Indiana Jones review

Due to the entire review being spoilers, I am linking to it here. Click here if you want to read it, but know that it could very well spoil the movie for you if you read it before seeing it. I am expecting that you've seen it or don't care when you read my review  =o)

Bubble Bobble rock!

Who remembers Bubble Bobble?!

Steven Curtis Chapman Family Tragedy

I've been a fan of Steven Curtis Chapman for most of my life. I just heard that on Wednesday, his 5 year old daughter was hit and killed by the family SUV. Her brother was backing the vehicle down the driveway and didn't see her. She was rushed to the hospital, but didn't make it. It's very sad and I don't really have anything to say, except to pass this song along. It is one of my favorite recent Steven Curtis Chapman songs.

Photos - 1998 to 2008

The advances of technology are changing the world in many ways. Photography and the way that consumers share their photos has changed so much in the last decade it’s incredible to think about. Ten years ago we all had film 35mm point and shoot cameras. We shot rolls of film. Rolls of film with a single ISO rating for the entire 24 or 36 exposures. Then the film sat on the kitchen counter for a few days or weeks before the next trip to Costco. Costco would ask if we wanted a single print of everything or a set of duplicates. The 4x6 prints were ready by the time we were done shopping, but family members didn’t see them until the next family get-together (which is probably that day or the next if you’re at Costco stocking up on snacks and other food). The 4x6s got passed around the room and 5 or 6 of the duplicates went to Grandma and Aunt Wilma, but the rest came back around and made their way into a shoebox under the bed. A new girlfriend/boyfriend or a high school graduation party were the only reasons for digging through those shoeboxes full of mixed prints.

Jump forward 10 years. I took my family to Baskin Robins yesterday afternoon and seconds after capturing an image of my wife and kids, it was posted to my Facebook mobile gallery and my camera phone blog. Moments once not shared with family members 20 miles away for weeks or months can now be shared with anyone in the world in a matter of seconds...very easily.

I don’t think it’s excitement or newness of having a camera phone and a webcam built into my laptop. I think this is the world of photography forever changed thanks to advances in technology. The worlds of retail and portrait photography needs to adapt quickly or they will die. People are taking more pictures than ever but buying less prints than ever. The question isn’t how to get them to buy more prints, they won’t. The question is how can you make money from the new model of photography that technology has created. But that’s another topic for another day =o)

Camera Phone Blogging

I've been enjoying taking pictures with my cell phone, so I decided to post some to a blog:

Bill's Cell Phone Pics Blog

Enjoy :)  It's fun, I can post right from my phone.

Mikayla at the park

Mikayla, our little model

When Mikayla gets in front of the camera something happens. We aren't quite sure where she picked it up, but she becomes a model when there is a camera. She completely poses herself and cycles through tons of bizarre poses. All are cute, some are more photogenic than others.

Lily & Flowers

Lily - 5.5.08

I'll be posting a few photos from the most recent photo shoot of the girls. Usually I just post the ones I end up picking to have prints made of. This time I decided I'd post some of the ones that are not those as well.

Netflix 1 Month Free Trial

I've been enjoying Netflix for a couple months and they sent me some coupons for friends. Normally, you can get a 2 week free trial from Netflix, but with this coupon you can get a full month free! If you do the free trial, I get one extra rental...pretty cool. I've been very happy with Netflix. The turnaround time is great, I send a movie back and they receive it the next day and mail my next one out the same day the receive it. Nine times out of ten I get that movie the very next day.

Well, that was even more of a commercial than my last post. I gotta change gears. Hehehehe.

Anyway, if you are interested in a 1 month free trial of Netflix, just send me an e-mail and I'll send you the code. I only have 4 codes, so it'll be first come, first serve.

Google 411 / Google SMS

Okay, this post is for those of you who haven't heard about Google 411 and Google SMS. This is MUST KNOW information for every person with a phone. I am continually surprised how many people do not know about it, so I'm posting here to make sure I do my part to spread the information.

Google 411 is a free service by Google to help you find a business you are looking for. It is very much like the information service you can call and, for a fee, have a business phone number looked up and connected to you. The difference? It's free! Just dial 1-800-GOOG-411 (1-800-466-4411) and you're all set!

Google SMS is even better than Google 411. Google SMS is another FREE service by Google. Essentially bringing the power of Google Search to your cell phone using text messaging. To use it, simply send a search query in a text message to '466453' (GOOGLE on most phones) and Google will respond back in a text message with the results. It is incredible. You can get local business listings, weather, dictionary definitions, sports scores, movie times, directions, and more. For example, if you were looking for a comic shop in Salem, you could send this to 'GOOGLE': "comics 97301". Seconds later you would receive 1 to 3 text messages with business listings as you would find in the phone book...delivered to your cell phone...free (text messages may have fees associated depending on your cell plan)! Want to know the weather report for Olympia? Simply text this to Google: "weather olympia". Don't know what 'bamboozled' means? Simply text this to Google: "define bamboozled". 

Wow...that sounded way more like a commercial than I would have liked. Sorry ;o)  I use this service all the time. It is really great and very convenient. Try it out!

Google 411 information

Google SMS information

Free Comic Book Day update

We took the kids to Tony's Kingdom of Comics to have pictures taken with the Dark Side Troopers. They had a lot of fun. Jason Martin did a sketch of Spider-Man for Mikayla too!

More photos on my flickr page!

It's Free Comic Book Day!!!!!!

Today is Free Comic Book Day! Head out to your local comic shop for some great freebies! I highly recommend All-Star Superman #1. It's free at your local comic book shop TODAY!

Free Comic Book Day webpage

Comic Book Store Locator

I'll be at Tony's Kingdom of Comics today. He's open from 11am to 5pm. Bring a donation of canned food and you can have an Iron Man print and have it signed by the artist who drew it right there. Should be fun. I'll be taking my kids to have their pictures taken with the Dark Side Troopers, a group of fun people who dress up in Star Wars costumes and let you have your picture taken with them. Maybe I'll see you there!

Connected

Okay, I admit it, I have a connection problem. Going without the Internet is something I just don't do (or at least cope with well). I have access to the Internet at home, at work, on my Blackberry, and with a cellular wireless card on my laptop anywhere I have cell signal. If someone wants to get ahold of me, there are usually at least four methods of communication that would work at any time. I have a problem, yes, but I know it and admit it. Isn't that half the battle?  ;)

Anyway, if you don't already have the links, here are some ways I'm staying connected right now:

E-mail: englishw@gmail.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/billenglish/

Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/englishw/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1248769626

MSN: englishw@msn.com

Google Talk: englishw@gmail.com

AOL: englishw@gmail.com