tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-276437972024-03-07T01:58:02.255-05:00Finding My WayUmlautSteve's Photo 'BlogSteve B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03688869681273594091noreply@blogger.comBlogger144125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27643797.post-47391263234861769762010-12-24T10:32:00.003-05:002010-12-24T11:01:58.606-05:00Quintessential Carols – My Favorite Versions of Classic Christmas Songs<p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" ></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; ">If you enjoy Christmas (or Christmas-themed) music as much as I do, you know how easy it is to amass a large collection. New compilations come out every year. As a result it’s not uncommon to have several versions of some of the classics.</span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" > <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; ">Here are the versions of some time-honored classics that I like best.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; "><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"">In no particular order:<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; "><u><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif""><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>“O’ Tannenbaum” – Vince Gerauldi Trio</span></u></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; ">What would the holidays be without the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">A Charlie Brown Christmas</i> album?</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; "><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"">There are plenty of classics covered here, but it’s Gerauldi’s jazzy take on the classic German ode to evergreens that leads off the disc and establishes the mood. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; "> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; "><u><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"">“Carol of the Bells”<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>- David Benoit<o:p></o:p></span></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; ">I can still vividly recall the first time I heard this jazzy version: December 1988, and I was standing in line at the Wall To Wall Sound record store in the Neshaminy Mall, when it came on over the PA system. Such a big sound <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>- and they made a Christmas carol <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">swing</i>! “Wow – Dad would <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">love</i> this,” I thought. “Hell, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">I</i> love this.”<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I got out of line and asked a clerk who it was. He showed me <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">The GRP Christmas Collection, Vol. I</i>. I bought it immediately.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; "><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"">It was my introduction to the jazz label, and their amazing Christmas Collections. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Volumes II and III</i> would follow and also become valued parts of my holiday music collection. But <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Volume I</i>, and specifically this song, will always stand out. Dad and I still love it.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; "><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; "> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; "><u><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"">“Silent Night” – John Ondrasik of Five for Fighting<o:p></o:p></span></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; "><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; ">Ondrasik pulls off something really tricky here – he puts a Burt Bachrach-esque spin on this classic without losing any of the solemnity that the song requires. Nicely done.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; "><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; "><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span><u><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"">“Jingle Bells” – Duke Ellington (Robbie Hardkiss Remix)</span></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; "><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; ">Tradition, shmadition - this hip-hop-infused take on Sir Duke’s be-bop version of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Jingle Bells</i> will move you with its beat alone.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; "><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; "> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; "><u><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"">“O Holy Night” – Weezer<o:p></o:p></span></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; "><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; ">There’s something about River Cuomo’s earnest yelp that seriously works for this hymn. I can almost picture the band as teenagers playing this in a school auditorium at the annual <st1:place st="on">Holiday</st1:place> program, proud camcorder-wielding parents on folding chairs in the audience smiling at how pious this ostensibly rocking version turned out.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; "><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; "> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; "><u><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"">“Last Christmas” – Sarge<o:p></o:p></span></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; "><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; ">Jimmy Eat World’s version almost took this one, but Elizabeth Elmore’s voice will always do it for me. Not the best-produced version, but I suppose that’s part of the charm.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; "><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; "> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; "><u><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"">“Little Drummer Boy (Peace on Earth)” – Bing Crosby and David Bowie<o:p></o:p></span></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; "><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"">I can actually remember seeing this on </span><i><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS","sans-serif";mso-ansi-language:EN">Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas </span></i><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"">special on ABC in 1977. I can’t imagine how weird a mash-up that must have been at the time – Ziggy Stardust appearing before the Lawrence Welk Nation.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; "><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"">I love the fact that this version, with the “Peace on Earth” counterpoint, has become a standard in its own right. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; "><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; "> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; "><u><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"">“Happy Xmas (War is Over)” – John Lennon & the Plastic Ono Band<o:p></o:p></span></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; ">Because sometimes, you gotta go with the original.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; "><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"">I have at least a half-dozen versions of this song. All have their charms, but none are an improvement on the source.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; "><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"">(YES this does count as a Christmas Carol. It’s 2010 for chrissakes.)<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; "> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; "><u><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"">“Silver Bells” – The Ventures<o:p></o:p></span></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; ">When my friend Jack started putting out his famous <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Conshohocken Christmas</i> collections in 1999 (on the short-lived Persico Productions label), he included many selections from The Ventures' Christmas album. And rightly so – surf rock proving to be quite the breath of salty sea air among pious orchestral and other traditional carol arrangements.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; "><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"">This one isn’t as rollicking as the others, but is nonetheless a lovely take on a holiday favorite.