Inspired by Light

1000 Words or Less - 3

2012-01-25T08:33:00.003-05:00

I love looking through old photographs. There is a crossroad of ingenuity, originally, finasse, and humor that is rare in our modern world. Today's theme is to hang in there. This will be the last week of January. Can you believe it? The month is almost over. With a blink of an eye it'll be a new year all over again.

I couldn't find much information about this photograph. But I suppose its pretty straightforward.

...the orignal spiderman....

...the dogs back then were ruthless so the postmen had to find a clever way to deliver the mail....

...look up, its a bird, no its a plane....wtf are you people smoking, how is that a bird or a plane. its some idiot hanging of a building....

...and he was never heard from again...

Stay tuned for next week's 1000 Words or Less as I will be doing a tribute to Rober Capa, a photojournalist who covered 5 different wars.

I hope for all you resolution setters, you are doing what you set out to do....yea I'll sometimes be that reminder for you guys. Hang in there, your resolutions will get easier.

1000 Words or Less - 2

2012-01-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

The Mysterious Case of Ted Serios

Ted Serios exhibited an amazing ability of thoughtography. The ability to project thought onto film. Over 1000 anomalous photographs were captured. Enjoy this collection of photos from this event.

Choose Your Own Adventure

2012-01-13T08:00:00.000-05:00

Could life ever be this exciting?

Its Friday, enjoy your upcoming break. Who knows, maybe you can become a 2-day superhero.

1000 Words or Less - 1

2012-01-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

I enjoy discovering strange and unusual photos and so every Wednesday I'd like to post a photo that can make you smile, cry, think, inspire, debate, or just react in general. Welcome to 1000 Words or Less.

Though I am not a fan of dressing up animals in clothing, I can't help but notice how sharp this cat looks. It seems that if we were to both go apply for a job, he would be a instant hire.

TED Tuesday - Monika Bulaj

2012-01-10T00:08:00.005-05:00

Photographer Monika Bulaj shares powerful, intimate images of Afghanistan -- of home life, of ritual, of men and women. Behind the headlines, what does the world truly know about this place?

Lessons from 2011

2011-12-27T20:05:00.000-05:00

It's that time folks. The time where we look back at the passing year and think....

Twenty-Eleven,

With amazing adventures,

Came some harsh lessons.

I love the symbolism of the new year. The man made cycle completes and restarts once again. It's hard to believe that it was just a year ago when we decided to leave Paranormal State. What a difficult transition that was. The decision itself felt rather easy but the entire process of change felt slow and painful. Like ripping of a band-aid...ughhh, I hate when it latches on to some hair....anyway...

But that is what builds character after all. The harsh lessons engraved in my skin make me strong...

Its strange how it seems that 2011 was a really tough year for many people. Its hard to say if it will get better or not....we won't truly know. I do know one thing....that you can make yourself better. After all, the humankind has shown just what amazing feats it is capable of. That ability lies inside all of us and is ready to be unlocked by our potential and will power. I'll stop with the cliche statements for now

We have to remember that the world does not revolve around one person. We all go through the same and different stresses that life throws at us. I guess what matters is how we deal with it. The universe will throw a curve in our path and then add some. That is life. Life is about not giving up. Learn from your mistakes and know that problems are meant to be solved.

I think one of the harshest lessons for me this year revolved around picking sides. For the most part I like to follow the philosophy of staying out it; "playing Switzerland," as some people like to call it. But it seems that sometimes life will make you choose a side. Sometimes you'll make the wrong choice. I guess the ultimate realization is that there isn't right or wrong. There, just, is....

Moving forward, head up high (I think people need to look at the stars more often), family and friends, acquaintances and strangers, best of luck in the new year.

Ganzfeld - a rediscovery in a door that led us to a new world. I will continue experimenting with this technique but like with anything I need to be prepared to explore the unknown.

Digital Memories - attempting to put together my first photography book; the idea has strangely evolved at the turn of the new year; i won't have to start from scratch; i will have to start in order to finish

Tree of Light - not many people know this, but I'm afraid to be alone in the dark sometimes. It takes a lot from me to embrace it. When I do, I find such amazing sights and wonders.

The Fire Inside - Inside us there is a fire that is ready to burst. We sometimes fear to show. Sometimes its important to go on a journey of self-discovery to reignite that fire inside.

One thing that I am looking forward to is resurrecting the Photo Critic. He will rise from the shadows to deliver the upmost demeaning, insightful, witty, rude comments....no, he'll probably just be nice.

Cloud Hopping - a different way to travel.

Enter Twenty-Twelve,

A brave new world surrounds us.

We are dream-weavers.

the not so New Year's Resolutions

1. Concoct more potions

2. Don't hold the door for escaping criminals

3. Day dream about photographic adventures

4. Stay Jung

5. Give more high-fives

6. Inspire/d
7. Sleep Better
8. Continue to develop my photography style (pun intended)
9. Increase pun usage by 13%

10. And one more

2011-10-27T13:11:00.000-04:00

The curious case for psychical research....

It has been over 30 years since the first time the United States of America decided to employ psychics as tactical spies against various factions that posed a threat to our country and its people. Though the results and opinions of this form of intelligence gathering got mixed reviews, we cannot deny that somehow they were able to reproduce verifiable information. Unfortunately, because the research was conducted by the US military, most of the information has been deemed classified. But despite all the red tape, that potential for psychic activity has incapsulated our lives.

We have heard stories of a mother suddenly sensing her child is hurt with nothing more then a simple intuitive feeling, a man who suddenly catches a scent of his grandfather's cologne, the same time the grandfather was declared deceased. What opens up our minds to receive such information? What is this invisible web that interconnects us?

This upcoming webinar deals with the research done to further explore the existence of psychic activity. What are the theories behind it and what have studies shown with the merging of spirituality and science?

Thank you,
Sergey Poberezhny

PRS 122 - Research in Psychic Activity

OWS - Us VS Them

2011-10-21T02:47:00.003-04:00

I wonder if one day....the cops will stand with the people?

Wildlife photographer captures lion rescuing helpless cub from falling to its death

2011-10-03T09:30:00.000-04:00

Check it out; makes you smile at the end :)

http://standeyo.com/NEWS/11_Pics_of_Day/110927.pic.of.day.html

Vlog 9/28/2011

2011-09-28T23:41:00.000-04:00

And so it continues....

2011-09-26T12:55:00.003-04:00

What a weekend. Blink and its over. Last night I went to sleep pretty late, working on an ad campaign for Canada. My concept is pretty simple....offer interesting facts on various places around Canada in a form vintage Polaroids. The first three can be found below. The idea is to hopefully make them interesting and clever enough for people to notice and share with their friends. Especially their friends in Canada. ;)

I am continuing in practicing my Pranayame sessions. Still at the 5 minute mark....what really amazes me is how much clearer I feel after doing that session. Though that is not say that its gotten easier. Its the strangest thing when it comes to introducing new habits into your life. Running, meditations, reading, diet....etc. The first few days, you are feeling unstoppable, the energy is great, the new tasks come so easy, and then suddenly, everything comes to a halt. Something happens, you can't run. You are traveling so you can't eat healthy. You pick up a book, but the battery runs out? (thats gonna be the excuse of the future).

As the week progress, I am forced to continue to put my time into the Canada Tour. There is a lot to catch up on, especially after doing the AGH the Movie Tour. But it seems like its gonna be a lot fun.

Other then that, hope you all have a great week. You know...Mondays, don't seem that bad.

Serg

Habits

2011-09-21T20:24:00.001-04:00

One thing at a time....

So I wanted to introduce something to you guys. Especially to all you iphone/ipad owners. There is a an application called, Pranayama. A program that helps promote healthy breathing and meditation. I've used this during some investigations because sometimes a Red Bull or a soda would do more harm then good. But then my habit of using it slowly died out. Not sure why, but I am trying to bring it back.

