I expect people I deal with to be respectful

02/03/2017 at 1 am

Yesterday my brother and I had a meeting with a friend about a recent photo shoot and some other design and business stuff. It was a great conversation about future goals and potential collaborations. After the meeting my brother and I talked about what is important in a business relationship and number one is communication. You have to be on the same page from conception to payment or one party might start to attribute intentions and motivations that might not be accurate. It is easy to assume that someone else is disregarding you on purpose but they are more likely just busy, unaware, or sometimes they are straight up unprofessional.

That is why it is important to stay in communication during a project and afterwards to make sure that everyone was happy with the collaboration. Business deals should be win win even when there are compromises are there are always compromises which is why it is also important to set standards. I expect people I deal with to be respectful, prompt and honest. I expect a high degree of integrity from myself and that allows me to expect it of others. I make mistakes but it I am stronger and healthier when I own them and I respect others that strive do the same.

My brother and I also discussed how important it is to be flexible and personable in relationships. In every project you hope will exceed the clients expectations and generate fruitful future business, have some fun and do work that matters. Finding good people who are willing to work with you to further each other's goals is ideal and it is important to not take good collaborators for granted. It is equally important to make sure that you aren't being taken for granted or advantage of. Hence, communication and standards play a major role in developing positive relationships. It's also important to take good advice and not let ego get in the way.

I justed finished watching Bill Burr's new special

02/01/2017 at 12:30 am


I justed finished watching Bill Burr's new special "Walk Your Way Out" with my brother. In this special he utilizes his immense imagination and engaging stage presence to tell stories that seem to be going off the rails at times but always end up on track toward a laugh. That was a lame sentence. (I'll start over.)

The first time I saw Bill Burr was in the early 2000's when he came to my tiny, backwoods, community college. I remember thinking it was amazing and that live comedy was something special. I remember being really stoned and that someone in the audience got kicked out for being a drunk asshole. Since then I have seen a lot of Bill Burr's work from my computer. From his previous special "I'm Sorry You Feel That Way" to his Netflix TV show "F is for Family". He's even in "Breaking Bad" which I'm re-watching now. I love when he is on Joe Rogan's podcast and he has his own podcast where he rants about things.

Bill Burr's special most recent special really was great. It's funny and entertaining and his characters, voices and body language are engaging and hilarious. He takes on taboos with ease and a biting humor and his observations are dark, grounded in reality, playful and maybe a little whimsical. I relate to his sensibilities minus some of the anger. I'd recommend it to anyone who isn't afraid to hear someone speak their mind.

Other than that I went to work earlier and I am becoming more self reliant. I feel like I know the people that work there better and I'm more comfortable helping customers. After work I came home and caught up with my brother about business stuff. A couple things are not going as well as we wish they would. Getting funding from one source didn't work out, a client is late on a payment, our custom e-mails aren't working. Minor things ultimately, but they are frustrating. We have a meeting tomorrow about a previous job and branding. I am excited to see what is next for the business.

I was off today

01/29/2017 at 12:30 am

I was off today. I spent the day taking care of a few simple chores. I added my work schedule to the calendar that I share with my brother. Then I worked on filing my taxes via an online source. It was pretty straight forward with the exception of a couple items but they were insignificant to worry about. I filled it out the best I could with the information I had and it's done now. After that I went to Winco to get groceries and then I read for about an hour, passed out for half and hour and then read again for about a half an hour. Then, around 6:30, I took a quick trip to McDonald's to indulge in some sweet and savory treats. I ate too much but it's good to indulge sometimes.

After that we watched a couple of episodes of "Dexter". Then I did my laundry and now I'm watching "Breaking Bad". It was a relaxing day and somewhat productive. Tomorrow I start getting paid a little bit more from my, now, full time job.

It was a great photo shoot

01/28/2017 at 12 am

I went to work and ran around helping customers and talking to other employees. My boss offered me a promotion and I accepted. It goes in effect on Sunday. It will be good to make closer to what I used to and I'll get more hours. I need to make sure to make time for the business but having money to spend on the business will be good too. I can't really afford all my bills on the paycheck I got today so for the next couple weeks I will end up in the hole financially but not for long. My next paycheck and tax returns will help dig me out.

After work my brother and I went to a meeting with a friend of his at a local pub. It had an amazing sausage banger with possibly the best mustard on the side I have ever had. The restaurant is called Horse Brass Pub. Good atmosphere. Very "Portland", if that's a thing that makes sense. We chatted about working in the video production business and some of the considerations to have when starting from scratch to make something successful. It was a worthwhile conversation.

