Recharge & Voltz: Ramblings of Introversion "Recharge & Voltz" is about subjects on photography, videography, writing, tech gadgets, outdoors, family, and this thing we call Life. Feel free to contact me anytime. Thank you & Enjoy!

Truly amazing from a Geographic stand point as well as coming from the type of background I work in - Geospatial Information/Data. Enter Wikipedia, we all know it, we all probably one time or another have even used it, but what is GeoHack? Still fresh here and to put it mildly, I'm not yet positive on what exactly it is; but can interpolate that it is a very powerful tool if you think like I do. Put simply, it is easier to instruct you with this basic tutorial of sorts on how to use it rather than explain what it is; I'll do my best here - GeoHack is a culmination of geographic information that has been organized in a "One-Stop Shop" for users to access. For example, head over to Wikipedia and type a known location; in the graphic above, I used Port Sulphur, LA. Once at the result page for Port Sulphur, LA you will see a coordinates link at the top right-hand side of the page; click on the actual Lat/Long coordinate link. This link will redirect you to Wiki's GeoHack page; once here you will see an organized list with links to everything possibly related to this geographic location distributed from many Federal, State, Local, & Private entities, etc. Fore fun, click on the "Satellite" link from "GeoNames" listed under Global Services section as seen below:

Do you see some potential in this tool? Can you imagine what this can be used for? For many Geospatial related industries... hell, even Planners, Engineers, the list goes on and on - this culmination/wealth of Geo- information/data that Wikipedia has organized and made available to the general public, truly is a work of art. Plug in some cool cities/towns from anywhere on Earth and have fun with Wikipedia's GeoHack and all it has to offer!

The technology of "Geotagging" imagery has come across my brain and I have to say it is very intriguing. What is Geotagging? Geotagging is the process of adding geographical identification metadata to various media such as photographs, video, websites, or RSS feeds and is a form of geospatial metadata. These data usually consist of latitude and longitude coordinates, though they can also include altitude, bearing, distance, accuracy data, and place names. It is commonly used for photographs, giving geotagged photographs. How is this intriguing or even helpful?? Let's say you are are a Shrimper contracted by BP to patrol the Gulf waters in search of any oil plumes and report the findings. Simple, take a photo of the image, Geotag the image, and Email, MMS, SMS the info to Headquarters for use with additional mapping aids, reports, etc. Simple and effective. How is it fun? Well, take for example you are a Field Journalist for National Geographic Explorer and you have been sent out to study & document a rare plant species in the rain forests of South America. You have planned for the trip and have a good idea of the general areas you will be in, etc. Head out with camera in hand, find the plant species, GPS the waypoint, Geotag the image and move on within the study area. Once back at the office you can then construct a route based on the geotagged photos & GPS data; plot them on a map such as Google Maps, Google Earth, etc. add field notes, descriptions, and you now have a viable, documented, & proven geographic tool which can tell a story or figure out a problem, etc. 


EveryTrail.com is just one service out there amongst many. Geotagging can be done several different ways, one, is to use a GPS and set waypoints with names of the images in which you take. Two, Companies are now making what is called Geotaggers; a small GPS gadget that records waypoints and routes differently from conventional GPS devices. Once all the images are taken, you can sync both the GPS data from the Geotagger and the images via the time stamp, as both have recorded data fixed within, third, you can enter coordinates in manually by visiting say Google Maps, drive to the actual location where you took the photo, copy and paste the coordinates and set the images. I have done some extensive research on "Geotagging" and the process of which; if you would like consultation on a system & workflow to best fit your needs and experience level, shoot me an email, I would be happy to help.


Here is my first and very quick attempt at a Geotagging Project. Many of you have seen my images of the Mt. Olive Photo Expedition, but not with the Geotagging spin on it. I chose to us the third route mentioned above, manual plugging of the coordinates; as I did not have a GPS that day, nor had I known about Geotagging yet. Two of the images I could not find precisely. Once at the link given below, Check out the options in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen. The application uses a flash-based slideshow, as each image changes, you can see where the image was taken on the map as the push pin highlights. You can also pause the slideshow in the bottom left-hand corner and manually click on either the images or the red push-pins. You can even change the Google map view in the top right-hand corner of the screen and zoom in and out. Give it a try by clicking on the text below!

