nostalgia (subtitle: tastes like burning)

I have a book under my bed that will hold something like 100 CDs. It's filled with computer discs; mostly burned media from college and old cracked computer programs such as AOE2 and WIN 98. Now that I've taken a semester off and officially resigned from formula car, (a result of my typical work day requiring 13-14 hours of my life) my weekends are actually pretty open. And since I'm in the middle of a paycheck-drought that comes with starting any new job, I've been catching up on my book-keeping. I've uncovered some pretty interesting stuff.

The first interesting archaeological find was my original MP3 collection, backed up onto two standard (not even the 700meg version) CDs. Those discs, burned in the first half of 1999 don't really compare to the 8739 songs composing 39.57 gigs on the imac right now... It's pretty amazing to think about those few precious songs that were listened to again and again in that cramped dorm room, often interrupted by a CD or two to break the monotony. Of course today, I've not yet even listened to half of the songs polluting my hard drive.

I found another sics that simply said "pics" and had material ranging from life in the dorms to a series of images from Sep 11.


Just another anonymous interviewee for the lode...


Kids today think they're tough. Rat-soup eatin muther fuckers.


And finally, I've included this because it makes me happy.


Remember when we tried to recreate this picture with just guys and we'd be standing on a snow bank with strategically placed discs? Yeah, the logistics, perhaps for good reason, never worked out on that one.


I also found all my photos from my "The Lode" days. Any one remember when the drag show came to tech? And we all pre-drank and then sneeked flasks into the show? And then we made out with those hot chicks who said they were only in town to see the show? (damn, even the drag-queens were unusually ugly at tech)


After reviewing the data, that drag show attracted a LOT of chicks (or alleged chicks) to the audience. It should have been a lot easier to scam some hoes there... but there's always that question in the back of your head.


And remember when i met that woman from Calumet and she asked me to take some pictures of her for a music CD cover? She insisted on paying me as well as giving me a copy of her CD which was, to this day, the WORST music i have ever heard. I kind of want to die just thinking about it. That CD was included free with the purchase of the caddy.


Keep in mind she designed all aspects of this shoot- I just made the clicks


Speaking of the caddy... If any object can, that car truly embodies the care-free, over the top days of college/past. Neary a conversation of the "long ago" comes up where someone doesn't bring up the caddy.


What can i say?


Likewise, there were the absurd Photo assignments. Like the rock-climbing club.


Remember when Scott got tough after high school?


Do you know how you get those awesome shots way up in the air? You take you camera gear and you climb that god damned wall.




And remember the "driving with a cell phone" assignment? Never mind the fact that there was only about 10 cell phones in Houghton at the time. (I of course had two of them) So how do you take a picture that demonstrates driving and cell-ing?


Dan the Man. The open road seen on his glasses seen on the mirror. Deep.

Two things to note about these pictures: 1) Wildman HATES cell phones and talking in general. This is, in come bizarr-O way, why he made the best candidate. 2) everything of interest in these photos (The car, the glasses, the phone and the monkey) were mine. P-I-M-P.



I always described the inside of the Caddy as "two recliners and a love seat." How did I NOT get more action back then?


And carnival... oh carnival.



another UN-STAGED photo for The Lode. Oh Dave.



And then that chick set herself on fire for me. (note: all donations go to red cross. i-RON-eee)


Finally, i present my only documented data that proves chicks dig cameras (and possible guys behind them) I encountered this chick around 2am of all nighter while shooting the crowd and she immediately put her face in the camera and stood on the button. She looks bent over because the camera was hanging around my neck and i was in the middle of a conversation with someone else- i think she was a friend of the person i knew. Three things are obvious to me now: She was wicked drunk, she loved to be in front of the camera and I was a fool.











Sigh. That's enough for one day. Some pictures i omitted for time: A picture of Mully taking a picture of girls dancing on our bar. (very surreal) Later, i would test that bar for integrity. Also, a picture of Lee's Hardcore-metal-godhead-little girl-dating-roommate. Also a picture of The Scotts and Katie. (mmf action at it's best)

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Edit: Oh Your Gods! I was reviewing the pics of that drunk chick and i just realized: in the second to last picture, one can clearly see the white Mr. T who I believe i had just been talking to previously. His photo can be seen here




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Edit: Upon further review, I think that's Sarah and some dude who ISN'T the white Mr. T in the background of that picture, but just looks like him from the chin down. I'm leaving the picture up there anyway.