John Paul's Blog

As shutdown looms, agencies brace for impact IRS could stop issuing refund checks, national parks may close

I can't imagine what is wrong with the politicians in Washington, much less my own state and local governments. The way things are going, I am utterly contemptuous of members from both political parties. Whats going appears to be a total lack of cooperation. Simply partisan politics which is hurting the average American. I don't think these incumbent politicians ever feel the pinch or pain of losing a job, having no medical coverage or worrying about paying the rent. If things continue the way they are currently going, I think we need to a change in all levels of government. Lets get rid of these useless people and bring in politicians who care about helping the people. Not ones who are only concerned with lining their own pockets.

jp

Gah! It feels like summer has arrived early today. I hopped into the car around 1pm earlier and my car thermometer showed the temperature at 89 degrees F. Just the last couple weeks it was freezing and raining. The weather just seems to get more wacky every year!

jp

Boy its been tough! In the last 5 months I've submitted my resume to dozens of companies and have had 3 interviews but no job. The economists say the job outlook is getting better but I can't tell. I'm hoping to get something before summer starts. Today I'm going thru another round of sending out my resume. sigh.

jp

My friend Brenda, the author of "Hope The New Financial System Emerging After The American Economic Crisis" has come out with a Youtube interview describing some of the recent patterns of abuse in our financial/socio-economic system. If your concerned about whats going on AND want some insight on how fix the problem for your personal financial situation, check out her video and read her book.

Addendum: Here's some recent news articles that underscore the problems that Brenda reports.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42260137/ns/business-us_business/

http://www.newsweek.com/2011/03/20/a-looming-disaster-europe.html

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42258668/ns/us_news-the_new_york_times/

http://militaryadvantage.military.com/2011/03/where-to-turn-if-shutdown-happens/

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/40795080/ns/business/

-jp

I saw this interesting afticle in MSNBC, How G.E. made $5.1 billion in the U.S. tax-free.

"General Electric, the nation’s largest corporation, had a very good year in 2010. The company reported worldwide profits of $14.2 billion, and said $5.1 billion of the total came from its operations in the United States. Its American tax bill? None. In fact, G.E. claimed a tax benefit of $3.2 billion.

....Such strategies, as well as changes in tax laws that encouraged some businesses and professionals to file as individuals, have pushed down the corporate share of the nation’s tax receipts — from 30 percent of all federal revenue in the mid-1950s to 6.6 percent in 2009.

....A review of company filings and Congressional records shows that one of the most striking advantages of General Electric is its ability to lobby for, win and take advantage of tax breaks.

....Since 2002, the company has eliminated a fifth of its work force in the United States while increasing overseas employment. In that time, G.E.’s accumulated offshore profits have risen to $92 billion from $15 billion."

And you wonder why all the tax revenue for the gov't is drying up. The middle class whom a significant percentage are out of jobs can't pay as much taxes as in the good years. And, of course, you have all the people who foreclosed on their houses. You can't collect taxes on that either. With the upper 1% getting tax cuts and the corporations getting tax breaks, no one should be surprised that we're in a financial crunch now. When everyone pays their fair share of taxes, the system works. When they don't, its like the Titanic. Anyone see an iceberg?

jp

My friend IM'd me this link. My first reaction to him was that scientist have not been able to accurately predict earthquakes. But when i watched the video in the link, I think this guy may be on this something. Doesn't hurt to be prepared!

http://thegentleawakening.ning.com/forum/topics/geologist-jim-berkland

jp

It feels like its been raining forty days and forty nights here. Well actually its been raining over a week but geez! this is California not Seattle. 8)

Since I have a new HD video recorder I decided to test it by recording it raining today.

jp

Thank God Its Friday! On my other blog, I've been following the UCLA Alexandra Wallace Asians in the Library drama. Out of the many, many responses I found these 2 the best. In fact, I was amused so much that I've added them to my youtube favorites. 8)

http://www.youtube.com/user/DavidSoComedy#p/p

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zulEMWj3sVA&feature=player_profilepage

jp

Apologies for the lack of updates but I've been down and out with a cold the last several days.

jp

Wow! I just got the XBox 360 add-on Kinetic which lets you play games, dance, etc by detecting the motion of your body movements. I'm having so much fun playing the rallyball game all the while getting a good workout. I'm looking to pick up some sports and dance games. Its amazing how far games have come. I remember growing up as a kid playing the original pong. Who would have imagine they would have games that can mimic body movements. Pretty soon it'll probably some holographic game environment just like in the Star Trek Generations TV series.

jp

With all thats been going on in Japan, it reminds how we in California could face the same situation should a catastrophic similar to Japan hit our region. As a witness to the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake I remember the damage we survived in the Bay Area. Ever since that event, I've planned and prepared in case it happens again. Just like in parts of Japan, parts of the Bay Area after the '89 earthquake were isolated by the damage. Social and Emergency services like Police and Fire were overwhelmed by the amount of calls. I distinctly remember the power being down for a time. I recall on the first day traffic lights not working. Fortunately for us in San Jose, power and civil service was back within a few days. There were places like Santa Cruz, San Francisco and Oakland that were out for much longer. Even now, the major news networks are reporting a shortage of food and water in Japan. Japan's emergency crews are having difficulty reaching some areas hit by the quake and tsunami due to water damage.