Mt. Olive Photo Expedition

Well, after 5-months and 6 - Orthopedics, it seems #6, Dr. Richard Meyer, MD (www.drrichardmeyer.com) finally sees things in terms of "Total Patient Care/Quality Of Life!" Visited him today and will have THR on the left hip first on October 12th, 2010. I have a busy September ahead of me as I need to visit my Primary Care Physician to get an "OK" for the surgery, an appointment at Touro for basic Pre-Op Testing (i.e. Cardio & Blood tests, etc.), plus a Pre-Op Class. Looking forward to getting my life & mobility back!

Dr. Meyer will be using the newer Anterior Hip Replacement procedure (Anterior Approach). With this approach recovery times are drastically reduced as there are no cutting of the muscles, etc. I am still waiting for the Doctor's office to confirm the actual Hip Prosthetic name, but I know that the "Cups" used will be the Pinnacle Hip Solution Cups seen here:
The actual Hip Stem may be the DePuy  Tri-Lock^® Bone Preservation Stem seen here:
More info to come soon, so stay tuned!

It has been one month since I reported last on my AVN condition and many things have changed since then. At last post I was seeing Dr. Chimento at Ochsner and a Core Decompression  (CD) procedure was in order. Now, I have yet again gotten an alternative opinion with another Orthopedic from the Pontchartrain Bone and Joint Clinic, with Dr. John Burvant. Outlook with Dr. Burvant was less than hopeful, in fact it was downright negative. Although Dr. Burvant was very cordial and stayed to answer all my questions, his prognosis was that a CD would only be about a 30% chance of success with the fluid build up he observed from my MRI scans and thus I was advised to simply wait until my hips deteriorate enough at which point a Total Hip Replacement (THR) can be done. Until then, it's a waiting game, leaving me with considerable pain and the lack of mobility to really do anything that requires the use of my legs and feet - pretty much everything! Anti-Inflammatory drugs I am taking do not appear to be aiding the day-to-day pain associated with my AVN. Common tasks we all take for granted have begun to be an extreme chore for me such as bending over, cutting my grass, holding & playing with my kids, walking, marital relations and many more. With this news I am bumbed out to say the least, but I have snapped back and have been busy again writing to Doctors and Specialists all over the U.S. One of which are the Specialists at Alabama Orthopaedic Clinic (AOC) located in Mobile, AL. These guys "spoke" to me in the form at which their website is represented, arranged, and worded. I have an email sent off to both Dr's. Michael L. Granberry & Suanne White-Spunner. You can read about them and the Clinic in Mobile, AL: here at this link: Alabama Orthopaedic Clinic.

Second, I have gone back to the Dr. that has helped me so much through this ordeal and continues to respond to every email I send him, Dr. David S. Hungerford, now retired (about Dr. Hungerford). In his last email he relayed to me that his son, Dr. Marc Hungerford also specializes in THR and that he would aid in setting up a meeting for me with him. I decided to research Dr. Marc Hungerford and found that he too, like his Father, is well respected and highly sought after for his abilities in THR Surgeory. One of which is the "Anterior Hip Replacement" method; so what is it:

The direct anterior approach utilizes a muscle interval in front of the hip joint in which muscles and tendons are not cut for exposure of the joint. Because exposure can be more challenging, special instruments and a custom operating table are used to assist in performing the surgery.
Patients who have undergone Direct Anterior Hip Replacement surgery report that the post operative pain and discomfort is markedly less than traditional approaches. In addition, their recovery is expedited. Most patients are discharged from the hospital by post op day #2 and are off of all walking aids (cane/crutches) by the 2nd week from surgery.
The Direct Anterior Approach is not applicable to all patients. Most patients who are undergoing Revision Total Hip Arthroplasty will be better served by more traditional approaches. Those patients who have hip deformities from childhood also, on occasion, are not candidates for the direct anterior approach. Read more on Dr. Marc Hungerford & his Practice here: Dr. Marc Hungerford,MD

Click below for a video-model on this alternative method:



Now that we know what it is, let's see it done in reality; this made me "CRINGE" while watching it:




Let's hear from patients who have had this procedure done:



Sounds all well and good, but that surgical video is ever-weighing heavy on my mind... Ouch!! With these new findings it is safe to say that my ordeal with AVN is far from over and only getting more challenging for me as time passes. For me -  continued education, networking, and a positive outlook keep me going for now.

