Photography & People

I have always been shy about photographing people, yet I find them to be very interesting subjects. Does anyone have any tips or tricks/advice to give on how you go about photographing strangers?

Three Arbitrary Things

Three things I arbitrarily like right now:
1. toothpaste tubes that have large caps so you can stand them on end
2. cool breezes that lightly waft the heat away
3. Angelina Jolie's eyebrows ;)

Three things I arbitrarily do not like right now:
1. plugged drains
2. wearing glasses
3. Walt Disney movies with too much singing

One thing I love, non-arbitrarily:
1. Munin

Thank you

Thank you all so very much for the wonderful birthday wishes. Many warm squishy hugs to you all. A deeply touched Munin. Thank you. [mwah]

Birthday Girl

It's that time of year again. That time when under other circumstances Munin wouldn't be sitting down for a little while, many birthday spankings!!!

But it is not to be.
Birthday yes. Spanking no.

But that's ok. Because there is the delightful prezzie of the camera that is just so very nice.

And the delightful Munin has gotten wiser and more wonderful all in one day!

So for those who didn't make the party, here are two others who didn't make it either...

Many birthday wishes for happiness and wonderful things to my love.
Who I care for more than prezzies or pictures or anything can properly express.

G3

After work on Thursday, Hugin and I ambled over to the store and picked up our new toy/birthday prezzie. Gorgeous. Is the one of the words I can use to describe it. I love the feel of it, the weight, the fact that the zoom is so smooth and wow. The pictures. The clarity. The oodles of stuff left to learn so that we can operate the bloody thing properly. I am hoping that we will do the camera justice.

click for full picture

This also means that I should really get our photoblog up and running. It’s almost ready to go, but I have been procrastinating on the last bit of CCS and I am still trying to figure out how to best word the acknowledgements and thank you’s.

However, if you are willing to put of with unformatted text, mismatched colouring, missing acknowledgements* and the fact that we still have to jot down a disclaimer stating that we are backlogged on pictures and still have to load a year and a half worth of photos before we can even get to the new snaps that we have taken with the G3, follow this link.

*Many heartfelt thanks go out to Dawn for pointing us in the right direction, providing links to code, pluggins and Quixotic Pixels for providing the movable type code on which the photoblog is based on.

Reason to Courier

And finally for the night, a prime example on why you shouldn't send anything USPS.

Oh sure, it'll get there, but at a certain point you have to wonder how much good it will do you.

E.T. Phone Home

Well, it seems that E.T. can do more than just phone home if he happens to be in Malaysia...

Thanks Be

Well, it was Munin's Birthday Party on Friday.

Thanks to everyone who showed up, it was really great and we hope that everyone enjoyed it as much as they seemed to :D

We hope to be able to do it again (the getting together of people, not necessarily Munin getting older) and basically just have more of a hoot!

Hoot hoot! Convivial to boot!

52.

This week can be summed up as: 52 hours of insanity followed by a truly wonderful night spent in the company of wonderful people, more about that later, as I am just slowly coming of the weird rush of stress now. Right now I am in need of some strong coffee, just a tiny little bit to kick start the brain and gather thoughts in an orderly manner. But! For now, please go and visit the people below,or anyone you find through here and here*, and give them lots words of encouragement.

* we will be there later on this eve.

Blogging for a cause.

This weekend, Bloggers around the world will be participating in the annual Blogathon to raise money for many worthy causes. If you have a few moments during the day tomorrow,[or better yet in the wee hours of the night] pop over to their site and give them lots of loving and support, and if you can donate, even if it's a tiny little bit, please do so.

Squishy good thoughts to those of you who are participating.

*A quick list of some of the participants, and the causes they will be blogging for.
[AKA: people who will be staring at their screens and typing for 24 hours]

Christine - Pawsafe
Daphne and Jaun - Prince William Chapter: American Red Cross.
Michele, Meryl, Lair - Magen David Adom
Rannie - Aids Committee of Toronto
Snazzykat – Goddess
Melissa - ALS Association
Joni - adopt a cat
Mike - Interval house
Faith - Precious Pugs Rescue and Adoption
Dave - Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.
Leigh - Sense of Security

*I know I am missing quite a few, so if you know someone, or see a name I have forgotten please put it in the comments and I will update the list.

the MEC

While I was at the MEC something bothered me, didn't know what it was, but finally figured it out.

