May 21, 2005
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Well, either 1.Xanga is having the usual “problems”, 2. I have “used up” all the space their server supplies for images, or 3. It’s going to be a “bad day” and this is just the beginning. Xanga ”won’t let me “upload” photos. They say they are “too large”. Since my photo size doesn’t change from photopost to photopost, it must be that I have overloaded their server and used up all the space. I’ve been doing this in one way or another ever since getting on the internet. The drawback is that it’s way past “photopost” time, and I had to “point” to photos I had to upload to my own server. (I call it “mine” since I pay for site hosting for “AllThingsMike”. The actual server is owned by Valueweb, to whom I pay for the privilege. Well, the drawback is you won’t be able to “click” on the image and get the full size one, but I sometimes doubt most people do that anyway, esp. since at 450 pixels these photos look pretty large and clear as it is. If you would, however, like to see my bald head and such blown up to amazingly frightening proportions on your computer screen, then click the links I shall provide after the captions. Without further ado, here is a “Potpourii Photopost” with photos you probably haven’t seen unless you frequent my Webshots Gallery.
Hi, it’s me, your host and guide, standing this time in a bamboo grove at the L.A. County Arboretum, which will hopefully get it’s funding and eventually return to the glory of it’s former self. My latest video/still cam, the Sony DCR-PC104 from 2004, is pretty lightweight, and this is a “self image” shot with the camera held at arm’s length. You wouldn’t know it if I didnt’ tell you, though, would you. Admit it.Click here for full size.
The Seventh Day Adventist Church in Perris, CA. I thought this building was amazing and photographed it from several “angles”. This is the best shot, I thought, even though it doesn’t show the whole door. Click here for full size.
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A cute little bird house for sale at the Arboretum. I might use this in some composite artwork in future, hence why I took the photo, but it’s pretty neat on it’s own, don’t you think. In the composite, I would probably insert a “homeowner” bird outside the front door. Click here for full size.
On June 6th, residents of Florida and other southern states will be bracing for their “Hurricane Season” In SoCal we have “Fire Season” which will be upon us soon, and this one was shot last year from the vantage point of the Palos Verdes Peninsula hills. The fire is about 45 miles northeast from where I am standing with the camera. Click here for full size.
A serene morning relaxing in one of the turnout parks on the P.V. Peninsula, with the morning sun shimmering off the sea. I am about to go very near there for breakfast in about 20 minutes as soon as I finish constructing this blog entry. Click here for full size.
This is what we used to call in journalism a “human interest shot”. I was shooting landscapes and nature, as usual, at the Friendship Bell in Torrance, and there are always wedding photographers shooting brides. This one seems to have lost her balance. The photographer seems oblivious to her plight. Click here for full size.
Yours truly, in a “magic time” shot from back when it was raining pretty heavily here in old SoCal. I am standing in the “back yard” of the Palos Verdes Communitiy Center and City Hall. The camera, (a self composed arm’s length shot with a wide angle lens) is pointing west towards the sunset and the sea. Yes, I am smiling. I sometimes do that, although my critics feel I am “too serious” all the time. Click here for full size.
Perris again, at the Railway Museum, with a “patented” Cloudscape, and a railway crossing light. I should “digitally ” remove the telephone lines from this photo. Click here for full size.
Lastly, a classic GMC pickup truck on the grounds of the Airplane Museum in Riverside. I love classic vehicles, and owned a 1966 Cadillac and a 1961 bullet nosed T-bird in my life. The sun is glinting off the grille. That’s real, and not an “effect”. Click here for full size.
Well, that’s it for this week’s “late” photopost. As I mentioned yesterday, there might be a Getty Museum trip for me this weekend, but first it’s off to the beach for “breaky” as my late Canadian friend Dan used to call breakfast, and then perhaps a photo expedition or a visit to my friend Jim, who’s been cooped up sick all week.
MFN, ppf
Comments (14)
I love the birdhouse photo. Our last name is Bird, so my father collected birdhouses. When I was young, I thought it was stupid. Now that I am an adult, and he is no longer with us, I cherish them.
Thank you for you wonderful comments on my site. I am reading you, as well. I almost never comment, though, as your work demands thought, and I am too caught up in “life” at the moment to think.
I have not even signed up for classes for the summer because I am afraid I couldn’t handle it ……………..
I was going to say that exact sentence: I love the birdhouse photo. I love the birdhouse itself. How cool would it be to have a collection of entirely unique birdhouses. The photo of you in the hat in the near-rain is nice too. The hat reminds me of my father a lot. A norwegian fisherman’s cap.
lisa
Mike,
That birdhouse reminds me a house out of a fairytale. I love it so much! If I ever become rich (never will) I would be crazy enough to have my house designed like that. :spinning:
I was wondering what was going on with this post because I went here earlier this morning and it had two photos. No words…just a picture of yourself and the church. *shrugs* Had me confused. Anyway, Hope you had a lovely breakfast and enjoy your weekend, dear friend!
Keeta
So we are all in agreement that the birdhouse rocks and we want it. Have you ever watched the Discovery channel extrememhomes? One episode was an incredible huge tree house – I mean like 4000 sq feet. Odd things are the best kinds of things.
