Posted in photography on December 31, 2007 | 3 Comments »
It’s friggin’ cold and windy here. So last night, using Virtual Painter 5, I had fun with some pictures I took at the Botanic Gardens in warmer seasons. Here are a few of my creations. Look ma, I’m an artist!
Wherever you are, be safe tonight. Happy New Year!
Posted in photography, Technology on December 29, 2007 | 6 Comments »
We met nearly ten years ago, and got acquainted mostly sitting there in the dining room of my old bungalow. He was talented, easy to get along with, and not one of those high-maintenance types.
Of course, we both changed as the years went by, although our working relationship remained strong. I came to depend on him. He was there for me to help me edit my pictures from my first digital camera and my first scanner, and we both developed our skills along the way.
But over the last several months, he’s changed. He’s gotten tempermental and unreliable. He often just quits in the middle of something, and because I’m so used to him and his ways, I’ve put up with it for longer than I should have. I’ve even spent more money than I should have, trying to make things work between us.
But I decided the other day that it’s over. And now I’m looking for something to replace what I’ve lost, and I’m bummed about it. 
Yes, finally, after all these years, I am parting ways with my old favorite photo editing software, Paint Shop Pro. (more…)
Posted in Blogging on December 27, 2007 | 1 Comment »
“Let it snow.”
That is a silly phrase.
As if somehow we could decide to not let the snow fall. Maybe by radioing a command up the line somewhere:
“Hold off on the frozen precip, Harry. These peeps in Denver are having a hard enough time driving on the stuff left on the streets from Christmas day, and they need to get to work tomorrow.”
“Copy that, Lisa. Will do.”
But WordPress.com has given me this power: Until January 2, I can make it snow on my very own blog. Or make it stop.
Posted in Technology on December 23, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
Her Majesty’s a pretty nice girl,
but she doesn’t have a lot to say.
Her Majesty’s a pretty nice girl,
but she changes from day to day.I want to tell her that I love her a lot,
But I gotta get a bellyful of wine.
Her Majesty’s a pretty nice girl.
Someday I’m going to make her mine, oh yeah,
someday I’m going to make her mine.— The Beatles
I’ve always had a soft spot for Queen Elizabeth II. She was the older serious daughter, who worked at learning about the position she was fated to eventually fill, while her younger sister – the prettier one – got to dress up, go out, and play. She married her true love, but enjoyed only a brief time living the life of the wife of a young naval officer before her father died and it became her turn to wear the crown. Whatever her failings, they haven’t come from a lack of dedication to her country and its people.
I learned today that Her Majesty’s now got her own channel on YouTube. The Royal Channel. What else?
You go, girl.
Posted in Culture, Music on December 22, 2007 | 1 Comment »
Posted in Humor, Music on December 16, 2007 | 2 Comments »
Baby Boomers On Social Security
“Born to be Wild” – in our young dreams.
Now it’s tummy tucks, knee replacements, and bypass surgery.
None of the above in my case, thank goodness, and just for the record I’m also not yet old enough to collect Social Security.
Posted in Humor on December 15, 2007 | 1 Comment »
On Saturdays here, we get Bruce Cameron’s columns in our newspaper. This is a good thing. Like, right now it’s 8:00 a.m. and that bright Rocky Mountain sunshine has been working its magic since sunrise, and the thermometer out there has shot all the way up to 8. Yes, that’s eight degrees Farenheit. It would be minus thirteen degrees if we were located in a nation that has its weather in Celsius, which sounds even colder.
I have library books out that are due today, and not renewable, and library books on hold that are ready to pick up. The pantry and fridge are running low on the stuff I really consume, and I have some Christmas shopping to do. I hate really cold weather. This is not looking like a fun Saturday.
It is, as I was saying, a good thing on a cold Saturday morning, to have hot coffee and funny stuff to read – indoors. Bruce’s column today is about the zero-common-sense-tolerance policies in some of our public and private institutions. It’s below the fold if that link doesn’t work and you can’t find it on Bruce’s website. If you go there, you must read his take on yoga. You’re welcome.
Posted in Humor on December 12, 2007 | 1 Comment »
This one came in an email today.
Last night my friend and I were sitting in the den and I said to her,
“I never want to live in a vegetative state, dependent on some machine and fluids from a bottle to keep me alive. That would be no quality of life at all. If that ever happens, just pull the plug.”
So she got up, unplugged the computer, and threw out my wine.
She’s such a bitch.
Odd thoughts, thunk while sipping that last cuppa coffee before heading out the door this morning:
Posted in Career, City, Denver on December 11, 2007 | 2 Comments »
I’m now working part time. Just in time for snow season.
