Then I got my iPhone, and while the pictures were nothing compared to the Lumix, they were pretty good, and you could buy some really neat apps that put some super cool effects on them, making them look vintage or lomo etc., and I loved that. So I stopped taking my Lumix with me everywhere and used the iPhone a lot, though I still used the Lumix on special occasions.

A few weeks ago, my brother brought my old 10D to the church, so that we could use it to take some high quality shots to go on the new church website. I was the designated photographer.

How do I say this next part… The moment I touched that camera, my heart began to melt. With every click of the shutter, I became more and more inspired, almost to the point of tears. I had forgotten how amazing that camera truly was. Just holding it in my hand lights me on fire. I remembered that this wasn’t an uncommon thing when I owned it. Practically every time I used it during the years that it was mine, my heart would race with excitement and inspiration. Somehow, when I bought my Lumix, though I really did like many of the results, this feeling slipped silently out the door, unnoticed and forgotten. I’ve never experienced that feeling with the Lumix, or any other camera I’ve laid my hands on.

So, as is my modus operandi, my mind has begun to plot a way to go back and correct what I now realize was a grave mistake. I’ve looked around and priced used camera bodies. It turns out that I can buy a used Canon 20D body pretty cheaply these days. The 20D was the generation that came after the 10D. I wouldn’t mind owning a 10D again, but any 10D body I could get my hands on would be far older than a 20D (by technology standards), and far more likely to break down prematurely. A 20D will be fresher, faster, and higher resolution, but will also be the same shape and weight, the same amazing magnesium body, and the same control layout as the 10D.

So I’ve put my Lumix up on eBay. I plan to raise as much as I can, and I expect to raise enough to buy a 20D body. After that, I’m going to figure out a way to get a Canon EF 50mm f1.8, which was my favorite lens. They’re not that expensive either, so if I don’t have enough left over from my Lumix sale, I should be able to scrape up something else that I don’t use anymore, sell it, and grab the lens.

I don’t suppose I could’ve known how big of a mistake I was making when I sold my 10D. But now I’ve learned my lesson, and I won’t make it again. I don’t care how bulky an SLR is. The results, and the experience, is soooo worth it.

This is not a new concept. For thousands of years, newcomers have gotten into a field by working for free. Once their skills improved to a level that was worth paying for, or once their already high skill level was recognized, demand was generated, and the right time for charging for services soon came.

The problem with the internet is that it’s a new frontier that has always felt so free, so very few see this next step as realistic. But they need to learn to accept that talented creators are eventually going to charge for the consumption of their content.

I think it’s good for artists to want to charge for their content, whether that be charging for online content directly, or giving away a small amount of material online and selling physical materials in an online store. Once you’ve generated a demand for your work, you should reap the benefits. Some people will object to this notion, for sure. But artists need to start taking this step in spite of what the majority of the internet masses think. To think it’s selfish for artists to start charging for the work they’ve been giving away for free, is a small-minded view, and frankly, it’s shows that you’re an ungrateful person. Artists need to make a living just like everyone else, and sometimes that starts by generating a demand for their work. Once that’s done, the next step is obviously to start charging for that demand. Otherwise, there would be no need to generate demand in the first place.

The internet masses will never change their mind until artists start taking this step in spite of the present trends.For thousands of years, newcomers have gotten into a field by working for free. Once their skills improved to a level that was worth paying for, or once their already high skill level was recognized, demand was generated, and the right time for charging for services soon came.

That all happens with the iPhone’s built in music player (the actual iPod part of the device).

So what if I want to listen to some streaming radio, like the Last.fm app?

The problem with any app that isn’t the built in iPod is that it can’t run in the background, so if a call comes in, the app closes. I tried closing and reopening Last.fm to see if it would resume play, and it didn’t; instead it started by asking me what station I want to listen to. So how can I still benefit from all this hands-free goodness if I want to listen to streaming radio? I had assumed that I simply couldn’t, but I hadn’t tried. Today I tried, and I was surprised at what I found.

One thing that Last.fm has going for it is that whatever app gets closed during a phone call, gets reopened when the call is done. It also turns out that the only time Last.fm asks what station you want to listen to is when you close it by hitting the home button. If it closes by any other means, e.g. by a call coming in, then when it reopens, it does in fact resume playing whatever station you were listening to when it closed.

There are a few other benefits that the built in music player enjoys from the hands-free interface of the iPhone, like being able to tell the iPhone to play the next song, or selecting a playlist or artist. You can also start and stop the built-in iPod with the button on the earbuds. Other music apps don’t seem to be able to tie into these features. That aside, the bottom line is, if you want to enjoy all the benefits of music discovery and online social listening through Last.fm while shopping for milk and eggs or driving to the doctor, your iPhone never has to come out of your pocket while you’re doing it.