Then we came home and worked on getting photos narrowed down for our client. We watched some "Dexter" with the Misses and then finalized our photo picks and sent the client a link. 24 hour turnaround on a shit ton of photos is pretty good. Ended up with a lot of great photos. Here is one:

It was a great photo shoot. I'm not sure what could be more fun than hanging out with 50 dogs in the woods. I hope there is more of this kind of work in the future.

After that my brother and I watched an episode of "Bob Ross" and now this.

Today I woke up around 6 am

01/27/2017 at 12 am

Yesterday I got up and my brother picked me up to go to the bank. We spent about an hour and a half setting up business accounts for Fractal Focus. After that lunch and then I shipped something back to a client. After that I worked on business finances and personal finances and prepared for upcoming bills and taxes. Then my nephew and I played some Dark Souls 3. After that dinner, "Dexter" and started reading "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep" by Phillip K. Dick. Then I went to bed and dreamt.

Today I woke up around 6 am, got dressed and headed out with my brother to meet a friend. Our friend drove us to a rural town nearby where we would be shooting photography for a company there. We played in the mud and shot photos of dogs for about two hours. It was a lot of fun and we got a lot of great pics. Here is one I like:

It's not the best photo but it is intense. The dogs were just playing. You can freeze interesting moments with a camera.

The photo shoot was a lot of fun and as soon as we got back we started going through the near 2,000 photos we took. We got it down to about 200 by the end of the day. We watched an episode of "Dexter" and now I'm watching "Breaking Bad" whilst writing this. I work tomorrow and then a dinner meeting with a friend of my brother's who does video work as well.

Now I'm about to pass out

01/23/2017 at 1 am

Today I went to work. Then I went to my mom's house for dinner with everyone. Then, I came home and watched "Dexter". Then, I played BF1 for about an hour. Now I'm about to pass out. Not much happening today. We did send an invoice to a client so we can get paid. That is good. We have a photo shoot this week and I might get a raise at my part time gig, which might turn into a full time gig. I need to make sure I don't get wrapped up in the part time job and neglect the full time business of starting a business. I put more into the part time job than I need to but I want everyone to think I'm a hard worker and I like doing a good job for others. I like being helpful. I suppose that isn't a bad thing.

My aunt is in town

01/22/2017 at 1 am

Today started with a look at the bruised eyelid and finding that the swelling had gone down but the bruising had spread a bit. Not too worrisome and I think it is healing well. Then I got a text from my friend Channing that he would be in town in a couple of hours and we should meet up. His wife and he were going to see Louis CK live in downtown Portland this evening but had a few hours to hang out. We were going to go to the zoo but it closed early and it was raining like crazy so we decided to go to OMSI. The featured exhibit was closed so we only got to see all the kids playing with educational modules. But we got a chance to catch up and hang out and it was quite enjoyable. He signed my copy of his book and left a lovely note for me.

Then they dropped me home and I hung out for a couple of hours before a dinner out with the family. My aunt is in town, from Southern California, for a few days and we all met at a fancy restaurant to have dinner. I haven't seen my aunt in a few years and we chatted about what we had been up to and her new job and business ventures. She told me about my cousins and what they have been up to and planning on a time when I could come visit. It was very nice and everyone was there except Micah. He couldn't go because he had tickets to see Louis CK too. I ate too much and drank too much coffee. 

When we got home we watched a couple episodes of "Dexter". Then my brother and I watched half of an interview Dennis Prager by Dave Rubin. I will finish that up soon. I have work tomorrow and then dinner at mom's house with the family again. I need to have a conversation with my brother about my contribution to the business but that is for another day. 

This is a weak post

01/21/2017 at about 2 am

Today I went to work. I worked on register most of the day. I told a couple of people about my eyebrow mishap. I hope it doesn't get infected. It should be clean but it is deeper than I originally thought. As I don't have insurance at the moment I hope that it heals well on its own. I think it will.

I watched a new show today. It's called "The Fall" and it's about a serial killer and an inspector (Euro version of a detective) trying to catch him. Great cinematography and the acting is good. It's slow but suspenseful. The accents are fun too.

This is a weak post but I'm tired as fuck. I stay up to late sometimes but tomorrow is a day off.

Doesn't look like a big deal

01/20/2017 at 1 am

The weather has returned to normal and I went to work like normal. I helped customers like normal and took a break like normal. Then just as I was walking to the break room at the end of my shift to clock out I started walking with my head turned to talk to a co-worker, who was complaining incoherently, when I smashed the left side of my face against a steel pillar in the middle of the store. I looked around and no one had seen. Thank goodness. Then I felt my face and found blood on my hands. A slight amount of panic began to set in as well as the general pain emanating from my left eyebrow. I went to the break room, told the manager what happened and began treating the wound. It bled a bit but stopped fairly quickly with pressure. I looked around for small bandages but couldn't find any in any of the first aid kits.