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; "><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; "> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; "><u><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"">“White Christmas” – Lee Ritenour<o:p></o:p></span></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; "><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; ">Another selection from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">The GRP Christmas Collection, Vol. I</i>. Just the perfect chord-melody arrangement for this song. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; "><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; "> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; "><u><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"">“The First Noel/Mary Mary” – Sarah McLachlan<o:p></o:p></span></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; "><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; ">Yeah, it’s kind of a mash-up, but I had to include something from McLachlan’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Winterson</i>g album here, as it’s become a permanent fixture in my holiday listening.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; "><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"">My fave from the disc is really her version of Joni Mitchell’s “River,” but this is ostensibly a list for classics, and this is the standout of McLachlan’s re-workings. I especially love her deep, bluesy intonations on the “Mary Mary” portions – it’s a side of Sarah’s voice rarely heard on her singles.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; "><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; "><u><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"">“Sleigh Ride” – The Ronettes<o:p></o:p></span></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; "><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; ">“Ring-a-ling a-ling a-ling a-ding-dong-ding!” A sentimental choice, yes, but certainly not deservedly so. There’s a reason Ronnie Spector’s NYC Christmas concerts were always so popular, and this song captures why.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; "><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; "><u><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"">“Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” – The California Guitar Trio<o:p></o:p></span></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; "><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"">If I were awarding 2<sup>nd</sup> place on any of the above songs, many would be taken by The California Guitar Trio. 3 acoustic guitars make for a quintessential Christmas sound, at least for me. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; "><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; "> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; "><u><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"">“Deck The Halls” – <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Mannheim</st1:place></st1:city> Steamroller<o:p></o:p></span></u></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; ">For some reason, this cheese-tastic Moog-driven version has always resonated with me since the first time I’d heard it – oddly enough, as the background music for a radio station’s Christmas contest promo from the mid-1980s. It’s only been in the last couple of years that I’ve heard it again. I finally learned the artist and downloaded it last year.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; "><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif"">Perhaps because it reminds me of the Early 80s when despite the Cold War, there was still that capital F Future* out there – where Santa in his hover-sled would deliver toys to your geodesic-dome house, and all Christmas music would be performed on synthesizers.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; "><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif""><o:p> (</o:p></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; ">*tip o’ the hat to William Gibson for that phrase)</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; "><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; "><span style="font-family:"Trebuchet MS","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p></span><p></p>Steve B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03688869681273594091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27643797.post-29683153110858843472010-10-24T22:35:00.013-04:002010-10-24T23:44:24.483-04:00Gary Numan @ The Trocadero in Philly 10/21/10<div><div><div><div><div><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; font-size: small; ">Geez, it's been well over a year since my last post here. Despite some occasional contributions to my Flickr page, I really haven't had much to say. But I definitely wanted to chime in about the Gary Numan show I was fortunate enough to attend last Thursday.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; font-size: small; "><br /></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgahowTnDIv9Iz0HgYEP_ot-3w_vpNl5APzUfIO0lkma6jSDjssu4BEr-JQS2vQrxtEhYKLICBdct1UKYZhvR0Tb2s5fqdpsfpoiokcQPzfhvTkkI4IXFvPMUwKTo0_VMmEW5LJ/s1600/dsc01934x.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgahowTnDIv9Iz0HgYEP_ot-3w_vpNl5APzUfIO0lkma6jSDjssu4BEr-JQS2vQrxtEhYKLICBdct1UKYZhvR0Tb2s5fqdpsfpoiokcQPzfhvTkkI4IXFvPMUwKTo0_VMmEW5LJ/s400/dsc01934x.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531810637741577762" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; "><br /></span></span><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; "><span class="Apple-style-span" >I'd been a fan of the song "Cars" forever, but my interest in anything else Numan had to offer is relatively recent. My friend Jack's inclusion of "Cars" on a massive 80s compilation CD set a few years back re-ignited my interest in the song. Over the following years, Numan began to enter my conciousness in other ways: both Nine Inch Nails and the Foo Fighters covered his songs ("Metal" & "Down in the Park," respectively), then Numan himself guested on Fear Factory's cover of "Cars." Finally, my friend Chris played "Airlane" on his vynil (!) copy of Numan's debut album<i>The Pleasure Principle</i>. I was hooked.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; "><span class="Apple-style-span" >I downloaded the album myself and loved it. (Tangentially, got to like the Basement Jaxx's "Where's Your Head At," after being able to recognize their sample of Numan's "M.E." in it.)</span></span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; "><span class="Apple-style-span" >I took a mild interest when the Trocadero announced a date for Numan earlier this year. But when I found out recently that he would be performing </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" >The Pleasure Principle </span></i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; "><span class="Apple-style-span" >in it's entirety, it became a must-see show for me.</span></span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; font-size: small; "><br /></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1RGzf5VwczuN02rx3g0lQI_ZwJ2YUseszY6wcMaFCnfbq5vmeq7L26C7TxzreF2UFcnSyiIog-dtXYERhvEdTzUVx38idtDNyVXSrO_r9SKcjgzMG3Zet_SeO1aUjEGNI5X3N/s1600/dsc01949x.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1RGzf5VwczuN02rx3g0lQI_ZwJ2YUseszY6wcMaFCnfbq5vmeq7L26C7TxzreF2UFcnSyiIog-dtXYERhvEdTzUVx38idtDNyVXSrO_r9SKcjgzMG3Zet_SeO1aUjEGNI5X3N/s400/dsc01949x.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531814769156147906" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 284px; height: 400px; " /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; font-size: small; ">There were a few things about this show I found surprising:</span></a><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; ">1) Numan's fans ("Numanoids") were among the most dedicated I've ever seen, with a very conspicuous Fan Club presence and activity. They only became annoying when Gary tried to address the crowd at one point, and the diehards in the audience took it as a cue to try to have a conversation with him, their shouting nearly drowning him out as he was explaining his recent throat problems (more on that later).</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; ">2) I was expecting Gary to do more of the "heavy lifting" keyboard-wise. But he left most of the recognizeable lead-lines to his back-up band, and stuck to the bass-end of the keys. I suppose it allowed him to concentrate more on his vocal performance...?