Being a photographer, I know how hard it is to make some money from this hobby. I have taken close to 10,000 photos and posted them to Geek Alabama. I have still not gotten hired or paid for my work. And it’s almost two years of being unemployed for me sadly. Freelance photographer Julianna Hunter is running her own Kickstarter project to further her career by taking and sharing photos!
Julianna Hunter has plans to do two different photo shoots. One project will be farmers across the state of Alabama and the other is a combination of black and white circus images from a short project she worked on and a combination of images she has taken over the past few years. Julianna will probably take at least one photo a day if not more. Most of them are of things around where she lives and what she sees as she walks her dogs or runs across throughout her day, truly her vision. Sometimes they’re projects she gets to work on and feel strongly about. Other times they’re just about what’s around us. These are her words – these images.
If you back this Kickstarter project, you can choose from several great photographs Julianna Hunter has taken. Here are a few:
Julianna Hunter says pictures shouldn’t be hidden away but shared. She wants to do these two photo shoots and share her work with the Birmingham Alabama community. The money will go to print out, frame, and set up her shows. Believe me, the costs for special photo paper, inks, and other stuff is not cheap!
As of May 22nd, this Kickstarter project has around $1,750 of the $2,200 goal they need to be funded. And as you know in Kickstarter, a project is not funded until the fundraising goal is reached! This project only has 3 days left to reach the $2,200 goal. For a pledge of $5, you will get a 5×7 print photograph. For a pledge of $20, you will get a 8 1/2 x 11 matted print photograph. There are higher pledge levels like framed photographs and a chance to have Julianna Hunter come out for a photo shoot.
What do you get when you combine the popular song Gangnam Style and a hospital in Alabama? You get the viral video called Rockin ER! Huntsville Hospital took Gangnam Style and had much of their staff dance for the video. The video was produced for the Huntsville Hospital Foundation’s Lifesaver Club Video Music Awards and earned the ER more than $2,500 to be used for new equipment. I thought they did a very good job in this video below, enjoy!
So, I have posted here on Geek Alabama about what I want to do with the blog. I am wanting to take the Geek Alabama blog to the next level. But without hardly any money, there is not much I can do. I am wanting to make Geek Alabama a place where you go for great news, geek and nerd information, interviews, videos, photos, recipes, and much more! To get started, I made a video talking about Geek Alabama’s Future plans and made a video showcasing the things I do on Geek Alabama.
I have already gotten some of the future plans already going. First off, I have done two Roadscapes videos of I-759 and Jacksonville.
And I have done two cooking videos showing you how to make cookies and cream cupcakes and pizza grilled cheese with oven french fries.
I have even gotten a chance to speak to business owners at a Calhoun County Chamber function. But nothing has happened from that video yet.
I have had several people ask me “why do you not start a photography business?” Well it’s simple, I don’t have the equipment needed to start one. I would need a better DSLR camera with attachment lens. And I would need a new and better computer to process the photos and videos I would take. It would probably cost around $5,000 to get everything I would need. As for the blog, I have had to turn down several opportunities like paid reviews and interviews just because this blog is hosted through WordPress.com. So my other step would be to move this blog to be hosted through WordPress.org. To do this, I would hire someone to move all the posts and design an awesome new website. The only way to have local people advertise on Geek Alabama is to move to WordPress.org.
This new website and move would cost a couple thousand dollars. Many people across Alabama and the country have come to Geek Alabama since it launched in August 2011. I am happy I have promoted many awesome events through posts, photos, and videos! I would do more of this across Alabama, Georgia, and the southeast if money was no issue. I have done the Geek Alabama blog and have been unemployed for almost two years now. Yes, I have done many events on an empty stomach and without simple things like water because I am trying to conserve money. That’s not fun!
So, at the end, I am wanting to continue making Geek Alabama one of the top blogs in Alabama and the southeast! To do this, I am going to need new camera and video equipment with microphones, a new and better computer, money to hire someone to redesign the blog/website, equipment to do recipes, stuff to make and put in a video background. Most of the background stuff would be geeky and nerdy! I have talked with The Advantage Capital Enterprise System but nothing has happened there yet. So my next step is to start an online fundraiser through Indiegogo.
