Premeditated Stupidity

When other people break their cameras, it's usually an accident. These normal people accidentally break their camera in normal ways - drop it on the floor, drop it in the vat of guacamole, drop it out of the helicopter - you see, perfectly normal accidents.

Sadly, my camera's demise was not an accident in a normal sense. My camera's demise was a self-inflicted, but fatal camera-wound.

Sometimes these normal people lament that their accident was partially self-inflicted or 'they saw it coming, and they could have avoided it'.

Regardless, they should not award themselves the dolt of the year awards, yet. I think I'm the bigger dolt, and may be able to out dolt them for this year's award.

On the other hand, if the accident was completely out of their control, then, they have no chance and I'm a shoo-in to win the dolt of the year award.

Like a tv series you may have watched recently, based on actual events, the following takes place between the minutes of 6:23pm and 6:31pm, a couple of months ago ... give or take.

Heres my account.

- - - -

As some may know transferring images from my camera to an iPod through the iPod Camera Connector is painfully slow. (For you non-camera people, just pretend what I said makes sense)

Well, in one of my infrequent bouts of lucidity, I thought I should provide A/C power to preclude my camera's battery from draining.

"You're pretty smart, Brian" I said to myself. Ironically, I didn't remember where I put the original A/C adapter....

I thought, "No worries. I'll just use my trusty iGo universal a/c power adapter"

Tickled with my oh-so-smart-work-around, I quickly assembled the power adapter.

Once assembled, I proudly thought, "Power Problem solved, I'm brilliant." Which, at this point, I recovered from the temporal bout of lucidity, back to my normal self.

Unsupervised, I continued, "Well, good, the power adapter tip fits the camera ...hmmm... I wonder what this little plus symbol thingy means? I'll just plug it in and see if it works"

- - - -

Have you heard the piece of wisdom, "Pride comes before a fall"?

In this case, pride came before an almost inaudible 'pffffttt' sound
... and a very bright, but brief flash from my camera's rear LCD.

"Note to self: When using a power adapter, check polarity of the adapter tip."

- - - -


Sometimes, normal people lose their photographic equipment in some brief but catastrophic instance. Sometimes, they feel they may have been able to avoid their demise. If so, they may be able to get a lesser charge. Or, perhaps they were innocent bystanders.

Unlike their incidents, I did not stand by innocently on anything.

Nor would I be eligible for the lesser "negligent camera-cide" charge.

Nope. My camera's heinous demise was calculated and careful.

My camera's demise was premeditated stupidity.

(c) 2007

It's 10PM. Do you know where your photos are?

Recently, someone asked the question if I secretly take photographs of people in public or am I overt about my photography. He phrased that question this way, "Do you steal pictures or take them?"

His question lead me to think of this topic. You may ask - What was the brilliant sequitur that led from his question to your topic "It's 10PM. Do you know where your photos are"?
Well, it's not hard to answer: I have the attention span of a gnat.

- - - -

When the gentleman used the phrase of "stealing pictures", I realized I stole other people’s pictures.

You may ask - What do you mean by "stealing other people’s pictures"?

Well, I'm glad you asked. You know, sneak into their house at night, and grab their Compact Flash Memory cards, the photos off of the wall, too. Just kidding.

What I really mean - those times when I notice somebody figured out a great vantage point to compose a presumably great image.

In such cases, I just wait, pretending to be interested in something else, "Oh look! A new menu item on my camera! How Exciting!"

But as soon as they leave, I run to their spot and clik, clik, clik....

Then, after my completely random shots, I calm down and actually try using my underused brain to figure exactly what they were composing.

I believe this compulsion is diagnosed as "Shot-Kleptomania".

I didn't compose that shot. It was somebody else's; I'm just a copy cat. It all makes me feel guilty, but not enough to stop. Yep. Textbook case of Shot-kleptomania.

- - - -

As a matter of fact, while I'm confessing, I think I've stolen shots right out of travel guides, too!

- The cliché shot from Carlton Hill looking over Edinburgh - Yep. Did It.

- cliché shot from Notre Dame, “cleverly” looking with the Gargoyle over Paris. Yep. Copied that too.

- cliché shot from the volcano looking down at Waikiki. Yep. I'm so shameless.

- Oh! I have years of the Thomas Jefferson memorial that is so-cleverly-framed-by-the-cherry-blossoms.
Same shot, different year. Yawn.

I have no idea who first took that shot years ago, but I'm compelled to take that same ...[yawn], excuse me....take the that same shot every year. What's with me?!

- - - -

I know I'm not alone in this. So 'fess-up and here are my questions for you:

Does everyone suffer from CSC (Cliché shot compulsion), like me?
Does everyone suffer from Shot-Kleptomania as I do?
Finally, what do you do to get something unique?
Please tell me, so I can copy it. ..... Ugh! ..... This is bad, I can't stop!

(c) 2007

Blackberry Anonymous

Periodically, you may see me at a Starbucks before work, sipping my latte, business-section of our local paper tucked under my arm, reading my Blackberry, apparently doing something high-powered and important. Not true. I'm really surfing the internet, looking for info on the latest gadgets, checking scores on ESPN, playing Sudoku, or other not very important nor high-powered activities.

