Wave of Mutilation

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So I got this guilt. Blog guilt. You folks probably know something about it. I feel like I owe the internet something, and for that I apologize.

This summer has been one thing after another thing and knocked back and forth by the whimsy of fate (Oh fate, why must you have so much whimsy!).

So this isn't actually my blog post, this is a stop gap measure. You won't see the pictures of me traveling across America (not yet), nor see me driving through the badlands, or hear about my weekend adventures.

You will, but just not yet. I am still here, and all that, but I just haven't the time, but stay tuned, because man, I have some pictures for you.

Baile bien mujer

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So I think I have established that America is pretty great, neh?

D'you know what else is great? The Mexico. You don't know the first thing about taco unless you have ate one of their tacos off a big pile or roasting meat with pineapple begifting its juices to the meat. But I digress (coming soon: taco blog, tentatively named "Dos tacos muy tacos")

Work sent me to Mexico to film another lil' doc about Ballet Folklorico at a little* church**-run school in the city of Mexico.


Originally I wasn't incredibly stoked ('ceptin' about the mexico part), but these dancers, though only high-school aged were incredible. The best moments were on film, but I captured a few with my lil' point and shoot.





You know who else is a good dancer?

my friend/camerman/editor/co-director Isaac
But after it was over there were bows and prayers, and I thought about how I love the idea of an implicit connection of us expressing ourselves through art and our spirituality.


After this much culture, the cultural affairs director for the school took us to take in some more Mexico. At this point, I was body-slammed with awesomeness.
and then went to an open-air market the next day where I saw a lot of these signs which I quite liked.

Man, I dig this country quite a bit. I didn't take pictures of the tacos I ate (because I was on sacred ground), but also because if you even saw a picture of one of these al pastor tacos with oaxaca cheese and grilled pineapple you would bite your monitor.

then I came home and prepared for a trip across America, or at least South Dakota.

*HUGE
**The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, aka The Mormons, aka the NOT-R-LDS

Free Dumb

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Okay, so we Americans may not be the smartest people in the whole wide world, but at least we have the freedom to celebrate in whatever way we see fit...
Even if it means sexy-dancing with fireworks (It's my choice).


Maybe I shouldn't always get my choice.

Summer Corn

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Summer time is a time for corn.
Some get caught up in the debate of corn. On or off the cob?

I think they miss the point entirely. I am going to vote for neither.

Surprised?

I thought you might be, but let me submit this. The best type of corn, is UNI-Corn.
behold the evidence:
Not everyone will agree on this point, but at least it is a discussion to pursue further:

(I might be swayed into the "on the cob" camp, but Unicorns play an important role in the manufacture of some of my favorite cookies).

Spring Chicken

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I just turned 31. Okay, I didn't "just" turn 31, it happened a few months ago and it has been in the works for the past 30 years. Which leads me to my next joke.

I am no Spring Chicken.

But, Oh the glories of being a summer chicken.I bought this little number at the now infamous Circus Circus (it's like a double circus, but with lousy accommodations).

I have now had opportunity to wear the chicken costume in the following locations:
In the Circus Circus lobby
In the Circus Circus gambling area (which is apparently against the rules even if you bought the chicken suit there).
At a bachelor party
In a going-away parade at Liberty Park
and
To surprise my mother a few weekends ago.

I've mentioned that she has been sick, and she is now on the mend, so I flew out to surprise her on her birthday. Thanks to my brother, Adrian, she had no idea until he was signing her a happy birthday song and a large chicken was peck-peck-pecking her on the head.

Now that they live in Buffalo, I don't get to see the "folks" that much, so we made the most of the weekend by doing some sailing. Here is the proof:
Moms (aka: queen of the sea)
Brother Ethan (the rhyming ancient mariner):

'nother brother:
father Dayton:
not Pictured: Damian and Sister-in-Law Natalie.

I then ate a buffalo wing and then winged it on home.

Good times, but another reminder that I ain't no spring chicken.

I ain't been missin' you at all.

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No wonder we are such a grammar starved nation. When people can freely sing "since you been gone, I ain't been missing you at all," and do so with impunity, you know where our language is headed and in what type of a handbasket.

So I been gone for a bit. Mostly I been doin' this:
but I have left the shooting cave once in a while. Since I been gone for such a while I will try to update with Pixxxs instead of words (since a word is worth 1/1000 of picture). I will now demonstrate a hint of the baw-wit-da-blogs that I would been writing If'n I not been gone.

Blog 1:
THE TERRIBLE TWO

Sometimes when I wasn't telling kids to act harder I was playing with the nieces and nephew.

they are terrible

and cute
and sometimes terribly cute
(Ladies, please note: I am v. good with children, exspecially if I can hand them off when I am good an tired of 'em).

Blog 2:
SO MUCH IN LOVE WITH US ARE WE,
THAT YOU COULD LOVE YOU
AND I COULD LOVE
ME

ONE fine even'n I went to help Matt take pictures of his attractively betrothed brother and sister. Behold the evidence (you might remember them from Hot Lava):





I think the last is my favorite, but hardly a great portrait.
-M.S. (middlescript) I took these all with a point and shoot. This is not really bragable, I am just sayin' (Matt had the fancypants camera).

the next day: more time in the studio


Blog 3:
CROQUET IS OQUET

Our family traditionally plays croquet on Memorial day and Labor day. Traditionally I win ('cause of how good I am). I won't tell you who won this year, but I will tell you this, it was a total fluke. Fortunately it left me free to capture the whimsy.

BEHOLD THE WHIMSY:




But I ain't sayin' a thing 'bout who won. But after that I had to go back out to the studio to rock out a bit.

More later....


maybe.

Signs of the Times

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Sorry, I know I have some 'splaining to do. I haven't had a chance to regail with stories of chicken suits and circus circuses, but I have been busy.

I am again working on Signing Time! a pretty great show for kids, but it is currently taking up most of my time. Check it out www.signingtime.com. I have been working on the show since episode 7 and we are currently in production for a whole lot more.

but one day, one day I will show more pictures of chicken suits.

sincerely,

Damian

Guat do you guant from me?

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so I've been in Guatemala also.


I went with this guy. We are working on the next episodes of Acts of God.
We filmed a really neat organization that is teaching self-reliance in cooperation with the church.


Here are some more pictures.


I hope the next post will be less heavyhanded and more gladhanded. Here is a teaser:

Hot Lava

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Sorry folks. I have been a travelin' of late so I haven't writ much. I will try to remedy this (though I will not try very hard).

I went to Lava Hot Springs with some friends both old and new (the name sounds better when you call it "Hot Lava Springs"). We left on Friday and It involved some driving. How about some pictures of that?

okay:











As you can see, we left pretty late, so there were no rooms left at the hot lava, so we kept on driving, and driving and driving until we got to Idaho Falls.

We didn't stay for the falls, but we did stay for the gas-tanks-that-look-like-soda-pop cans, so which I think counts for something.










A lot of the trip felt like this:
But sometimes we went to thrift stores in Blackfoot, and in the end we did take a dip in the hot lava.
thanks for the memories guys.