It's a risk thing. I have worked with several successful artists that acknowledge that without some initial credit card debt they would have never been able to get started. On of them referred to her visa as her patron.

So take that as you will. Everyone here is right, though, no credit card debt is of course the goal. I have been working through one credit card or another for four years and just now am I seeing the end in sight. Arguably, though, I wouldn't have... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ztdavis at 4:00 PM on July 13, 2008

I'd say down Division to the lake front path, and then north from there. Division has a stairwell (with a ramp for your bike) beneath lake shore drive and I imagine the lake shore path and division are both just peachy keen during the day on week days, although I know Division can get crowded around noon because of the lunch crowd.

I work on Goose Island, around Division and Elston, and one of my regular customers usually talks about biking up and down the lake shore... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ztdavis at 5:12 AM on July 9, 2008

My coworker who grew up in Roger's Park (of which Devon is the southern border) says:

"The first place that is recommended on that link is called Hema's Kitchen. It is the best Indian food I am aware of in Chicago. I have taken perhaps a dozen different people to Hema's and they all feel the same way. One of these people was an Indian exchange student who said that it was the closest he had ever had to authentic indian food outside of India. Moderately priced... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ztdavis at 8:37 PM on June 25, 2008

When I ride the red line I take it from one end (the northern Howard stop) to downtown.

Here's what I have done that I recommend, in order by L stop north to south:

Howard -- not much
Jarvis -- again, not much
Morse -- if you walk to the northern exit and look to your left you'll find the Heartland Cafe, a wonderfully marxist restaurant with a liberal-anarchist general store and healthy food.
Loyola -- the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ztdavis at 8:16 PM on June 18, 2008

Teira is right, where Devon and Western meet is like a little slice of India.

sorry, I don't do busses
posted to Ask Metafilter by ztdavis at 8:40 PM on June 18, 2008

It is true, I do need a GUI.

Thank you both!
posted to Ask Metafilter by ztdavis at 8:37 PM on June 18, 2008

My friend Tim, who is involved in the Chicago theater scene says:

"The best thing for him to do is contact Geddes Talent, which is a really well-respected agency of which many of my friends and co-workers are clients.

As far as acting goes, there are around 200 theatres in Chicago. He needs to log onto the League of Chicago Theatres website, www.chicagoplays.com, and submit his headshot to all of the companies with a decent website. Then,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ztdavis at 9:40 PM on June 10, 2008

Some of these have already been mentioned, but think of them as more votes in their favor. I read a lot of blogs that link to the work of other photographers, and more often than not it is from more of an art standpoint than a commercial one. BradBane's response named the most commercially themed blogs I know of.

I use these to find inspiration for my own work. The internet is great for that. For more technical stuff I second the tips on dpreview and recommend the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ztdavis at 8:08 PM on June 9, 2008

When are you leaving? Julie and I might be able to give you a ride if you comp us for gas.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ztdavis at 5:57 PM on April 29, 2008

Postmodernism says, rightly so in my opinion, that the interpretation of artwork lies in the viewer, not the creator. That said, a lot of works will elicit the same response in most viewers.

You aren't going to find any one page that will answer all your questions about this. I've been trying to find the answers to your questions for years with little luck, but I have found many great blogs that analyze photography and help inspire... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ztdavis at 7:49 PM on April 23, 2008

A. D. Coleman1, a photography critic for the Village Voice for decades upon decades, divides photography into two forms: directorial and what could be described as documentary or straight photography. There is a spectrum of creative control, on one end imagine a commercial photographer choosing his background, his model, the model's pose, the placement of lights, the frame of the photograph, his depth of field, his focus, and his exposure -- on the other end imagine throwing a camera into the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ztdavis at 6:36 PM on April 8, 2008

I moved from Bloomington, Indiana, to Chicago in a matter of unexpectedly short weeks.

