So I've been a bit busy with school, work, and all that good stuff, but I've put some things together to write up some Photoshop tutorials for you guys. So far, I am working on a tutorial to create really sleek reflections and shadowing, including some lighting tricks in the background. I am also working on a neat way to make a spotlight absorption effect with text.

There are definitely some more tricks on the way, both beginning and intermediate, and some advanced ones every now and then, too!

Lately I've been watching quite a few movies both in and off theater. I was over at a friend's house for a sleepover and we watched The Shawshank Redemption starring Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins. This movie was made in 1994 so it's not exactly the newest one of them all, but definitely a good film. The storyline is quite catchy especially if you like good character development, and a happy ending! I'd strongly recommend you watch this if you haven't (considering it's around 14 years old).

Sleeping late, and sometimes not sleeping at all has been a common doing of mine, but I'm slowly pacing myself and getting into a good sleeping pattern where I don't sleep as late, but get a maximum amount of work done. It's good that I haven't had much to do with design jobs lately, but I still have a few projects I am working on for myself, and some friends. I hope to jump back into design and get some clients for some quick work, but I don't want to put too much on myself. School is turning out to require a lot more time from me than I thought. More after the jump...

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about traveling, and living by it. Imagine having no permanent home, living as a modern nomad - that would be pretty scary and exciting at the same time! Having no permanent job/source of income and shelter can be quite the challenge for many, and I don't think many have the guts to go for something like this.

One type of person that I could see doing this is a Photographer. Traveling and experiencing every corner of the Earth, while capturing beauty, style, culture, nature, and more. There are also different types of "traveling" people where instead of never having a permanent home, they reside in homes for short periods of time. This could be due to having a job that requires a lot of relocating, or if this person just can't stand being in a single environment for a long time. More after the jump...

Well, I've finally made the plunge yesterday and went to the gym in the morning with a friend of mine. We did a couple of miles on the treadmill and the bikes just to get warmed up, and then we practiced some Jiu-Jitsu moves since we've both really into MMA (mixed martial arts) and stuff. It was kind of strange since we practicing on the mats where people usually stretch, but it was awesome nonetheless.

I'm definitely going back tonight after I get back from class! I miss the feeling of being in shape, and feeling strong and confident about myself. This has been a part of the 2008 resolution, so it's one more thing I can scratch off my list, but I must stay consistent! Must not get lazy and give up! More after the jump...

Web Design, Graphic Design, and any other field of "design" can be studied in schools these days, but there lies one question: Will a $30K yearly tuition make a you a better designer than a tuition of $5K? The conclusion of this answer is mixed, and can be somewhat relevant.

These days, everybody knows that going to a prestigious Design School, rather it'd be for fashion, web, print, or multimedia, will probably land you a better job at an agency. Now I am questioning the validity of this "basic knowledge," and exploring how far perseverance can take you, especially in today's quickly advancing world.

Throughout my experience with studying design in school, I have come to a number of conclusions on various ideas, including: Creativity, Jobs after college, Experience vs. Diploma, and Success in general. Basically, it all comes down to who you are, and what kind of a person you develop yourself into. More after the jump...

On March 29th at 8pm, millions of people in some of the world's major cities are going to be shutting off their lights. This is the result of a revolutionary collaboration of businesses, and people like you and me all around the world that care about global warming, and our environment. These are the beginning steps of spreading the word of such motivational actions taken upon, everywhere!

It all started with the simple question of asking how we can inspire people to take action on global warming, and climate change. The result was extremely successful with 2.2 million people in JUST Sydney, and over 2100 businesses taking action by shutting off their lights for one hour! The result was an amazing 10% drop in Sydney's energy use, which equals to taking about 48,000 cars off the road for one hour!

This year, March 29th will be the day where millions of people around the world will act together towards an extraordinary collaboration. I will be a part of it. Hopefully you will too, and you will spread the word about Earth Hour to your friends and family. Video and more after the jump...

