Evil Trash Men Made Me Make You a Moonset Desktop Background

The county I live in recently awarded a new contract for trash removal to some evil company that I don't like. Used to be you could set the bins out for pick-up at 8 or 9 in the morning and you were fine. (We can't set them out overnight because the bears will strew trash all over the place, which is no fun at all to clean up.) So anyway, these new guys are evil. You can hear them squealing through the neighborhood at about 5:30 AM, and I can tell they're psyched by the revving of the engine and the speed at which they drive. They're psyched that this neighborhood hardly has any bins at the street. "HAHA! We got here so early these dolts didn't get their stuff out in time! We're home free!"

It took me a couple of times missing them to now sleep with one eye open on Sunday nights. ("Prison Sleep" I've heard it called.) So I'm stumbling out there this morning and saw the moon setting. It was pretty. Made me say, "Whoa," in my hazy state and go find the camera, which was fortunately set on the "You do all the thinking for me" setting and so I was able to see it later when I was awake. Click it for Mondo Moon size.

Saturday Roadside Colors

I don't normally hop off the bicycle to pick up trash, but this bundle of utility flags caught my eye.

Blue Heron on a Rooftop After a Rain

Click it for bigger, better, grainier version.

Had I been able to catch the fuzzy moon above him, that would've made it perfect.

Day's End at Land's End at Year's End

Gulf Shores, Alabama.

Mele Kalikimaka

Christmas Morning, 2007 - Wekiva River, Florida

They Give Us Those Nice Bright Colors

The traditionalists, Ross Halfin among them, decry the advance of digital photography because, "It's about taking photos, not fucking around on a laptop and putting any old shit out and claiming you're a photographer... any idiot with a digital camera thinks they're a photographer."

I would agree that it is much harder to take a good photograph on film. Having played with film all of my life and now using digital, I prefer digital. I'm still learning. I'm not claiming to be a photographer, but I do enjoy "fucking around on a laptop and putting any old shit out."

These are from the weekend. The first is when I happened upon the Fighting Pink Shirts vs. the Illegal Immigrant Brits in a local soccer match. I like the action of the cleat to the groin - and the motorcycle in the parking lot in the background.

The second is just a nice contrast. When you envision Zep-Heads in the park, you don't generally picture them reading "Smart Money."

(Click 'em - they get bigger)

You'd Never See a (US) Football Team in These

Orlando is a melting pot of cultures, and it is not uncommon to spot groups of men from Latin America, Europe, the Caribbean and the Middle East playing soccer on the weekends. This team, walking off the field in their pink jerseys, kind of stood out in the crowd. I'm betting they lost.
Photographed at Sylvan Lake Park.

Cirque du Jésus

I suppose it's not the smartest idea to take pictures while driving in heavy traffic, but I've started bringing my camera to work simply because I often see things I wish I could take pictures of throughout the day.

Here we have a crucified Christ, although he's not on a cross. He's swinging wildly on a string of beads hanging from this guy's rear view mirror, like some gymnast doing the iron cross on the rings.

Ripples of a Coming Storm

Noisy outside right now, in a very cool way. Nikon-grabbin' time.













Riverbend Dead End - 7/17/07 - 2:15 PM

You Do The Math

From the album Telegraph Canyon

Every afternoon at about this time
for a month
it’s been raining
The afternoon scattered shower
the kind that lasts until the end of rush hour
It’s like someone saying
take it easy
It’s like someone saying
take it slow

The straight and narrow’s got a couple twists
The straight and narrow bends just a little
The cloud ceiling’s pretty high
You got some water in your eye
What chance we’re slippin’ off the path?
The odds are slim – you do the math

Every evening at about this time
for a month
the sun shines
3D clouds under a crystal blue dome
No matter where you are you’re home
It’s like someone saying
take it easy
It’s like someone saying
take it slow

The straight and narrow’s got a couple twists
The straight and narrow bends just a little
The cloud ceiling’s pretty high
You got some water in your eye
What chance we’re slippin’ off the path?
The odds are slim – you do the math

Your Whole Life is a Sponsored Moment™

I was sitting at the Jetpacks Mobile WorkStation^™ when I noticed a bunch of logos staring back at me. And so, this blog post was brought to you by Yahoo!^®, Corona^®, Dell^®, Logitech^® peripherals, the Dish Network^®, Verizon^® Wireless Broadband and Kensington^® peripherals. (And Blogger^®, by Google^®.)

And none of them have paid me yet.

I guess I use them because they're good, or maybe I perceived them as quality goods and services at affordable prices when I engaged them in business, but how do I know that's true if I don't try the others? Like a fickle client leaving a decent, performing agency for another, I'm willing to ditch these brands who haven't been giving me cold, hard cash (or kickbacks & free stuff) in return for my patronage.

So, if another computer manufacturer would like to furnish a better laptop than this rode hard, put-away-wet dinosaur, get in touch. I might even be persuaded to crossover to the Mac^® side.

If Comcast^®, BrightHouse^® or another competitor of the Dish Network^® wants in here, we're open.

Kensington^® and Logitech^® competitors?

Cingular^® on the wireless? (Oh, wait. I mean AT&T^®.) And I'll go ahead and invite Sprint^® to participate in the RFP.

MSN^®? Google^®? You want a piece?

Oh, wait. Google^® provides the blog, the email, the cool maps, the relatively reliable search results, the awesome view of my house from outer space and all kinds of other goodies - for FREE. (All with a simple, clean interface. Verdict: Exempted this month) So, MSN^®, you get first shot at the beer cozy sponsorship.

Corona^®...I guess you can stick around a while longer. One month exemption.

(Oh, yeah. Nikon^® took the picture. You have 30 days from today, otherwise Canon^® gets a shot.)