</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; "><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; "><br /></span></span></div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPTOuDMI7t8YY0ibJiFg32AkdCxxZ_h-wKXlNUFqbqnkV9hlgWa3CVv7JkMPKgV6J5mTAUXzE8Jh-XRESvft0dN_mJhWscbScozT3rv9yUFnVXyWZiTB9DmGs4_aY-pSf0rPfk/s1600/DSC01975ax.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPTOuDMI7t8YY0ibJiFg32AkdCxxZ_h-wKXlNUFqbqnkV9hlgWa3CVv7JkMPKgV6J5mTAUXzE8Jh-XRESvft0dN_mJhWscbScozT3rv9yUFnVXyWZiTB9DmGs4_aY-pSf0rPfk/s400/DSC01975ax.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531816145897538274" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 225px; " /></a><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; ">Backed by a 5-member band (bass, drums, 2 dedicated keyboardists and one guitar/keys/percussion multi-instrumentalist), Numan began by plowing right through </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; font-size: small; "><i>The Pleasure Principle</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; font-size: small; "> non-stop.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; font-size: small; ">A couple of songs in, he explained that recent throat problems were still giving him trouble, and that there were some songs on the album that were in a register that was just too high for him to sing. During these songs, he just turned the microphone to the audience and lead them through the vocals.</span></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; font-size: small; "><br /></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO5Hnk1Q9bYCe8bcUdiJf1gFfW7XpLcO2tDa51VIXWDfDWlEX1KCsv7PoR-MwT8epdH0J7D2OOnynDdicAUmo0SSt62ItjMku9SANw9vmApDYg9zegAZVLvcIv3Q7oQugj8ThQ/s1600/dsc01968x.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO5Hnk1Q9bYCe8bcUdiJf1gFfW7XpLcO2tDa51VIXWDfDWlEX1KCsv7PoR-MwT8epdH0J7D2OOnynDdicAUmo0SSt62ItjMku9SANw9vmApDYg9zegAZVLvcIv3Q7oQugj8ThQ/s400/dsc01968x.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531818726042839410" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 306px; height: 400px; " /></a><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; ">Of course when he played "Cars," it was a high point in the show. His multi-instrumentalist even hit the percussive accents on the his keyboard, just like in the video.</span></span></div></div><div style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; "><br /></span></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje0Bfr_qqzVwTquntwwXacCgB2W51OjpDOs8aOUn7OB1vexlMEW3INU2cwk8scjmGrgxWrj6Ivpwb62C1pec9mwqWEHoQaHShDzujWmwfOdpGA3xZoWCkiPNz_6Y2A4agJ7lV7/s1600/DSC01982ax.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje0Bfr_qqzVwTquntwwXacCgB2W51OjpDOs8aOUn7OB1vexlMEW3INU2cwk8scjmGrgxWrj6Ivpwb62C1pec9mwqWEHoQaHShDzujWmwfOdpGA3xZoWCkiPNz_6Y2A4agJ7lV7/s400/DSC01982ax.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531819469517371778" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 225px; " /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; ">But it was when <i>The Pleasure Principle </i>was done that the show really took a turn. The SST Virus synths were put away, the guitars came out, and the music got heavy and industrial. It was here that Numan morphed into the proto-Trent-Reznor-Robert-Smith-goth-punk-demigod that his fans love. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; "><br /></span></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEmXmJdEJLrzTyBHKUbhGQNE4aVg-m6FlbqSH1iTDqneOOd38AnBppThcfckChxzdc4XoFjOIfPvLRc-1PtteDArrkHvT11M_jOMpSkyBZKg6Bx65KpWiHPLq3U-_d1uqTqlOd/s1600/dsc01998x.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEmXmJdEJLrzTyBHKUbhGQNE4aVg-m6FlbqSH1iTDqneOOd38AnBppThcfckChxzdc4XoFjOIfPvLRc-1PtteDArrkHvT11M_jOMpSkyBZKg6Bx65KpWiHPLq3U-_d1uqTqlOd/s400/dsc01998x.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531821187442482130" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 367px; " /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzYP65uNS9QqS90lVcw9mFjD2RHLL0QzwmLskdOwEfXyDOBHh-or6ywuROT2HUxAiajPo_UER6upbh-spXW20cDnQ-qDo92MReZvbsUvKBII0witQsqKGkJO09OD-oEfffFlig/s1600/dsc01996x.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzYP65uNS9QqS90lVcw9mFjD2RHLL0QzwmLskdOwEfXyDOBHh-or6ywuROT2HUxAiajPo_UER6upbh-spXW20cDnQ-qDo92MReZvbsUvKBII0witQsqKGkJO09OD-oEfffFlig/s400/dsc01996x.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531821180827304258" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px; " /></a><br /><div><div><div><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; ">And yes, even Mr. New-Wave-Synth-Rock himself picked up a six-string.</span></span></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; "><br /></span></span></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoLK_3-bZ1Bc5O1atus7CiVkyeR1tEspLmFWKULyUrpJcsua7BxPaxPlYpVMgaV6W2VbPHWvVgAf9WSLwHkx9TTV6N9ArhY95GzwztkWgOtq77MSNxdmuCqKEGsdHOPJ_lPQq-/s1600/dsc02000x.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoLK_3-bZ1Bc5O1atus7CiVkyeR1tEspLmFWKULyUrpJcsua7BxPaxPlYpVMgaV6W2VbPHWvVgAf9WSLwHkx9TTV6N9ArhY95GzwztkWgOtq77MSNxdmuCqKEGsdHOPJ_lPQq-/s400/dsc02000x.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5531822144684554866" /></a><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">It was a powerful sound, easily on par with NIN or Stabbing Westward. The band rocked it hard. And Numan turned out to be a charismatic performer who could pull it all off.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><div><div><div><div><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">All in all, it was a cool show. It certainly made me appreciate the breadth of Numan's career much better. I'll likely be checking out his later offerings soon. I don't know if I'd ever go to see him again, but I definitely won't rule it out.</span></span></div></div></div></div></div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I'll also likely be checking out opening act Rasputina soon (supplemental blog post to hopefully follow).</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><div><div><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div></div></div>Steve B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03688869681273594091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27643797.post-86031574411200900752009-09-10T21:09:00.013-04:002009-09-10T22:36:21.177-04:00Alice in Chains, Filmore @ Irving Plaza, 9/8/09<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; font-size: 13px; ">It's been a while since I've posted here, but I have much to share after seeing Alice in Chains in New York on Tuesday: </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; font-size: 13px; ">a) my review of the band, featuring new singer William DuVall</span></div><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">b) show my first attempts at concert photography. I realize I'm no </span><a href="http://ishootshows.com/" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Todd Owyoung</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> or </span><a href="http://livebabylive.com/" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Carrie Musgrave</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, but all things considered, I'm fairly happy with the results.</span></span></div></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR3HfQirf7a08tvtrr46set0F8DEgLT8U65epZU8c7bzI-O2-cHRWv4CCfp04wk0xx-PIr_ivtOyaMmetY6kD_hXG5MA4oF37QkEuAjYhU4vbWhSOAArLSbwjRRb0psSbmnSYB/s1600-h/DSC08346a.jpg"><br /><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 202px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR3HfQirf7a08tvtrr46set0F8DEgLT8U65epZU8c7bzI-O2-cHRWv4CCfp04wk0xx-PIr_ivtOyaMmetY6kD_hXG5MA4oF37QkEuAjYhU4vbWhSOAArLSbwjRRb0psSbmnSYB/s400/DSC08346a.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380013577012565074" /></a><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Since my trusty H1 is a point-and-shoot, I was free to snap away all show (DSLRs and other "professional" cameras would've required a photo pass). And thankfully, the lighting was usually bright enough to get relatively stable shots without long exposures. Granted, the H1 is very noisy at ISO 400 (its max), so I've also had to experiment with Noise Reduction.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The H1's zoom was invaluable in getting shots as the sold-out crowd would not have been easy to traverse.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';font-size:7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:48px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_zRJZsj0ZX7c8dAtg31Q_IyPqeDvMtc5T6MrIh9Mw3bsaWFg8TuO80TPyjQf3v1rufaNxi98fT99quB22BQGpFnhA9RF0Dgxko3XXNsVT6tKdCCtlYBEtJW9FBWtY5lwwrarB/s400/DSC08350a.