This fundraiser for $15,000 would be for all the future plans for Geek Alabama. For people who decide to pledge money for this fundraiser, there will be some awesome perks available! Keep in mind, nothing will be offered if the fundraiser is not successful! You could decide to get a t-shirt from one of these three designs. These designs are for the back of the t-shirt.
Or you could decide to get an awesome book. The two books I am going to offer will be great. One would feature some of the best photos I have taken since the blog got started. The other would showcase some of the recipes along with some road drawings!
Look for this fundraiser to launch on Saturday. I am partly doing this fundraiser around the time of the Alabama Phoenix Festival for one reason, because I know some people will pledge a little money to keep Geek Alabama going. I do the Geek Alabama blog because there is a huge geek/nerd culture in Alabama, Georgia, and the southeast. Sure, not many people thinks this, but there are many people who are geeks and nerds and they live in Alabama. I also do this blog to prove to people that having Asperger’s Syndrome is something that does not limit you. I think I have proven that one so far!
There are only three meeting days left in the 2013 Alabama Legislative session. And I wanted to write this post to talk about some of the bills I want to see passed before the session wraps up. If there is any indication, Alabama will once again become the laughing stock of the country because the Alabama Legislature failed to pass some common sense bills.
HB 188 : Veterinary Practice Act
Sadly, this bill is still in the news. If the legislators had any common sense, this bill would have passed already! The bill has passed the house and is awaiting action in the senate. This bill legitimizes and legalizes non-profit veterinary clinics in the state of Alabama. And it allows veterinarians practicing in non-profit clinics to practice high quality medical care without restriction on the day of their surgery. Recovery times, medications needed, and the like are all up to the veterinarian who performs the surgery. This bill would be great for Alabama. But some people wants this bill to go down in flames.
The Alabama Veterinary Medical Examiners Board is wanting to kill HB 188 because SB 25 has been killed. Here is a piece of a statement they sent out.
So, since the best legislation for pets, vets and citizens has been buried in the committee wasteland, we are left with no choice but to play the game of politics to prevent further damage being done to this profession. The only way to salvage some degree of victory this session is to put all efforts into killing HB 188.
Every veterinarian in the state of Alabama who values what this profession is, who wants to see it continue to be a proud profession with high standards, and who wishes to pass on a legacy of a quality private practice to a child, or a colleague, needs to contact their senator TODAY and ask them to support Senator Paul Bussman in stopping HB 188.
All evidence indicates that SB 25 will get stuck in committee. We must kill HB 188 in the senate today to stop this attack on our profession.
I have said this before, some veterinarians wants to shut down low-cost spay and neuter clinics so they can continue to charge hundreds of dollars to perform spay and neuters. This is an issue of some people wanting to be greedy and it’s wrong! This is my inner geek and nerd speaking. Us geeks and nerds hates seeing people being greedy. It’s something we never like seeing and we wish it would stop! Why do people have to be so greedy and not pay your workers fairly? What are you going to do with all that money? Use it as toilet paper?
The Mississippi Legislature just passed a bill allowing the home brewing of beer. That means Alabama is the last state in the country to outlaw homebrewing. There is a bill in the legislature to make homebrewing legal. But sadly, unless a miracle happens, this bill will die.
The bill would allow those 21 and older to make up to 15 gallons of beer, wine, mead, or cider every three months for personal use. It would not be legal in dry counties or dry cities. Those convicted of felonies would not be allowed to homebrew. This is one of those common sense bills that needs to pass. But it’s not stopping ALCAP who are a nonprofit lobbying organization backed by churches from opposing this bill. So let’s get this straight, some churches wants to keep Alabama in the dark ages, right?
HB 462 : Alabama Payday Loan Bill
The payday loan industry is big in Alabama. Did you know that interest rates for payday loans approach 456 percent? The payday loan bill would reduce the fees that can be charged from $17.50 per $100 borrowed to $12.50 per $100 borrowed. It would prohibit borrowers from taking out more than six loans per year. And it would establish a statewide database that would track all payday loans.
The rates would be reduced slightly but more needs to be done. The payday loan lobbying group called Borrow Smart Alabama actually said some payday loan stores would close if this bill passed. Look, I have no problem seeing businesses that are wanting to help people who needs some quick cash. But when you charge these extremely high interest rates, I consider it predatory lending.
