Check out this interesting from  ReadySetDC!

Poly-centricity: How Streetcars Will Change Urban Mobility in DC

Posted using ShareThis

Labels: Blog, Metro, Transit, washington dc

My friend and immensely gifted jazz musician Reginald Cyntje wrote a blog titled "Dreams" and I felt it was appropriate to syndicate his post here. To read the full blog, please visit http://cyntjemusic.wordpress.com.

At 12, I had a dream that I will one day become a great trombonist and share wealth with family and friends. I awoke surprised and energized by my dream. Each morning before school I would practice, again at lunch, after school then at home. Music was not a natural thing for me. It did not come easy so I worked hard. I was on a mission to learn and grow.

In the 11th grade I signed up for a Life Arts Class that talked about self love. In this class we talked about daily affirmations (a far fetch thought for a high school junior). The instructor of the class was also a jazz vocalist. My purpose was being presented without me grasping what was happening.

As I grew musically, I became more fascinated with jazz. While in high school my main focus of study was European Classical music but American Classical music caught my attention. I have discussed this in other writings. As I indulged in the jazz idiom along with reggae and calypso I met many enlightened beings that talked about something deeper than the technical aspect of creating music.

As a kid, I dreamed the impossible and in some ways made it happen. When I transitioned into adulthood and started seeing harsh realities of many I respected I did not invest in the dreams the same way I did as a kid. I second guessed myself and lost the confidence that I had regardless of opposition. Since that time I have seen growth and experienced hardship but I have not lost sight of my dream.

I discovered that when I focused all my energy and remained positive the dream became a reality. It was hard to do at times because I created a reality that contained distractions and less than inspiring circumstances.

One night I had a discovery. I was performing on stage and a musician and his wife approached me and said I inspired them. That evening I played from my heart and felt love and inspiration in the music. More importantly, the audience felt what I was feeling. I discovered that I can move people, not with tricks, but with sincerity.

The chatter of negativity in my mind quickly disappeared as more people approached me and spoke of similar experiences. The more I believed the more people I touched. When I had those moments of disbelief the result was not the same. The lesson…believe all the time.

Having this dream led to other dreams which include opening an Arts school on the island of St. Thomas (USVI), recording numerous works that inspire, creating wealth for future generations and building community.

Growing up, I was inspired by musicians and community activist. My destiny…to do both.

When you aspire to do great things you must DREAM BIG. My dreams remain constant even when others don’t believe or can’t see. I have FAITH and TRUST that I will reach all my goals.

Will you do the same?

You may also find Reginald on various social networks:
http://www.myspace.com/reginaldcyntjegroup
http://www.twitter.com/cyntjemusic
http://www.linkedin.com/in/reginaldcyntje
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=64276984651

Labels: Blog, Jazz, Justin Schuck, Music, Reginald Cyntje

Hey guys,

I put together a little video explaining a bit more about Guerrilla Photo Shoots and where my idea struck me. Check it out on Vimeo or YouTube!






Learn more about Guerrilla Photo Shoots on the GPS Blog, on the GPS Facebook Group or by following @GuerrillaPhoto on Twitter. Be sure to tell your friends! (The first Guerrilla Photo Shoot will take place in New York in May. Check the Facebook Group or the blog to learn more!)

Labels: Art, Blog, Boston, GPS, Guerrilla, Justin Schuck, New York, Photo, Shoots, Video, Vlog, washington dc

Even though I am just getting over Swine Flu (just kidding—it's really just a horrible cold), I thought I would get on my web cam to vlog and tell you a bit more about my business and why you need to hire Justin Schuck Photography for your next portrait, special event, hotel, product catalog, real property or editorial assignment. The video features music by Yogstar.

On Vimeo:

Justin Schuck Photography - Asking for your business from Justin Schuck on Vimeo.

On YouTube:

Labels: Advertising, Blog, business, design, JSDS, Justin Schuck, Justin Schuck + Company, Justin Schuck Photography, New York, Twitter, Video, Vlog

Yet again, I've uploaded the new JustinSchuck.com to the site, Version 6.3. What's appearing there now is just a holding page. I'm still working on the sub-pages and additional features, but I thought it made sense to get this out there. What had been up there since January contained no photos above the fold which is just silly and goes against my own advice. Also, once the new site is online, the blog you are reading now will be 100% integrated into the design of the main site.

I think you'll like the new design direction. I want the site to be clean, colorful, and easy to navigate. I really want to thank all my friends for the valuable free market research they've provided the last couple of weeks.

Labels: Blog, design, Identity, JSDS, Justin Schuck, Justin Schuck + Company

As a gay American, I find that some of my greatest struggles with the Catholic church revolve around the issue of gay marriage and civil equality.

The teachings and history of Jesus Christ tell us that he embraced the most oppressed, the most burdened and did whatever he could to reduce their oppression and remove their burdens. Why anyone would use ancient documents written at a time when so little was understood about our world, the weather, our universe, to fuel hateful rhetoric and actions, is beyond my understanding.

This same book tells us that eating shellfish is a sin, along with eating pork, wearing two different types of cloth, mixing milk and meat, and so on. Should we execute everyone who has a ham on Christmas, that certainly would have eliminated my entire family tree. Or should we deny people the right to eat a cheeseburger? Has the affordable fashion industry committed a gross massacre of sins with their cotton-poly blends? (Well, that may still be up for debate. Just don't take away my cotton-cashmere sweater.) When in the course of human history do we decide to add a healthy dose of rationality with our Sunday sermons?

