.... and Happy New Year!
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Thursday, December 06, 2007
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Harrisburg Parade of Cows 2004
In spring of 2004, the city of Harrisburg did a "Cow Parade". We had a family outing and went to see many of the cows on display....
Tools used: Microsoft Photo Story 3.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Friday, October 19, 2007
It's time to Vote!*
democracy - a political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them.
Election is only a few weeks away - but the real election is still a year away...
Either way - state and local or national, it shouldn't matter.
We should take time to vote. For a change.
There's been lots of talk about voter fraud and/or votes being bought... At the end of the day however, these types of things make close elections tough to call.
If enough people step forward, then those few invalid votes won't be enough to matter. So go vote... For a change.
"All the money in the world cannot buy enough votes to overturn an overwhelming majority."
*for a change
Friday, September 28, 2007
Rockville Bridge
Near Harrisburg, PA, is Rockville Bridge. I enjoy going to this historic stone-arch railroad bridge, and just watching the clouds go by.
Today, I brought along a tripod, and my remote control - timing myself so that each photo would be approximately 10 seconds from the next one. Approximately because it went from 8 to 12 seconds..
At the point where the train started crossing I "sped up" a small amount, later slowing jut a tad to compensate for it. I then used Windows Movie Maker to merge each photo into a movie. Please visit and give me feedback. :)
The music? I downloaded it from the net (although it was a legal download from CNET Download.com)
Today, I brought along a tripod, and my remote control - timing myself so that each photo would be approximately 10 seconds from the next one. Approximately because it went from 8 to 12 seconds..
At the point where the train started crossing I "sped up" a small amount, later slowing jut a tad to compensate for it. I then used Windows Movie Maker to merge each photo into a movie. Please visit and give me feedback. :)
The music? I downloaded it from the net (although it was a legal download from CNET Download.com)
Friday, September 07, 2007
Millersburg PA Bicentennial Parade 2007
The nearby town of Millersburg is celebrating it's 200th birthday. Here's an album (over 150 photos) taken during the parade over Labor Day Weekend. If you search my blogsite for Millersburg Ferry you'll find a series of photos of the Millersburg Ferry which still runs today.
 |
| Millersbur |
Friday, August 31, 2007
A study on heat...
After driving a few thousand miles this past few weeks, I started seeing mirages. That is to say, I've always heard that wanderers in the desert would see water in the distance - that simply did not exist. And here I was, driving in the South, in the steamy heat of August (100 degrees farenheit and above), and I could see water shimmering in the distance... but it faded as I approached.
Living in PA, I don't observe this phenomenon ... I started to say often, but really, I haven't seen it in a LONG time or it wouldn't have made such an impression this time. I used to live in Arkansas (and Texas, and Mississippi, and Alabama, and Georgia, and Oklahoma (some of those for only 3 months or so, but still... )). In those years, the first 30 or so of my life, seeing water shimmer on the highway during summertime was a common thing. I never really gave it a lot of thought.
Then, a few weeks ago, I was reading a book by physicist Stephen Hawking, talking about gravity bending light rays and such... It's an interesting concept. Add to that, my fairly newly developed photographer's eye for the unusual, and a few thoughts about it, and I kinda got to wondering about this "mirage" business.
Technically, this water I am seeing may not be a mirage. I am not going to look up the word... But definitely, as you approach it, it ceases to exist. I was thinking - and perhaps I've always thought, that it's just an "optical illusion" - it doesn't really exist, it's just a trick of lighting that makes our eyes see what is not really there.
But then, I looked more, and more, and... I don't buy it. At all. I mean... It's not just the appearance of "water"... it's reflections IN the water. AND it is capturable with the camera. (First time I've ever tried that!!)
AND although I didn't catch it on film, I observed the same thing AFTER DARK. That's right, going through middle Louisiana, when night fell, the temps were still way up there.... and the same shimmering surface that existed in these photos was still there. And actually, it being dark - I could not see it... EXCEPT... and this was the coolest thing - I could see the reflections in it of other cars' headlamps and taillamps.
I do not have any really good explanations as to what this phenomenon is, other than that it is caused by heat, and perhaps, humidity - although if it also happens in a dry desert perhaps humidity plays no role in it. I could - and probably will - do some research and learn more about it, but before I do, I thought I'd post this and see what YOU think about it.
Comments?
Living in PA, I don't observe this phenomenon ... I started to say often, but really, I haven't seen it in a LONG time or it wouldn't have made such an impression this time. I used to live in Arkansas (and Texas, and Mississippi, and Alabama, and Georgia, and Oklahoma (some of those for only 3 months or so, but still... )). In those years, the first 30 or so of my life, seeing water shimmer on the highway during summertime was a common thing. I never really gave it a lot of thought.
Then, a few weeks ago, I was reading a book by physicist Stephen Hawking, talking about gravity bending light rays and such... It's an interesting concept. Add to that, my fairly newly developed photographer's eye for the unusual, and a few thoughts about it, and I kinda got to wondering about this "mirage" business.
Technically, this water I am seeing may not be a mirage. I am not going to look up the word... But definitely, as you approach it, it ceases to exist. I was thinking - and perhaps I've always thought, that it's just an "optical illusion" - it doesn't really exist, it's just a trick of lighting that makes our eyes see what is not really there.
But then, I looked more, and more, and... I don't buy it. At all. I mean... It's not just the appearance of "water"... it's reflections IN the water. AND it is capturable with the camera. (First time I've ever tried that!!)
AND although I didn't catch it on film, I observed the same thing AFTER DARK. That's right, going through middle Louisiana, when night fell, the temps were still way up there.... and the same shimmering surface that existed in these photos was still there. And actually, it being dark - I could not see it... EXCEPT... and this was the coolest thing - I could see the reflections in it of other cars' headlamps and taillamps.
I do not have any really good explanations as to what this phenomenon is, other than that it is caused by heat, and perhaps, humidity - although if it also happens in a dry desert perhaps humidity plays no role in it. I could - and probably will - do some research and learn more about it, but before I do, I thought I'd post this and see what YOU think about it.
Comments?
Monday, August 27, 2007
Back from family reunion...
Here's some photos that I posted on flickr, put here for your amusement. I still have three cards full of photos, and almost no free space left on my laptop, so before I can put a few more up, I needs to archive some of my existing photos before I can do any more!
At a picnic outing on Saturday we went playing in the creek, and I caught a crawdad (crawfish, crayfish, whatever) and gave it to my sis-in-law Pam... who had made the mistake of saying that she goes hunting for them with our niece, but that she doesn't actually TOUCH them... I handed mine to her, and when she tried to let him go, he wouldn't let her go....
Along the same creek, my brother Larry (Pam's hubby) and I both took a shot with our cameras at the same time. I haven't seen his (of me) but I am not afraid to post mine, of him:
A little while later, at the campground, we went to setup in the pavilion and disturbed a resident there. I don't think he was very happy with us....
The evening before, we had a hayride, the following photos are from that trip...
Oh, and by the way... Thanks for being here...
At a picnic outing on Saturday we went playing in the creek, and I caught a crawdad (crawfish, crayfish, whatever) and gave it to my sis-in-law Pam... who had made the mistake of saying that she goes hunting for them with our niece, but that she doesn't actually TOUCH them... I handed mine to her, and when she tried to let him go, he wouldn't let her go....
Along the same creek, my brother Larry (Pam's hubby) and I both took a shot with our cameras at the same time. I haven't seen his (of me) but I am not afraid to post mine, of him:
A little while later, at the campground, we went to setup in the pavilion and disturbed a resident there. I don't think he was very happy with us....
The evening before, we had a hayride, the following photos are from that trip...
Oh, and by the way... Thanks for being here...
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Harry Potter - The Deathly Hallows
Last evening, for the first time in my thirty-something years, I went and stood in a line to do something like a movie, book, or whatever. I wasn't as die-hard as many Harry Potter fans... I didn't stop in to get my "bracelet" (to get a book at midnight) early in the morning or afternoon BUT I did get to Borders in Harrisburg around 9:30. And yes, even then, there was a line going out of the bookstore just for those of us who had pre-ordered the book.
I saw a number of amusing sites last night... Harrisburg has now apparently become Harrysburg. :) How cool is that?!?
There were loads of interesting folks there at the Grand Ball...
One of the questions everyone asks is "is Severus Snape good or evil?" Although I have read the book, I will not give out spoilers. (Go read the book and quit googling it...)
Okay, so for the first time, I tried a few different varieties of Bertie Bott's beans. The Booger flavor was not too hot... Earthworm tasted a little like dirt (yes, umm, I HAVE tasted dirt before)... But although I thought earthworm was bad, I absolutely stopped trying them after rotten egg. In fact, that one stayed with me till I got in line for a coffee to scald out my mouth (and with the crowds present at the store, it took about a half an hour just to get one large black coffee).