I came up one weekend to scope out neighborhoods, and ended up on Roger's Park because I wanted to be close to the lake but also not spend much money (I have a one bedroom for $760). If you also want to be near the lake, it's great. If you want to have a short trip downtown or be near lots of bars, cafes, restaurants, etc, it is definitely not so much the place for you (it has all... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ztdavis at 7:20 PM on February 28, 2008

The Gitzo GT-530 is arguably the best option for you, but at $335 you have to really want it. And you still have to get a head for it.

It weighs .8 pounds, is 12.2 inches when collapsed, and 22 inches when expanded:

Gitzo's page on it

Gitzo's are hand made in Italy and built out of carbon fiber.....but absurdly expensive.

The Velbon's aren't bad, I have borrowed one and found it frustrating if... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ztdavis at 7:03 PM on February 28, 2008

Pocketwizards are awesome for strobes. They're awesome for old vivitars, etc. They are the best radio transmitters out there.

But Nikon's "Creative Lighting System" was built to be just that -- a system that gives you massive amounts of control without needing any other accessories.

If you have several SB-800s or SB-600s you'll be able to control them wirelessly from your camera, with full TTL metering. You can split them into groups,... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ztdavis at 12:51 PM on February 25, 2008

Homemade chips:

Tortillas
Corn Oil

Use scissors to cut about 10 or 15 tortillas (6" tortillas work well) in to six pieces.

Put almost a whole container of corn oil into a large pot, use high heat.

Fry the tortilla slices six to ten at a time until crispy.

Salt.

(I use a lot of paper towels when I do this -- two on a plate, a layer... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ztdavis at 7:04 PM on October 28, 2007

I'm in the same plight you are; I moved here to Chicago about three weeks ago. No friends here yet, but three of my friends will be moving here soonish. That's still incredibly few compared to the number I was used to in college. (although I am getting married this weekend and will, you know, be living with my wife, which should help).

I'm going to be busy for probably the better part of the next two or three weeks, but after that I was... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ztdavis at 10:13 PM on August 7, 2007

Blazecock Pileon: leg to leg about 2", his body is small enough.

But, yes, the markings on his back indicate otherwise anyway.

He's been vacuumed up (and best stay that way!), something I wouldn't have thought of own my own, so thanks everyone.

Still...best guess so far seems to be wolf spider, although I've seen many a wolfie and he didn't seem like one. So, for posterity and future reference, I guess I'm still looking for a better ID.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ztdavis at 9:57 PM on August 7, 2007

As a dude that works in a camera store, I suggest the following:

1. As people have mentioned, go to a store and feel the cameras. The XTi and D40 are tiny, and it is important that they feel like they have a good grip on them.

2. A 50mm f/1.8 will be manual focus only on the D40, but autofocus (and cheaper!) on the XTi.

3. XTi has five focus points to D40s 3.

4. Nikon has, by... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ztdavis at 9:55 PM on August 4, 2007

Otis:

This javascript, it vibrates?

I've fixed most of my problems now, and I used your javascript suggestion (which, to me, is like some kind of evil sorcery that I am all to willing to dabble in). You can see an example of it working here, as well as with the scrolling finally figured out.

But this magic still eludes me in four ways.

How can I:
1. use the same mouse over action to... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ztdavis at 11:28 AM on April 23, 2007

I often say:

Be well.

Be happy.

I hope you are well.

I'm thinking of you.

Do good work.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ztdavis at 8:08 PM on April 17, 2007

SCDB: I agree, I just didn't want to go off on that tangent in what was already a long question. I try to live a life free from any beliefs, but I do believe that God doesn't exist. I'm aware that that is a faith issue, even though my original plan when leaving religion was to get away from faith.