A church's duty should be to fight injustice, stick up for those with the smallest voice, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, serve the poor in pocket and lift up the poor in spirit. Who are we serving when we as a nation vote to restrict the rights of fellow humans who are living the life that God created for them?

Cenk Uygur made an interesting point on HuffingtonPost.com: "So, from now, I would like to tell the Rick Warrens of the world, you are perfectly allowed to say how much you would like to take gay people's rights away from them based on the Bible so long as you agree to do one thing first -- execute an adulterer. If you can do that for me, then I'll believe that you actually believe in the Bible literally and will accept your literal argument against homosexuality. Fair is fair. Step on up."

I long to see the day when philandering Christians are cast out and stoned for their incredulous behavior.* I hope the "married but looking" set at AshleyMadison.com are using protection. And may God help those lost souls looking for casual encounters on Craigslist. Sex outside of the bonds of marriage is striclty forbidden. And what of the children causing a ruckus? You know, the ones who were running around the restaurant throwing temper tantrums because they don't like ketchup on their chicken nuggets? The punishment for a disobedient child is also execution. The bottom line is that history has provided us with countless laws that seem comical to us now. What we as a human race need to understand is the adverse affect that these campaigns of hate and ignorance have on individuals who are seeking truth in their own lives.

This spring I was confronted with a crisis of a very serious nature: a friend attempted to take his own life and nearly succeeded. To protect this friend's anonymity, I will call him "Tim."

Tim was an acquaintance, a friend of my brother's. I remember at one point a few years back that my brother had asked me if I thought Tim was gay. I said I didn't know, but Tim was very cute (hot actually), so I began to pay a more attention to the way he carried himself. I was never really sure about his sexuality, except for the occasional glance here and there that gave me pause. One thing I did notice about Tim was his abuse of alcohol and his tendency of drink to the point of passing out. I don't, as a general rule, have friends who drink and behave that way. That kind of destructive behavior is distracting. (Not that I'm not guilty of an accidental binge once or twice a year...)

Anyhow, Tim sent me an email or two in February asking if I would want to "hang out" with him, perhaps as a "date." I could tell from the phraseology used in the message that he was hesitant, and unsure, but Tim knew that I was openly gay and wouldn't pass judgment. We messaged a little bit back and forth, yet made no firm plans to meet up, mostly because I was hesitant about his drinking. I was scared to reach out to him because I just felt that I couldn't handle the added "stress" of being a friend to someone who clearly had issues he needed to deal with. (And his attractiveness was an added distracting factor.)

Fast forward about a month. I get a call from my brother, who was coming over to my house to have dinner, telling me that Tim is in the hospital, he tried to kill himself, and he's lost a lot of blood. This isn't the first time that I've been close to someone who attempted suicide either. (SIDEBAR: I have way too much experience with the various causes of death for someone my age.) A feeling of sorrow, shame and guilt washed over me. "How could I let this happen? What if I were there, or had shown more interest or been a better friend?" I asked myself. Tim reached out to me and I showed him a closed door.

It was quickly determined that the primary motivating factor in Tim's attempt was his shame at being gay, and his fear of living an open life. His older sister had come out of the closet some years before and was roundly shunned by their parents. Tim's sister moved out of the country and hasn't returned since. The weight of his parent's reaction to his sister, and societal fear and misunderstanding of what it means to be gay, proved to feel too painful for him to continue living.

My brother and their friends spent the first day with Tim, through the surgeries to repair his lungs and chest. I was anxious. I couldn't sleep much that Sunday night, so I did some research to learn as much as I could about suicide. With the help of my longtime friend Alison Malmon and her organization Active Minds, I was able to find the books, pamphlets and other resources that would help me help Tim and his family. I also turned to Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, and PFLAG for their many valuable resources.

I worked through the night reading, reviewing, and printing out countless documents on suicide, addiction and coming out. I prepared an entire binder's worth of material for Tim and his family to read. I chose to visit the hospital on Monday at midday, when his friends and parents would be at work. At first I was worried that he would feel embarrassed or ashamed by my presence, or that I would say the wrong thing. Tim and I weren't very close and had never shared more than idle chit chat, but I felt this was a profound opportunity to help him positively change the direction of his life. I packed a bag with some goodies (clementines, peanut butter crackers, some candy, a portable DVD player and some movies to go along with all the information I put together), and headed off to George Washington University Hospital.

I felt anxious as I crossed the threshold of the hospital, but the gentle security guard at the front desk pointed me in the right direction, removing some of the fear. The corridor from the elevator to Tim's room seemed endless. Thoughts of rejection ran through my head like a bad 80's horror montage, but the surprise and delight on Tim's face when he saw me approach his room was spectacular. It wasn't some grand, effusive moment, but I could see Tim's face lighten. I sat in an uncomfortable chair next to his bed while the nurses took their measurements. We didn't talk much because it was March Madness, but he continued to smile. I offered the clementine and he told me those were his favorites. Score one for Justin. Tim was too weak to peel the tangerine, so I had a moment to feel like a dad and take care of him. We joked about hospital food and the poor selection of TV channels.We both agreed that it was a good thing there was college basketball to watch.

