Something Completely Different

New Blog

2010-05-13T16:39:00.000-07:00

I am now continuing this blog over at http://gradphil.tumblr.com

I'll leave this one up and possibly post things if I feel so inclined, but all the action is over at the tumblr blog. Tumblr's short form blogging is much more amenable to my blogging style and allows me to easily update more frequently.

lolbama for IMAO

2009-08-29T11:32:00.001-07:00

Entry for this week's lolbama! over at IMAO, one of the funniest blog on the net.

Hillary Clinton Wears Pantsuits For A Reason

2009-08-10T18:27:00.000-07:00

Act One of Richard II - A Humorouse Summarie

2009-07-13T01:01:00.000-07:00

(Editors note: I was rereading my old posts from 2005-06 and was pleasantly surprised to discover that my writing was much better than I remembered. It was far more influenced by Dave Barry, as was my wont at the time. Anyway, I thought I'd repost this summary of act one of Shakespeare's Richard II for your enjoyment By the way, why isn't his name spelled Shakespear? That would make a lot more sense. Stupid English with her stupid silent e's. Anyway, hope you like it!)

In one of the scenes of Shakespeare’s Richard II, six different characters “throw down the gauntlet (pictured left).” One character, having already thrown his own gauntlet down, is forced to borrow someone else's gauntlet. This is quite a bit of gauntlet throwing.

Here is my summary of Richard II, Act 1.

1.1
Richard: I am the king. We will now hear two men charge each other of treason.
Bolingbroke: Mowbray, you are a traitor.
Mowbray: Am not.
Bolingbroke: Are too.
Mowbray: Liar.
[Throws down gauntlet]
Richard: Please don’t fight.
Mowbray: If I don’t I’ll be shamed.
Richard: Oh, well, go do it outside.

1.2
Duchess: Avenge my husband.
Gaunt: No.

1.3
Richard: Time for the fight. Contestants announce your purposes.
Bolingbroke: I am Bolingbroke, and Mowbray is a traitor.
Mowbray: I am Mowbray, and Bolingbroke is a liar.
Herald: Start the fight.
Richard: Stop the fight. Bolingbroke you’re banished for 10 years, Mowbray you’re banished for life.
Bolingbroke: That sucks.
Mowbray: That sucks even more.
Richard: Because your father looks sad, Bolingbroke, you only have to be banished for 6 years.

Gaunt: Son, if you pretend this exile is a vacation, it’ll be fun.
Bolingbroke: No, this sucks. I can’t play pretend.
Gaunt: No really, it’ll be fun.
Bolingbroke: No, it’ll still suck.
Gaunt: I’m going to die if you leave.
Bolingbroke: Good bye.

1.4
Richard: Is Bolingbroke gone yet?
Amuerle: Yes.
Richard: Everybody liked him.
Greene: Let’s go make war on Ireland.
Richard: Good idea. Let’s take everybody’s money too.
Bushy: John of Gaunt is almost dead.
Richard: Let’s hope he dies so we can take his money.

The Happy Couple

2009-07-12T23:36:00.001-07:00

At the Garden

2009-07-12T23:31:00.001-07:00

Groomsman, Mother of Groom

2009-07-12T23:26:00.000-07:00

Preparation

2009-07-12T23:24:00.001-07:00

Shoes in the Limo

2009-07-12T23:22:00.001-07:00

Giving Her Away

2009-07-12T23:20:00.001-07:00

Bride

2009-07-12T23:12:00.001-07:00

Newsweek: Obama is more Catholic than Pope; Catholics: No, Newsweek, He's Not

2009-07-12T10:38:00.000-07:00

Ed Morrissey at Hot Air has an excellent post about a Newsweek article claiming Obama better represents American Catholics better than the Pope does.

To this premise I say: yes and no. There are two points to make here.

