Josh News: Sociological Images Featured a Picture I Took!

     This morning The Lady informed me a picture I took of her was put up on Sociological Images.  It's about the ridiculous differences in men and women's Halloween costumes.  In fact, I was disappointed that I couldn't find Sexy Duck Dynasty Beard to go as this year.  I suppose I'll settle for something in Star Trek, maybe my old favorite Dr. McCoy... *Grumble grumble* ...doctor...   ... not an escalator...

     Source [ TheSocietyPages.org ]

Josh News Update: 07.20.2014 Edition

     Well, I went and did it.  By "it" I mean I took some time away from the absurd amount of homework I've been chipping away at, and actually rounded up some writing samples, put them together with a decent cover letter and a resume, and applied for Game Informer Magazine's recently opened Associate Editor position.

Here's me with my two co-writers.

    In all honesty I think my biggest selling points are my unrivaled determination to continue writing about gaming culture and creativity... and maybe my location.  Being somewhat local, I understand our state's need to dig our way out of our homes and into our jobs through 6 feet of snow for 9 months a year.  (Yay Minnesota!)

     For submissions I tried to be varied, and the only things that can't be found on my blog were the Twitter contest items- I actually had to use TwimeMachine to root these out of my account- so here you go:

     Dark Horse Comics' Mass Effect Twitter Contest Entries (Won): (Feb 14th, 2012)

My scans of your galaxy show you have an abundance of Eezo in all the right places. #ME3PickupLine  

Want to help me Unlock my Paramour Achievement? #ME3PickupLine  

I'm going to *Probe Away* until I find all of your Element Zero. #ME3PickupLine 

Like Legion, you're a million-in-one. #ME3PickupLine 

Of course we can, but it only took me a single Grunt to lay low Tuchanka's Thresher Maw. #youprobablyheard #impressive #ME3PickupLine  

I intend a whole night of huggin and Klixen on Tuchanka. #ME3PickupLine 

Wanna get Wrex'd in EDI's cockpit? #ME3PickupLine 

"Cant talk now, I'm Mordin you can handle"- Mordin *winks* #ME3PickupLine 

You Effect my Mass more than Miranda's sassy tight pantsed biotics! #ME3PickupLine 

      Mass Effect Twitter Haiku Contest Entries: (Feb 16th, 2012)

Scattering Reapers, Shepard's team unstoppable, Normandy rages #haiku @masseffect 

Enemies abound, Fortunately for the Earth, Shepard never fails #haiku @masseffect 

Reaper's arrival, In Earth's imminent demise, Shepard presses on #haiku @masseffect 

Space hamster saves all, a tiny hero rises, beyond his glass cage! #haiku #masseffect3 #spoilers 

     Nothing breathtaking of course, just a bit to show how I can think outside the space-box.  It also helps that I've drastically improved my writing quality since starting this blog in 2008.  Seriously, it's hard to maintain output when I have a more-than-full-time job in Health Care and have been going to school full-time as well.

     I'm sure they'll get a thousand better submissions, but none as persistent as myself.  I'll be continuing here and my other sites as long as I can- I'll be doing this whether I get a job there or not.  Just they're consideration would be unbelievably appreciated.  I mean c'mon- it's friggin' Game Informer!!!

     Good luck to all the other applicants, especially my buddy Jim, as his dedication and love for games is easily as great as mine, if not greater (his FPS skill certainly is!)- and he is well deserving of a life-changing job like this.  I'm not even going to lie, his writing skill is much better than mine also.  I may take him in creativity department, but his raw writing skill far surpasses anything I could offer- so keep an eye out for him, he'll be great even if he doesn't get this job.

Empire Magazine: 20th Anniversary Issue: The Birthday Portfolio

     I've been a bit lax in the art department lately, and I stumbled across Empire Magazine's upcoming Birthday Issue.  Well, I felt the need to share a couple of the photos they've released with some actors and actresses revisiting old roles for new photos, and they look stunningly elegant.
     I'm only putting up the Sam Neill's Jurassic Park and Christian Bale's American Psycho pics.  Note the brilliant axe reflection and business cards- they're absolutely genius.  This is an issue I'll be certain to buy.

     Sources [ IMGUR ]  [ Empire Magazine ]

               

Tasha the Husky

45 Lbs of sexy sophistication.

     About a week ago, I house sat for a friend of mine that I've known for almost a decade.  The purpose of the sitting wasn't so much for the house, but to watch his billion pets. 
     Numero Uno is Tasha the Husky, who I've been fortunate enough to live with on previous occasions.  The pic to the right I took on one of the days it rained.  Which was all of them.  I think that may be why she looks kind of sleek and glowing.