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380016056209450658" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 276px; " /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So, how is the "new guy"? </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Truth be told, it was initially hard to tell - the crowd singing along with openers "Rain When I Die" and "Again" all but drowned the band out! But as the set progressed, it became clear that DuVall had both the chops and charisma to carry this band.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:48px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6DaUvZ-Xe1tb8t0jlwAdKhJEBCb8jr-CqDdgoIBcEbM5WTsrDG5CNFvuXgp1vzPJtzQJpct-6_YB7rq5lYkbyjZlyou87SdmqA1lWhXPULyIsnVYoLwwBBN_lDIhn7BFHhwGz/s400/DSC08365.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380021308158091474" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 318px; height: 400px; " /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Duvall and guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Jerry Cantrell make a good team. It's Cantrell's harmonies and guitar riffs that maintain the Alice in Chains sound on new tunes like "Check My Brain" and "A Looking in View."</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAh3F5OHJ06Id__e8sTPey6k0kDJ74_r0MpYb1owWAjvFAKl9anr-GNDETiQgRYBhJ9TpOoLguRktlkShJnnQ0lxoAm5oWxZwbaHO9U0KPs2AJwqIQ50z_MNI94TFzOUJtiJIS/s400/DSC08347.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380027334817095586" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 366px; height: 400px; " /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Duvall's guitar contributions helped fill-out the band's layered sound.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE4BY0V0opDCPYyciS60P_02meq1mRjD8dJjlupnE3lRQ8jmmzFDrp4iK57MxL1pqq6-TFD3eb0u-msMJMQqLtZPri_iegoC8VRdEEKhN0z9nXO9RPAN8SULGc0SEH2HZ1OhGj/s400/DSC08363.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380027830127729026" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 231px; " /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The crowd was very loud and enthusiastic, eating up old faves like "Down in a Hole" and the multipart new offering "Acid Bubbles."</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:48px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwz96M43DJvr8Av1AdW5G4BAX5k-UJ1T0vU9mVpMjgMuKJntWS3JtQcoU8_wMwLGy0SmeMEHOS_8RtJkUhu-Q_ZY8kIaMN1LqkAu2X29HaUaXs2nL1Lpdtzf36Ltz9Wb9MFK74/s400/DSC08369.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380028133293306018" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 301px; " /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Even an old, beat-to-death-on-rock-radio standard like the set-ending " Man in the Box" whipped the audience into a crowd-surfing frenzy.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:7;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:48px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia;font-size:16px;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXlEOEKxj7hhCurOo9kskrtWMgkNThrqyjW9FzXNa8r_-1sq6RkeXycpsVkaBsrmbquEfYB7gaT3U7j3AyzhdWNVLz0GvhOJA406MG-OmSDXcSe8wbQTGHQjn0JU_e2NvFL8vn/s320/DSC08380.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380028493794855330" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px; " /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This show demonstrated that Alice in Chains are not destined to be a 90's grunge nostalgia act. Energized by their new singer and the public's warm reception, they are a band with a futur</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">e</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; font-family:Georgia;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrtqr7Hpui8eR-gUYk7_Gyx8wRogCyU30EfWb_l2EuFw5GTouIxCyn8oWXVOZufuSCNN57evkysTNgCQEsG5LW1AWuOrVVmawW6c5ZLnHXtXwWOXaf6p7uvvSP3RkDem90K8vY/s400/DSC08355.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5380029510486649634" style="display: block; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: auto; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px; " /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A sample setlist can be found </span><a href="http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/alice-in-chains/2009/irving-plaza-new-york-6bd79612.html" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">here</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. It's not exactly the show I saw, but it's pretty close.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">More photos to come on <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/umlautsteve/ " target="_blank">My Flickr Page: UmlautSteve's Photos</a></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Thanks again to friends Brian & Colleen for the extra ticket and overnight accommodations! Good to see you guys - and Jeff - again!</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:13px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:13px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:13px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:13px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:13px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:13px;"><br /></span></span></div>Steve B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03688869681273594091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27643797.post-10754659565111734262008-11-11T17:34:00.003-05:002008-11-11T17:45:52.509-05:00Ghost Leaves<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigfG_eEksunmGRDMYfAnAtVr5vHauE-xHi8XDMvGa5d3UJ2Xi6zTI8bdDVus0oz-TpFMvRfhGZMauluoZDtnCjnYKh93e4LZg8s8GT2_AhFZB8GgUxyeJ5tmBOBvNHMO61MVyF/s1600-h/DSC07554.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigfG_eEksunmGRDMYfAnAtVr5vHauE-xHi8XDMvGa5d3UJ2Xi6zTI8bdDVus0oz-TpFMvRfhGZMauluoZDtnCjnYKh93e4LZg8s8GT2_AhFZB8GgUxyeJ5tmBOBvNHMO61MVyF/s400/DSC07554.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267532685558861058" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmJDvYk6No3XiLT9xGA4f54UC9F4bhWV_8Sv_s6XiVsXhSi3kjpGQhudwfGK5ltVfLi4Z8vdjNLWL8CcwhZOG_JOdX0wwsuPJys4aoNcsBKVRmWV3mbsjf0RCjCLATDNAubY5D/s1600-h/DSC07556.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmJDvYk6No3XiLT9xGA4f54UC9F4bhWV_8Sv_s6XiVsXhSi3kjpGQhudwfGK5ltVfLi4Z8vdjNLWL8CcwhZOG_JOdX0wwsuPJys4aoNcsBKVRmWV3mbsjf0RCjCLATDNAubY5D/s400/DSC07556.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267532678913721922" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXJrSzqNZC_xNu3qo8D99oJMU1Pkz0IqnSTVsn14jBNuAcSW33MRzCWuIjHKO_9vYGvFoERLEblVQRBGx8NapmFddDgq1pARZx5LJQNFhTJDgMYIK4LUmM1eWYPGeIGSYBRSIp/s1600-h/DSC07559.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 315px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXJrSzqNZC_xNu3qo8D99oJMU1Pkz0IqnSTVsn14jBNuAcSW33MRzCWuIjHKO_9vYGvFoERLEblVQRBGx8NapmFddDgq1pARZx5LJQNFhTJDgMYIK4LUmM1eWYPGeIGSYBRSIp/s400/DSC07559.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267532672798705570" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivQswphUyEfU7FtfqCQSnT1Bv0bnu7QEF9NnZ121c1z0Jb-ynWpKGcsFqPz4aXDqAa7k4ouSIKJcWO1PoMiBV0_WZqHFl-h3wBlQbLhwEIiDHdn-HAfmjubfp_r51wAG5sW43y/s1600-h/DSC07562.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivQswphUyEfU7FtfqCQSnT1Bv0bnu7QEF9NnZ121c1z0Jb-ynWpKGcsFqPz4aXDqAa7k4ouSIKJcWO1PoMiBV0_WZqHFl-h3wBlQbLhwEIiDHdn-HAfmjubfp_r51wAG5sW43y/s400/DSC07562.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267532662886810898" /></a><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"> I've been wanting to capture an image of the phantom images left by rain-soaked leaves on our sidewalks and paving-stones for a while now. Thankfully I remembered before tomorrow's impending rain washes them away.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">Speaking of things I've been meaning to do: it's National Blog Posting Month again. Obviously, I'm not taking part this year. Though it was a good clearing-house last year for all shots that have been piling up. So even though it's too late to go with NaBloPoMo in earnest, I do hope to get into a regular posting habit again.</span></span></div>Steve B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03688869681273594091noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27643797.post-5892040554148714712008-09-15T12:58:00.004-04:002008-09-15T13:01:16.593-04:00Another Mantis<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdqZy7E5M-a63JOfCFMI9ITZBK-dTYB9TAvYezcv3OYgRJ8IW0YO5xxoq549iS_1nB-iceTI5bYFD4Azx3C4-Wodd7zcpzG_XMDSKvIQFvqWdo2XsBQQoS4RsU_PaomS7ALTdp/s1600-h/DSC07260.