1) Average American "Catholicity" is not necessary doctrinally sound. Many American members of the Church of Rome are only nominally so. They hold heretical positions on abortion, sexual practices, marrying outside the church, etc. Insofar as he shares the same views on abortion et al, Obama does better represent so-called American Catholics better than the Pope. But it's in these very areas that American Catholics aren't Catholic.

2) Obama is directly opposed to most devout practicing American Catholics. On abortion, on stem cell research, and on a whole host of issues, Obama stands on one end of the spectrum while these American Catholics are firmly planted on the other end.

Newsweek embraces the bullshit notion that Catholicism is defined by what the members of the church personally hold. Under this concept, a religion is not defined by a certain set of beliefs, adherence to which is necessary if one wants to belongs to said religion. For Newsweek, what it means to be Catholic isn't based on the authoritative teachings of the Popes but on polls of the opinions of the faithful. Unfortunately for Newsweek, the church is a top down organization. No matter what a survey of "American Catholics" believe, it doesn't change what they should believe if they want to continue to call themselves Catholic.

Ultimately, this is just another liberal writer trying to deify teh One and make the Catholic Church look out of touch. This has been going on for years.

I leave you with one last thought. When was the last time Obama went to Church? Maybe he does have more in common with many nominal Catholics than we might think.

Sotomayor supporters trashing Ricci to hide her rascism

2009-07-11T22:34:00.000-07:00

The nomination of Sonia Sotomayor, Barack Obama's nominee for the "wise latina with the richness of her experience" seat on the Supreme Court, is about to get uglier than it has been.

As you may know, several years ago, Sotomayor ruled on a case concerning a group of white firemen who had been denied promotion. The firemen had all passed the promotions test but the department threw it out because no black firemen had passed the test.

As part of a Second Circuit Court panel, Sotomayor ruled against the white firemen. Her reason? It wasn't fair to the black firemen because, you know, they're black.

This case eventually came before the Supreme Court, which returned a 5-4 decision stating that the white firemen were in the right and that the test should not have been thrown out.

Now, the problem is that many people see Sotomayor as having a little bit of the old racism in her. She claimed a wise latina woman can make better decisions than a white man, who she assumes are less likely to have led a hard life, to be liberal, and to look good in heels (I'm sure Larry Craig would object). All of which are key to making impartial judicial decisions. Wait. Did I say impartial? I meant empathetic and politically correct. Remember, under Obama, Justice isn't blind, she's empathetic.

Well, some have cited her ruling in the Ricci case, Ricci being the lead plaintiff for the white firefighters, as further evidence of this empathetic, wise Latina is racist. Well, now People for the American Way are here to clear this all up. It's just been a big misunderstanding you see. Naturally, they'll explain that she's not a racist. Point out that even if she is a bit vocal about, shall we say, female brown power, it's not that big of a deal.

Nope! Instead they decide to smear Ricci, the lead plaintiff in the firefighter case. According to McClatchy:

Supporters of Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor are quietly targeting the Connecticut firefighter who's at the center of Sotomayor's most controversial ruling.
On the eve of Sotomayor's Senate confirmation hearing, her advocates have been urging journalists to scrutinize what one called the "troubled and litigious work history" of firefighter Frank Ricci.
On Friday, citing in an e-mail "Frank Ricci's troubled and litigious work history," the liberal advocacy group People for the American Way drew reporters' attention to Ricci's past. Other advocates for Sotomayor have discreetly urged journalists to pursue similar story lines.
Specifically, the advocates have zeroed in on an earlier 1995 lawsuit Ricci filed claiming the city of New Haven discriminated against him because he's dyslexic. The advocates cite other Hartford Courant stories from the same era recounting how Ricci was fired by a fire department in Middletown, Conn., allegedly, Ricci said at the time, because of safety concerns he raised.
The Middletown-area fire department was subsequently fined for safety violations, but the Connecticut Department of Labor dismissed Ricci's retaliation complaint.
No People for the American Way officials could be reached Friday to speak on the record about the press campaign.