I visited Tim every day he was in the hospital. I came twice a day some times, saving him from horrible hospital food and the often creepy company of the various "Nurse Ratcheds" who haunted his wing at GW. One night I hopped into bed with him and held his hand. There was nothing sexual about the move. Sometimes human touch is a more powerful pain reliever than any drug because it helps heal a broken heart. Tim and I would watched movies or play cards until the night nurse told me I had to leave.

Tim told me how he felt it was too hard to be gay. He tried to live a gay life when he was in college, but it didn't work. He often talked about how "society views [homosexuality]." I told him flat out that he needed to change his environment. Living at home with mom and dad, hanging out with unsupportive fair-weather friends, and excessive drinking had helped bring him to where he was at that moment. Tim and I talked about finding his "center" as I call it, and learning how to be happy on his own. I learned a long time ago that happiness isn't a gift from God for good behavior. I wanted Tim to know that he has a friend, and an ally in me, and I showed him that he wasn't going through this alone. As it turns out, an ally is what he was missing most.

We all need a friend who will fight for us when we are weak, lift us up when we are down, and guide us to the path of a better and more productive life. This is the real lesson of Christ's life and what we should remember this holiday season. This is how true Christians should approach gays, lesbians, bisexuals, transgendered, intersex, queer, and questioning individuals. An army of love is more powerful than an army of hate. As a people, we may lose a battle here and there, but the war is ours to win.

Gay marriage isn't about altering a religious definition of the union between two people. Gay marriage is about putting fairness, and respect back into the system. It's about allowing families to stay together, to weather the storms of illness and death as free and equal citizens in the eyes of the law regardless of the makeup of a family. Families come in all shapes and sizes, with mommies and daddies, or just one mommy, or just one daddy, or no parents and just older siblings, or grandparents, or two daddies or two mommies. Love is the only ingredient needed to grow a family, and it is this element that should be nurtured and promoted. We as Americans, as Christians need to focus more on respecting one another, supporting laws that treat everyone equally, and returning to the "big tent" country we set out to be 232 years ago. I'm proud to be a gay American and I look forward to a new year filled with hope.

UPDATE: I'm proud to report that Tim is living an open and honest life, he's found love and is living on his own. He's turned the corner is able to see a happy future for himself.

* I do not actually advocate than anyone be stoned for any reason, unless it involves an EZ-wider and some righteous ganja.

ALSO POSTED AT GLEE.COM/JUSTINSCHUCK + FAITHBASE.COM/JUSTINSCHUCK

Labels: America, Blog, ENDA, FMA, Gay, Gay Issues, Gay Marriage, Holidays, HRC, Human Rights Campaign, Justin Schuck, LGBT, News, PFLAG, Suicide

I'm really proud to announce the release of a little video from the election. I've been wanting to get this out here. Working with that org this spring/summer—the one that screwed me—I didn't have time for much else.

In 2000 I was the volunteer coordinator with McCain Youth 2000. It was a great experience and he ran an honorable campaign. But something was different this time around. Here's a little ditty I put together that *should have* aired before the election. (But then there was a death in the family just before the election, and then I got sidetracked with a work backlog.)

So, to the tune of Kate Nash's "Foundations" here's "Political Foundations." I purchased the instrumental tracks without the voices, but I felt that unless you knew the song you wouldn't get the flow without context.

If there are any female vocalists with a similar range out there, please call or email me!



Please visit my page at: YouTube.com/JASchuck and leave a comment and a rating. Thank you so much.

(If I had more time I could have done a more well-produced sample but my Final Cut Pro HD crapped out on me!)

Labels: Advertising, America, Art, Barack Obama, Big News, Blog, business, Democrat, design, John McCain, JSDS, Justin Schuck, Obama-Biden, President-elect, Video

Originally Scheduled: November 3, 2008
Updated: December 19, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

HUNTSVILLE, AL – Justin Schuck and Company, an innovative provider of photography, design, consulting and event planning services, announced in an online webcast today that it has completed the sale and merger of its various operations in an effort to raise capital and streamline operations.

Earlier this year company president Justin A. Schuck announced plans to sell domain assets, and merge the less successful divisions of the company in an effort to reduce overhead. Schuck also previously announced plans to move the company from Washington D.C. to Dallas, TX. While plans to formally move the company are in the works, the company is not likely to relocate until all restructuring efforts have been completed..

The merger of Innovative Brand Concepts and That’s Sick Viral Marketing into JSDS has been finalized forming the newly rebranded JSDS design + consulting. JSDS is now better capitalized to continue a projected path of growth through 2009, and Schuck also hinted at a new pricing structure for JSDS to better serve companies in the changing market. Acknowledging the company had seen an unexpectedly large number of account defaults in Q2 and Q3 2008 (totaling more than $50,000 in lost revenue), Schuck expects the division to regain full profitability within the next four quarters.

As part of the company’s drive to generate revenue, the Schuck Interactive Group (SiG) was sold to its strategic partner Enterprise Applications PH of the Philippines. JS+Co. will maintain ownership of the SiG domain (www.ischuck.com) and the rights to the SiG name.