I recall asking about meditation for years. YEARS! Why haven't I made this into a habit is beyond me. The proven benefits can be astounding all across the perimeters of life. Nature's pill. Not some pharmaceutical grown turd with some insane side-effects. Its strange, look around you. I bet you can think of one thing you can do right now that will improve your life, but all you do is talk about wanting to do something or going to do something. Its strange to realize how I've been "going" a lot in life, but haven't gone anywhere. Learn a language, pick up a new hobby, exercise, write more, paint more, explore!

But short steps....err baby steps. That is after all the key advice from, "What About Bob?" Baby steps into meditation.

No excuses, you can think of something right now. What do you want to do? Join me, do it! Sorry Nike, don't sue me.

-Sergey Poberezhny

Happy 10th PRS

2011-09-16T17:10:00.003-04:00

Together we ride

Riding from sunrise to sun,

Sunsets, displaying,

Stars: life connectors.

O, path makers, place holders,

Guide me, advise me.

Up and down we go,

Emotional turmoil,

Tidal waves of life.

Bonds formed from stories,

Nostalgic moments of hope,

Ten more, P.R.S.

AGH Tour VLog

2011-08-25T19:07:00.001-04:00

Sometimes the world can be too much...

Einstein on the mysterious

2011-08-21T18:22:00.004-04:00

Someone shared with me a short essay written by Einstein on life and I thought it was so interesting that I would like to share it with you guys.

"The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion that stands at the cradle of true art and true science. Whoever does not know it and can no longer wonder, no longer marvel, is as good as dead, and his eyes are dimmed. It was the experience of mystery -- even if mixed with fear -- that engendered religion. A knowledge of the existence of something we cannot penetrate, our perceptions of the profoundest reason and the most radiant beauty, which only in their most primitive forms are accessible to our minds: it is this knowledge and this emotion that constitute true religiosity. In this sense, and only this sense, I am a deeply religious man... I am satisfied with the mystery of life's eternity and with a knowledge, a sense, of the marvelous structure of existence -- as well as the humble attempt to understand even a tiny portion of the Reason that manifests itself in nature."

Reading this, I can't help but feel the same attitude towards life. It is good to see a scientist who can understand and appreciate the "unknowns" if you will. Rather then denouncing spirituality, he seems to acknowledge that we need to be able to merge it with science; even then we will only know a portion of what is out there. And that is something truly magical. There is so much more that life can offer, that I think we tend to forget and undervalue it. Sure, the world has been circumnavigated and it may feel like we have explored everything, but there is still the mind, body and universe.

So we are left with a couple options; we can sit back and think that life is dull and boring, or you can open your eyes and appreciate the marvels it has to offer.

Salem Field Trip - Group Photo

2011-08-10T02:48:00.006-04:00

Thank you everyone for an amazing time. Here is the group photo from the Salem Field Trip.

The Light Bulb Ban

2011-07-09T23:05:00.003-04:00

On Monday we are due for an exciting, an enthralling, an unimaginable political movement that will shake the United States, nay the entire world.

It seems that our personal freedom is at stake. Can we as people really sit here and allow our government to dictate what light bulbs we are required to use? I am glad this is the priority for certain members in our political realm... honestly,

reading up on this and how this is being treated reads to me a like blow to what we have become.

I remember hearing stories of how people came together during the two World Wars and made sacrifices. Rationing on how they used their resources. Doing whatever they could in order to give our soldiers and our country the extra support it needed. Now, we live a world where I hear corporations sacrificing their employees in order to give raises to the executives. Doing whatever they could in order to make that extra income so they could live the life of luxury.

United we stand?

Are we really united as a nation? Seems to me like we are split. We have our own thoughts and opinions; we form groups, clicks, parties, communities all for different causes. Some beliefs clash with others and so debates and arguments come into play. However, the divide between our social classes continues to grow. Regardless of what happens, I can't help but want to scream, what in the world is happening that light bubs, NASA and NPR are the cause for whats happening to our country. Is this really what we need to focus on?

People aren't stupid; we see through the bullshit that comes out of our politicians and the news. Instead, we are naive and comfortable. We don't know how to get together and stand up for one cause. We figure someone else will step up to the plate. Or, we don't know where to start. I can raise my hand and state that I don't agree, but that is just a start.

But our country is still new. I'd like to think that we are slowly entering a new era. Similar to that of enlightenment. More and more people are becoming connected. This virtual hub is slowly changing, and although the time of youtube videos of cats is far from over....in fact having this, can bring a lighter mood to an otherwise dull day; we are also seeing the potential it can have on creating change, and spreading knowledge.

Tweet me, @photoserg on your thoughts, or leave em here. Till next time my virtual friends.

Happy 4th of July

2011-07-04T00:01:00.000-04:00

Warning: Video has cursing...yada yada yada.

George Carlin skit.

Back from the Tour

2011-06-20T02:59:00.004-04:00

Home...return from the quest.

It's strange to be back home. It seems my body and mind has found a way to easily adapt to sudden changes. Within a blink of an eye, the tour is over. And now it feels weird to be back home. Perhaps because its stationary. So used to a fast and changing life, I'm not really sure what to do now that we've stopped.

Its time to reflect....

and think...

Something strange was found written on the ground in our neighborhood. Either its a troll or Dexter moved in...

If anyone has got any theories, I'm open to hearing them. It's strange to be back home.

Peace,

Serg

Tour Vlog 3

2011-06-07T06:52:00.002-04:00

Things are starting to get a little bit more challenging. But the challenge is all part of the quest. Though I have an unusual schedule, I got to watch the sun rise. This majestic ball of light. Well, delirious Serg is maybe off to bed....

Tour Vlog 2

2011-06-01T00:21:00.002-04:00

AGH Tour Vlog 1

2011-05-31T07:12:00.002-04:00

Hey Everyone,

So for the next few days, I will be updating you guys and answering any questions by vlogging.

In the next vlog, I try to figure out how many pairs of clean underwear I need to bring...

Not everyone is a fan...

2011-05-06T13:56:00.003-04:00

So I got a strange message from what seemed to be a disgruntled fan a few days ago. I do what I usually do with such messages. Have a chuckle and move on with life. Another one came along the next day and I thought to myself, oh wow, could I really be so lucky as to keep getting them, day in day out.

Seems like the fan lost some steam. The final message seems short and rushed and its a few days late. Color my disappointed.

With that being said, it is the weekend. And the weekend should be filled with fun. Hope you guys have a great one.

Updates

2011-04-25T20:30:00.000-04:00

So for the past few days, I suddenly had a creative burst and made some major headway with my first photography book. This book includes photographs taken from our investigations on Paranormal State.

It’s strange sifting through the collection of digital memories. A photo that you took years ago can suddenly bring back a flood of emotions. Anger and resentment from a person who is no longer in your life, yet stands among the photos in a pixelated form. The sadness and frustration from our clients as they reach the breaking point with their paranormal problem. The smiles and laughter from the adventures and the jokes. And even the occasional, “I don’t recall taking this and I don’t know what I’m looking at here…”

People often ask me if I ever captured something paranormal. They seek proof of the afterlife, but what about proof of life? Life itself is paranormal. I went to college for a finance degree and instead of working for a bank or some smug corporation, I travelled the country and helped dozens of families. That is paranormal.

One thing that stands out is camaraderie. We are more than just paranormal investigators. We are a paranormal team. You don’t deal with a weeping client or the negative entities on your own, but together. If anything, that is one message we try to show, without speaking it. When we leave the house, the family needs to work together on this.

One photograph that I keep stumbling back to is where Ryan volunteered to combine the Ganzfield technique with the Shakti helmet. The photograph captured right after he said he heard a deafening scream shows him, startled, a priest encouraging whatever is there to come out, and a camera man. It speaks volumes to me personally, as right before the entire group was divided on the idea of him doing this in the first place. In fact on that investigation I was so concerned that I threatened to walk away. But in the end, we stuck together.