I would technically say that I am a strong agnostic, as I believe that it is impossible to know whether or not God exists. Since, though, I am ever the skeptic I also think... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ztdavis at 5:30 PM on April 10, 2007

tdischino: I want to read up more on child development, for starters. I don't want to ever lie to my children, but by the same token I don't want to start teaching them how to analyze big concepts like God or even something like parents that can have entirely different beliefs when they're still trying to multiply. My tentative plan is figure out guesstimations for what ages are best for bringing those topics up and play most of it by ear. I want to be open and honest, but... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ztdavis at 5:35 PM on April 10, 2007

dirtynumbangelboy:

I meant to put this in the question but I guess it was left out: by willing to raise them in the church I am willing to go to church with my wife while they are young and be a part of that community with them. I won't bow my head when people pray, I won't sing hymns, but I also won't deliberately confuse my kids by sleeping on Sunday and drinking beers until they come home. I am fine with going to church, but I will never tell my children that I... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ztdavis at 5:39 PM on April 10, 2007

clh:

I'm not necessarily expecting advice, and am thankful for you sharing your experience.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ztdavis at 5:44 PM on April 10, 2007

kmennie:

Inherent in my understanding of religion is that it is a matter of faith. I can't prove God does or doesn't exist. Since I can't prove it, even if I really strongly believe that God doesn't exist I don't know that he doesn't. As such, thinking someone is idiotic for believing in God would be the same as decrying myself for not believing in God: they're both matters of belief.

Thanks for insulting my fiancée, by the way.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ztdavis at 6:35 PM on April 10, 2007

Thanks to everyone for their comments.

necessitas: The fact that there is a lot of judgment and, perhaps, lack of respect involved in your contrasting views (you are going to hell and her beliefs are baloney) is worrisome.

I was being unfortunately playful with that sentence. The thing is, all of our discussions about this and our feelings towards each other in regards to religion are centered around a deep feeling of respect... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ztdavis at 7:43 PM on April 10, 2007

jcwagner: What criteria should I use to figure out what is safe and what isn't? I have a fair amount of camera equipment and one of my main concerns is theft.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ztdavis at 8:59 AM on April 2, 2007

ejaned8: This will probably be the first of several questions like this over the next six months. The question is kind of vague because I'm trying to figure out where, in a city as big as Chicago, to even start looking.

But what neighborhood in Chicago is similar to Bloomington, Indiana? I pay $320/month for a studio above a furniture store and two blocks from an international grocery, one block from a big chain grocery store, five blocks from dozens of restaurants and... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ztdavis at 9:09 AM on April 2, 2007

(and thanks for your link to Chicagocrime.org)
posted to Ask Metafilter by ztdavis at 9:10 AM on April 2, 2007

Wink Ricketts: We will be bringing one of our cars. How big of a deal is that?
posted to Ask Metafilter by ztdavis at 9:51 AM on April 2, 2007

O'Hare (in Chicago) used to play it fairly continuously in the long, underground flat-escalator ridden space between the domestic and international terminals.

I'm pretty sure.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ztdavis at 6:15 PM on March 23, 2007

Lost, House, Heroes, 24, Deadwood, Six Feet Under, The Wire.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ztdavis at 10:43 AM on March 22, 2007

Citicards has a dividends card that I've put to good use. It's something like 3% back at grocery stores, pharmacies, and gas stations: in other words, many of the purchases you'll make as a college kid.

You should not have to pay any annual fees, there are too many free cards out there for you to need to settle on one with an annual fee.

The lower the APR the better, but this only matters if you plan on carrying a balance and I definitely... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ztdavis at 7:50 PM on March 20, 2007

Please feel free to e-mail me (ztdavis alla gmail alla com) and we can chat about what camera might be best for you. I work five days a week selling cameras for a small shop in Bloomington, Indiana.

I second the advice on DP Review they have great and thorough reviews of SLRS.

Were I you, I would buy whichever camera you choose from B&H Photo and commit yourself to buying any accessories like memory cards, bags, a UV filter, etc. from the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ztdavis at 11:10 AM on March 19, 2007

(Briefly:
--Sony's A100 is probably the best for the money, but lacks a good support system. Look for a sale on it, it routinely comes down to $799 with the 18-70 kit lens).
--Nikon's D40 doesn't support autofocus on their older lenses, but is otherwise great.
--I personally dislike the way the Canon XTi feels / works, but that's me.
--I just bought a Nikon D80 that I love to death, but I don't know if you're looking to spend $1299.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ztdavis at 11:16 AM on March 19, 2007

peace_love_hope: I should have specified, but she is looking for something she can do with my father and I. I only glanced at your link, but that doesn't look like something that would work.