SB 446 : Alabama Gambling Bill
Gambling has been a hot issue in Alabama. Every state around Alabama has legalized either a lottery or casinos. There is now a bill in the legislature that would actually toughen gambling penalties. The bill will raise the penalty for possession of a gambling machine from a misdemeanor to a felony. It also would raise the penalty for promoting gambling from a misdemeanor to a felony if a profit of $10,000 or more was on the line.
Some people thinks gambling is evil and wrong. But I am here to say that gambling is alive in Alabama and it needs to be expanded! How many of you bet on football games every fall with your friends or at the office? How many of you drive to Georgia, Florida, or Tennessee when the lottery jackpot hits a high number? Alabama will never be able to outlaw all gambling. It might as well legalize it and tax it so the state can have the funds to provide an education for children.
Alabama Welfare Drug Testing Bill
There’s a very good chance a bill to drug test some people on welfare will pass the legislature. The bill would require welfare participants who have had a drug conviction within the last five years to take a drug test, along with anyone who welfare officials have a reasonable suspicion about. This is a bill that I have no problem seeing passed. But I also wanted to talk about this.
Some people have the opinion that all people on welfare and food stamps are lazy bums who sits around all day and does not want to work. This kind of opinion is shortsighted and dangerous. I am on food stamps because no one wants to hire me. I have filled out over 300 job applications for jobs from factories to fast-food. No one wants to hire me because this will be my 14th job in seven years and I have a disability, although I never tell any employers about that. Some people have to rely on welfare or food stamps because no one will give them a chance. This must change!
I will be watching the Alabama Legislature in the last three working days. Some other bills the legislature are considering includes a bill that declares “All federal acts, laws, orders, rules or regulations regarding firearms are a violation of the Second Amendment.” Some bills that also needs to pass includes a bill to license motorcycle drivers, Alabama is the only state in the country that does not regulate motorcycle licenses. I would also like to see bills that would level the playing field over taxes. The poor pay much more taxes than the rich in Alabama. That needs to change!
On Saturday I went to Birmingham due to all the events being rained out in NE Alabama / NW Georgia. I went to Kingdom Comics in Vestavia Hills Alabama to the Free Comic Book Day event! The line went way back as many people came out to this event! Along with folks from the Alabama Phoenix Festival attending. Many people were dressed in costumes from many geek genres such as Star Wars, Star Trek, Superman, Batman, Ghostbusters, and many more!
The goal of Free Comic Book Day is to encourage people of all ages to read comic books. When you see young kids reading a comic book it has to put a smile on your face. Comic books have exploded in popularity due to superhero movies and some TV shows based off of comic books like The Walking Dead. If you did not have a chance to get a comic book, go out to our local comic book shop and pick a few up!
Here’s an awesome video from the YouTube channel Artfelt Appeal.
I wanted to show this video off that I know many of you will enjoy! This video shows a Star Wars character from the Alabama 501st Legion in a Gyroscope Ride!
In honor of the second anniversary of the April 27th tornado outbreak. I wanted to do a post highlighting the local people in NE Alabama / NW Georgia who covers weather. These people are not meteorologists working at a TV station or the National Weather Service. These people volunteers their time on social media to warn people of upcoming severe weather. Many of these people goes out to chase storms and sends their video and pictures to local TV stations. So here are the people and organizations you need to follow to keep up with severe weather!
Alabama Storm Spotters – Scott McClellan
Scott McClellan has been a fan of weather since age 5. Scott is a graduate of Saks High School and Jacksonville State University and has been an active storm chaser since 1988, and SKYWARN trained for over 15 years. Scott is a storm chaser for WIAT-TV CBS 42 out of Birmingham, AL and can be heard occasionally on WXJC 92.5 FM in Birmingham, with Greg Davis on Priority Talk.
This organization is run by Chris Metcalfe, a former volunteer firefighter at Carroll County Fire Station No. 9 in Villa Rica, and is self-admittedly mesmerized by all things weather. West GA Weather serves the West Georgia area as well as East Alabama to provide updates on weather condition and Watches, Warning, and Advisories throughout the area. They have a fleet of trained storm spotters stationed throughout West Georgia to help provide LIVE weather and notify the WGW center to give up to the minute updates.
