide it before our car was searched. I could have buried all AK-47′s which were hidden in my trunk before the police popped up. Unbelievable country this is…. We drank a cup of coffee together and headed towards the next location…
This castle was built in the 1930′s by the owner of a nearby textile company. It was in his posession till the 1990′s when the castle and it’s domain was sold to a wealthy couple. They completely redecorated the place for which they spent a little fortune. The long driveway was asphalted and the place was furnished with the most expensive furniture which fitted the design of the castle. After some time the couple got arrested for some reason and the castle was sold to a bank who wants to gain some of their money back which they lost to the couple. Unfortunately it is for sale already for some years, and with it’s price being around the € 3 million I guess it will be for sale for some time. Luckily the place is well maintained by the gardener, and really hope he will still have it’s job once the castle is sold…
Please visit www.preciousdecay.com for more pictures
Daughtry
Magazzini Generali - Milano
13 Marzo 2014
Chris Daughtry - Vocals
Josh Paul - Bass
Brian Craddock - Guitar
Josh Steely - Guitar
Robin Diaz - Drums
Elvio Fernandes - Keyboard
Ph.Mairo Cinquetti
When the time arrived to make his fourth full-length studio album, Baptized, Chris Daughtry followed his instincts.
Motivated by intensely creative writing sessions with the likes of Martin Johnson [Boys Like Girls], Sam Hollander [Gym Class Heroes, Coheed and Cambria] and Claude Kelly [Bruno Mars, Whitney Houston], the singer, songwriter and musician quickly discovered the direction of his latest body of work.
"I needed a change," he admits. "I started hearing these new sounds over my voice, and it was so inspiring. There wasn't just one style either. It was a completely different vibe all around. I really wanted to pursue that to the fullest. This is probably one of the most inspiring records I've ever done."
In early 2013, Chris began working on what would eventually become Baptized. Early on, he made a conscious decision to approach the album from a different angle. It would've been too easy for him to simply repeat himself considering he and the band have been on quite a hot streak since their 2006 self-titled became the fastest-selling rock debut in Soundscan history. 2009's Leave This Town gave them their second consecutive No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200, while Break The Spell reached gold status in merely four weeks of release in 2011. Throughout, they achieved four No. 1 smashes at radio as well as four Grammy Award nominations and four American Music Awards wins. Meanwhile, sales exceeded 7.5 million albums and 17 million singles. Nevertheless, as an artist/band, they chose to evolve for both themselves and their fans.
In between a hectic touring schedule, Chris would fly to Los Angeles for in-studio sessions with Johnson and Hollander or Kelly.
"As fans of the band, they would do things that I normally wouldn't do, and that's why it was so exciting. I was much more open to explore a new style of writing with this album. Whether it was on keyboard, piano, or even banjo in some cases, the soundscape really felt alive. We'd write a song together and cut the vocals right then and there to capture that energy. It happened so quickly. We didn't need to overthink anything. The magic was there."
It's easy to hear, feel, and even see that magic on the first single "Waiting for Superman." Electronics glimmer along with a soft acoustic guitar strum and resounding piano as a cinematic tale unfolds in orchestral pop fashion. It instantly takes flight with one of the vocalist's most powerful hooks yet and an inspiring story.
"It was never about a superhero per se," he reveals. "It’s about waiting for that someone in your life to step up and be what you need in that moment as a ‘rock’ or ‘strength.’ I've heard it so many times. I chose one of the biggest pop culture archetypes out there because it can mean many different things. I love the image of a girl waiting for someone to save her. Personally, it stems from my own experiences with my teenage daughter and wife. They were my muses."
The track "Battleships," sails into new territory. An immersive beat bounces along with the warm production as he delivers an irresistible anthem meant for arenas. In order to test this fresh flavor, he ran it by his toughest critics.
He smiles, "My parents love our music, but they're mainly into country. After I played them 'Battleships,' I expected my dad to say, 'Well, that's different!' Instead, he looked at me and said, 'Man, that's a hit!'
The lyrics find him veering down an uncharted lane as well. "It's not a breakup song—which we've been the ambassadors for over the past six years," Daughtry chuckles. "It's about butting heads with the one you love. You don't want to fight, but it happens. You're both going to stand your ground, but you're really fighting for each other."
Perhaps the most shining example of Chris’ evolution is the rollicking and raucous "Long Live Rock & Roll". Acoustic guitar and banjo charge forward at full steam as he name checks everyone from Elton John and Billy Joel to Mötley Crüe and Guns 'N Roses, even lamenting "Van Hagar" in the process.
"It was so far out of my normal comfort zone," he says. "Everything has always been so serious in the past, but rock 'n' roll is meant to be fun. I wanted to cut loose and have a good time. We went places I'd never been musically."
At the same time, the kinetic "I'll Fight" brandishes a youthful vibrancy, while the title track, “Baptized,” builds from a Western-style dobro hum into a bombastic refrain. In many ways, the title encapsulates Chris’ ethos completely.
"I always wanted to call the album Baptized, because it felt like a new chapter," he declares. "It's a bold statement."
He's ready to proclaim that statement in front of packed venues around the world alongside longtime bandmates Josh Paul [bass], Brian Craddock [guitar], Josh Steely [guitar], Robin Diaz [drums] and new addition Elvio Fernandes [keyboards]. Outside of music, he continues to give back to various charities. He even holds an ambassadorship with DC Comics’ We Can Be Heroes campaign, fighting hunger in underdeveloped countries.
At the end of the day, Baptized certainly signals a rebirth for Chris and the band. "I want fans to keep an open mind about it," he concludes. "The songs are very much what I do lyrically and melodically. I've always been a sucker for a great melody. That's what songwriting is all about. Can people relate to this? Is it real? Is it honest? That's what everyone should take away. It's real and authentic. This is where I am right now."
Natalie did say to have fun and not overthink it but I have spent the day on a wild goose chase! I tried to get some Tartan paint, no luck there, couldn't find any polka dot paint either, and don't talk to me about the long weights... ;-)
So off I went to take some photos of real Geese but although I took a few I wasn't happy with any of them and there was certainly no chasing involved - except when a swan started to attack one of them but my camera was still in the bag at that point! doh!
This evening I stood out in the cold to take a photo (or try) of the International Space Station as it was supposed to be bright tonight, not a dicky bird.
So this is today's photo - The moon - all I had left to take a photo of!
After dinner I shall be off to the common to do a little Snipe Hunting. I have the bag, snipe food, torch and long stick all ready to go!
For our daily challenge: Wild goose chase
I have not given much of an update abut my mental health lately, so I figure maybe my 55th birthday is as good of a day as any to mention it again. It has been a while since I hit rock bottom and even longer than that since I discovered rock bottom had a basement. I had a few bad weeks recently. Nothing too bad and it only merited a few vaquebook posts from me. This feeling comes and goes and I expect it always will.
My anxiety has been mostly up and not really down lately. Some of this is because of Trump and Musk's new DOGE initiative and the effect it could have on my Social Security. This is not a political post, but the anxiety I feel over what is going on in Washington is very real and has possible real world implications for me and others like me. Maybe for you or somon you know, too.
I am fine with egg prices. I like to make jokes about buying eggs and I point out the “day one” comments that someone was making while campaigning for the presidency and how on Actual Day One, he stopped talking about egg prices only to later suggest we shut up about them. I bought a dozen eggs for $8.09 recently and did the math. That comes up to 67 cents per egg. I like to fry up three eggs and put cheese on them. I call it a poor man's omelet, but it's really a lazy man's omelet. Not including the price of the cheese, that's basically two dollars and change for breakfast. So that carton f eggs I just bought easily gets me four breakfast meals. (Although it's sometimes afternoon when I eat the meal.) The cup of coffee I drink with it is probably more expensive but for whatever reason, the eggs were grabbing everyone's attention for awhile late last year.