The lesson to be learned about these type of events is to be prepared to deal with the aftermath. You should have at least a weeks worth of water, perishable food, battery powered radio/flashlights and/or portable generator to run electrical appliances like microwave, oven, etc. Obviously if there is a medical emergency, you should try to contact 911 asap. If emergency services are unable to respond, common sense dictates using your own transportation to get to the hospital. Being prepared for a major emergency can save a life including yours or a loved one. Don't wait until something happens. Be smart, be prepared.

Interested in books on preparing for an emergency? Check out this this book or this one.

Also including a link to the Red Cross to help the victim of Japan's earthquake here.

jp

So my buddy, Elemenohpee, is okay. He and his family had to evacuate from their house near the beach in Hawaii. They ended up staying with his brother on higher ground until the all clear was signaled. He mentioned that it was pretty unreal what with the sirens every hour and the evacuation. Thank God! Hawaii was not affected by the tsunami.

jp

Good Lord! The video footage on CNN really shows the devastation of the Japanese earthquake. As a witness of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, I am in total sympathy to the people of Japan. My prayers go out to them in their time of need.

jp

So I'm doing my daily news junkie routine. I can't help but see all this news about Charlie Sheen over and over again. This does pique my curiosity though. I click on the link to Sheen's Korner Ep 3: Torpedoes of Truth Part 2. And Good Lord! but watching his diatribe is sad. Sad because prior to his recent breakdown, I've always admired Charlie Sheen for his acting ability. From Red Dawn to Two and a Half Men. But they only thing I can say about his recent video is it seems to be just a drug addict spewing random thoughts on the camera. Either that or its his best acting performance in his career. Honestly, though, I think the guy really needs some psychiatric help. And Fast! I think if he was anyone but Charlie Sheen, he would have been locked up in a mental ward for evaluation. I would hope that his closest friends and family would be trying to get him some medical help. Unfortunately it looks more like the people around him (not to mention the Media) are just trying to cash in on his famous/infamous behavior. Sad, very sad. It's even more deplorable in that this is at the top of the news. 8(

jp

Today is Ash Wednesday. For Catholics, today is the start of Lent season. As part of Lent season, Catholics are asked to sacrifice or give up something during Lenten season. For me, I've decided to give up soda and sweets (not that I do much but I do like them occasionally), From now until Easter Sunday, I will abstain as well as no meat on Friday's.

jp

Good Lord! When I went to pick up my niece from Santa Clara Univ, I went to fill up my tank at a gas station near the school. I think it was a Shell. I haven't been paying attention to the last time i filled up but $4.12/gallon for mid grade?! I ended up putting just enough to get me around but I plan on going to the local Arco which is about 20 cents cheaper. If prices keep going up, things will get worse. It really makes you think about doing what you can to save at the pump. Even it means driving less or spending less on other non-essential purchases. I wonder if prices (not too mention the good times from the 90's/pre-2007 era will ever come back)?

jp

I found this quote from one a novel of one of my favorite authors. I sincerely believe if we, the American people, upheld these ideas we would have a more effective government versus our current inept, corrupt system in place today.

"The deadliest enemies of nations are not their foreign foes; they always dwell within their borders. And from these internal enemies civilization is always in need of being saved. The nation blessed above all nations is she in whom the civic genius of the people does the saving day by day, by acts without external picturesqueness; by speaking, writing, voting reasonably; by smiting corruption swiftly, by good temper between parties; by the people knowing true men when they see them,, and preferring them as leaders to rabid partisans or empty quacks. -William James"

jp

Well today's interview went very well. I felt confident and on top of my game during the entire interview. As well as the position I applied for, the recruiting company also submitted my resume for two other marketing positions. Here's hoping I land one of them. In fact, I hope I get the first one I applied for because it sounds like a good environment for a person of my background and experience.

jp

The credit union that I belong to is having a contest to win a scholarship. If you also belong to TechCU, I recommend you enter the contest just like I did today.

Click on this link:

You have the opportunity to win a full scholarship to Singularity University's Spring Executive Program!

jp

So this past's weekend anticipated snow in the bay area was a bit of a dud. While San Francisco, Daly City and a few of the north bay's cities experienced flurries on Friday evening most of the South Bay did not. I checked outside at 11am Friday but witnessed a clear star filled night sky. When I woke up at 8am the next morning, it was also a clear, no-cloud-in-the-sky and no snow on the hills disappointment. Oh well, maybe Mother Nature will give us another chance before the Winter's grip turns into Spring showers.

P.S. Oh and beware the Ides of March!!

jp

Apologies for the absence of entries the last 3 days. Got some cool news: there's a 50/50 chance of snow on valley floor starting from Friday thru the weekend. This hasn't happened to the Silicon Valley since 1976! I've got my camera ready to take some awesome photos of this rare event.

jp

I'm like the biggest Tom Cruise fan out there. Ever since Top Gun came out in the 80's, Tom Cruise was my idol. So its really cool to find out that the movie is at the top of the list of 15 BEST GUY MOVIES EVERY MAN SHOULD SEE.

"Fast planes, hot chicks and a guy named Maverick. After seeing this movie, you know you wanted to hop in an F-14 and blow away a mig.

BEST LINE: And if you screw up just this much, you'll be flying a cargo plane full of rubber dog out of Hong Kong!"