Thanks for reading.

Today's Dose of Recharge comes to us in a short documentary film by Ted Chung called, "A Thousand Words." Again, we see a master storyteller here as there are no dialogue spoken throughout the film. There is something to be said for "Hesitation" here.

Enjoy.


A Thousand Words from Ted Chung on Vimeo.

OK, so after 2 months of heavy R&D on AVN and several Doctors visits, it was time to find someone who could give me a "second - second" opinion and some clinical clear answers to what is happening to me and what I need to do. Enter Dr. Chimento, Orthopedic Surgeon at Ochsner Hospital; had a good appointment with him this morning and the good news is that I should not need THR (Total Hip Replacement), at least not now in this still early stage of my life. He is convinced that the best approach for me is a procedure called CD (Core Decompression).

CD procedure involves drilling a small hole in the diseased bone. It was developed by Arlet and Ficat in 1964. Stage-2 AVN, what I have, means that there is pressure within the diseased bone from a lack of blood flow to that region which causes the bone to die. This increase in pressure is associated with pain which in some patients becomes intolerable. CD relieves the pressure from within this rigid structure. The drill hole then fills with tissue and, in some cases, new bone forms within this area. It may increase the blood flow to the diseased area of bone and allow new blood vessels to form. The procedure appears to slow down the disease process in most cases and may even stop its progression in others. One of the features of a CD is that it does not limit further surgical treatment should the disease progress. It is a relatively simple procedure and recovery from it is fairly quick. Pain relief occurs rapidly.

So now it is a waiting game. I will see Dr. Chimento again in 3-months at which time he will order additional X-rays be done, if no change, we will proceed with making a date for Core Decompression Surgery. See illustration below of CD procedure... Fun.... NOT!

This daily dose comes to us from Independent Filmmaker Nuno Rocha who has put together an astouding set of images which invoke a wealth of emotions and it's done without the use of any dialouge whatsoever. This film, Momentos, is really done well and follows inline with the "Moments" segment I posted last; Moments in time can change your life forever..... this is one.

Enjoy.


Momentos from Fullsix Portugal on Vimeo.

A few weeks ago I started the "Daily Dose of Recharge" segment which includes short story videos from many of the sites I frequent, etc. Today's Daily Dose of Recharge comes to use from Will Hoffman a Documentary Filmmaker. The piece was shot in just 12 days and think about all things you see that he needed to wait for to actually happen! A thought provocative short film that really gets you thinking: What is a Moment in time???

Enjoy.

Many of you know of my ongoing aliment with my hips. Prognosis today indicates I have Avascular Necrosis (AVN) of the hips in which it is effecting both hip bones. AVN is the death of bone; in other words, blood is not reaching the ball socket and that bone is dying. The black areas I have outlined in the image below in my MRI show the death/necrosis. Those areas should be predominately white-ish.

What causes AVN? For some it can attributed to blood coagulation & circulatory issues, persons being exposed to high doses of steroids throughout their lives, excessive alcohol use, and for some like me...there is no answer what caused this. Here are some factoids:

AVN or Osteonecrosis (ON), a bone disease that few have heard of. Some where between 10,000 and 20,000 people are diagnosed with this disease each year in the United States alone. Yet, with the population of the United States of approximately 274 million, these people are being lost in the crowd. Osteonecrosis (ON) affects approximately 20,000 new patients per year in the United States. Although any age group may develop ON, most patients are between 20 and 50 years old, with the average age in the late 30's. The diagnosis of ON does not affect life expectancy, and for this reason several hundred thousand patients are living with this disease in the U.S. alone.

I have just learned that I will need a Free Vascularized Fibular Graft (FVFG) to cure this. FVFG is the procedure by which surgeons go into the leg and cut a piece of the leg bone out and graft it to the dead area of bone in the hip. Both blood vessels and bone are extracted then fused together so that blood flow can once again circulate throughout the area that was once dead. More on FVFG can be found here: Duke FVFG. The procedure is spearheaded by one of the countries leading AVN Researchers and Pioneer of the disease, Dr. James R. Urbaniak of Duke University. I will need to go to Durham, NC to Duke Univ. Medical Center for the procedure.... and not just once, but twice; as I cannot have both hips done at once.