About Social Security, I tried to get a replacement card online the other day because I constantly lose any ID I have. (Yes, I have lost it again after my issues last year getting it in time for my trip on Amtrak.) Well, you probably know what happened. I can no longer do this online. I have to go to an office to get a new card now. The nearest office is in Columbia about twenty miles away. I don't drive, as you know. I know I can get a ride there. I just hate to ask for them. And then there is no way to know what kind of circus the office may be. You can do less online or on the phone (because “fraud.” OK, that was a little political.) But then they turn around and layoff or fire the people who could help you in the office which is certain to be busier now than before.
I spent a little more money at the end of last year than I normally do and it has been taking me a little longer to get it built back up. I used to at least have a few hundred dollars left over every month, but not anymore. A few months later, January, I think, I found I had some month left at the end of my money, the first time that had happened in several years and only the second time since I moved out of my last apartment when I realized I could no longer afford to live there. I was mortified though. I did not go without anything, really. I just had to wait until my disability went in on the third to spend any money. This is another month where I am pinching pennies at the end. I have lost more weight and need to buy shorts that actually fit now. My size 34 pants are too loose and even a belt does not keep my size 36s up anymore. So I need some 32s in my waist shorts. I never thought I'd be here again especially when I was needing size 40 in the waist until I decided to start eating less, but that is beside the point. (That was around 1997.)
But I don't have much of a cushion in the bank for when something happens to Social Security. The money goes on on the third. When I wake up that morning, I Cash App my housemate my share of the rent for the rest f that month. If the Social Security does not go in one month, or goes in late, there is no rent money for my housemates on the day it is due. It should not be on them to support me while politicians on any side of the aisle play fast and loose with money we all put int the system a long time ago. I call it abject anxiety. It is anxiety squared though I suck at math so maybe I just said something that makes no sense.
My phone would be the next to go. And I know a lot of people say don't have a smart phone if you are on disability. But it is 2025 now and we live in a world where you need to be connected electronically. I can access my bank account online and until recently I could get a replacement Social security card online, too. Besides, we don't have a landline here. The last time I had a landline was 2004. We got rid of it because Comporium sucked. If you live or lived in my neck of the woods, you understand why someone might have wanted to get as far away from Comporium as possible. They are the owner of all things cable and telephone where I am from. Ironically, they also owned the TV station I worked at back then. I hated that company. Not the TV station, not anyone at the TV station. Just the corporate owner of the TV station, but I digress.
My depression has been somewhat better lately as I wrote. Binging “Dateline” episodes and listening to a lot of music has helped. Listening to a lot of newer music lately has actually helped tremendously. Or more so not listening to the same music that I have been listening to for the last thirty years. Sundance tells me two of my most listened to acts last week was the iconic blues man Lightin' Hopkins whom I would like to be when I grow up and contemporary rapper NF, two very different musical acts from different eras. But pardon me as I am getting off subject.
Here's the dirty little secret they don't tell you bout bi polar. There are a few of them actually. One is that bipolar is not curable. You don't wake up one day and find you no longer have or are bi polar. Hopefully you find the right medication and find coping methods through therapy. Oh, but therapists are hard to find now. It has taken me three or more years and I just found one to replace the one who told me he used to be in a cult. It came out of left field when we were mentioning Christianity. I don't know why he told me or what he meant. But I couldn't see him again after that. Maybe I was wrong.
They also do not tell you that bi polar often gets worse as you age. Sometimes the mania can increase and the depression can get worse. This basically means your highs are higher and your lows are lower. Some people develop treatment resistance symptoms. My previous psych suggested we may want to look into the possibility my depression was treatment resistant as we had trouble finding the right medication for me. Even now, sometimes I drop off a cliff into a depressive episode when I am on my meds. One day I am mostly fine and the next day I am in a deep, dark hole that I am positive I will never escape hoping I develop untreatable cancer or get hit by a car waiting to photograph a train.
Here's the thing. Experts know it takes more than one way to treat mental illness. Yes, there are meds. But it is not an exact science. One med will work great with one person and cause another one to gain a hundred pounds in six months. There is a lot of weight gain with some medications and it can bring about a serious depression by itself. I mentioned gaining weight and almost needing to go up to a size 40 waist. I was eating more then and was more sedentary as well. But I also on Lithium at the time. (“I'm so happy/'cos today I find my friends/they're in my head...”) I was about to be 250 pounds, the heaviest I had ever been, but my doctor eventually took me off of the Lithium. Weight gain is probably the leading reason why some people stop taking mental illness medications.
But there are other methods of treating mental illness. One that my last doctor brought up pretty quickly was ketamine infusion treatment. She suggested I do a search on it and see what I thought. I knew her company was a believer in ketamine treatment and had a write-up on it on their website, but I appreciated the suggestion that I do my own search because using Google I got a wide variety of opinion on it from best thing ever to absolutely not.
Research told me it was said to be very helpful with both treatment resistant depression as well as anxiety. I have both really bad, but it seems like I do not mention anxiety nearly as much as my depression or that when I do, it's the image of Robert Hayes sweating in “Airplane” and I am talking about having to make a phone call for chuckles. It's my way of saying I hate making or taking phone calls, but it's not really a joking matter. I can watch a call coming in from someone I really need to talk to and let it go to voice mail even though it's a totally innocuous call that would wrap up in three to five minutes. But now I have decided not to take it knowing now I'll have to listen to or read the voice mail and then have to call them back adding to the anxiety which could have been largely avoided by jut picking up the dang phone.
Anxiety can rear it's ugly head in other ways, too. Some of them can be rather insidious. It often keeps me up at night going over scenarios that may never happen. I often believe people have a problem with me for some reason and go about trying to decide what the problem is and what I can do to change it. It keeps me up at night. A lot of times I stay up until I can barely keep my head up in hopes that when I roll over in bed, I will drift right off to sleep. This does not seem to work too often.
It often makes me irritable, tense or on edge. I might appear to be nervous or jumpy. I may have sweat running down my face in situations where no one else is sweating. I will have a sense of impending doom or panic. Sometimes while riding in a car, I have a constant fear or almost a premonition that we are about to wreck in the most unimaginable way possible. On night last week I starting believing I was going to die in my sleep if I went to sleep that night. I am not sure what I was worried about since I am almost always passively suicidal. I imagined a person I used to be close to comforting me in what I was sure was my last hours.
I have seen anxiety defined as an intense, excessive, and persistent worry and fear about everyday situations. That seems to be a very succinct way to explain what I feel more days than not. Then there are the days when the anxiety becomes physical symptoms. It can make me tired and sleepy. But usually it gives me a severe stomach ache. I used to think my stomach aches were because of the way I ate and there may be some truth to that. But I actually believe most of them are caused by my anxiety.
Back to the ketamine treatment after that detour down Anxiety Way. I was liking what I was reading abut the treatment. Then it dawned on me none of this research really meant a thing if my insurance would not cover it. Well, crap. My insurance wouldn't cover it. I cannot remember the reasoning, but it was a new consideration for treatment at the time and there are several known adverse reactions that some can have including addiction to it, memory loss and dizziness. That is why you have to go to an office for the infusion and then stay there for a few hours afterwards while the staff keeps an eye on you. Depending on the prescribed treatment, you may have to go in for twice weekly infusions.
Now I find I may need to do more research. Google is telling me there are some cases where Medicare may pay for it or at least some of it if not most of it. One requirement is that you must have been on at least four anti-depressants that did not work for you. Bingo. I'm already there. I just want to stop hurting. I want to stop telling myself I suck and no one loves me. I want to stop feeling like I deserve every awful thing that has happened to me over the last ten years. I wnt to stop feeling like a burden to everyone aruind me.
I want to stop the insidious overthinking and worrying over every possible scenario that will probably never happen in the first place. I want to stop jumping out of my skin every time I get a phone call. I want to be able to concentrate one thing I am doing at a time instead of having twenty tabs open writing in an Oiffce document at the same time I am working on an edit of an old photograph in Photoshop Elements while looking at Facebook in Chrome and on a message board in Edge while listening to Leonard Cohen on Spotify and watching a game on ESPN. This is usually my life.