“While our domain fire sale wasn’t as productive as I would have preferred, we are in negotiations to sell a bundles of domains, including those not previously listed. These negotiations are ongoing, but we hope to have the completed in the next few months.” Schuck said in his webcast. He continued saying that any unsold domains posted for sale would be sold through an online service.

Schuck said that while this has been a “tumultuous” year for the company, he expects the company to be in a stronger position going forward.

In August, Schuck announced the formation of a new partnership with L/A Events, the world’s new premiere event planning firm. “We’ve started the soft launch of L/A Event’s new website:
anlaevent.com. It’s very exciting.” Schuck continued that “although we are entering a deep recession, Andrea and I feel that L/A Events is in a better position than other event planning firms. Because of our unique partnership with preferred vendors, and the cost savings from our innovative website, we can offer our services at a fraction of the cost.”

PR-Nov3_Update.pdf

Labels: Blog, business, Dallas, design, DFW, Domains, Events, JSDS, Justin Schuck, Justin Schuck + Company, L/A Events, News, Press Release, Sale, Schuck Interactive Group, Texas, washington dc

I wanted to post reviews of Justin Schuck Photography by actual clients taken from various sources. I have not edited or altered these reviews in any way. The first three reviews were rejected and removed from our page on Yelp.com, but I thought you should know what these people have said in order to set the record straight. (Star rating is out of a possible five stars.)

4-Stars / ANDREW L. writes:
This guy is brilliant, if not a moron. His work is outstanding, but being a solo operation has its drawbacks and it occasionally shows. My company has a contract with him where he basically has to jump and run any time we assign him a project. I was a photo minor so I just have to give him some props because he makes boring stuff look good. Sometimes he even makes "stuff" look hot. We had him photograph about 200 random products for sale on our website and he suggested doing something different with the background. We used this alley behind his apartment building at night to photograph all these bottles of shampoo and whatnot. I mean, who thinks of that? That's the brilliant part.

I will say that he's usually pretty good about following-up, if not incessant. Usually. There's been times where he's been MIA, but whatever. No 5 stars because no one's perfect. Except for maybe Richard Avedon.

5-Stars / ANDREW T. writes:
I'm surprised to see these negative reviews. Justin has always provided my company (and my family) with great customer service. He's punctual, polite, displays manners, he turns things around on the spot. We once needed something delivered to our office in NY for our catalog and because it was past the time for FedEx, he actually drove a hard drive with video and images to our editor so they could get cracking on it before the next day. Now that's what I call client devotion and service. I hope he remembers why clients like us always hire him.

Great results, best price, unbeatable service.

5-Stars / MADELEINE J. writes:
Well, Justin has to be not only one of the best photographers I've ever seen, but he has this tortured, gentle spirit. He's kind, mannerly and works really well with children. I have a daughter with cerebral palsy and a son with autism and a husband who hates to have his photo taken. And I'm no better. I didn't realize it but Justin had experience with special needs kids. He came over two weekends in a row before our family shoot just so that my family could be comfortable in front of him. He didn't ask for any additional money, nor did he accept a tip. He knew that these pictures were so important to me. As you can imagine, we've never had a good portrait taken before him.

Justin was kind, soft and gentle. And he made us all laugh. It was actually fun. I didn't even know that was possible. There is a kindness in his heart that comes out when he's working with kids. My daughter really responded to him. There's a picture of me crying and her laughing and happy. I would trust him with anything.

Other reviews appearing on our Yelp.com listing:

5-Stars / ALLISON C. writes:
It was only after a few hours of contacting Justin to photograph an up scale outdoors event at Bryant Park in New York City had he personally taken care of all his travel arrangements and sent me the logistics. I communicated the time and place and he showed up early and ready to work. The photographs were so amazing that I called Justin to help me with a personal project of my own.

I wanted to restore and enlarge a very old photograph of my parents from about 40 years ago for their Anniversary. I was slammed at work all week and could not get out to Bethesda so Justin drove to Alexandria (in a snow storm!) picked up the photo and then dropped it off at my house in Maryland a day later at 1am before I was leaving to go out of town!!! The picture of my parents was beautiful and they couldn't believe how well it had been restored.

Many many thanks Justin!

5-Stars / ANDREA K. writes:
Where do I begin? I hired Justin on more than one occasion. First to shoot mine and my husbands special day back in 2007. Everything went very smoothly, from the initial meeting and engagement session to our special day. Justin showed up to my wedding with 2 assistants and took over 2,000 photos. Not only did he do an amazing job at the wedding, but right after the wedding ( about 2 weeks ) we got our proofs online.. once we picked out our proofs we received our prints in an extremely short time. He was able to turn around the photos from our wonderful day so quickly that I was in shock and able to give some out as Christmas presents.

After enjoying that experience with him, I contracted him to do a photo shoot for a advertising campaign I was working on. Again, another amazing experience. As a graphic designer we are usually expected to be the ones to art direct the shots but he was so creative and had so many great ideas that he was able to get better shots that I was directing him too. After I put the photos into the ad campaign I went on to win numerous awards because of the great overall concept and photography. Thanks Justin!

I highly recommend Justin for any photography needs... again, if i haven't said it enough, hes an amazing photographer and an amazing person!

