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.

Xmas Bolt

So, Christmas started this year with Angie and I traveling on Christmas Eve to her folks place in Cedar Rapids. There, we would trade gifts, watch her brother’s peculiar kids and eat… a LOT. I’m not entirely sure that her family has really go the hang of Christmas gifts, because her brother (Rich) gave me a rather hefty grab-bag of stuff. It wasn’t the heft of the bag that threw me, but the contents. I think he forgot I was attending the family gathering. Check out the photos below and see for yourself.

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Rockwell Automation

It’s no secret that I spent several years in the Engineering Labs of Rockwell Collins in Cedar Rapids, who I owe much of my enthusiasm for doing so to my father.

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My photography on display at the Coffee Emorium

This week started off with six of my black & white photography pieces on display at the Coffee Emporium (located in the Armstrong Building) in downtown Cedar Rapids.

Of course, everything is for sale. But, to be perfectly honest, I’m not too hip on getting rid of anything. I like my art and I like it hung around my apartment. But, if you so choose, pick one out. It’s cool.

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).

So, stop on down and let me know what you think. I’m interested in what you think.

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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?

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The horror continues for those attempting to salvage their lives following the major flooding of the downtown Cedar Rapids area. My good friends, Dave and Heather Atwater, have been working their collective butts off trying to do just that. While me and my kids are here in Iowa City, safe and sound, several of my friends have been trudging through the muck. It’s difficult to fathom the monetary damage done by the latest bout of flooding. Even though I can drive through downtown Cedar Rapids along I-380 and barely make out what has been damaged, my com padre’s in the surrounding downtown area tell a different story. My only hope is that Dave (aka Agent Danuuc), Heather, Jenny and Bob can come through all of this OK. I may be asking a lot, but it sure would be nice for people who certainly don’t deserve this kind of hassle.