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ATom2

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Blog Entries posted by ATom2

  1. Going Global

    By ATom2 ,

    Hello everyone,
    I know it's never a good thing to brag, but I have to tell someone.

    My company Stora Enso, based in Finland, employing just under 50,000 is doing a story about photographers who work for them, in their next magazine. They selected one from Finland, one from Germany, one from China, and one from North America. Well, yours truly was informed today that I will represent North America. Seems that a fellow employee, and all around good egg, Shelly Ghere submitted my name to corporate and they liked some of my stuff. Apparently they don't have very good vision insurance down there.

    Anyway, I hope by announcing this I am not jinxing things.

    Take care all,
    Tom
  2. Ow, owie, and double ouch!

    Since when did 20 minutes in the sun do more damage than 2 hours in Chernobyl?. Anyway, I am finding that even though I love summer and hate winter with a passion, (then why do you live in Wisconsin stupid?) my tollerence to pain has left me in my mid to late 40's.

    So, my wife gives me this little packet of goo that has the word Hemp on it to calm my red skin. I got all excited until I read the fine print and found it had little to do with what I was thinkin'. I was thinking maybe it killed the pain from the inside out...if you know what I mean. Well, I was wrong. The main ingredient is Aloe. Anyway, I put it on, and now I smell like a whore. NOT that there's anything wrong with that.

    So here I sit (indoors) drinking my coffee, typing this nonsense, with one eye on Animal Planet showing something about Meercats. Sure they're cute, but give me a 20gauge and I'll.... um that's a story for another post.

    Well, it's been fun talking at you folks, but the temp is 87F, the sun is shining, so outside I must go! (directly into my car)

    Take care,
    T

  3. Facing The Truth

    By ATom2 ,

    To anyone who bothers to read this stuff, I am finally admitting something to myself. I am no longer a songwriter.

    Admitting something that I've pretty much known for over a year is not something that is all that hard. I haven't written and recorded anything from start to finish since 2004. It's gone, and I know it. I no longer wish something would "come to me" nor do I care whether I find time in my studio. If I do anything involving music from here on out it will be to help the younger folks in my area.

    I have a new love and that is photography. Rather than losing myself in song down in my small studio, I now lose myself in Mother Nature's great art studio outdoors. Maybe this new love will wear off in time, but I doubt it. I am having successes (my photo's being used in print) that I never thought possible and I have many people who like and appreciate my newfound craft.

    I also found it very frustrating when people new to this site would ask questions and more often than not I could not answer or help in any way. In photography, for some reason, I find that I can help. I'm not sure why, but I am managing to come up with some good stuff even though I am working with entry level equipment, and barely entry level at that! It makes me feel very, very good when someone likes one of my shots. More than it ever did with my music.

    Anyway, I am hoping I can still help out now and then, an I hope I'm still part of the Songstuff family, but I'm not going to make it a big part of my life. I am moving from the audio to the visual. I don't know, but I think when I gave up smoking and drinking, the world became much more interesting to me.

    They say to stop and smell the roses. I agree, but I plan on not only breathing in life, but recording it the way my eye sees fit.

    Peace,
    T

  4. Regrets

    By ATom2 ,

    Not sure why, but two events today led me to think about lifes regrets. Those events were brushing my teeth and watching the History Channel....uh....not at the same time though.

    Anyway, regret number juan is; I didn't take care of my teeth when I was a kid. Now that I'm in my mid-to-late 40's my train wreck of a mouth is bothering / costing me a lot. Granted the pain pills are fun at times, but wrecking my liver and stomach at the same time is hardly worth it. Anyway, that is regret number 1.

    Regret number two is I wish I would have become an astronomer. I love watching shows about space, other worlds, JPL projects etc...
    I believe I could have been a damn good one except for one problem... That would be education. I was never any good at math, or I should say I never cared for school. That in itself pretty much took being a scientist out of life's picture, unless I was some kind of genious. I are not! Remember, I couldn't figure out how many times to brush my teeth when i was young.

    As Carl Segan used to say: "Keep your head up, and brush your teeth at least twice daily"

    Bobo

  5. I'm doing something I have never done before. It all has to do with my taking care of my "Granddaughter" <---dog. Her name is Bella and she is a Black Lab. Great dog albeit a bit on the hyper side. I like to think of her as Steve with a fur coat. She is only a year and a half old which explains a lot. Anyway, she likes to lay outdoors, so I grabbed my lawnchair, my coffee cup, and of course my laptop and parked it out in my yard. I love wireless!!

    This is proving somewhat difficult as there isn't a cloud in the sky. This causes me to position myself facing directly south toward the sun so I can see my screen. Of course this also requires me to wear my sunglasses which protects the old eyeballs but on the other hand, once again makes it hard to see the screen. Therefore, I am wearing my shades but looking under them as I type.
    This brings up a techie question. Is direct sunlight good for laptops? ? Hope I don't find out the hard way!