    Next was a cat named Avery, but for some stupid reason (probably my horrible allergy to cats) I couldn't remember her name for the entire duration I stayed there, so I just called her Meow Mix. 

     Then a single tank of fish and...

     ...a small army of 60+ pigeons and their little brood of peeping chicks.  The fellow I house sat for is also a Pigeon trainer, racer, etc.  You can find his info over at Laser Loft Racing blog. 
     It was an interesting week spending time with my old friend Tasha and co.  Although I spent most of the time there doing homework.  Lame.

Photography: Dragonfly

     It's been quite a while since I posted anything artsy and what not- so here's 2 pics I took last summer of a Dragonfly on my car antenna.  They are from my Instagram photos.  If interested I'm MRJISH.

Photoshop Things: Some Little Stuff

My "Fix" Idea

     A couple of months ago one of my roommates asked me to "fix" a couple pictures of him and his lady.  As you will see my original idea for "fixing" isn't quite what he was looking for.   I was thinking of spoofing "The Notebook" movie. Pretty much how we forget so much and looking back in our Facebook timelines is essentially going to be our notebook reminders.  But I spent a decent amount of time kind of cleaning up the images for him- so she would have actual printed pictures of them as a couple for a Christmas gift.  He wanted to use my minor expertise in PhotoChoppery for something useful. 
     Essentially, I just painted over a bunch of things and trimed to fit his printing specifications. Nothing special, not even close to my best work, but I tried to make it as acceptable as I could.  In fact, I spent an absurd amount of time trying to get it to look as best as I could possibly make it.  Very stressful work indeed.  While I'm personally not happy with the actual finished ones, the roommate is.

My pet snapping turtle.

Today was a sad day.  I brought my turtle back to where I found him.  Sending him home to the river as he is all grown up now.

Turtle when I first got him.

Well, after a year, he's gotten a bit large for my tank, and fish to feed him costs an ass load- so goodbye friend.  Hopefully you'll fair better in your natural habitat.  May you find many delicious fish to eat.

Turtle today.

After releasing him into the river, his first order of business was to chase after a huge pile of these frogs.  I taught him well.  Only the best wishes for turtle on his journeys.

Megamoth!

I'm taking a break from helping move a neighbor's ridiculously heavy piano, average weighted washer, and destroying their tree fort so they can move away to post on blogger. 

At the end of June I went out on a 40 mile bike ride that had me meet this monster moth/butterfly thing.  Each of it's wings were larger than my hand and it tried to beat me up for lunch money.  Sucker!  I don't have any money!   Bwa-hahhahahahaha!

So now I know where Mothra grew up- Minnesota.

Anway- I thought it was pretty cool looking. 

Crazy Weather Picture 3

Nothing fancy, just insane weather and I decided to take some quick pics.
The other ones were from the parking lot near the gym, and this one I took from my driveway looking East.
Wonderful storms are such a fun time.  I really love this stuff.

Crazy Weather Picture 2

Nothing fancy, just insane weather and I decided to take some quick pics. We got one side of the sky all brilliant colors and amazing cloud types, and the other looked like darkness.

Crazy Weather Picture 1

Nothing fancy, just insane weather and I decided to take some quick pics.

My Personal Favorite Photos 3

The third image is a picture from yet another party.  *SIGH*
Anyway, this is my friend Rachel.  A somewhat mundane photo, but I really like it regardless.

My Personal Favorite Photos 2

This is another picture from a party in I believe 2007.  This is one of my friends and she was doing a strange dance while I was getting pics of various things in the room.  This is the only one that turned out well.

My Personal Favorite Photos 1

Here's a picture of some random girl at a party I was at like a year or so ago.  No idea who she is but the image turned out phenomenal.

More Photos

Some old photos.

A Couple Ceiling Shots and Night Pics

More crappy old pics.

A Few Sky Pics

Here's a few dusk time sky pics.

Pictures of a Drinking Fountain

More lame pictures from long ago.

A Creepy Baby Head and an Iron Koala???

I hope Hagelrat enjoys the first one.  I took it some time in 1996-97.  I believe it is a ceramic baby head my friend's mom sculpted.  I cannot be 100% positive that she did or not, but whatever.

The second is from the top of a paper towel dispenser.  I was drying my hands in a bathroom at work and on the top of the dispenser was a scratched up keyhole that looked very much to me like an upside down metal koala. So I nabbed my camera phone and snapped a pic.  I still giggle every time I use that restroom.  I imagine it to be a robotic restroom attendant and I tip it with eucalyptus leaves.
Yes, of course I carry around imaginary eucalyptus leaves in my scrub pockets at work.  I keep it next to all my imaginary money.

Some more old pictures

Here's another batch of photos I took years ago.
Yeah.  I know I'm a lame-o.