Sometimes my randomness works really well for me. I mentioned having ideas for a poem coming to me so fast last week that I was actually writing it down in reverse order because that was how it was coming to me. In school, I loved writing essays and book reports. The thoughts would come to me and I knew that was something for the end of the report while the next thought I had was for the middle of the report. That's basically non-linear editing in TV news but it was 1982 and I had no idea I'd eventually work in TV news or what non-linear editing was.
Sometimes it doesn't work out so well. Sometimes it is like my mind is a traffic system and none of the lights are synced up right and absolutely no traffic is moving. Like the dispatching center that coordinates the railroad that is my mind is offline and all trains are stopped and blocking every road in downtown Chester. It's nothing but mass congestion and utter confusion. I just sit there staring blankly at nothing willing my mind to clear up. If I am trying to clean up, the room always gets messier before it gets better. There is a quote about clutter that I was trying to find, but I ran across this one instead. “Clutter in your physical surroundings will clutter your mind and spirit.” That is true and you should see the pile of absolute crap I have on one side of my bed.
But I also believe the opposite is at least as true is not more true. “Clutter in your mind and spirit will clutter your physical surroundings as well.” My mind is always on speed dial running through the files I store in it for that one morsel of wisdom or a memory just out of reach. I don't think you can have one and not the other. My mind is full of clutter I cannot control. I actually think I am a little manic right now. Thoughts are coming a mile a minute and I am trying like hell to get them all down. Editing will be a must to correct fast typing mistakes and my thoughts tripping over my sentences. Then I remembered I basically described this in a poem I wrote several years ago although I did not realize this at the time
From that file deep inside my memory vault
Hidden in the house that is my mind
Through a maze of darkened hallways
A young man I never was
And the man I'll never be
Sit at a long table
Rows upon rows of filing cabinets
A library of novels inspired by days spent together
A love affair on 35 mm film
For easy retrieval on sleepless nights
A lifetime in a moment
And I knew
And I saw what could be
Etched on paper
Stored on microfilm
An analog memory in the digital age
I wrote most of this, the snippet of the poem notwithstanding early this morning. The plan was to edit it and then post it, but suddenly I could barely keep my eyes open. I put it off to the side until this evening when I got my laptop back out and started fixing the typos. Oh, an there typos! Then I started crying out f the blue. No reason, no trigger. I'm old now. This is what I do. My best years are behind me. I am waiting to die. Another thing they do not tell you about bipolar is that people who have it die on average six years sooner than those without it. Between it and my diabetes, I probably have a pretty short life in front of me. I probably will not live as long as my dad. I'm good with that.
Props to anyone who read all of this. I'm sorry. I should mention the selfie. It's not me. Not exactly. I used a selfie that really was me and took it through an AI program. AI Joe looks a lot better than RL Joe and has better teeth, LOL! But since it is AI, I cannot put it in any photography groups. I took the original shot with my camera, so it's not an iPhone shot either.
The actual photograph is currently my Flicky profile shot.
Rough day.
It started out with a WONDERFUL breakfast. My mom picked up a jalapeno cheese bagel. So naturally I thought “hey this would be great for breakfast, and why not add some more to it.” So I grabbed butter, an egg, bacon, cheese, honey ham, and started cooking. It was delicious. Unfortunately this photo was almost impossible to process. The colors were just bad quite frankly and black and white I just don’t think does the job. This although could be me just not wanting to look at it anymore because I’ve been staring at it too long (I do overthink some photos and then like them later on).
As far as the rest of my day went after breakfast was just exhausting and frustrating. My sales were awful and my sessions I took were just tiring…ugh. I really don’t feel like dwelling on the past so I’ll leave it at that. Tomorrow is a new day and should be fun. I’m going on a hike to a waterfall and should be taking a lot of pictures.
Goodnight Flickr Folks’
Side note: I’ve listening to an unusual amount of Rolling Stones.
'the painting sings'
madness gets drunk on sanity. one glass of sober please. I see society feeding the pigeons from afar. the birds then fly and come hang on our trees. I can hear the music of the world playing in the background and everyone dances on it. where’s death? I gotta show him a magic trick. I always enjoy seeing him overthink things. the ground shifts and blurs out. you never know where you are. in Paris or Bucharest. In England or Gothenburg.
'the christmas lights purr'
you grab me by my neck and eyes, twist my arm and hold my tights and as you choke me I dream of a blue field with lonely flowers where the wind is just about right and the humans don’t bother coming. no, it’s not erotic asphyxiation, baby. it’s a ride to the hospital with the ambulance and a lot of awkward questions that I need to answer, and on top of that, I also have to pay the fucking ride as well, because all you do is watch porn all day and “study”. I don’t even know why I said that. I’m sorry, baby. I know you can’t say anything because you sowed your mouth last week, thing which, by the way, I still cannot get used to. do you know how scary it is to sleep with you? or fuck you? last time we did it in missionary position I felt that if I wouldn’t make you cum you’d cut my throat or something. how can you stand eating through a straw every day, anyway? so many questions I’ve been wanting to ask ever since I agreed with this. and I agreed with It only because I love you, but I’m not so sure about it now. NO, NO! ok. …, ….
I’m busy overworking and overthinking my A-Z submission for Undercover, so here is a sneak peek at Dasha dressed to kill! Her hair came out of the hairnet with an unfortunate snarl I need to tame back into place. I love the curls in her hair but I wish they had just a bit more flex.
Lately I really have been having Trouble creating Zentangles I like. What helps is going back to the roots - just drawing Corner dots, a string and filling them with tangles without overthinking it.
Daughtry
Magazzini Generali - Milano
13 Marzo 2014
Chris Daughtry - Vocals
Josh Paul - Bass
Brian Craddock - Guitar
Josh Steely - Guitar
Robin Diaz - Drums
Elvio Fernandes - Keyboard
Ph.Mairo Cinquetti
When the time arrived to make his fourth full-length studio album, Baptized, Chris Daughtry followed his instincts.
Motivated by intensely creative writing sessions with the likes of Martin Johnson [Boys Like Girls], Sam Hollander [Gym Class Heroes, Coheed and Cambria] and Claude Kelly [Bruno Mars, Whitney Houston], the singer, songwriter and musician quickly discovered the direction of his latest body of work.
"I needed a change," he admits. "I started hearing these new sounds over my voice, and it was so inspiring. There wasn't just one style either. It was a completely different vibe all around. I really wanted to pursue that to the fullest. This is probably one of the most inspiring records I've ever done."
In early 2013, Chris began working on what would eventually become Baptized. Early on, he made a conscious decision to approach the album from a different angle. It would've been too easy for him to simply repeat himself considering he and the band have been on quite a hot streak since their 2006 self-titled became the fastest-selling rock debut in Soundscan history. 2009's Leave This Town gave them their second consecutive No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200, while Break The Spell reached gold status in merely four weeks of release in 2011. Throughout, they achieved four No. 1 smashes at radio as well as four Grammy Award nominations and four American Music Awards wins. Meanwhile, sales exceeded 7.5 million albums and 17 million singles. Nevertheless, as an artist/band, they chose to evolve for both themselves and their fans.
In between a hectic touring schedule, Chris would fly to Los Angeles for in-studio sessions with Johnson and Hollander or Kelly.
"As fans of the band, they would do things that I normally wouldn't do, and that's why it was so exciting. I was much more open to explore a new style of writing with this album. Whether it was on keyboard, piano, or even banjo in some cases, the soundscape really felt alive. We'd write a song together and cut the vocals right then and there to capture that energy. It happened so quickly. We didn't need to overthink anything. The magic was there."
It's easy to hear, feel, and even see that magic on the first single "Waiting for Superman." Electronics glimmer along with a soft acoustic guitar strum and resounding piano as a cinematic tale unfolds in orchestral pop fashion. It instantly takes flight with one of the vocalist's most powerful hooks yet and an inspiring story.
"It was never about a superhero per se," he reveals. "It’s about waiting for that someone in your life to step up and be what you need in that moment as a ‘rock’ or ‘strength.’ I've heard it so many times. I chose one of the biggest pop culture archetypes out there because it can mean many different things. I love the image of a girl waiting for someone to save her. Personally, it stems from my own experiences with my teenage daughter and wife. They were my muses."