    My house is situated right next to the main hi-way through town so I imagine as I type I am getting "the look" from folks as they pass by.

    Back to the weather, it's clear, about 80F, with a nice little breeze. There is no Ozone so I will burn. You see, I have spent the entire summer so far wearing short sleave shirts, so I have what we call, a "farmers tan". Today I am wearing a "muscle shirt". Go ahead and laugh, but since I quit smoking and drinking I actually have muscles again. Nothing to brag about, but at least I'm public worthy.

    Speaking of pictures, (even though I wasn't) my new found hobby of photography is doing well. One of my shots is running on the front page of a local newspaper website, and another is going to print as the cover of a small publication. Nothing huge, but cool just the same. Speaking of cool, what the hell am I doing drinking coffee?

    On the photo bug side, I have it bad. Since I purchased my camera in late March, I have taken around 2500 photo's. Thank god for digital. If that had been film, $400 would have gone bye-bye.

    So there you have it folks, you just read nothing about a man, a muscle shirt, a dog, and the weather. And I thought I was bored.

    Keep smiling,
    T

    P.S. Do blogs have P.S.'s?

    P.P.S. I'm starting to smell something burning. It's either me, or the laptop.
  6. Each year I attend Memorial Day Services in my home town. This year, thanks to my new found hobby of photography, I thought I'd bring it to you. It's hard for me to understand what these people gave in order for me to live the life I do. That being said, I grabbed my camera and went to the cemetary with one thing in mind; Try to show what Memorial Day is all about. I hope I caught at least a small part of the feeling.

    Go here. Memorial Day

    Thanks,
    T

    P.S. Take note of something I saw when I loaded the photo's into my computer. I can't be sure, but I think the American Bald Eagle, the symbol of my country, paid a visit into one of my photo's. If it did, it gives me the creeps in a way. The photo is labeled.


    I needed to revisit this post as I uploaded more pictures. They are not of my towns program but rather of a memorial which was built on a site we call "Pine Mountain".
    One thing that has really ripped at me is, my god, we're fighting damn near all of the time!!! I'm sure the gaps were filled with non-reported crap also. When the hell is my country going to think peace!
  7. Hello TV Land,

    I am starting my usual day (as of late) by making coffee, pouring a cup or 7, and firing up the ol' laptop, read all the shit that is happening on this friendly planet of ours, my e-mail and so on, which brings me to this point.
    I was debating whether or not to write a blog today, which got me thinking. What good is a Blog?

    Hmmm, "What good is a Blog"
    Truthfully, I doubt that "this" blog serves any real purpose in life, and that anyone really reads the damn things that are in it. I know I don't,...check the spelling.

    I guess "this" blog, if it does anything at all, allows me to sometimes get some of the crap I am feeling out of my system. So, in that respect, I guess it does do....well, something.

    I know the title of my Blog is "From the Gut", but I guess I haven't really gotten to that point yet.
    Oh well, I need to refill thy cupeth.

    T
  9. Haven't made a recording for a long time and I always had plenty of reasons not to, or so I thought.

    Actually the real reason I haven't started anything new for years is because I always hated putting the damn drum tracks down electronically. Just one big pain in the ass.
    I had thought of contacting the many drummers I know to come in and do it for me acoustically, but I doubt I could screw up my timing enough to play along. Nix that idea.

    I'll keep thinking.

    Send your hate mail to 1&2&3&5.drums.com
  10. Good morning Tom!
    Well good morning to you Blog!

    I have a couple of "loves" in my life that aren't flesh and blood. One is golfing, which where I live only lasts about 4.5 months due to the climate. The other is photography, a year round thing providing I can keep the equipment warm enough. (Sorry folks, but recording doesn't make the top two)

    This brings me to the price of gas. Where I live it has gone up about 40 cents in a very short time, and that really cuts into the amount of time I can spend doing either hobby.

    But,.....but.....BUT, THAT'S NOT THE PART THAT PISSES ME OFF!

    Nobody in the media, be it broadcast, or print, is saying anything about it! It's like it's the new "common place". Well, it isn't for this blogger. Once again, those bastards on top of the oil companies are filling their pockets. I for one, will not go along. I will only get gas when my family must be somewhere. As far as my hobbies?....they'll have to wait.


    As far as my hobbies?....they'll have to wait.

    Ya hear that Mr. Oilman?
    Making me give up what I love to do is not a good thing.

    Till next time,
    Pissed off American T


  11. Now that the school year is nearing it's end, I felt I needed to give my opinion of the students I have watched grow another year older, and also some who are moving on in life.

    I have attended all types of sporting events throughout the year, and also attended music, acting, singing, and just about any other event the school had.

    I can say this. I love those kids and couldn't be any prouder of their academic, athletic, and overall acheivements. These kids are fantastic. I think back to my generation and believe me, we couldn't hold a candle to them.