Should we call this Ricci Derangement Syndrome, or do we need to wait a week or two?

People for the American Way hope to distract us from Sotomayor's racism by focusing on Ricci's allegedly shady history. But even if Ricci does have a less that honest resume, it doesn't alter the racist taint in Sotomayor's ruling.

As a bit of fun, let's assume Ricci is questionable. Well, Sotomayor didn't know that when she ruled. All that mattered to her was that Ricci and his fellow litigants were white and that the firefighters who failed the test were black. Even if Ricci turns out to be a bum, it doesn't change his work history is completely accidental to the case.

This bears a striking difference to the case of Anita Hill during the Clarence Thomas hearings. Again, from McClatchy:

Nor is he the only Supreme Court confirmation witness to receive sharp elbows. In 1991, for instance, then-Senate Minority Leader Alan Simpson of Wyoming warned that witness Anita Hill would be "injured and destroyed and belittled and hounded and harassed" if she testified against nominee Clarence Thomas. Hill was preparing to testify that she'd been sexually harassed by Thomas.
Hill's subsequent testimony threw into question Thomas's confirmation, during a hearing he likened to a "high-tech lynching." A closely divided Senate ultimately confirmed him.

In the case of Anita Hill, destroying her credibility would destroy her accusations of sexual harassment. But Ricci isn't accusing Sotomayor of sexual harrassment. Or even of calling him nasty names. The basis for calling Sotomayor a racist doesn't hinge on Ricci's work history. It all stems from her principle that someone can be denied promotion because of the pigmentation of their skin. To trash Ricci is cheap politics of the lowest, scummiest sort.

This is nothing more that the Joe the Plumber episode all over again. Good old Joe asked a question which caught Obama of guard. Obama gave an honest answer. He wanted to "Spread the wealth around." What was the left's reaction? Destroy Joe the Plumber. None of the things revealed about Joe changed what Obama said.

Of course, the left doesn't want Ricci to have any credibility when he testifies at her hearings. Let's hope the American people see through these petty attacks.

For shame People for the Unamerican Way. For shame.

Crossposted at iwatchobama.com

Obama in Africa: Enthusiasic Response or Meh?

2009-07-11T21:57:00.000-07:00

Drudge has two seemingly compatible headlines which, when read, tell the same story two different ways. According to the AP headline, "Only small crowds greet Obama during Ghana visit." However, AP assures us this was due to mediocre planning rather than lack of enthusiasm:

Despite the huge excitement and anticipation surrounding Obama's first trip to sub-Saharan Africa as president, only relatively small crowds came out to meet him in Ghana's capital. The absence of any big public event outdoors, heavy security that blocked roads, and uncertainty over which routes Obama might take combined to keep large crowds away.

It also left many disappointed they never got a chance to see him.

"I came all the way here to see Obama, but I can't see him," said 35-year-old Kodjo Seddoh, a native of Togo who traveled by bus to Ghana especially for the event.

"It's been a disappointment," he said, as he and a few hundred other people watched Obama pass in a black limousine en route to Ghana's presidential palace. "Nobody has seen him except on TV."

Many had hoped Obama would speak at an outdoor arena called Independence Square. But his main speech was delivered indoors at a nearby conference center because of fears over rain as well as fears it could cause a celebratory stampede, as a 1998 stop by President Bill Clinton nearly did. Then, a surging crowd toppled barricades at Independence Square after Clinton's speech, prompting him to shout, "Back up! Back up!", his Secret Service detail clearly frantic.

However, Bush gave a speech at the same Independence Square, so why the worry? Perhaps the threat of celebratory stampedes only applies to first black presidents. However, Drudge has another story which would seem to puncture the rosy picture painted by the P. The Ghanaian Chronicle reports "Bolgatanga Not Enthused About Obama's Visit." Apparently the enthusiasm on the ground was cooked up by overeager government officials.