There were fun and games... Obviously costume prizes given away, and a 'Great Snape Debate'.
The last photo here, I took at midnight, almost on the dot... The store was packed, people being lined up inside to buy the book - and this line outside - for people who hadn't even gotten a bracelet to get in line to buy the book (no this was NOT the book-buying line, just the line to check in if you were going to buy a book).
I got there around 9:30, but by the time I got my book it was a few minutes before 2AM.
Now it's 1:15am the next night, and yes, I read the book. Awhile back, I read the last Lemony Snicket 'Series of Unfortunate Events' book and there were tons of loose ends. I will have to commend J.K. Rowling on the lack of obvious loose ends... And, yeah, unlike Douglas Adams 5 book "trilogy" of the Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy, I did not throw the book across the room in disgust - but at the same time, I just spent over $20 on it, so ...
I won't say whether I was happy with the ending or not, but I will tell you that it was well-written and kept me entertained for many of the last 22 hrs (Yes, I did stop and sleep for a few hours last night... )
Saturday, July 14, 2007
Sony Cybershot DSC H7/B Review
My aging Olympus C765UZ is still going strong - despite the battering I've given it over the past two years. With it's 10x Optical zoom, it's actually gotten a lot of great shots for me...
But... I've actually sold a print or two here and there, and there are limitations to what a 4 megapixel camera can produce. I thought it's time to upgrade.. My ultimate goal, I suppose, is to invest in a nice DSLR camera, but with the expense of additional lenses right now it's out of the question.
Olympus, a few months ago, came out with a new 18x Optical zoom, 6MP camera (SP-550UZ). Now, it's a nice camera, but with a list price of $499, has some drawbacks... Reviews show a somewhat grainy picture at high ISO's... the video mode is similar to that of my current camera - not great, but not terrible either.
But Sony a few weeks ago released a pair of new cameras.. The DSC-H7 and H9 series. Both are 8.1MP, with a 15x optical zoom. The camera is faster with the memory stick duo cards than the Olympus XD format, and you can shoot 'burst mode' for an extended number of shots... With the higher resolution and other benefits, it's a nice pair of cameras.
The differences are primarily in the display screen. The smaller H7 has a display screen that is fixed on the back of the camera - very similar to the Olympus SP-550UZ. The H9 has a larger, swivel screen. It also sports a night-shot mode that uses infrared lighting - but which is good only for short distances.
And oh yeah, both cameras sport a wireless remote control - allowing you to compose the shot, then go and join the family or whoever, and push the button remotely.
At $499 list, the H9 is comparable in price to the Olympus, but the H7 is more in line with the Olympus in terms of functionality (the smaller, and non-swivelable, display screen.) But at a hundred dollars cheaper, ... well, that's where I decided to put my money.
Through Dell's website, they had a special discount plus free shipping, so that pushed the price down under $350... So 15x Optical, Nice even if not movable display screen, 8.1MP resolution, sounds great...
I got it yesterday - still waiting on the memory card, but this camera DOES have built-in memory, enough to store about 11 8MP shots.
So far, so good, BUT. (Isn't there always one of those).
One thing I didn't really know - till I got the camera and started using it... is that the format of the images is probably the camera's weakest point.
I now have 8MP shots, that average about 2.3MB each. On my Olympus, at 4MP, I was averaging 2.6MB per shot in highest quality JPG setting, and a LOT more per shot in TIFF mode. The Sony does not allow you to change format. Period.
What I see as the biggest problem with this is that the images that I am getting - if I use a higher ISO value especially - when viewed at 100% resolution on-screen, have a noticeable pixelation/distortion... I think this is at least in part due to the compression used by Sony in storing the images. I think this camera has a TON of potential - if Sony would release a software/firmware update for the camera that allowed us (camera enthusiasts) to change the default settings - I'd give up the speed anyday for higher quality images. It's nice that I can shoot 100 shots in a row in under a second each... BUT... Hey I'd love to shoot 10 in under a second each with say, 8MB files with more embedded color/light/pixel data than to have the data compressed so much that the images become grainy or pixelated at larger sizes.
I can conquer some of these issues by keeping the ISO low, and keeping the camera super-steady (time to invest in a better tripod). This camera IS a keeper - for the money, a better point-and-shoot with a great zoom, may not be available...
The zoom, the price - and yes, the speed, make me keep the camera. I look at it this way, I can get a nice 11x14 at least out of it. The zoom has a 35mm equivalent of around 465mm range. Most "kit" lenses that come with a higher priced DSLR type camera are maybe up to 70-80mm. Even the 2nd kit lens offered with some models may only go up to 200mm. To reach 465mm, we'd be talking say $600-800 for the camera, and several hundred more for the optional lens.
But I can see it not being the do-all end-all of cameras for me. One of these days when I make a million with this camera, I will definitely be investing in DSLR technology. As it is, I will live with this camera's shortcomings - because despite them I have seen scenes through this camera's eyes, that I never saw through my old camera's eyes.
An old farm's grain silo is just down the way from my back porch. I see it almost every day - and I've taken a number of photos of it over the past few years, but until yesterday, I had no idea that the silo looked like this, with the alternating patterns on the metal of the roof. You can also see greenery growing out of some of the cracks between blocks in the wall of the silo.
Silo by =arkansawyer on deviantART
But... I've actually sold a print or two here and there, and there are limitations to what a 4 megapixel camera can produce. I thought it's time to upgrade.. My ultimate goal, I suppose, is to invest in a nice DSLR camera, but with the expense of additional lenses right now it's out of the question.
Olympus, a few months ago, came out with a new 18x Optical zoom, 6MP camera (SP-550UZ). Now, it's a nice camera, but with a list price of $499, has some drawbacks... Reviews show a somewhat grainy picture at high ISO's... the video mode is similar to that of my current camera - not great, but not terrible either.
But Sony a few weeks ago released a pair of new cameras.. The DSC-H7 and H9 series. Both are 8.1MP, with a 15x optical zoom. The camera is faster with the memory stick duo cards than the Olympus XD format, and you can shoot 'burst mode' for an extended number of shots... With the higher resolution and other benefits, it's a nice pair of cameras.
The differences are primarily in the display screen. The smaller H7 has a display screen that is fixed on the back of the camera - very similar to the Olympus SP-550UZ. The H9 has a larger, swivel screen. It also sports a night-shot mode that uses infrared lighting - but which is good only for short distances.
And oh yeah, both cameras sport a wireless remote control - allowing you to compose the shot, then go and join the family or whoever, and push the button remotely.
At $499 list, the H9 is comparable in price to the Olympus, but the H7 is more in line with the Olympus in terms of functionality (the smaller, and non-swivelable, display screen.) But at a hundred dollars cheaper, ... well, that's where I decided to put my money.
Through Dell's website, they had a special discount plus free shipping, so that pushed the price down under $350... So 15x Optical, Nice even if not movable display screen, 8.1MP resolution, sounds great...
I got it yesterday - still waiting on the memory card, but this camera DOES have built-in memory, enough to store about 11 8MP shots.
So far, so good, BUT. (Isn't there always one of those).
One thing I didn't really know - till I got the camera and started using it... is that the format of the images is probably the camera's weakest point.
I now have 8MP shots, that average about 2.3MB each. On my Olympus, at 4MP, I was averaging 2.6MB per shot in highest quality JPG setting, and a LOT more per shot in TIFF mode. The Sony does not allow you to change format. Period.
What I see as the biggest problem with this is that the images that I am getting - if I use a higher ISO value especially - when viewed at 100% resolution on-screen, have a noticeable pixelation/distortion... I think this is at least in part due to the compression used by Sony in storing the images. I think this camera has a TON of potential - if Sony would release a software/firmware update for the camera that allowed us (camera enthusiasts) to change the default settings - I'd give up the speed anyday for higher quality images. It's nice that I can shoot 100 shots in a row in under a second each... BUT... Hey I'd love to shoot 10 in under a second each with say, 8MB files with more embedded color/light/pixel data than to have the data compressed so much that the images become grainy or pixelated at larger sizes.
I can conquer some of these issues by keeping the ISO low, and keeping the camera super-steady (time to invest in a better tripod). This camera IS a keeper - for the money, a better point-and-shoot with a great zoom, may not be available...
The zoom, the price - and yes, the speed, make me keep the camera. I look at it this way, I can get a nice 11x14 at least out of it. The zoom has a 35mm equivalent of around 465mm range. Most "kit" lenses that come with a higher priced DSLR type camera are maybe up to 70-80mm. Even the 2nd kit lens offered with some models may only go up to 200mm. To reach 465mm, we'd be talking say $600-800 for the camera, and several hundred more for the optional lens.