F.O.R.E.C.A.S.T. Followers of Rural East-Central Alabama Storm Team
Their goal is to keep YOU safe during the storm! They are your source for weather emergencies in Blount, Calhoun, Cherokee, Dekalb, Etowah, Marshall, and St. Clair counties of Alabama. They utilize real-time Dopplar Dual-Pol radar imagery, and thanks to today’s technology, they are DIRECTLY linked to the NWS in Birmingham and Huntsville, to keep you informed during severe weather. Any time a severe weather warning is issued for ANY of their counties, you will receive immediate notification.
The mission of this group is to share with the public, the basic science of severe and hazardous weather of the Southeast through preventative measures such as education and reporting on forecasts, and reactive measures such as storm chasing and real severe weather updates for their immediate coverage area and the Southeast. They cover these NW Georgia and NE Alabama counties: Bartow, Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade, Floyd, Gordon, Polk, Paulding, Walker, Whitfield, Calhoun, Cherokee, Cleburne, Etowah, DeKalb, and Jackson Counties.
The Alabama Storm Trackers is run by Storm Chaser Brett Adair out of Sylacauga. Their goal is to provide up to the minute severe weather information and field coverage to save lives and property. This group is affiliated with FOX 6 and LIVEStormsNOW.com to live-stream severe weather coverage across the internet!
Tennessee Valley Storm Trackers / East Alabama Storm Trackers
This group is run by Tommy Self and he has been a storm chaser since 1998. He founded the Tennessee Valley Storm Trackers in North Alabama, and has since expanded into East Alabama and started a new chase team called East Alabama Storm Trackers. Tommy is an Advanced Skywarn Spotter and currently lives in Pell City Alabama. He streams live severe weather video for Waff 48 in Huntsville, and CBS 42 in Birmingham as well as report live from the field for 104.3 WZYP radio in north Alabama.
Mike Wilhelm has been watching Alabama weather for 40 years, storm chasing & spotting for 25 years, & sharing it online for 15+ years. Mike is a storm chaser for WHNT Channel 19 in Huntsville, a WeatherBrains podcast contributor, and a ABC 33/40 Birmingham Skywatcher. His website at http://www.bamawx.com/ is full of great information!
The Cherokee County Storm Chaser’s is a non-profit organization built of volunteers that consist of amateur Ham Radio operators. They cover Cherokee County Alabama during severe storms. They help to determine the location of storms and damage during and after the storms. They monitor by radar and by amateur radio.
And don’t forget me Nathan Young! I also do weather coverage and have had weather photos and videos featured on WeatherNation and all Birmingham TV stations! Follow me on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/nvyoung and on Twitter @nvyoung.
On the two-year anniversary of the April 27th tornado outbreak, former Auburn 2-sport legend Bo Jackson is planning to ride his bike to continue his mission to raise $1 million for tornado recovery. In this event dubbed “Bo Bikes Bama 2″, Bo Jackson will ride through tornado ravished Walker County and the town of Cordova, Alabama. Participants will have the option to join Bo for a 20-mile or 60-mile route and all money raised will support the Governor’s Emergency Relief Fund to help meet unmet needs from the devastating April 27, 2011 tornadoes. And if you don’t think the needs are still great from the people effected from the tornado outbreak, watch this video below.
Bo Bikes Bama was created by Bo Jackson in 2011 with the help of Trek, Nike and Capital Sports & Entertainment to address unmet recovery needs faced by Alabamians. The inaugural event attracted hundreds of cyclists, from as far away as Canada, to New Jersey and California. Over the course of five days, Bo and sports icons like Ken Griffey, Jr., Scottie Pippin and Picabo Street, rode through some of the most devastated areas of Alabama, crossing the finish line in Tuscaloosa.
To date, Bo Bikes Bama has raised more than $600,000 for the Governor’s Emergency Relief Fund, which was established by Alabama Governor Robert Bentley immediately following the devastating April 2011 storms. The Fund helps Alabamians who have exhausted all other avenues of disaster relief provided by insurance, government funding and relief organizations. In addition to repairing and rebuilding homes, the Fund has helped build several community storm shelters to protect Alabamians from future storms.
