so i haven't updated since july, and i have no idea why that is. i mean, i read this thing every day. my friends list is still my homepage, at least on firefox (safari gets suicide girls). so let's see...

we moved into the new house and will make our second mortgage payment just before the election. we're still getting things unpacked and situated (we're lazy/have no time to spend on such things), but now we have a deadline: amy's family is coming here for thanksgiving. but we've got the important things set up. the stereo sounds great up in the loft, the new sheets and comforter look great in the bedroom, and our lawn is complete with obama/biden sign.

music work is up and running. i recently gigged at temple israel for rosh hashanah and yom kippur. temple israel is a reformed synagogue, so a non-jew in the choir is certainly fine. i was very impressed by the focus on the family unit and the congregational family. and for yom kippur the sermon focused on atonement between fellow human beings, not to god, with an emphasis on personal accountability. it was certainly a refreshing perspective from the typical protestant rhetoric i grew up with.

photo work is building. i photographed the blues ball for vip magazine, where i met BUZZ ALDRIN (if you follow me on twitter, you heard all about it). i may be shooting the december cover for vip as well. and i shot my first jewish wedding last weekend. between that and the singing, i have to admit, jews definitely have more fun. maybe i'll convert? probably not, but you never know. anyways, i have another wedding coming up in november, possibly two. and i'll be buying some new equipment this week. first is the 24-70 f/2.8 nikkor. i've been playing with it for a week now (lensrentals.com is local!), and i'm pretty set on it now. second is a pocket wizard for wireless flash triggering. and down the road i'll pick up the 70-200 f/2.8 vr and the new 50 f/1.4 af-s, assuming sample photos show a marked improvement over the d version i have now (still my favorite lens). and maybe if i have enough i'll buy the 14-24 f/2.8 before europe next summer (or i could just rent it. that lens is pretty crazy).

i guess that's about it. i'm pretty sick of politics these days. i'm just ready for all of it to be over with. i'll probably vote early, and i'll certainly vote for obama. unfortunately i live in one of those "red" states where my vote won't really matter. and yeah, i've read all the positives and negatives of the electoral college, and i can't say direct elections would actually be better, but dammit, it would sure make me feel better. also, when did socialism become a bad thing, and anti-american thing? apparently it's not a bad thing when it helps the rich. but that's fodder for another post.

at least stewart and colbert have lots of good material lately. and i think i love david gergen, too. and if mccainpalin becomes president, i'm definitely leaving the country.

here's the way i see it (and i've mentioned this in comments on other people's lj's). by the time of the 2012 election, the republican party will undergo a split. the more moderate reps will have finally had enough of the neocons ruining the party's name, there will be a big falling out, a lot of name calling, someone's belongings will end up on the front lawn, and then who knows? maybe the libertarians will be the next major party. it's going to be interesting to watch.

oh, and i have two flickr accounts now. one is for parties, events, weddings, shows, etc., and one is for the goods.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/igorxa
http://www.flickr.com/photos/miscxa

yeah, i'm tired now.