Talkabout: Open Eye Photography
You’ve probably guessed by now that I love photography. Its one of my favorite pastimes, one that I wish I could spend more time and money on (always a better camera to buy or a trip to take to get to the amazing sights). I am amazed and enthralled by the photographs other photographers take; every one has such a unique view of the world to share. For example, my friend Stacy, who captured this scene in her Indiana hometown, a view quite different from what I see in Florida:
and this photograph, taken in rural North Dakota by Rick Craig (also known as Pastor Rick). Pastor Rick shared hauntingly beautiful images of life after people have moved on. The story that goes with the image just makes it even more enjoyable.
I could share photographs from my Flickr contacts all day, but today is Talkabout Thursday and I have a blog to share with you: Open Eye Photography Blog. From the site:
The Open Eye Photography blog is build and maintained but the members of theEstetica Graphic Design & Photography Forum and is a showcase of all our favorite photography work and favorite photographers from around the world. Our photography section features alot of our own photography work including ourPhotography of the month competitionand posts of the best pictures we share and discuss. We also have aPhotography Help & Techniques Forumfor people to exchange tips on taking and editing photos as well as photography equipment.
The images shared on Open Eye Photography range from the stunning to the amusing – with lots of fashion photography thrown in, too. The site does come with a warning, though; many, many hours can be wasted if you dare to click on the ‘older posts’ link.
Talkabout Thursday: Clean.
Throughout the course of my day to day activities, I come across a lot of blogs. Some of them are horrid, some are cute, many of them are so similar I can’t distinguish one from another, but every now and then one stands out enough that it sticks with me long after I’ve moved my browser away. For what its worth, I try to keep my own blog from being one of the indistinguishable or horrid, but I’m sure, like everyone, I have my days…
Rachel Wolf, author of Clean, doesn’t seem to have those days. I came across Rachel when she applied for a position at Saponifier magazine. Like with most author applications, I read through her email and then began checking out the sites she’d linked to; that’s when I discovered her blog.
She’s transformed her corner of the web into a seemingly endless stream of inspiration, comfort and cherished memories. It is highlighted by stunning photography, both of the world she lives in and of the objects around her. This Colorful Life gave me the giggles. Grandma’s Knitting left me remembering my own grandmother and all the superhero feats she could perform. Her tutorials are fantastic, filled with easy instructions and most explained through her beautiful photography.
Yes, I highly recommend you visit Rachel’s blog. I have no doubt in my mind that you’ll arrive a stranger and leave a fan.
Week In Review
I missed you, did you miss me? This week flew by! I know, I didn’t post yesterday, but I had good reason, I swear. Yesterday was Migraine Day. It comes about twice a month on average and involves lots of medication, dark rooms, cold air and sleep. Its generally a miserable day all around, but there is one oddity that occurs on Migraine Day: I get cravings. Usually its for vast quantities of food, which is unusual, since I’m generally ambivalent on the concept of eating to begin with. Most Migraine Days, I want red meat- which I never eat unless (a) my iron is dangerously low or (b) its Migraine Day. Thanks to the wonderful world of the internet, I know I’m not alone in this- check out Stacey Snacks: Migraine Munchies for an example.
Circus Peants- Puffy bites of made from sugar, corn syrup, gelatin, soy protein, food coloring and artificial flavor. Yum!
Every once in awhile, though, something ridiculous happens: I crave sweets. No, no- not that stuff I normally eat- I’m talking the big guns! Things like Candy corn, Circus Peanuts and Smartees, anything that is nearly pure sugar. I have no idea why this happens, as my typical junk food choices are salty over sweet. When choosing sweet on a daily basis I opt for the Hershey bar (with almonds, thanks!) or a Kit Katt- something with chocolate, but not all chocolate.
Believe it or not, there is a point to me sharing all of this with you. During yesterday’s horrible Migraine Day, the medication has kicked in and I’m happily ensconced in my dark, quiet room when BAM! the sugar craving hits. Only problem? There are no sweets in the house. None. Not so much as a Popsicle (which is quite shocking, since this is Florida in August)! In my drug-induced stupor I try to reason with myself. I don’t need the sweets, I just want them. Have you ever tried that line of thinking? How’d it work for you?