I decided to just go home and when I got their I showed my brother. He helped get a couple of butterfly band aids on and took a few pictures of course. I applied ice to my face while we watched some Dexter and I ate dinner. Then I watched the most current episode of "Game of Thrones" and then started watching "Breaking Bad" again.

Here's a picture of my head:

Doesn't look like a big deal but it is swollen as fuck now. Smashing your head into a pillar is not recommended. 

I highly recommend it

01/19/2017 at 1 am

I participated in 2 video shoots today. One was about 2 and 1/2 hours long and the other was about 3 hours long. The first was at the home of an entrepreneur printing stickers independently. Good quality prints. They had a nippy dog but they bought us lunch so that was nice. A few hours later we had another gig at a barber shop. They had 20 or 30 people getting hair cuts and drinking and hanging out and talking. It was a really hip adult party late night at a barber shop. We took a lot of footage and will need to sort and edit it soon.

Then we came home and watched the Neil Brennan stand up special on Netflix. I started to watch it last night but after about 5 minutes my eyes dictated that I call it a night. It is an amazing special and he bares his soul on stage. He is smart, irreverent, brutally honest and brave. I think with more emotion it would have been more impactful but it is very entertaining.  I highly recommend it.  

I will decide soon

01/18/2017 at 12 am

Today was like other days. I awoke refreshed and alive, ready to take on the world. I ate some yogurt and found out that my morning energy laced juice beverage tasted funky so I threw that shit away. I conversed with the brother about business and what not and then got ready for work at the retail spot. It was very slow and I ran around helping people and working register and at one point the boss offered me a promotion. Better pay and more hours but the benefits might be the main reason to take it. I will decide soon.

I got picked up by my brother around 7 and when I got home I ate some home made chili and cornbread and we prepared to record a special edition of the Fractal Focus Podcast where we picked out top 7 reasons why businesses need video. It was a fun and educational episode full of stats plucked from websites to help inform businesses of the need for video that we could do for them.

Then we watched some "Dexter" and then I watched the last episode of "Comedy Bang Bang". Now I'm checking out the Netflix stand up special "3 Mics" by Neal Brennan but I don't think I will finish it. I might just go to bed at the end of this sentence.

Later I read for a long while

01/17/2017 at 2 am

Before passing out last night I lay in my bed scrambling to create spreadsheets and get the ideas about marketing out of my head. I created an advertising effectiveness table while pinching and zooming in the dark when my computer was right there but it was three in the morning and I had already committed to going to bed. I updated some financials and then finally fell asleep, exhausted.

I woke up this morning ready to get something done. My brother would be home soon and I wanted to have accomplished something productive before he did so I did my laundry. I also watched a few Youtube videos about how to utilize Facebook paid advertising to get clients and drafted up letter templates to send to Prospective Clients.

Then, in the middle of all my efforts, the family came home. I continued to work as they clambered around the house ridding it of the desolate silence it had endured. I did not make a fuss about everyone coming home but internally I was very happy they were back. I missed having them around and having friends to talk with. My nephew came in and gave me a big hug and the older ones were pleasant too. My brother and I caught up while getting coffees and we watched some footage of their vacation when we got back.

Later I read for a long while. It may have been the longest I have continuously read something in a very long time. I am really enjoying this book and reading has become something I look forward to.

Then I took a shower and my brother and I met a friend at a restaurant to talk about business. We talked for about and hour and half while eating burritos and fajitas and shit. It was a wonderful conversation about collaborating on business opportunities. The longer you talk with someone the easier it is to be honest.

Then we came home and worked on the website a bit and then watched a couple episodes of "Bloodline". It's an intriguing mystery but it is very slow and absurdly mellow dramatic. It has great acting and cinematography but it spoon feeds you information slowly like an IV drip of drama and confusion. No one tells jokes and everything sucks even though they are supposed to be a "great" family and have plenty of money, power and influence. I think the mom is the mastermind but that is only after two episodes.

Then my brother and I started talking about crime and started to look up crime statistics before he decided to go to bed. Now this and that and this and uh?

This is the only one I liked

01/16/2017 at 12 am

Today I cleaned the house up a bit. Took out the trash, vacuumed, swept and so on. While I was cleaning I listened to the podcast version of this:
Waking Up With Sam Harris #59 - Friend & Foe (with Maajid Nawaz)
I listened to a Joe Rogan podcast after that whilst playing some BF1. Then I read another chapter of the book I'm reading and took a very short nap. After that I took a shower and had dinner at my mom's house again. We had chili-dogs and I didn't make it very well. I think I was in a hurry but the chili was not hot enough so I felt kind of stupid about that. My niece and I played hide and seek, read books and ran back and forth around the house.