The track "Battleships," sails into new territory. An immersive beat bounces along with the warm production as he delivers an irresistible anthem meant for arenas. In order to test this fresh flavor, he ran it by his toughest critics.
He smiles, "My parents love our music, but they're mainly into country. After I played them 'Battleships,' I expected my dad to say, 'Well, that's different!' Instead, he looked at me and said, 'Man, that's a hit!'
The lyrics find him veering down an uncharted lane as well. "It's not a breakup song—which we've been the ambassadors for over the past six years," Daughtry chuckles. "It's about butting heads with the one you love. You don't want to fight, but it happens. You're both going to stand your ground, but you're really fighting for each other."
Perhaps the most shining example of Chris’ evolution is the rollicking and raucous "Long Live Rock & Roll". Acoustic guitar and banjo charge forward at full steam as he name checks everyone from Elton John and Billy Joel to Mötley Crüe and Guns 'N Roses, even lamenting "Van Hagar" in the process.
"It was so far out of my normal comfort zone," he says. "Everything has always been so serious in the past, but rock 'n' roll is meant to be fun. I wanted to cut loose and have a good time. We went places I'd never been musically."
At the same time, the kinetic "I'll Fight" brandishes a youthful vibrancy, while the title track, “Baptized,” builds from a Western-style dobro hum into a bombastic refrain. In many ways, the title encapsulates Chris’ ethos completely.
"I always wanted to call the album Baptized, because it felt like a new chapter," he declares. "It's a bold statement."
He's ready to proclaim that statement in front of packed venues around the world alongside longtime bandmates Josh Paul [bass], Brian Craddock [guitar], Josh Steely [guitar], Robin Diaz [drums] and new addition Elvio Fernandes [keyboards]. Outside of music, he continues to give back to various charities. He even holds an ambassadorship with DC Comics’ We Can Be Heroes campaign, fighting hunger in underdeveloped countries.
At the end of the day, Baptized certainly signals a rebirth for Chris and the band. "I want fans to keep an open mind about it," he concludes. "The songs are very much what I do lyrically and melodically. I've always been a sucker for a great melody. That's what songwriting is all about. Can people relate to this? Is it real? Is it honest? That's what everyone should take away. It's real and authentic. This is where I am right now."
Still untitled, lol
I've been thinking on 'the Civil War Paseo' or something like that since from there is where you take a 'ferry trip' to the 'Orphan Alley Island' where the 'Civil War Performance' takes place... Or maybe I'm overthinking it? lol.
Anyways, about the 'Spooky Campfire Park', it's much more crowded now, with some 'Light-up Elder God' Balloons welcoming you and some new stands.
Besides the 'monorail line' passing by and the new 'forest cave'.
What do you think? Is it too much?
It was the 2nd time I visited this location. The first time I tried to visit it some weeks ago. After a long walk through the forest I entered the domain and immediately I saw a man walking there. He looked like a gardener or caretaker. He did not notice me but came walking my way. I freezed, and in seconds was overthinking my next move: Wait and hide or run back through the dense forest. In milliseconds I chose the seconds option and run through the forest. The man must have been thinking there was a pack of deer wandering the surrounding forest.
This second time I planned a day of exploring with a team mate who more or less found this castle himself. He already visited it three times, but I had to go there another time to get my pictures. So, my friend visited Château Henri for the 4th time
When we walked around the castle I noticed people inside. A lady with a big smile waved at us and we could enter the castle. We shook hands and found out that I know the guy who was there with his girlfriend. They come from Germany and we have had contact through Flickr and FB. It was very nice meeting each other and again this shows what a small world UE is.
We did our thing, and after some time we were done and left the castle. As we had lovely weather we all walked towards one of the pools to take some outside shots before we leave. Suddenly we heard the sound of a motorscooter and within no time there were two guys on a motorscooter in front of the castle. Damn, were fooked!! We slowly walked our way to the entrance, but 20 meters before we were there the motorscooter showed up and we were stopped. After some smarttalk the guys were more at ease. It was the gardener and one of his friends. The gardener looked after the castle for 22 years already. It was a very friendly guy, but still he called the police.
After waiting for 30 minutes I started to friendly annoy this gardener by asking him every 5 minutes where the police are. And everytime he excused himself and every time he called the police again where they were. I need to continue this, as the police will be fed up with the man at one time In the meantime we changed memorycards and decided what our story would be.
After 45 minutes the police arrived. My plan was to lie flat on our bellies and start photographing small flowers as soon as we saw the police. Unfortunately we didn’t After some ID checks our bags were opened (but not searched) and the gardener excused himself as he needed to do some groceries. Pretty awkward, but ok. And again, we were excused by the man that it took so long before the police came, and I started to feel sorry for the guy. But the best part is yet to come….
The police asked us where our cars are parked. Our German friends were parked two streets to the right, and we were parked two streets to the left. The officer decided to join the Germans and walked to their car for a small car search. We were asked to walk to our car and wait there until they come to us. I cannot believe this happened. If I had some contraband in the car I had plenty of time to hide it before our car was searched. I could have buried all AK-47′s which were hidden in my trunk before the police popped up. Unbelievable country this is…. We drank a cup of coffee together and headed towards the next location…
This castle was built in the 1930′s by the owner of a nearby textile company. It was in his posession till the 1990′s when the castle and it’s domain was sold to a wealthy couple. They completely redecorated the place for which they spent a little fortune. The long driveway was asphalted and the place was furnished with the most expensive furniture which fitted the design of the castle. After some time the couple got arrested for some reason and the castle was sold to a bank who wants to gain some of their money back which they lost to the couple. Unfortunately it is for sale already for some years, and with it’s price being around the € 3 million I guess it will be for sale for some time. Luckily the place is well maintained by the gardener, and really hope he will still have it’s job once the castle is sold…
Please visit www.preciousdecay.com for more pictures
Daughtry
Magazzini Generali - Milano
13 Marzo 2014
Chris Daughtry - Vocals
Josh Paul - Bass
Brian Craddock - Guitar
Josh Steely - Guitar
Robin Diaz - Drums
Elvio Fernandes - Keyboard
Ph.Mairo Cinquetti
When the time arrived to make his fourth full-length studio album, Baptized, Chris Daughtry followed his instincts.
Motivated by intensely creative writing sessions with the likes of Martin Johnson [Boys Like Girls], Sam Hollander [Gym Class Heroes, Coheed and Cambria] and Claude Kelly [Bruno Mars, Whitney Houston], the singer, songwriter and musician quickly discovered the direction of his latest body of work.
"I needed a change," he admits. "I started hearing these new sounds over my voice, and it was so inspiring. There wasn't just one style either. It was a completely different vibe all around. I really wanted to pursue that to the fullest. This is probably one of the most inspiring records I've ever done."
In early 2013, Chris began working on what would eventually become Baptized. Early on, he made a conscious decision to approach the album from a different angle. It would've been too easy for him to simply repeat himself considering he and the band have been on quite a hot streak since their 2006 self-titled became the fastest-selling rock debut in Soundscan history. 2009's Leave This Town gave them their second consecutive No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200, while Break The Spell reached gold status in merely four weeks of release in 2011. Throughout, they achieved four No. 1 smashes at radio as well as four Grammy Award nominations and four American Music Awards wins. Meanwhile, sales exceeded 7.5 million albums and 17 million singles. Nevertheless, as an artist/band, they chose to evolve for both themselves and their fans.
In between a hectic touring schedule, Chris would fly to Los Angeles for in-studio sessions with Johnson and Hollander or Kelly.
"As fans of the band, they would do things that I normally wouldn't do, and that's why it was so exciting. I was much more open to explore a new style of writing with this album. Whether it was on keyboard, piano, or even banjo in some cases, the soundscape really felt alive. We'd write a song together and cut the vocals right then and there to capture that energy. It happened so quickly. We didn't need to overthink anything. The magic was there."
It's easy to hear, feel, and even see that magic on the first single "Waiting for Superman." Electronics glimmer along with a soft acoustic guitar strum and resounding piano as a cinematic tale unfolds in orchestral pop fashion. It instantly takes flight with one of the vocalist's most powerful hooks yet and an inspiring story.