I got an iPhone 3GS a few weeks ago, and I’ve really been having a ball with the camera. It’s not bad for a phone, but the thing that really makes it great are the great post-processing apps that you can get on the iPhone. My favorites are CameraBag and Lo-Mob.

Anyhow, I’ve started a new section on my site for iPhoneography. Check it out.

As I say goodbye to one old friend, I say hello to another, older friend.

I’ve decided to switch my blog back to WordPress. MODx has served me well, but my site has different requirements now, and WordPress has proven to be the better candidate.

Is MODx more flexible than WordPress? Oh, most definitely. Is MODx more powerful. I would say so. So what does WordPress have that MODx doesn’t? A few small but important things.

First, with MODx, if I want to create a post, I have to find the right folder for it to go into in its document tree. In WordPress, you just hit “Write”, and you’re off to the races. Maybe you’ll put it in some categories later, maybe you won’t. When you’re done writing, hit “publish”, and the post gets put on your site. That’s it.

Second, the community of developers behind WordPress is staggering, far greater than MODx. For me, this means that WordPress has been extended to meet the needs of a larger variety of people, so it’s more likely that someone has already met some particular needs of mine. And in fact, some very specialized needs of mine have been met.

Which leads to my next and final point. With WordPress, I can write in many different contexts, with many different tools. For example, I installed a plugin called WPhone, which simplifies the WP control panel and allows me to write from my portable device. I also have an application on my Macbook called ecto, which allows me to write and publish new content on my WP site without even opening my site in a browser. This makes it very easy to produce content.

This is something I’ve been wanting with MODx ever since I switched to it. I’m not saying that it’s hard to produce content on MODx; quite the contrary. But it’s far easier with WordPress, and the easier the better.

I decided to use a free theme called The Morning After. I made this decision because 1) I didn’t want to spend weeks designing another completely custom template, which is what I did for my MODx template, and 2) this theme is positively stunning. I love it.

I’ve moved pretty much everything that was on my old site onto the new site. My photoblog needs a lot of work. All my comic strips are moved over, and I think they look way better in this template, since I can span them across the whole template, instead of constraining them to a single, narrow column. I haven’t moved any of the comments over, but I plan to in time.

Believe me, I’ll still be using MODx for many other sites, most particularly client sites, who need to do more than just write, and who will always have very differing needs for which only a highly flexible framework like MODx will fit the bill. But WordPress is awesome in its own right. I’ve missed it, and I’m looking forward to using it again.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the new look and feel. And hey, who knows, maybe I’ll write more often.

I know this sort of music may sound strange to most of us westerners, but I want you to listen to something amazing.

After a few seconds, you’ll hear a noise that sounds like some sort of high pitched, dancing flute or whistle. Do you hear that? That is neither a flute or a whistle. The gentlemen on your left is making that sound with the harmonics that are being created as his low, gutteral tones reverberate through his throat and out of his mouth.

I didn’t believe this when I first saw it. But then I started searching Youtube for this sort of throat singing, and found some amazing examples that confirmed, for me, that this is truly what is happening. Like This clip for example; this clip doesn’t allow me to embed it on my site, but go watch it for yourself. The camera man gets very close to the vocalists mouth, and if you listen closely, you can discern how his low tones produce these strange and amazing harmonics. There are some other examples you can find too.

Discovering these subtle cultural gems in music that is foreign to me really helps me to understand and appreciate it. I’m used to a smoothe beat, soothing guitar, a nice bass…you know, jazz, rock. I never understood how anyone could enjoy this sort of music. But now, I must say, this is absolutely amazing.

It’s not easy for two people to completely agree on anything, much less matters of an eternal or global nature. What can be even more difficult, especially these days, is to get two people to talk about something, anything important, that they don’t agree on. There’s too much personal baggage invested in these issues to risk looking wrong or foolish, or even worse, to be forced to admit to your own potential error.

Here’s a few things to remember when confronting the opposing party:

1. Be patient. Only fools give up and walk away.

They think it makes them look like they understand something that no one else does, or that it makes some sort of irrefutable point. The truth is, walking away can be a sure sign that you no longer have the ability to defend your position.

2. Be prepared for the possibility that you’re wrong.

Even on the issues that are most important to you. The most important issues are the ones that you should be the most ready to be wrong about, because staying wrong could have dramatic consequences. If you’re wrong, it’s much better to know about it ASAP.

3. Remember that you and your position on an issue are not the same thing.

If your position winds up being weak, that doesn’t mean that you’re weak too.