DESPITE THE much-talked about historic visit of US President Barack Hussein Obama to Ghana today, Friday, July, 10, most people in Bolgatanga are not enthused about this visit.

Their main reason is that Obama will come and go, and Ghanaians will still remain where they are with economic hardships.

Views sampled by the Upper East File in the Bolgatanga Municipality showed people had different opinions about the first African-American US President. For somebody like A. Emmanuel, it is only the politicians that the visit would benefit.

Though he believes the spotlight is on Ghana, as the whole, the world is talking about the visit, and he thinks Ghanaians should not put their hopes on the visit with the intention that the visit would end their woes.

Others are not happy that people are spending a lot of money decorating and renaming their buildings, restaurants and hotels, when they know that Mr. Obama would only be in the country for less than 24 hours.

When we contacted the regional manager of the Ghana Tourist Board, Madam Mary Aganmikry, she believed otherwise.

She believed the visit would promote Ghana's culture and boost tourism, as the same foreigners would be coming to grace the occasion.

She also said US President's visit had led to massive clean-ups in Accra, and Cape Coast, thus, improving sanitation situations of these cities.

So people--i.e. the government most likely--are renaming streets and buildings after President Obama. This brings into question how many people actually give a shit about Obama coming. It's clear that he's just sticking another feather in his cap, making the requisite speech in Africa. He goes up to the podium, reads of the teleprompter that

"Africa is not separate from world affairs."
Obama said events in Africa do not lose their effects at the continent's borders and said Africa is a fully integrated part of the global economy.
"What happens here has an impact everywhere," Obama said during a meeting with Ghanaian President John Atta Mills.

Really? This seems more like Obama going overseas so he can check off the "cares about Africa" box on his accomplishments. Much like his various workshops wherein he gathers a group of "experts," forms breakout groups, and two days later he claims he's dealt with whatever problem the forum was convened to deal with.

Maybe I'm being cynical. Who knows. Tell me in the comments.

Merry-Go-Round Fun!

2009-06-20T16:33:00.001-07:00

Don't Tread On Me

2009-06-20T16:16:00.001-07:00

FOX At Dusk

2009-06-20T15:03:00.000-07:00

Nicer Film Titles (from Twitter)

2009-06-18T22:50:00.001-07:00

From the great hashtag on Twitter: (Add your own in the comments!)

Run, Man With A Thyroid Problem, Run
Harry Potter and the Bi-Racial Prince
Sternly Chastise Bill
The Knight With Emotional Issues Who Wears Black After Sunset (The Dark Knight)
Harry Potter and the Unjustly Incarcerated Man of Azkaban
A Completely Rational And Scientifically Explainable Occurrence on 34th Street
Harry Potter and The Chamber of Declassified Documents
The Slightly Mentally Unbalanced Professor Who Is Now On Medication
Obtaining a Large Diamond Through Wholly Legal Means (Snatch)
STAR TREK II: THE SLIGHT DISPLEASURE OF KHAN
Star Wars V: The Empire Calls For A Ceasefire

New Kitten on the Block

2008-11-10T14:53:00.000-08:00

Circles

2008-11-10T14:41:00.000-08:00

Dead computer

2008-04-15T20:06:00.000-07:00

Alas my friends, my computer is giving me a blue screen of death before Windows boots up. Fortunately, for those waiting for wedding pictures, those files are backed up on my external hard drive. Unfortunately, this means the Lightroom files (and all pictures) on my hard drive are potentially gone, which means the edits are gone. My dad is going to have an IT guy from his school district take a look at the computer, so cross your fingers.

Four Evans

2008-04-09T20:37:00.000-07:00

One Profile, Five Versions

2008-03-11T00:58:00.001-07:00

Bride Watching Her Groom

2008-03-04T15:42:00.000-08:00

A Flash! Here Comes The Bride.