Sometimes my colleagues, also at the same Starbucks, see me "diligently working", which causes them to start "diligently" reviewing the contents of their Blackberry, apparently something high-powered and important.

In reality, they are doing exactly what I am doing ... surfing the internet, playing games, and other not very important nor high-powered activities.

Warning! Not suited for children under 85
Graphic scenes of Blackberry Addiction

If you have an addiction prone personality, don't get a Blackberry. Really, don't do it.

The Blackberry addiction is why we Blackberry junkies call them "crackberrys". The Blackberry addiction is a secret and dark world, known only to other "berry-heads". Sometimes, you may hear us use certain code phrases to other junkies like, "I'm going out for some 'juice'. Do you need some?" In the world of Blackberry junkies, this means, "Lets get 'juiced' on our Blackberrys".

Frequently, you can find us behind dumpsters of even the most prestigious firms, shaking in the cold, typing on our Blackberrys, mumbling to ourselves. It's sad, really.

Don't let those pinstripes fool you, even the most respectable looking professional can be an addict crying out for help.

Is someone you love a Blackberry Addict?

If you suspect that one of your family members may be a 'berry-head' there are certain tell-tale signs you should monitor.

1) Watch how they handle small objects in your house. Do they grab these objects with both hands and repeatedly tap the object with their thumbs? This is particularly true of small pets and children. Does this behavior seem to be subconscious, as if the berry-head doesn't realize he or she is doing it?

2) Listen for phrases indicative of a Blackberry addiction. For example, you may ask that the 'berry-head' call you on your phone; the berry-head my slip and say, "Sure, I'll "PIN" you".

3) Look for physical effects of the Blackberry addiction. Check the tips of their thumbs. Calluses on the thumbs don't lie. Little "Johnny Professional" is really little "Johnny Berry-head".

Help a berry-head become free from the pain

Next time you see a 'berry-head' on the subway/tube/metro/bus getting their "juice", that is, getting their Blackberry fix, help them. Such flagrant public use of a Blackberry is their cry for help. It's your moral obligation to knock the Blackberry to the floor and stamp on it.

You will be doing them a favor. On the outside, they may be turning red and shouting, but on the inside, they are very grateful that someone cares; they are relieved someone has freed them from the addiction.

Public Service Announcement #20
Sponsored by the Blackberry Freedom Foundation

(c) 2007

Black Tie, Stars and Packers

That sounds like an interesting combination! No, I didn't actually wear a gown to a hockey or football game.

I did attend the annual black tie Folger Gala-75th Anniversary Celebration (thankfully, no pix are available). The Folger Shakespeare Library, located on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, is a world-class research center on Shakespeare and on the early modern age in the West. It is home to the world’s largest and finest collection of Shakespeare materials and to major collections of other rare Renaissance books, manuscripts, and works of art.

The Folger opened in 1932 as a gift to the American nation from Henry Clay Folger and his wife Emily Jordan Folger. It is administered by a Board of Governors under the auspices of Amherst College, Henry Folger’s alma mater.

Thankfully, the Stars game didn't start until 9pmEDT as I didn't get home until well after 10pm from the Gala. It was a heartbreaker. Marty Turco had an outstanding series, but despite three shutouts, the Stars still couldn't advance. When does pre-season start?

On to the football draft! The Packers pick 16th overall in this year's draft. (They could trade up or back in the draft on or before draft day.) First pre-season game is August 11th in Pittsburgh. I feel a road trip in my future!!!

Two in a Row

The Stars forced a final Game 7 in the series as Marty Turco shutout the Canucks again in tonight's Game #6. With a score of 2-0 in regulation, Turco has been good. Of course, I am rooting for the Stars, but Turco and Vancouver's Roberto Luongo have definitely made this series fun. Off Wing Opinion's Eric McErlain calls it the "best goalie showdown in recent memory."

One point of interest. Other than Game #1, neither team has been able to score more than 2 goals.

GM 1: Canucks 5, Stars 4 (4OT)
GM 2: Stars 2, Canucks 0
GM 3: Canucks 2, Stars 1 (OT)
GM 4: Canucks 2, Stars 1
GM 5: Stars 1, Canucks 0 (OT)
GM 6: Stars 2, Canucks 0
GM 7: Mon, April 23 @ VAN 9 pm ET

No Joking Matter

Lest you think I jest, here's today's Washington Post headline about the BlackBerry outage earlier this week.

RIM finally breaks silence on Blackberry outage
The addition of a new software routine caused the multi-hour failure of the Blackberry messaging service.

Upgrade at your own risk: Don't get between a BlackBerry and its owner!

In Memoriam

O/T #3

Three of the Star's five games so far have gone into over time. Fortunately, unlike the other O/Ts, this one went in favor of the Stars, and it didn't take four periods! In previous posts, I've been fairly critical of Marty Turco. I would have to say that he's been very good in this series, despite the Stars being down 3-2 in the series. Offense needs to pick up their game in order for the Stars to get any further.