Who doesn't remember the scene with Maverick and Goose singing, "You've lost that lovin' feeling"!

jp

My two cousins and their parents from Australia are in town. I haven't seen any of them since 1988 (except my Uncle who visited us briefly on Sept. 11, 2011). One of my cousins wasn't even born in '88 and their older sister was about 9 when she visited us in '88. And yup they have the cool Sydney accent. Its really nice having relatives from our around the world. 8)

jp

From an article today, "4 feet of snow in a day near Lake Tahoe: Storms have dumped up to 9 feet since Monday along Sierras". It looks like the storm we had this week has been packing quite a wallop from here to Nevada!

jp

What a drizzly day. I heard the rain pitter-pattering last night on the roof before I fell asleep. I woke up to a gray day in the morning. When we went to celebrate my parent's anniversary at lunchtime, it was coming down in hail. However this is my favorite kind of day to read a good book indoors.

Oh btw Happy Anniversary to my Parents for making it thru 40 something years of marriage (I think its 43 years but I don't remember the exact date!).

jp

Last post for this week. Going back to Friday night, I was watching Alaska Gold Rush. It was highly entertaining, enjoyable episode (though its the first one I've watched). I believed its the second to the last show for the season. The crew they were documenting had been working on their "Glory" hole for the last 5 months with this episode counting down to the winter season (which normally shuts down all mining). The crew finally hit the bedrock were the potential rich hit is. In the last 16 minutes, they showed how much gold was in the dirt before they sifted it thru the filtering water machine. All that being said, my biggest concern about watching all the events unfold was how destructive their methods are in the environment. In order for the crew to break even, they need to find about $275,000.00 worth of gold. Anything more is profit. If their lucky, their "Glory" hole could have millions of dollars. In the worst case scenario, they would find less than the $275,000.00. What struck me as tragic is these guys are trying to make a profit at the expense of tearing up this old river/waterfall and leaving a gaping whole when they are done. Who is going to clean up their mess when they are finished? The government? Probably not since they have more important bills to try to pay. Some concerned local citizens? Unlikely. Maybe an environmental group? Slim chance. In the end, Mother Nature will probably have to take care of the mess but it will take years and years. When interviewed, one of the crew members mentions that the jobs in his hometown have all dried up. Thus forcing him to invest his mortgage in this gold mining venture. One of the last pristine environments in North America but some people desperate enough to tear up for gold. It really looks like the past is repeating itself. The same thing happened in Nevada and California in the 1800's. From gold panning 49er's to big mining companies using hydro processing that left a devastation. I'm curious to see if any of these concerns will be addressed on the last episode. Incidentally Alaska Gold Rush claims to be the #1 rated Friday night show with I think 6 million viewers watching every week.

jp

I am sooo pooped from last night. While my sister, mom helped my cousin out looking for wedding dresses, I was stuck babysitting my two younger nieces. Now my youngest niece is just shy of 3 years old but let me tell you she's not finished with her terrible twos! All night long it was, "I don't like you", "I don't want to talk to you", "I don't like this cartoon [it was Nihao, Kai-lan btw]", etc. And if she wasn't telling me what she didn't like, it was throwing things when I told her not to play with her juice, grapes or cereal. Or "I want to talk to Mommy-Momma". Argh! At one point, I wanted to lock myself in the bathroom like my Uncle did to me and my sister when I was ten years old. At the time I was pretty upset with my uncle but now I'm a little more sympathetic. Not surprisingly after all this activity from a pint-sized-almost-3-year-old, she ended up lying down next to me on the couch while I tried to finish Discovery's Alaska Gold Rush show. Literally about a minute after that she was sleeping like a baby. When my sister and parents finally showed up, they had a good laugh when I told them about the night's events. Me? I hope I don't have to babysit for my sister for a long while so I have a chance to recover. 8)

jp

I finally finished the video for the TechCU Annual Party 2011 event from last month. This is the low quality version. I still am on the fence on making a higher quality unless TechCU wants it.

jp

I've already twitter'd this a few minutes ago but for my regular bloggers, check out this deal. If your on the fence about buying an e-reader like Amazon's Kindle or Barnes & Noble's Nook, this is totally steal! Hurry 'cause there's less than 6 hours left on the sale. Who knows if they may run out of inventory.

Barnes & Noble Certified Pre-Owned NOOK™ eReader With Wi-Fi® and Crisp E-Ink® Display

jp

Surprise, surprise. I received 2 more orders from the corporate party from the 2 weeks ago. I hope to get at least 10 more orders. In the meantime, I'm working on ordering some wedding albums I designed as display samples. The only thing is they are frickin' expensive but the potential new customers should justify the cost. I hope! 8)

jp

I read this post from my friend in Chicago who has been snowed out this week. As a Christian, I thought this was a truly unique sign from above. See? Miracles can happen in our every day life!

jp

"Something Absolutely Crazy Happened to me Today

alright... uh lemme start this by saying im pretty sure im the only christian on this server, at least so it seems, so i kind of hide my faith simply because i know people dont want to here a bunch of rambling of scriptures, and i know i dont leave the impression that i do believe in God, since i swear like a sailor at times, but no one is ever a "perfect christian" and im trying to work on watching my mouth... i just copied and pasted this from my facebook that i just posted

i strongly encourage you to read with an open mind if do read it, i wont be offended if you say something contrary to this, or if you dont say anything at all, i feel like its something that just needs to be heard

