Jim Felder Blog

I had the opportunity to be a participant on the MyMac Podcast. I subscribe to this podcast. Tim Robertson invited me on the show. They are doing an “invite the listener” series. They want to get listeners on the show. They invited me back to do a future show and talk about photography and how I use it on the Mac. Very cool. It was a fun time being able to talk with other Mac Geeks and just “geek out”.

I was caught off guard a couple times when he asked me a question. I was not prepared. He likes it that way and I do to. I just went blank a couple times when he asked me questions. Still a good time though.

Here’s a link to the show
MyMac.com Podcast Episode 245

A New Band Created From 4 of my Favorite Bands.
Sammy Hagar - Sammy Hagar and Van Halen
Joe Satriani
Michael Anthony - Van Halen
Chad Smith - Red Hot Chili Peppers

These 4 guys are from 4 bands that I am a big fan of and have been for a long time. They started getting together in February 2008 and jamming together. They put together some songs and joined in the studio and have an album put together. The album will be coming out in 2009 and they will tour after it’s release.

I am really excited about this and can’t wait to get the new album. I just found a video promotion on YouTube. Sounds really good.

Here are some links to a few of the videos and site I have come across. Enjoy!

Guitar World Magazine Cover

BlabberMouth.net News

iChickenfoot YouTube Page

ChickFoot on Guitar World

I was finally able to get the new site live and now the blog. I had the hardest time with this because I am not up with all the PHP and SQL language. I was just wingin it. I found a video tutorial on youtube to help me. I started out on my own trying to figure it out. Then I asked a friend at work. Then I resorted to calling support and found a few things out. Then it was off to youtube. Found a video and I started over. Now here I am posting and all is good. Still have some tweaks to make to this blog design if I can find where to edit things. Then I also will be updating the website where my photography and design portfolios are. Enjoy. www.jimfelder.com

I was using my laptop this morning in bed and found this site www.cameroid.com that will take a photo with the iSight and place it in this template.

Merry Christmas!

Jim

This is how the ladder ended up. I fell on top of it on my back.

Notice how the whole thing came off the ceiling. It only had some nails holding it up for the last 7 years or more.

Typing this on my laptop while in a hospital bed.

Well, here I am posting to my blog again about sickness. Thursday night at about 6:30 we saw our first Foster child (2 yr old) leave our home to live with friends of the family.

It was 9 p.m., Thursday the 11th and I was really tired from working long hours and staying up too late. My wife was set on getting the christmas decorations down from the attic and getting them put up that night. I was handing boxes down to my wife. Suddenly things started moving and cracking beneath my feet. I was grabbing at everything. Next thing I know I’m gasping for breath and in a lot of pain. I’m crawling around on the floor and can’t saying anything. My wife is freaking, my teen sons were trying see what was up. My wife finally called 911 because I was saying no but then decided yes she better. So my first ride in an ambulance was rough considering the shape I was in.

Arrived and Mercy hospital in ER. They took CAT scan, X-rays, etc. I have 3 fractured ribs in my back and a fractured Scapula (basically shoulder blade). My lower back upper rear is really bruised.  What happened was the entire frame of the attic ladder came out of the ceiling and I landed on the ladder on my back. CRAP THAT HURT!!!

So at this point I’m doing a little better after 5 days in the hospital. I actually came home for a day but the meds were making me very sick so I started puking and became dehydrated. CRAP THAT HURT!!!

So again, I typing this on my MacBook laying in a hospital bed. 

One more thing. I was a character named Ned in a program our Church puts on. My character this year had supposedly fell from a tree sawing a limb from the tree with a chainsaw and fell flat on my back. There were some pictures showing me doing this. Of course if was fake but think about how ironic that is. 4 days after the last show I fall flat on my back from a ladder.

P.S. check your attic ladder before crawling up there next time.

This holiday, treat your family to the ULTIMATE CHRISTMAS REALITY EXPERIENCE!As many as 5,200 area people have experienced this event in one season! Begin a family tradition as you step into the true story of Christmas, traveling back in time, and experiencing the people, places and circumstances that surrounded the birth of Jesus Christ. Dress warm, because you’ll find it hard to believe you’re still in Oklahoma City when your mind is whisked away to another time and another place as you follow a guide couple on an OUTDOOR journey through a wooded area on the actual Church property. This Journey will take you from the city of Nazareth to the town of Bethlehem. See over 300 people in costume as you encounter Old Testament Prophets, shepherds tending their sheep, the Wise Men from the East, marketplace vendors, and even other travelers. Don’t be afraid as you are approached by Roman soldiers on horseback. Register for the census in Judea and witness the sights and sounds of the town of Bethlehem, including the Marketplace, the Inn, the Stable, and the Christ Child lying in a manger. Your children will delight in the camels, donkeys, llamas, sheep, chickens, and many other LIVE ANIMALS! Encounter the Christ Child in a way that will impact your family’s Christmas season for years to come. This Christmas, don’t just read the story – come and be a part of it!

