Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Today's Quote That Explains Everything, Ever
"We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." ~ Anais Nin
Monday, December 29, 2008
Friday, December 26, 2008
Best. Christmas. Ever.
There was something really special about this holiday season, but I just can't put my finger on it.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Today's Thing
Here's today's thing you never saw, and probably never would have without the Interwebs.
This a Bolivia bug. Also called a pussy moth. No, really.
Anyway, I want one. Are these cute, or what?
This a Bolivia bug. Also called a pussy moth. No, really.
Anyway, I want one. Are these cute, or what?
It's About Time
It's about time my book made its way to a place where I can start corrupting young minds!
Oh, yeah, it's UC Berkeley. Already corrupted. Shoot.
Oh, yeah, it's UC Berkeley. Already corrupted. Shoot.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Michael Jackson is Near Death
I was sad to this this story today. Apparently, Michael Jackson has a rare disorder, Alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency (a potentially fatal afflication).
In reading more about this ailment, Wikipedia states: "People of northern European, Iberian and Saudi Arabian ancestry are at the highest risk for A1AD."
Blast! If he'd known about the higher risk for Europeans, maybe he would have stayed black.
In reading more about this ailment, Wikipedia states: "People of northern European, Iberian and Saudi Arabian ancestry are at the highest risk for A1AD."
Blast! If he'd known about the higher risk for Europeans, maybe he would have stayed black.
A Visionary Idea
Here's an inspiring story about bringing glasses to the masses. (That kind of blog copy should only be written by trained marketing copywriters. Don't try it at home.)
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Kids to Kids Adopts Another School
Kids to Kids rocks. You know the group, since I've volunteered with them for, oh, three years or something now. Wow. What a hoot so far.
Anyway, Kids to Kids adopts schools and gives kids books. At these adoption launch events, I take photos. I got to do that today, too.
I'd expect more photos of smiling kids with books soon. Oh, just deal with it.
Anyway, Kids to Kids adopts schools and gives kids books. At these adoption launch events, I take photos. I got to do that today, too.
I'd expect more photos of smiling kids with books soon. Oh, just deal with it.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Remember?
Remember when "Planet of the Apes" felt a ridiculous premise for a movie? At what point would monkeys have gotten the upper hand?
Uh, not so ridiculous now, huh? Witness the first step toward ape domination.
Uh, not so ridiculous now, huh? Witness the first step toward ape domination.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Sometimes
Sometimes, you take a photograph, and it's a nice photo. Cute kid. Nice, simple composition, sharp enough.
But the photo doesn't really tell the whole story sometimes. Sometimes, you're in a dimly lit room, and the lighting is this ugly flourescent, and the child has had upwards of 17 pounds of sugar and won't stand or sit still, not even for one shot.
And still, you get one.
Sometimes, those are the most rewarding shots of all.
But the photo doesn't really tell the whole story sometimes. Sometimes, you're in a dimly lit room, and the lighting is this ugly flourescent, and the child has had upwards of 17 pounds of sugar and won't stand or sit still, not even for one shot.
And still, you get one.
Sometimes, those are the most rewarding shots of all.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Best. Day. Ever.
If this happened to me, it would be the, well, the second best day of my life. After meeting Anne-Marie, of course. Phew. Dodged another bullet on that one.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Stuff Your Stocking With This
Found this little gem, just in time for the holidays. I ordered four. Can't beat the $13 price tag!
Click here to check it out on Amazon.com.
Click here to check it out on Amazon.com.
Saving the Best for Last: Why?
So, today I'm browsing USA Today's Web site, and I'm scanning down the list of news stories.
* Investors scramble after Madoff is charged with $50B fraud
* Why home values may take decades to recover
* GM to temporarily close 20 plants to slash output
* White House, Treasury say they won't let automakers fail
* Fifth Georgia bank closed, 24th nationwide failure in 2008
* Gasoline pushes down retail sales and wholesale prices
* Dollar falls to 13-year low against yen
* FDIC chief sees housing pain into 2010
* Bank of America to slash 35,000 jobs over 3 years
* Foreclosure numbers tumble in November, but bad news looms
* Auto deaths down 10% so far this year
That's a lot of bad news.