craziest thing ever happened to me today... and let me tell you, that this is not exaggerated in any shape or form. let me start out by saying i know probably 50% of my facebook friends are atheists, maybe 25% agnostics, and 25% christian/catholic... i get a text message every day from my cousin from oklahoma that has 2 bible verses, the first one doesnt really have a pattern and the 2nd one is always from Proverbs... well i was running on the treadmill at the gym and i was looking for the right song to run to, so i was skipping around on shuffle mode and i got my daily bible verse text, the song stopped on For Today - Agape, which i would have skipped because i pressed on the screen, but the text message got in the way so i couldnt change it, and whenever i get this text, no matter what im doing, i stop, read, and meditate on the message... todays 1st passage was Matthew 22:37 "Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." right when i read that i felt like i just got a surge of emotions, like i just got hit with lightning... in the song For Today - Agape, the ending break down goes like this "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all mind, all your strength" and they repeat this like 4 time. some people can say, "o thats just a coincidence that the verse relates to the song you stopped on" no, its not... its definitely not, let me go over why its not, my workout play list consists of 82 songs... 1/82 1.22% chance this song comes on when im browsing... ok... now my cousin texts me anywhere from 10 am - as late as 5 pm, 7 hours x 60 minutes = 420... 1/420 = .24%... ok that slims it immensely, but here comes the back breaker... there are 31,103 verses in the bible... seriously... 1/31,103 = .003215% chance of that happening... 1.22%, .24%, and .003215% all these occurring at the same exact time is absolutely impossible in my mind... what im trying to get at is people need to open there eyes and see these signs, non believers probably think im crazy, but this is not purely coincidence, i cant even fathom how people can deny that there is a God. if you actually took the time to read all of this, please post or at least like. Thank you."

Today I played some tennis with Glen at the park near his home. This is the second time we played this week. Now this normally would not be a profound, newsworthy or even blogworthy but it is for me. The last time Glen and I tried tennis was either last year or even sometime in 2009. Neither one of could last more than 15 minutes without stopping for a break (Mind you Glen is physically in better shape than me but hasn't been to the gym probably as long as I have). Tuesday's daytime warm up game was maybe 20-30 minutes. tops. Tonight was different in that we played 35-40 minutes strait. Even though it was a mite chilly, we got an all around good workout. We managed to take a 10 minute break before playing for another 10 minutes. In my mind, this is a good start for getting back into tennis. I figure if we can get our technique playable, we can do this 2-3 times a week which makes for a good workout routine. So we can have fun while still getting a workout!

P.S. I did install a Slingbox on the cable TV so my brother can watch this Sunday's Superbowl while he will be out of town coaching his team's volleyball tournament.

jp

Nothing to report other than I ate something last night that disagreed with me. Woke up in the very early AM with intense abdominal pain. Took a bunch of meds which finally eased the pain by 11am-ish which allowed me to get some much needed sleep in the afternoon. hopefully i will get thru tonight without waking up too early. i have lots to do tomorrow without any unnecessary illness!

jp

My buddy in Chicago posted on our forum that they are getting socketed with winter weather. Then I saw this headline on MSNBC, "Colossal storm roars across nation". While here in Silicon Valley, CA its been a typical nice California weather for Feb. Hope ally my friends back midwest, east, south, southwest weather the storm ok (no pun intended!).

I grabbed this photo from an article. It shows how massive the current weather system thats hitting most of the US! Click on this link to read the full article.

jp

Hurray! My luck finally turned at the Cache Creek Casino last night. I got Ace's Four of Kind on the Video Poker which was the 2nd highest pot out of all the machine. Since my parent's invited me to go with them yesterday, I decided to split it 3 ways but it was still enough amount to make this a good trip. This is versus the other 6 times in the last year where I didn't get squat!!

jp

Whew. Today is the first day since last week (Thursday to be exact) that I haven't been working on photos. This whole week past before me in a flash since I finished the TechCU Annual Dinner gig at The Tech Museum. At one point, I was editing photos and keeping track of orders that kept me up til 4am in the morning. The satisfaction I get is more than rewarding when the people order [and] enjoy their photos! As well I was kept busy until last night working on the modeling photos for Sonia. So this weekend I plan on relaxing a bit. What a nice way to end the work week. 8)

jp

Here's the final (webversion, of course) edited photos from Sonia's model shoot this week.

I'm also including the video that I'm adding to all my photo packages.

jp

I've been working on updating the layout and photos on my main website http://johnpaulphotography.com/
since yesterday. I've even added some of the videos I created for my photography business. Check it out when you have the time!

jp

So here are a few photos I took of a model friend. We were working mostly on posing but as usual I couldn't resist some headshots.

jp

whew! I just finished basic editing on the photos from Saturday using Lightroom and Photoshop. I'm just waiting for the green light from the company to publish the galleries for viewing/ordering.

After that I'm headed to Monte Sereno to do a photoshoot for a couple business ideas I've been working on. Its been non-stop busy since Thursday last week.

Work, work, work...!

jp

Last night's corporate party at downtown San Jose's Tech Museum was a blast! What really makes it such a cool gig is that its about a bunch of people having a good time. As for Glenn (my second photographer) and I, we had setup a couples portrait station complete with two professional studio lights and a big backdrop. We were taking prom style as well as funny couples shots 4 hours strait. By 10:30'ish we were completely wiped out. Out of all the types of photo gigs I've done, Corporate party has got to be one of the funnest - bar none!

jp

Since I needed to get some batteries for this Saturday's photo event, I decided to visit my friend Glen before going to Fry's Electronics. He brought along his 6 month old baby girl, Maya, who he mentioned is a "babe-magnet".