Although thanks for the link!

Airhen: I don't think that would work because of the date, but biking across Indiana (where we are) would definitely be a good idea, and more exciting than biking from Indianapolis to Bloomington.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ztdavis at 3:53 PM on March 18, 2007

My mother has rheumatoid arthritis and takes medication that causes bone loss. I e-mailed this to her and she replied with:

I read the post and replies and I don't have much to add to that. I take 1200mg+ calcium supplements, do weight-bearing exercise, and I take Fosamax. My bone density is still in the normal range even though I've been on prednisone for almost 10 years. Prednisone is the biggest bone destroyer there is, but it sounds like her birth control... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ztdavis at 10:46 AM on March 15, 2007

Perhaps not "treasure maps", but all archaeological digs involve searching for documentation before ever breaking ground.

My fiancé, a budding archaeologist herself that has been on three or four dig sites informs me that all archaeological digs go through these phases. In a quick e-mail she said:

Phase I identification surveys
heres where you look for historical indications there was a site here etc [where you look for... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ztdavis at 9:42 AM on March 15, 2007

Here's a thorough description of Phase I.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ztdavis at 9:45 AM on March 15, 2007

I was going to say the Odyssey or the Divine Comedy, but both of those seem closely tied to "western civilization".
posted to Ask Metafilter by ztdavis at 8:59 AM on March 15, 2007

Along the same line as tunnels:

1. Throw all the snow into one area and pack down (works best if you have to plow a driveway)
2. If it's at least 4' high, once packed, hollow it out starting at the bottom
3. Enjoy your new badass igloo
posted to Ask Metafilter by ztdavis at 9:04 PM on March 12, 2007

Sorry everyone, I shouldn't have asked this as I was going out of town for a few days.

Regarding LEDs:
The LED throwies don't seem as if they'll project enough light onto the surrounding environment. An LED on the ground won't do much for branches 20 feet in the air.

Regarding setting a flash off 25-50 times:
The project is an installation art class, so some kind of installation needs to be installed, even if it's just... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ztdavis at 12:14 PM on March 5, 2007

Lake Griffy is frozen over. Walking on a lake has a certain charm to it, especially this far south.

Maybe a quick dinner at Lonely Planet (above Soma), if you don't want dinner to be the main event, then coffee from Soma and a board game, then on to somewhere else?

(Not the most romantic thing, but if you're fun-loving it would work.)

...

I would avoid College Books.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ztdavis at 7:48 AM on February 12, 2007

(How many Bloomington MeFites are there anyway?)
posted to Ask Metafilter by ztdavis at 7:48 AM on February 12, 2007

I'm going to piggy back onto this question, as I was waiting 2 days, 14 minutes, and 35 seconds to ask an almost identical question. I was going to ask:

I want to stay up to date in today's art world, especially photography (but by no means exclusively), with RSS feeds. Magazines, newspaper columnists, blogs, particular critics, anything.

~~~~~

I spent a good portion of today trying to find feeds... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by ztdavis at 11:07 PM on February 11, 2007

(Oh, and I just downloaded BlogBridge to keep track of all of these feeds).
posted to Ask Metafilter by ztdavis at 11:11 PM on February 11, 2007

Planet of the Apes.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ztdavis at 2:41 AM on February 7, 2007

Speaking as a camera salesman, the 18-55 kit lens is crap, and even moreso if you get either the Tamron or the Sigma lens.

So please, don't get the kit lens. Think of the children.
posted to Ask Metafilter by ztdavis at 11:20 PM on January 30, 2007

Like this?
posted to Ask Metafilter by ztdavis at 3:04 PM on January 22, 2007 marked best answer

Miss Meg, odds are very good I'm going to buy the one you linked to. Thanks for your help!

(Although I'll probably take the picture to Argentum Jewelery and look into getting it custom made, so thank you fluffy battle kitten.)

(And thanks to everyone else, too.)
posted to Ask Metafilter by ztdavis at 8:13 AM on January 14, 2007