4. Fight with your opponent, not against him.

Sound like the same thing? It’s not. The best debates are the ones where both parties are arguing their positions with a singular goal of getting to the root of the matter, even if it means they are wrong. The best teams are the ones who can disagree without being in disarray.

5. Winning a debate when you’re wrong is evil and destructive.

It’s like eating poisoned food because you don’t want to insult the cook. Except you’re the cook. If the food is giving you diarrhea, the polite thing to do is to warn others not to eat it.

6. Finding out you’re wrong is a victory.

No one likes being wrong. Being wrong is a failure to be sure, but only a small one. The truth is, everyone is wrong way more often than they are right, even if they don’t want to admit or realize it. So finding out that you’re wrong is a much greater victory than being wrong was ever a failure, and it’s an opportunity to celebrate. Unless you choose to hide it, to bury it, to continue being wrong for the sake of looking right. There aren’t very many travesties more grotesque. You discovered an error, now you can correct it. This is an incredible opportunity, and anyone worth your time will celebrate with you.

7. Never argue with an ignoramus.

This is someone who ignores any and all valid arguments you might make, or otherwise has a total inability to understand them. I sympathize for the latter case, but in either case, this is a bad situation to be in. Sooner or later one of you, probably the ignoramus, is going to get emotional and make a scene. This is a difficult situation to get out of without looking like an idiot yourself. Better to back out before it gets to that point. My father always said, “Don’t argue with a fool. People might not be able to tell the difference.” Between you and the fool, that is. These arguments are a complete waste of energy, and are often harmful to both of you, as well as for anyone who is observing.

8. Don’t act like an ignoramus.

If someone makes a valid point, admit it. Don’t pretend like you don’t understand, or that the point isn’t as valid as the maker thinks. If the point is valid, admit it. If the point is a knock out, commend its maker for it. You’ll get far more respect from pointing out your opponents strengths than from dismissing them, and you’re likely to be treated in kind. Pretending that a good argument is worthless, is only going to make you look like a fool to anyone who is wise, and it will do harm to anyone who isn’t.

9. Respect your opponent’s speaking time.

A good debate is as much about sharing and consideration as it is anything else. It’s okay to interrupt occasionally, but don’t do it very much, and be sure to show ample consideration for your opponents arguments. They’re not likely to listen to you if they don’t see you listening to them. The most persuasive people on earth not only know how to structure a solid, logical argument; they also listen generously, and give time kindly and abundantly to their opponent. This approach will turn most opponents into friends and allies, who will listen and often wind up agreeing with you if your argument is good.

10. Know when to stop talking.

This one is similar, but it’s about being respectful of your opponent’s listening time. There’s something to be said for the elevator pitch concept. Learn to make your arguments as short and concise as possible. When it’s your turn to speak, don’t ramble endlessly. Your words will quickly melt into a gel of meaningless babble, and no one will understand what you’re trying to say, much less agree with you. Build your point and work towards a finishing point. The shorter your argument is, the easier it will be to grasp. More people will listen and understand. Moreover, you’re likely to be given the floor more often if people know that they can trust you to be respectful of their time.

If everyone held truth to be more important than anything else – more important than being right, more important that looking good or smart, more important than not feeling embarrassed – debates would be much shorter, much more effective, and much more meaningful and fulfilling. And I’m talking about the real truth, the one you don’t know all of; not the notions and ideas that you’re convinced are true in your own mind. Just like the designer has to learn not to get too attached to his designs, or the architect to his drafts, we would all be much better off if we would learn not to get too attached to our own concepts, and embrace the idea that the world around us is probably much more beautiful and inspiring than our tiny little minds could have ever imagined. The more you push on the box around you, the bigger it will get.

Your email address, as with any other personal information you submit, will be kept private, and will never be shared with anybody. I’ll probably never send you any email, unless I happen to know you personally. No newsletters, no soliciting, no spam or anything like that.

So anyway, for what it’s worth, if you’re interested, signing up is easy. Besides the links in this article, both the registration and login links are currently located in the upper left corner of the site. If you have problems, just go to the contact page and send me a message.

My plan for this site, from the beginning, was to begin with a very simple approach; with a single article flooding the home page, and virtually nothing else, and very simple, flat, but clean color.

Once the content of the site became more elaborate, a more elaborate design would be required, in both function and visual design, a more fleshed out interface, which would allow everyone to understand what they can find on this site, just by glancing over the home page.

So this design is the result of that plan. I hope you think it was executed effectively.

I’d love to hear your feedback. Although I’m really happy with the final result, I know it’s not perfect. Let me know if you run into any visual or usability problems. You may also notice that a couple of things are missing from the old site; those will be worked in shortly. I also plan to continue the evolutionary process of the design as I find time to enjoy doing so.

In the mean time, enjoy the new interface for what it is.