But I can see it not being the do-all end-all of cameras for me. One of these days when I make a million with this camera, I will definitely be investing in DSLR technology. As it is, I will live with this camera's shortcomings - because despite them I have seen scenes through this camera's eyes, that I never saw through my old camera's eyes.
An old farm's grain silo is just down the way from my back porch. I see it almost every day - and I've taken a number of photos of it over the past few years, but until yesterday, I had no idea that the silo looked like this, with the alternating patterns on the metal of the roof. You can also see greenery growing out of some of the cracks between blocks in the wall of the silo.
Silo by =arkansawyer on deviantART
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
If it looks like a duck, don't worry, it's probably a dragon.
Back some time ago, I did a post where I quoted a spam message I had recieved. It was almost garbled and incoherant - the sentences were fragmented and changed mid-sentence to new subject lines.
Nowadays, as the spam wars rage, our inbox is flooded with ever more garbage. I got a solicitation for me to buy a certain stock whose price is rising dramatically (so they claim).
At the end of the plug for the stock, the following text is appended - paragraphed as I have pasted into this post. I only point this out because as the spam filter people at gmail, microsoft, and spambayes, among others, get smarter, so do the spammers.
This solicitation was the first of it's type in a while to land in my inbox instead of my spambox, and I think it is due to the fact that there really were complete sentences. Even, perhaps, complete thoughts. Although it would appear that this person (if he existed - instead of being some computer generated cr--), suffers from ADD or ADHD, or some other hyperactivity disorder that causes him to jump from thought to thought.
I post this here for your amusement... It's a whim I guess. You can almost, if you try, find a pattern in this, but certainly it would be a waste of time to put that much effort into it. It actually reminds me of a movie, where space aliens are 'scanning' earth television signals and picking up random sentences here and there, each separated by bursts of static.
Now, the only thing here that really tickled my fancy - and yes, sometimes you can find a treasure even in a trashheap, was the quote: "If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck then treat it like a duck and don't worry so much about if it is really a dragon."
Nowadays, as the spam wars rage, our inbox is flooded with ever more garbage. I got a solicitation for me to buy a certain stock whose price is rising dramatically (so they claim).
At the end of the plug for the stock, the following text is appended - paragraphed as I have pasted into this post. I only point this out because as the spam filter people at gmail, microsoft, and spambayes, among others, get smarter, so do the spammers.
This solicitation was the first of it's type in a while to land in my inbox instead of my spambox, and I think it is due to the fact that there really were complete sentences. Even, perhaps, complete thoughts. Although it would appear that this person (if he existed - instead of being some computer generated cr--), suffers from ADD or ADHD, or some other hyperactivity disorder that causes him to jump from thought to thought.
I post this here for your amusement... It's a whim I guess. You can almost, if you try, find a pattern in this, but certainly it would be a waste of time to put that much effort into it. It actually reminds me of a movie, where space aliens are 'scanning' earth television signals and picking up random sentences here and there, each separated by bursts of static.
The first part was an attempt to get you to buy a certain stock then
this follows:
Puzzling out stuff like this is good for your brains, people, and if you do
it right, it's a he-- of a lot of fun. Finglonger now that's funny.
Two news items about the book: I did the math, and decided to do a limited edition of signed, numbered hardcovers, inspired by John Scalzi's The Sagan Diary. Speaking of voiceovers, I'm curious as to whether the guys over at Fox ever asked you to do some voices for their animated shows?
If we're keeping count you can mark me down for a signed edition.
I'm sure you'll be missed by all the cast and crew that do make it up there.
Congrats to Ryan, and to his family. Geez, I'm out of it today. It's a win-win situation! Ever since August Wilson left, there's been a void in the universe. WHAT TO DO Please, please pass this information along so that we can reach someone who knows any more details about Donna's disappearance or about the suspect, John Burgess. Any help would be great. She is a student in Santiago Canyon College in Orange California where she is currently taking summer classes. I processed way more orders than I thought I would, and definitely enough to stress test this system, in about two hours. Our shipping center is my living room, and our warehouse is my garage.
It's doubtful that the network will ever air the final two episodes, but it's possible they'll show up one day on Drive's MySpace page.
If the backyard were beautifully landscaped, would you feel more inclined to spend time keeping it beautiful and well taken care of?
" I wasn't sure to put this in a comment to the Floyd post or here, and not sure if someone else has already sounded the alarums, so. I'd still do it even though it's more expensive than media mail, but you might ask the WWdN readers in another post for that one. I can't wait for it to come out.
Our shipping center is my living room, and our warehouse is my garage.
that just blew my mind.
I'll pay extra and everything! If the backyard were beautifully landscaped, would you feel more inclined to spend time keeping it beautiful and well taken care of? Your parents borrowed my parents's camera?
It was always a grand affair, and I looked forward to spending each Independence Day listening to Sousa marches, swimming in their enormous pool, and watching a fireworks show on the back patio.
If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck then treat it like a duck and don't
worry so much about if it is really a dragon. Any help would be great.
I think your natural voice is very unique.
Now, the only thing here that really tickled my fancy - and yes, sometimes you can find a treasure even in a trashheap, was the quote: "If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck then treat it like a duck and don't worry so much about if it is really a dragon."
Not for those weak of heart
This is a midnight ramble... My mind started composing whilst I was laying there, trying to go to sleep. If I didn't go write it down, chances are it'd never get recorded, so up I got and in here did trot. Don't read it if you're easily offended. I fear it may forever change your perception of me, but it's not intended to disgust you - it's just my attempt to relate a memorable event of several years ago.
This is a midnight ramble... My mind started composing whilst I was laying there, trying to go to sleep. If I didn't go write it down, chances are it'd never get recorded, so up I got and in here did trot.
I actually started to tell the tale a few minutes prior to passing the sign shown on the preview photo - when I saw the sign, I turned back, took the photo, then continued telling the story to my kids.
Talk about a coincidence. Or do you believe in coincidence? Fate, perhaps?
Office Trouble
This is a sad tale of woe and misfortune... Those of you faint at heart, please stand back. Those easily offended or disgusted, I'd advise the same....
The tale begins years ago, in the early days of my life. My family wasn't wealthy. Some years, we didn't even own a television. And even when we did, it was liable to be black and white (although color models had been available for years).
But this isn't about television... This is about diet. You see, we might not have had a television, and never had such things as cable, but... on the other hand, we were never hungry, either.
We didn't eat out often.. I can remember the occasional McDonald's or even better, Wendys, when we were travelling to a relative's house at Thanksgiving, but those stops were few and far between, once a year at best and sometimes not then.
But at home, we always had food. Somehow, Mom always managed to throw something together. It might be a tasty meatloaf, or some fish we caught in a pond or river, or more often than not, pinto beans. Don't groan, pinto beans are good. Served with cornbread sometimes, and cooked with bacon or hamburger meat, or just beans, we had them many ways.
This isn't about my childhood, though. Rather it's about an incident which occurred in my life as a young adult. My love affair with pinto beans continued into adulthood, but ... I joined the Air Force, went to basic training and then tech school, was served the bland foods of the chow hall as a single airman. And gradually my body forgot the old diets, and accepted the new.
Still, I did live there on the border of Mexico, and there were a number of places in Del Rio, not to mention Acuna across the river, where Mexican food was served with great pride and gusto, not to mention a lot of great spice. And later, when I could cook at home, I'd cook many a pot of beans, too.
But, my body didn't seem to accept them quite as readily as in years gone by. I don't know, but I think that perhaps after awhile your body gets used to your diet, and major changes sometimes wreak havoc. At any rate, one hot, summer lunchtime, I got back from lunch, and was sitting alone in the office - the others had gone out to eat when I got back.
And the phone rang. Over at Deana's desk. I went over and answered the phone, and of course, it was a customer with a problem. I signed onto the system from the terminal at her desk (an old MS-DOS based PC - not that most people now even know what DOS is... this was years before the Windows revolution). As I chatted with the customer, I felt this disturbance churning within me.
I looked around, and no one was there, so .. I let the pressure which had been building go.
--- skip ahead 15 years or so... I was telling this story to my kids the other day, and as I told them, they haven't ever smelled anything like that, in the whole of their lives. I am not stretching the truth here, or trying to be crude, it's just the truth. It was BAD.
I finished the problem call, and went back to my desk. A half hour or so later, Deana came back in, and set down at her desk... She got the funniest look on her face, "What IS that smell?" ... Shamefacedly, I fessed up.
Although the odor lingered in the fabric of the chair for a short time, the incident was soon forgotten. I thought.