Then I came home, smoked a bowl, watched "Luther" while exercising, and took some pictures. This is the only one I liked:

Then I watched "Comedy Bang Bang for a while and now this. A generally uninteresting day. I don't work until Tuesday and Wednesday is all day shooting video. Tomorrow my brother and his family will come home. That is all. 

The wind blowing hard against the garage door

01/15/2017 at 1:30 am

Today was another cold day in the neighborhood. The wind blowing hard against the garage door filling my dreams with sawing, cracking and pounding. Visions of murderers and monsters kept me up all morning so I didn't get much sleep. When I did awake I realized I had nothing much to do and with my car surrounded by thick snow it wouldn't have mattered if I had something to do anyways. I took my sweet time lounging in my pajamas watching digital entertainment media including but not limited to "Luther" and Youtube.

Then I took a shower and bundled up for a short trek through the frigid wasteland to Winco to buy perishables. I made it there safe, shopped and braved the trek back with the hostile wind in my face. Then I read a chapter of a book and took a short and powerful nap. After I awoke from my rejuvenating nap my mom picked me up and I spent the evening at her house. I watched my two year old niece for about half an hour while my mother and sister went to get groceries. I read her a couple quick books, she brushed her hair with entirely too much water and entirely not much brushing, watched some "Goldie and the Bear" (I think), and played with building blocks.

Then we had a dinner of tuna sandwiches and soup and then my sister and I took a walk around the block in the freezing weather to talk about life, parenting and living with my mom. I played some more with the toddler and enjoyed my time hanging out. Then I returned to an empty home and played some BF1 while chatting with my friend Channing for a while. We caught up on all the latest gossip and goings on. Then some "Comedy Bang Bang" and now this.

I missed a post yesterday

01/14/2017 at am

I missed a post yesterday so I'll break that down real quick:
Had a call about a job for someone wanting a pitch video. Agreed to to do the video only for a half day and they will edit. Went to work at retail job. Only exciting thing there was helping a deaf lady with a loose dog and finding her friend. They were thankful to have someone to communicate with as I know a small amount of ASL. Then came home and watched some Dexter until about 10 pm. Then went to bed around 10:30 pm which was super early but I was tired as fuck.

Today I woke up around 10 am and hung out most of the morning with the family in the living room watching "Malcolm in the Middle". Then the family left for a vacation at the beach and I got ready for work. My mom gave me a ride as my car would not fair well in the snow especially considering that there is still 8 inches surrounding the thing on all sides and my tires are bald. My mom has a four wheel drive rig and instead of borrowing it she just drove me there and back.

At work I learned a bit more about putting away shipment. They are generally teaching me everything. It is easy work and I got paid today which is sweet. Then had Papa Murphey's pizza at my mom and sister's house and played with my niece. That was pleasant. Then came home to an empty home and did what any male all alone for the first time in a long time would do. Then a few hours of BF1 and now this and next more mild mannered debauchery.

Here's a picture of that bird

01/12/2017 at 2 am

I am tired. I did not work at my retail job today because the weather made it so the person I would be training with wouldn't be there. So, instead I went with my brother to get studded tires for his Subaru. While we waited for the tires his friend, Chris, picked us up and we hung out at his house and chatted about the media and stupid people and such things. He showed us his new Glock Model 43. That was cool. After the tires were changed we went home and I took a walk to a local park and took pictures. I was able to get very close to a little bird. Here's a picture of that bird.

Then, after dark, my brother, his daughter and I went to the same park and took pictures of us with some cool lights and an amazing camera. We needed photos for the website and social media to represent ourselves to the world. We took some great shots. We are going through them to find the best ones. 

Then we got amazing BBQ pizza and watched a show while we ate. Then three hours of Dexter. About 2 hours of BF1 followed by editing photos. Now this. Here are two more photos I took today. I post pictures on Instagram as well. 

Portland is now North Dakota

01/11/2017 at 1 am

I took this photo about an hour ago and it is still snowing outside. Portland is now North Dakota. I am not sure if that means work is off tomorrow but I will find out. Either way, probably not a lot of people running around shopping tomorrow. 

When I woke up this morning I had a few ideas for getting work. I got up energized and started right away finding people to contact about potential video work. Then, while online, I found a couple more opportunities and my brother found a couple on craigslist. I submitted the website for critique by a Youtuber, found three businesses to contact, and found out about someone who put a call out for video shooters and editors. My brother e-mailed to prospective clients. 