"It was never about a superhero per se," he reveals. "It’s about waiting for that someone in your life to step up and be what you need in that moment as a ‘rock’ or ‘strength.’ I've heard it so many times. I chose one of the biggest pop culture archetypes out there because it can mean many different things. I love the image of a girl waiting for someone to save her. Personally, it stems from my own experiences with my teenage daughter and wife. They were my muses."
The track "Battleships," sails into new territory. An immersive beat bounces along with the warm production as he delivers an irresistible anthem meant for arenas. In order to test this fresh flavor, he ran it by his toughest critics.
He smiles, "My parents love our music, but they're mainly into country. After I played them 'Battleships,' I expected my dad to say, 'Well, that's different!' Instead, he looked at me and said, 'Man, that's a hit!'
The lyrics find him veering down an uncharted lane as well. "It's not a breakup song—which we've been the ambassadors for over the past six years," Daughtry chuckles. "It's about butting heads with the one you love. You don't want to fight, but it happens. You're both going to stand your ground, but you're really fighting for each other."
Perhaps the most shining example of Chris’ evolution is the rollicking and raucous "Long Live Rock & Roll". Acoustic guitar and banjo charge forward at full steam as he name checks everyone from Elton John and Billy Joel to Mötley Crüe and Guns 'N Roses, even lamenting "Van Hagar" in the process.
"It was so far out of my normal comfort zone," he says. "Everything has always been so serious in the past, but rock 'n' roll is meant to be fun. I wanted to cut loose and have a good time. We went places I'd never been musically."
At the same time, the kinetic "I'll Fight" brandishes a youthful vibrancy, while the title track, “Baptized,” builds from a Western-style dobro hum into a bombastic refrain. In many ways, the title encapsulates Chris’ ethos completely.
"I always wanted to call the album Baptized, because it felt like a new chapter," he declares. "It's a bold statement."
He's ready to proclaim that statement in front of packed venues around the world alongside longtime bandmates Josh Paul [bass], Brian Craddock [guitar], Josh Steely [guitar], Robin Diaz [drums] and new addition Elvio Fernandes [keyboards]. Outside of music, he continues to give back to various charities. He even holds an ambassadorship with DC Comics’ We Can Be Heroes campaign, fighting hunger in underdeveloped countries.
At the end of the day, Baptized certainly signals a rebirth for Chris and the band. "I want fans to keep an open mind about it," he concludes. "The songs are very much what I do lyrically and melodically. I've always been a sucker for a great melody. That's what songwriting is all about. Can people relate to this? Is it real? Is it honest? That's what everyone should take away. It's real and authentic. This is where I am right now."
How do you battle your depression every day?
Overthinking kills, depression sucks, working hard from 9 to 5 and constantly drained, your routine daily is getting frustrating. Being hateful of your past and worrying so much in the future that you constantly think to yourself, I don’t want to live anymore.
The worries in your life robs your happiness. You have to start living in the ‘now’ and stop worrying too much.
More awesome content like this, you can read them in our blog. Read our newest post about abundance prayer: www.upliftmagazine.com/an-effective-abundance-prayer-for-...
Dex and I have been travelling between Manchester over weekends during the lockdown.
I've taken the opportunity to shoot through the windscreen as a passenger. I'm just mulling over whether to upload images or make a motion video....I'll come back to that.
I shot this a couple of weeks ago. It's one of those things where (for me) it's completely wrong, yet it's probably one of the best things I've shot recently.
If I was planning this shoot it would have been straight, it would have been fully centred and probably in colour. Yet the spontaneity of the frame is perfect, the energy in the shot is fresh and the balance of tone is spot on.
I'm uploading this to remind myself of the energy of a shot. Don't overthink, don't overshoot Even if it's not perfect (to your own style) don't formalise a shot and remove all the energy.
Daughtry
Magazzini Generali - Milano
13 Marzo 2014
Chris Daughtry - Vocals
Josh Paul - Bass
Brian Craddock - Guitar
Josh Steely - Guitar
Robin Diaz - Drums
Elvio Fernandes - Keyboard
Ph.Mairo Cinquetti
When the time arrived to make his fourth full-length studio album, Baptized, Chris Daughtry followed his instincts.
Motivated by intensely creative writing sessions with the likes of Martin Johnson [Boys Like Girls], Sam Hollander [Gym Class Heroes, Coheed and Cambria] and Claude Kelly [Bruno Mars, Whitney Houston], the singer, songwriter and musician quickly discovered the direction of his latest body of work.
"I needed a change," he admits. "I started hearing these new sounds over my voice, and it was so inspiring. There wasn't just one style either. It was a completely different vibe all around. I really wanted to pursue that to the fullest. This is probably one of the most inspiring records I've ever done."
In early 2013, Chris began working on what would eventually become Baptized. Early on, he made a conscious decision to approach the album from a different angle. It would've been too easy for him to simply repeat himself considering he and the band have been on quite a hot streak since their 2006 self-titled became the fastest-selling rock debut in Soundscan history. 2009's Leave This Town gave them their second consecutive No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200, while Break The Spell reached gold status in merely four weeks of release in 2011. Throughout, they achieved four No. 1 smashes at radio as well as four Grammy Award nominations and four American Music Awards wins. Meanwhile, sales exceeded 7.5 million albums and 17 million singles. Nevertheless, as an artist/band, they chose to evolve for both themselves and their fans.
In between a hectic touring schedule, Chris would fly to Los Angeles for in-studio sessions with Johnson and Hollander or Kelly.
"As fans of the band, they would do things that I normally wouldn't do, and that's why it was so exciting. I was much more open to explore a new style of writing with this album. Whether it was on keyboard, piano, or even banjo in some cases, the soundscape really felt alive. We'd write a song together and cut the vocals right then and there to capture that energy. It happened so quickly. We didn't need to overthink anything. The magic was there."
It's easy to hear, feel, and even see that magic on the first single "Waiting for Superman." Electronics glimmer along with a soft acoustic guitar strum and resounding piano as a cinematic tale unfolds in orchestral pop fashion. It instantly takes flight with one of the vocalist's most powerful hooks yet and an inspiring story.
"It was never about a superhero per se," he reveals. "It’s about waiting for that someone in your life to step up and be what you need in that moment as a ‘rock’ or ‘strength.’ I've heard it so many times. I chose one of the biggest pop culture archetypes out there because it can mean many different things. I love the image of a girl waiting for someone to save her. Personally, it stems from my own experiences with my teenage daughter and wife. They were my muses."
The track "Battleships," sails into new territory. An immersive beat bounces along with the warm production as he delivers an irresistible anthem meant for arenas. In order to test this fresh flavor, he ran it by his toughest critics.
He smiles, "My parents love our music, but they're mainly into country. After I played them 'Battleships,' I expected my dad to say, 'Well, that's different!' Instead, he looked at me and said, 'Man, that's a hit!'
The lyrics find him veering down an uncharted lane as well. "It's not a breakup song—which we've been the ambassadors for over the past six years," Daughtry chuckles. "It's about butting heads with the one you love. You don't want to fight, but it happens. You're both going to stand your ground, but you're really fighting for each other."
Perhaps the most shining example of Chris’ evolution is the rollicking and raucous "Long Live Rock & Roll". Acoustic guitar and banjo charge forward at full steam as he name checks everyone from Elton John and Billy Joel to Mötley Crüe and Guns 'N Roses, even lamenting "Van Hagar" in the process.
"It was so far out of my normal comfort zone," he says. "Everything has always been so serious in the past, but rock 'n' roll is meant to be fun. I wanted to cut loose and have a good time. We went places I'd never been musically."
At the same time, the kinetic "I'll Fight" brandishes a youthful vibrancy, while the title track, “Baptized,” builds from a Western-style dobro hum into a bombastic refrain. In many ways, the title encapsulates Chris’ ethos completely.
"I always wanted to call the album Baptized, because it felt like a new chapter," he declares. "It's a bold statement."