2008-02-28T12:51:00.000-08:00

Here's two versions. Which do you prefer? I got lucky with the timing on this one. The illumination from the other guy's flash creates a great effect and really adds to the shot.

Pensive Tuxedo

2008-02-25T18:54:00.000-08:00

Mission San Buenaventura

2008-02-19T23:29:00.000-08:00

The Mission's Web Site is here.

Slight Adjustment

2008-02-18T22:27:00.000-08:00

Expectation of Happiness

2008-02-04T09:42:00.000-08:00

Congratulations Sarah and Geoff.

Untitled with Snow

2008-01-15T22:10:00.000-08:00

Reaching But Fallen

2008-01-11T12:12:00.000-08:00

Snap and Grin

2008-01-10T11:06:00.000-08:00

Light on Snowy Dunes

2008-01-09T15:30:00.000-08:00

Taken 12/22/2007

Snow Dusted Mountains

2008-01-08T16:33:00.000-08:00

400 Post!

2008-01-08T16:21:00.000-08:00

So in honor of my four-hundredth post, I would like to thank all my readers/viewers/lookers(?)--since this is a photoblog--for continuing to visit this site. I was trying to find an appropriately celebratory video for this post, but settled on this:

Now, I challenge you, my readers, with two things: first, please comment more. If you like the picture, post a comment. If you have criticism for the picture, post a comment. I appreciate the feedback in order to improve both my photographic eye and my editing style. Second, give this blog some "word of mouth." If you like the pictures, feel free to download them. But also tell others about the site. I would like to increase the number of visitors to the site, and I am asking for your help. Thank you!

Mist Covered Foothills

2008-01-07T10:52:00.000-08:00

Epiphany

2008-01-07T00:22:00.000-08:00

Taken in Sequoia National Park, 12/22/2007. Title comes from yesterday's Feast of Epiphany. Expect more photos from my trip to Sequoia soon!

In response to Evan, this blog is...

2008-01-05T14:40:00.000-08:00

New Blog

2008-01-01T22:28:00.001-08:00

I am starting up a new blog with an old friend from high school: Twentysomewhat. If Paul and I are able to maintain any sort of consistant posting, there will be nearly no further text postings on this blog. I will turn Something Completely Different into a true photoblog. So look for pictures and check out the new blog! Thanks!

Hillary Gives Gifts....

2007-12-21T12:21:00.000-08:00

H/t to Hot Air. Moooo!

Immanuel Kant: Wrong for America (Vote Nietzsche!)

2007-12-19T00:37:00.000-08:00

On the other hand, Nietzsche was accused of expressing a "will to power" in kindergarten. Or at least that's what I heard from a high ranking member of the Kant campaign.

Hat tip to Hot Air.

Ring

2007-12-17T10:04:00.003-08:00

Smile

2007-12-17T09:59:00.001-08:00

Vows

2007-12-16T12:30:00.001-08:00

Our Lady

2007-12-16T12:22:00.001-08:00

Projection of leaves

2007-12-13T12:25:00.001-08:00

Roman Drinking Party Etiquette

2007-12-13T12:23:00.001-08:00

Staring contest

2007-12-13T12:21:00.000-08:00

Corridor with lamps, illuminated by sun

2007-12-13T12:20:00.001-08:00

Layers of concrete cut by afternoon sun

2007-12-13T12:17:00.000-08:00

Faraday Cage on Top Gear: Hammond sits in Car whilst it is hit by Lightning

2007-12-10T21:19:00.000-08:00

Eyes of the Villa dei Papiri

2007-12-10T09:46:00.001-08:00

Portrait #1

2007-12-09T23:33:00.000-08:00

Picture is not yet titled. Taken at the Getty Villa.