Reviews I've received on LinkedIn:

Scott L. Rolle
Fmr. State's Attorney, Frederick County Maryland
2006 MD Attorney General Candidate
This guy is, quite simply, the best photographer/website designer in the DC area. He is reliable, creative, reasonable and a pleasure to work with. You simply can't do any better. In addition to taking phenomenal pictures for my campaign, he put together the best political website I have ever seen. We received thousands of compliments on it. I look forward to working with him on the next go 'round!

Jacquelyn Muller
Vice President, Corporate Communications/Public Relations
Education Management, LLC
Justin has done a great deal of work for The Art Institutes --- most notably the Passion for Fashion Competition in NYC, the Americans for the Arts Poster Competition and many others. He is a consummate professional who aspires to the highest levels of excellence. I know I can count on Justin to produce a top notch product for our promotional purposes.

Carmen Moreira Prassas
Wedding Client
Justin was very professional and and attentive to our needs. He asked us in advance what pictures we wanted to make sure he took and he was able to execute them in a creative way. The pictures came out beautifully and I would not have changed a thing about them.

Recommendations I received for a recent White House appointment:

Morad Ghorban
Political Director, Iranian-American PAC
I'm honored to recommend Mr. Justine Schuck for the post of White House Photo Director. The following information should help introduce him as well as convey my wholehearted recommendation for his appointment as President-elect Obama’s chief photographer.

I worked closely with Justine in July of 2003 when he was hired to photograph the kick-off event for the Iranian American Political Action Committee (IAPAC) in Washington, D.C. on July 22nd. The event marked IAPAC’s formal entry into the American political arena and was attended by three United States Senators-The Honorable Edward M. Kennedy of Massachusetts, The Honorable Charles E. Schumer of New York, and The Honorable Thomas R. Carper of Delaware, as well as by distinguished Iranian Americans from many sectors of American society.

Justine did a terrific job photographing the event! Despite the fact that the crowd at the event was so large that the room in which the reception was held was overflowing, he blended into the background and was unobtrusive. At same time, Justine was able to capture the true essence of the event with fascinating photographs of the senators and guests interacting and responding to each other.

Justine delivered a top quality product with quick turnaround time. He was trustworthy, meticulous, industrious, and above all a true pleasure to work with. His infectious personality along with authentic professional mannerism makes him an excellent candidate for the position of White House Photo Director.

Allison Campbell
Account Executive, Precision Meetings & Events
Justin Schuck has worked with Precision Meeting & Events for the past few years solely photographing one of our most prevalent events of the year. Every December, The Pond at Bryant Park in NYC is turned into a winter wonderland in which, one of our biggest clients, the Canadian Tourism Commission along with other Canadian partners, host a 250 – 300 person party at Celsius, a temporary event space built just for Canada. Justin photographed the event in December of 2006 as well as in December of 2007. Last year being my first year at Precision, calling Justin was one of the easiest details of planning the event. Since he had experience from the year before, all I had to do was tell him the date and time of the event and that was it. Justin made his own travel arrangements, promptly confirmed via phone calls and emails and arrived to the event early in order for him to introduce himself, walk the space and get comfortable in his surroundings. Justin was professional, respectful and incredibly easy to work with. For the most part, Justin blended into the background of the event, making it seem like he wasn’t even there, however there were other times where he made the people he was taking photos of open up and feel completely comfortable to have their photos taken, a task that is never easy for anyone.

I was lucky enough to have a few of my family members attend the event last year and introduced them to Justin. Justin was polite and even cracked a few jokes making us all laugh while he was taking our pictures which made for a great series of photos that Justin was generous enough to edit and give to me as a special unnecessary but much appreciated gift. Justin turned the photos around in a matter of hours after the event much to my amaze. The photos were fantastic and captured all elements of the event from the décor to the guests (including VIP) to the lighting to the entertainment.

Justin did some personal photo restoration for me as well last year. He took a 3 x 3 photo from 40 years ago and restored it into an 8 _ x 11 picture that looked only a few years old that I was able to give to my parents for their 25th Wedding Anniversary. Justin went out of his way to drive to my office to pick up the photo, take it back to his studio to edit overnight and then personally delivered it to my house the following evening before I left to drive to NY the next day. I have only seed Justin once or twice since last December, however we keep in touch and he is by far one of my favorite people to work with, not only in DC but anywhere. I would be more than happy to discuss any other recommendation or information you need regarding Justin Schuck and Justin Schuck Photography. Please do not hesitate to contact me.

Bottom line is that I'm imperfect, but I do work hard and I have the credentials and clients to prove it. As many of you know, this has been not only a difficult year for the company financially, but also for me personally. It wouldn't be fair to drag all that stuff up here, but suffice it to say I've become an expert on death and tragedy.

2009 is looking to be a good year, and with the new administration in the White House, I hope it's a sign that great things are coming.

Thank you to the clients who have stuck with me through these turbulent months. I will never forget it.

Labels: Blog, business, Family, Frederick County, JSDS, Justin Schuck, Justin Schuck + Company, recommendations, reviews, Scott Rolle, studio, washington dc

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHINGTON DC – Justin Schuck and Company, an innovative photography, design and marketing firm, announced today the discovery of 3,673 previously unread emails on it's "Deer" server at SIG's Fremont, California collocation facility.