My thoughts on photography will continue to change, as will the meanings of the photographs I take. For now, I will continue to do my best to speak those thousand words, without uttering a single syllable

Calvin and Hobbes on War

2011-04-18T01:08:00.003-04:00

Given with whats been happening in the world, I feel this takes that and shows us that the innocent have a greater understanding of whats right, whats wrong and whats ridiculous.

NOLA

2011-04-04T03:25:00.005-04:00

Well.... we return from NOLA. And along with that come stories...

My first attempt at Then and Now photography; a process where a photographer goes back to the same location to retake the photograph from the same perspective. With enough patience and practice I am sure you can get them to perfectly align.

Toulouse St.

St. Louis Cathedral

The Cabildo

Bourbon St.

Probably the most unique part of the event. There is something memorable about a voodoo priest getting possessed by ancient spirits.

Reynolds Mansion - March 2006

2011-03-17T00:21:00.004-04:00

Went to the past today :)

March 19th 2006, 10:29 PM

March 19th 2006, 10:37 PM

No Vlog Today

2011-03-13T15:33:00.002-04:00

Hey Everyone,

I am just typing up a forewarning that there may not be a vlog tonight.

Something to keep your eyes and ears out for tomorrow: Anonymous has made an announcement that it will be releasing documents proving that Bank of America has committed fraud. The world is changing, as we continue to fight for a balance.

Peace be with you,
Sergey

Explorer

2011-03-06T23:14:00.003-05:00

Hey my blog readers,

A break from my vlog as I am exhausted, that and the power is going out so it would be impossible to upload any sort of video. Crazy snowy weather in State College all of sudden. What in the world did the groundhog predict? Is anyone checking his stats? I think I'm on to something...this might go all the way to the top...

I recently went on a overnight expedition where I got in a car and drove aimlessly around PA. Despite the unfriendly weather I lucked out really well and was able to take advantage of the situation. I let the universe guide me and my thoughts. As usual I brought my camera for the ride.

http://www.sergeypoberezhny.com/album/searching#1

Explorer

2011-03-06T23:14:00.002-05:00

Vlog 2-27-2011

2011-02-28T00:28:00.002-05:00

Vlog 2-20-2011

2011-02-21T00:00:00.002-05:00

Jerusalem UFO Video

2011-02-02T23:51:00.006-05:00

So there has been a recent sighting of a UFO in Israel on January 28th, 2011 at approximately 1:00 AM. Since then, several videos have sprung in connection with the event. Among the landfill of youtube'd videos we find four of which that have grabbed our attention... well at least some more so then others, but I will get to that in a moment.

Video 1 (Up for debate) *The video that started it all

Video 2 (Up for debate) *The man from the first video's perspective

Video 3 (Proven to be fake) *Uploaded by some person from the US.

This is nothing more then a still image. Still image has been provided below.

Video 4 (Up for debate) *I believe this is was uploaded by people who were there.

Interesting things to note

A - Location where UFO was near

B - Location where video 1 & 2 were shot

C - Location wehere video 4 was shot

Now I am sure that with todays technology it is easy to create a video such as this. Afterall, people were once fooled by the an old radio broadcast where an alien invasion occurred in New Jersey, and that relied on nothing more then sound. Yes, I have scoured the internet and have seen all the videos that debunk one another. I for one am not sold on the horizon perception theory. But thats the problem with any paranormal video out there. One can always scream debauchery and find that no matter what, there is no such thing as a proof positive piece of evidence.

Though I do have to wonder, how elaborate will a hoax go and for what purpose? It certainly seems that video 3 is clearly fake, and with over 400,000 views, I can't help but wonder, why would someone put out a deliberate fake. To ride the attention of reality, or to cover it up? Asking....ney pursuing questions like this can easily lead toward a spiral of confusion with every possible theory...well that's just it, everything and anything can be possible. Swamp gas, ball lightening, angels, aliens space craft, secret government space craft, hoaxers, government hiding reverse engineered alien space craft, greed, viral marketing for this summer's alien movie...etc and etc.

I guess in times of global change, of social revolution, UFOs are almost a reminder that if there is some form of intelligent life out there that has visited us over the years, we better hope they don't do to us what Europe did when it colonized America. I for one do not want to open up an Intergalactic Casino.

Now the 4th video appeared on the internet on Febuary 1st, and received very little attention, especially considering that it provides a much better angle of the event. I am curious to see if any more witnesses will come out, or will this fall into the internet abyss and become forgotten? What can I say, this white russian, just wants to believe. Thoughts?

A or B II

2011-01-19T06:57:00.005-05:00

I've picked out these two photos.... shot at West Virginia State Penitentiary while we investigated for the episode titled, "Darkness Falls." Been thinking about creating a photo book themed around this location. This was definitely one of my most memorable investigations.

For those that haven't seen it, you can check out some photos from WVSP that I posted a while back on my Flickr account: click me!

Once again, choose between the two photos and state why you like it.

Enter, New Year

2011-01-07T00:18:00.000-05:00

Welcome New Year.

So what brings you here? New ideas, commitments, aspirations....followed by chocolate, television, and 3-hour naps. That's right, a time where we create resolutions to fill a void in our lives. I'm too fat, I have no job, I need a relationship....and the list goes on, along with hopefully, some possible solutions.

A rather symbolic time in our society, but somehow I feel the symbolism is overlooked. Swallowed up by Santa Claus himself, and how could it not be, what with all the lights, gifts, friends and family.

As the year grew closer to its demise, it also grew closer to its resurrection. The Phoenix is my New Year and I am the Phoenix. It is around this time that I start to respect the mistakes that I have made and hope that I can use them to help turn myself around.

.....so i started writing this two days ago and then stopped as I remembered I needed to do something else, a photographic promise I made to myself...

I thought it would be fitting to continue from here with the news that you all may or may not have heard: our decision to make this the last season of Paranormal State. The choice was not made lightly; but something that we have been thinking for quite some time.

I am extremely grateful for Paranormal State; the journey has been long and hard (thats what she said) but rewarding on so many levels. For one, investigating human spirituality; something that I had kept very simple for many years. Being good is common sense. Growing up, I had no ghostly visitations; I was spirit-free, well free-spirited....flowing with life, allowing it to guide me where I needed to go. Of course the younger me; never really thought of life this way. As I started to grow with PRS I saw life from a different point of view. That some things, happen for a reason; that moments of randomness stop being chaotic at times, and align for a reason that we may not fully understand.

And now years later, we stand at a cross road with Paranormal State. One arrow pointing towards the possibility of the next season, the other to destination unknown. We are making the choice to not wait, to not wait in hopes that something, or someone will come along, but to take the chance in thought that this is where life wants us to turn. To make that right at the intersection and feel alright; almost like its meant to be.

To our many fans and supporters, I can't help but thank each and everyone of you. I feel that there were some moments where I wasn't able to show my gratitude to you because at times I just wanted to get out of the spotlight. But we would never, ever have been able to take this path if it wasn't for you guys.

We will continue to work with all of our clients who still need help, we will continue to open doors to the unknown and we will continue doing what we feel is right.

Who knows where the next path will take us, but with the new year upon us, I can't help but feel deep inside that this was the right choice, and I think that's what truly matters.

Much love,

Sergey

A or B

2011-01-04T20:06:00.003-05:00

Two photos, pick one and tell me why you like it more?

Unofficial Top 10 Holiday Songs

2010-12-13T01:58:00.002-05:00

So we had a little voting session for the top 10 holiday songs. Over 100 different submissions, over a span of about five days...here are the results. Some really interesting votes and songs that I have never heard before. I included links for each song, as well as links to different versions of the song. So pass this blog along to your friends and family and help them waste some time at work listening to these goodies.