At the conclusion of your Journey, enjoy hot chocolate and home made cookies in our Winter Wonderland! Also, feel free to leave a prayer request on our special Prayer Tree.

If you visited us last year, you’ll be surprised to see an entire new building as you arrive on the premises, and are greeted by our parking directors. Beginning in our new sanctuary, we will be able to accommodate more seating and indoor space to improve wait times and eliminate outdoor lines! As you can expect each year, we have also implemented new characters and scenes to keep you on your toes. Each year is a new experience waiting for you in “Bethlehem”!

There is NO CHARGE for this “Journey to Bethlehem”. The interactive tours and refreshments are FREE to all! No tickets or reservations are required. This is our gift to Oklahoma City and the area. Tours will begin every few minutes from 6:00 pm – 9:00 p.m.

December 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th, 2008
Forest Hill Christian Church
2121 N MacArthur Blvd.
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73127
www.fhcc.org

In the last four months I have been suffering from headaches and pressure in my head. I have found out during this time that I have degenerative disk disease and a bulging disk in my neck. My neck curves forward and my spine is arched. I have gone to several doctors, had an MRI and CT Scan on my neck, Chiropractors, now a physical therapist. This is all due to my many years of slouching and working at desk for 27 years and also sitting at a computer for around 10 years when I am at home. All of that has caused the last 4 months to be quite lame.

So I am posting this for whomever reads my blog. STOP SLOUCHING! Get up from the computer and do something else! Exercise, walk, ride a bike! I am paying the price for being such a computer geek. Many years of loving the Mac and being creative on the computer has caused this problem. I am 45 years old. If you are like me and love doing things on your computer, please don’t spend so many hours on it. I know that we all do this now since the computer is so much a part of our lives. It’s so hard to be consistent with exersizing and getting out and about to be active.

I was so much more active before I had a computer. But when I bought my Mac many years ago, it really pulled me in. I love it and love creating.

So now I am suffering the consequences. Not sure if I’ll ever feel better. I’m am really hoping the physical therapy will help.

Take Care, Stop Slouching and Get Out and Be Active!

okstrobist_oct-4-34.jpg

Originally uploaded by Jim Felder

Another workshop in Tulsa, Oklahoma on E Archer. Here’s a map: Click Here. We were at an old Warehouse. What a cool place. We had some break dancers and a 2nd degree black belt. It was a good time.

I had my SB-800 and SB-600. I was trying the Nikon CLS system. I have not had a lot of luck with this. The sensors have to be angled just right for them to fire. Joe McNally makes it look so easy.

I have since bought some CyberSync equipment. I have a family portrait this weekend. I’ll see how they work then.

Just posted a new youtube video from our last OKStrobist Meetup in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It was a lot of fun. I am really loving off-camera flash. Here is a link to our flickr group: Click Here

We had dinner with the family to celebrate Dad’s 68th birthday. My wife and I had plans to go see “Eagle Eye.” When we got home and checked times it was just too late to make the movie.

Earlier in the week I had heard that Robert Plant and Alison Krauss were doing a benefit concert here in Oklahoma City, OK. I actually had two tickets in the shopping cart ready to buy the tickets. That was on Monday I think. I decided it was too hard to decide who I would take with me. My Wife, Brother or 16 year old Son. I knew they would all go but I didn’t want to leave anyone out. I chose not to buy them.

After we figured out that we would not go to the movies, I remembered a coworker talking about how some people would go to the Zoo Amphitheater and sit outside the gates and listen to the music while sitting in their lawn chairs. That sounded like something I might consider.

At around 8:30 - 8:45 p.m. I decided to just drive up to the area and see what it looked like at the Zoo Amphitheater. I took my 16 year old son with me. He was bored. My other son went to the mall with his friends to see a movie and my wife took him and his friends and then came back home to mop the floors. What an incredible woman she is.

We drove down M.L. King blvd. and saw a sea of cars parked all over the place. Unlike what I’ve seen ever in that area. Everywhere were cars parked in the grass and local businesses. As we drove past the parked cars we could hear the music and voices of the duets of Robert and Alison. That excited us and it made me want to go to the ATM and get some cash. I had not planned on paying I just wanted to check it out and maybe park and sit and listen outside the gate. We went past a little and then I turned around and went back by the Amphitheater. The crowd roared after the song was done. I drove down to the Omniplex (about a 10 minute walk from the Amphitheater). We drove through there looking for a parking spot. It was packed solid. By this time my son needed to go to the bathroom. He said, “Just stop somewhere and I’ll go.” There was a couple leaving. The guy had a Led Zeppelin T-shirt on. I asked “are there some people sitting outside the gate hanging out listening to the concert?” They said, “Yeah but it’s kind of lame.” I said, “Yeah but it’s ROBERT PLANT!” The girl said, “Yeah but it’s slow and boring unlike Led Zeppelin.” I thought, OK, SO! It’s still Robert Plant in Oklahoma City! So we just drove around to get a parking spot. We found one and parked. I still didn’t really know what I wanted to do. I did want to go up there and check it out.

