“If they can afford to pay for the high payout bonuses, they can afford to back the American people.”

Ever since I read an article back in the mid-90′s about the CEO of Aetna I believe, living down in Fairfield County, getting a 7 million dollar bonus, I thought, ok there’s something seriously wrong here. How can someone heading up a company who’s supposed to be helping people, but denying many basic coverage, be walking home with that much money. Really you need a 6,000 sq ft house? Since when, did people need 6,000 sq ft houses and multiple cars. Is it nice to have? sure. But how do you sleep at night? What have you done to improve humanity?

In the same thread of thought, banks and their upper management, just for a year be better humans. I’ve gone for over a year with a partial paycheck. They can’t go for a year without a bonus?

This picture and those vines feel like a metaphor for my life currently, well the past 9 years or so. We (Craig and I) had such clear dreams and plans for our lives back in 1998-1999. Then starting in 1999 it got chipped away at slowly and sometimes fast, over the next 10 years. Craig literally dealt with having his spine twisted at one point. Our efforts to keep the plan going seemed to get more and more complicated and frustrating. Here we are 10 years later and feeling like we’ve almost broken free from the vines and twists that tried to take over.

People reflected on the last 10 years with sadness of the financial crisis, housing crisis, political crisis. I looked back and said, “holy shit I survived it”. I really didn’t think I’d live to see 30. Between all the stresses over the past 10 years and then just my own health which I had put on a back burner it seemed inevitable this was going to be coming to an end. I don’t mean to sound doom and gloom, just felt like, really what else could be thrown at me.

It was probably earlier this past year I saw someone post their daily photo with DailyBooth. I didn’t think much of it, but I’ve seen more people posting lately and then today Gary Vaynerchuk’s job posting even mentioned it as a possible requirement. Since my thing is photography, I figured I’d give it a shot. Might also be a good reminder for myself to see the progress of losing weight this year.

Friend me up if you’re on there.

I’m so glad someone made this movie pulling in “It’s a Wonderful Life”. Craig and I started watching “It’s a Wonderful Life” annually about 4 years ago. For some reason neither of us had really been attracted to it when we were younger. Now having lived through the DotCom crash, 9/11, job losses, credit card debts and watched friends and family go through financial hardships, we could really identify with George Bailey. It’s saddening when you realize how many years ago that movie was made, and how much it holds true still today. If not even more so.

I’m happy to say when I went to the website to see about lenders in our area who were community banks, we are already with one. We’ve had our accounts with them since the 90′s. Ironically both the banks we used to work for got swallowed up by Bank of America and Webster.

Visit http://moveyourmoney.info for more information.

Thanks to @kellysims for the link.

2009 Recap:

• Turned 30
• Been on unemployment/shared work program for 13 months
• Fought back depression
• Vacationed in Maine in monsoon season
• Vacated in New Hampshire in intense humidity
• Biked the Lincoln Woods Trail (a highlight for the year)
• Finally bought a TV
• Established some new friendships, that I hope will last a while
• Partnered with new people for projects

2010 Goals:

1. Drink water (I just don’t drink anything currently)
2. Eat vegetarian / vegan 4 days a week
3. Bicycle (a lot more)
4. Shoot more photograhy both B&W film and digital
5. Have a gallery showing/or participate in an art show by end of year
6. Drink more tea and less coffee
7. Read 8 books this year
8. Bring in 3 clients in the first half of 2010
9. Schedule alone/creative time each week
10. Cook (and use more herbs and spices)

What are your goals for the new year?

you make lemonade.

More than 130,000 advertising professionals have lost their jobs in this “Great Recession.” Lemonade is about what happens when people who were once paid to be creative in advertising are forced to be creative with their own lives.

Craig and I have talked often over the years of the “what if I lost my job” scenario. Both of my last two jobs had layoffs, and I grew to understand in my first job at a dot com, that at any moment it could be you. Don’t take it personally, you’re a number in the end, not in a bad way, just a salary and when budgets are not being met, it comes down to numbers. To me layoffs have become a fact of life, I’m always some what prepared in my head, a box under my desk and trying to stay one step ahead.

The advertising industry to me feels like the canary in the coal mine. The arts always take the first hit of being the “unnecessary” expense businesses cut in tough times. The irony there is with good marketing and imagery your product will continue to be successful.

It’s wonderful someone is making this movie. As creative professionals I think we generally have the ability to bounce back quicker than others and start off in new directions. Many times, happier directions more in line with our true callings.

As we close a decade marked by war, help us usher in a decade focused on compassion.

The names of all affirmers on December 31 will be sent along with the Charter for Compassion to 5 world leaders whose countries are engaged in conflict.

What if more people went about their days with this view on the world and life? Check out the Charter for Compassion video and if you feel moved, add your name.

I really miss my Dad this year, as my mother is trying to set me over the edge. The holidays were the one time of year my parents didn’t argue, well actually that should be restated, Christmas eve and day were the only times.

I cherish this time of year, and in recent years it seems to creep up on me faster and faster. I love to shop for my friends and family. I like paying attention to their likes and dislikes over time and trying to find that special gift.

The ornament above was in my Dad’s family since the early part of the 20th century, and possibly earlier. I know it was handed down to him when he was a teenager.

I wish everyone a happy holidays with your family and loved ones.

While doing errands this morning in the bitter cold, the ideas going through my head were the different items I want to service on my car. It frustrates me to no end that I slacked on keeping the wheels clean over the past 4 years and because of that, brake dust has become caked on.

I look under the hood and there’s definitely surface rust on strut bolts and my air horns need to be polished and other items need a coat of armor all. These little things irk me. To add to it, my hood has some chips (8 years of highway commuting, it’s a miracle it’s not worse) and this past fall an acorn tree did some dent damage.

I want to bring my wonderful 8 year old vehicle back to new. Ok, well maybe not brand new, but looking good and feeling tight again. Of course this will take some money and definitely time on my part.

This got me thinking about how much my father’s meticulous attention to detail and care for all items in our home has carried on to me. When I was younger this was a bit insanely stressful. I was always in fear of things not looking exactlyas how I borrowed them.

All of this led me to realize, I am willing to take ridiculous measures to keep things looking new, in pristine shape and thus the ability to last a long time, except my own body. Most celebrities musicians or actors have to treat their bodies as a product, because it is for their professions. I have never really looked at mine like this, instead it was the one item hindering me from just getting things I wanted to get done. Ironically enough, my thought process has been more of a, “When is someone coming to take care of this thing”.

That thing is my own body, so no one else, other than me is going to be taking care of it. For most people this is pretty obvious, but I’ve spent the last 10+ years doing most of my living in my head; reading, studying, creating, analyzing, philosophising. Much like my car, with time and money it is possible to restore my body to a better state, looking “new” again.

Dew, originally uploaded by criana.

I took this photo in June 2008 at Topsmead State Forest. A good thunderstorm had just rolled through and all the flowers were covered with water droplets.

I’ve always wanted to take a photo with a silhouetted flower against a dark back drop. The exposure for the background was low to begin with and then in Lightroom I dropped it completely.

I’m not sure what kind of flower this is. I thought maybe a chrysanthemum but please correct me if you do know.