Beware Cats High On Catnip: They're Gonna Gitcha!

Some videos on youtube are staged. This one clearly is not. He took the edge of the LCD directly on the kisser. And was even coming up in his sit-up to add to the impact.

And the feline doesn't even skip a step while his master chokes to death on blood, snot and skull fragments.

He's Eatin' Lobster, Too

Sit A Spell And Read: St. Charles Bookstore

An intersting photo to show light quality, taken with the automatic setting on my $159 Fuji point and shoot. The light was moderate, yellow, in the room. It was not what I would call dark. And yet, the shot is grainy. There is just not enough ISO compensation for the low light situations with the point and shoots. My brother educated me about forcing the ISO manually up to 800+, which would help low light situations, but I'd have to hold my breathe, lean on a wall and stop my heartbeat for it to have no "shake".

The clothesline photo two days ago was taken with the same point and shoot, but in highest light of day. It is more sharp, but not ideal, as one can see when it's blown up (click picture on blog) and one looks at shingles on house. This could also be a factor of depth of field, which is also limited in the snapshot cameras.

This is precisely why I, personally, wanted a DSLR. To avoid shots corrupted by this sort of "noise".

When Will The Waters Be Fluid Again?

Sheets Drying In The Sunshine Behind My House

My Alma Mater

Boston University, on the Charles River, is a place where I spent 8 years of my education.

And now, a year (8 months, really) of undergraduate (not graduate school) education in the ivy-lined urban walls of old BU costs:

Boston University
Boston

Tuition and Fees: $37,050
Room and Board: $11,418
Total Cost: $48,468

Holy bare cupboards, Batman!

My Tool Shed Door

Busy As A Bee Watercoloring

I'm proud of my wife for learning art.  She's only taken a single three-hour watercoloring session, with her very skilled teacher Sarah, and she's already shown a certain knack for the craft.  Of course, she's got several years of scrapbooking under her belt--so she knows papercraft.  I tell her every day, though, that I'm proud of her skills, as watercolor is creating something from nothing.  It's the art of creating that is the talent.  She's a nascent watercolorist.  Did I say I'm proud of her?

Baby Girlfriend

The Hangover

Heard mixed reviews about this movie--some lament its content and language, others saying it's the best comedy in years.  Watched it last night with the mancub (thanks, wildhair).  It sucked like an old mattress.

Throw it all in the blender, everything that could happen at a bachelor party (tigers in bathrooms, a lost baby, chickens, stealing a police car...you name it) and then create a script around it with stale jokes from B-actors.  Unfortunately, with the dummying down of America, some people enjoy this trash and the directors and studios make millions.  Sure, I was young once, and I enjoy the coming-of-age flick (Valley Girl, Porky's, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, etc) as much as the next guy.  But the folks in this move are my age, making it even less appealing.  And while the films of yore have a shred of storyline, The Hangover, alas, really does not. 

Avoid!

Taco Fresco, Geneva Commons

Yummy alternative in a calm place at busy Geneva Commons.  Dusty bottles and all.

Pandas Are Cute

Ate At White Castle Last Night

Third Street Over Building View

The multi-tiered, overbuilding view from Third Street in Geneva, IL. 

Downtown St. Charles Illinois

Golf Gambling

Cathy's Red Toolbox

Purchased over a week ago at the wildlife hospital auction, Cathy will use it to store paintbrushes.

Red Crocs At A Full 18 Megapixels

Now I am boldly pushing the limits of this camera.

The Crossings In My Mind

Orianthi: Michael Jackson's Guitarist

Orianthi Panagaris (born January 22, 1985), known mononymously as Orianthi, is an Australian singer and guitarist. She is best known for being Michael Jackson's guitarist for his comeback concert series, This Is It.



Orianthi was Michael Jackson's lead guitarist and was present on all rehearsals for his This Is It concerts before his death.[13][5][8] In regards to being handpicked by Jackson, she stated:

“ I don’t know exactly why he picked me, but he watched my YouTube videos and loved them. He had his choice of guitar players, but I came in and played the ‘Beat It’ solo for him. Afterward he was so happy he got up and grabbed my arm and started walking up and down the stage area with me. He said, ‘Can you play once for me?’ He hired me that night. I wish he was still around. He made me believe in myself more, and I learned so much. Going into it, I thought it would be all about playing guitar solos. But the majority of it was playing chords and funky rhythms.[14] --Wikipedia

She did a decent job on MJ's Beat It, but the guitar solo, written by EVH, cannot be played like EVH by anyone.  It's a test of finesse.