I brought along my D200 DSLR with a 50 mm 1.8. That’s what I took to my Dad’s dinner/birthday celebration. It’s fast and easy and gets the job done without having to use Flash in most cases. I also brought my iRiver mp3 player which records audio with the built-in mic.

We start walking to the Amphitheater through all the numerous cars parked everywhere. We saw a few people walking back to their cars. We got about 3/4 of the way to the gate. A woman was walking near us. I asked her if there were some people hanging around and sitting outside the gate. She said, “I don’t know I didn’t get up that far.” She said, “I have some tickets waiting for me at the ‘Will Call’ window.” You can have them if you go up there and tell them you are picking up tickets for “her name.” They are backstage passes.” I was shocked and excited. Once we got there I said, “We’re picking tickets for ‘her name.’ The woman asked if I paid by credit card and something else. I don’t remember. Just as she was asking and I was thinking, ?This isn’t going to work.” The lady “her name” walked up and said, “I didn’t think they would give them to you so I drove over here and wanted to make sure you got them.” WOW, what a sweet lady! What are the chances of this happening?” Especially to me. When she got the tickets she handed them to us. There were 4 VIP passes but two tickets. She didn’t understand but just said, “Give these two to someone else. I had to give her a hug. She said, “Have fun guys.” What a cool thing for her to do.

So we go to the gate. I was worried that I would not get in with my big DSLR. I had it strapped on my shoulder. I told Tyler before that if they don’t let me in we’re walking back to the truck and coming back. We have VIP passes! The security at the gate asked me if I had any knives or guns. Ha Ha, well I did have a pocket knife in my pocket. It was a gift. The blade was maybe an inch and a half. He said, “I can’t let you take it in.” I said, “It was a gift.” “No, can’t take it in.” I asked if he could give it back when I leave. “No, I’m throwing it in the trash.” I didn’t care, I was going to see Robert Plant and possibly see him back stage! I just gave it up and he asked Tyler and frisked him when Tyler voluntarily held up his arms. He didn’t frisk me and I had the big camera. I guarantee you if I had my 70-200mm lens on they would have sent me walking.

We were in and Robert Plant was talking. I turned on my recorder. We asked which way the VIP area was. We walked down the stairs to the left side of the stage. I asked a guy how do we get in. He saw my camera and said, “Just keep your camera down,” “snap a picture and keep it down, don’t be obvious.” I guess he could see that it wasn’t just a point-and-shoot.

We walked further down the stairs to the gate that lead to the VIP area. We were motioned to go ahead and come through. We went back and it was just bunch people drinking and being loud. It was just to the left of the stage. There was a bar and some benches. We just stood there and watched. It was so cool to be there even though we were late. They even sang/played “The Battle of Evermore.” That’s the song that Robert Plant sang with Ann Wilson from Heart. Just before they started this song I told Tyler that bunch bands will often play other songs that are not theirs. Well, this one was Led Zeppelin’s but Robert Plant wasn’t there to sing LZ songs. Just seconds after I said that they were playing the beginning of that song. We laughed out loud and the crowd cheered.

They played a couple of the songs of their album in the Encore. Then they were done. The crews started tearing down the stage. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss went to the guest house back stage. Keep in mind this is an outdoor venue so we could see a lot. There was a door with glass panes and a window to the left and right of the door that was the same height. I kept watching and snapping photos from the hip - which I had been doing the entire time. I didn’t want them to either take my camera or my memory card. I was shooting in aperture priority and at around 1000 ISO. RP never came out to give autographs or anything which is why I was hanging around still. Another group of people got to go back there behind the guest house. We asked the security guard if our passes would get us back there and if RP was going to do autographs. He said he’s not doing any of that. So that was our cue to just leave.

It was a great experience. The audio wasn’t very good at that angle. The speakers weren’t’ aimed at us. We couldn’t hear anything RP was saying.

Tyler was just star struck by the whole thing. I was as well and later realized what a “teenager” I was being. I don’t care. I’m a fan. It doesn’t matter.

I took several photos. Most of them are crap because of the slow shutter speeds and it being dark. I didn’t use flash because I didn’t want to draw attention. The photos I did get I had to crop them very tightly because I was using a 50 mm lens. No zoom. I also recorded myself as we entered and as we left. I also recorded The Battle of Evermore with my MP3 player. It’s not good because of the audio not aimed at us but you can still hear Alison Krauss and her pipes belting out her lyrics. I was impressed. Not that I wasn’t impressed by her “angel” voice before. I was just enjoying them singing that song together. There were a few photos I got of RP in the guest house just after he apparently took a shower. He was standing in the doorway just inside talking to someone and drinking from a cup wearing nothing but a white towel. I would love to post all of these photos and the audio. Just a bit hesitant due to the obvious.

Even though we weren’t there long and didn’t have a great view, it was a great experience.

Here is the audio from my mp3 player:

Here is a link to the photos:
http://www.jimfelder.com/rpak/