But the story did NOT end there, for about two weeks later, Deana sneezed. Granted, it was a big sneeze, but still. Her chair, a pedestal-type office chair, snapped at the base, right under the seat cushion, and down she went... flat on the floor, on her back.
They (everyone in the office) swore up and down that it was all my fault. That there must have been something there that caused the metal to weaken to the point where this accident happened. And honestly, I wouldn't doubt it. Thank goodness she wasn't hurt.
Somewhere after that, I started slowing down on the Mexican food, and beans... and in recent years, I do still occasionally enjoy burritos, tacos, or a bowl of beans, but it's consumed at a rate far less than in those days. I have not caused any office accidents, train derailments, or other catastrophes in years.
Monday, July 09, 2007
Getting better with time...
A little girl was sitting on her grandfather's lap as he read her a bedtime story. From time to time, she would take her eyes off the book and reach up to touch his wrinkled cheek. She was alternately stroking her own cheek, then his again. Finally she spoke up, "Grandpa, did God make you?"
"Yes, sweetheart," he answered, "God made me a long time ago."
"Oh," she paused, "Grandpa, did God make me too?"
"Yes, indeed, honey," he said, "God made you just a little while ago."
Feeling their respective faces again, she observed, "God's getting better at it, isn't he?"
(not my story... just passing it along because I liked it).
"Yes, sweetheart," he answered, "God made me a long time ago."
"Oh," she paused, "Grandpa, did God make me too?"
"Yes, indeed, honey," he said, "God made you just a little while ago."
Feeling their respective faces again, she observed, "God's getting better at it, isn't he?"
(not my story... just passing it along because I liked it).
Wednesday, July 04, 2007
happy 4th and virus alert!!
First of all, wishing you all a Happy 4th of July!!!
be warned: http://cbs13.com/local/local_story_184090653.html
Even the skeptical me clicked on one of these but killed it before permanent damage was done... Don't EVER click on anything if you don't know who the source is...
They all seem to bypass gmail and my company's virus/spam filters.... by the time the antivirus software detects it the damage is already done.
be warned: http://cbs13.com/local/local_story_184090653.html
Even the skeptical me clicked on one of these but killed it before permanent damage was done... Don't EVER click on anything if you don't know who the source is...
They all seem to bypass gmail and my company's virus/spam filters.... by the time the antivirus software detects it the damage is already done.
Monday, July 02, 2007
A sad state of affairs...
Resolute Wal-Mart shopper attempts to self-checkout
$5 plasma - less-than-reasonable fellow managed to snag a 42-inch Sanyo plasma, replace the $984 pricetag with a slightly less burdensome $4.88 sticker , and carry it to the front where he utilized a self-checkout register to all but steal a brand new PDP.
--- Some comments left by users on this 'digg.com' article (note, most of the quotes I selected here are from thieves who feel justified in their thefts because of who Wal Mart is... There were plenty of other quotes on the referenced site that shot these guys down - but it seems strange to me that all these people are sitting there telling about how they like to steal things....... I guess it's a sign of where our society is these days - whether you're a Wal Mart fan/customer or not, stealing is stealing. Period. Maybe justified if you're starving and your kids have no clothing, but even then, there are ways to get the things you need without having to resort to this.
User comments:
--Pretty weak effort. I once bought a whole season of 24 for five bucks by switching the tags with one of the DVDs from the bargain bin (I think it was Ernest Goes to Jail). Then I just chatted up the cashier while she was working and she didn't even flinch when it rang up as "DVD $4.88." Take that Wal-Mart.
--Stealing from an evil retailer is just pushing resistance to an higher level than refusing to shop there.When Walmart shut down a store in my province for trying to unionize, i went to the nearest Walmart (for the first time in my life) wearing the oldest pair of snow boots i could find - i needed new ones for the coming winter - and switched them with the most expensive pair they were selling, left the old ones in the boots box, and left. Sure, it was theft. It was also legitimate resistance - albeith quite limited, but you do what you can and are willing to risk - to Walmart's economic warfare and refusal to abide by the spirit of the trade laws of my country. If I was a politician, i'd have outlawed them. Considering I had more limited means, i fought them the way I could. Its nothing to be ashamed of. Try it sometimes.
--Wow, some people on here are so hung up with the law that they justify calling people 'thieves' for taking something from an organisation that treats its employee's terribly, that ruins local economies by moving into a town, and that sells goods made by sweatshops in china... Personally, I think someone going in and gutting their stores would be justified. I think people need to stop thinking laws are the be all and end all of civilisation and start thinking for themselves.
--And the fact that you think stealing is a bad thing when it comes from Walmart just makes me think that you have no ability to think for yourself. Look through history, every struggle against an oppressive regime, company, etc... involves 'lawbreaking' - but for a good goal. Would you say that the suffragettes were wrong with their lawbreaking? Or black rights? etc...
Ok, this is on a slightly lesser scale but the concept is the same.
--So don't shop at Wal-Mart. If you're there, steal from them, so the prices rise for everyone, so everyone stops shopping there.Yeah, sounds like a sort of Robin Hood to me. I'm all for it.
------ If you're going to be a thief, at least be honest about it. Quit lying to us, and yourself, about 'sticking it to wal-mart'. Maybe I could break in your home and steal your computer, TV and the like. Since you should have homeowners or renters insurance, I'd really just be sticking it to the insurance company right? I'd be helping you get new electronics, wouldn't I? Your buying new electronics would help people in the manufacturing and distribution fields, correct? I could tell myself that, but you-and everyone else-would call me a scumbag, a burglar and a thief.
--I used to do this to get beer in college. Bring in the UPC from a 12 pack of cokes, tape it to the beer case. no ID needed.
--I did this with a grill my freshman year in college. I bought a $379 grill for $99. I just tore the sticker bar code off of a cheaper grill by the same manufacturer and of course the idiot that rang me up didn't know any better! Steaks on a grill that you ripped off from WalMart just taste so much better!
---- Yes, thank you for making the prices higher for everyone else due to your theft. Way to go.
--Those da-- hillbilly's with mullets that shop at wal-mart need the hi-def view of Nascar.
read more | digg story
$5 plasma - less-than-reasonable fellow managed to snag a 42-inch Sanyo plasma, replace the $984 pricetag with a slightly less burdensome $4.88 sticker , and carry it to the front where he utilized a self-checkout register to all but steal a brand new PDP.
--- Some comments left by users on this 'digg.com' article (note, most of the quotes I selected here are from thieves who feel justified in their thefts because of who Wal Mart is... There were plenty of other quotes on the referenced site that shot these guys down - but it seems strange to me that all these people are sitting there telling about how they like to steal things....... I guess it's a sign of where our society is these days - whether you're a Wal Mart fan/customer or not, stealing is stealing. Period. Maybe justified if you're starving and your kids have no clothing, but even then, there are ways to get the things you need without having to resort to this.
User comments:
--Pretty weak effort. I once bought a whole season of 24 for five bucks by switching the tags with one of the DVDs from the bargain bin (I think it was Ernest Goes to Jail). Then I just chatted up the cashier while she was working and she didn't even flinch when it rang up as "DVD $4.88." Take that Wal-Mart.
--Stealing from an evil retailer is just pushing resistance to an higher level than refusing to shop there.When Walmart shut down a store in my province for trying to unionize, i went to the nearest Walmart (for the first time in my life) wearing the oldest pair of snow boots i could find - i needed new ones for the coming winter - and switched them with the most expensive pair they were selling, left the old ones in the boots box, and left. Sure, it was theft. It was also legitimate resistance - albeith quite limited, but you do what you can and are willing to risk - to Walmart's economic warfare and refusal to abide by the spirit of the trade laws of my country. If I was a politician, i'd have outlawed them. Considering I had more limited means, i fought them the way I could. Its nothing to be ashamed of. Try it sometimes.
--Wow, some people on here are so hung up with the law that they justify calling people 'thieves' for taking something from an organisation that treats its employee's terribly, that ruins local economies by moving into a town, and that sells goods made by sweatshops in china... Personally, I think someone going in and gutting their stores would be justified. I think people need to stop thinking laws are the be all and end all of civilisation and start thinking for themselves.
--And the fact that you think stealing is a bad thing when it comes from Walmart just makes me think that you have no ability to think for yourself. Look through history, every struggle against an oppressive regime, company, etc... involves 'lawbreaking' - but for a good goal. Would you say that the suffragettes were wrong with their lawbreaking? Or black rights? etc...
Ok, this is on a slightly lesser scale but the concept is the same.
--So don't shop at Wal-Mart. If you're there, steal from them, so the prices rise for everyone, so everyone stops shopping there.Yeah, sounds like a sort of Robin Hood to me. I'm all for it.