He's ready to proclaim that statement in front of packed venues around the world alongside longtime bandmates Josh Paul [bass], Brian Craddock [guitar], Josh Steely [guitar], Robin Diaz [drums] and new addition Elvio Fernandes [keyboards]. Outside of music, he continues to give back to various charities. He even holds an ambassadorship with DC Comics’ We Can Be Heroes campaign, fighting hunger in underdeveloped countries.
At the end of the day, Baptized certainly signals a rebirth for Chris and the band. "I want fans to keep an open mind about it," he concludes. "The songs are very much what I do lyrically and melodically. I've always been a sucker for a great melody. That's what songwriting is all about. Can people relate to this? Is it real? Is it honest? That's what everyone should take away. It's real and authentic. This is where I am right now."
Pictured trailer was built for me by a local Maryland trailer dealer. This DJR house brand aluminum trailer was priced comparable if not less than mass produced entry level trailers but features more durable disk brake calibers as well as alloy wheels and Vault hubs. These hubs are manufactured by UFP and are advertised as maintenance free for five years. New to the market two years ago, Internet searches have yet to reveal any significant bad press on these hubs. Time will tell.
The trailer weighs 1180 lbs and is rated to carry a 9,000 lb boat. I expect my Bluejacket to weigh about 2800 lbs ready to cruise. To get a trailer long enough for a Bluejacket, we end up with a trailer substantially over built in regards to load capacity. The trailer has torsion axles which can be unbolted and repositioned to obtain prescribed tonque weight. I will have to fiddle with the bunks in regards to location and perhaps width. I will need some creative thinking on guides to assist in boat recovery. I anticipate adding guide bunks in the bow area.
I enjoyed interacting with Rick the technician who built the trailer. For a couple of years I have followed boat trailer forums thus was armed with many ideas and conclusions. The sentiment at the trailer dealership was that I was significantly overthinking stuff ("What is the diameter of a link in the safety chain?"). Not the first time this observation has been made in regards to my thought processes. In spite of myself, Rick kept me grounded and encouraged me, based on a total towing package of only about 4,000 lbs, to keep things simple. Always a pleasure when up-sell pressure is nonexistent.
Per the trailer forums, brake caliber corrison is a frequent headache and few folks seem happy with tire longevity/reliability especially those of Chinese manufacture. My trailer has surge disk brakes with a solenoid running off the back up light circuit to dump master brake cylinder pressure when backing. It will be about 18 months before the trailer with boat takes to the Interstates thus I only specified brakes on one axle. When the day arrives for frequent and high speed trailering of my Bluejacket, I may add brakes on the second axle especially if travelling in a state(s) that requires brakes on all axles. No reason today to double the number of brake calipers corroding from age and infrequent use. I had Rick set up the hydraulic lines to facilitate adding brakes to the second axle.
I have been annoyed by the clunking sound that surge brake activators make in response to tow vehicle braking or accelerating. Turns out there is a shock absorber inside the sliding brake activator mechanism on my trailer. I trust that this device will reduce if not prevent the clunking noise (**Edit 11/2013- It didn't.).
I wonder if the immersible LED lights on my trailer will have a lifespan much better than trailer lights featuring incandescent bulbs.
Next week I will construct a temporary platform on the trailer to transport stationary power tools and some furniture for our return to Texas in a couple of weeks.
*Edit 11/28/2012: Without incident we towed this trailer 1562 miles to Austin, Tx. Ann did her share of driving duties and experienced no difficulties in trailer handling. I constructed a 3'x2'x8' storage container loaded with disasembled stationary power tools for my Austin workshop. We also carried furniture which we donated to a cat rescue center in Austin. I estimate the total weight of 2500 lbs for trailer and cargo thus well below my Honda Pilot's 4,000 tow capacity. Per an erratic scale I was using, I ended up with about 70 lbs excess tongue weight than the 7-10% tongue weight rule prescribed. After the scale stopped misbehaving and gave a true weight, I deemed it too much effort to repack the storage container to reduce tongue weight. The Honda was squatting with the tongue weight along with the items in the back of the vehicle. Tongue weight along with the tandem axles eliminated any swaying and the trailer tracked like it was on rails. The trailer was a beast manuvering in gas stations and constant vigillance was required to turn wide and monitor the mirrors. My failure to do so almost resulted in planting a trailer fender into the front of a parked car at a gas station. I have much to learn in regards to large trailer manuvering.
The Honda's normal 20 mpg (flat terrain and 65mph) on the highway went to 14 mpg during the tow. I understand that at interstate speeds on level pavement 1/2 the force the engine must overcome is wind resistance. The blunt front of my storage container was probably the primary culprit in poor gas mileage. With a 20 gallon tank, way too many stops for gas especially with the stress of trailer manuvering.
This experience helped educate me on selection criteria for a larger tow vehicle.
July 3 2012
Really important self discoveries, but crappy photo.
"This is how it goes; wehen we move on we take with us only what our hearts can carry.
It’s really about seeing where the chips fall, and not overthinking what feels right.
While I still feel that what’s happened in the past changes my perspective on life’s instant moments…those serendipitous moments are important for getting through the hard stuff. Life’s also about not holding too tightly on to anything-even the memory of the great stuff. Sometimes knowing what was is the most damaging to the fragile pieces to “what is.”
Just live and don’t over think life’s pleasant surprises." -from my journal on july 3 2012
sorry for the crappy pic. it's a purposely out of focus photo of a sketch/idea i made in my journal.
_MZG3459
Prompts: Sittin' in the garden, I'm a couple glasses in. I was tryna count up all the places we've been. You're always there, so don't overthink. I'm so over whites and pinks.
Made with #midjourney
Thank you for your visit, faves, and kind comments. 😊
It was the 2nd time I visited this location. The first time I tried to visit it some weeks ago. After a long walk through the forest I entered the domain and immediately I saw a man walking there. He looked like a gardener or caretaker. He did not notice me but came walking my way. I freezed, and in seconds was overthinking my next move: Wait and hide or run back through the dense forest. In milliseconds I chose the seconds option and run through the forest. The man must have been thinking there was a pack of deer wandering the surrounding forest.
This second time I planned a day of exploring with a team mate who more or less found this castle himself. He already visited it three times, but I had to go there another time to get my pictures. So, my friend visited Château Henri for the 4th time
When we walked around the castle I noticed people inside. A lady with a big smile waved at us and we could enter the castle. We shook hands and found out that I know the guy who was there with his girlfriend. They come from Germany and we have had contact through Flickr and FB. It was very nice meeting each other and again this shows what a small world UE is.
We did our thing, and after some time we were done and left the castle. As we had lovely weather we all walked towards one of the pools to take some outside shots before we leave. Suddenly we heard the sound of a motorscooter and within no time there were two guys on a motorscooter in front of the castle. Damn, were fooked!! We slowly walked our way to the entrance, but 20 meters before we were there the motorscooter showed up and we were stopped. After some smarttalk the guys were more at ease. It was the gardener and one of his friends. The gardener looked after the castle for 22 years already. It was a very friendly guy, but still he called the police.
After waiting for 30 minutes I started to friendly annoy this gardener by asking him every 5 minutes where the police are. And everytime he excused himself and every time he called the police again where they were. I need to continue this, as the police will be fed up with the man at one time In the meantime we changed memorycards and decided what our story would be.
After 45 minutes the police arrived. My plan was to lie flat on our bellies and start photographing small flowers as soon as we saw the police. Unfortunately we didn’t After some ID checks our bags were opened (but not searched) and the gardener excused himself as he needed to do some groceries. Pretty awkward, but ok. And again, we were excused by the man that it took so long before the police came, and I started to feel sorry for the guy. But the best part is yet to come….