10. Rocking around the Christmas Tree

9. Santa Baby

Eartha Kitt - Original

Madonna

Remix

8. Baby it's cold outside

Dean Martin Version

Glee Version

Remix

7. I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas

6. Happy Christmas (War is over)

John Lennon

Remix

5. White Christmas

Drifter's Version

Bing Crosby Version

DJ Sascha Amos Versio

4. Little Drummer Boy

Original Version

Remix

3. Silent Night

Bill Crosby Version

Cat Version

2. Carol of the Bells

Celtic Woman Version

TSO Version

Regular Version

1. O Holy Night

7 Year Old Version

Mariah Carey Version

Josh Groban Version

Honorable Mentions

1. Grandma got run over by a reindeer

2. Mary did you know

3. Fairytale of New York

4. All I want for Christmas is you

5. The Christmas Song (Nat King Cole)

Leak of the Week #1 - Sex Scandal

2010-12-10T12:18:00.003-05:00

Hey Everyone,

I cannot stress how important it is to read and follow along with the Wikileak updates. Everyday more and more leaks come out. There are about 250,000 leaks total; only 1300 have been released.

http://humantrafficking.change.org/blog/view/wikileaks_reveals_us_tax_dollars_fund_child_sex_slavery_in_afghanistan

http://blogs.houstonpress.com/hairballs/2010/12/wikileaks_texas_company_helped.php

http://wikileaks.ch/cable/2009/06/09KABUL1651.html (paragraphs 1, 5 and 6)

I posted links to two articles about this, as well as a link to the actual wikileak cable itself.

So what happened? There is a company called DynCorp that was used to train Afgahn police. It has been disclosed by the company how they are funded: about 95% of its 2 billion annual revenue comes from US taxpayers money. Lets stop right there for a moment.... If I had the ability to pick and chose where my taxes went, it sure as hell would not be DynCorp. Let me write out that number: $2,000,000,000.00. Yea, that's a lot of zeros. But thats not the biggest issue.

DynCorp used some of that money to throw a party for the trainees. No problem... I understand they worked hard and need to have some rewards. Maybe a little cheese and meat platter, some music, perhaps even a riveting game of boulderdash....oh and don't forget the little boys.

They threw a party where entertainment for the evening were bachi bazi boys. Money was paid to their pimps to have boys, ages 12 - 15 come to the party and dance for these men. The boys would be dressed in scantly female outfits and where then bid on. The winner would then take the boy for the night in order to have sex with them. There was a journalist who was working on disclosing this information, but if you look at the articles and the leaks, you can see that they obviously wanted this information to be covered up.

Happy Holidays

2010-12-04T02:08:00.003-05:00

Happy Holidays: a series I started on Facebook, which will continue, as long as I find the appropriate photographs to add.....

Now, I understand why I got a bottle of Grey Goose when I was 3 years old...thanks Santa?

In Soviet Union, presents open you.

Greetings

2010-12-01T03:19:00.006-05:00

Hello you malchoks and devachkas,

It has been quite some time since you've last read me....

The escapades and the procrastination sort of fused with one another. Coming home from an investigation or from the office, leaves you feeling drained and uncreative. Falling into a slump I've indulged my mind with your typical TV shows and video games.

Thank god for Xander, otherwise I don't think I would have any reason to leave the house. Below you guys will find the group photos from FTX in various shapes and sizes. Download appropriately; don't worry there's enough for everyone.

Wide Version

Standard - Minute

Standard - Neutral

Standard - Full

The recent WikiLeak release has sparked some active discussion. Some go so far as labeling Julian as a terrorist. Terrorist is an interesting label; the action of terrorizing through violence or threats for political purposes. Already it leaves a negative taste on my tongue. But why are we so hellbent on covering up the truth? Is it the fear of admitting that we were wrong, or that we used our power to take advantage of the underprivileged?

What's funny is that the media is reporting about this, but they are not. Why not read through some of these leaks and pick out the ones that the people need to be made aware of. Instead we are focusing on him being a terrorist and most recently that Amazon dropped the WikiLeaks servers. yea....I really care about that.

I stumbled upon this TED video of an interview the the founder of WikiLeaks. Though fairly long, its really interesting.

Till next time,

Serg

Calvin and Hobbes

2010-11-06T19:29:00.002-04:00

No Prop 19 :(

2010-11-03T16:08:00.001-04:00

Happy Halloween

2010-10-31T13:08:00.004-04:00

Happy Halloween Everyone! Enjoy these vintage halloween costumes.

Paranormal State Trailer

2010-10-15T15:32:00.003-04:00

Group Photos Due

2010-10-05T13:59:00.002-04:00

Here are the group photos due from our Western State Field Trip Event, as well as the Open House we just had. Thank you everyone for coming and for the support. I will be uploading parts of my lecture on my blog of my discussion of spiritual photographs later on this week.

TED Tuesday's - Derek Sivers

2010-09-21T03:10:00.004-04:00

Hello everyone and welcome back to the ever so exciting TED Tuesday's. Derek Sivers has a way of educating and inspiring in short bursts. The topic for this lecture details how it might be better to keep your goals a secret initially. I couldn't help but fall into level of self-realization that this applies to me heavily. Often times, at least that I can recount, I tend to not follow through with some of my eccentric ideas that have been stated out loud.

http://www.ted.com/talks/derek_sivers_keep_your_goals_to_yourself.html

The final investigation for September creeps up in a few days and I have a couple of goals in mind... hopefully, you guys have some goals for the week as well...but don't tell me; not a word now.

The Sunday Fall Collection
i went out to regain some photographic creativity by exploring my macro nature shooting technique. as fall approaches be prepared for some vibrant colors and unexpected ideas.

Healed up and ready to go

2010-09-10T15:26:00.004-04:00

As you guys can see, part of the image is extremely over-exposed because I had my desk light on. The reason it was giving me an error was because I was moving the camera a little too fast. I am curious to see how this works during the day.

Panoramic shots when Serg was a young'n

VLOG TIME

2010-09-06T13:37:00.003-04:00

Sorry for the low volume everyone....perhaps headphones are in order for this episode.

Traveling

2010-09-01T16:57:00.007-04:00

Arg....my memory card from my camera won't upload the photos to my computer. This makes me a sad Serg. Felt crazy exhausted last night, especially since we had to set up tech a night early. But it is amazing what a good nights sleep can do for you. I am ready to go out there and take photos, photos, photos....

How has everyones week going so far?

The thing that sucks about being gone for so long, especially when you do three investigations back to back, is that it gets hard to keep in touch with your loved ones. After I finally get some downtime, I tend to want to spend it by myself; to unwind, de-stress, relax. Furthermore, I've noticed that I've picked up some bad habits, which I need to start disciplining myself not to do and encourage doing things like stretching. My upper back is carrying a lot of stress and it needs to go.

But that is enough venting on my end. I am off to blow the next investigation out of the water....but first some green tea.

Cheers,

Serg

Here is an awesome photo I stumbled upon, while browsing the net.

LINK TO BIGGER VERSION

Restarting...

2010-08-22T03:44:00.004-04:00

initiate reboot

(code 43)

.............dialing WOL network....

establishing connection.........

connection brokem....

reestablishing connection......

Connected!

On Monday it will be Eilfie Music's birthday. She's truly one amazing person.

Happy Birthday Eilfie

Next case

2010-07-24T21:41:00.000-04:00

Conneaut Lake Group Photo

2010-06-29T00:34:00.001-04:00

The promised group photo....thank you for your patience.

Sunday Vlog Episode #11

2010-06-28T01:07:00.002-04:00

Exhausted.

Society Now!

2010-05-31T03:14:00.000-04:00

Welcome to Society Now.

The advent of technology continues to revolutionize our world, but at what price? I believe what has been the greatest benefit, comes with unrealized consequences.

But thats what happens when society is built on a mentality of now, instead of later: fast food, emails, video streaming. The generation of waiting is slowly disappearing; patience along with it. I find it frustrating sometimes when I have to wait for my computer to start up. Imagine that...an entire minute or two and I am complaining how long its taking.