At around 3pm I laid down and read for about an hour of "The Graveyard Book". I am surprised at my continued enthusiasm for reading. After reading my friend's book "Hell Came With Her" I have been enjoying the peace and entertainment of reading. I think the key is finding something you're actually interested in which means you have to try a few and find good books I suppose. 

Then my brother came home and we collaborated more on business opportunities and submitted a few e-mails and such. Then dinner. An amazing sausage, bean and vegetable soup and cookies. Then, social media, three episodes of Dexter, more TV and now this. Next to watch the following video:

Buzzfeed Publishes Shocking Fake News About Donald Trump

No personal stuff

01/10/2017 at 2 am

I just finished playing a shit ton of BF1 with a friend I met playing last night. Nice guy and we have only chatted about the game. No personal stuff. I kind of like that. It makes me want to play more and work as a team when I can chat with people in the game.

Earlier today, after waking up of course, I talked to a friend from Eugene about creating a documentary about pool. He was pretty excited about it and was brainstorming the idea with me for a while. If he can get some funding I would love to work on a video related to pool but I am not sure how much interest there is in billiards. It has been around for a long time and it is very difficult to market.

I watched quite a bit of Comedy Bang Bang and enjoyed watching some of it with my nephew. It was a fairly lazy day. I did work on a gear priority list for Fractal Focus with my brother, so that was productive and he finished editing the mini-doc until we get more info.

I watched a quick video of Gary Vaynerchuck explaining to a lady that whether we like it or not the future is coming and people will do what they will do. She said something like, "What are we doing to our kids?" Talking about taking selfies all the time and he cut her off and said explained that "we" aren't doing anything and that that people are afraid of change. He mentioned how people were worried about Elvis and his gyrating hips. I appreciate his acceptance of new media and changing expectations instead of just bitching about millennials. He has a wonderful ability to say a lot in a short amount of time.

Around 5:30 pm I went out to eat at a seafood restaurant with my mom and sister and her baby. That was nice. Good to get out since I've been cooped up, using the weather as an excuse but I really didn't have a lot to do. I did exercise a good amount which felt good. I need to go to bed. Goodnight.

Then came BF1 and now this

01/09/2017 at 12 am

I woke up this morning in the mood to film the weather some more. I had filmed some of the snow and wind yesterday and wanted to see if there was anything to film today. So, I ate my yogurt and had my energy juice drink. I film a little of the outside world and the wind made the trees and bushes dance. I enjoy filming nature.

After I filmed for a bit my brother contacted the people we are editing a video for and asked clarified some issues. Then we found out that there are audio files for all the interviews and I mother went through and synced them all up. Also, one of the interviews had such low audio volume that trying to sync it up was very tedious. You have to match the scratch audio with the externally recorded audio and when the scratch audio is poor it becomes mostly trial and error. My brother finished that and will work on adding her interview pieces if there are good parts. It changes up the project and adds a few hours of work. But, that is how it goes.

While he worked on editing the "real" project I worked on editing my nature video and watched a Youtube interview of Eric Weinstein by Dave Rubin. Eric is an economist and mathematician but he is also very well spoken, thoughtful, and down to earth. He is very intelligent and can explain things so they are understandable to a wide range of people. Here is the video:
Eric Weinstein and Dave Rubin on Fake News, Trump, and the Mathematical Mind (Full Interview)

Then my brother and I recorded an episode of our podcast. I edited it right away.

Later, I finished my editing of my nature video and put it on Youtube. Then, when I showed my brother he gave me two criticisms: No "The Next Day" title, and one of the clips felt short. So I went in and edited it again and reposted it with the changes which I thought made the video better. Then the family played Apple to Apples and Who's the Most Likely. We had fun making voices and jokes.

Then, before Dexter, I published the podcast: 13 (Business Meeting, LLC Finalized and Editing)

Then came BF1 and now this. The present.

It was a very chill day

01/08/2017 at 12:33 am

Rum ham.

I started the day frantic to call the bank to make sure that my credit card replacement was on the way. They are supposed to call me back. We will see. Then my brother received a hard drive with audio and video files for a small editing job. The people taking the footage and recording the audio are new to this type of project but we were able to put together a decent 5 minute mini-doc. Just need to finish up with titles, transitions, audio and other final touches.

It snowed a bit today and I was able to take some footage of crazy wind and snow. I also took some photos, of which a few turned out decent.
Here is one of them: Check out more on Instagram:

My brother and I worked on some business documents and then watched 3 episodes Dexter. Now I'm watching It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. It was a very chill day.