"As part of our reorganization and the preparation to sell company assets, we discovered thousands of emails that were captured and quarantined by the server since January. There are approximately 600 emails sent from JustinSchuckCo.com and JustinSchuck.com addresses that never reached their intended recipients. No error message was ever delivered to any of the affected emails, nor was there any information in the server log." company president Justin Schuck said, clearly shocked by this discovery. "The unfortunate thing about this is that there were vital communications breakdowns on both sides that may have contributed to misunderstandings between the company and our clients. But the vast majority of email appears to be junk mail. We are aggressively sorting and processing these emails and we will address any problem that might surface."

The discovery of the emails comes at a time when the company is suffering from a dramatic loss in revenue brought on by recent client account defaults, as well as rising energy, vendor, and insurance costs.

Any client who believes they have been affected by this server error is asked to call Justin Schuck directly at (301) 300-1350.

PR-Email_Quarantine.pdf

Labels: Blog, business, Justin Schuck, News, Press Release, Security

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHINGTON DC – Justin Schuck and Company, an innovative photography, design and marketing firm, was founded just over four years ago by an optimistic entrepreneur who knew a thing or two about success in design and photography. Formed out of the ashes of The Foster Companies, Justin Schuck and Company provides a diverse international clientèle with a complex suite of services including photography, design, and domain management.

Since 2004, company founder Justin Schuck aimed to provide the highest level of customer service with an emphasis on personal relationships and client confidentiality. "Serving high-profile clients in five countries has been an honor." Schuck says. "I've had the great opportunity to meet amazing people and work with some of the most important people in the world."

In a meeting on August 1, Schuck announced that one of the company's largest clients, a political organization, will be defaulting on an invoice of over $5500. This client has canceled future contracts worth over $18,000 due to their pending bankruptcy reorganization. The client's identity is protected by a mutual confidential disclosure agreement that will remain in effect until both parties agree to the public disclosure or if Justin Schuck and Company is named as a debtor in the client's bankruptcy.

Schuck goes on to say, "This will be an extremely difficult time for the company. We are looking into what options are available for us to generate revenue to compensate for the shortfall. With the dramatic rise in energy prices over the last year, we've seen a decrease in the size and scope of many contracts, but we never expected this. When our clients don't meet their obligations to us, especially for completed services and delivered products, it makes it very difficult for us to maintain our financial and contractual obligations."

As a result of this loss of business, there will be some significant changes to the company. Effective immediately, Justin Schuck and Company's newest venture, That's Sick Viral Marketing, will be folded into the JSDS division as part of the consolidation of the business. "Innovative Brand Concepts and Schuck Interactive Group's merger into JSDS will be accelerated in an attempt to drastically reduce overhead. We need to cut our losses while we still can." Schuck contends that the company can come out of this period stronger and leaner, but it's not going to come "without some serious shrinking pains." He adds that "our operations and ability to survive will depend on our ability to renegotiate our existing vendor contracts, reduce labor costs and significantly reduce overhead. We have photography contracts stretching in to 2010 and I want those clients to know that we will be there to capture those special moments."

The company is expected to announce in the coming days plans to sell assets in order to generate revenue, in addition to entering into negotiations with clients who are more than 30 days past due on their accounts.

"If we are not able to secure additional revenue streams it will be difficult to keep our heads above water. I've been doing my part to keep costs under control as much as possible, but as indicated in our recent financial disclosure filings, I have not drawn a salary since May." This isn't the first time Schuck has forgone salary to help his business maximize liquidity. For part of 2000 and 2001, Schuck went without compensation during the reorganization of Foster Companies.

"I'm a tough cookie and I know that in the end, my life will continue to be blessed with new opportunities for success." Schuck said.

PR-State_of_Company.pdf

Labels: Blog, business, JSDS, Justin Schuck, News, Press Release

Perhaps you noticed the somewhat sudden design change. Yeppers, gone is the tired previous design. There are still a few kinks to be worked out, but I'm glad this new, clean version is online and here to stay.

I definitely took my own advice about self-editing (see "Four steps forward"). I removed so many unnecessary elements and it looks so much better. I decided that the thick black border had to go and it totally fixed what was wrong with the design. You'll notice a few changes in the near future, including a better system of organizing posts and blog labels, but I don't want too much change just yet.

So, gone is:

And happy am I.

Labels: Blog, design, JSDS, Justin Schuck

I'm in a self-congratulatory mood today. I'm almost done with the non-stop paint-a-thon at my mom's house. (Pictures to follow soon). But I wanted to thank my designer Andrea for appreciating some of my work. It feels good to get rave approval from a fellow designer. It was certainly unexpected.

Thank you! I'm humbled.

Labels: Art, Blog, business, design, Justin Schuck

Who is watching the meter maids (or better yet, the Meter Nazis) when they are out giving tickets?

Today I caught a Meter Nazi double-parked on Elm Street in Bethesda, next to the PNC Bank branch on Wisconsin Avenue, who had parked in TWO metered spots, not leaving enough room for any car to fill either space.

When I asked the Meter Nazi if he would be so kind as to move his car up some so that I may park, he said "No." No?!?!?!?! "N-O," as in a "I will not move my car, and you may park on the other side of the street [illegally, so that I can get another parking citation]" NO?

Well, that just set me off! And I turned on the camcorder on my cell phone and captured this video:


PLEASE SHARE THIS VIDEO WITH EVERYONE YOU KNOW!