As of 1amEDT and with less than four minutes remaining in the third period, it looks like the Minnesota Wild will be golfing for the remaining of the NHL playoffs.

Put the BlackBerry Down...And Slowly Walk Away

Here's a story for all of you, including myself, BlackBerry addicts out there!

Praying for the Virginia Tech Community

Our thoughts and prayers are with Virginia Tech students, faculty and staff as they mourn the loss of friends, family and colleagues. As many of you know, Brian is a Hokie alum and has many fond memories from his time in Blacksburg. As an engineering student, he had several classes in the buildings that have been mentioned over the past couple of days. I also have a cousin that is currently a coach.

When tragedies like this happen, it's always such a stark reminder of how precious life is and how quickly it can end. It's sobering that it can take such a tragedy to put life into perspective.

Please say a prayer for those impacted by the immense loss.

Shutout

Due to the birthday party we attended on Friday, I missed the game. No marathon game though. Star's goalie, Marty Turco posted his first playoff game shutout, making 35 saves. The series is tied 1-1.

The Minnesota Wild didn't fare as well in their game. They're down two games in their series.

Four

Do you remember your fourth birthday? Or, for that matter, any other memories when you were four? It was the topic of discussion on Friday evening.

Any recollection I have is from pictures I've seen or stories I've been told. I know that when I turned four, my sister would have been four weeks and two days old. So, I might have had a more quiet birthday. Plus, my Mom caught a staph infection while in the hospital with my sister, which delayed her return home. My Grandma came to stay with us for a little while, there's some fun pictures of my brother and me playing in a big leaf pile.

Quad O/T

After nearly seven periods of hockey, the Stars lost 5-4 in the sixth-longest game in Stanley Cup Playoffs history. Star's goalie, Marty Turco stopped 51 of the 56 shots, while Vancouver's Roberto Luongo faced a record 76 shots in his playoff debut. The game, which was played in Vancouver, ended at 12:32 a.m. Pacific time (3:32 a.m. EDT). Needless to say, I only made it through O/T #1!

All around it wasn't a good night, the Minnesota Wild also lost their game 2-1 to Anaheim.

My Hero

After suffering since Thursday with a kink on one side of my neck and stiff muscles on the other side of my back, my massage therapist worked wonders today! She does a type of massage called, connective tissue. No pain, no gain.

Die-Hard Stars Fan

As I have mentioned many times. I'm a Stars fan. Forgive me for being a little gun shy when rooting for the Stars in the playoffs. The last few years have been rough. They've had a great regular season and somehow fold in the first round of the playoffs. (Don't even get me started on Marty Turco.) Nevertheless, I will be rooting for the Stars on Wednesday night. And, I'll be keeping one little eye on the Minnesota Wild.

Wed, April 11 at VAN 10:00 p.m.(CBC, RDS, VERSUS)
Fri, April 13 at VAN 9:00 p.m.(CBC, RDS, VERSUS)
Sun, April 15 at DAL 9:30 p.m.(CBC, RDS)
Tue April 17 at DAL 8:00 p.m.(CBC, RDS )
*Thu, April 19 at VAN TBD(CBC, RDS, VERSUS)
*Sat, April 21 at DAL 8:00 p.m.(VERSUS, CBC, RDS )
*Mon, April 23 at VAN TBD(CBC, RDS, VERSUS)
*if necessary

Happy Easter

Eight adults, seven children, pork loin roast, egg and ham dish, baked french toast, sauteed asparagus and snap peas, seven Easter baskets, an Easter egg hunt, delicious cheese and cracker plate, mimosas, salad, cupcakes and cheesecake brought by friends...we had a blessed Easter! Hope you did too!

The sound of pitter patter...from twelve little feet

My favorite lines from today...

Said in a whisper, "Do you have Easter baskets for us, because you did last year."

"Two little monkeys jumping on the bed..."

"The sun did not shine. It was too wet to play. So we sat in the house All that cold, cold, wet day..."

"We're playing in the closet." (from a room that we use for storage, there were six children sitting on the floor around a lamp)

The sound of the phone dialing Timbaktu.

"I found this quarter/dime/nickel/penny..."

"You don't always get what you want." (one sibling to another)

Midwest Greeting

One nice thing about growing up in the Midwest is relationships. My east coast-reared husband reminds me that our connections and relationships are a special thing and in some way unique to the Midwest.

As an example, this evening, our church played host to the Houghton College Choir. As I read about the Brandon Johnson in the program, I learned that he had completed his undergraduate work at Concordia College in Moorhead, MN. Like my alma mater Luther College, Concordia is one of the five Norwegian-founded, private, four-year liberal arts college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

After the concert, I introduced myself by saying I needed to greet a fellow-Midwesterner and that I had attended Luther. Before I could even realize it, he was giving me the Midwestern greeting, which is almost always a hug, even if you don't know the person. We exchanged a few college notes, he told me that he and Luther's Nordic Choir's conductor, Craig Arnold grew up in the same town. I told him that I was recently at Augustana College and that their choir conductor is a Luther grad. And, then we said mean things about St. Olaf. Kidding!