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Destination: Grand Canyon!

Next weekend I’ll be heading out with a bunch of friends to hike the Grand Canyon. Well, not the entire canyon, just a small portion of it.  I’ll be heading outwith Diane, Greg and Melissa, Brandon and Denise, and a few others.  Here’s ourplan:

We’ll be staying at MaswikLodge just a 1/4 mile from the Canyon.  I can’t wait!  You can see picturesof the Bohlings’ last Canyon hike ontheir website.  I’ll try my best to get some pictures too.

Stay tuned for updatesnext week.

Posted by admin Posted in: Hiking, News No Comments » October 2003


My photography featured on PhotoSIG

  My photographs will be featured on the main page of PhotoSIG (whichstands for Photographer’s Special Interest Group).  This is a site for photographersto submit photographs for critique and discussion.  I’m happy they’ve chosensome of my work to display.  You can see it on the mainpage at the following times:

You can always see my PhotoSIG pictures at: http://www.photosig.com/go/users/userphotos?id=140073.I don’t post all of my pictures there, so keep coming to my pictures sectionfor the most current updates.

WARNING: The PhotoSIG website contains nudity andis not suitable for minors.

Posted by admin Posted in: News, Photography No Comments » October 2003


How men and women think

Let’s say a guy named Roger is attracted to a woman named Elaine.  He asks herout to a movie; she accepts; they have a pretty good time. A few nights later he asksher out to dinner, and again they enjoy themselves. They continue to see each otherregularly, and after awhile neither one of them is seeing anybody else.

One evening when they’re driving home, a thought occurs to Elaine, and, without reallythinking, she says it aloud: ”Do you realize that, as of tonight, we’ve been seeingeach other for exactly six months?”

And then there is silence in the car. To Elaine, it seems like a very loud silence.She thinks to herself: Geez, I wonder if it bothers him that I said that. Maybe he’sbeen feeling confined by our relationship; maybe he thinks I’m trying to push himinto some kind of obligation that he doesn’t want, or isn’t sure of.

And Roger is thinking: Gosh. Six months.

And Elaine is thinking: But, hey, I’m not so sure I want this kind of relationship,either. Sometimes I wish I had a little more space, so I’d have time to think aboutwhether I really want us to keep going the way we are, moving steadily toward . .. I mean, where are we going? Are we just going to keep seeing each other at thislevel of intimacy? Are we heading toward marriage? Toward children? Toward a lifetimetogether? Am I ready for that level of commitment? Do I really even know this person?

And Roger is thinking: . . . so that means it was . . .let’s see…February when westarted going out, which was right after I had the car at the dealer’s, which means. . . lemme check the odometer…Whoa! I am way overdue for an oil change here!

And Elaine is thinking: He’s upset. I can see it on his face. Maybe I’m reading thiscompletely wrong. Maybe he wants more from our relationship, more intimacy, more commitment;maybe he has sensed –even before I sensed it –that I was feeling some reservations.Yes, I bet that’s it. That’s why he’s so reluctant to say anything about his own feelings.He’s afraid of being rejected.

And Roger is thinking: And I’m gonna have them look at the transmission again. I don’tcare what those morons say, it’s still not shifting right. And they better not tryto blame it on the cold weather this time. What cold weather? It’s 87 degrees out,and this thing is shifting like a garbage truck, and I paid those incompetent thieves$600.

And Elaine is thinking: He’s angry. And I don’t blame him. I’d be angry, too. Gosh,I feel so guilty, putting him through this, but I can’t help the way I feel. I’m justnot sure.

And Roger is thinking: They’ll probably say it’s only a 90-daywarranty. That’s exactlywhat they’re gonna say, the scumballs.

And Elaine is thinking: maybe I’m just too idealistic, waiting for a knight to comeriding up on his white horse, when I’m sitting right next to a perfectly good person,a person I enjoy being with, a person I truly do care about, a person who seems totruly care about me. A person who is in pain because of my self-centered, school-girlromantic fantasy.

