matthew's journals

I saw eden today.  Shes cool.  i miss her.  thats weird.

alice

nylon pink

more mcho

look at that huge ass bridge they are trying to build over the hoover damn

1 Ask the important questions at the onset, to make sure you are both clear on the parameters of the relationship. Setting parameters such as naming your relationship ( dating, seeing each other, boyfriend/girlfriend, engaged)as well defining exclusive(limited to one person,) non exclusive. These can be difficult and awkward questions to ask, but will save you great heartache and misunderstanding down the line. Example: "Are you open to the possibility of relocating if the relationship should become more serious?"or "What are you looking to get out of the relationship?". Stating your end goal or ideas will allow each person to maintain what they need.

2 Communicate in some way every day, more than once if possible. Since you won't be seeing each other, it's important to establish and maintain an emotional connection. These don't have to be long, in-depth conversations (though those should occur sometimes). Tell each other about your little triumphs and tragedies. Ask for advice. Use an instant messenger program or VoIP for real-time chat, or web cams for that visual connection. While instant messaging and e-mails play a large role in long distance relationships, remember that they can in no way replace verbal communication. E-mail is great so make sure you use it, especially if long-distance phone calls put a strain on your budget. (Even though phone calls might get a little too expensive, there are special cards you can buy if you are to call each other from different countries. There will be no problem with costs as they are very cheap. We highly recommend these from experience.) Remember that e-mail and even instant messengers increase the possibility of misunderstandings. Write love letters. Send small gifts or flowers for no reason. In this case, quantity is as important as quality. You may discover an advantage over others whose partner is close at hand - you don't take communication for granted!

3 Do things together. Defy the distance. Frequent communication is a great thing when it can be managed in a long distance relationship. However, constant communication over the phone alone may tend to drag people down in the long run. It's important to do other things together besides the usual phone call. Just think... people in short-distance relationships do not spend the majority of their time talking, but rather doing things with each other. Try to replicate this by finding things to do together such as watching a TV show or movie simultaneously. For an extensive list of more things you can do with each other (or for each other)

4 Take advantage of the benefits a long distance relationship offers: more time with friends and/or family, no arguments over toothpaste caps, the pleasure of seeing your sweetheart again after a long absence, time to mull your options (rather than snapping at your partner impulsively) before you respond to that email s/he wrote that seemed so rude the first time you read it, etc. Most important, being far apart gives you a chance to maintain your individuality - something that can get lost in the shuffle when couples spend all their free time together.

5 Pursue common interests, even if it means pursuing them apart. If there's a movie you're both interested in seeing, watch it individually and then call each other afterward and talk about it. Read a certain book at the same time. Stargaze while you're on the phone. Set your watches to go off at the same time every day, and synchronize your alarm with that of your partner. Make it a point to think of each other when your watch goes off, and revel in the fact that he or she is thinking about you, too. Find creative ways to bond.

6 Avoid the temptation to be controlling. People have free will and no one can or should control another person. As long as you are both interested in being in the relationship, you will stick with it and distance will not make a difference. As soon as one of you decides the other is not a good match - or someone else is a better match - your relationship ends, whether you live 3000 miles apart, two streets over, or share the same bed with your wedding picture on the wall. You are going to have to trust each other completely if this relationship is going to work.

7 Talk about your future together. Assuming that ultimately you'd want to live together, discussing how you're going to get to that point will help you prove to each other that the relationship is going somewhere and that your efforts and frustrations are not in vain.

8  Know when to say good-bye. While this is tough in any relationship, this can be especially hard over long distances. When communication becomes one-sided or sparse for too long and for no apparent reason, when arguments (yes, you'll have them) become too frequent, when the whole thing just seems like more trouble than it's worth, it's time to re-evaluate the relationship. You have to remember that for a healthy relationship, no matter how far or close, you must be willing to let go.

9 Remember: things will get better with time, and even the relationship will become better. Have hope.

10 Visit often Try to make the time to visit each other as often as possible or as often as your budget permits you to. A relationship cannot thrive if the only thing you have is the phone calls. You need to see each other up close and personal every chance you get. The key here is to set up some "rules" about frequency of communication and visits and stick to them, consistency can help a LDR survive.

11 Avoid jealousy and be trusting One of the easiest ways to destroy a perfectly healthy relationship is to poison it with jealousy and drama. When you start a long distance relationship you must be realistic of the difficulties ahead. It always helps if you go in a relationship with the idea that everyone is innocent and worth of trust until proven otherwise. Don't fall in the trap to interrogate your partner every time he/she decides to go out for a drink with people you haven't met or he/she didn't get back to you right away when you called and left a message. Just because you are in a LDR, you lives won't pause. Your partner will naturally have a social life where he/she lives and so should you. Sure it helps to have your eyes open and not be totally naive but being overly suspicious is unhealthy for you and your relationship too. You should both maintain your social activity and be happy with yourselves.