I want to do whatever I can to bring the hypocrisy of parking officials (Meter Nazis) to the attention of the citizenry, local officials and the media. Why should Meter Nazis not be held to the same standard as the ones who are paying HEFTY property taxes to pay his salary?

After the Meter Nazi moved his car (I had to raise my voice some to get his attention. Or perhaps he didn't understand my English!**), another car tried to slip into the newly open spot on the street -- the very one I was waiting 10 minutes for. Thankfully, that nice gentleman waited until I got out of the bank and he took my spot which had 18 minutes remaining on the meter!

(In case you wanted to know the license plate number of the Meter Nazi, it's "HZG-691")

**NOTE: I recently received a comment via E-mail (9/2/07). I want to make sure it is posted here in its entirety: "I found your comments about the parking officials lack of english rather racial. It would be like me saying that your voice in the video sounded rather gay. Your photography site is linked to this and on it you say you treat everyone equally. I feel that your video comments say the exact opposite of your professional website. I won't be using you for my wedding to a beautiful lady I met who is from India. Have a nice day. "

MY RESPONSE: First off, I don't care if my voice sounds gay. I am gay. It's not an insult. In fact, I think that probably makes me a better judge of style than you. (Granted, I have no idea who you are, nor would I attempt to make assumptions.) In this blog I did make a comment about whether the parking officer was able to understand the words that came out of my mouth. This was due more to the fact that he was willfully ignoring me when I kindly asked him to move his car. I know plenty of blond-haired, blue-eyed "Americans" who have an even more tenuous grasp of the English language. See, what this video does NOT show the viewer is that for almost 5 minutes prior to activating the camcorder feature, I was (honestly) kindly asking if he would move his county-issued vehicle forward. After several refusals, and his suggestion that I park on the other side of the one-way street (where there are "NO PARKING" SIGNS!!!), that is the moment the camera came on. I did this in hoping that he would feel compelled to move or I would turn the video in to a supervisor.

NOWHERE in the video do I make racially-motivated comments. Nor did I EVER make them off camera. This is NOT how I was raised to be a loving respectful human, and it goes against everything I believe. I'm sorry that you feel that I was rude, wrong, ignorant or all of the above.

So to you, ANONYMOUS COMMENTER, I wish you many happy years of marriage, and hope that your photographer does a splendid job.

Labels: bethesda, Bethesda Urban Partnership, Blog, Government, Justin Schuck, Maryland, Meter Maid, Montgomery County, Parking, Photo, photography, Street Parking, Video, washington dc

Okay, so the diet didn't work. I was exhausted and nearly starving. The urge to cheat was too great. The urge to eat healthy and smart, not so much. So I stopped this nonsense. Besides, friends came in from out of town, so there were lots of drinks, brunches and movie nachos.

Bottom line: drastically cutting calories doesn't work.

Weight loss: Zero.

Stay tuned, because I'm working on something else.

Labels: Blog, Diet, Justin Schuck

1. Natures Valley Sweet & Salty Nut Granola Bar - (170 cal)

I totally forgot to pack my lunch, so I ended up having an early-ish dinner. And it was delicious.

Day 4: Mid-Afternoon Snack

1. 9 tbsp Kirkland Signature Trail Mix - (480 cal)

So no boneless breast of chicken tonight! I had a DELICIOUS onion bagel hot dog from Bagel City in Rockville. Yum! It brought back many fond memories from my childhood. (I even remember when Bagel City was half its current size.)

1. Onion Bagel - (Approx 360 cal)
2. Kosher all-beef hot dog - (Approx 217 cal)
3. Dill pickle spear - (5 cal)
4. 20 ounce Coca-Cola Classic - (240 cal)
   

1. Two Hershey's Special Dark Miniatures - (90 cal)
2. 3 Coors Light - (360 cal)
3. 4 shots Ketel One Citron - (420 cal)
4. 2 lime 1/4's - (10 cal)
5. 3 Hershey's Extra-Dark with Cranberries, Blueberries and Almonds - (No Data, Approx 180 cal)
6. 2 Swedish Fish - (35 cal)
7. 1 slice Domino's cheese pizza - (210 cal)
8. 1 slice Domino's pepperoni pizza - (250 cal)
   

Labels: Blog, Diet, Justin Schuck

A day filled with laundry, work and computer work. Let's see if I did any better today than in days past.

CALORIC INTAKE GOAL, DAY 3: 1200 calories

Day 3: Breakfast

1. Nature Valley Sweet & Salty Nut Granola Bar - (170 cal)

Day 3: Lunch

1. One large, hard-boiled egg with salt and pepper - (70 cal)
2. 10 Tostitos Restaurant-style white corn tortilla chips - (200 cal)
   

Day 3: Afternoon Snack

1. 6 Tostitos Restaurant-style white corn tortilla chips - (60 cal)
2. One Carrot, whole - (50 cal)
   

Day 3: Dinner

1. Broiled boneless chicken breast (Purdue Perfect Portions) spiced with garlic, oregano, pepper and balsamic vinegar - (Approx 190 cal)
2. 2 oz Barilla brand Bucatini Rigati - (200 cal)
3. 1/4 cup Barilla Roasted Garlic with Olive Oil pasta sauce - (35 cal)

Day 3: Late Evening Snack

1. Two Hershey's Special Dark Miniatures - (90 cal)

TOTAL CALORIC INTAKE, DAY 1: 1065
Difference from Goal: -135

I thought I would go running earlier in the day, however, sporadic rainfall made scheduling a jog more difficult. I decided I would go for a run tomorrow. Besides, I still have laundry to do.