    There was one group that really sticks in my heart and I doubt I will ever enjoy watching another group quite like this one. Eight girls comprised our Varsity girls basketball team that had a record of 24 wins /1 loss. with the loss coming in tournaments. These girls not only played as a team, they were truely very close friends who were always smiling. Put a smile on face also.

    Anyway, my overall point is: If my generation and those older don't manage to totally screw up the world, I think in the future things will be just fine.

    Before they do take charge, I will appologize to them now for all the garbage we will be leaving them.

    From the Gut,
    T
  12. First, an update. I still haven't found my answer to my last entry. Good days, bad days. Oh well.

    This brings me to my less than exiting Sunday.

    As of late, or at least the past month or so since I bought my camera, I have looked forward to filling up the gas tank and heading out for part both known and unknown on my free weekends. I had some very exiting places to go this weekend, and I'm sure I would have found something to catch my camera's eye. (Update, I have taken over 1650 pics in less than a month. I think that qualifies as hooked,...or nuts.)

    Well, the economy kicked the price of gas up high enough that I refused to fill the pockets of those money hungry exec's at this time. Bastards!!

    So, today, April 29 of 2007, I sit in my house, watching people who can barely speak English, race these 800hp cars around a track at 200mph when all the time the sun was out, the sky was a crystal blue, and the temperature was 80F. (I think that's like 2696.42 in metric) Pffffffft, what a waste!

    Talk about a blog that leaves you with nothing to talk about.

    I'll stop and try harder later this week.

    Till then, from the gut,
    T

  13. From The Weekend

    By ATom2 ,

    Sorry, but I am having a hell of a hard time concentrating with that 1984 Ghostbusters picture of Sigourney Weaver as Zuuuuul laying next to me! Ouch!

    Anyway, as weekends go they couldn't have been better. Sunny, near 80degrees, lots of backroads, my camera, and a crap load of tunes! The truth is, I can't think of anything to piss and moan about. Oh wait, one thing. Way too much garbage out in the wilderness.

    So, I do have a topic that concerns music and in all likelyhood it will be my next entry. I just need time to think it all together. Remember, it will be MY point of view.

    Soon,
    T
  14. Well, finally a topic I am gaining some knowledge on.

    About January 8th I decided to pitch the cigarettes and although it was hard it was well worth it....., I think!
    The reason I am not sure goes as follows.

    Problem #1 -Seems like during the entire quiting process I found myself not knowing what to do with myself other than going to bed.

    Problem #2 - Unable to fall asleep. You see, well before I ever got to this point I used beer to help me fall asleep...we're talking years people...decades even.

    Problem #3 - I found out it takes quite a bit more beer to knock out an ex-calm-ex-smoker. Lot's more.

    Problem #4 - Felt like shit in the morning, but felt better in the evening when the beer would kick in, then felt like shit in the morning, but felt.....you get the picture. But hey, still no smoking!!!

    Well, let's just say this extremely buff and hansom man was getting a tad bit scared. I hear that livers don't take kindly to beer by the truckload.

    Anyway, I went to the Doc, I talked, he listened. I don't smoke and I don't drink at the moment (about a week and a half so far)

    Is this all worth it? Am I happy? Is it worth living clean but feeling miserable?

    All of these questions can not be answered. Only time will tell. (The little pills help, I'll say that)

    Word to the young, be careful, shitty lifestyles have a way of sneaking up on you.

    From the GUT

    T
  15. So much for a title. Hell don't ever expect much from me. I am not a trained writer, just potty trained.

    I now spend most of my days wondering, just where in the hell did the country I knew and loved disappear to. Beats me, but I'm looking toward others further up the food chain than I!?!

    Now we have another "very important front page news item". Bombing In Green Zone?" nope!

    Mr. Imus did nothing different from his daily broadcast of trash except this time someone of self-proclaimed opposite importants hears about it. Next thing you know Jessy, Al and another fist full of so called "religious" people came out to call "foul...foul!"

    Here's my beef. Not that he said it, (he's an idiot) not that Jessy and Al jumped on it (I think that is their job listing on their W-2's. What bugs the hell out of me, is whenever these two come to someones defense, they have like a 1000 people with them, and this is during mid-day at a split second notice.

    Don't these people work? Don't they have to pay bills? The only thing I can figure out is they are Hollywood extra's on stand-by to hit the road whenever these bleecher preachers beckon.

    From the Gut

    T

  16. The Start.

    By ATom2 ,

    Hello all,

    I plan to not plan any of my entry's. There may be days with multiple hits and others with nothing. Shoot from the hip as they say. Also, I should warn that in this blog I may not come across as the ATom2 from the forums. If I did, what would be the purpose of doing this? Anyway, sleep well and I'll see you, well, when I see you.

    T

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