It's a seasonal store.

And there it is. While wandering around there were no heavier clothes, no autumn type jackets, nothing that would be useful for someone to purchase here and then take with them to go hiking in Alaska.

Sure they had good mummy bags and maybe some 3 season tents, didn't notice if they had tents good for winter.

But it just didn't sit right otherwise. What about people that like going skiing and need some heavier stuff?

Maybe it's unreasonable, but it just bothered me.

Other than that, some cool stuff. :D

Plop. Fizzle. Pop.

Blogging and musing will be sparse over the next few days. The thoughts are there, but the time is not. The minutes of the day seem to be rushing in a mad marathon of seconds leaving no spare moments to take a breather and jot down the random musings of my sometimes deluded mind onto paper. Soon. I hope. Soon. Just one more week of this rush and then hopefully next week this will be back to their usual pace. So until then I beg leave of this little place for the moment, and hope that Hugin will fill the void. [ahem. nudge, nudge. wink, wink] Big squishes and kisses. A much frazzled Munin.

Sugar rush an popping computers.

We wandered over to the MEC today, intent on a mild perusing of camping/hiking gear and to our surprise noted that there was a Krispy Kreme to be found not 5 minutes walk away. In short I managed to have my first ever Krispy Kreme. There is only one word that can be used to describe the experience: sugar rush. However, a rather light, melt in your mouth sugar rush it was. I don't think I could repeat the experience too often, but they are definitely worth devouring once in a blue moon.

Karma however, bit me in the derriere tonight, I believe in an attempt to balance the final devouring of said yumminess. My poor computer blew its power supply this evening when we got home. So hopefully we will be able to replace that soon. Need computer. Must have access to computer, Internet, music and games. Sniffle. Computer good. Also sharing computer with Hugin, though pleasurable does not allow much playing of games together.

Am now going to go pass put. Brain dead, Am coming off the sugar rush, and can no longer think clearly.

Ben!

Warmest and happiest congratulations to Steve and Dina on the birth of their son: Ben
Mazel Tov! We are gleefully tickled pink, on this wonderful occasion.
Wishing you all much health, joy and loving happiness.

Squishy happy hugs
All our love and well wishes
h & m.

mind game.

I am trying to psyche myself up so that I can meet the deadline that's been handed to me. I can do this. It’s not an impossible task to complete 5 detail drawings, 3 assembly drawings and all the related paper work in less then one week? Right? I can do this? Can’t I? Total. And. Utter. Panic. I need more hours then this! Anyone got some spare hours that they are willing to donate? Please!

Downside up.

As much as I tried to convince Hugin of the fact this morning, doors do not hang by the key.
Sigh. Bye bye lucid thought it was nice knowing you for the while. One more week of this and I shall be trying to convince myself and others that underwear is worn on top of ones clothing, breakables are meant to fall from fingers and walking into doors, desks and partitions is just a means of getting around while remaining upright. Now where did I put my morning reminders?

Simple pleasures.

Ice cream bars, feet propped up on the chair in front of me, snuggling, perusing and enjoying the pleasurable feeling of being mildly, if warm and fuzzily brain dead. Ah. The simple pleasures in life.

Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.

My desk, now covered in an ever-increasing mound of paper work has left little time for thought. A lump of stress has appeared at the back of my throat, caught between the voice box and oesophagus, leaving me verklempt [I really can’t find a better word.] and unable to speak with any sort of eloquence. The words come out haphazardly, and with it my ability to write diminishes bit by bit. It feels like there is much to say, and much I want to write. There are reams [an exaggeration, I think a handful would sum the quantity up best] of links I have pasted into my little note pad. Each with of few pent up thoughts connected to them by the wispiest of strings, but as of yet I have not been able to form the sounds to produce the words I seek. I need to find a way to dislodge this ever-increasing lump*, so that once again my rampant thoughts can run free.

Till then. I leave you with one of my favourite songs, from on of my many favourite movies, ‘Remember the Titans.’ I give you, ladies and gents, Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell's:

*Any one have any ideas on how to dislodge a throat stress lump?