Avascular Necrosis/Ostenecrosis..... I just have no words but to say to myself, "Welcome to the beginning of Old Age!"

The World Wide Web amazes me still; a wealth of knowledge at your fingertips. What would our Forefathers say about it? Perhaps the Southern Confederates could have figured out a way.... Whatever you make of it, it is truly another freedom to enjoy and not to abuse. Many of the arenas/sites I frequent include daily blogs; perhaps Daily Inspirational photos, etc. I find myself gravitating towards Vimeo, a social networking site for Film/Video Pros & Amateurs, to seek out what I think are good entries. My Colleague and good friend sent me one long ago in which I have saved and watch often. I watch it when things are not going well.... I watch it when I get impatient with my kids ...... I watch it to feel better about the human race as a whole. I would like to share with you this piece, perhaps it will "Recharge" you as it has I. I will be starting either a daily or weekly Blog Entry devoted to Recharging the Soul with the use of short films in  which may never see the light of day or be noticed by the Hollywood Hills folks; they live on through the traveling backroads of cyberspace tubes.

Enjoy.


What is that? (Τι είναι αυτό;) 2007 from MovieTeller on Vimeo.

Well, I'm back from the Nebraska Turkey Hunt and many things to discuss about the trip. We will start with the success, as that was the main reason for the trip; 7 - Turkeys in 7 - Days!! William got 3 while his dad, Dennis harvested 4 (we used one tag from the Outfitter). All Merriam's were bruisers, none under 20lbs. Highlights from the trip include 3 - Harvests on film, a white albino hen turkey that has been seen but never documented until now, a turkey mating ritual (very rare to witness), a turkey fight, and three hunts in which we were directly under or in front of the turkey roost; one site had close to 50 birds in the trees no farther than 20 yards away in front of us! I also documented an annual cattle drive of 250 head that is driven about 7- miles to a new grazing location. Tie-in's here include the Outfitters relationship with McKay Ranch in which he has permission to hunt, etc.
I was impressed with Outdoor Adrenaline Guide Service which is made up of both Garrett & Lisa Bordsen, a husband/wife team. We had Gumbo one night made by Dennis, also enjoyed Buffalo Steaks & Burgers as well. Garrett goes out of his way to make sure you have a quality hunt and bag your limit of birds. Be far warned... you should be in shape and ready to tackle moderate hikes with both steady incline/declines; be ready for belly crawling in cow dung, creek hopping, cactus dodging, dealing with moderate heat (although this was not as bad as hunting in the south), as well as mosquito swatting! One thing is for sure, I have never seen so many and such a diverse number of insect life anywhere in my life! We also found a pair of matching 10-Point buck sheds not laying but 15 steps apart from one another... very rare to find both together. Topography was moderately rolling pasture lands in which the major crop is Alfalfa. Cottonwoods & Cedar trees domintated the sparse make-up of forestland which were generally in small patches scattered about or along creek banks.
All in all it was an outstanding trip with a high harvest success rate and several birds/harvests on film to share. I captured a total of 5-hours of non-stop turkey action. Plans are to edit into a documentary-style video for myself, Mr. Dennis & William Aucoin. I am looking forward to going back again next year with two people; if you would like to be in that number, contact me for further information!! Enjoy the slideshow below; just a sampling of my times there, as the majority of the time we were either hunting, eating or sleeping and that's it!

Seems that in all the day-to-day life going on, work, kids, baseball games, dinner, bath-time, sleep, etc. I tend to run myself into the ground; when this happens of course I usually get sick. I tell people, as long as I don't have a fever, I can endure anything. Many of you know Sunday is my big day to head out of town to Nebraska for a Turkey Hunt with the Aucoin Boys & Outdoor Adrenaline Guide Service. Last night I started to get that old familiar feeling of a pain in the neck, for me, this means a fever coming on. Woke up this am with one nasty sinus infection.... why me???; literally felt like a Mack truck had run me over several times. My head was a vacuum and the pressure of the headache was disorienting to say the least. The post-nasil drip was gagging me and causing me to dry-heave as well. I remembered I had gotten an antibiotic prescription from my Allergist this past March in which I had not filled yet. Viola.... my Holy Grail! Had it filled, took some Dayquil and two Max Excedrin and for now I seem to be on par for moving around at least. To add insult to injury, our AC is on the fritz, AC Guy is here now, lets hope it's not that bad of an issue as Summer is now here and it is a hot one!