The southeastern United States has a huge geek and nerd culture! And somehow, most of it has gone unnoticed. Every metro area has many geeks and nerds and the website GeekWire named Atlanta as the geekiest city in America! So yes, the south has geeks and nerds, and that’s why Geek Alabama does very well! Anytime another blog focusing on the geek and nerd culture starts up, it’s a good thing. And for the people up in the Nashville Metro, I introduce to you Nashville Geek Life!
Nashville Geek Life is an upcoming online hub for Nashville’s growing geek culture. Comprised of a growing collaboration of writers, designers, and other geeky creatives, NGL’s mission is to promote as much “geek life” in Nashville as possible. From conventions, to businesses, and everything in-between — if it’s geeky and in the Nashville area, they will feature it. Content provided will include articles, blog columns, press releases, event listings, interviews, and more.
Nashville Geek Life plans to launch on April 30th. And to get ready, they’re throwing a party to celebrate! The Nashville Geek Life launch party will be on Saturday April 27th and at Flying Saucer, 111 10th Ave South in Nashville, TN. Join local geeks at Flying Saucer to enjoy food, brews, and some like-minded conversation. Staff and writers will also be available to talk about NGL and their future plans for the site and the local community. If you’re a geek, know a geek, or just want to hang out with some, this event is just right for you!
On Saturday I went to the 2013 Calhoun County Autism Walk held at Saks High School. This event was a fundraiser for the Autism Society of Alabama. As you know, the number of people with autism has gone up through the years. The last official count was 1 in 88 kids has autism. Although another study said 1 in 50 kids has autism. Many people turned out for this event and a lot of money was raised for autism research and awareness.
Autism is something that effects me as I have Asperger’s Syndrome. So I am happy to come to events like this and raise awareness of this developmental disorder. We have got to do anything we can to find a cure for autism! Enjoy the photos from this great event!
This is week 65 in my series of Shape Up! The weekly post on what I did over the last week in my quest to getting healthier.
Shape Up! – Week 65
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Let’s admit it, whenever people thinks about obesity and being overweight, most people tends to turn to people in the south like Alabama and Mississippi. For years now, we have seen story after story saying Mississippi and Alabama are the two fattest states in the country. Yes, there are people down who are obese or overweight. And we tend to love foods that are fried or are very sweet. UAB did a study and the bad publicly about Mississippi and Alabama being the fattest states just might not be true!
UAB’s researchers did a study and they found that people living in the Midwest states of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa and Missouri had a higher obesity rate than people living in the southeast including Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and other states. The mid-western states had a obesity rate of 41% compared to the southeastern states that had a obesity rate of 31%! 31% is still not good but at least the south is not the worst in something. So why did people get the reputation that people
living in the south are fat and obese. Simple, because people in the south have good matters and are truthful!
I am not going to say this is a huge victory for people in the south. I mean, 31% obesity is still a very high number! This study really shows the overall picture of obesity in America. And it’s not just a problem with people in the south or people in poverty. The entire country has a major problem with obesity. And it’s going to take a lot of work to reverse the obesity trends in America. People needs to start eating healthier and exercising more. Sometimes being overweight can be caused by genetics. But most of the time, being overweight is caused by someone not taking care of their own bodies. You can view this study at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/oby.20451/abstract
So, what did I do in the last week? Since I have been unemployed for 22 months now, I have been only eating one meal a day with a small snack. And my only exercising has involved some walking. I don’t have the money to get a personal trainer or join a gym. I wish I did, because my weight loss has been stuck in neutral. Over the last few weeks I have not noticed any major weight loss or gain. So until I can get some money, my weight loss journey is stuck. If someone would pay me, things would change!
I have kept this under wraps for a while now but the time has come to announce the future plans for Geek Alabama, and with some help, Geek Alabama is going to undergo some awesome changes! First off, I wanted to talk about the Geek Alabama social media sites on Facebook, Twitter, Google +, and on the new YouTube channel! Yes, I am creating a new YouTube channel to post stuff from the blog. I am still keeping my own YouTube channel for personal stuff! To get things started, here is a special video from me talking about the potential changes coming soon!