During a talk by Carl Honore, on slowing down he made an interesting point. The way we look at time reflects how we spend it. Now breaking this thought down, we get two beliefs: either time is cyclical, or time is linear. The thought of time being cyclical gives us a sense of death and rebirth. A sense of renewal in the day, in the body and the mind. There seems to be something organic about this idea. Now, the linear time line is filled with limitations. The arrow of time moves through past, present and future; unfortunately there is no way of going back to the past. Concentrating on this belief, we start to compress as many activities as possible into our days.

Once we start compressing our days, we see chores in things that shouldn't be chores: a family dinner without the tv being on, a walk through the park with a dog, a phone call with a long-distance friend, reading a bedtime story to your child, etc. Now looking at our lifestyle....is this healthy? What's in store for us in the future? When fast food becomes faster? When emails just take too long? When teleportation is delayed by a millisecond?

How do you view time? Most of Western ideology lives in a linear time line. Unfortunately for us, the Delorean is not able to go back to the future, nor the past for that matter. We live in a world without a Delorean, and for good reason we will continue to do so. Instead we live with quotes that tell us to make the most out of our day. Making the most out of your day doesn't mean you need to fill it with every imaginable activity.

Its interesting to see countries in Europe trying something new. There are businesses that operate on 25 - 30 hour a week days. They are finding that their employees are more productive then then most 40+ hour businesses and their employees are much happier.

Fortunately for us, our future is in our hands. Bring the speed dial down once in while. We end this post with a quote from Ferris Bueller: "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once a while, you could miss it."

Time for the a cup of the ol' green,

Serg

Rest Time

2010-05-24T00:27:00.002-04:00

No vlog tonight....yes yes I know, sad face. Hope everyone had an enjoyable weekend. I went hiking today and it was amazing. I might have to make it a repeat event.

Have a great week everyone,
Serg

Symmetrical Visions

2010-05-17T21:34:00.013-04:00

We take a break from the traditional TED videos to go into a discussion of symmetry and how you can apply it to some of your snapshots to create images that will blow your friend's and family's mind. Seriously, be careful who you show this to...this isn't your grandma's sewing circle kind of stuff, unless grandma's sewing circle drops LSD while crocheting to Tool.

Now the basic theory of symmetry is represented will with Da Vinci's naked man, or more appropriately known as Vitruvian Man. The Vitruvian Man was supposed to symbolize perfection, and in a way the symmetrical figure does. I don't care how much acid your grandma shares with me, while she is playing Spores, but if I see a creature with a head for its arm, an arm sticking out of the middle chest and three right feet, I know its time to quit her sewing circle. Something as chaotic as that should stay locked up in my subconscious and does not need to manifest into reality.

In some way, the idea of symmetry puts the mind at ease. Humans are born to find patterns in chaos and so, we can apply this concept to transform boring snapshots into some unique forms of art. Now, remember we are adding a dash of creativity here. If your photo....whats the politically correct word I'm looking for...sucks, then now matter how much post processing you apply to it, it might be better that you let it drift into the photographic underworld.

When I first read up on applying this concept to my photographs, I won't lie to you, I went a little overboard. So much so, that I didn'tbother with this technique for close to four years.

Original and the LSD Version

That last one used to be cloud.....

So how does one create such monstrosities? Well with any simple piece of photo editing software, you take part of the image and copy it. You can copy exactly half of the image, or get creative and maybe take a third of the image. Once you copy your selection, paste it and flip it horizontally or vertically...depending on your selection. Then align it so that two pieces form a symmetrical fit. You can then chose to repeat this or retry it, if for some reason it doesn't seem right.

But once you start playing with you, you can actually start creating some pretty interesting photos.

Link to my Symmetrical Visions Portfolio: LINK

Have Fun and dna nuF evaH

Sunday Vlog Episode #10

2010-05-17T00:19:00.002-04:00

Split the video into two files....when I went off on a rant, I had no idea that I put this vlog into the 18 minute mark.

TED Tuesday - Eric Mead

2010-05-11T13:21:00.002-04:00

A magician tackles the interesting theory of the placebo effect. The placebo effect is interesting because it shows a unique role the brain can play on a person's health. The power of thinking that something is real can be strong enough to have direct physiological change on your body. Blood is involved with the magic trick that he presents, so if you get uneasy turn away or don't watch the video all the way through.

http://www.ted.com/talks/eric_mead_the_magic_of_the_placebo.html

IN OTHER NEWS:

I hope to develop the film from the disposable cameras today. I will write up more about how the project originated and what the results are. Its still a little early to gauge this as successful or not. Back to the rainy day, the office work and a cup of green tea.

Cheers,
Serg

Sunday Vlog Episode #9

2010-05-10T00:02:00.002-04:00

Sunday Vlog Episode #8

2010-05-03T01:50:00.002-04:00

Tonight

2010-04-29T12:53:00.002-04:00

Quick update....

Been really busy at the office lately...but wanted to drop by and give a quick update that I will be on Paranormal Insider tonight. Paranormal Insider is something we started to stream live video to our fans where we discuss various topics on the paranormal, interview authors, experts and spiritual leaders on their views and give the latest news on the paranormal.

So tonight, I will be talking about some of the photographs I took and give them more of a back story.

http://www.paranormalresearchsociety.org/paranormalinsidertv.php
10 PM EST

Hope everyone is excited for the weekend,
Serg

Bloody Brilliant

2010-04-27T03:48:00.001-04:00

I have no words...

http://boyofblue.com/cameras.html

TED Tuesday - Derek Sivers

2010-04-19T23:42:00.000-04:00

Today's TED Tuesday brings us Derek Sivers. Seems like a really chill guy with a knack for interesting observations. Each video is about 3 minutes long, so a nice break from the day to day boring stuff.

http://www.ted.com/talks/derek_sivers_how_to_start_a_movement.html

http://www.ted.com/talks/derek_sivers_weird_or_just_different.html

I've also uploaded two new episodes of the photo critic to vimeo; I just created an album there and made a side link on my blog for easier access. http://vimeo.com/album/212904

Cheers,
Serg

Oh man... I just realized that its 4/20 in 9 minutes....prepare for another 4/20 related post at sometime for celebratory purposes.

Sunday Break

2010-04-18T12:15:00.002-04:00

Hey everyone,

The past week has been rather busy for me, so I am taking a Sunday break from "Night Vlog." Time to recollect my thoughts, go over some future plans and hope for the best in others. A nice break at barnes and noble will be exactly what the doctor ordered to destress. Time for a shower and a start to a peaceful day. Sorry folks, definitely no vlogs in the shower.

Be strong, believe,
Serg

Photo Critic 1-4

2010-04-15T09:16:00.001-04:00

Photo Critic 1

Photo Critic 2

Photo Critic 3

Photo Critic 4

Sunday Vlog Episode #7

2010-04-12T01:35:00.003-04:00

POST EDIT
Anyone else see only 3 comments when there are five listed?

The Front Fell Off

2010-04-09T00:11:00.002-04:00

I don't mean to poke fun at something that should be taken serious, but here is a video of a Senator Collins, a member of the Australian Parliament reassuring the citizens that everything is under control. I can't help but think of Monty Python when watching this...

Ted Tuesday - Kirk Citron "Long News"

2010-04-06T02:18:00.003-04:00

Hey Everyone,

We return to Ted Tuesday with a short discussion by Kirk Citron. He raises an interesting philosophical question: How many of todays news headlines will be remembered for years to pass? Clearly there is a difference between how many sales the iPad broke and the recent leak by Wikileaks of a helicopter gun-cam capturing the murder of Iraqi civilians. The sad thing, I somehow feel the later will fall into the void and become forgotten. That, however, is a totally different discussion of what this blog is intended for...but if it goes there...so be it.

Look back into the history that you remember. Not what you have read in the history books, but that which you have lived yourself. Looking back, what do you remember?

"... they've started doing DNA tests on kids to choose their careers."