Fred Thompson lays down the first principles

2007-12-05T16:06:00.000-08:00

The Campaign Spot at NRO has Fred dishing up a political philosophical smackdown on Charlie Rose:

CHARLIE ROSE: You constantly say in this campaign that you are a conservative. What does that mean today? Is George Bush a conservative?
FRED THOMPSON: Well, let's talk about me. (LAUGHTER) I thought we might get to that. I think that it means things that are consistent with God's design for man. It`s consistent with human nature. It's consistent with the lessons of history and the lessons of the ages. They found form in the Constitution, I think, and what our founding fathers believed. They understand that man can do great and wonderful things, but man is prone to error, and sometimes do terrible things. That too much power in too few hands is a dangerous thing, that power is a corrupting thing.
CHARLIE ROSE: In all of that, you didn`t mention abortion, gay rights — all things that have been part of recent presidential elections.
FRED THOMPSON: Those — well, you`re talking about different things there. Those are issues that are before us, which derive from principles. I don`t consider them to be...
CHARLIE ROSE: Principles.
FRED THOMPSON: ... the first principles. But the principles are what guides you in coming to positions with regard to the issues. You know, the Declaration of Independence said that our basic rights come from God and not from man. The founders talked about, you know, life and liberty and the importance of that. And everything is based on those basic principles. And I take those principles, and you know, for example, I come to a pro-life conclusion there. And when we had issues, you know, for eight years when I was in the United States Senate about whether or not the federal government should be funding, for example, abortion-related activities and things of that nature, you know, the application of those principles in that instance told me the answer was no, properly.

I like it when candidates go back to first principles. True conservatism seems only to be found coming from Fred.

Photos sorting

2007-12-03T17:45:00.001-08:00

I am trying to label all posts with photos with the tag "photos" so you can view just photo posts...look for the link on the sidebar.

Layup

2007-12-03T16:27:00.001-08:00

Introduction of Tobacco to Civilization -- Bob Newhart

2007-11-20T09:57:00.000-08:00

Prayer request

2007-11-15T13:05:00.000-08:00

I interviewed for two jobs at the beginning of the week. Not sure if I'm going to get either of 'em. Please pray to St. Joseph and St. Cajetan for me.

God Bless!

"Oh St Joseph and St Cajetan whose inspiration has been a light for multitudes of unemployed, bless our hearts with the light of Christ so that we may be a beacon for others and hold Him in our bosom as you also did. We implore thee for the special grace to endure our most troublesome times and not forget the poor in spirit and consequence. We ask that Our Lady Virgin be implored to pray for us sinners and for forgiveness for our transgressions through her Son made perfect on the cross. Please be by our side and guide us in the will of our Lord, Amen."

The Church on YouTube

2007-11-13T19:00:00.000-08:00

According to a story on ZENIT, the pro-life movement, along with the Archbishop of Philadelphia, have discovered the effectiveness of YouTube:

YouTube has been a great boon to the nonprofit community because with it, a video can be instantly available anywhere in the world, says media producer Colin Mason. Mason, director of media production for the Population Research Institute (PRI) in Front Royal, spoke to ZENIT about the success the organization has had using the medium to spread its Catholic message.

PRI launched its first YouTube video in June as an introduction to its work and research. Its effectiveness led to a new effort called the "Viral Video Campaign."

The first video of the campaign, a 51-second pro-life video called "The Human Race" asks the question: "Humanity is rushing toward the future. But where are we headed?"

Mason said: "We've been having a good deal of success with YouTube and it has been responsible for a big chunk of the traffic on our Web site. People have expressed a lot of support for the videos -- their quality, message, etc.

"We believe that these short, punchy videos are crucial in raising the YouTube generation's awareness of life issues."

Short, punchy videos huh. The video has good production values, aside from the narator, who seems to be doing his best imitation of the movie voice over guy.

Of course, not only are pro-life groups getting in on the action, but prelates are posting vlogs too. Another quote from the ZENIT article:

Cardinal Justin Rigali, archbishop of Philadelphia, is the first prelate to use the new media to reach his flock. During Lent 2007, a series of reflections on the Gospel given by the cardinal were posted on YouTube.