And Roger is thinking: Warranty? They want a warranty? I’ll give them a warranty.I’ll take their warranty and stick it right up their…. .

“Roger,” Elaine says aloud.

“What?” says Roger, startled.

“Please don’t torture yourself like this,” she says, her eyes beginning to brim withtears. “Maybe I should never have . .Oh Gosh, I feel so ……” (She breaks down,sobbing.)

“What?” says Roger.

“I’m such a fool,” Elaine sobs. “I mean, I know there’s no knight. I really know that.It’s silly. There’s no knight, and there’s no horse.”

“There’s no horse?” says Roger.

“You think I’m a fool, don’t you?” Elaine says.

“No!” says Roger, glad to finally know the correct answer.

“It’s just that . . . It’s that I . . . I need some time,” Elaine says.

(There is a 15-second pause while Roger, thinking as fast as he can, tries to comeup with a safe response. Finally he comes up with one that he thinks might work.)

“Yes,” he says.

(Elaine, deeply moved, touches his hand.)

“Oh, Roger, do you really feel that way?” she says.

“What way?” says Roger.

“That way about time,” says Elaine.

“Oh,” says Roger. “Yes.”

(Elaine turns to face him and gazes deeply into his eyes, causing him to become verynervous about what she might say next, especially if it involves a horse. At lastshe speaks.)

“Thank you, Roger,” she says.

“Thank you,” says Roger.

Then he takes her home, and she lies on her bed, a conflicted, tortured soul, andweeps until dawn, whereas when Roger gets back to his place, he opens a bag of Doritos,turns on the TV, and immediately becomes deeply involved in a rerun of a tennis matchbetween two Czechoslovakians he never heard of. A tiny voice in the far recesses ofhis mind tells him that something major was going on back there in the car, but heis pretty sure there is no way he would ever understand what, and so he figures it’sbetter if he doesn’t think about it.(This is also Roger’s policy regarding world hunger.)

The next day Elaine will call her closest friend, or perhaps two of them, and theywill talk about this situation for six straight hours. In painstaking detail, theywill analyze everything she said and everything he said, going over it time and timeagain, exploring every word, expression, and gesture for nuances of meaning, consideringevery possible ramification. They will continue to discuss this subject, off and on,for weeks, maybe months, never reaching any definite conclusions, but never gettingbored with it, either.

Meanwhile, Roger, while playing racquet ball one day with a mutual friend of his andElaine’s, will pause just before serving, frown, and say: “Norm, did Elaine ever owna horse?”

Posted by admin Posted in: Humor No Comments » October 2003


Speedpad vs The Claw

AttentionGamers!  With the oncoming series of Counter Strike Lan parties (more info tocome on that one) you’ll need a good controller.  Cecil and Brandon just pickedup the NostromoSpeedpad.

The n50 SpeedPad is the first gaming device ofits kind, a completely new gaming tool that transcends conventional categories suchas gamepads and joysticks. The SpeedPad canbest be described as a combination keyboard and gamepad. The 10 keys on the n50 actas keys on a keyboard with the advantage of being easily accessible and intuitivelyconfigured. The n50 also has an eight-way directional pad, much like the D-pad ona standard gamepad. It’s an innovative, multipurpose tool that will lift your gamingexperience to a whole new level.

Bill owns TheClaw.  I told him about the SpeedPad andhe said, “I saw that cheapimitation. Your fingers still have to move between keys. With the claw, they are allaccessable, all the time!!!!!”

The CLAW’s buttons replace thoseyou would usually use on your keyboard while playing FPS games. With the CLAW youwill be able to perform manoeuvers that are difficult, if not impossible, with a keyboard.Having nine programmable buttons at your fingertips, to which you can assign up tofive keystrokes each, you will be able to circle, strafe or rocket jump with ease.A light press of a button will be all that’s required to unleash a world of pain onyour enemies.

Posted by admin Posted in: Gaming No Comments » October 2003


Way to go Taylor!!