Our good friend, LINKY

I guess though, it should not come down to a certain organization trying to find the most memorable news, but more about whether you are happy with the news YOU remember?

The thing that bothers me about news and the flow of information, is that it has become to dysfunctional and easily manipulated. Sometimes it is hard to choose which side to trust. But, thats the problem with sides. We pick a side and automatically go for the assumption that "we" are right and the "you" are wrong.

To philosophy and a cup of the ol'* green, cheers,

Serg

Cheers,

Serg

*ol' green - (n) green tea that has been steeping till it reaches room temperature; cold green tea. Sentence: The ol' green tasted delightfully bitter after steeping for four hours.

Sunday Vlog Episode #6

2010-04-05T00:59:00.002-04:00

New Photos uploaded on site

2010-04-02T12:35:00.000-04:00

Short blog action on this Friday afternoon. Just got into the PRS office and wanted to drop some blog love before I head into a meeting where we talk about Jung's Conception of the Structure of Personality in Relation to Psychical Research.....yea thats a mouthful.

I did manage to upload a new portfolio on my site: Zen in Nature

Anyone doing anything fun this weekend? Seems like the weather is getting better and better each day. I hope to explore a new park that is maybe half an hour away from here.

Well folks...off to the meeting...

Cheers,

Serg

Gettysburg Field Trip

2010-03-30T00:30:00.005-04:00

Hey Everyone,

Sorry I missed out on some of the traditions of this blog, but for those that are unaware, PRS and I held an event at Gettysburg. The entire trip was a blast and everyone was awesome. Thank you to everyone that came out.

First lets start off with some video action. Some of the PRS members decided to pull a prank on one of our friends, Alan....enjoy. Sadly, I was not there, otherwise...there would have been photos.

Enjoy these group photos, you field trippers. I know I have a bad habit of posting them up rather late.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to snap as many photographs as I wanted, I did take some that I am happy to share.

Anna Bell, the creepy doll that was demonically possessed.

Rene - a gentleman man of sorts. This doctor resides in Gettysburg and awaits his son to return from war.

Sam - wife to a general. She longs for the war to be over so that she can give her children a chance for a better life.

Cheers,
Serg

Inspired Wednesday's - Carl Jung

2010-03-24T07:00:00.002-04:00

Hey everyone,

I have become more and more interested with Carl Jung's works. I wanted to share a piece of video that I found that I was able to connect and understand.

"They all seek their own existence and to assure their existence against that complete atomization into nothingness or into meaninglessness. Man cannot stand a meaningless life."

"The only real danger that exists is man himself." "...because we are the origin of all coming evil."

Sunday Vlog Episode #5

2010-03-21T07:00:00.003-04:00

Hey Everyone,

You may be reading this and thinking...wait a minute...something is off. I am not supposed to be reading, but rather watching on Sundays. Well due to the the upcoming Gettysburg trip I am gonna have an interesting Sunday. Josh, Eilfie and myself are on duty to pick up some haunted artifacts for the event.

This will be an all day thing and I probably won't be back till late Sunday, but I will bring my video capturing devices and record some video for you all. I will try and post some twitter pics as well.

Also, I am excited to share with you, my dear readers, that my website is just about done. I need to add titles and descriptions to the photos, but that should not take long.

www.sergeypoberezhny.com

Peace,

Serg

Post-post

Our United States of Corporation

2010-03-18T07:00:00.004-04:00

Hey everyone,

Sorry the posts have been pretty light. Been rather busy. I have been saving these two images I've stumbled upon from the internet. Tell me what you think of them. Do you agree/disagree? How do they make you feel?

TED Tuesday - Edward Burtynsky

2010-03-16T07:00:00.002-04:00

In stunning large-format photographs, Edward Burtynsky follows the path of oil through modern society, from wellhead to pipeline to car engine -- and then beyond to the projected peak-oil endgame.

LINK: http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/edward_burtynsky_photographs_the_landscape_of_oil.html

His Website

http://www.edwardburtynsky.com/

Thanks for stopping by,

Serg

Post Edit

Blood pumps through our viens in much the same way as, oil pumps through the viens of our society. Nearly everything in our lives is made from oil, made by machines dependent on oil and transported by oil. With the increasing prices of oil, and the debate of whether or not, we have reached our peak oil, this is something we need to be aware of.

The United States consumes an average of 20 million barrels of oil per day (bbl/d, according to the Department of Energy. Of that, about 45 percent is used for motor gasoline. The rest is used for distillate fuel oil, jet fuel, residual fuel and other oils. Each barrel of oil contains 42 gallons (159 L), which yields 19 to 20 gallons (75 L) of gasoline. So, in the United States, something like 178 million gallons of gasoline is consumed every day

Sunday Vlog Episode #4

2010-03-14T23:06:00.007-04:00

Hey Everyone...

Holy crap; it took way to long to process this video blog. I guess I made the settings a little too good. My editing is till a bit choppy, but I am making due with what I have and my limited knowledge. Still working on figuring out color corrections and white balances. Also changed where the Sunday vlogs will be posted.

Thanks for watching, till next vlog,

Sergey

I am thinking of changing this from Sunday Vlog, to Midnight Vlog with the way I've been posting these lately.

51 Words - Your socks just got knocked off

2010-03-11T01:19:00.007-05:00

BAM! Thats right folks....out of no where comes T AND TEN photos for the THE BILLION, GAJILLION WORD PHOTOGRAPHY CHALLANGE OF DOOM. Can you feel that? Yea...its your eyes setting on fire. This blog just exploded and there is nothing you can do. You can try and warn people not to come here, but its too late.....late....its late right now....what time is it....stop rambling and just put the damn photos....damn you voices in my head.

PARANORMAL

night time

Infested

Hunger

enchantment

sound

soul

SERGEY

Reflection

Mirror

Some critiques would be great. Don't hold back, I can always delete the comments that hurt my feelings. If you have any questions about specific photos, feel free to ask and I can try and get to them.

First Photo Story

2010-03-10T07:00:00.002-05:00

Hello everyone...

So one of the things that I need to do for my site is to add to the photo story section. This will be one of the first ones I add on there. The idea is to narrate some short stories and add various photographs I have taken as visual aid. I also need to write the blasted things, so I choose this one as it was a bit easier, and fun to go down memory lane. I am still learning about video compression, so hopefully the photos don't look that bad. But let me know how you like this and if I should continue with playing with creating more photo video sets.

Sort of a TED Tuesday - 4 Dimension

2010-03-09T07:00:00.001-05:00

Many apologies about not sticking with the ever awesome theme, TED Tuesday, but I stumbled upon a video that I think TED Tuesday will be forgiving about letting me show you guys. Its a rather simple video of Carl Sagan describing the fourth dimension.

Enjoy this little mind bender. The Tessaract reminds of the Hellraiser cube....god I'm tired. Spent a nice chunk of my night working on something special. Hopefully, you will enjoy it tomorrow. Also started brainstorming for future vids. Simple educational ones that can tackle things like white balance, aperture, shutter speed, why my photographs always look like crap...to advance tips and techniques, photography laws and more?

Sunday Vlog Episode #3

2010-03-07T23:16:00.002-05:00

Hey Everyone...welcome to another Late Nite Sunday Blog. Hopefully everyone had a great weekend. I am still trying to find the perfect combination to export the best quality video file.

boy did that take while to upload...

Enjoy the weekend folks

2010-03-05T07:00:00.004-05:00

Take a deep breath. The breeze from the ocean and the heat from the sun mesh together in perfect cohesion. Its time to let go...the worries, the stress, the shackles of reality. You can do it; let the universe guide your soul and be adventurous. What will you dare yourself to do?

Till Sunday, my dear readers...enjoy your Friday and may your weekend be zombie free....or zombie full, if you need that extra bit of excitement in your life.