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdqZy7E5M-a63JOfCFMI9ITZBK-dTYB9TAvYezcv3OYgRJ8IW0YO5xxoq549iS_1nB-iceTI5bYFD4Azx3C4-Wodd7zcpzG_XMDSKvIQFvqWdo2XsBQQoS4RsU_PaomS7ALTdp/s400/DSC07260.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246293869476976562" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Found IN MY DINING ROOM, this past Friday morning before work. After some tense moments, I was able to let her out the window safely</span></span>!Steve B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03688869681273594091noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27643797.post-54121699316160395862008-08-29T12:09:00.005-04:002008-08-29T12:27:45.015-04:00Roman Numerals<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAcBWDwFhTKBr63_iPkxycn-POI9cKCw5TiyipfwZy5eb8mcBqO4FmXn4oFFBRCmgmWooseMFRLUAgtGuw3DaWoB9dJ-NXQDIOJvcu4s04sClusfW_eiOQYtxTIPSJ1yQgTeW0/s1600-h/DSC06980.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAcBWDwFhTKBr63_iPkxycn-POI9cKCw5TiyipfwZy5eb8mcBqO4FmXn4oFFBRCmgmWooseMFRLUAgtGuw3DaWoB9dJ-NXQDIOJvcu4s04sClusfW_eiOQYtxTIPSJ1yQgTeW0/s400/DSC06980.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239973124513917906" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">For this week's </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a href="http://www.jorj.org/hunt/" target="_blank">Photo Hunt</a></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> topic of "Old School communication," I decided to go with this shot from our Coliseum tour.<br />There are 80 arches around the exterior of the Coliseum (actually, the "Flavian Amphitheater" is its proper name), and each one is numbered. Ancient Romans were issued tickets directing them to a specific # arch for entry to the stadium.<br />The original numbers are still visible on the exterior, such as #53 above.<br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">More shots from our Italia trip on </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/umlautsteve/" target="_blank">my Flickr page</a></span></span>.<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></span>Steve B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03688869681273594091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27643797.post-51846289890227307692008-08-12T12:44:00.006-04:002008-08-12T12:59:12.345-04:00Truth in Signage, Part II<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjadDpJXd5wJxFde7nuV3wB6aiCDfvKJAQau9wNf_pYadarY02rjOUR-Q7bIV9rsXH0NYTP1XwxrCJQhzobxzOmRNmScpww8uYGcnKrIsD8b2RYWQUztSjbzht0AbvrooYmIoDL/s1600-h/DSC06892.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjadDpJXd5wJxFde7nuV3wB6aiCDfvKJAQau9wNf_pYadarY02rjOUR-Q7bIV9rsXH0NYTP1XwxrCJQhzobxzOmRNmScpww8uYGcnKrIsD8b2RYWQUztSjbzht0AbvrooYmIoDL/s400/DSC06892.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5233673374224553666" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">There was a lot of expensive shopping in Italy. Especially in Roma, where we found this store that didn't mince words!<br /><br />I'm using this as my entry into the </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">JorjDotOrg </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a href="http://www.jorj.org/hunt/" target="_blank">Photo Hunt</a></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> subject "Sign Language."<br /><br />For "Truth in Signage (Part I)," click </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a href="http://umlautsteve.blogspot.com/2007/11/truth-in-signage.html" target="_blank">here.</a></span></span>Steve B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03688869681273594091noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27643797.post-22252741614676403852008-08-05T20:54:00.004-04:002008-08-05T21:15:05.576-04:0024-Hour party people<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoRH2ryzq_m_PpYVOPtxD4IPJtWIAwGohjjJl2UwZFvnYIvi6Tlhdgiy8BAMo1ghfSUnLzcNEcQ4XBIKIrOflIR5VOPI2lTLaG1qvaq7tKGR4_rdntFajB_1rqxod-0VBELGpZ/s1600-h/DSC06498.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoRH2ryzq_m_PpYVOPtxD4IPJtWIAwGohjjJl2UwZFvnYIvi6Tlhdgiy8BAMo1ghfSUnLzcNEcQ4XBIKIrOflIR5VOPI2lTLaG1qvaq7tKGR4_rdntFajB_1rqxod-0VBELGpZ/s400/DSC06498.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231202644240092306" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3KxC_zv004fvRBnYdlixdQzCzfWxGIpS9X2Abd1J2PwdJ_WM1iu_80qrIqB89zXbhNCoExDjiCklxTrk9HUI2Xsif941MZ4tGmb0uxUJGF0huaesNLVuhBvxtZZsaRTEX40v5/s1600-h/DSC06496.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3KxC_zv004fvRBnYdlixdQzCzfWxGIpS9X2Abd1J2PwdJ_WM1iu_80qrIqB89zXbhNCoExDjiCklxTrk9HUI2Xsif941MZ4tGmb0uxUJGF0huaesNLVuhBvxtZZsaRTEX40v5/s400/DSC06496.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231202649365518050" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOt6lA6holKrOzK90CLzxd6vlVGkLAIMKhsTScuh3eM7ylKt84YWwjYG550tjEp8oGt0IVd6i1QUdcdvtKfknMmy7SNy9mZ1RLec0duH29I1C0XbQKq4kTcX5bM4pydhL8KmL1/s1600-h/DSC06532.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOt6lA6holKrOzK90CLzxd6vlVGkLAIMKhsTScuh3eM7ylKt84YWwjYG550tjEp8oGt0IVd6i1QUdcdvtKfknMmy7SNy9mZ1RLec0duH29I1C0XbQKq4kTcX5bM4pydhL8KmL1/s400/DSC06532.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231202649740792018" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC2UTClZXQIFdeGFmcVVtopilXI9uS_DGzaCwhcFadAGIxMJNCIeTIWKdBTiz1POTVZZz_GjC7YUyAZhG7FJFJ0MfkWUGqctw_pOg8prYztQdiUmS51Z98nKthcT1025QZPc1R/s1600-h/DSC06649.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC2UTClZXQIFdeGFmcVVtopilXI9uS_DGzaCwhcFadAGIxMJNCIeTIWKdBTiz1POTVZZz_GjC7YUyAZhG7FJFJ0MfkWUGqctw_pOg8prYztQdiUmS51Z98nKthcT1025QZPc1R/s400/DSC06649.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5231202655773055570" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Something we saw often in Italia were old 24-hour public clocks. With just one hand to indicate the hour, they were simple yet fascinating.<br />TOP - the clock in Piazza San Marco in Venezia (Venice). The round face is the 24-hour version, above that a more modern digital readout with hours (in Roman numerals, though!) and minutes. The winged-lion statue up top represents San Marco (St. Mark), who is the patron Saint of Venezia (he's buried in the cathedral there).<br />2nd - Detail of the 24-hour face, showing the Sun on the "hand" circling the central Earth - obviously a very old clock!<br />3rd - Clock on the exterior of a church near Ponte Rialto. At least they've got the sun in the correct position here...<br />BOTTOM - Inside the Duomo di Firenze (Florence Cathedral) was this clock - as plain as the rest of the interior (it's the exterior that's amazing - coming soon!). It's only ornamentation is the faces of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John at the corners.<br /><br />Interesting how the Venetian clocks have the numbers positioned in the same place (with midnight at about the 3:00 position), while the Florentine clock is differnt.<br /></span></span>Steve B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03688869681273594091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27643797.post-21335853010445129002008-07-30T12:20:00.004-04:002008-07-30T12:39:37.896-04:00Big Dish<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcRuaIb4PDFeFrkWTIuwG2ECHZr7L5lQ_AXMusNFvtzrr_Ly1G4bMeYzfYhibHjyDuGAb_fVD0-VkEcEf_krG5y4g1GsWO3DD68Rxx5DQ1MJsHRg5omka6cdnTXcsoimdvDYgz/s1600-h/Marconi+Road+Dish.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcRuaIb4PDFeFrkWTIuwG2ECHZr7L5lQ_AXMusNFvtzrr_Ly1G4bMeYzfYhibHjyDuGAb_fVD0-VkEcEf_krG5y4g1GsWO3DD68Rxx5DQ1MJsHRg5omka6cdnTXcsoimdvDYgz/s400/Marconi+Road+Dish.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228843436764982978" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Another interruption of the Italia pics for a </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a href="http://www.jorj.org/hunt/" target="_blank">Photo Hunt</a></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> entry:<br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">This large dish </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">was part of the Fort Monmouth/Evans Area military base in New Bedford, </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Monmouth County, </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">New Jersey. Appropriately located along Marconi Road, it's right next to a suburban neighborhood. It was quite a surprise in my travels for work.