"The first video the cardinal posted was one of the most watched on YouTube," Donna Farrell, communications director at the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, told ZENIT. "The reaction to the cardinal's reflections was amazing. We heard from people all over the world, Australia, the Philippines, Italy, and many in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, including one self-described '15-year-old skateboarder.'"

A "self-declared '15-year-old skateboarder'"? We now know that even though the Archdiocese is hip to the interweb, they are not hip per se.

"When it comes down to it, people like media," concluded Mason. "They like sound bites and video clips that entertain them during breaks or off-hours. So, if we can harness that power, the power of the short, pithy video clip, we can use it to raise awareness of our cause."

Heck, maybe they're on to something.

For those of you who don't get the reference, watch these:

It is wonderful that the Archbishop and these various pro-life groups are using YouTube. However, I don't believe these videos will have much of an impact. With the notable exception of Lisa Rose's undercover investigation of Planned Parenthood, which was picked up by the mainstream media, most of these videos will only be watched by Pro-lifers and Catholics.

The audiences of EWTN and Catholic radio are almost completely Catholic, and the audience for these YouTube videos will consist of EWTN viewers and Catholic radio listeners who have internet access. The utilization of new media brings the benefits of mass distribution and easy access at a very low cost. However, these groups shouldn't expect to get very many "self-professed...skateboarders" watching merely by posting on a hot new medium. Turning YouTube into an effective way to spread the gospel will require high quality videos. Otherwise, it will be the equivalent of Evangelical's attempts to reach the youth using video games (such as the one pictured below, with the laughable title Catechumen) or Christian rock music. They will not watch just because it's on YouTube just like the average kid won't play Left Behind just because it's a video game. While YouTube is a good medium for reaching the faithful and will likely remain such, its efficacy for evangelizing the "internet generation," at least for now, remains very low.

Kill those vampires for the LORD! (This game, according to the publishers, contains over 300 Bible verses. Great way to learn the Bible--using a pixelated sword to slay enemies).

The Humans Are Dead -- The Flight of the Conchords

2007-11-11T14:02:00.000-08:00

The geometry of shadow as the projection of architectural form by means of lightwaves

2007-11-11T13:35:00.001-08:00

Christus regnat

2007-11-11T13:31:00.001-08:00

Father Paul, Thomas Aquinas College, Feast of Christ the King.

Incensed

2007-11-11T13:26:00.001-08:00

I-5, 11:59 pm

2007-11-10T00:05:00.000-08:00

Those apples tasted bad.

oops!

2007-11-07T13:17:00.001-08:00

Kiss

2007-11-07T12:09:00.000-08:00

Proof that I am working on Em's wedding pics. Enjoy.

news

2007-11-07T10:55:00.000-08:00

Progressive "violence fantasies."

700 protestant cross-dressers. pass around the collection plate for abortion.

State of war

2007-11-07T10:41:00.000-08:00

Rusty knives for giblets. Plastic wrap for piglets. Blood spilled on the floor. Black helicopters. We grant no second chances. You cannot escape. Jackboots kicking down your bedroom door.

what's playing

2007-10-26T11:12:00.000-07:00

Tasik doesn't care for moody electronica inspired soundscapes. I dig though.

Mezzanine floor

2007-10-26T10:45:00.001-07:00

From the "choir loft." TAC Chapel.
"i'm on the mezzanine floor/
never been here before"
--delirious?

(new) home

2007-10-26T10:39:00.001-07:00

ORANGE IS FROM A FIRE.
smoke is in the air.
this feels like deja vu.

Despair at a lighthouse

2007-08-14T17:24:00.001-07:00

My cousin in Hawai'i.

Lovely Lady

2007-08-14T17:18:00.000-07:00

Bride Preoccupied

2007-08-14T17:15:00.001-07:00

24 done, for now

2007-07-30T10:25:00.000-07:00

Finished 24 Season one. Very very very very good.