The Nature of the Beast, like the one depicted here,  torments me constantly it seems. It may have knocked me down for a spell, but I will not let him keep me down for this outstanding opportunity to film some huge Merriam's Sub-Species Wild Turkey in Nebraska! I'll stay in touch with updates for those of who happen to give a shit.

Enjoy!

Well, I said a week or two on final completion; amazing what one can accomplish when he/she puts the mind at work and "busts ass!" The site is still a "work in progress" as I do not have the Eccomerce/Sales side ready, but the site itself, its look, navigation, and links are complete. I will send out another notification once the site with Ecommerce/Sales are ready. I wanted a more polished simpler look, but that old "tackiness" in me just could not resist a few "add-on" graphics (Earth Roamer Icon created by myself). The images in my galleries will constantly change from time to time and some may stay permanently. I will be including both "Aerial" & "Photoshop Works" galleries in the near future. Once you are complete giving the site a "look-see," please take a moment to come back to the home page, click the "Blog" icon and leave me a comment here at this post on what you think of the site. Be honest, I take both praise and constructive criticism well. Your feedback is highly valued. Thank you for stopping by and welcome to Scout Pro Media Photography. ScoutPro Media

Enjoy!

That's right, Photography. Those of you who know me best, photography is just as much a passion as my videography and I've decided to do something about it. So what is Scout Pro Media Photography all about? The "teaser" image above is a work in progress for a site in production now with a completion date of somewhere around two weeks from now or earlier. It will showcase some of my best image works in which will also be available for resale as fine hard copy hi-resolution prints suitable for framing or digital downloads. So often I hear folks who see my work say,
"Scott...you need to start doing something with these photos... I'd purchase a print such as this."
So, I've done just that with Scout Pro Media Photography, an extension to Scout Pro Productions (Video) which will solidify my place as a well rounded Multimedia Professional. Some of the galleries you will find at Scout Pro Media will be Nature, Wildlife, People, & At Work, which will showcase "behind the scenes images and video" of myself hard at work. Scout Pro Media Photography will partner with Mpix (http://www.mpix.com/) for all your hard copy fine print sales. Mpix offers a wide array of printable paper stock from fine canvas, mattes, glossy, to metallic prints. They have a proven track record, are many of the Pro's premiere choice for printing lab needs, & have a rock solid service department ready to aid you with your questions. So stay tuned fans... the new website Scout Pro Media Photography is coming your way.....

Thanks

Ok, so some of you are aware I will be heading to Nebraska at the end of May to hunt/film a turkey hunt. For those of you that do not know. Upon creating a relationship with an acquaintance from a recent freelance video job through Paradise Louisiana, I have the privilege of joining Mr. Dennis Aucoin of Slaughter Logging out of Clinton, LA and his son William on a 3-day adventure to hunt Merriam’s Wild Turkey in Nebraska. The hunt will be hosted by Outdoor Adrenaline Guide Service http://outdooradrenaline.com/turkey.html located in Nebraska. This will be my first trip to a Guide Service/Outfitter for Wild Turkey and my first attempt to "tangle" with the Merriam’s sub-species of the wild turkey. Merriam’s turkeys are noted for their incredible heavy weights and light colored tail feather tips as well. It ought to be a great trip. Our departure will be from May 23rd and returning home on May 27th. Stay tuned for a full report!

SPP filmed Ms. Ainsley Beeman, Ms. LSU 2009, this past 2010 Spring on a Turkey Hunt in Clinton, LA. Although we did not harvest a Turkey this day, we did have a great time afield and did witness a "Close Encounter" with a hen.