It has been over one year since Geek Alabama has launched. Many people have viewed this blog. I have also gotten a lot of tweets, Facebook messages, and e-mails from people inviting me to their events or thanking me! The first major change involves the possible TV deal. Here is a post talking about my ideas for a TV show.
Right now, Danny Passman from Crybaby Media is busy with stuff and I hope something will come through very soon! The next change involves a new website. WordPress.com has been a great home for Geek Alabama. But if I want to grow this blog and add local ads I have to move to WordPress.org. I am wanting to hire a special company who designs special blog websites. I would love to do this very soon and move Geek Alabama forward! Here’s a special slide show I made about blogging and social media.
The next change involves the Guy’s Cuisine portion of Geek Alabama. Yes, I will continue to do recipe posts on Geek Alabama. But I think it’s time to make a wonderful addition! I am wanting to do recipe videos! I want to make these videos around 3-6 minutes long and cover a variety of things! One great example is the YouTube channel Laura in the Kitchen. Here is one of her videos showing you how to make chocolate waffles!
The next change involves the Roadscapes posts. I will continue to do weekly posts about roads and infrastructure. But I want to make a great addition. There are videos online showing highways in high-speed with music in the background. I would like to start making high-speed highway videos! One example from YouTube is from the channel Freewayjim.
I am wanting to do even more reviews of things from video games, board games, apps, products, just about anyone who wants their products reviewed will get it if they ask Geek Alabama to do it! For example, I think Geek Alabama can start doing long-form reviews of video games! The YouTube channel ArcadeSnowDogs already does this!
Another great change I am wanting to make is an addition of a daily weekday video of about 1-2 minutes long. These videos would talk about some of the biggest stories in the geek culture. Anything from TV, movies, games, tech, gadgets, would be talked about! I would like to lead this to an eventual podcast like you see on the website This Week In Tech. My short videos would be like the videos you see on the YouTube channel NewsyWorld.
Geek Alabama would also continue to cover the local scene in Alabama, Georgia, the Southeast, and the country! One of the reasons why Geek Alabama was started was to promote and talk about the businesses, events, culture, people, music, and things geeky and nerdy! One of the most popular features on Geek Alabama is the coverage of local events, especially on the weekends when most events happen! Some of the most popular events that have been covered so far includes high school sports coverage, arts coverage, convention coverage, and a special event involving Aimee Copeland!
Along with these awesome changes and additions, Geek Alabama would also continue to do the stuff you see on this blog all the time. Everything from TV and movie reviews, local topic coverage, weekend events, major stories, Animation news, business and product reviews, special projects, special people, geeky and nerdy stories, etc. would still be talked about. Sounds great right! Sadly, there’s one problem and it involves that green paper called money. I wish our society would not revolve around money, money, and more money!
To do these things I am wanting to do, it will cost over $10,000. I am going to need new camera equipment and microphones, a new and better computer, money to hire someone to redesign the blog/website, equipment to do recipes, stuff to make and put in a video background. Most of the background stuff would be geeky and nerdy! This is where The Advantage Capital Enterprise System comes in! We talked about this program a few weeks ago on Geek Alabama. I think the blog/website would be a great candidate and with some help, Geek Alabama can grow to become a great website!
I want to make Geek Alabama the home for local scene flavor, great recipes, wonderful interviews, coverage of local sports, pictures and videos of local events, business and product reviews, coverage of geeky and nerdy topics, you get the idea! If something big happens in Alabama, Georgia, or the geek, nerd, or technology world, I want people to come to Geek Alabama! Me, Nathan Young can turn Geek Alabama to a great blog/website just like others such as Magic City Post, Rocket City Mom, B-Metro Magazine, Nashville Geek Life, GeekDad, GeekMom, and many more!
I don’t want the successes of Geek Alabama to end anytime soon! But without some help, Geek Alabama can not move forward! If I can grow Geek Alabama, the blog can make money and become very successful! Eventually I could bring in new writers and they could receive money for covering stuff and writing on Geek Alabama. I look forward to these changes! Hopefully I can make a major announcement during the Alabama Phoenix Festival on Memorial Day weekend!