Web Applications seems to be the only thing people are talking about these days. Designers, back-end programmers, or just people somehow involved in the world of web design most likely have heard about this. Yes, the current stage we are in has been dubbed "Web 2.0," but what the future holds for us is still pretty vague, even though we're already seeing the "Web 3.0" term jumping around.

Okay, down to business. We've got Web 2.0 packed with technologies like PHP, MySQL, AJAX, and Ruby on Rails. These are the technologies that have existed for a long time, yet they still make up an entire majority of what these online/web applications are comprised of. We've got the plethora of items over at Google's side, Flickr, Digg, and a whole bunch of things are worthy of the Web 2.0 title.

Not too long ago, Adobe debuted its "AIR" framework for creating and distributing applications that would work seamlessly on all operating systems including Windows and Mac OSX. These applications are developed using, once again, current technologies of the web such as AJAX and Flash. This makes it easier than ever for many developers/designers to take advantage of this type of a platform and be able to reach mass audiences. More after the jump...

Tesla Motors is that company that you've been hearing about for the longest time. You know, the guys making the first luxury electric sports car that's right on par with the other big boy toys. Well, wait no more! They are set to begin production of the P1 Roadster in mid-march, and go full force later in the year. Although this car is not targeted to the general demographic, they're reservations are booked for until 2009.

I haven't yet mentioned it, but this is an electric sports car, people! It outputs zero emissions as you accelerate from 0 to 60mph, with a top speed of 125mph (which you should never be hitting unless under professional supervision), unless you count the fumes of the burning rubber! This is most definitely a luxury item and not something that the typical Joe who wants to get a Prius can afford. The technology put into the Tesla Roadster is highly advanced, innovative, and should be made mainstream for "every-day" automobiles. Now, this is definitely a bold statement, but it's more than possible! More after the jump...

To start off this entry, I will ask you this question: When you are working on something, whether it be a goal, or project of some sort, or even yourself as a person, do you try to be perfect or excellent?

This idea which was first introduced to me by my English professor 2 semesters ago, has been of particular interest to me as I have been talking with close friends of mine regarding self development, goals, and the future. There are many people in this world that, when trying to do things, they try to do it as perfectly as possible. This usually leads to unnecessary time being wasted, instead of properly progressing through the task, but this is pretty relative to the individual. There's no saying that it's a crime to always try to do things perfectly, but I believe that it would make it so much easier and less stressful to achieve a state where you are totally satisfied, rather than worrying about every last minuscule detail. More after the jump...

This year I set a goal. I told myself that I would start going back to my old tv-watching days and pick up a few season DVDs of the "big" shows; Heroes, Psych, Entourage, and House. I recently started watching some online episodes of Psych on USA Network's website, which I think is pretty cool. A new season of Lost is airing this Thursday, and I'm a HUGE Lost fan! I don't care what people say about the show being dragged on and having little development and all - this show is awesome! I love all the twists and every time it gets me to say "wtf." Back when Heroes premiered, I watched a couple of episodes, but I got carried away with school, work, and a bunch of other things, but this time around, it'll all be good.

For 2008, I also made plans to watch at least 15 to 20 films (good ones!) that I haven't seen yet. In the last year, all the films I've seen were mostly in the theater, and a few at home/dvd/tv. At home we have the whole HBO On-Demand thing that does have quite a few good films that I haven't seen so that's gonna be something I have to make some time for. I recently saw Cloverfield, which I was really looking forward to, and it was GREAT! I've never seen any movie that was shot the way this one was, and the thrill had me on the edge of my seat all the way through!

This is something I've been meaning to do for the longest time, and I hope to do it this time. The new school semester started last Friday, and I have a feeling I won't be enjoying a couple of my classes. Speaking of classes, I need to call my counselor and take care of a mishap before they tell me I have to pay more money. Well, happy times, all! If anyone has any recommendations of some good films, old or new, speak up!