WOW... is all I can say about my Paradise Louisiana Video Shoot yesterday with Host Mr. Dennis Aucoin of Slaughter Logging and Hunter "Ms. LSU" Ainsley Beeman. MISSION: to capture Ms. LSU harvesting a Wild Turkey for Paradise LA TV Show, but that's not where the excitement & action happened to be on this day. The hunt itself was just that, a hunt. Old "Tom" Turkey did not cooperate with showing himself on this day, although it was great to hear my first "Gobbles" of the year from two birds dug in deep, back in a slough. Mr. Dennis did an outstanding job of roosting and putting us in a "hot spot" for turkey activity; the birds were gobbling and many hens showed themselves, but just no "Big Boy." It was a two camera set up with Mr. Dennis running one across the field and myself filming with Ms. Ainsley. The hunt was a bust, with video highlights of a close encounter (about 10 yards away) visit of a hen and the interview from Ms. LSU herself!

After the hunt, Dennis says, "Come back to the house... we're having Chicken Dumplings.." So we did. Took a brief tour of the hunting tract then headed for the "Aucoin Compound" for a feast! Pulling into the drive, we were greeted by Dennis' Jeweler & Investor as they stepped out from the Mercedes. The Jeweler, Mr. Richard Buscemi of Anton’s and Mr. Chad, the Investor were up from Baton Rouge for a visit to show Dennis' Fiance' some new pieces of "The Sparkley's," BLING in lamens terms. Upon introductions I recognized his last name..."BUSCEMI..." I asked if he were any relations to Steve Buscemi the Actor; you know, Mr. Pink from Reservoir Dogs, The Villain in Fargo, also in Armageddon & Con Air! I asked this jokingly of course.... he says, "Yep, he's my Cousin." As we entered the home, there were people everywhere... Scott Owens from SPP, Ms. LSU, Dennis, his Fiance', Dennis' good friend Mr. Tom, the Jeweler, the Investor, Dennis' Dog Trainer, His Uncle, the Cook, etc... It was crazy!! Dennis says,

"... it's always like this for lunch. You just never know who will stop in ..."

Sitting in the Dining room was reminiscent of Fine Southern Living, "Old Corrant-Style" so to speak. The dialogue over lunch was engaging, humorous, and intriguing to say the least. The amount of people Mr. Dennis knows is mind blowing.... Dinners & Galla's with Sean Payton, etc... Dennis is associated in some form or fassion to all of the above: LA Logging Assoc., LA Forestry Assoc., Boy Scouts of America, Board/Chapter of the NWTF, Board of Jurors for East Feleciana Parish, Sponsar for the Children's Miracle Network and this is just the tip of the iceberg, I'm sure there are many more. The highlights of the luncheon banter came when they brought up their personal Tailor Mr. Manuel Martinez, in which Dennis, the Jeweler, & the Investor all share. The story of Mr. Martinez is amazing, he came to Lake Charles, LA as an immigrant, was taken in by a wealthy southern family and while here honed his craft & skills for fine Men's Clothing & Tailoring. Today, Mr. Martinez is known as one of the Top 5 Tailor's in the Nation. He owns and operates his business, Martinez Custom Clothiers in Baton Rouge, LA (http://www.martinezcustom.com/). Many times at the table Ms. LSU & I would look at each other in amazement and just wonder what life here for the Aucoin's is like on a day-to-day basis.

After saying our goodbyes and leaving with a full belly of outstanding southern-style food at its finest, I drove down Highway 67 with a smile on my face, reminiscing already of the days events, pondering.... was this real.... did I just enter the "Twilight Zone" for a moment in time??? Nope....it was just another day in the Life of a Professional Logger & Landowner from a small town in Clinton, LA!

A big "THANK YOU"  goes out to Mr. Dennis Aucoin of Slaughter Logging, Ms. Ainsley Beeman "Ms. LSU 2009" for being such a trooper/hunter even though her allergies were driving her mad, and to Mr. Gary Rispone of Paradise LA who made this all possible for myself to film and experience. Here are a few images from the hunt, Enjoy!