Random Stuff - Index Case

2010-03-04T07:00:00.000-05:00

Hey Everyone,

How are my fellow blogger readers doing? Weekend is coming up and hopefully you will use the time off from work and studies to put in a little time for yourself. Stretch your mind, exercise your soul...that kinda stuff. Man, I am dying for some sun...never did I think I would become affected by the season and the clouds the way I am at the moment. Stressed, tired and sometimes grumpy.

A little news from my buddy Chad and Joe. Joe's band Index Case is on the verge of debuting their new album. Here is a sample vid.

Anyone planning on watching the Alice in Wonderland this weekend?

Inspired Wednesday's - Sam 0'Hare

2010-03-03T07:00:00.001-05:00

We are beginning to see an evolution where photographers have the choice of either adapting or getting left behind. Digital cameras are now coming with quality movie recording options. Perhaps the moving photograph images that once filled the pages of Harry Potter will soon fill our homes. This reality becoming ever so close, especially with the introduction of digital frames. But photographers now have the option of learning the art of creating visual, flowing art. Ever since I got the Canon 7D I have been curious in playing around with its HD video recording. I want to share with you all a video a found. And although, this isn't a movie (35,000 stills) it flows every so beautifully and inspires me to go out there and create something similar.

The Sandpit from Sam O'Hare on Vimeo.

Also, I am proud to say that my store is progressing well. I have added a special, limited edition print. It exemplifies the student-seeker-warrior theme.

http://photoserg.flyingcart.com/?p=detail&pid=14&cat_id=

Thanks for stopping by and may you all have great Wednesday. And I also want to add that I am super excited that I can schedule when I want my blog to be published. So I can write blogs up and have them be published in the future. Time travel Serg...here I come.

TED Tuesday - Blaise Aguera y Arcas

2010-03-02T07:00:00.001-05:00

Welcome to Ted Tuesday. Hopefully, for all you students, this will keep you preoccupied from the studying that you, oh so need to get done and for you all worker bees, may this give you a nice little break from the corporate queen. Grab a green tea, sit back and let your mind get a blast of intellectual inspiration and awe. Its pretty short then the usual videos I put up. Just 7 minutes, 45 seconds.

Blaise Aguera y Arcas demos augmented-reality maps - 7:45

http://www.ted.com/talks/blaise_aguera.html

Pretty nifty display on where we are headed when it comes to digital cartography. Its crazy to think about our current state when it comes to maps. I remember briefly living in a time without GPSs. I would use mapquest to print out directions to where I wanted to go. Go back a year from then and people were using road atlases and shudder....asking for directions. I remember back in my freshman college days, I would, for shits and giggles, drive around aimlessly for hours and then try to find my way back. Sometimes, I was able to find my way, and other times I caught myself begging the travel gods for assistance as I drove through dark, unpaved roads. Surrounded by trees and occasionally passing no trespassing signs written in a dark red color.

Its pretty cool to check back at some of the maps from the ancient times.

Post Edit:

While walking Xander through the park a thought crossed my mind about us being cartographers of our own lives. We start with a blank sheet, upon which, we can draw out the paths that we want to travel. For some, the map is marked with predetermined goals, for others there is nothing. The metaphor continues to grow as do we; our memories, experiences, choices, slowly start to fill the map out. An unexpected thing like a camera landing on your lap, suddenly pushes you towards a path that never once crossed your mind. We are cartographers of our souls. If you ever get stuck, pull out your map, that only you can see and pick where you want to go. Travel well, travel safe.

Sunday Vlog Episode #2

2010-03-01T00:48:00.002-05:00

Hey Everyone.... sorry that this is a bit late...its still Sunday on the West coast...

Dr Steel Photos for Eilfie's Contest

http://sergey.viewbook.com/drsteel4

Scientific Evidence for Popular Supplements

2010-02-27T01:55:00.004-05:00

Courtesy of, Information is Beautiful . net

Feel free to discuss.

Post-Edit
I installed a new feature that lets you email an article to your friends and family. It appears on the bottom of each post. So if there is someone you know, that you think may find any of my posts interesting, please shoot them an email.

A photographer can dream

2010-02-25T15:45:00.006-05:00

Just a quick post. Someone sent me an email with this photo and my mouth dropped and began to excrete a lot of drool at the same time. I quote Alex from A CLoCKWorK OrANGE, "Oh bliss! Bliss and heaven! Oh, it was gorgeousness and gorgeousity made flesh. It was like a bird of rarest-spun heaven metal or like silvery wine flowing in a spaceship, gravity all nonsense now."

Unfortunately, this is just a concept and is not being sold...but a photographer can dream. It's almost the weekend and I need to get ready for the Open House this Saturday. Well me fellow frontier photographers, I wish you well and I shall see you all...well, you shall see me on Sunday.

Peace,

Serg

Post-Edits

Leaving some room for post-edits of various links I will probably put up.

51 Words - Tomorrow

2010-02-24T00:27:00.004-05:00

So I thought I would slowly kick this challenge into gear. One of the things that I used to do back in the ol' days, was create desktops. I figured that I was was gonna stare at a monitor all day, I should at least be staring at something I made. Well here is a desktop I made, from a photo I took.

Here I was trying to teach myself color selection, cropping and font selection. I would say this is probably work from 3 years ago.

Sunday Vlog Episode #1

2010-02-21T20:07:00.003-05:00

TED Tuesday - Jamie Oliver

2010-02-16T02:55:00.001-05:00

Going back to TED Tuesday; I want to share a video with you about food eduction. Hopefully this motivates you to eat a little bit better if you aren't already. While watching this, an idea popped into my head: apple a day self-project. Just for no reason whatsoever, I am gonna pledge to eat at least one apple a day.

Its a little under 22 minutes long, but really easy to watch.

http://www.ted.com/talks/jamie_oliver.html

I am aware the I had done a TED video regarding food before, but some of the statistics mentioned here are amazing.

Feel free to discuss,
Serg

Pyrography - an interesting form of art

2010-02-14T00:00:00.003-05:00

I would like to share a guest written blog by, Meagen. She has a blog at: http://artistmeg.blogspot.com/

The best way to begin talking about what exactly pyrography is would be to define it. According to dictionary.com pyrography is the process of burning designs on wood, leather, etc., with a heated tool. Its more common name is simply wood burning, but I think pyrography sounds flashier, which is probably why the word was invented in the first place. I first learned about pyrography when I kid and it had always been a “forbidden” creative outlet since my parents really didn’t want me burning myself on the tool! Now that I’m older (but certainly not more mature) I decided to take up this art form as a new hobby and in the process I learned a bit about the history of it as well.

Pyrography itself has been around for a while. In Lima, Peru’s Museum of Archaeology, Anthropology and History, there is a cup from the Nazca culture that dates back to pre-700 AD. While this is the earliest piece found, there has been some speculation that cave men would use their own form of pyrography on cave walls. Unfortunately charcoal does not withstand the weather and passing of time overly well so this has remained only a speculation without tangible proof. Pyrography does not show up again in recorded history until about 1910 where the art was referred to as “pokerwork” or “fire etching” and often was used to decorate picture frames, spines of books or pieces of furniture. From my understanding of it the name “pokerwork” was used for pyrography as people would the poker from their fireplace to etch designs on different objects.

So now that you have a brief history and definition of pyrography I bet you’re keen on learning more about how it’s done and where to get all the supplies. I think the best way to do this is a quick “how to” guide.

The two main things you need in order to do pyrography are wood and the heated tool. Now the wood is easy enough to come by you can either go chop up your own tree, or if you’re a city slicker (like myself) you can go to your nearest craft store and purchase it. The wood itself comes in any shape and size you can think of so you should have plenty to choose from. For the purposes of this project I’m choosing to burn the lid of a wooden box.