Well when we got to the Fry's cashier counter, I had a lovely Asian gal who rang up my batteries. As I was leaving, I grabbed Maya's stroller since Glen was still paying for his purchase. As I turned around to say something to Glen, I made eye contact with my Fry's cashier gal. She saw my glancing at her and gave me a warm smile. So it's true that baby's ARE babe-magnets. lol.

P.S. I still need to get some ink cartridges for my Epson printer, so I'll probably ask Glen to come along again (and Maya, too!). 8)

jp

I created this sample video from my December holiday shoot. I'm planning on adding a video this year for all my photo packages.

jp

Yea I got my car back from having the driver side window fixed! It was such an inconvenience to drive without being able to lower the window especially on a hot day. The reason it took so long to fix was the part that was needed to fix the window was defective. So being a European Audi part, it costs a bunch and takes awhile to ship. Although I love my Audi TT, I have vowed never to buy a European made car. They are expensive with high maintenance. My other car (that I sold last year) a Honda Element was the easiest car to maintain. When I get back on my feet, I plan on saving up and buying another Honda Element. Hopefully this year! 8)

jp

I'm putting together a special website and photo coupons for the corporate party this weekend that I'm the photographer for their event. It should be fun because its being held in the San Jose Tech Museum. I hope I have a chance to take some photos of their exhibits! I promise to post some of the photos from the event on my blog. 8)

jp

I went out to take the beagle out for his morning routine when I spotted this spiderweb with morning dew. Pretty cool.

-jp

Talk about your scary weather. I read this article talking about a weather phenomenon called "Arkstorm". Based on what the article stated, this is a storm of biblical proportion. The last one that occurred in California was in 1861-1862 which is expected to occur every other century.

Here's a quote from the article, "The USGS unveiled Friday a new study of what they call an 'Arkstorm Scenario.' It's a mega-storm that would measure rain in feet instead of inches.
Playing off the Biblical story of Noah's ark, scientists say an Arkstorm is an every-other century occurrence. That might not be that far off once you look at the historical data. For the novice, it is a weather system that plants itself out in the Pacific Ocean and the "storm door" never closes. You can see the weather map in the clip in this link.
Arkstorm is a hypothetical scenario that describes a rainstorm that produces a 10-foot wall of water that could flood a swath of the state from the Yosemite Valley to the Pacific Ocean. A similar storm hit back in 1861 and left the central valley of California impassable.
Scientists didn't put a number in lives lost, but said it would leave in its wake destruction in the $300 billion range."

Here's a brief description of the 1861 storm:
"The Great Flood of 1861-1862 was believed to be the most powerful and longest series of storms in state history, lasting a month and causing severe flooding.
The Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys were water-logged and spontaneous lakes popped up in the Mojave Desert and Los Angeles basin. Nearly a third of the young state's taxable land was destroyed."

On top of the "Big One" that supposed to happen to California, now we have to worry about a killer storm! Hopefully its more speculation than a probability.

Oh and check out this video of a mudslide in Italy recently. This is what happens when the environment gets inundated with too much water.

So I guess I shouldn't complain about the recent rain we've had. Or when we have typical Sunny California weather. 8)

jp

Wow! The weather flipped a 180 since yesterday. It was actually a beautiful day to take the dog out for a walk. The sun was out, there were a few clouds in the sky and the temperature was a warm 56 degrees. What a nice way to start the weekend...!

jp

Nothing terribly exciting to write today. Other than the rain has been coming down steadily this afternoon. My poor beagle and I were soaked after our daily walk!

jp

Continuing with my saga of the fraudulent charges on my account last week. I received two packages in the mail yesterday and Monday. On one it was a trial subscription Spanish Language lesson software. The second was also a trial coffee maker set from Gevalia. As I explained to my bank last week, I did not order either items on the alleged day since I was either asleep or on my way out of town on vacation. What really scares me is that somehow someone or some online companies illegally obtained my credit card and home address in order to purchase these items. Whats ironic is they sent it to my address. This scares me since I've been under the false assumption that all my documents on my personal computer have been secure. As a follow up to this recent incident, I ran a full virus and malware check on my computer earlier this week. After several hours, my software detected 10 severe virus and malware applications on my computer. After wiping my computer clean, I've made what I hope is the wise decision to store all my important documents on an external hard drive that is never connected to my computer when it is actively on the internet. I totally advise all of you to do the same if you want to avoid any possible similar incidents to your credit card accounts!

jp

One of my favorite real-life heroes of WWII (Based on his exploits from the book and HBO mini-series "Band of Brother") Richard Winters passed away recently on Jan. 2nd. Dick, as he was called by his close friends and comrades, represents the "Greatest Generation" whom are passing away as most approach their 80's. There was a statistic in the past decade that stated 1000 WWII veterans pass away every day. I'm sure that number is getting higher, too. As the numbers recede from each WWII reunion every year, we should acknowledge their accomplishments. Because some day soon, the LAST WWII veteran will pass away leaving only their stories as a testament to their great achievement in WWII.

If you want to read more about Dick Winters, click on this link Farewell to WWII hero Maj. Dick Winters, central character in 'Band of Brothers.

jp

As part of my daily routine, I always check out the latest news on MSNBC.com. I was a little surprised to see an article about Sara Palin's TLC show, "Palin's Alaska", not returning for a second season. Now until today, I never caught an episode of the show but I did see some annoying previews on cable (usually when I'm watching a history or animal planet channel). After reading about the cancellation, I decided to watch at least one episode. Well surprise, surprise. I finished watching episode #2 Just for the Halibut and #3 Salmon Run. The show was surprisingly upbeat and entertaining. Although my opinion of Palin as rather uptuse airhead hasn't changed, I do believe she comes across as sincere and honest in the show. Which I find myself a little disappointed that the show was cancelled.