Congratulations to my friends Taylor Robinson and Scott Ross (and others) forwinning all kinds of awards at the Birmingham, Alabama 24 Hour Film Festival. Here is a list of the awards:

Ithink that Scott is going to post the flick on hisweb site. You should be able to stream it in the next couple of days.

Wayto go Alabama crew!!

Posted by admin Posted in: Movies No Comments » October 2003


Lost In Translation

Dianeand I saw “Lost In Translation“at Madstone last night. What a fantasticmovie!  The movie stars Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson (from another oneof my favorite movies, “TheHorse Whisperer“).  This is a story of two people who are simply lost. Bob Harris, played by Murray, is a washed up tv star.  Charlotte, played by Johansson,is a young wife unsure of herself or her place in the world.  We take a journeywith them as they learn about life together.

The movie was written and directed by SofiaCoppola.  This is the third movie that she’s written and directed. Her previous movie “TheVirgin Suicides” is also wonderful, but “LostIn Translation” is light years ahead of it.

The pace of the movie is excellent.  The movie moves along slowly, so we reallyget to experience these characters as they change from lost to, well, less lost. The soundtrack isalso excellent.  With an equal amount of techno groove (Tokyo style) and instrumental,it really gives a solid background for the movie.

I highly recommend this movie (for adults).  It’s not your normal major studioblockbuster.  It has a realistic story, and an ending that won’t dissapoint you. This movie is Academy Award quality (best original screenplay).  Don’t miss it!

Posted by admin Posted in: Movies No Comments » October 2003


Flatiron

  On Saturday morning my friend Greg and I hiked up Flatiron. This is a hike that is up all the way.  We gained just under 3,000 feet in elevationon our hike, most of it in the last mile.  The views were breathtaking. In fact once we got to the top we decided to go higher.  We hiked up until therewas nothing higher to climb.  We were way up there!Our climb took a few hours because I was so out of shape.  The total hike wasabout 7 hours long.  After I got home I could barely walk.  My joints stillhurt.  But it was worth it.  You can see some of the pictures I took inmy Scenic Arizona photoalbum.I’m planning on a big hike into the Grand Canyon next month, so I’m trying to getin shape.  I’m looking forward to the canyon hike, it should be really amazing. I’m going with Brandon and Denise Bohling.  They have pictures of their lastcanyon hike on theirwebsite.  I’m planning on a hike about twice a week in preparation for thecanyon.  I’ll post photos ofeach hike so you can enjoy the amazing Arizona scenery.

Posted by admin Posted in: Hiking, News, Photography No Comments » October 2003


Bad Boyz

  

My neighbor is a cop.  He works for the ChandlerPolice Department.  On friday night I got to go and ride along with him onhis shift.  I learned a lot!  My neighbor, Jim, is a DUI cop, so his nightconsists of arresting drunk drivers, assisting other officers give sobriety tests,patrolling, etc.  He’s also a translator, so he spends a lot of time translatingfor spanish speaking suspects.

The evening began around 6:00 pm.  After touring police headquarters, includinga look a the 911 dispatcher area (very cool), we hopped in Jim’s cruiser andset out to the local Circle K to grab something to drink for the long night drivingaround.  As we pulled in to the Circle K parking lot two bicycle cops asked Jimfor help translating for them.  They’d pulled over a car with three Mexicansand needed a translator.  The suspects had been pulled over for having opencontainers of beer (Bud Light) in their car.

I observed as the police checked out everything.  The car had no key on the steeringwheel, so they check to see if it was stolen - it wasn’t.  The three men wereall Mexican citizens, so they checked to see if they had legal US identification -one man had a false ID.  Then they checked to see if any of the men had any outstandingwarrants, one man did, he was arrested and put into the back of our cruiser. We took the man to the station for processing and hit the street again.

A unit radioed for help giving a sobriety test, so we stopped and Jim went throughall the tests - the suspect was not drunk.  He was ticketed for having an opencontainer.  As we were finishing up that call another call for help came in,we drove a few blocks and assisted another officer with a sobriety test.

The officer had pulled over a young (under 21) man.  Jim gave him several sobrietytests and determined that he had been drinking.  Since he was under 21 he wasarrested for underage drinking in addition to DUI (Driving Under the Influence ofalcohol).