The police asked us where our cars are parked. Our German friends were parked two streets to the right, and we were parked two streets to the left. The officer decided to join the Germans and walked to their car for a small car search. We were asked to walk to our car and wait there until they come to us. I cannot believe this happened. If I had some contraband in the car I had plenty of time to hide it before our car was searched. I could have buried all AK-47′s which were hidden in my trunk before the police popped up. Unbelievable country this is…. We drank a cup of coffee together and headed towards the next location…
This castle was built in the 1930′s by the owner of a nearby textile company. It was in his posession till the 1990′s when the castle and it’s domain was sold to a wealthy couple. They completely redecorated the place for which they spent a little fortune. The long driveway was asphalted and the place was furnished with the most expensive furniture which fitted the design of the castle. After some time the couple got arrested for some reason and the castle was sold to a bank who wants to gain some of their money back which they lost to the couple. Unfortunately it is for sale already for some years, and with it’s price being around the € 3 million I guess it will be for sale for some time. Luckily the place is well maintained by the gardener, and really hope he will still have it’s job once the castle is sold…
Please visit www.preciousdecay.com for more pictures
It was the 2nd time I visited this location. The first time I tried to visit it some weeks ago. After a long walk through the forest I entered the domain and immediately I saw a man walking there. He looked like a gardener or caretaker. He did not notice me but came walking my way. I freezed, and in seconds was overthinking my next move: Wait and hide or run back through the dense forest. In milliseconds I chose the seconds option and run through the forest. The man must have been thinking there was a pack of deer wandering the surrounding forest.
This second time I planned a day of exploring with a team mate who more or less found this castle himself. He already visited it three times, but I had to go there another time to get my pictures. So, my friend visited Château Henri for the 4th time
When we walked around the castle I noticed people inside. A lady with a big smile waved at us and we could enter the castle. We shook hands and found out that I know the guy who was there with his girlfriend. They come from Germany and we have had contact through Flickr and FB. It was very nice meeting each other and again this shows what a small world UE is.
We did our thing, and after some time we were done and left the castle. As we had lovely weather we all walked towards one of the pools to take some outside shots before we leave. Suddenly we heard the sound of a motorscooter and within no time there were two guys on a motorscooter in front of the castle. Damn, were fooked!! We slowly walked our way to the entrance, but 20 meters before we were there the motorscooter showed up and we were stopped. After some smarttalk the guys were more at ease. It was the gardener and one of his friends. The gardener looked after the castle for 22 years already. It was a very friendly guy, but still he called the police.
After waiting for 30 minutes I started to friendly annoy this gardener by asking him every 5 minutes where the police are. And everytime he excused himself and every time he called the police again where they were. I need to continue this, as the police will be fed up with the man at one time In the meantime we changed memorycards and decided what our story would be.
After 45 minutes the police arrived. My plan was to lie flat on our bellies and start photographing small flowers as soon as we saw the police. Unfortunately we didn’t After some ID checks our bags were opened (but not searched) and the gardener excused himself as he needed to do some groceries. Pretty awkward, but ok. And again, we were excused by the man that it took so long before the police came, and I started to feel sorry for the guy. But the best part is yet to come….
The police asked us where our cars are parked. Our German friends were parked two streets to the right, and we were parked two streets to the left. The officer decided to join the Germans and walked to their car for a small car search. We were asked to walk to our car and wait there until they come to us. I cannot believe this happened. If I had some contraband in the car I had plenty of time to hide it before our car was searched. I could have buried all AK-47′s which were hidden in my trunk before the police popped up. Unbelievable country this is…. We drank a cup of coffee together and headed towards the next location…
This castle was built in the 1930′s by the owner of a nearby textile company. It was in his posession till the 1990′s when the castle and it’s domain was sold to a wealthy couple. They completely redecorated the place for which they spent a little fortune. The long driveway was asphalted and the place was furnished with the most expensive furniture which fitted the design of the castle. After some time the couple got arrested for some reason and the castle was sold to a bank who wants to gain some of their money back which they lost to the couple. Unfortunately it is for sale already for some years, and with it’s price being around the € 3 million I guess it will be for sale for some time. Luckily the place is well maintained by the gardener, and really hope he will still have it’s job once the castle is sold…
Please visit www.preciousdecay.com for more pictures
overthinking...it can damage more than you can think..and hurt, not even you.. find out how to fight it and win against it..to be happy and free
It was the 2nd time I visited this location. The first time I tried to visit it some weeks ago. After a long walk through the forest I entered the domain and immediately I saw a man walking there. He looked like a gardener or caretaker. He did not notice me but came walking my way. I freezed, and in seconds was overthinking my next move: Wait and hide or run back through the dense forest. In milliseconds I chose the seconds option and run through the forest. The man must have been thinking there was a pack of deer wandering the surrounding forest.
This second time I planned a day of exploring with a team mate who more or less found this castle himself. He already visited it three times, but I had to go there another time to get my pictures. So, my friend visited Château Henri for the 4th time
When we walked around the castle I noticed people inside. A lady with a big smile waved at us and we could enter the castle. We shook hands and found out that I know the guy who was there with his girlfriend. They come from Germany and we have had contact through Flickr and FB. It was very nice meeting each other and again this shows what a small world UE is.
We did our thing, and after some time we were done and left the castle. As we had lovely weather we all walked towards one of the pools to take some outside shots before we leave. Suddenly we heard the sound of a motorscooter and within no time there were two guys on a motorscooter in front of the castle. Damn, were fooked!! We slowly walked our way to the entrance, but 20 meters before we were there the motorscooter showed up and we were stopped. After some smarttalk the guys were more at ease. It was the gardener and one of his friends. The gardener looked after the castle for 22 years already. It was a very friendly guy, but still he called the police.
After waiting for 30 minutes I started to friendly annoy this gardener by asking him every 5 minutes where the police are. And everytime he excused himself and every time he called the police again where they were. I need to continue this, as the police will be fed up with the man at one time In the meantime we changed memorycards and decided what our story would be.
After 45 minutes the police arrived. My plan was to lie flat on our bellies and start photographing small flowers as soon as we saw the police. Unfortunately we didn’t After some ID checks our bags were opened (but not searched) and the gardener excused himself as he needed to do some groceries. Pretty awkward, but ok. And again, we were excused by the man that it took so long before the police came, and I started to feel sorry for the guy. But the best part is yet to come….
The police asked us where our cars are parked. Our German friends were parked two streets to the right, and we were parked two streets to the left. The officer decided to join the Germans and walked to their car for a small car search. We were asked to walk to our car and wait there until they come to us. I cannot believe this happened. If I had some contraband in the car I had plenty of time to hide it before our car was searched. I could have buried all AK-47′s which were hidden in my trunk before the police popped up. Unbelievable country this is…. We drank a cup of coffee together and headed towards the next location…
This castle was built in the 1930′s by the owner of a nearby textile company. It was in his posession till the 1990′s when the castle and it’s domain was sold to a wealthy couple. They completely redecorated the place for which they spent a little fortune. The long driveway was asphalted and the place was furnished with the most expensive furniture which fitted the design of the castle. After some time the couple got arrested for some reason and the castle was sold to a bank who wants to gain some of their money back which they lost to the couple. Unfortunately it is for sale already for some years, and with it’s price being around the € 3 million I guess it will be for sale for some time. Luckily the place is well maintained by the gardener, and really hope he will still have it’s job once the castle is sold…
Please visit www.preciousdecay.com for more pictures
It was the 2nd time I visited this location. The first time I tried to visit it some weeks ago. After a long walk through the forest I entered the domain and immediately I saw a man walking there. He looked like a gardener or caretaker. He did not notice me but came walking my way. I freezed, and in seconds was overthinking my next move: Wait and hide or run back through the dense forest. In milliseconds I chose the seconds option and run through the forest. The man must have been thinking there was a pack of deer wandering the surrounding forest.
This second time I planned a day of exploring with a team mate who more or less found this castle himself. He already visited it three times, but I had to go there another time to get my pictures. So, my friend visited Château Henri for the 4th time
When we walked around the castle I noticed people inside. A lady with a big smile waved at us and we could enter the castle. We shook hands and found out that I know the guy who was there with his girlfriend. They come from Germany and we have had contact through Flickr and FB. It was very nice meeting each other and again this shows what a small world UE is.