Ain’t No Mountain High Enough*.
Listen, baby
Ain't no mountain high
Ain't no vally low
Ain't no river wide enough, baby

If you need me, call me
No matter where you are
No matter how far
Just call my name
I'll be there in a hurry
You don't have to worry

'Cause baby,
There ain't no mountain high enough
Ain't no valley low enough
Ain't no river wide enough
To keep me from getting to you

Remember the day
I set you free
I told you
You could always count on me
From that day on I made a vow
I'll be there when you want me
Some way,some how

'Cause baby,
There ain't no mountain high enough
Ain't no valley low enough
Ain't no river wide enough
To keep me from getting to you

No wind, no rain

My love is alive
Way down in my heart
Although we are miles apart
If you ever need a helping hand
I'll be there on the double
As fast as I can

Don't you know that
There ain't no mountain high enough
Ain't no valley low enough
Ain't no river wide enough
To keep me from getting to you

Don't you know that
There ain't no mountain high enough
Ain't no valley low enough
Ain't no river wide enough

*link to windows media player.

Escapism

We went to see the Pirates of the Caribbean last night. It is, in my humble opinion, an enjoyable fun filled movie with lots of swashbuckling, adventure, a touch of romance and lots of Johnny Depp. [nummy] And that is where I shall stop. Spoilers may come later. But for now this shall suffice.

The only adverse effect is that I now have this insatiable desire to pack our bags and disappear, find a yacht and sail away. The world seems to be such a hollow shallow materialistic place some days where some people, though not all, are only looking out for their own best interest, their empathy and concern never extending beyond the confines of their lives. It is on days like these that the lure of the unknown, the yet to be discovered calls to me. A yen deep in my soul, an urge to find contentment living by my own set of rules. I remember being a child and dreaming of swashbuckling adventure. The desire to escape the confines of our society have not dissipated with the years, and deep in me the dream to roam free still holds it place. It is these idealistic dreams of old time rambunctious cavalier exploits, of the rules set by those who walked the darker alleys of the world, where honour meant everything amongst thieves, that keep my spirit intact. A shield against the harsh realities of a world seemingly gone mad where the belief in magic and fairies, imps, goblins and high sea adventure provide a balm, and a hope that the world has not yet lost all its mystery and that there is still much beauty left to be discovered.

Grumpy

I was probably overreacting in my response, but I got a little grumpy yesterday.

Maybe, grumpy isn't the right word. I don't know, frustrated, sort of downed.

See, the little surprise for Munin was let out of the bag in a small way. I was alright with that because it made her happy to know something was in the planning. And that was a real good thing, because she wasn't sad.

But yesterday, she mentioned how to get contact information in order to be inviting someone. I can understand that, but the thing is that I had already invited that person. I felt that because they lived out of town it would be a nice surprise and was happy about that, because I thought it would make her happier.

So, I felt a let down there and got bent out of shape over it, because it felt to me like it meant her surprise wouldn't be as nice. I guess it was an overreaction; just important to me to make it as good an experience as it could be (on a limited scale of course, I'm not Onassis or anything like that to be able to rent small islands and fly out most of the world in order to surprise her).

That's all really.

And at the same time I felt bad for making her feel bad about anything related to her surprise. It was wrong.

Sorry honey. Just got bummed.

But like all good bums, I bounce back. :D

Noted.

Cream goes on the face, deodorant goes under the arms.
End of a long week with more long weeks to follow. Soon the house shall be plastered in little yellow squares, notes scrawled helter-skelter. Little reminders, daily tidbits, chores, and how to’s as fatigue takes it toll on clarity.

Predicament.

As previously mention by Hugin, we are trying to amass some money in order to buy ourselves a digital camera, under the guise of a birthday prezzie. We have managed to scrape together enough, to almost be able to purchase either this one, or this one*. The only thing is we are a couple of diniero short, in regards to the taxes and some peripherals, i.e. a bigger memory card as 32 mg just ain’t enough. My quandary lies in this. I don’t know if I should commit the birthday faux pas of asking people who are planning on buying a birthday present to simply contribute to our camera fund, [not that I am expecting presents and not the any one should feel obliged to get me any. Yes y’all know who you are]. Or if I should just leave it be and figure out a way to manage on our own, or postpone the purchase by a couple of months. What would you do? How do you ask bring up the subject, in a tactful manner?