I found one website which I believe sums up the entire show accurately [Sarah Palin's Alaska! (Team Red): The Final Show]. Funny but my impression of Palin has changed a bit today. While I won't be voting for her if she runs in 2012, I don't think she's a bad person as characterized as some Mainstream Media. If you don't believe, I challenge you to watch an episode or two to see if it will change your mind.

jp

I just finished watching "The American" a movie starring George Clooney. It reminds me of the movies, "Under the Tuscan Sun" with Diane Lane and, "A Good Year" with Russell Crowe. What all three movies have in common is the beautiful landscape and cinematographic views of the Italy. That's probably why I have visiting Europe as one of my new year's resolutions. I have an absolute passion for European history and geography. That's not to say my own country of the good ol' US of A doesn't have its own value and charm. It's just that parts of Europe has such a longer, richer history. As a self-professed historian and photographer, I'm naturally drawn to the stories and pictures of Europe. Seeing those fantastic views of Italian country side, the grape vines of a winery and the ancient marble and stone of an Italian villa just makes me want to jump on a plane to go visit them. Than reality hits! I realize I need to plan and save up some serious deneros if I really want to visit Europe this year.

jp

About 5 minutes ago, we experienced a small, typical California earthquake. It lasted about 5-10 seconds with the house shaking slightly during that time. My guess it was not much more than a magnitude 5 earthquake. Hopefully there won't be any more today!

jp

TGIF! Wow the first week of the new year is almost over. I spent an hour at the bank taking care of those fraudulent charges. I'm beginning to believe that the banks make it so hard to dispute those charges just to discourage people from doing it. Oh well, its over and done with. Now I have the whole weekend to look forward to.

jp

Oh bother. So I went to cache creek casino with my parents on New Years Day. Lo and behold, there were several unauthorized charges on my credit card that day. I did receive an email notification from my bank but was unable to reply until the next business day (Jan 3rd). Although I had cancelled overdraft protection last year, my bank still went ahead and tried to charge me for the 3 transactions which resulted in $50.00 worth of fees. After going back and forth with a bank rep, I finally received a fraudulent charge form from the bank which I must notarize and sign before they will refund all the unauthorized charges and fees. I still don't know how the 3 different merchants were able to charge my credit card unless someone stole my card #. sigh.

The moral of the story is that its easy for thieves to charge your credit card but its downright pain-in-the-rump to undo all the damage! I may have to start doing just cash transactions to avoid going through this again in the future...!

jp

This afternoon I decided to wash my beagle as well as my mom's two shih tzu (a father and son pair). Normally I give my beagle a flea bath once a week. However with the recent cold spell, I've been doing more like every 10 days. The reason why I think this is noteworthy in my blog is that washing 3 dogs on 35-40 F' weather is in a word, COLD! Unless you really love your dog, washing in cold weather in January Winter is not a fun task. Well at least the dogs are clean for at least another week...!

P.S. After having wash the dogs (including taking a very warm bath), I think I still smell like a wet dog. 8O

jp

Happy New Year to all my friends, readers and visitors to my blog!

There's going to be some new changes to this blog. Although I changed the format last summer so that photo related news is on my JPP Photography blog, I decided to keep this blog for all my personal stuff as originally planned. However I will now be using a daily journal style for the blog. Anything or everything interesting that occurs on that day I will note in an entry. With that said, here's the first entry for 2011:

NEW YEARS RESOLUTION
This year's resolution will be a shorter but I believe more meaningful list.
1. This get something published. I have some ideas which I will be sharing in the near future.
2. To get a day job. Last year was a tough year for my photography business. Hopefully 2011 will be better in terms of finances/economy for me and the country!
3. To travel to Ireland, Scotland and Wales. I've been wanting to visit Europe since I was a teenager. Hopefully this year I can achieve one of my youthful dreams. 8)

If anything other ideas for my new year's resolution comes up this week, I'll post them.

Hope everyone is doing great this new year...!

JP

Hi Everyone,

Just for your reference, I've moved my personal blog to a new location on my domain name or http://johnpaulphotography.com/blog/

jp

Scenic Summer Drives

jp

10 Must Have Apps for iPhone Photography

I'm a big proponent of green, renewable energy sources like solar power. I've personally embraced it by buying and replacing everyday items like: solar powered LED key chain light, solar powered desk light, solar powered emergency flashlight and a solar powered battery charger (from AAA to DD). The batteries are used in my MP3 player, flashlights and even my small fan for my bedroom! I'm doing my part to try to wean my household from using costly electricity created from hydro and natural gas sources. Looking to the future, I want to get a solar powered attic fan to reduce the energy that causes the 2nd floor of the house to get warm in the day especially in summer heat. Eventually I want to get regular solar panels on the roof to use for every day energy use. I'm even hoping that they come out with a Honda Element that is hybrid using solar energy.

That being said, there still is a problem on the national level with our country's solar energy usage. As emphasized in this MSNBC article, "Solar struggles in U.S. market: Lack of national policy keeps sun power in shadows".

Are you doing your part to switch from fossil fuels to more green energy?

jp

Welcome Home to Bustery Posey, my new beagle buddy! He's the nicest, coolest beagle...!