We did our thing, and after some time we were done and left the castle. As we had lovely weather we all walked towards one of the pools to take some outside shots before we leave. Suddenly we heard the sound of a motorscooter and within no time there were two guys on a motorscooter in front of the castle. Damn, were fooked!! We slowly walked our way to the entrance, but 20 meters before we were there the motorscooter showed up and we were stopped. After some smarttalk the guys were more at ease. It was the gardener and one of his friends. The gardener looked after the castle for 22 years already. It was a very friendly guy, but still he called the police.
After waiting for 30 minutes I started to friendly annoy this gardener by asking him every 5 minutes where the police are. And everytime he excused himself and every time he called the police again where they were. I need to continue this, as the police will be fed up with the man at one time In the meantime we changed memorycards and decided what our story would be.
After 45 minutes the police arrived. My plan was to lie flat on our bellies and start photographing small flowers as soon as we saw the police. Unfortunately we didn’t After some ID checks our bags were opened (but not searched) and the gardener excused himself as he needed to do some groceries. Pretty awkward, but ok. And again, we were excused by the man that it took so long before the police came, and I started to feel sorry for the guy. But the best part is yet to come….
The police asked us where our cars are parked. Our German friends were parked two streets to the right, and we were parked two streets to the left. The officer decided to join the Germans and walked to their car for a small car search. We were asked to walk to our car and wait there until they come to us. I cannot believe this happened. If I had some contraband in the car I had plenty of time to hide it before our car was searched. I could have buried all AK-47′s which were hidden in my trunk before the police popped up. Unbelievable country this is…. We drank a cup of coffee together and headed towards the next location…
This castle was built in the 1930′s by the owner of a nearby textile company. It was in his posession till the 1990′s when the castle and it’s domain was sold to a wealthy couple. They completely redecorated the place for which they spent a little fortune. The long driveway was asphalted and the place was furnished with the most expensive furniture which fitted the design of the castle. After some time the couple got arrested for some reason and the castle was sold to a bank who wants to gain some of their money back which they lost to the couple. Unfortunately it is for sale already for some years, and with it’s price being around the € 3 million I guess it will be for sale for some time. Luckily the place is well maintained by the gardener, and really hope he will still have it’s job once the castle is sold…
Please visit www.preciousdecay.com for more pictures
Yeah, it's a bit over the top--but then, nothing exceeds like excess....
Starting to overthink the process again.
I was involved with a wonderful woman, for almost two years; he's the youngest of her three sons.
She's a sweet, beautiful, talented artist and teacher, and an exceptional single mom. I fell hard, and she and I found love; our youngest kids got to know each other. I went to his viola concerts and laughed at his jokes, and I didn't lie to him.
She and I just couldn't make it work; history and overtalking/overthinking, combined with a nice helping of (her) guilt and (my) fear finally helped wreck it. She chose to end our relationship this past summer, for reasons of her own.
Profoundly sad, and furious at myself barely scratches the surface, as far as how it felt then.
So I was left with my heart banged up, and with hundreds of images to discard from my hard drives. A modern relationship situation; all those damn digital files haunting me, reminding me of things undone and unwound.
Old love letters stay in their boxes, but iPhoto just throws it up in my face.
Like the projects done at her place and the gifts left behind for both of them, a few beautiful moments like this stay with me, though. Lots of good time spent; this was one moment that made it as a photograph, not just a deletable snapshot.
There is something between us, isn’t there?
A heat that burns like fire…
But not simply lust and desire
No… this is something more…
Something deeper I’ve never felt before
And it grips me, every time I look at you
Just tell me I’m not imagining this…
Tell me you feel it too
- Ranata Suzuki | Is this something?
I recently reconnected with an ex who I'm pretty sure doesn't deserve another chance, but I struggle with the thought of walking away from them. We were never seriously involved with each other but somehow always wound up coming back to one another. I'm just afraid it's a mistake because nothing feels different from the times we last spoke and how could I be happy now if I wasn't happy then. But I also feel like I'm overthinking this whole situation so much because we really haven't had many chances to get together with our work and life schedules so out of sync with one another. I feel like I'm the only one trying. I feel like these feelings aren't mutual.
Tell me you feel it too.
I hope none of you actually read this. I just need to vent even if I'm the only one listening.
[X]
It was the 2nd time I visited this location. The first time I tried to visit it some weeks ago. After a long walk through the forest I entered the domain and immediately I saw a man walking there. He looked like a gardener or caretaker. He did not notice me but came walking my way. I freezed, and in seconds was overthinking my next move: Wait and hide or run back through the dense forest. In milliseconds I chose the seconds option and run through the forest. The man must have been thinking there was a pack of deer wandering the surrounding forest.
This second time I planned a day of exploring with a team mate who more or less found this castle himself. He already visited it three times, but I had to go there another time to get my pictures. So, my friend visited Château Henri for the 4th time
When we walked around the castle I noticed people inside. A lady with a big smile waved at us and we could enter the castle. We shook hands and found out that I know the guy who was there with his girlfriend. They come from Germany and we have had contact through Flickr and FB. It was very nice meeting each other and again this shows what a small world UE is.
We did our thing, and after some time we were done and left the castle. As we had lovely weather we all walked towards one of the pools to take some outside shots before we leave. Suddenly we heard the sound of a motorscooter and within no time there were two guys on a motorscooter in front of the castle. Damn, were fooked!! We slowly walked our way to the entrance, but 20 meters before we were there the motorscooter showed up and we were stopped. After some smarttalk the guys were more at ease. It was the gardener and one of his friends. The gardener looked after the castle for 22 years already. It was a very friendly guy, but still he called the police.
After waiting for 30 minutes I started to friendly annoy this gardener by asking him every 5 minutes where the police are. And everytime he excused himself and every time he called the police again where they were. I need to continue this, as the police will be fed up with the man at one time In the meantime we changed memorycards and decided what our story would be.
After 45 minutes the police arrived. My plan was to lie flat on our bellies and start photographing small flowers as soon as we saw the police. Unfortunately we didn’t After some ID checks our bags were opened (but not searched) and the gardener excused himself as he needed to do some groceries. Pretty awkward, but ok. And again, we were excused by the man that it took so long before the police came, and I started to feel sorry for the guy. But the best part is yet to come….
The police asked us where our cars are parked. Our German friends were parked two streets to the right, and we were parked two streets to the left. The officer decided to join the Germans and walked to their car for a small car search. We were asked to walk to our car and wait there until they come to us. I cannot believe this happened. If I had some contraband in the car I had plenty of time to hide it before our car was searched. I could have buried all AK-47′s which were hidden in my trunk before the police popped up. Unbelievable country this is…. We drank a cup of coffee together and headed towards the next location…
This castle was built in the 1930′s by the owner of a nearby textile company. It was in his posession till the 1990′s when the castle and it’s domain was sold to a wealthy couple. They completely redecorated the place for which they spent a little fortune. The long driveway was asphalted and the place was furnished with the most expensive furniture which fitted the design of the castle. After some time the couple got arrested for some reason and the castle was sold to a bank who wants to gain some of their money back which they lost to the couple. Unfortunately it is for sale already for some years, and with it’s price being around the € 3 million I guess it will be for sale for some time. Luckily the place is well maintained by the gardener, and really hope he will still have it’s job once the castle is sold…
Please visit www.preciousdecay.com for more pictures
'For 6th challenge of Buck Naked, we were asked to make artistic image using black and white photography. For my Challenge, I have chosen to recreate the image of 'The Thinker' by Rodin. This piece reminds me of myself at times as I often tend to overthink and keep me from letting thinking overwhelm all decisions.'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mere moments after I learned of the challenge, I had an inspiration and I submitted it less than 3 hours after the results post for the 5th challenge was up. XDD I mean - who better to act like a statue then a Gargoyle? Once I found the angle & posed him as I wanted, I grabed some packing material and a black t-shirt to cover it. If I'd given myself more time then I'd have made the rock more seperate from the backround so there was an actual floor instead of just t-shirt, but overall I was too pleased with as is to mess with it too much. Sometimes overthinking ruins lovely moments so I, for once, just went with my gut. And you know what? it was the right call.
(not to mention - easiest wardrobe yet! ;3 )