(side view of box)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v460/kahlanamnell_rox/Pyrography/BoxProject012.jpg
(top view of box)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v460/kahlanamnell_rox/Pyrography/BoxProject011.jpg

Now comes the more complicated decision, which type of tool to purchase. There are in fact two types of tools to choose from, and there are pros and cons for both.
Tool A
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v460/kahlanamnell_rox/Pyrography/BoxProject008.jpg

Tool B
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v460/kahlanamnell_rox/Pyrography/BoxProject010.jpg

Tool A you as you can see is a far more simple design and as such is far cheaper than Tool B. You can usually find Tool A for around $30 including 4 or more interchangeable tips whereas Tool B I recently purchased for $150 and only includes one tip. As for purchasing these tools I suggest going to your local craft store or purchase them online. If you do purchase the cheaper tool, be aware there is no temperature gauge so it heats up to its maximum temperature (which varies by device) and stays there, and it also takes longer for the tip to heat up. Tool A takes approximately 1 minute to heat whereas Tool B heats in about 8 seconds. Each tool burns a little different as well. The piece in the how to guide is an example of how Tool B, and below is a couple examples of how Tool A burns.
Whichever tool you choose just remember to stay within your means.

i. (the “gone fishing” piece) http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v460/kahlanamnell_rox/Pyrography/DSCN0696.jpg
ii. (Lo Shu Turtle Box) http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v460/kahlanamnell_rox/Pyrography/momanddadcheckinoutthezoo062.jpg
iii. (Celtic cross and doves) http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v460/kahlanamnell_rox/Pyrography/momanddadcheckinoutthezoo075.jpg
As you can see in these examples Tool A usually causes your piece to come out dark which can be good depending on the design you are creating.

So now you have your new toy, your piece of wood and the design or image you plan on burning into the wood. The design can be as simple or as complicated as you want. If it is your first time playing around with pyrography I suggest purchasing a couple cheap scrap pieces to practice on before you begin your actual piece, just so you can get the feel and limitations of the process itself.

I find the process of creating a piece of artwork from wood to be an all encompassing Zen like experience. In a stressful world where we are always running around and moving too fast, taking the time to sit and only think about the task at hand is a rewarding and rejuvenating experience in itself. Hopefully this article helped shed a little light on the subject of pyrography and maybe it even convinced you to give it a try, who knows you may even like it.
~Meg

“Principles for the Development of a Complete Mind: Study the science of art. Study the art of science. Develop your senses - especially learn how to see. Realise that everything connects to everything else. “
-Leonardo DaVinci

For more tips and advice from Meagen on Pyrography, visit her blog at http://artistmeg.blogspot.com/, or shoot her an email at artistmeg@yahoo.ca

Milgram Experiment

2010-02-11T00:10:00.005-05:00

One of my goals that developed for this blog was to spread knowledge. Ignorance is an excuse that we turn to very easily when mistakes happen. I want to present to you, my fellow readers, an interesting experiment that was done in the 1960's by Professor Milgram. He was conducting an experiment on authority. How far would an individual go to obey an authority figure if it went against their personal conscience? As you watch this, it may be easy for you to say, "oh, I'd stop" but shockingly about 60 - 65% continued to do so.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

What does this show? Why is this important? This study has been used to compare to the infamous Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse. Soldiers took their power and the lack of responsibility a little to far when they were asked by the higher ups to get any information possible. Even if it meant they would be doing this to innocent civilians. Of course, another way to look at this would be not when it comes to physically hurting people directly, but indirectly. The Enron scandal comes to mind where people continued to lie about numbers, following the orders from their authority figure because they thought the blame would be shifted to them.

Thank you for reading.

More info at wiki

"Nothing in the world is more dangerous then a sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity."

-Martin Luther King Jr

Xander in the Snow

2010-02-08T21:18:00.004-05:00

We had quite the snowfall recently and it provided a good chance to take some photos on one of Xander's walks.

2010-02-05T20:04:00.002-05:00

I am a bit of a gamer. I especially love the Fallout series, because the whole post apocalyptic scenario fascinates me. I stumbled upon these set of stock video game photos with some funny captions. If you need a quick laugh, take a look: http://www.gamespy.com/articles/106/1066150p1.html

Enjoy your weekend folks,

Serg

An Interview with Serg - I

2010-02-03T15:34:00.007-05:00

I sat down today to ask myself some questions.

Sergey: "You seem to be getting a lot of questions about your passion for photography. Tell me, when did you first discover photography?"

Sergey: "I got my first digital camera in late May of 2003. My friend owed me some cash at the time, and rather then paying me back I asked that he get me a digital camera. Digital cameras were becoming rather hip and in order to maintain a "cool" status I thought it would great to have one.

Sergey: "So the moment your camera, you were hooked?"

Sergey: Laughs* "Honestly the first real photo I took with it was not until the first of June...I mean took the camera out of the box and was a little intimated by it so I charged the battery

and took some shots that were greatly underexposed...I felt a little disappointed with it at first but then I went to a museum with two friends and photographed their sneakers. For some reason I still wasn't feeling it. I didn't touch the camera for about two weeks, until I went out again and decided to bring it along for the ride. It was at that moment that I started to really develop a relationship...heh...develop...eh, not funny; ok stick and move, Serg, stick and move. So, as I was saying...I started to enjoy carrying the camera with me and taking photographs of whatever I found interesting. Over the summer, when I worked as a freight elevator operator, I would bring it to work with me everyday. The job was lonesome, but my camera kept company. I recall exploring and photographing every inch of that building...there were even times when I would sneak up on the roof and just be mesmerized by the buildings.

S: "So what kept going? Were you taking any photography classes in college?"

S: "I wanted to so badly...but beginners photography class was an easy A class in college. And any easy A class gets filled up quick. Sure there were some people who genuinely enjoyed the subject, but others took it to bump up their GPA. But looking back at...I'm glad I didn't take the class. I took the time to explore the path of photography they way I wanted to do it. It was healthy outlet for me. Looking back, I think it helped me appreciate life."

S: "What were some things you enjoyed photographing?"

S: "At the time I was photography whatever came to my mind. I didn't really have a subject, I just grabbed my camera wherever I went. If I was going for a hike, I would bring me camera; sometimes I would drive in my car at odd hours...exploring every inch of a small town....I recall photographing some fog on a field at nighttime and then thinking...how creepy would it be if I saw someone out there. So I did it. I set my camera on a timer and ran into the field to take a picture of my thought."

S: "Well I know we are out of time, thank you for answering a few questions. I would love to have you back to continue our discussion."

S: "It was no problem at all..hey I love talking about photography so lets definitely continue this."

Some photos Sergey decided to share with Sergey

first photo I took

sneaking on to rooftops

sometimes I would have to jump from one rooftop to the other

here we are discussing photography at the freight elevator job

another rooftop pic

Erie gave me a chance to get away from the city and explore nature

the shadow figure

Lake Erie was amazing during the summer and winter

i recall chasing this squirrel until it finally told me to bugger off

From SpaceAvalanche.com

2010-02-01T22:35:00.002-05:00

It's Called Mindset

2010-01-30T04:21:00.000-05:00

Watch this interview from the Daily Show

2010-01-29T02:13:00.002-05:00

To those who want to understand....

Please, watch this interview from the Daily Show with Jon Stewart. He interviews Elizabeth Warren who is the chairwoman of the Congressional Oversight Panel on TARP. I know that a lot of this may seem confusing but I cannot stress enough how important it is that we understand what is going on right now.

http://www.hulu.com/watch/123385/the-daily-show-with-jon-stewart-elizabeth-warren#s-p2-sr-i1

NEWS!

2010-01-27T00:40:00.004-05:00

NEWS: I am opening my blog for a select few people. If you wish to write and post your own articles and help me build something, send me an email telling me about yourself and what you are interested in writing. Creativity is important; decent grammer and proper spelling is highly recommended, but can be manageable.

Please email to info@sergeypoberezhny.com

POST EDIT: Blog will be going through some design changes. Stand by for creative juices to start flowing.

Interesting Experiment with Willpower

2010-01-26T11:05:00.002-05:00

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122781981

For those resolutionites who stopped, maybe understanding why you stopped can help you start back up again.