|
Christmas Sights
12.20.2008 10:01PM
It's almost Christmas, so that means plenty of baking and cookie decorating. Head to the Photoblog to check out some of the sights. The pictures were taken as test shots using my new toy, a Nikon D90 DSLR camera.
What's My Age Again?
12.13.2008 3:14PM
I have a lot of free time right now. Studio has been presented. Thesis proposal has been submitted. My two final exams aren't until Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning, respectively. So with some extra time on my hands, I decided to do something about it. I decided to be a child again this holiday season and headed to Toys 'R Us. Its practically right across the street so it was quite easy. I took my camera along and it wasn't long before nostalgia set in.For as much as I dislike board games these days, there were certainly some classics back in the day. Its good to see that most of them are still around, even if that means some updating. Who can forget "Life", "Payday", "Candyland", or "Risk". The "Risk" packaging announces an updated map and new playing pieces. Gone are the asterisk shaped armies, replaced by pieces that leave nothing to the imagination. And while I know there is constant turmoil in most of Africa and other parts of the world, has there really been enough significant changes to require a map overhaul?And then there was "Guess Who?" I'm glad to see its still quite racist, limiting minority characters to about 4 spots. The characteristics are so exaggerated that I don't think anybody would confuse these as actual representations, would they? Does your character look like a terrorist?There are plenty of gifts that are never a bad option when it comes to Christmas gifts. You have LEGOs. So much for history. No longer is it castles and pirates, but futuristic vehicles which from the looks of them seem unlikely to ever happen. And then there's Hot Wheels. Along with the ridiculously awesome stunt tracks that never worked. I don't know about you but I never was a fan of the inferior Matchbox.Back in my day there was no video game induced violence. Its not for the lack of quasi-violent video games, but rather we took out our anger with NERF weapons. Each year NERF managed to outdo themselves. Just when you thought there wasn't another type of gun to shoot the 10 different types of NERF ammo, they made one that shot 11. While a shot to the eye might certainly sting, its not going to put it out like a Red Ryder BB gun.Finally, for me the gold standard for Christmas gifts was Playmobil. The Germans often get a bad rap for certain episodes in their history, but if they do have a single bright spot, its Playmobil. Let's see if I can recall all the Playmobil between me and my brothers. There were two ships (one pirate, the other British naval), an island, a castle, a Wild West mining cave, a firetruck, and I believe a little more. Though I know there was no big top circus tent. Ah, to be young. While some of you may question my maturity, you'll be happy to know none of the above items made my Christmas list this year. At least I don't think any did. I've grown beyond toys. Okay so maybe not, they're just more expensive "toys." I hope you enjoyed the trip down memory lane. What made your Christmas lists as a child?
It's Been A While
12.01.2008 7:42PM
I think for the first time during my blogging days I went an entire month without a post. My last post was in late October and things were so busy during November that I didn't get a chance to post. So here's a brief moment between things (studio, thesis, other) to inform people that, yes, I still exist.I was so busy I really didn't have the chance to blog about the Cardinals undefeated football season. Ball State is 12-0 (I got to fulfill a small dream of mine last Tuesday- storming the field after defeating Western Michigan) heading into the MAC Championship game this Friday against 7-5 Buffalo Bulls. The rant against the BCS will be saved for another post, but in some small way I think I'm being rewarded for the 8 wins Illinois won during my 4 years.Some people were concerned that I may have become entirely Communist due to the lack of Christmas list on Beavers and Ducks, but not to worry, I still happily celebrate the free market holiday of choice. So if you somehow have a little extra dough in this economy feel free to grab anything from the following list:- llinois hat, size M(edium)- Puma Roma 68 Italia shoes, size 10, color white/royal- Metropolis Magazine subscription- Lee Dungarees jeans, size 31 waist 30 length- Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls DVD- DSLR camera, to be decidedWith it now officially the "holiday season" that means your TV watching is improved. From the endless marathons that begin following Thanksgiving (I flipped in to my fair share of Dirty Jobs late Friday) to the classics (Rudolph, Frosty, and of course Charlie Brown) and other gems (That 70's Show when the gang cuts down the tree by the highway for the XMas Tree) you can't go wrong taking a short break to watch some holiday TV. It's something you take for granted, so I'm glad Mike reminded me of it today.Be sure to follow along with my sister and brother-in-law as they travel round the world. All the stories and pictures can be found at Lives of Wander. I'll be the first to join them on their journey when I meet up with them late December 28 in Lima, Peru before heading to Cuzco and hiking the Inca Trail. So until next time (and I'm not going to let it be a month) be sure to grab the Killers' new album, Day & Age. Simply amazing.
Check out Last Month
12.01.2008 12:00AM
Check out last month at Beavers and Ducks, while you wait for a new post for December. October 2008
|
Gregory 'Jesus' Dowell
Muncie, IN
- I'm currently in my second and final year of Ball State University's Master of Architecture program. Over the summer I completed an internship for The Estopinal Group and prior to that I interned seven months for Rath, Raths & Johnson. I'm currently deciding what the future holds. All that and more will be explored right here at Beavers and Ducks.
Resume
Portfolio
Greg's Calendar
Dec 19- Fall Semester endsDec 25- ChristmasDec 28- Jan 8- Peru/Inca TrailJan 12- Spring Semester begins
The Latest Podcast
Last Month at Beavers and Ducks
October 2008
Links
My Archinect Blog
the building bloc(k)
CadaverBlender
Smelkem
Spargel
Lives of Wander
Theresa's Freelance Site
|