Gavin and Dad headed out to the Bonne Carre Spillway this past Saturday for a little quality time on the water. We headed all the way to the back section close to the lake as I knew of some nice secluded spots to look for Irises'. You'll notice towards the end of the slideshow Gavin is draped in my camo polartec jacket; you'll see a log Gavin was at too, we tried to sneak just under that log and tipped a bit getting the cockpit of the yak filled with water!! Both of us had wet "back-sides" after that one (notice we both wore our life vests as well). Upon leaving the spillway, we noticed some Military at the launch, seems they had drills or test runs with these odd boats. Notice that onboard the trucks they are "capsule" shaped, but in the water they open up, etc....Cool! All in all we had a great trip, I wouldn't trade it for anything!

OK, it all started this morning as usual with waking up, getting Gavin fed and ready for school; normally were out the door for 8-8:30am. This morning though I had an extreme case of scat-attack, a bad one came over me and an immediate release of the putrid waste was needed. With all this I did not get Gavin to school until 9:45am. OK, where am I going with this...have patience. I listen to WWL 870AM in the mornings; The Bob Delgirno Show is first with Garland's “Think Tank” Show starting at 10am. I usually get to work when the “Think Tank” is just starting or before it starts, etc. Due to my scatting fiasco, I listened to the Think Tank; Garland was interviewing a guy about New Orleans Entrepreneurship and how to get started with an idea, biz plan, etc. Was this fate???? Who the shit knows, but it stirred a fire yet again in the sense that I am not doing exactly what I want; I am not being challenged anymore. I am fed up with "waiting" for things to happen. Life is too short to wait. We are only here for a short time, I want to "DO" something both fulfilling, exciting, and with purpose, etc. Is it wrong to “Want” this? Should I just be content knowing I have a good job and that I am providing for my family? Can’t I have both if I have the skills, knowledge, & resources?
     Let's face reality...I doubt I am going to get rich slinging wedding videos & selling decent photo prints, nor do I think I will get rich with this possible endeavor either. Sure the possibility is there, but how long before I become "known and/or established?" Here I am a Geospatial Professional with additional highly developed skills in both Photography, Videography, MultiMedia, and Post-Production work. I want to combine these. I am going to seek further information into building/creating an Aerial Photography/MultiMedia Company that will be the first of its kind possibly in the Southeastern Region of the states, definitely in the New Orleans Arena. This interviewee spoke on aid/help for young Entrepreneurs; how to create a real Biz plan, how to identify your markets, is there a market, financial aid, etc. I am going to find out who this man is and make an appointment to speak with him about my idea.... Scout Pro UAS (Unmanned Aerial Services).
      I'm fed up! I'm ready and willing to dedicate my hard work and valued time to something I believe in if there is a possibility for success. My only two main obstacles are finances & if the markets are there. I stopped short last year with this momentum due to the fact that I am ignorant to any aid that might actually exist to thrust me further; shot down by startup costs, risk of failure and not being able to provide for my family when we need it the most…are all on the forefront of my mind. Can't both Risk, Knowledge, Research, Planning, Finances, etc. all be overcome? I think they can... I want to believe they can; I just do not know enough about what is available "out there" to aid me in this quest and for this reason I will pursue like a battering ram to find out. At the end of my life I want to know that I had done everything I could to see if this could be attained...no regrets. After all this is still the United States of America...a place where dreams still can become reality if you play the maze correctly.... at least the USA “is what is” for maybe just a little while longer; maybe I can “get in” just under the "cap" in time before it crumbles, as it will.
    What will happen now? What information will I find out? How may it change my life and family’s life forever? Will I succeed? I am ravenous for this knowledge. I salivate of the idea that maybe, just maybe one day I will be running my own company and making a sustainable living at it for myself and family... that's all I want. What do you want?

.... TO BE CONTINUED.

My son Gavin and his Nanna walking up the isle to present the palms on Easter Sunday 2010. Shot with the Pany GF1 on Program/Auto Movie-mode at 720 30p. You may need to pause the video after you start it to load enough buffer to play depending on your ISP settings, etc.

Enjoy!

Spent another great Easter in Bay St. Louis at the camp; weather was lousy, but we all enjoyed ourselves, most importantly the Kid-O's!!! Do you know of any other kids that experience Easter like this.....CRAZY!!!

Took the Kid-O's to St. Paul's Methodist Church in Harahan; Mrs. Dorthy walked Gavin up the isle as he carried the Palms. Gavin was a little embarrassed, but did a great job! Press the "Play" button to start the video.

Enjoy!

The images and music score will speak for themselves, no explanation needed.

