CRPD Mobile Speed Camera

I usually take 3rd St. SE northward from Diagonal Drive  every morning on my way to work… swinging around 5th Ave to hit the Parking Lot around the corner. Low and behold, several of my team-mates are “chilling” outside along the sidewalk pointing at red Jeep Grand Cherokee parked along the street. It wasn’t until I parked and got to work, when I realized what the commotion was all about: The Jeep parked outside Intermec was the CRPD Mobile Speed Camera. I usually see this thing in all of its “Speed-Camera Glory” sitting along the interstate.

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Well, several weeks ago, discovered a gathering of I-380  Corridor inhabitants tossing their specialties into a hodge-podge of creative individuals… calling themselves IC|CR|eatives, which is actually a pretty cool amalgamation and moniker.

I found them inexplicably through Twitter… which for the 1st time has completely full-filled the reason I joined the “Twitter-verse” in the first place.

This group appears to run the gamut from Artists & Developers, to Engineers & Photographers; all of whom reside somewhere between Cedar Rapids and Iowa City, IA.

IC|CR|eatives describe themselves thus (from their website):

The hope here is naively simple: by connecting each one of us, we connect all of us—to design gizmos, make films, paint pictures, write in syntax, share coffee, wear sweet hats, bake pies and scribble crazy ideas on absurdly small napkins—with one goal in mind: to create, however it is you might do that.

Although this concept smacks of “Why didn’t I think of this before”, it’s encouraging that somebody took the time to put this idea into an actual concrete concept. I tip my hat to those behind Cramer Dev and to all those enlisting their passions to the cause. It is quite encouraging to add my own passions to this potentially ever-growing list of the area’s top-notch creative people in the area. My only hope is live-up to expectations of my newly-found peers.

Hat-tip to Chris Grebner for the IC|CR|eatives graphic.

The digital Renaissance Man of Eastern Iowa [Chris Hanel] has finally decided to leave the midwest for the potential glory  on the East Coast (Orange County, no doubt). Chris’s departure weighs heavy upon the many friends he’s made here in Iowa City. Noboy wants to see Chris and Kori leave, but we fully support their decision. A man’s gotta do, what you gotta do. Here’s a man with talent: Exceptional Artist, Video Effects Editor, Coordinatior, Writer, Director, Actor, Improv Comedy Aficionado.

In the three years since he’s been back in Iowa, we’ve been able to put-forth an audience/fan script-submitted MST3K-Style Movie Heckling experience with Riff Raff Theater. When Chris had the time, he’d jump in to a Comics In Action gig… like the one at Coe Collage…

Of coure, this was not the ONLY time he’d worked with Comics In Action.

Then again, there is the multitude of movie we skewered under the guise of Riff Raff Theater. Here’s a clip.

You will be sorely missed, Mr. Hanel. Stay in touch. We’ll always have your back.

Poster: Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead

“It costs little to watch, and little more if you happen to get caught up in the action, if that’s your taste and times being what they are.”

To decipher meaning out of a seemingly insignificant phrase, or so it might seem otherwise….if there is any meaning behind it at all. To Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, the world is naught but a tangle of episodes into which they have been summoned to unravel the delusions of their old-school friend, Hamlet.

September 3-5 & 10-12 at 7:30pm at the Riverside Festival Stage, City Park, Iowa City. Tickets are available at the door, or by calling the ICCT box office at 319-338-0443.

Directed by James Trainor, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead features the talents of Brad Quinn and David Priebe.

Of course, I’ll be in the show as well as one of the Tragedians. This is gonna’ be a LOT of fun.

Accountant Splenger says, "Invest in Tuna."

Spent evening chasing long furry thing. Been catching it in the corner of my eye for weeks and tonight’s the night…that thing is going DOWN! Dang…that thing is quick.

Mr. Tall has been working his finances. Informed him to invest in tuna. Yummy!

Canon Ftb Manual SLR

On September 24th, and lasting 6 weeks, the Black & White photography that I’ve had hanging around my apartment will be on display at The Coffee Emporium in the Armstrong Building.

Personally, I call my work “Architectural Abstract”, but many of you will notice that it’s mostly pix of downtown Cedar Rapids and Iowa City. Many of my friends have known of my propensity to spend large amounts of time shooting and developing my own B&W photography. Although I do NOT own an expensive digital SLR, I’ve spent much of the last 8 years working my manual Canon Ftb SLR (circa 1971). Many of the B&W photos on this website will be available to view, although I will be pricing many of them WAY above most of my acquaintance’s financial threshold. I’m simply not in the mood to SELL anything. Cool?

[Show as slideshow]

Chris Martin of Coldplay

Shortly after it was announced that the Well Fargo Arena in Des Moines was hosting Coldplay on June 12, 2009… I purchased tickets on the first level balcony. Although I thought that the stage was to be right in front of me, I was just as jazzed with the seating when I realized they would be on the opposite side of the arena…cuz’…the seats were great.

The full story, however, is rather silly…and sweet.

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