He's unofficially my new photo assistant. Ruff!

jp

From my twitter friend:

jensfab

I uploaded a YouTube video -- Intuition - Intelligent Photoshop Actions http://youtu.be/nG6D4NsC7Xw?a

jp

Free USPS Shipping from Mpix – Now through June 10th!

Save on USPS shipping with Mpix now through midnight CST on June 10th. Enter promo code "freeusps10" when checking out to redeem the free USPS offer!

IMPORTANT

• Promo code freeusps10 must be entered at checkout to receive the discount.

• Mpix promo codes do not apply to orders placed through ROES.

I've been trying to master the art of using artificial lighting (i.e. flashgun, studio lights, etc) when I don't have the luxury of ambient light. I've shot with both Canon and Nikon flash guns. The most difficult part is using the external flash as either fill lighting (i.e. on a bright day) or as primary lighting (i.e. indoor lighting). Both have their advantages and disadvantages. From using it as direct flash [oh those horrible flat images!) to using third party adapters (Fong dome diffusers, A better bounce card, bouncing lighting). Well I found this great technique from an article on "Making the Most of one Flash [Case Study]". I'll post some photos later this week on my practice using this new technique. In the meantime, I'd recommend trying it yourself.

jp

http://digital-photography-school.com/5-elements-of-composition-in-photography

jp

Here's some photos of my two nieces from this past Memorial Day Weekend BBQ.

jp

I was playing with the channel mixer tutorial I posted awhile back with some of Michelle's photos from April.

jp

David Saffir has a nice tutorial on his blog for using Nik Viveza 2 and Color Efex Pro 3.0. CHeck it out. He's also hosting a webinar to cover these products.

If I have the time this weekend, I plan on signing up!

jp

Lets all say thanks to any vets or families of veterans who have served our countries armed forces. Especially those who have loved ones serving in Iraq or Afghanistan. hoooah!

jp

This is the collage I made for my wedding couple from Feb.

jp

I was just finishing up Stephen Ambrose's book, Pegasus Bridge, when I ran into a phrase I was unfamiliar with. Thanks to Google, I was able to decipher "Sine Qua Non" as,

(SY-nee kway NON)

noun
An indispensable condition; prerequisite.

Etymology
Latin sine qua non (without which no

Fancy that. I have a new phrase to add to my literary arsenal!

jp

str8photography

The Best Photoshop Tutorials of 2009 http://ht.ly/1QWYY

David Saffir has a great article Creating a Unique Portait.

jp

I just finished "Certify with Sandy Puc' - Learn how to get Certified with the PPA" webinar. This is the first step of getting certified with PPA as a professional photographer.

Here's the breakdown of how i will be approaching this goal:

1. Study the different criteria's that are part of the test from now until the test date. This means reading up, testing the technique until I am confident its second nature.

2. Incorporating the required 20 image submissions with real assignments this year (images from the type of photography I am currently advertising: portraits, product photography, etc).

3. Tentative date winter 2010/2011.

This is going to be a fun experience!

jp

met a fellow filipino, Randy, on the basketball court at groesbeck park. he's also a Nikon photographer. how cool is that?

jp

Mypublisher is offering 40% off PhotoBooks for Father's Day!‏

Check out the link here. Mypublisher is one of the two (Mpix being the other) photobook publisher's I use for my customers.

jp

Is Flash dead?

IntotheDarkroom has a great blog article on this topic. Also see my comments at the end of their blog article!

http://intothedarkroom.com/blog/

jp

Good article on basics of full size sensor digital SLRs.

http://ht.ly/1NsvG

jp

Kerry Allan is the nice gentleman from Schoolhouse Photography who also hosts a lot of the webinars I attend from SP. Check out his work on his blog link:

http://kerryallan.wordpress.com/

jp

I love lightning photos. Unfortunately I live in an area where we get lightning storms in frequently!

Anyways I found this twitter link to some tornado and lightning photos.

str8photography

Tornadoes and Lightnings http://ht.ly/1NphI

jp

str8photography

Try This Photography Challenge!!! http://bit.ly/5mu0vO

str8photography

63% Off on Select Tamron Lenses http://amzn.to/bXZsoj

From my twitter. The first one is really cool techniques for long exposure lighting and flashlight tricks. The second is just a good opportunity to buy some Tamron lenses at a good discount.

jp

I found this great photographer's blog from my Photography Schoolhouse email newsletter this week.

http://phototips.alexismiller.com/

Check it out. She's got some great tips, contests and free stuff! I especially love her tips on food photography. 8)

jp

http://www.photographyschoolhouse.com/phototalk/showthread.php?t=12190 to sign up for free

webinar on how to get PPA certified. Hosted by Sandy Puc whom I've previously attended her webinar. She's a great presenter and is very knowledgeable in the photography arena!

jp

14 Cool Drinks for Hot Summer Days http://shar.es/m4yBX

jp

America’s best dude ranches

or

Jamestown Gold Mining

jp

I'm posting my resume which I updated. The cool thing is I attached a professional photo of myself at the top as part of my social media photography feature. I will also be putting together a faux magazine cover like the one that I posted earlier this year. Hopefully this will drum some interest from potential employers!

jp

John Paul David

l johnpaul@johnpaulphotography.com

Marketing position in Social or Digital Media

Highly experienced in social media including the most current social media apps such as Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, personal blog & social media blog.
Friendly, independent, self-managed, excellent communication and personal interaction skills. Able to multi-task in a timely, efficient manner.