------ If you're going to be a thief, at least be honest about it. Quit lying to us, and yourself, about 'sticking it to wal-mart'. Maybe I could break in your home and steal your computer, TV and the like. Since you should have homeowners or renters insurance, I'd really just be sticking it to the insurance company right? I'd be helping you get new electronics, wouldn't I? Your buying new electronics would help people in the manufacturing and distribution fields, correct? I could tell myself that, but you-and everyone else-would call me a scumbag, a burglar and a thief.
--I used to do this to get beer in college. Bring in the UPC from a 12 pack of cokes, tape it to the beer case. no ID needed.
--I did this with a grill my freshman year in college. I bought a $379 grill for $99. I just tore the sticker bar code off of a cheaper grill by the same manufacturer and of course the idiot that rang me up didn't know any better! Steaks on a grill that you ripped off from WalMart just taste so much better!
---- Yes, thank you for making the prices higher for everyone else due to your theft. Way to go.
--Those da-- hillbilly's with mullets that shop at wal-mart need the hi-def view of Nascar.
read more | digg story
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Work, Play, etc
I haven't been over here in some time..... Busy with work, with life. I've even been slacking on my photography page, but I did find a couple new online places that I can post art/photos and hopefully earn a little cash someday, or at least, some recognition.
Without further ado, here's some of my online sites, besides blogspot:
My deviantArt gallery.
My deviantArt store.
My artistrising gallery and the related Sistino site (where I've sold one photo this month).
And my Imagekind gallery.
One of these days, I am going to probably take the leap and sell some of my own photos myself, getting them printed locally from a trusted printer, and selling them online at farmscape or locally through coffeeshops, giftshops, etc. There's even a market on e-bay for photos, but I want to play a bit with some of my options - not just printing but framing and matting, before I do these last two items.
Another thing I'd like to explore is photobooks. You can order photobooks from a number of sources, but there's at least one self-publishing company online that allows you to "publish" your own books. My cost is rather inexpensive, and I have ordered proofs of a book I have published there, and I keep toying with options on a photo book or series of photobooks, maybe themed (such as the "Covered Bridges of Perry County, PA", "Centralia - A town on fire", "The Millersburg Ferry", even "The Beautiful Susquehanna". My site there, that has none of these titles for now, but does have a couple of 2007 calendars (if interested, I can change the dates for you..) and copies of my book for sale, is here: http://www.lulu.com/arkansawyer
Without further ado, here's some of my online sites, besides blogspot:
My deviantArt gallery.
My deviantArt store.
My artistrising gallery and the related Sistino site (where I've sold one photo this month).
And my Imagekind gallery.
One of these days, I am going to probably take the leap and sell some of my own photos myself, getting them printed locally from a trusted printer, and selling them online at farmscape or locally through coffeeshops, giftshops, etc. There's even a market on e-bay for photos, but I want to play a bit with some of my options - not just printing but framing and matting, before I do these last two items.
Another thing I'd like to explore is photobooks. You can order photobooks from a number of sources, but there's at least one self-publishing company online that allows you to "publish" your own books. My cost is rather inexpensive, and I have ordered proofs of a book I have published there, and I keep toying with options on a photo book or series of photobooks, maybe themed (such as the "Covered Bridges of Perry County, PA", "Centralia - A town on fire", "The Millersburg Ferry", even "The Beautiful Susquehanna". My site there, that has none of these titles for now, but does have a couple of 2007 calendars (if interested, I can change the dates for you..) and copies of my book for sale, is here: http://www.lulu.com/arkansawyer
Saturday, April 07, 2007
Friday, April 06, 2007
Global Warming, Mars Style
I've noticed lately that we're ALMOST breaking new temperature records. We tied the latest date in Central Pennsylvania for the latest recorded snowfall. We had some record-high (at least tying them) temperatures in January. Funny thing is, for most of the dates where records were set or met, the date of the last time it was that warm or dry - was in 1890.
More than 100 years ago, we had a warm, dry winter. How about that?
Then we skip ahead a few years, we had drought through the US. The dustbowl became a problem as the midwest and southwest grew dryer and dryer in the 1930s. At that point, it was blamed on poor farming practices. And no doubt, that was a large part of it. But the droughts did not go away when the farmers quit ripping up the land.
One report today suggests that the dust bowl of the 1930's is soon to be repeated. An excerpt follows:
This week, even today in particular, the news networks are all abuzz on the latest scientific panel findings on global warming. It seems everyone has jumped into the global warming wagon, and naysayers are falling by the wayside. I even heard one scientist say that the future looks like Revelations - dire things are coming... But that we humans have time to fix the errors of our ways, because if we caused the warming, then we can reverse the trends.
Sometimes I think that when all the politicians are on the same page, all the managers, all the scientists, agreeing on ONE thing, instead of disputing each others findings, then it seems they are all barking up the wrong tree. Really, look at the world around you.... A few years ago, after 9-11, nobody could stop the "War on Terror". Nobody tried. We were right, they were wrong. The end. There were dissenting opinions of course, but they were shouted out by the masses.
Back to the subject at hand, did I say everyone has jumped on the Global Warming bandwagon? Not everyone. Everyone recognizes that it's happening, but what about the root cause?
Habibullo Abdussamatov, head of space research at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Astronomical Observatory in Russia, points out that Mars has been undergoing dramatic climate change in recent years as well. Global Warming. It's true. It has. Even the doubters cannot dispute that. Although the cause for Mars' global warming might not be humanity's fault.
According to Abdussamatov, "The long-term increase in solar irradiance is heating both Earth and Mars."
"Man-made greenhouse warming has made a small contribution to the warming seen on Earth in recent years, but it cannot compete with the increase in solar irradiance," Abdussamatov said.
"The solar irradiance began to drop in the 1990s, and a minimum will be reached by approximately 2040," Abdussamatov said. "It will cause a steep cooling of the climate on Earth in 15 to 20 years."
The full story may be read here: Mars Melt Hints at Solar, Not Human, Cause for Warming, Scientist Says
I for one, am not a naysayer to Global Warming... But I think that when all the people of a specific group agree on one thing, something that is popular in public opinion, it's a sign that something's wrong. I HOPE Dr. Abdussamatov is right, and everyone else is wrong. My own observations are that it was exceedingly warm in the 1890's, and again in the 1930's. It almost seems like we're overdue for something like that again...... It would be nice to see it cooling off again in 10 to 15 years, though.
But hopefully, no matter who is right or wrong, the very real issues of pollution, and even overpopulation, will be addressed by the powers that be, instead of disregarded as trivial non-issues while the world stagnates into a future that no one will want to see.
Mars Melt Hints at Solar, Not Human, Cause for Warming, Scientist Says: "'Man-made greenhouse warming has made a small contribution to the warming seen on Earth in recent years, but it cannot compete with the increase in solar irradiance,' Abdussamatov said."
More than 100 years ago, we had a warm, dry winter. How about that?
Then we skip ahead a few years, we had drought through the US. The dustbowl became a problem as the midwest and southwest grew dryer and dryer in the 1930s. At that point, it was blamed on poor farming practices. And no doubt, that was a large part of it. But the droughts did not go away when the farmers quit ripping up the land.
One report today suggests that the dust bowl of the 1930's is soon to be repeated. An excerpt follows:
The reduction in rainfall could reach levels of the 1930s Dust Bowl that ranged throughout the Midwestern United States, Seager said in a telephone interview.
That does not mean there would be dust storms like those of the 1930s, Seager said, because conditions at that time were complicated by poor agricultural practices. But he said the reduction in rainfall could be equivalent to those times when thousands of farmers abandoned their parched land and moved away in search of jobs.
This week, even today in particular, the news networks are all abuzz on the latest scientific panel findings on global warming. It seems everyone has jumped into the global warming wagon, and naysayers are falling by the wayside. I even heard one scientist say that the future looks like Revelations - dire things are coming... But that we humans have time to fix the errors of our ways, because if we caused the warming, then we can reverse the trends.
Sometimes I think that when all the politicians are on the same page, all the managers, all the scientists, agreeing on ONE thing, instead of disputing each others findings, then it seems they are all barking up the wrong tree. Really, look at the world around you.... A few years ago, after 9-11, nobody could stop the "War on Terror". Nobody tried. We were right, they were wrong. The end. There were dissenting opinions of course, but they were shouted out by the masses.
Back to the subject at hand, did I say everyone has jumped on the Global Warming bandwagon? Not everyone. Everyone recognizes that it's happening, but what about the root cause?
Habibullo Abdussamatov, head of space research at St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Astronomical Observatory in Russia, points out that Mars has been undergoing dramatic climate change in recent years as well. Global Warming. It's true. It has. Even the doubters cannot dispute that. Although the cause for Mars' global warming might not be humanity's fault.
According to Abdussamatov, "The long-term increase in solar irradiance is heating both Earth and Mars."
