Today's "Yay, Religion!" Links

Yay, religion!

Distraught. Emotional. And drenched in the sweet stench of rightousness!

"We know we did the best for our daughter we knew how to do."

Is nothing sacred?

Jerks-a-Plenty

Brandon sent along this article about bullying. It's an interesting perspective (even though the story is a little dated now), and one I happen to completely agree with. I was bullied often in my youth, and I am 100% sure that the person I am now has a lot to do with feeling I was in danger every day during my time in middle and high school.

I was thin. I was short. I wasn't especially strong. I wasn't into sports. I was into drama. I did mime. And magic. I read books. Oh, and I was white, living in Hawaii, where the animosity toward whites (outsiders, usually in the military or dependents of those in the military, especially) was palpable, and unavoidable. I also spoke English, which made things doubly difficult in Hawaii.

In Hawaii, just looking the wrong person in the eye can mean there's a beating in your future. I'm pretty sure it's the same everywhere. Bullies don't really need a reason to be jerks.

Here's another story about a bullied kid. There were a lot. All my friends. And all their friends.

It's been, oh, nearly 30 years now since I graduated from high school. And I still think about how great it would be to exact my revenge on those people who tormented me way back when. That's how deeply it hurt, and still does.

People sometimes say they like my sense of humor, but there's a pretty good chance I developed my sense of humor as a way to survive. People also say I'm a bit of a bullshitter. I suspect that came about for the same reasons.

Can teachers monitor the interactions of every group of students all day long? Nope. But there must have been some way someone could have asked me better questions, and maybe figured out a way of helping a kid survive without drawing attention to the problem and making things worse.

More than likely, we'll just kind of wait until the next school shooting or other horror to unfold. And we'll ask all the same dumb questions, like "Why?" We all know why. No joke, and no bullshit. We all know why.

I Photographed Vegas...All of It

My friend Kevin says he's photographing L.A., "all of it." Well, I thought I'd do the same with Vegas, but frankly, I don't have Kevin's kinda time. So, I went to the top of the Rio and took this photo of Vegas (four, actually), just after sundown.



Click on it, and you'll get a larger version.

Kids and Such

Took some shots of my niece and nephews on Easter. Here are the highly photogenic J and Lexy.

Kit's Cat

Took a photo of Kit's cat today.

Cull THIS

Tell me again how "cull" isn't another word for "slaughter"? Isn't that like saying a car is "pre-owned" rather than "used"? It's like saying "I misspoke" when what you actually did was lie.

Here's One for Chris

Puns, please. And...begin.

At All Odd

Is this at all odd? Sometimes, when it's quiet, and I'm pouring myself a soda, I pretend the sound of the bubbles bursting is actually the sound of a cheering crowd.

You Saw It Here First

A couple of weeks ago, a man found the image of Christ in a piece of wood. I turn image sideways and point out that the image is actually that of a goat.







Then I read this story about a goat killing a preacher.

Coincidence?!

I Believe I Will Vote After All

And here's why.

Not Sure

I'm not sure, but is this the best advertising's (allegedly) best minds could come up with to poke fun at former Governor Spitzer? There's just so much there! I don't get it.

Just Plain Wow

How is this not one of the coolest things EVER? Just a gentle reminder that there are a WHOLE lot of people who are MUCH smarter than you and I.

Chris and Misty Got Married

It was so exciting seeing my good friend Chris and his true love Misty get hitched on Saturday. It was doubly exciting for me because Chris pretty much said I could shoot as many photos as I wanted, and that ended up being a lot. About 750 shots to be exact. Let's take a look at a few of my favorites.











They make such a great couple, and they seemed so happy, as they always do when I see them together.

Another highlight of the day was Jen's new hair. Sassy, huh?

Car Talk

Hey, my site was mentioned on Car Talk, on NPR. Whee!

That's a BIG Ring

Wow! A 6,000-pound ring! That's HUGE!

I Admit It

I admit it. I judge. If you think you don't, you're a liar.

So, I'm driving down the road the other day and I see a sign. It just gives a domain name. It goes to this site.

I cannot, for the life of me, think of a reason this guy does not have a girlfriend.

Buffalo

If you like words, you'll love this.

You're Not the Boss of Me

I hate it when others try to impose their will on me. Always have. So, I read this article with great interest.

We all just kind of fork over our receipts when we leave a store that demands such presentations. But I dislike doing it, and it does feel like one is being treated like a shoplifter, even if there's no evidence of it.

I can't think about all this too much or I just end up getting mad.

Just in case, though, who volunteers to come bail me out?

A Picture of My Tool

I'm so into photography right now. For the last couple of weeks, I've been getting acquainted with my new Canon 40D, and new lens, and grip, and filter and diffuser and, phew.

Yeah, it's a pricey way to get excited about photography again, but it's entirely worth it. For some time, I'd been really frustrated with the results using my last Canon camera, which kind of just died one day. I won't soon forget that "Error 99," whatever that might be.

But all is well, because this new camera is astonishing. It's features are endless, and while I haven't taken too many shots with it yet, the early results have gotten me jazzed about shooting again.

This image shows the same camera I have, and the same lens, and the same grip I use. Now I just need some victims/volunteers to shoot!

Today's WTF Video

How in the world does this YouTube video get just 5,000 views?! The dude just jumped out of a plane without a parachute.

Today's Great Logo

Of course, by great, I mean a logo which to me looks like a vagina. I'm pretty sure that's not what they were going for.

Gram

I recently came across the Web site of one of the most extraordinary photographers I've ever encountered. Her name is Julie Harris, and I think her work is just astonishing. I spent three days going through her online portfolio, and her blog, and every photo was more inspirational than the next.

Today, I'm posting a photo of my own which was inspired by Ms. Harris' work. (News flash: Not every photo needs to have people sitting, looking into the camera and smiling.) I'm so far from being able to capture the amazing images she gets every time she looks through that viewfinder, but I can aspire.

Six Words

Here's one to ponder. How would you describe your life, up until now, in six words?

A few from me:

>So, when do things get started?

>At least my hair was good.

>Found so many reasons to laugh.

>Lots of mistakes. More to come!

>Waiting for ambition to kick in.

>Wrong turns and right. A blast!