Skills

Marketing Strategies & Campaigns
Product Web Reviews
Social Media Marketing
Product Positioning & Branding

Competitive Research & Analysis
Public & Media Relations
Product Photography
General MarCom & Tradeshow management

Technology

Office Software: Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Google Docs.

PC: Familiar with hardware test & install of CPU, memory, video, optical drives, and other peripherals.

Photo & Graphics Editing: Adobe Photoshop CS 1-4 & Lightroom 1-3.

Video: Microsoft Movie Maker and Camtasia Studio 6.

Publishing: MyPublisher, Mpix PhotoBooks and ROES.

Advertising: Web Ads, Google Adwords/Adsense and Facebook Advertising.

Professional Experience

Johnpaulphotography.com – San Jose, CA

Events, Portraits and Social Media Photography

Owner & Photographer, Present

As owner, I worked with potential clients, photographing events, editing photos, hosting on website including optional products like prints, photo albums and wedding photo books. I managed up to 2 assistant photographers on big events like weddings and corporate parties.

Selected Accomplishments:

2010: Product Photography Gluten-free-gourmet.com, Photographer TechCU Employee Events 2005-2010 and Photo Credits for Healthnow's Gluten Sensitivity & Celiac Forum DVD.
2009: Photographer for Harlem Globetrotters Fanfoto & Printroom CEO and management portraits.
2008: Assistant Photographer for Castilleja Annual Father-Daughter Dance 2006-2008.
2006: Photographer for Brett-Hart Jr. High School Wrestling Team, Menlo Live! & Almaden 10k Run.

Printroom.com, Ltd – Santa Clara, CA

Digital lab service for photo online storefronts & workflow software for professional photographers

Marketing Manager,
2008 to 2009

I reported directly to our Marketing Director for social media and online tool support. My duties included: taking product photos, creating online video self-help videos, tracking both social media and photographer related sites for market analysis and trends.

Selected Accomplishments:

Took photos of selected print products that were used for marketing campaign and website.
Created a number of online self-help videos for Printroom's Pro photographer customers.

s3 graphics co., Ltd – Fremont, CA

Supplier of graphics, video and multimedia accelerators for the PC market

Social Media, Press & Marketing Program Manager,
2002 to 2007

Coordinating hardware requests, selecting and testing web reviewer benchmark applications while working closely with each web reviewer for Web Product Reviews with such prestigious sites as: Anandtech.com, TechReport.com, Xbitlabs.com.

Selected Accomplishments:

Drove in-bound marketing for competitor product pricing/trends which was presented weekly at senior management meeting.
Assisted Sr. Product Marketing Manager on new conceptional art & applications for upcoming S3 GPU products such as the Digital Imaging Project.
Managed software bundling program including negotiations with game publishers like Microsoft, Ubisoft and Strategy First to bundle premium game titles with our product.
Managed general MarCom activities, marketing promotion plan and trade shows including GDC (2003-2007), CES, E3 and Microsoft Meltdown.
S3Gstore - Coordinating with software, legal, marketing, board team and various VIA support departments on setting up S3 Graphics first online webstore "Gstore."

s3, INC – Santa Clara, CA

Supplier of graphics, video and multimedia accelerators for the PC market

Assistant Program Manager & ISV Evangelist,
2000 to 2002

Main duty was to seed our ISV partners with S3 Graphics evaluation graphics cards. I also was responsible for reporting new issues from our ISV partner to our internal software group for validation and fix.

Selected Accomplishments:

Supplying hundreds of S3 graphics evaluation GPUs to majority of PC game developers in North America and Europe.

Education

San Jose State University- san jose, CA

Bachelor of Science, May 1996

Major: Criminal Justice Administration l

DeAnza Jr. College, Cupertino, CA

Associate of Arts, DeC 1994

Major: Administration of Justice l

Volunteer Work, Certificates & Interests

Certificate of Achievement for ISO 2001 Auditor Training.
S3 CRT member, CPR and Standard First Aid Certified thru S.C.V. Chapter of the American Red Cross.
Certificate of Completion in Total Quality Management Fundamentals.
Volunteer Rape Crisis Counselor and CAP Specialist YWCA of Silicon Valley.
Photography, racquetball, tennis, mountain biking and reading novels!

References Available Upon Request

MyPublisher

INSTANT REBATE! $25 OFF Orders of $75 or More – 5 Days Only!‏

http://www.mypublisher.com/download_landing?assoc=EP

MyPublisher has been one of my favorite photobook sites. Definitely a great offer.

jp

intothedarkroom

The Definitive List of Online Photography Magazines - http://ow.ly/1Jj6a

Got this from one of my twitter buddies.

str8photography

63% Off on Select Tamron Lenses http://amzn.to/bXZsoj

jp

My buddy, Bo, from my counter-strike 47r clan recently moved to Taiwan to quote, "I've moved to Taiwan to take on an Adventurous mission". I totally am envious that he's doing something so cool. Plus he will be updating his blog journal with photos from adventures.

Best of luck to Bo on his new venture!

http://bobomonster.blogspot.com/

jp

http://www.burrellcolourimaging.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=12_125

jp

So here are some shots I took with my Nikon camera when I took that walk at Groesbeck Park yesterday.

jp

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

As shutdown looms, agencies brace for impact IRS could stop issuing refund checks, national parks may close

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