<br /><br />This Old-Camera pic (which is a re-post from </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a href="http://umlautsteve.blogspot.com/2006/06/this-just-in.html" target="_blank">this</a></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> old 'blog entry) was a no-brainer for the </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a href="http://www.jorj.org/hunt/" target="_blank">Photo Hunt</a></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> subject "Communication Device."<br /></span></span>Steve B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03688869681273594091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27643797.post-16708394441006700762008-07-25T12:19:00.004-04:002008-07-25T12:28:49.202-04:00All the young dudes<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLRD0KBVoe5wWsCaN3YDAK4vhLxmPCHJDdcCEzMUapcSTkjdRwR1dRztXVVi_GNp7lo8PLLuyqDDdbC5UEMa-qY6-AUMMA4rWTN-dFoMme72y9n-dQu4qUPMWz5R5JAe5GXrss/s1600-h/DSC06842.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLRD0KBVoe5wWsCaN3YDAK4vhLxmPCHJDdcCEzMUapcSTkjdRwR1dRztXVVi_GNp7lo8PLLuyqDDdbC5UEMa-qY6-AUMMA4rWTN-dFoMme72y9n-dQu4qUPMWz5R5JAe5GXrss/s400/DSC06842.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226987997174208402" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The boys confer prior to heading out to the nightclub in Sorrento.<br /><br />I'm using this as my entry into the Tobi- er, JorjDotOrg </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a href="http://www.jorj.org/hunt/" target="_blank">Photo Hunt</a></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> subject "Chatting." I've been away from the Hunt for a while, hoping to get back in the swing for this round!<br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">More shots from our Italia trip on </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/umlautsteve/" target="_blank">my Flickr page</a></span></span>.<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></span>Steve B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03688869681273594091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27643797.post-14936128968373249042008-07-23T17:39:00.003-04:002008-07-23T17:43:03.725-04:00The Mazz-der<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEV2EW-1QsC7iPv_6NqRq2MbTE2bSoBHcTrQsaA_Vdop4KtrsFQVtC0gUTdGqMtSBOZ2rMiHjtJUPsYSNtvTyGp_5J5sMh06kOkYi-1wwFPBk937Gva1q88vJCaiKaxU8kd5wO/s1600-h/DSC07112a.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEV2EW-1QsC7iPv_6NqRq2MbTE2bSoBHcTrQsaA_Vdop4KtrsFQVtC0gUTdGqMtSBOZ2rMiHjtJUPsYSNtvTyGp_5J5sMh06kOkYi-1wwFPBk937Gva1q88vJCaiKaxU8kd5wO/s400/DSC07112a.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226327562331232658" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">We interrupt the Italy travel photos momentarily for a little gloating:<br />I recently became the proud new owner of the 2004 Mazda 6i pictured above. I'm loving the performance, not to mention the feeling of satisfaction the comes with driving a car built within the last decade.<br /><br />Zoom zoom, indeed!<br /></span></span>Steve B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03688869681273594091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27643797.post-16170652271745062842008-07-23T12:31:00.004-04:002008-07-23T13:01:39.201-04:00Quiet moments in Italia<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQZJKwf0WeHv7Ot5Jb3Eqff-f19uInSHCSuUWjp_qIJu6FJKMYje1Lk3kg4lrG0TlbE0EjgHCeYHmcrTKsjX1AKYzMmfwskA8mbml0rXB1B9soM-7aZMzo6f2w4K6RGPR_Bgmk/s1600-h/DSC06508a.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQZJKwf0WeHv7Ot5Jb3Eqff-f19uInSHCSuUWjp_qIJu6FJKMYje1Lk3kg4lrG0TlbE0EjgHCeYHmcrTKsjX1AKYzMmfwskA8mbml0rXB1B9soM-7aZMzo6f2w4K6RGPR_Bgmk/s400/DSC06508a.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226252913383693698" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEeiywkKq0RwOX72unZCGjfW1qzRLMov11SiOuulSjy4YqdffOMLpJ4X8TiaAKLGdQYJhWQqsqulqiyaHR33CTt-hZe1OLU6JfulE07asU6-dXo1Upj88U0Py1wllOm0e8lzqC/s1600-h/DSC06505.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEeiywkKq0RwOX72unZCGjfW1qzRLMov11SiOuulSjy4YqdffOMLpJ4X8TiaAKLGdQYJhWQqsqulqiyaHR33CTt-hZe1OLU6JfulE07asU6-dXo1Upj88U0Py1wllOm0e8lzqC/s400/DSC06505.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226252917995881250" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRrdfg7r33edtq3hbaoBrp796Vzhyphenhyphen03k0mznScYxX5YxnG4OB8kssuvN4P1sG2UH791FTUU-03TkUiHF5o1AgjNhkapR4ozgwkIDED7n1H7HwR2BjpMuTWwET-T1cvNdEuF2-C/s1600-h/DSC06835a.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRrdfg7r33edtq3hbaoBrp796Vzhyphenhyphen03k0mznScYxX5YxnG4OB8kssuvN4P1sG2UH791FTUU-03TkUiHF5o1AgjNhkapR4ozgwkIDED7n1H7HwR2BjpMuTWwET-T1cvNdEuF2-C/s400/DSC06835a.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5226252923102484898" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">We didn't have many quiet moments during our Italy trip, but I did get to observe a few:<br />TOP - a young couple shares ice cream in a doorway in a small plaza in Venezia. My attempts to shoot this kept getting thwarted by passersby, hence the slight focus problem from rushing. Still like the shot, though.<br />MIDDLE - also in Venezia, a man finds a quiet spot to read his newspaper.<br />BOTTOM - Another couple has a tryst while watching the sunset over the Bay of Naples from the cliff-sides of Sorrento. Unfortunately, the spot they chose also happened to be discharge area for tour busses. Just a few minutes after I shot this, three busses arrived and disgorged about a hundred tourists. The tryst was over and the couple drove off...<br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">More shots from our Italia trip on </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/umlautsteve/" target="_blank">my Flickr page</a></span></span>.<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></span>Steve B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03688869681273594091noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27643797.post-91904484827514458882008-07-10T12:16:00.008-04:002008-07-10T13:01:40.082-04:00Motoring in Italia<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUNTdE1_m1X3-M5iatH_AvV2yW6S_4MP-6Gpvx_sumAG2owA42mACoyROFfNr52DquNcmZPtz-BCWGLkC6WgKditCrPZd-LKXtYLPqQNgYJjwEaimDm813g1a_1xMbVkspoEMb/s1600-h/DSC06613.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUNTdE1_m1X3-M5iatH_AvV2yW6S_4MP-6Gpvx_sumAG2owA42mACoyROFfNr52DquNcmZPtz-BCWGLkC6WgKditCrPZd-LKXtYLPqQNgYJjwEaimDm813g1a_1xMbVkspoEMb/s400/DSC06613.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221421396458420002" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaPH7R7SbU6_shOb7ZQqDWPRB37Wlr77iMHCuaj9paJAKBy4wOFWwS2W4piVz7Ao1a_oEJlCz5YLMlVSw5jmsR0wX3g5S4jzLWRt-YGKA9V6rJGRC1besfDty9hL2H9ADrEfyQ/s1600-h/DSC06879.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaPH7R7SbU6_shOb7ZQqDWPRB37Wlr77iMHCuaj9paJAKBy4wOFWwS2W4piVz7Ao1a_oEJlCz5YLMlVSw5jmsR0wX3g5S4jzLWRt-YGKA9V6rJGRC1besfDty9hL2H9ADrEfyQ/s400/DSC06879.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221421417552675858" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXhRloa-Hyn0sTlkAL-flBONpiFjKQcIRWVM-qRS7OGwxWL5Jt8xlKJe3zdEtLLa_cUhEcL0OCVxJNVb3ePJrKHMTRvv0vP4i72AFwfkkr_hwgp6kDNM53qBbkmVzAlbH5uR8o/s1600-h/DSC06408.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXhRloa-Hyn0sTlkAL-flBONpiFjKQcIRWVM-qRS7OGwxWL5Jt8xlKJe3zdEtLLa_cUhEcL0OCVxJNVb3ePJrKHMTRvv0vP4i72AFwfkkr_hwgp6kDNM53qBbkmVzAlbH5uR8o/s400/DSC06408.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221421428729574850" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHq9pQ_ReRAPhh-H-ygEmOLm9c5Gkv9d5Hr3sY7zrET79J38Yb-7rjYjKjYXaS5iR-WK7qbiV0j2lcTzw37kTSDaePXO6_6Jc2ijl_8ojIVLmGNq6PJ_bpoWeAJHaSLx06YpOb/s1600-h/DSC06687.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHq9pQ_ReRAPhh-H-ygEmOLm9c5Gkv9d5Hr3sY7zrET79J38Yb-7rjYjKjYXaS5iR-WK7qbiV0j2lcTzw37kTSDaePXO6_6Jc2ijl_8ojIVLmGNq6PJ_bpoWeAJHaSLx06YpOb/s400/DSC06687.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5221421444045321298" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Hey! Back from the "the Boot" with many hundreds of pics to share!<br /><br />Just one of the obvious differences you notice between the US & Italy are the cars. With it's ancient Roman towns being tangled webs of narrow streets, smaller is definitely better.<br />TOP - In Firenze ("Florence" to us - don't get me started on "Anglecized" place names), I spotted this </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> Pasquali, a three-wheeled single-seater perfect for Tuscan-town cruising.