I’ve got to get dressed and get downtown on a snowy morning. Instead of cruising around here in my jammies sipping coffee.
Sitting here watching the early morning TV news as the snow continues to fall, I learn that a light rail train has just derailed down in the south metro area.
A coal train on the adjacent track derailed and tipped train cars and/or coal onto the LR tracks and the LR train driver couldn’t get ‘er stopped in time to avoid the mess. Nobody hurt, according to first reports, and the LR train stayed upright.
A Channel 9 employee was on the train when it happened, so naturally they are getting cellphone reports from him on the air. Sounds like the driver darn near managed to get the LR train stopped, so it wasn’t a high speed collision, bless him.
The picture above is just one randomly grabbed from the CDOT road ca
m website. To give you a sense of the morning.
EDITED to add these newspaper/TV pictures of the coal train wreckage (right) and the light rail train off its tracks (below).
Be careful out there.
PS: While I’ve been messing around here, it’s been warming up outdoors. To 19°F. Maybe I should wear my Hawaiian shirt after all.
Further update: It worked out that I’m working at home today. Still have to go out later for an appointment but the traffic madness has abated by now.
Posted in Business, Music, tagged Shopping on December 9, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
“There’s a sucker born every minute,” as P. T. Barnum did not say. (It was a competitor, David Hannum.)
I think of that every time I order something at amazon.com which is one of their 4-for-3 deals. You know, order four and the lowest priced one is free. Usually with me it’s CDs. This morning I decided to order two CDs which were both in the 4-for-3 thing. So of course I had to browse around looking for a couple other items to fill out my 4-fer shopping cart.
It’s so tempting, of course, to keep tossing things into the old shopping cart until it’s more like 8-for-6. So instead of two CDs for like seven bucks each, I’m paying for six CDs and looking at my VISA statement later and saying “WTF was I thinking?”. You know.
This morning I maintained control, did in fact order just four bargain CDS – for the price of three.
Along the way, I found this temptation easy to resist: The Environmental Sounds of Crawford, Texas. Which may become, according to the wry write-up of its creator, the “pet rock” of audio CDs. I have to love their attitude – and the critter on the cover wearing shades – but I managed to do it without ordering their CD. Even as my 4-fer freebie selection.
Posted in Culture, Inspiration on December 7, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
This is worth your time to read.
Just don’t blame me if your monitor starts looking a little blurry there at the end.
HT to Ambulance Driver for the link.
Posted in Culture, Music on December 7, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
Please Don’t Tell Me How The Story Ends – Joan Osborne
A favorite Kristofferson song, performed by Joan Osborne.
Dedicated, I suppose, to those Mr. Wrongs I met along my journey who were lots of fun for awhile.
Posted in Blogging, Career on December 4, 2007 | 5 Comments »
Yesterday I went to work.
For the first time in months.
The bad news: working takes valuable time away from blogging.
The good news: my professional skills haven’t deserted me despite my long break from work.
Posted in Current Events, Music on December 2, 2007 | 1 Comment »
Stevie Wonder – Someday At Christmas, which was released in 1967. Forty years later, alas, the lyrics seem more relevant than ever.
Someday at Christmas, men won’t be boys
Playing with bombs like kids play with toys.
One warm December our hearts will see
A world where men are free.
Someday at Christmas, there’ll be no wars,
When we have learned what Christmas is for.
When we have found what life’s really worth -
There’ll be peace on earth. . . .
Posted in Inspiration, Life and death on December 1, 2007 | 1 Comment »
Posted in Music on December 1, 2007 | Leave a Comment »
It’s winter here. Enjoy a little “Summertime” while you’re online.
Cindy Horstman and Michael Medina – aka 2tone – make good music.
I love their CD, Never Turn Back.
I think I’m going to post more links to music here during the holiday season. Just my little effort to share.
Posted in Blogging, Culture, Writing on December 1, 2007 | 2 Comments »
I would give every damn blog post I’ve ever written, and almost anything else I have, in exchange for the ability to tell stories like Brenda Wooley’s.
Brenda shares some of her stories with us on her blog, One Kentucky Writer. She doesn’t post every day. But everything she posts is worth reading. Not scanning, not glancing, not skimming. If her stories were food, they would be low-glycemic: the stuff that gives your blood long-term nourishment. Not the slam-bam-thank-you-ma’am spike-plunge-vanish junk of empty calories.
Her latest blog story reminded me of how it felt to be a little kid in a big crowd, jostled and spilling my soft drink, and of looking down at my feet to admire a new pair of sandals.
Thank you, Brenda.
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