more photos!
June 25, 2007birthday bash photos are up in the concerts gallery…
sidenote: i’d upload them to b93’s site - because they requested people to upload and share photos - but check out THIS little tidbit in their FAQ… there is NO way in the world i’d agree to this:
4. If I submit my pictures/videos to Project Eyewitness may I submit them to other news organizations? If I have previously submitted my pictures/videos to another news organization may I also submit them to Project Eyewitness?
Once you have submitted your pictures/videos to Project Eyewitness, we now own those materials so you may not submit them to other media. If you have previously submitted pictures/videos to another news organization you should check the terms and conditions of those submissions to determine whether you still have rights to the photos or videos and thus the right to submit them.5. If my pictures/videos are not used, does that mean I still own them?
No, once you click “I Agree” to the submission terms and upload your photo/videos, we own the rights to these photos whether they are used or not.
craaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaazy!
new photos
June 22, 2007i added a few MIS photos to the gallery. there’s also 2 new concert photos (hint: they’re the first 2 that display) and there will be a ton of new ones after this weekend… because this weekend is my first b93 birthday bash.
i’ve been trying to get the motivation to spin the gallery off into its own site. i may have to do that in the near future… that is, if jen and i don’t have 4 freelance sites to work on. (she’s had a few meetings/done estimates, so w may be busy soon.) plus, i’m going to a lecture w/ a sports illustrated staff photographer this afternoon over my lunch hour, so who knows what tips and tricks i’ll be able to pick up from him. 
more bank roulette
June 9, 2007the financial setup i outlined in this past post is no more.
i got rid of my 5/3 money market acct this morning. i got my email statement yesterday and the account’s interest rate had dropped in half out of nowhere, putting it at a pathetic .27%. granted, i only had $2550 in there - a $50 buffer over the required $2500 minimum - but still.
so the account’s gone and the money’s transferred over to my checking account (which will stay with 5/3, due to the ton of ATMs they have here). and monday, i’ll transfer most of it over to my hsbc account - to cash in a good $9/mo MORE in interest due to their 5.05% rate.
it involved a bit of waiting at the bank office, but it’ll be WELL worth it. plus my MVP gym membership ends at the end of the month, so that’ll be even more $ i’m saving a month.
so i’m down to this:
- checking acct @ 5/3
- online savings acct @ hsbc direct
- brokerage acct @ td ameritrade
- 401(k) through work
and if i can come across a good CD rate, i’d consider moving some $ into one of those again.
it’s not really as complicated as it may look
another financial step
May 28, 2007i finally got around to setting up a td ameritrade account using suze’s “save yourself” plan. i’m going to put at least $50 a month in there for a year, and then once i get the $100 bonus next may (for doing 12 months of $50 deposits), i’ll invest it - probably in something like vanguard’s total stock market ETF.
i’m thinking i’ll try to have $750-ish in there by this time next year. i don’t want to stick too much over the minimum in there to where i’m not maximizing what i get from my hsbc account though… i can’t complain w/ that free money.
to save some money, i’m going to cancel my membership at my current gym and join one that’s closer to my house and far cheaper. (right now i pay $33 a month & my company pays the other half, but on their half i get taxed at the end of the year. the new one is $19 a month and less than 2 miles from my house.)
so it’s a few relatively minor adjustments, but hopefully it’ll help out in a bigger way within a year or so. or maybe MI gas prices will keep being this dang high and it’ll all be for nothing! lol