<br />2nd - Along with SmartCars and Minis, Fiats were among the more numerous nameplates we encountered. So popular are they in Italy, <span style="font-style: italic;">even this</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">beastie</span> was a big seller: behold the </span></span><span style=";font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;color:white;" ><span style=";font-family:";font-size:10;color:white;" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiat_Multipla" target="_blank">Fiat Multipla</a></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">, voted by </span></span><span style=";font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;color:white;" ><span style=";font-family:";font-size:10;color:white;" ><a href="http://www.topgear.com/" target="_blank">Top Gear</a> </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> to be the world's "Ugliest Car" in 1999 (and well-deserving of the title, IMHO). This one was spotted in Roma.<br />3rd - Of course, vehicles of the two-wheeled variety are even more popular in Italia, and their riders will find ways to park as many of them in an available space as possible (like this one in Milano).<br />BOTTOM - Again from Firenze, a oh-so perfectly aligned row of scooters that just begged to be photographed.<br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">More shots from our Italia trip on </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/umlautsteve/" target="_blank">my Flickr page</a></span></span>.<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></span>Steve B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03688869681273594091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27643797.post-23231381492078378202008-06-19T14:27:00.005-04:002008-07-10T13:04:38.089-04:00Peter F**kin' Frampton!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtNMJpa6ccYX45e0C0jcnTxLZGGSsUYq7CumQ7-_esYpEHthCP1rzNvBSDpjurw60LktSIIG9vOGv_PSURRcGjisq0Zxydc-qU2HsW4TFfM30n2YK1dVNx1fnl1LUrpLiUARkj/s1600-h/PFF.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213661068178803730" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center;" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtNMJpa6ccYX45e0C0jcnTxLZGGSsUYq7CumQ7-_esYpEHthCP1rzNvBSDpjurw60LktSIIG9vOGv_PSURRcGjisq0Zxydc-qU2HsW4TFfM30n2YK1dVNx1fnl1LUrpLiUARkj/s400/PFF.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;" >A stencil seen on a traffic-control box at the entrance to the Village @ Center Square shopping center, off Rt. 202 in Center Square/Blue Bell, PA. The colors are reflections of nearby flowers.</span></div><div><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;" >According to a discussion I heard on "The Preston & Steve Show," the "PFF" apparently DOES indeed stand for "Peter F**kin' Frampton," which is allegedly a line from "High Fidelity" (which I haven't tried to verify yet).</span></div><div><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;" >Word is that these can still be found throughout the Philly burbs... </span></div><div><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;" ></span> </div><div><span style=";font-family:trebuchet ms;font-size:85%;" >More shots on <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/umlautsteve/" target="_blank">my Flickr page</a>. </span></div><div><span style=";font-family:Trebuchet MS;font-size:85%;" ></span> </div><div><span style="font-size:85%;"></span> </div>Steve B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03688869681273594091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27643797.post-41819189958838631842008-06-10T20:07:00.003-04:002008-06-10T20:14:00.877-04:00Zig Zag Iron<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggfXwE9TGxuIKTNuGTeoer9vZORdqF45eOOQyLoYuhELPCAfLqQiVNbL2oC5Q8WVyzl6souODIO33yHN8YaD12Sm57INAyRnsSmVPvhoWZV6mkiqWd-ZfdqmpKnM09vMo6fwsl/s1600-h/DSC06169.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggfXwE9TGxuIKTNuGTeoer9vZORdqF45eOOQyLoYuhELPCAfLqQiVNbL2oC5Q8WVyzl6souODIO33yHN8YaD12Sm57INAyRnsSmVPvhoWZV6mkiqWd-ZfdqmpKnM09vMo6fwsl/s400/DSC06169.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5210409357843448594" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;">Detail of the Mill Rd. bridge over the Neshaminy Creek in Dark Hollow Park in Jamison, PA. Another shot from my work travels, taken today.<br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">More shots on </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/umlautsteve/" target="_blank">my Flickr page</a></span></span>.<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span></span>Steve B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03688869681273594091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27643797.post-90248911905906900782008-06-07T12:42:00.004-04:002008-06-07T12:49:27.571-04:00Old Sycamore<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ttEG2kCC7N5WcLb1D57wOpqgOlt-eW87l0fX-W0Ul4a0ke-ujJnm8Hk1Zh1nDtu8bS-0Zx__WOSyWthP-sa1_pw9tHk7DSJSHZTpCOBXeC4m812Pm0TUAgtXZSIsWwo-c8BY/s1600-h/DSC05824.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ttEG2kCC7N5WcLb1D57wOpqgOlt-eW87l0fX-W0Ul4a0ke-ujJnm8Hk1Zh1nDtu8bS-0Zx__WOSyWthP-sa1_pw9tHk7DSJSHZTpCOBXeC4m812Pm0TUAgtXZSIsWwo-c8BY/s400/DSC05824.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5209181212685950946" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">This grand old tree is in Bloomsbury, New Jersey. I came across it during my work travels. I love the "S" shape.<br />The trunk looks to be about 4' wide (comparing it to the width of the sidewalk) and it's limbs extend all the way across the street!<br /><br />And yeah, I know - I've been neglecting the ol' blog here for a while (exactly 2 months, to be precise).<br /><br />Life's been busy. I'm sure you understand.<br /></span></span>Steve B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03688869681273594091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27643797.post-69262060036673018212008-04-07T12:53:00.006-04:002008-04-07T13:11:08.508-04:00Juxtaposition<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq89FZQ_CwdUP-5BvdalPvcV-SkfqAhhyphenhyphencDHmyGOUTKSfDgeNnpz3BB8Qb-_0ZBdph1beykPPHJ67JZgKth_ViQzjmF7TOwU_U6D7nwmgbH7NJKdXYGY5FIdFwneUsC07T3Xk8/s1600-h/DSC05517.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq89FZQ_CwdUP-5BvdalPvcV-SkfqAhhyphenhyphencDHmyGOUTKSfDgeNnpz3BB8Qb-_0ZBdph1beykPPHJ67JZgKth_ViQzjmF7TOwU_U6D7nwmgbH7NJKdXYGY5FIdFwneUsC07T3Xk8/s400/DSC05517.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5186547724430234498" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Funny - I recently left a comment on one of <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/dragonballyee/" target="_blank">Albert Yee's Flickr</a> posts about "accidental" shots that turn out cool. And today in work, while sorting through some survey photos from Friday, I found this one.<br /><br />I was trying to zoom in on the transformer; particularly on the switch that changes its operating voltage from 2.4 kilovolts to 7.2 kilovolts (you can make out the "2.4" label). I didn't realize the auto-focus had gone with the branches instead of the transformer (it looked good on the LCD), so I accepted it and moved on.<br /><br />The white light from the overcast sky highlights the branches really well, I think.<br /></span></span>Steve B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03688869681273594091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27643797.post-51160043916693760722008-03-31T19:28:00.004-04:002008-03-31T19:40:41.416-04:00Chrome<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnm7RXutRSaGU-3RhNZ3FB_UT0qfAQ_87YRwFXpblhA6V3qWC-rcnNd5NW21gEBh9agDd6kpjrp02Vs3jk8NdvRsQ6n2hDpnVY662jwMSy2u7J_dM2KSp76_Fxv_8UwtdHtvLu/s1600-h/DSC05415.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnm7RXutRSaGU-3RhNZ3FB_UT0qfAQ_87YRwFXpblhA6V3qWC-rcnNd5NW21gEBh9agDd6kpjrp02Vs3jk8NdvRsQ6n2hDpnVY662jwMSy2u7J_dM2KSp76_Fxv_8UwtdHtvLu/s400/DSC05415.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5184052284006749042" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;">One of my stops this past Friday was a custom chopper shop. This work-progress is almost done.<br /><br />This is my entry for the Jorj.Org </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a href="http://www.jorj.org/hunt/" target="_blank">Photo Hunt</a></span></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-size:85%;"> challenge: Smooth.