I also think it would be a good idea if I went grocery shopping tomorrow so at least I can have more nutrient diversity. I should stock-up on veggies for salads and snacking. (I love me some carrots! -- And did you know, carrots weren't always orange. You have the dutch to thank for that one!)

Labels: Blog, Diet, Justin Schuck

Yeah... Cutting calories isn't as easy as it sounds.

I started day one enthused and ready for a new, healthier me. I made the decision that I wasn't going to eat ANYTHING that I didn't know the exact caloric content, at least for the first two or three weeks. Let's see how I did...

CALORIC INTAKE GOAL, DAY 1: 1000 calories

Day 1: Breakfast

1. Nature Valley Sweet & Salty Peanut Butter Granola Bar - (170 cal)

Day 1: Lunch

1. Lean Cuisine Beef Pot Roast - (190 cal)
2. Slice of store brand Country White bread - (90 cal)
   

Day 1: Afternoon Snack

1. Snack-sized bag of Cheetos (YUM!) - (160 cal)

Day 1: Dinner

1. Pan-seared boneless chicken breast (Purdue Perfect Portions) with salt, pepper, and olive oil - (Approx 210 cal)
2. Slice of Vermont Bread Company brand 10 grain bread - (90 cal)
   

Day 1: Unscheduled After-Dinner Snack
(I first want to point out that I had NO CLUE as to the specific calorie content of the following goodies prior to their consumption.)

1. One Hershey's Special Dark Miniature with Peanuts - (140 cal)
2. One Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, Snack Size - (210 cal)
3. One Kit-Kat Bar, Snack Size (two sticks) - (73 cal)

Day 1: REALLY Unscheduled drinks with friend on his 21st birthday

1. One pint of Yuengling Lager - (135 cal)
2. One 1.5 oz shot of Jägermeister - (103 cal)

TOTAL CALORIC INTAKE, DAY 1: 1571
Difference from Goal: +571

---

CALORIC INTAKE GOAL, DAY 2: 1000 calories

Day 2: Breakfast

1. Nature Valley Sweet & Salty Peanut Butter Granola Bar - (170 cal)

Day 2: Lunch

1. Nature Valley Sweet & Salty Peanut Butter Granola Bar - (170 cal)

Day 2: Afternoon Snack

1. Nine Utz brand pretzel sticks - (22 calories each, 198 cal total)

Day 2: Dinner

1. Baked boneless chicken breast (Purdue Perfect Portions) with garlic, cumin, pepper, and mustard - (Approx 190 cal)
2. Slice of Vermont Bread Company brand 10 grain bread - (90 cal)
3. Nancy's brand Petite Quiche, bite-sized spinach quiche - (70 cal)

TOTAL CALORIC INTAKE, DAY 1: 908
Difference from Goal: -92

I actually found a few websites that have made calculating the caloric content of foods much easier. I'm a huge fan of CalorieKing.com and their Calorie Counter. Also, ShapeFit.com's beer index is amazing. They have cataloged every major beer in America. The USDA has a good "pyramid tracker" that helps you calculate the healthiness of your meals. This is especially important, because just cutting calories and not eating healthy can actually cause more damage than maintaining your current diet.

Perhaps tomorrow I'll do some exercise, and up my caloric intake goal to reflect that change. And I think I need to throw some more fruits and veggies in there too.

Labels: Blog, Diet, Justin Schuck

I've started a new diet. (Today's actually day three.) And I've started a new blog:

http://justinsdietblog.blogger.com

Check it out! Follow my progress and learn ways to monitor your eating habits, and find healthy new recipes for successful healthy living!

UPDATED: December 27, 2008

Justin's Diet Blog has been deleted and its posts have been transferred to JustinSchuck.com/blog for reference.

Labels: bethesda, Blog, Diet, Exercise, Food, Health, Healthy Living, Justin Schuck

So I was sitting at my desk listening to the news this morning when a bulletin came across saying that there was a developing story related to a fire on Elm Street in Bethesda.

According to news reports, Pepco was responding to a manhole cover explosion on Thursday on the 4700 block of Elm Street in Bethesda. Pepco employees may have been working on a feeder line into a transformer when the explosion occurred shortly before 10:00am this morning.

Emergency response teams were on site investigating the explosion. As seen in the images here, smoke was billowing out of a vent in the street, and there appeared to be considerable fire and/or smoke damage to a truck belonging to First Class Plumbing, LLC of Virginia. (Their slogan: "We put the Squeeze on Pricing." Their new slogan: "We're Smokin'!")

From a photographic perspective, I was disappointed that there wasn't greater chaos, but I'm glad no one was reported as injured.

Justin Schuck Photography & Video media contact number: 301-760-7476

Read/See the NBC-4 news report:
http://www.nbc4.com/news/13425533/detail.html?dl=headlineclick

Labels: bethesda, Blog, Explosion, Fire, Fire Department, Justin Schuck, Maryland, Montgomery County, News, Newsworthy, Photo, photography, property-casualty, washington dc