brianreeder.com - I do what I want!

PS HERO is one of the best Photoshop Tutorial sites on the web. The tutorials are extremely digestible, and hold your hand through the process. Step-by-step (not the TV show, which was awesome. I really like Patrick Duffy and Suzanne Sommers… awesome) instructions with accompanying images doing a great job explaining the process. As well, their is a .psd file at the end of the tutorial if you need additional help or want to play around with the end result.

To date my favorite tutorial is definitely the “Basic Photo Reflections“. I had no idea how to do this, and managed to pull of a pretty solid image myself.

Here is the original image (from the tutorial):

And the Photoshopped image:

Not only does he do photo effects, but also graphic design, text effects, and general tips and tricks. He also takes requests!!!! I plan on requesting how he can help me eliminate all those pesky tourists from my otherwise picturesque photos…

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Because its great. A bit cheesy/cutesy at moments, but overall a great movie. The characters are developed well, acted beautifully, and are all believable. The dialogue is witty and well thought out, the drama feels real.

Go watch it.

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This is going to be very nerdy. I guess I am a nerd so this makes sense- but this is more so than usual.

The Golden Compass is the first of a three part book series dubbed “His Dark Materials”, written by Philip Pullman. It premieres as a movie + video game in December, and I have to admit I’m excited. I first read these books when I was probably 14, and loved them at the time. Hell, I still love them. And even when I first read them, my first and thought was; “someone should make a movie out of these”. I’m surprised it’s taken this long for them to come out, but with technology and film progressing (read: Lord of the Rings), I’m glad they have.

The book centers around a young girl named Lyra, who has a gold instrument that looks like a pocket watch that can tell her anything she wants to know. Sound nerdy?? IT IS.

But it’s awesome. The books are extremely well written, the story is perfectly laid out, and the trilogy leaves you wanting more. Regardless if you see the movie, read the book!

Buy the books.

The trailer:

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So you’re considering moving to Corvallis, Oregon (home of the Oregon State Beavers)…

I commend you for your decision, but not knowing you, I will put together as unbiased an assessment of this town as possible.

Corvallis is a small (50,000 including students) town about an hour and a half south of Portland. It is a college town. A common sight on a Thursday/Friday/Saturday is seeing a group of stumbling co-eds wandering towards the hopes of another party, and a more blacking drunk. Also a common sight are the game day tailgates, gawking fans, hyped-up sports fanatics, and popped collared frat guys.

But Corvallis does have its charm. It IS a small town, with all the charm of one. The farther from campus you get (probably only 10 blocks before a noticeable change), the more personality the town has. It is a place I would raise a family. It feels safe- taking a walk after dark is no problem, guy or girl, alone or with others.

The town has solid amenities- but not a lot of them. You won’t find much boutique shopping, high fashion, pricey restaurants, or exotic nightclubs. You will find grocery stores (WinCo is bomb-diggity cheap with great selection), casual dining (bars, taverns, quasi nice sit-down chains (Ruby Tuesday, Qdoba, etc.), etc.), and a lot of college food/convenience stores.

Corvallis’s bars are fun, but they get old- if you let them. If you like casual spots with burgers + fries, the game playing, and a jukebox, you’re golden. If you’re looking for raucous drunken bars with dollar pints and dancing bodies, you’re platinum.

The town is fun, if you take it with a grain of salt. It really is what you make it. If you need to quietly sit at home and study with a glass of wine and Mozart playing- live a little ways from campus. If you want the college atmosphere, get in the thick of things.

You can walk most places (no more than a half mile to most anything you need), but its nice having a car. Portland isn’t too far, and a weekend in the big(ger) city is great occasionally.

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I’ve usually enjoyed book-to-film adaptations. I mean, who can’t like “Lord of the Rings”, right? But I was concerned that the adaptation of Jon Krakauer’s “Into The Wild” would not be up to snuff, even with Sean Penn directing.

Fortunately, I was dead wrong. This was the best book-to-film adaptation I have ever had the pleasure of seeing. The movie developed the character of Chris McCandless brilliantly, telling his story with emotion and depth.

Go see it. “Into The Wild”’s website. Jon Krakauer.

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