Enjoy!

The wife called up while at my computer busy editing wedding videos and said, "I'm headed to Soniat Park....Gavin wants to go..." I said, "I'll meet you guys there!" Like a blast...I was off! So much "rides" on the simplest decisions we make. What will you do differently today???


Enjoy!

Good friend and colleague Fernando and I headed out on an uncharted Photo Expedition yesterday. We usually have a planned excursion ready for the days events, but on this day, my birthday, we had no such plans. Our journeys took us up I-55 to Ponchatoula, then over to see Tickfaw State Park (which was just a drive-through as they wanted to charge us...). We then stopped at Lizard Creek Campground and talked with the care-taker, cannot recall his name. Fernando was taken back somewhat as a friend of this care-taker pulled up got out of the car and after a few short briefs of introductions says........

"ya just can't eat crow anymore these days; they eat'n all the dead road kill..."

.....After being lured into the camper to look at a Photo his wife snapped, I knew it was time to get out of dodge! We then came across some rabbit hunters running their dogs, which was inside an enclosed fence environment; while slowly passing, I noticed two coyotes standing at the fence just inside the woodline edge, they stayed for a moment just enough for us to get a nice long gaze at them...cool sighting! We then zigzagged all over and found ourselves at Bear Island, LA just south of Killian & French Settlement. There, at the heart of the horseshow shaped island was a set of camps, a boat launch, and the infamous "Black Lake Club" Bear Lakes local watering hole. We said what the hell and went in for a few brewsky's. What was to follow was truly a crazy and unexpected adventure with the bars colorful characters such as Mr. Earl and a William Defoe look-a-like; lets see if you can guess which one he is. Below is a slideshow with audio from Mr. Earl who kept us chatting and bought us beer! Enjoy!

I am very happy to share with you the information on the wrap up of the Des Allemands, LA Deer Hunting Video. SPP along with Frank Hoeffner & Roy Taylor Jr. were invited on a deer hunt with both Owen "BooBoo" & Shane Candies and in association with T&D Bayou Seafood. The trip yielded a great time held by all, good eats, and most importantly Roy's first Deer harvest ever! A big thank you to all involved. I have "roots" in Des Allemands as well as my Grandmother was a Dufrene, so the adventure was that much more rewarding for me. Click on the title-link above, it will direct you to the trailer of the video. Stay tuned for more great Des Allemands Video Adventures with the Candies Boys & T&D Bayou Seafood; additional Frogging, Catfishing, Turtling, and Shrimping Video Documentaries are on the way!

For as long as I can remember I have been both fascinated and terrified of BIGFOOT! Call him, Yeti, Sasquatch, Grass Man, orSwamp Thing. As a man in my mid-30's, I want to believe. I want him/her to exist, I want to see one or two or three. I undeniably have no clue what I would do if I saw one...probably need a rag to clean up after the sighting. What is it about Bigfoot that makes the lore so strong for so many folks? I really do not have the answer, but only the hopes and dreams that one day I may come face to face with one and live NOT to tell of it to anyone. Perhaps the Grass Man is already watching & observing.....

O... hell, what can I say, everyone is blogging, time to join the ranks. I hope to share with you, the reader, some informative, educational, thought-provoking, silly, & humorous information here at "Recharge & Voltz." I am hoping that this blog may shed some much needed light on SPP and the inner workings, happenings, trials & tribulations I deal with on a day-by-day basis as well as including those "real-life" scenarios, pittfalls, successes, ups & downs life sometimes deal us. Hey... I'm human & make mistakes just like you. I share success just like you . I also put my pants on...just like you, one leg at a time. Also, who ever said being a Professional meant you couldn't be yourself? (i.e. future post coming soon on this one...)

With "Recharge & Voltz" you may be reading one day about an informative technical real-world opinion regarding the use of the new Panasonic DMC-GF1 Micro Four Thirds System Camera and the next, a descriptive grumbling of an amusing dump I took the night before in which I felt compelled to share with you, my readers...my followers...my Clan.

One thing is for sure, whether your doubled over in laughter, severely repulsed, or purged to vomit, "Recharge & Voltz" may just give you something to chat about at the water cooler!

Now put that in your pipe & smoke it.