12 Be positive Staying positive and not focusing on the negative aspects of a LDR is essential to keeping your relationship blooming and your partner content. Being away from your sweetie is not all bad news. Use the opportunity of personal time to pursue your interests and hobbies as well as your career objectives. Another positive points it that long distance dating pushes both of you to be more creative, communicate better since you don't have "face-to-face" time and test your feelings. As long as you see the long distance relationship as a temporary state, you will keep your chin up and transmit that feeling of security and happiness to your partner too.

Long distance dating is all about a balanced relationship between partners; a relationship built on strong foundations of trust, understanding and determination to make it work. The two partners should be reasonable about their expectations and willing to cooperate so that this relationship can lead to a happy ending. If these parameters are taken care of, you have nothing to worry about.

if you were trying to get across sepulveda pass yesterday at 7 am then you already know there was a fire at the getty center.  and the freeway was closed.. i was parked for 4 hours at sepulveda and 405.  it was BANANAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!  i saw two car fires and a police car driving on the wrong side of the road smash into a commuter...  i just turned my car off to save gas and waited... sitting in your car is boring.  traffic in los angeles is bad

i shot some eyewear the other day and it was 70's retro so i shot the brown wall and green carpet.. finally a shoot for the "brown wall"! sweeeet. 

OMG the silver wall again

here is a reality show that i shots stills for.  it is cool actually seeing the shows that i worked on.  i watched the whole season.

http://fearless.msn.com

an intervelometor it a motor for a camera that regulates the shutter to take like one frame every few minutes..some people call it time lapse.  im sure you seen it a million times.

the roadies who put it together and then take it all down and load it into trucks to play somewhere else are sort of interesting to watch. 

here is a funny video of the nickelback guy getting hit in the head with a rock,  then he threatens to walk off stage then he gets hit with another rock.. you can see he hair fly up like he got hit right in the head hahahahahahaha nickelback

jessica <3

i finally looked through these gg shots from annaliese house.  some of these look cool.  this is sarah with a crab on her face.   luv her

Im working on a nickelback free concert.  If you're in los angeles tomorrow round 4:30 they are performing free at the forum where the lakers used to play.  I only like this song because its slutty

I like your pants around your feet
I like the dirt that's on your knees
And I like the way you still say please
While you're looking up at me
You're like my favourite damn disease

And I love the places that we go
And I love the people that you know
And I love the way you can't say no
Too many long lines in a row
I love the powder on your nose

Ooooh
And now I know who you are
It wasn't that hard
Just to figure you out
And now I know who you are
It wasn't that hard
Just to figure you out

I like the freckles on your chest
And I like the way you like me best
And I like the way you're not impressed,
While you put me to the test
I like the wine stains on your dress

And I love the way you pass the check
And I love the good times that you wreck
And I love your lack of self respect
While you're passed out on the deck
I love my hands around your neck

And now I know who you are
It wasn't that hard
Just to figure you out
And now I know who you are
It wasn't that hard
Just to figure you out

I love your pants around your feet
And I love the dirt that's on your knees
And I like the way you still say please
While you're looking up at me
You're like my favourite damn disease

And I hate the places that we go
And I hate the people that you know
And I hate the way you can't say no
Too many long lines in a row
I hate the powder on your nose

And now I know who you are
It wasn't that hard
Just to figure you out
And now I know who you are
It wasn't that hard
Just to figure you out
(i am interested to see when i oush the post button if all these lines will blob together?  sometimes that happens)

but jessica thinks that nickelback is pretty famous..idk..? theyre canadian ya know so yoa gotta watch out for them. I   Im a production assistant which is basically like general labor to set up chairs and carry cases around.  It is BOOOOORING.  Today for like 6 hours i watched the sound guys go check check check check or whatever.  im sort of just sitting around just in case they need something done.  its weird.

finally got my brakes fixed on my car.  i dare you to drive in los angeles without brakes.  its really dangerous. 

here is a weird office window in culver city

this guy Curtis Anderson is one of those crazy painter artist types...you know that kind of artist who paints with a brush and stuff like that.  He's got an art show coming up.   i think that you should get into it.   i know that some of the pieces are of gg models. i think this one is a giant xochielt?  wouldnt that look good over your fireplace?