"Man-made greenhouse warming has made a small contribution to the warming seen on Earth in recent years, but it cannot compete with the increase in solar irradiance," Abdussamatov said.
"The solar irradiance began to drop in the 1990s, and a minimum will be reached by approximately 2040," Abdussamatov said. "It will cause a steep cooling of the climate on Earth in 15 to 20 years."
The full story may be read here: Mars Melt Hints at Solar, Not Human, Cause for Warming, Scientist Says
I for one, am not a naysayer to Global Warming... But I think that when all the people of a specific group agree on one thing, something that is popular in public opinion, it's a sign that something's wrong. I HOPE Dr. Abdussamatov is right, and everyone else is wrong. My own observations are that it was exceedingly warm in the 1890's, and again in the 1930's. It almost seems like we're overdue for something like that again...... It would be nice to see it cooling off again in 10 to 15 years, though.
But hopefully, no matter who is right or wrong, the very real issues of pollution, and even overpopulation, will be addressed by the powers that be, instead of disregarded as trivial non-issues while the world stagnates into a future that no one will want to see.
-------------
Mars Melt Hints at Solar, Not Human, Cause for Warming, Scientist Says: "'Man-made greenhouse warming has made a small contribution to the warming seen on Earth in recent years, but it cannot compete with the increase in solar irradiance,' Abdussamatov said."
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Centralia PA - A town on fire | The News is NowPublic.com
An online news story, published by yours truly. :) It's a followon to an earlier series done here and on deviantArt.
Centralia PA - A town on fire | The News is NowPublic.com
Centralia PA - A town on fire | The News is NowPublic.com
Thursday, March 15, 2007
Frogs playing in the snow
This past weekend, I found myself in Suburbia. Sunday, Monday and Tuesday I was in the suburban area north of Philadelphia PA. To my eyes, it's all one big city for many, many miles. Maybe not full of skyscrapers, but certainly full of homes, gas stations, and shopping centers.
When I was leaving, I drove northward and eventually the country got a little more rural, till I hit I-78 and started west toward home. The temps were nice, mornings cool, but afternoons getting warmer each day.
Yesterday, back home, finally, I heard frogs for the first time this year. In the morning, I walked outside my house and I could hear them, in the wet area here (taken less than a month ago):
In the afternoon, it got up into the upper 70s before rain showers moved in and cooled things off. It was nice hearing the birds singing, the frogs croaking, walking around in short sleeves and still being comfortable.
But tomorrow. Tomorrow is a new day. Tomorrow we go from that to potentially 4 to 8 inches of accumulating snow. :nod: It must be March in Pennsylvania or something. They say the ground is warm enough that at first it won't stick, but that there'll be enough coming down so that a lot of it will stick, at least for a day or two.
When I was leaving, I drove northward and eventually the country got a little more rural, till I hit I-78 and started west toward home. The temps were nice, mornings cool, but afternoons getting warmer each day.
Yesterday, back home, finally, I heard frogs for the first time this year. In the morning, I walked outside my house and I could hear them, in the wet area here (taken less than a month ago):
In the afternoon, it got up into the upper 70s before rain showers moved in and cooled things off. It was nice hearing the birds singing, the frogs croaking, walking around in short sleeves and still being comfortable.
But tomorrow. Tomorrow is a new day. Tomorrow we go from that to potentially 4 to 8 inches of accumulating snow. :nod: It must be March in Pennsylvania or something. They say the ground is warm enough that at first it won't stick, but that there'll be enough coming down so that a lot of it will stick, at least for a day or two.
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
Snowy Morning
This morning, there was snow everywhere.... The main roads in town were not too bad, but farther out in the country, the snow was coming down fast and furious. Only a few inches, but enough.
I stopped to take some photos, then went on toward work. After I left the one back road that crosses over the mountain, and turned onto a state highway in the middle of nowhere, I was at first the only car on the road.
I had gone no more than a mile or so till I saw someone approaching from behind. I sped up, so that I wouldn't hold her up, but I was uncomfortable with that speed on those roads, so when I saw a pulling off area ahead, I turned my signal on.
Just as I did so, I looked in the mirror, and she had tapped her brakes. On the downhill grade where she was at, she lost control of her car, spun across to the other side, then skidded back, finally coming to rest facing the direction we came from.
I finished stopping and backed up, and got out to offer assistance.
Her door was against the guard rail, and her front bumber and grill were slightly bend inward, but the car was still running and no sign of structural damage. She was shaken up a bit, and her grand-daughter in the back seat was crying, but no one was hurt.
I suggested that she might want to go ahead and move her car, since someone else topping the slight hill might repeat her moves, and then ... well - I don't imagine it would have been good.
Her car just sat there and spun, so she tried backing up - gaining a few inches, and then I told her to turn hard right and move forward. She did so, and was able to get back up the road. She turned around and drove back to where I was parked, and pulled off.
She was going to call someone but where we were there was no signal. But since her car was still running fine, she decided to continue on down through Harrisburg and return the little girl. I followed her into the city and then turned off and came into work.
No one was hurt. A car damaged, but it could have been much worse. I feel kinda bad, for turning on my signal to pull off, but at the same time I recognize that she WAS moving a bit fast for conditions, and I was way up ahead of her so could have gotten over way before she got there.
I think someone was watching over us all. :)
-- and for the record, I did resist the urge to document the scene with my camera. I thought it would be in bad taste. In addition, I did follow her all the way into the city without stopping even though I had planned to stop here and there and capture you some snow scenes.
Guess the ones I got before the incident will have to do!
(Note: The following will redirect you to my Picasaweb page, and the files in this album are 'video' files, and rather large, so I wouldn't recommend that you attempt it unless you have a high-speed connection).
The moment a little boy is concerned with which is a jay and which is a sparrow, he can no longer see the birds or hear them sing.
-- Eric Berne
I stopped to take some photos, then went on toward work. After I left the one back road that crosses over the mountain, and turned onto a state highway in the middle of nowhere, I was at first the only car on the road.
I had gone no more than a mile or so till I saw someone approaching from behind. I sped up, so that I wouldn't hold her up, but I was uncomfortable with that speed on those roads, so when I saw a pulling off area ahead, I turned my signal on.
Just as I did so, I looked in the mirror, and she had tapped her brakes. On the downhill grade where she was at, she lost control of her car, spun across to the other side, then skidded back, finally coming to rest facing the direction we came from.
I finished stopping and backed up, and got out to offer assistance.
Her door was against the guard rail, and her front bumber and grill were slightly bend inward, but the car was still running and no sign of structural damage. She was shaken up a bit, and her grand-daughter in the back seat was crying, but no one was hurt.
I suggested that she might want to go ahead and move her car, since someone else topping the slight hill might repeat her moves, and then ... well - I don't imagine it would have been good.
Her car just sat there and spun, so she tried backing up - gaining a few inches, and then I told her to turn hard right and move forward. She did so, and was able to get back up the road. She turned around and drove back to where I was parked, and pulled off.
She was going to call someone but where we were there was no signal. But since her car was still running fine, she decided to continue on down through Harrisburg and return the little girl. I followed her into the city and then turned off and came into work.
No one was hurt. A car damaged, but it could have been much worse. I feel kinda bad, for turning on my signal to pull off, but at the same time I recognize that she WAS moving a bit fast for conditions, and I was way up ahead of her so could have gotten over way before she got there.
I think someone was watching over us all. :)
-- and for the record, I did resist the urge to document the scene with my camera. I thought it would be in bad taste. In addition, I did follow her all the way into the city without stopping even though I had planned to stop here and there and capture you some snow scenes.
Guess the ones I got before the incident will have to do!
(Note: The following will redirect you to my Picasaweb page, and the files in this album are 'video' files, and rather large, so I wouldn't recommend that you attempt it unless you have a high-speed connection).
The moment a little boy is concerned with which is a jay and which is a sparrow, he can no longer see the birds or hear them sing.
-- Eric Berne
Friday, March 02, 2007
Bridges of Perry County
Originally published Summer 2006. This is a March 2007 update with new photos:
Here are two more shots that you may find interesting (If you have problems viewing this, please leave a comment so that I will know...)
Wagoner's Bridge in Winter by =arkansawyer on deviantART
Kochenderfer Bridge by =arkansawyer on deviantART
In Pennsylvania, there are a ton of old barns and churches and cornfields and all sorts of things like that. This past weekend, however, on a trip into the woods with my son, we detoured, and by memory I found a few of the covered bridges of Perry County.
According to perrypa.net there are fifteen covered bridges in Perry County, Pennsylvania (one county west of Dauphin County, where I live). I didn't look this up before our trip, and just blindly stumbled across a couple, and remembered where a couple more were, and visited a total of five bridges, which will be featured here. I really encourage anyone who likes my shots to visit the Perrypa.net and ohiobarns sites for more information. All of the information referenced here, except that of my own personal observations, were extracted from these two sites.