It failed miserably for me.
So, last night at about 10 p.m., my husband was on his way to the store. At this point you’re probably asking yourself what wondrous confectionery he purchased for me, but if you are, you’re in for a surprise: he bought eggs. See, in my desperation for something sweet, I remembered that, a few weeks back (right after a Migraine Day, actually…lol) I bought a box of Funnel Cake mix and my husband promised to make them for me.
Yes, I was enjoying funnel cake at 10:30 last night. It was WONDERFUL- almost as wonderful as my husband, who always seems to have the best sense of humor and patience when indulging my odd behavior.
Now that Migraine Day is behind me, here’s a great blog to check out for yesterday’s Talkabout Thursday:
Nicole Balch’s Making it Lovely
Its one of the most visually appealing blogs I’ve ever encountered and I love how creative Nicole is in her style choices. Plus, I think there’s a little voyeur in us all (have you peeked in someone’s medicine cabinet before?) and this peek into their lives serves that darker side of us, the one we hardly every….well…indulge…lol.
A final note: For those of you who are wondering why I’ve typed Migraine Day in bold and italicized it, you must not suffer from migraines.
Better Late Than Never & Black Holes In The Dryer
I know, I know, I know. I’m late. I never posted the Thursday Talkabout. Does it help if I make excuses? I have an laundry list of them ready for you- I got busy and the day got away from me, I was working, it was the season finale of Burn Notice (oh, Fiona, how I adore thee!), it was bedtime before I knew it…I can go on. No? Okay, then let’s just move past it.
The truth is, I was going to post about a ‘Mainstream’ blog, one over on MSNBC, and the delay actually led to an interesting new post over there. But we’ll get to that in a minute.
This week’s Talkabout Blog is the Cosmic Log, something most of my family and friends have never heard of. Its a lesser known part of the MSNBC website, but one of the highlights. If you’ve never come across it before, it’s written by Alan Boyle, a winner of the AAAS Science Journalism Award, the NASW Science-in-Society Award and other honors; a contributor to “A Field Guide for Science Writers”; and a member of the board of the Council for the Advancement of Science Writing. Rather than bore you with a list of reasons I love to read Boyle’s blog, I’m going to simply share this, an excerpt from today’s Cosmic Log:
“Last weekend, an eminent panel of theorists (including myself) gathered to reflect upon “cannibalistic socks” and other riddles at the SpoCon science-fiction and fantasy convention in Spokane, Wash. I think we may have made as much headway as the Solvay Conference did back in Einstein’s day. Here’s the rundown on our results:
Where disappearing socks go
Some people have suggested that socks go missing in the laundry because a space-time warp somehow transforms them into belly-button lint and dust bunnies that appear out of nowhere. That’s only half-right. Take a look at this diagram of the modern clothes dryer, then note the similarity to this picture of the ATLAS detector at Europe’s Large Hadron Collider. Is that mere coincidence?
I didn’t think so.”
Interestingly enough, had I posted this Talkabout yesterday (you know, like I was SUPPOSED to..lol) we would have had a totally different topic and the quote would have been more like this:
“Scientists are improving their technique for bending DNA into origami shapes. The latest twist uses custom-made chemicals to turn bunches of molecules into smoothly curving circlets and gears – a trick that eventually could set the stage for practical nanomachines.”
Since today’s topic was much more entertaining, I’ve begun to wonder. Do you think it was a ripple in the space-time continuum that caused me not to post yesterday? Some Dr. Who- like stroke of luck that aligned my procrastination with the forces of the universe, creating just the right atmosphere for a better blog? Perhaps, my friends, perhaps.
On a side note, I’ve been thinking a lot about those nanomachines. At first they creeped me out (yay for scientific advances, but I’d like to avoid living out I, Robot, thanks!) Then I decided that if they can proof and edit manuscripts, I’m in!
All kidding aside, the Cosmic Log is a wonderful place to visit on your coffee break, a source of inspiration and education that, as a writer, I see as wonderful fodder for the next great Sci-Fi tale!