Gainfully employed!

2007-07-30T10:10:00.001-07:00

I got a job as a photog! (They use Nikon).

So I joined facebook

2007-07-20T12:20:00.000-07:00

Two of Maria

2007-07-12T12:45:00.001-07:00

Ant on lily

2007-07-12T12:43:00.002-07:00

Mother Betty says, "Drink your beer!"

2007-07-12T12:40:00.003-07:00

Tutor greeting of the week

2007-07-12T12:40:00.001-07:00

trio

2007-07-12T12:39:00.001-07:00

Dinner foreground; mountains background

2007-07-12T12:38:00.001-07:00

A good photog team

2007-07-12T12:37:00.001-07:00

Kakashi in Hawai'i

2007-07-12T12:34:00.000-07:00

Evan in Kansas

2007-07-12T12:33:00.001-07:00

weird face (both color and b&w)

2007-07-12T12:31:00.001-07:00

Anticipation

2007-07-12T12:30:00.001-07:00

Three inanimate objects

2007-07-12T12:26:00.000-07:00

I didn't use any style presets or computer tricks on the picture of the measuring tape. The look was the result of clever use of flash.

t.duffman

2007-07-12T12:25:00.001-07:00

I Turn My Camera On

2007-07-12T12:24:00.001-07:00

Kate Mirror-ton (terrible pun)

2007-07-12T12:23:00.001-07:00

Emily (wedding prep and with hubby)

2007-07-12T12:22:00.001-07:00

Geoff

2007-07-12T12:20:00.001-07:00

What do you think of the stylizing? Comments appreciated.

Sarah-oneesan

2007-07-12T12:16:00.001-07:00

For Alex (Some Classic John Cleese: How To Irritate People, Airplane Sketch)

2007-07-02T19:37:00.000-07:00

Aloha: It means "Hello," "Goodbye," and "Look, it's raining again"

2007-06-29T13:00:00.001-07:00

Hawaii is wet. Very wet. As I sit in the DeRego house, legs folded indian-style, water plummets from the sky. Engorged drops race down, accelerating inverse to the square of the remaining distance from the ground, which, saturated, soaks up each bullet of aqua. O rain gods! O tropical paradise! O two-weeks vacation!

I arrived in Hilo on Wednesday night, sans luggage--Joe, we shouldn't have stopped for Subway, the check-in line for baggage was long--and greeted by humidity that does funny things to women's hair. Rain pours down on the isles of Hawaii continually, moving, constantly shifting its target. I am reminded of Seattle, and the comparison is apt, aside from the tropical forests all around me. I truly feel as if I am in a foreign land.

And I am. This is one of the 50 states in the union. Each state a sovereign entity, each a government, a being of its own, within the larger federal union. Since arriving here I have been struck by this fact: we live in a union of states, each of which could be a separate nation, with its own legislative, executive, judicial branches. Yet, in order to form a more perfect union, these 50 states are joined into one nation, the greatest nation on earth at this moment. This train of thought has probably been brought on by Tom Wolfe's wonderful book Hooking Up, which I finished on my flight over. Here's a bit of his terrific prose, on the place of the US in 2000:

Indirectly, subconsciously, [the average electrician, air-conditioning mechanic, or burglar-alarm repairman's view of the world] had to do with the fact that his own country, the United States, was now the mightiest power on earth, as omnipotent ass Macedon under Alexander the Great, Rome under Julius Caesar, Mongolia under Genghis Khan, Turkey under Mohammed II, or Britain under Queen Victoria. His country was so powerful, it had begun to invade or rain missiles upon small nations in Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean for no other reason than that their leaders were lording it over their subjects at home.

Wonderful stuff. Pictures to come.

Film...

2007-06-22T10:48:00.001-07:00

l337 p|-|070gr4p|-|3r

2007-06-22T10:46:00.001-07:00

Poetry on wall\

2007-06-22T10:45:00.001-07:00