We took the suspect to the hospital where he was asked to submit to a blood test. Chandler uses blood tests as the ultimate test of alcohol level.  The hospitalhad a special room for the police to have the blood taken.  When we arrived inthe small room there was another officer with a guy who was very drunk.  Theolder man had urinated all over the chairs (with his pants on).  You canimagine the smell.

After the blood work was finished we took the kid to the station for processing. When we got to the station there was a 53 year old lady who was yelling and screaming. She had been arrested for DUI and they were trying to take her blood.  She wasso drunk that they were having a hard time.  She became so unruly that they decidedto try a different tactic to get her blood work.  If a suspect does not voluntarilyallow the police to take blood, they will get a warrant to take the blood - whichthey did.

The woman went into her holding cell, pulled down her pants and urinated on the floor. The kid who we were processing began to think he was unusual because he was the onlyperson arrested that night who hadn’t urinated on something.  The lady then tooka phone book, ripped out the pages and soaked them in her own urine, then she threwthem at the surveillance camera.  After getting additional help the woman eventuallysurrendered her blood.

After all of the excitement at the processing station we hit the road again. We pulled over a few people and then the radio crackled with news of multiple gunshots. We rushed to the scene and helped search for the men who had been shooting it outin the streets.  We searched some alleys, parks, and streets, but ended up emptyhanded.

At about 1:00 am I had to head home.  I had to be up early on Saturday for ahike to the top of the Superstition mountains.  But I was very glad I had a nightwith the police.  The Chandler PD was very impressive.  They treated peoplewith respect and dignity.  Jim is a great cop and I have a new appreciation forwhat he does.  If you ever get a chance to ride along with a police officer Ihighly recommend it.

Posted by admin Posted in: News No Comments » October 2003


Broken Buell

 

Argh!  My Buell is broken.  Actuallyit’s not a big deal, one of the nuts that holds the header to the cylinder came off. I noticed that my bike started to sound very loud, then it started to run a littlerough.  By the time I got home my bike was sounding like a big twin Harley. The rear pipe, the one that has the oxygen sensor, was very loose.  It lookslike I’m just going to have to put a new nut on the bolt and I’ll be fine.  Justto make sure I’ll run it over the ChandlerHarley and see if they suggest anything else.  What a bummer.

 

Posted by admin Posted in: Motorcycles No Comments » October 2003


My Sister’s new book has arrived!!

Mysister’s book has arrived!!!  My middle sister, Dawn, wrote Deathfor Dessert.  Now you can get it at Amazon.com. I’m so proud of my sister!  Here’s the information from the front jacket:

From new author T. Dawn Richard comes a wry, witty cozy mystery in the tradition ofCarolyn Hart’s “Henrie O.” mystery stories, featuring a feisty senior sleuth who,when forced into a new world, uncovers a wicked plot involving her and everyone shemeets.

Sensing her days as a trophy wife are long gone, May List leaves her philanderingphysician husband of 35 years and settles into a senior citizen complex miles awayfrom her former life.  Along with May’s humorous adventures in adjusting to lifeas a single senior, she finds herself surrounded by a group of geriatric oddballs,the worst of which is her reclusive neighbor, Mrs. Berkowitz, who knows things aboutMay’s past that no once could possibly know.  When May accidentally discoversthat Mrs. Berkowitz is running a profitable blackmail operation, she wants to takeaction.  But before she can, Mrs. Berkowitz dies under mysterious circumstances,and May fears she may have inadvertently had a hand in her demise.

In an effort to clear her name and her conscience, May teams with a group of flimflammed,wildly wicked seniors to solve the murder and recover their dignity and their money. From trying to keep everyone who’s in on the plot on track to pulling off a hilariouscon job to insure their safety, this crew of elderly sleuths proves age is no impedimentto solving crime.  Death for Dessert will have cozy readers cheering fora brand-new mystery heroine, and riveted to the very last page.

Posted by admin Posted in: News No Comments » October 2003


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