A couple of things struck me as odd. First, one of the only two items on the list that weren't bad news said, "Forclosure numbers tumble." That's great news. But, then, because they couldn't just report the good news, they pulled the rug out from under us with "Foreclosure numbers tumble in November, but bad news looms."
"We gotcha! You were feeling good for a second there, weren't you? But, no! Snap! We zigged when you expected us to zag!"
The other thing that struck me as odd was that the only purely good news on the list was positioned in the very, very last slot. Auto deaths are down 10%? That's huge!
You can almost hear the editorial staff at USA Today discussing this news items. "What amazing news! Let's bury it under all the crap!" (They probably used some fancy journalistic term, though.)
I wonder why just about everyone is feeling anxiety about our world and our economy right now? What's the downside of reporting all the news, good and bad? A question as old as reportage itself, I imagine. How about if we lead with the news about foreclosure numbers tumbling and auto deaths being down? What does that do for us? Doesn't it give us an emotional launching point that's optimistic and hopeful and positive rather than a feeling of dread and angst and gloom?
We can't help but have our attitudes shaped by the information we ingest, from a variety of sources. It's garbage in, garbage out. No one's impervious to it. It sticks to you like dog poop on your shoe, and you carry it around with you. And in the case of the economy, it's a self-fulfilling prophecy because fear and uncertainty and pessimism actually cause some of the bad news that's being reported.
So, I say we balance things out. For every story about the doom, we get a story about a dolphin with a prefabricated tail. For every thousand naysayers, we get an Obama. It's our responsibility to communicate this to our media overlords.
* Investors scramble after Madoff is charged with $50B fraud
* Why home values may take decades to recover
* GM to temporarily close 20 plants to slash output
* White House, Treasury say they won't let automakers fail
* Fifth Georgia bank closed, 24th nationwide failure in 2008
* Gasoline pushes down retail sales and wholesale prices
* Dollar falls to 13-year low against yen
* FDIC chief sees housing pain into 2010
* Bank of America to slash 35,000 jobs over 3 years
* Foreclosure numbers tumble in November, but bad news looms
* Auto deaths down 10% so far this year
That's a lot of bad news.
A couple of things struck me as odd. First, one of the only two items on the list that weren't bad news said, "Forclosure numbers tumble." That's great news. But, then, because they couldn't just report the good news, they pulled the rug out from under us with "Foreclosure numbers tumble in November, but bad news looms."
"We gotcha! You were feeling good for a second there, weren't you? But, no! Snap! We zigged when you expected us to zag!"
The other thing that struck me as odd was that the only purely good news on the list was positioned in the very, very last slot. Auto deaths are down 10%? That's huge!
You can almost hear the editorial staff at USA Today discussing this news items. "What amazing news! Let's bury it under all the crap!" (They probably used some fancy journalistic term, though.)
I wonder why just about everyone is feeling anxiety about our world and our economy right now? What's the downside of reporting all the news, good and bad? A question as old as reportage itself, I imagine. How about if we lead with the news about foreclosure numbers tumbling and auto deaths being down? What does that do for us? Doesn't it give us an emotional launching point that's optimistic and hopeful and positive rather than a feeling of dread and angst and gloom?
We can't help but have our attitudes shaped by the information we ingest, from a variety of sources. It's garbage in, garbage out. No one's impervious to it. It sticks to you like dog poop on your shoe, and you carry it around with you. And in the case of the economy, it's a self-fulfilling prophecy because fear and uncertainty and pessimism actually cause some of the bad news that's being reported.
So, I say we balance things out. For every story about the doom, we get a story about a dolphin with a prefabricated tail. For every thousand naysayers, we get an Obama. It's our responsibility to communicate this to our media overlords.
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