The first bridge we visited was Wagoner's Mill Bridge (also has been called Thompson Bridge). It was at the same time my own favorite of those we visited, and the one that made me the saddest, and I hope there are plans to revive the bridge before it collapses someday.
It is closed off - inaccessible to the public. You can pull off the main road, and look at the structure, but it's got a gate across it to keep out the curious.
One end leans precariously.... Not terribly but at the same time enough to definitely get your attention. From the side, some boards are beginning to come loose. This is one that it would be really nice to see someone apply for a grant to restore it to it's former glory. For now though, I did get a few pictures of it, and I think I like this one the best, overall - even if you cannot see the entire structure in it. A wintertime shot may be seen in the ohiobarns link below.
This bridge is located in Tyrone Twp., (east of Fort Robinson) about 1-1/2 miles west of Loysville. It is located on an abandoned section of Route 274. The bridge crosses Bixler's Run. It was built in 1889 by Joseph D. Lightner. It is 84 feet long and 17 feet wide. This Burr-arch bridge is located near the remains of Wagoner's Mill.
(Note: Another site listed the length as 93') For more information see http://www.ohiobarns.com/covbri/pa/perr/38-50-15.html
and http://www.perrypa.net/wagoner.htm
After leaving Wagoner's Bridge, we drove west along Rt 274, and soon I saw a road that just "felt" right. I've been to see these bridges before, but it's been a few years, and I figured that this was the right area. So I turned off and headed for the next one, which turned out to be Adair's Bridge.
This bridge is located in Madison Twp., just south of Cisna Run on Couchtown Road (SR 3008), east of Andersonburg. It was originally built in 1864. The bridge crosses Sherman's Creek. The bridge is sometimes called the Cisna Mill Bridge. This is a 176-foot-long bridge. Adair's bridge was damaged by flood & rebuilt in 1919. It's a Burr Arch Truss and the builder is unknown.
This following image shows one of the most fascinating things about the covered bridges, and how they were made decades ago and still hold up to day-to-day traffic (within limits). The joint is a classic Mortise and Tenon held together with wooden pin(s).
For more information about Adair's Bridge, visit http://www.ohiobarns.com/covbri/pa/perr/38-50-04.html and http://www.perrypa.net/adair.htm
The next bridge we visited was... well... it was the most "perfect" bridge. That is to say, the newest. It had fresh concrete pilings, and new wood and paint, and steel rods reinforcing it.
There was nothing wrong with Book's Bridge, but I was at one time impressed with the fact that they spent so much time building a bridge with such style in this day and age, and disappointed that it didn't feel old.
The original bridge was closed to traffic in 1992. It was 70 feet long and was built in 1884. It is located on State Route 3003, about a half mile south of Route 274 and about one mile southwest of Blain, where it spans Sherman's Creek.
In 2004, it was basically torn down and rebuilt, in the old style but with new materials. More info including some very interesting shots of the bridge during reconstruction may be found at the following links http://www.ohiobarns.com/covbri/pa/perr/38-50-13.html http://www.perrypa.net/book.htm Note that the ohiobarns page only has information concerning the original - not rebuilt, Book's Bridge.
The Mount Pleasant Bridge was built in 1918 and is located on Mt Pleasant Road in Jackson Twp., just south of State Route 274, where is spans Sherman's Creek. It is a 60 foot long Burr Arch Variant Truss, built by L.M. Wentzel. You will notice, unlike the first few bridges, the Mount Pleasant Bridge (and the New Germantown, below, have angular trusses, instead of the rounded arch that was typically used in Burr Arch construction - thus the term "variant").
For more information visit http://www.ohiobarns.com/covbri/pa/perr/38-50-12.html and http://www.perrypa.net/pleasant.htm
The last bridge we visited was the New Germantown Bridge, named after the nearby village of New Germantown, PA (and it was named, according to a road sign as you enter the village, after Germantown, PA, near Philadelphia). This bridge was very similar in looks and construction to the Mount Pleasant Bridge.
The New Germantown Bridge is a 75-foot bridge that was built in 1891. It is located on Township Route 302, just southeast of New Germantown, in Toboyne Township, and spans Sherman's Creek. It is the westernmost of the covered bridges in Perry County. This bridge is in very nice shape. It has a new roof and some huge I-beams holding it up from below. It is a Burr Arch Variant Truss, built by John W. Fry.
For more information and some very interesting photos, refer to http://www.ohiobarns.com/covbri/pa/perr/38-50-11.html and http://www.perrypa.net/germantown.htm
Here are two more shots that you may find interesting (If you have problems viewing this, please leave a comment so that I will know...)
Wagoner's Bridge in Winter by =arkansawyer on deviantART
Kochenderfer Bridge by =arkansawyer on deviantART
In Pennsylvania, there are a ton of old barns and churches and cornfields and all sorts of things like that. This past weekend, however, on a trip into the woods with my son, we detoured, and by memory I found a few of the covered bridges of Perry County.
According to perrypa.net there are fifteen covered bridges in Perry County, Pennsylvania (one county west of Dauphin County, where I live). I didn't look this up before our trip, and just blindly stumbled across a couple, and remembered where a couple more were, and visited a total of five bridges, which will be featured here. I really encourage anyone who likes my shots to visit the Perrypa.net and ohiobarns sites for more information. All of the information referenced here, except that of my own personal observations, were extracted from these two sites.
Wagoner's Mill Bridge
The first bridge we visited was Wagoner's Mill Bridge (also has been called Thompson Bridge). It was at the same time my own favorite of those we visited, and the one that made me the saddest, and I hope there are plans to revive the bridge before it collapses someday.
It is closed off - inaccessible to the public. You can pull off the main road, and look at the structure, but it's got a gate across it to keep out the curious.
One end leans precariously.... Not terribly but at the same time enough to definitely get your attention. From the side, some boards are beginning to come loose. This is one that it would be really nice to see someone apply for a grant to restore it to it's former glory. For now though, I did get a few pictures of it, and I think I like this one the best, overall - even if you cannot see the entire structure in it. A wintertime shot may be seen in the ohiobarns link below.
This bridge is located in Tyrone Twp., (east of Fort Robinson) about 1-1/2 miles west of Loysville. It is located on an abandoned section of Route 274. The bridge crosses Bixler's Run. It was built in 1889 by Joseph D. Lightner. It is 84 feet long and 17 feet wide. This Burr-arch bridge is located near the remains of Wagoner's Mill.
(Note: Another site listed the length as 93') For more information see http://www.ohiobarns.com/covbri/pa/perr/38-50-15.html
and http://www.perrypa.net/wagoner.htm
Adair's Bridge
After leaving Wagoner's Bridge, we drove west along Rt 274, and soon I saw a road that just "felt" right. I've been to see these bridges before, but it's been a few years, and I figured that this was the right area. So I turned off and headed for the next one, which turned out to be Adair's Bridge.
This bridge is located in Madison Twp., just south of Cisna Run on Couchtown Road (SR 3008), east of Andersonburg. It was originally built in 1864. The bridge crosses Sherman's Creek. The bridge is sometimes called the Cisna Mill Bridge. This is a 176-foot-long bridge. Adair's bridge was damaged by flood & rebuilt in 1919. It's a Burr Arch Truss and the builder is unknown.
This following image shows one of the most fascinating things about the covered bridges, and how they were made decades ago and still hold up to day-to-day traffic (within limits). The joint is a classic Mortise and Tenon held together with wooden pin(s).
For more information about Adair's Bridge, visit http://www.ohiobarns.com/covbri/pa/perr/38-50-04.html and http://www.perrypa.net/adair.htm
Book's Bridge
The next bridge we visited was... well... it was the most "perfect" bridge. That is to say, the newest. It had fresh concrete pilings, and new wood and paint, and steel rods reinforcing it.
There was nothing wrong with Book's Bridge, but I was at one time impressed with the fact that they spent so much time building a bridge with such style in this day and age, and disappointed that it didn't feel old.
The original bridge was closed to traffic in 1992. It was 70 feet long and was built in 1884. It is located on State Route 3003, about a half mile south of Route 274 and about one mile southwest of Blain, where it spans Sherman's Creek.
In 2004, it was basically torn down and rebuilt, in the old style but with new materials. More info including some very interesting shots of the bridge during reconstruction may be found at the following links http://www.ohiobarns.com/covbri/pa/perr/38-50-13.html http://www.perrypa.net/book.htm Note that the ohiobarns page only has information concerning the original - not rebuilt, Book's Bridge.