*Though I think we are pretty much set on the G3.

Mother of Audio Mercy

Good lord, I've stumbled upon a place that sells Klipsch speakers in Montreal. It's a big company, but... Klipsch. Goodness.

Now I wouldn't be up to getting a full out stereo system, I'm not one who needs it; that and I am lost in terms of what is needed. Um, pre-amp, amp, uh... speakers... hmm, maybe a tuner...

You see what I mean?

So basically I know they are good speakers and they have a very good set of multimedia speakers.

Of course, they cost the proverbial arm and a leg. Sadly I'm rather short on proverbial anything, body parts or otherwise. But, there they are, very sweet.

26 Things

The list is up for over at shift.org, for 26 Things. It's time to pul out yer cameras and satrt snapping pictures of things! Ahem. Yes this means you too!

Squishy thank you to Jennifer and Christine for the reminder!

Faux pas

Have made the unfortunate faux pas of stumbling upon Hugin’s secret plans for a surprise birthday thingamawhatsit and am currently feeling sheepishly wretched

It was unintentional done through a combination of winching*, planning ahead and catching him mildly off guard. After many years of hiding from the birthday limelight, I had in my unconventional wisdom decided that throwing a party would indeed be a pleasant affair. Much thought** went into the planning of certain aspects of such event in order to ensure that things would go swimmingly and that all would partake in the festivities with much amusement and merriment. Having finalized the details, skipped home with great enthusiasm to present them to Hugin [love and better half] only to be confronted with an air of blasé. This in turn led to the winching, pouting and general patheticness on my part, which unfortunately had the ill effect of forcing Hugin to spill part of his beans. And, for this I feel rather bad, and quite contrite.

So, to you my heart, I present my humblest apologies, and will go about the next few weeks pretending to be none the wiser. Which in truth I am, as I am not sure what he is planning, only the he is indeed planning something.

*Winching: according to Hugin, the act of pouting, and being a hopeless wretch, based one the unfounded fact that you feel that everyone has forgetten you and are making a fuss about that little unsubstantiated tidbit, when you should really know better. [Yes, I was being rather pathetic.]

**Yes, that is a gross over statement. The statement should read: As much thought as can be thrown into the seconds of over packed work week as our deadlines are coming on fast and we still have 40 detail drawings left to do within a three-week period. Oy!

Nothing

Wow, no posts since the 4th...

Well, it was a nice weekend, if a little fast for Munin; I had the 4th off while Munin had the 1st. That sucked, but otherwise, it was good.

Slow. <-- spoilers ahead [added in by munin]

Watched the movie, How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days. It wasn't a bad movie. Had some fun bits. My big problem with it was the inequality of their relationship. Sure, it was based on a lie for both of them. She went into it trying to get him to leave her so she could write a column and thereby help a friend of hers, and he went into it trying to get her to be with him so he could win a bet gaining him a lucrative marketing deal.

"[Spoiler warning]"
However, the end results in her basically apologizing in the form of her column, which indicates she lost the best man she ever met. While he does no apologizing at all; except for going after her. In my opinion this is a very bad thing and ruined the movie because of it.

It takes the potential for a happily ever after and ruins it, because of that initial inequality in their getting together.
"[End Spoiler]"

On the other hand, I watched The Whole Nine Yards. This was a lot of fun since it was supposed to be set in Montreal... and actually was for a lot of it. And aside from one bit of gratuitous nudity was a fun cheesy little movie (in no particular order).

Other than those things. Hmm.
Saw the Importance of Being Earnest. Which I don't believe was as good as the other Oscar Wilde movie we have An Ideal Husband. But was still enjoyable.
Watched a bit of the Best of the Muppet Show. That was light and silly and amusing because of the MANANA song, which for some reason had been stuck in my head for the previous few days.
Then a bit of Notorious, which was just too serious to get into.
A very little bit of Taxi 2, the French was enough to make my head spin!

Some light shopping for the digital camera Munin is getting for her birthday. Combined present from Munin and myself for both of us on her birthday.

Canon G3 it is going to be, but it's still fun to see what else is out there.

That'll do as a status report.