Alisia Keyes ROCKS and is beautiful – darn the bad luck for her :p
Your post about ‘testing the test” had me rolling on the floor *Rick was staring as if I’d gone made*…love Pink Floyd and the comments really left me with the best visual image it still makes me smile.:lol::spinning:
I actually test for a NEGATIVE result just to be sure I was competent. I bet the first day of use I’ll see several positive results LOL
I’ll let you know how we do with it
:sunny::goodjob::giggle:Sorry! but the bird house is not my favorite pic. It’s cute! But I can’t really see a happy bird living there. Well that’s just me. I would never have thought that you took the photos at arms length … Have a good weekend and enjoy your visits! Always enjoy the photoposts. @-}-}–
*waves* Hey, I’m back to blogging and it’s all because of you. I’m withdrawing from EP for a while I think. It’s all a bit much really. At the end of the day, writing is supposed to be a moderately enjoyable experience, so if it’s not, then why am I doing it? Therefore I’m doing it in my own space, on my blog.
So far, it’s been fun! And this way I get to see your photographs properly. I loaded your page, went to get a cup of tea, and they were just finishing as I got back. Ideal! I like the framing of the sea by the trees in the beach picture. A couple just red x’d for me, so I couldn’t see the bird house or the railway museum, but I got to see you, and you lookin’ good boy!
I can understand the possibility of you exhausting your storage capacity for photo’s. The photo of the serene morning looking over the sea is my favourite…I like the feel of tranquility and nature.
Regarding your comment on my Xanga: as usual you bring a whole new dimension of virtual reality to the topic under discussion. Thank you firstly for sharing with us your outline. I have not considered the total adaption of reality so that only a virtual world exist. We will then be dreaming in another artificially created world. Your projection of the impacts of this phenomena is totally probable. A lot of people are constantly trying to escape reality ….so why not into a virtual reality world. I played a RPG computer game called “Morrowind” about a year ago and it kept me facinated for ours within its 3D artificial world. Your projection into the future is one we all need to think about. Maybe the core of our philosophy in this age should start to focus on where humans are going into the future and how we engage with the thing we call reality.
Dear Mike,
Yes, I would have guessed that the first picture was a self-photo. I can see your arm! :p These are all amazing, as usual, I’d be more interested to see people living in that little crooked hosue.
Take care,
Stacey
Brilliant, it’s is amazing if it was not for the internet I would not be looking at your wonderful pictures.
I tend to keep my photos and my words in seperate places, blogspot and webshots for my pictures and homestead and xanga for my words, with only a few links between, not sure why I do, suppose it’s just me.
:heartbeat: the pictures Mike. Your post are so…so…eye-opening to your world. Makes me want to travel! I have a question Mike, have you ever been published for your poetry? My english class had to practically analyze the work of some of the “great” poets such as EE Cummings, Robert Frost, and Octavio Paz. I was just wondering if you believe a person’s words should be analyzed for metaphors and hidden meanings and the such or if it should just be taken as it is. I’m sure Shakespear didn’t mean alot of the things he wrote to have such meanings. Hmmm…I must meditate on this one! Hope you have a wonderful week.
Evening greetings dear new friend,
I am most appreciative of the time you’ve taken to send me comments this week. They were thoughtful and kind. I unfortunately have a somewhat older Mac and though I have DSL thank god I move more slowly through graphics-intensive pages like yours than probably some do. Nevertheless, I’ve begun to explore your world. I wish I could watch the film but I’m fairly sure I wouldn’t be able to download Windows Media Player successfully. Maybe one day soon I’ll gift myself with a new computer. So many things on the list before it. By the way, I noticed problems with Xanga today myself. It seemed to have gone down for a short while altogether. And when they recently changed the way they post photos I had to scramble to figure out how to adjust to it. I thought I had used up my own space for photos but then it seemed I continued with no trouble yet after that upgrade.
I began to write poetry in my youth also and have continued off an on through the years, though I doubt I’m as prolific as you. It is a wonderful way to identify feelings about everything in life and share them. I’ve enjoyed fooling around with the graphic poems for now but will probably return to just plain words before long, like you. I discovered French prose poetry early on and have always written more in that style than any other. However, I joined Xanga with the main goal of finishing my life story (by the way, I’ve written to age 30 so you may have missed a few chapters (see the Index for all of them). I’m working on years 30-35 now. I always scrapbook them first and then write. I’ve enjoyed so much being in this community though because as I pass the time between chapters, I post the little topic pages from which I’ve learned a great deal about the world (and myself). Enough for now. I’ll enjoy your companionship here.
Namaste.
Mike,
This compilation of different pictures brings back a lot of memories. I especially recall the recent fires and how I would wake up to ash all over the place (especially my car) in the mornings. And of course the Friendship Bell is always a wonderful location. But, as for classic cars. When I take my walk around work they sometimes have an old time fire truck out for display at the Firefighter museum, and for some reason I thought you would enjoy it. Maybe I’ll get a picture of it one of these days (with my crummy cell phone camera … LOL).
As for your suggestion on my post. I do think I could expand on it a bit more, but wanted to jot down some of those ideas before they left my head. Hope you keep cool. I myself am outside in my backyard enjoying the cool evening air … ain’t wireless grand!
Love & Friendship,
Liz
Hello Mike, wonderful photos once again! I loved every one of them, especially the huge thundercloud, and the GMC. wow, classy truck, classy shot! (of all the things to think about bringing back, why cant they bring back the styles and lines of the classic cars and trucks? those were works of art and pride!) And you have made great pictures of yourself, (what a great smile!)
Those, like all the rest, look wonderful.
take care
~Lynxkatt
:goodjob:Hello to you good sir!!