Mount Pleasant Bridge
The Mount Pleasant Bridge was built in 1918 and is located on Mt Pleasant Road in Jackson Twp., just south of State Route 274, where is spans Sherman's Creek. It is a 60 foot long Burr Arch Variant Truss, built by L.M. Wentzel. You will notice, unlike the first few bridges, the Mount Pleasant Bridge (and the New Germantown, below, have angular trusses, instead of the rounded arch that was typically used in Burr Arch construction - thus the term "variant").
For more information visit http://www.ohiobarns.com/covbri/pa/perr/38-50-12.html and http://www.perrypa.net/pleasant.htm
New Germantown Bridge
The last bridge we visited was the New Germantown Bridge, named after the nearby village of New Germantown, PA (and it was named, according to a road sign as you enter the village, after Germantown, PA, near Philadelphia). This bridge was very similar in looks and construction to the Mount Pleasant Bridge.
The New Germantown Bridge is a 75-foot bridge that was built in 1891. It is located on Township Route 302, just southeast of New Germantown, in Toboyne Township, and spans Sherman's Creek. It is the westernmost of the covered bridges in Perry County. This bridge is in very nice shape. It has a new roof and some huge I-beams holding it up from below. It is a Burr Arch Variant Truss, built by John W. Fry.
For more information and some very interesting photos, refer to http://www.ohiobarns.com/covbri/pa/perr/38-50-11.html and http://www.perrypa.net/germantown.htm
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Making Honey - In the news (sorta)
I was contacted yesterday by one of the editors of "Now Public" - a user-based news service, requesting permission to use my "bee" photo in a news story.
I'll post the link, below, if you're interested... But I noticed today that the accompanying news story has several "bee" photos, but mine is the primary one being used on the main page.
Also, if you go to their main page (at least as of now) and click on 'sort by popularity' - this story and photo rank up there in the top 5 (number 5 to be exact).
Anyhow, I am not getting paid for this use of my photo, but still, it's a good thing, I think. I like the photo and I am glad someone somewhere is using it. :) And besides, only I have the original high-resolution version... Meaning, if someone rips it off and starts printing or selling copies (always a risk when publishing online) then they'll get a not-so-top quality version of it. I would hope anyone serious about using it in that way would just email me and ask for it!
Okay, tangent done, and on to the news...
http://www.nowpublic.com/mystery_bee_disappearances_sweeping_u_s
--------
Well, okay, real news, you say?
As in, how is life, the universe, and everything?
Ahem... ahhhhh... My muse has been silent for a long time.
(okay for those of my readers who don't know what a muse is - I must admit I was pretty darn confused a few months ago when someone popped it at me. It's that inside voice that tells your fingertips what to type or write. And for those who assume everyone knows what a muse is, well.. .Shoot me. I am from the backwoods of Arkansaw and proud of it. We don't use confuselating words like that where I come from).
Rant done. uhhhh.........
For the past several months I have spent quite a bit of time on deviantart, at my page there, Arkansawyer . From my main page, you can click 'gallery' to see photos of what my current world (that is, Pennsylvania) are looking like. You can click 'journal' to see some other 'writings' similar to my blogsite here. Most of that, though, is either dA specific or is posted in parallel here, so you might not find anything of interest.
Back in early November, I went to Philly (that is to say, actually, a suburb of Philadelphia) for a disaster recovery exercise for work. No need to get into the boring details, but things went smoothly. BUT on my return back to work, I found out my 'team lead' (there's three of us) got promoted into bosshood (a great thing).
Leaving me with most of his real work. And since he had always worked MUCH harder than me, I scrambled for awhile trying to pick up the pace. (no, not picante sauce). Then, a couple of weeks later, another guy on another 'team' quit (there were two on that team).
Then, end of December, the other guy on that team quit. Both found other, better opportunities, and I can't blame them for going. BUT... Although the company sent someone over for awhile to pick up their slack, finding a qualified replacement turned into a nightmare.
I was asked to watch over their shoulders and learn what I could.
Now... Let's suppose you know English. (You do don't you?). And people around you are speaking Spanish. (and we'll further assume that you do not understand Spanish). You're boss, Mommy, whoever, says, "Listen, and learn..." So you sit there and watch these people talk for a few days.
Do you know Spanish? Haha... Not unless you're a heck of a lot smarter than I!!! Well, long story short, I really did know the basics (very very very basic) of their systems. And one of the temp guys was a trainer, and he sat down and for a couple of weeks, we did some serious 'discovery' of that system.
Turns out Spanish and English aren't that different after all. I mean, they are. Sometimes, they put verbs before nouns and the whole structure is pretty confusing. But at the end of the day, they utter noises and meanings come across.
Okay. I don't know Spanish. Scratch that. Ummm.. .Anyhow, I am picking up these new systems. I am doing the already doubled-up work, plus some more all-new (to me) systems. And... Honestly, it's been good to be busy.
And somehow, I've still had time to take a few photos now and then. But for about two months, I didn't comment on people's work over on dA - and for at least that long, I haven't really written much over here.
So, a few days ago, I started working on my backlog there. Then this 'news' request came for my photo. And I was wanting to tell you about that. And then my muse started whispering saying I should catch you up a bit, and now I am writing this. And I hope you are reading it.
Oh wait. You say you fell asleep up there? You SKIMMED it??? Argh. See if I write anything again.
I bet no one even comments. Okay. hmmm... How's about for each person I know who comments on this, next time I am in your town or you visit mine, I'll buy you a bottle of Pepsi and a candy bar as a reward?
Well anyways. Christmas came and went. My birthday came and went. Oh, how old am I? I lost count a few years back but by my best recollection I am a little bit older than them thar hills. The Ouachitas, that is.
I was, no kidding, asked, just today, if Abraham Lincoln was president when I was a kid. It was a serious question too.
Well... uhhhhh... No, for the record, he passed away some months before my birth.
And on that note... I've been reading Aragon instead of sleeping, then I snuck in here to write this nonsense and drivel. I guess I'd better go back and read a bit more, then turn in for tonight. For tomorrow will come too soon. MUCH too soon.
Good night, all.
PS. If you don't do windows updates on your computer (click Tools... Windows Update... in Internet Explorer and follow the prompts and apply all the current updates) then you clocks are gonna be messed up after March 11 by an hour, until April 1.
It all has to do with the stuff about the daylight savings time changing forward. Microsoft operating systems do that automatically. But if you've not updated the 'patches' then it's gonna do it on the first Sunday of April, not the 2nd Sunday of March as it now should.
Dontcha just love Congress. Didn't their Momma ever tell them, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it?"
Monday, February 05, 2007
Fog Pond - Morning Mist
Another of my photos, turned into a beautiful painting by my friend Karen... Enjoy!
Fog Pond by =arkansawyer on deviantART
Morning Mist by *Buble on deviantART
Fog Pond by =arkansawyer on deviantART
Morning Mist by *Buble on deviantART
Sunday, January 21, 2007
Centralia Pennsylvania
Centralia is a town in Central Pennsylvania that has been "on fire" for approximately 45 years. During a very cold visit to the town yesterday we took some photos, including a walk up the old highway out of town that has been since closed and rerouted. I posted these as seperate posts, so you will not see the photos in this one post, but rather the posts which preceded it.
In the 1940's, as World War II ground along, resources were in short supply, and primarily going to support the war effort. Many of the small coal mining town residents dug illegal mines to get coal for themselves or others. In the early 60's (some say 1962) someone burning trash managed to ignite one of these exposed seams of coal, and it's been burning ever since, despite many efforts to extinquish it.
Over the years the underground fires have spread over some space, and the state offered a buyout to the residents of Centralia to just move, rather than have to deal with the dangers presented not only by the possibility of caveins, but also the constant, ever-present fumes of smoke and steam that come up out of the ground.
On this winter day, the steam coming up out of the ground has condensed in places, especcially on nearby vegetation, and the very cold air has frozen it. And for the first time we 'explored' the old abandoned highway, with it's cracks and smoke, too.
In the 1940's, as World War II ground along, resources were in short supply, and primarily going to support the war effort. Many of the small coal mining town residents dug illegal mines to get coal for themselves or others. In the early 60's (some say 1962) someone burning trash managed to ignite one of these exposed seams of coal, and it's been burning ever since, despite many efforts to extinquish it.
Over the years the underground fires have spread over some space, and the state offered a buyout to the residents of Centralia to just move, rather than have to deal with the dangers presented not only by the possibility of caveins, but also the constant, ever-present fumes of smoke and steam that come up out of the ground.
On this winter day, the steam coming up out of the ground has condensed in places, especcially on nearby vegetation, and the very cold air has frozen it. And for the first time we 'explored' the old abandoned highway, with it's cracks and smoke, too.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)