<br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">More shots on </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/umlautsteve/" target="_blank">my Flickr page</a></span></span>.Steve B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03688869681273594091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27643797.post-27201827198999384062008-03-25T18:57:00.002-04:002008-03-25T19:22:00.493-04:00Nevermore<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixddbBVWzs8bfTFK4SYNUauYtiHY3hOe3XIKuY9zjY8uCIWqAqaB8nGOQ3yW3hPWK2XZ1ilQuVIjyiHPUPz9m124DHfQM2oQ7PU4Hko0BkabdQpzVmBkyduja2q5zOngAAZeX7/s1600-h/Copy+of+Raven+2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixddbBVWzs8bfTFK4SYNUauYtiHY3hOe3XIKuY9zjY8uCIWqAqaB8nGOQ3yW3hPWK2XZ1ilQuVIjyiHPUPz9m124DHfQM2oQ7PU4Hko0BkabdQpzVmBkyduja2q5zOngAAZeX7/s400/Copy+of+Raven+2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5181821220295168866" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">I can't be sure this is actually a raven - all the research I did seemed to indicate that it's easier to tell a raven from a crow while they're flying. But the ruffed neck works in my favor...<br /><br />This cemetery is next to a Friends Meeting house in Dover, NJ.<br /><br />I might try to process this a bit more and re-post...<br /><br /></span></span>Steve B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03688869681273594091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27643797.post-51332582522863189682008-03-08T18:50:00.003-05:002008-03-08T18:53:19.307-05:00Layers of Warning<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-aRpkfApLBmMLXOFPLbbkgMdeiZW7X8Ait2YdSZ1Y6FjhV2A68pNYRt7VITn4GAvjcyPxsLYPz7Gm7R9KnhLxra2tV0uO2JVVtl4PLN-UMv4jYrJqShz_1ml2mhMePV4y6HHn/s1600-h/DSC05186.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-aRpkfApLBmMLXOFPLbbkgMdeiZW7X8Ait2YdSZ1Y6FjhV2A68pNYRt7VITn4GAvjcyPxsLYPz7Gm7R9KnhLxra2tV0uO2JVVtl4PLN-UMv4jYrJqShz_1ml2mhMePV4y6HHn/s400/DSC05186.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5175522802807307298" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">How many times can you nail the same sign in the same spot on the same utility pole?<br /><br />We don't know yet, but someone in Kingswood Township, New Jersey is working on the answer...<br /></span></span>Steve B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03688869681273594091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27643797.post-36955597424709206252008-03-02T20:55:00.004-05:002008-03-02T21:09:35.103-05:00Getting the shot<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6m72M72y-1_4pfmHUfvlHha5UyTaDixUjXTM8D8TEXNhUv4yCn4b2gBSNbQco2YJxxVoKr7ib4L3iaKABQRG4ABiIrNq5vSi3zcSeF00t4prQ9upUspoZLtl4-rKCug_absTu/s1600-h/DSC01851.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6m72M72y-1_4pfmHUfvlHha5UyTaDixUjXTM8D8TEXNhUv4yCn4b2gBSNbQco2YJxxVoKr7ib4L3iaKABQRG4ABiIrNq5vSi3zcSeF00t4prQ9upUspoZLtl4-rKCug_absTu/s400/DSC01851.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5173329602768527394" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Heights are obviously no obstacle to the intrepid photographer seen here. Sometimes you really need to go out on a limb - or rocky outcropping, as it were - to get the shot.<br /><br />This was taken last year in </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a href="http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/Parks/rickettsglen.aspx" target="_blank">Ricketts Glen</a></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> State park, overlooking the massive, 94-foot Ganoga Falls.<br /><br />Hmm - that guy looks familiar. Where have we seen him before...?<br /><br />Anyway, this is my entry into the </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a href="http://www.jorj.org/hunt/" target="_blank">Photo Hunt</a></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> subject "Unchallenged."<br /></span></span>Steve B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03688869681273594091noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27643797.post-19415405482240321822008-02-20T22:56:00.002-05:002008-02-20T23:20:08.647-05:00Lunar Eclipse 2008<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgERyIDZ15Dgb1STeNYw-nQnaIOnR99qcXnXhriKqQ_obhpB_wOu4t72eBNJxTNEnROOrC9pz0Y857xdqotFjRCbWhNgAH5SXkE6yrSHNeUKajz-zDwnVmB0uWKLCHBU7uNJ79u/s1600-h/DSC05037a.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgERyIDZ15Dgb1STeNYw-nQnaIOnR99qcXnXhriKqQ_obhpB_wOu4t72eBNJxTNEnROOrC9pz0Y857xdqotFjRCbWhNgAH5SXkE6yrSHNeUKajz-zDwnVmB0uWKLCHBU7uNJ79u/s400/DSC05037a.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5169277986186875762" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Taken about an hour ago.<br /></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />More shots on </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/umlautsteve/" target="_blank">my Flickr page</a></span></span>.Steve B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03688869681273594091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27643797.post-84665403806572953372008-02-13T21:19:00.004-05:002008-02-13T21:27:52.884-05:00A Dog's Life<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqZsfnKzb57w6S6hzp6wuuhXfTzoh4jEYs1TO246TzOWkG03OfwIFJnppLlHadNnrzDg-aazy7H1NdxkMfeVhyphenhyphenxATf3kfa0Ea9B_2RrEbMP1U53eTexjOx3CecqBYqB06G9u76/s1600-h/DSC05023.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqZsfnKzb57w6S6hzp6wuuhXfTzoh4jEYs1TO246TzOWkG03OfwIFJnppLlHadNnrzDg-aazy7H1NdxkMfeVhyphenhyphenxATf3kfa0Ea9B_2RrEbMP1U53eTexjOx3CecqBYqB06G9u76/s400/DSC05023.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166655109788750690" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Our new* puppy Madison. This shot was taken about a half-hour ago.<br /><br />This is my entry for this week's </span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><a href="http://www.jorj.org/hunt/" target="_blank">Photo Hunt</a></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> Challenge: "Unexciting"<br /><br /><span style="font-size:78%;">* New being a relative term - we got her in December. She's about 4 months old now. </span><br /></span></span>Steve B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03688869681273594091noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27643797.post-35953257213317020492008-02-13T20:12:00.002-05:002008-02-13T20:21:02.151-05:00More Princeton Fog<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZQrx4vwAFgdBnxR5dkTnS11PDjZsVnOFuPkuVO5wEA_4wbz1Y5OR6SFCsu6GqqdV4NsUqt956ztNRPBDyGoQpmXyokta7xulsJ3Py-c34n2OMAkmIaxyaJiEBLeSuNmoWoCwT/s1600-h/Princeton+fog+2.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZQrx4vwAFgdBnxR5dkTnS11PDjZsVnOFuPkuVO5wEA_4wbz1Y5OR6SFCsu6GqqdV4NsUqt956ztNRPBDyGoQpmXyokta7xulsJ3Py-c34n2OMAkmIaxyaJiEBLeSuNmoWoCwT/s400/Princeton+fog+2.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166638269221983042" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDB64P5nCtaPwB9TGf3jEuM2_NLQae6UZ2DOgMC7d5915otL85ipBGw2u_531VP2N0rCiRo9FDZHG3c9LemuNiHBVUx6VvlVcCZ1l7WqihSbgJHcqOvlkYslslkC6UKPNk2ezY/s1600-h/DSC04863.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDB64P5nCtaPwB9TGf3jEuM2_NLQae6UZ2DOgMC7d5915otL85ipBGw2u_531VP2N0rCiRo9FDZHG3c9LemuNiHBVUx6VvlVcCZ1l7WqihSbgJHcqOvlkYslslkC6UKPNk2ezY/s400/DSC04863.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166638277811917650" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">A couple of more shots of fog over Princeton Battlefield State Park:<br /><br />Top - a wider view showing the fog layer over the entire southern field.<br />Bottom - from the Bob Ross "we don't make mistakes, we only have happy accidents" file, a cool out-of-focus shot. I was parked across the road from the southern field, and every time I tried to shoot this group of teenagers emerging from the fog, a car would drive by and throw off the auto-focus. Eventually, they made it to the road and I gave up, but I like the way this turned out.<br /></span></span>Steve B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03688869681273594091noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27643797.post-38871429476330377132008-02-12T18:58:00.001-05:002008-02-12T19:06:47.762-05:00Princeton Fog<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR-tYpLyJn5guNZkw7-iiIpXN1WwB1LxgQJDERbCqMzWl9C759MEelKuz9-kuEDToP_FFdZAS14upuP47q5gIxgSudOm9Dc70l_sY3v_TvIGXpHtecFaPSg5rItrM-WIFgasz2/s1600-h/Princeton+fog.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR-tYpLyJn5guNZkw7-iiIpXN1WwB1LxgQJDERbCqMzWl9C759MEelKuz9-kuEDToP_FFdZAS14upuP47q5gIxgSudOm9Dc70l_sY3v_TvIGXpHtecFaPSg5rItrM-WIFgasz2/s400/Princeton+fog.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5166247560342033202" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">As I was driving through Princeton, NJ on my way home a couple of Fridays ago, I snapped this shot of Princeton Battlefield State Park. After raining most of the day, the skies finally cleared and the temperatures fell - prompting fog to rise up in open fields.<br />I had already driven past a few of those fields, but this one was too good to pass up.</span></span>Steve B.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03688869681273594091noreply@blogger.com0