_________________
The names are the same, only the details have been changed to protect something unimportant.

Fourth of July

Happy Forth of July to all of you south of our border!!!
Hope y'all have a wonderful day!

*I am not sure where I found this picture, so if anyone finds the link to it please leave it on the comment box.

Gaffes and Such

I noticed the little row over in Europe regarding the statement made by the Italian PM to the German MP. I can't help thinking about the `moron' comment that came up between Canada and the USA. Thinking to myself, what a big fuss was made over a relatively minor comment, an off-hand casual remark - compared to this little Nazi fiasco. I can't imagine the reaction if some Canadian MP or the PM called an American politician a good candidate to play a Nazi...

Harry Potter Beckons.

Busy. Reading. Must devour Harry Potter. Will be back soonish.
In another day or so.
Hopefully.

'till then. Big Squihies. And. This:
Sent to me by a friend.
Tickled me funny bone.
Thought I'd share.

"The Stance"

My mother was a fanatic about public toilets. As a little girl, she'd bring me in the stall, teach me to wad up toilet paper and wipe the seat. Then, she'd carefully lay strips of toilet paper to cover the seat. Finally, she'd instruct, "Never, never sit on a public toilet seat." And she'd demonstrate "The Stance," which consisted of balancing over the toilet in a sitting position without actually letting any of your flesh make contact with the toilet seat. But by this time, I'd have wet down my leg. And we'd go home.

That was a long time ago. Even now in our more mature years, "The Stance" is excruciatingly difficult to maintain when one's bladder is especially full.

When you have to "go" in a public bathroom, you find a line of women that makes you think there's a half-price sale on Mel Gibson's underwear in there.

So, you wait and smile politely at all the other ladies, also crossing their legs and smiling politely. And you finally get closer. You check for feet under the stall doors. Every one is occupied. Finally, a stall door opens and you dash, nearly knocking down the woman leaving the stall. You get in to find the door doesn't latch. It doesn't matter. You hang your purse on the door hook, yank down your pants and assume "The Stance." Relief. More relief.

Then your thighs begin to shake. You'd love to sit down but you certainly hadn't taken time to wipe the seat or lay toilet paper on it, so you hold "The Stance" as your thighs experience a quake that would register an eight on the Richter scale.

To take your mind off it, you reach for the toilet paper.

The toilet paper dispenser is empty. Your thighs shake more. You remember the tiny tissue that you blew your nose on that's in your purse. It would have to do. You crumble it in the puffiest way possible. It is still smaller than your thumbnail.

Someone pushes open your stall door because the latch doesn't work and your purse whams you in the head.

"Occupied!" you scream as you reach out for the door, dropping your tissue in a puddle and falling backward, directly onto the toilet seat. You get up quickly, but it's too late. Your bare bottom has made contact with all the germs and life forms on the bare seat because YOU never laid down toilet paper, not that there was any, even if you had enough time to. And your mother would be utterly ashamed of you if she knew, because her bare bottom never touched a public toilet seat because, frankly, "You don't know what kind of diseases you could get."

And by this time, the automatic sensor on the back of the toilet is so confused that it flushes, sending up a stream of water akin to a fountain and then it suddenly sucks everything down with such force that you grab onto the toilet paper dispenser for fear of being dragged to China.

At that point, you give up. You're soaked by the splashing water. You're exhausted. You try to wipe with a Chicklet wrapper you found in your pocket, then slink out inconspicuously to the sinks. You can't figure out how to operate the sinks with the automatic sensors so you wipe your hands with spit and a dry paper towel and walk past a line of women, still waiting, cross-legged and unable to smile politely at this point.

One kind soul at the very end of the line points out that you are trailing a piece of toilet paper on your shoe as long as the Mississippi River! You yank the paper from your shoe, plunk it in the woman's hand and say warmly, "Here. You might need this."

At this time, you see your spouse, who has entered, used and exited his bathroom and read a copy of War and Peace while waiting for you. "What took you so long?" he asks, annoyed. This is when you kick him sharply in the shin and go home.

This is dedicated to all women everywhere who have ever had to deal with a public toilet. And it finally explains to all you men what takes us so long.

July 1st

Wishing all y'all a Happy Canada Day, eh!
Cheers*.
Us.

*raises pint of moose juice.