When Photographers Go Wrong

Why!?!? by Finijo

I spotted this girl out at Wal-Mart with her mother. What the hell is wrong with her mother that she is willing to be seen in public with her daughter dressed like this? MY mother would not have allowed me to go out like that (Thanks, Mom). This urchin has actually cut the top of her jeans off, and I can only imagine that she did it because they no longer fit. I have news for her, they still don't fit. Why!?!?

Connor Graduates 8th Grade!!!

It's been a rough year, but we all made it and Connor is going on to high school in August! We had fun at his graduation and I took some video of him as he got his certificate. I also got some footage of the little girl who sat in front of us and cheered for everyone. Seeing the video of her makes me laugh all over again.

Photo Fun for Fini!

Concertina Vortex by Finijo

I had a really great photo shoot tonight, and I got some interesting shots. I need to have more outings like this, because it was a lot of fun. This shot is one of my favorite.

Shattered by Finijo

I thought this broken window looked like a glass spider web.

Hung Up by Finijo

This is a shot of a bird carcass hung up on barbed wire. I like the way it looks against the afternoon sky, like lost hope. Graffiti Wall by Finijo

I had to laugh when I read this wall. "Don't act funny, give me some money" is what one of the quotes says. "Free The Weed" and "Obama '08" are also featured, indicating that while the graffiti artist is a rebel and law breaker, they also have a social conscience.

Graffiti Door by Finijo

Again, the tagger exclaims "Free the Weed!" and "Obama '08." I wonder if the writer knows something we don't?

Club Riddims

Club Riddims by Finijo

I found this place while out and about for work. I had to snap a shot of it, because it was so bright and colorful, and because the name of the club was just so wrong.

New Ceiling Fan

We got a new ceiling fan in the living room, today. It was necessary because the old ceiling fan was dying. We also got the lights fixed in the living room.

I know this is not a big deal, but the pictures came out really cool.

If you click on the pics, you will see that the blades actually look transparent. It's just an optical illusion, but I think it's great.

Kusa

Kusa by Finijo

Most of my days bring interesting encounters. Today, I met Kusa (pronounced koosha). He works at Whole Foods, he's a musician, and he is Hindu. I noticed Kusa last week when I was shopping. That's not exactly true; I noticed Kusa's dot last week, but I let propriety stop me from inquiring of him what it meant. When I saw him today I almost passed up the opportunity to speak to him again, but thought better of it, and I'm glad I did. I never met a Hindu who wasn't born into the religion before, so it was quite interesting to talk to Kusa. He was very friendly and we had a nice chat about religion. It was good to talk to someone of a different faith, who also experiences the world as part of a religious minority. I don't think that most people in the US can imagine what that is like, but it feels at times that you are experiencing the world through another dimension.

I've decided to start documenting some of the people I meet, because I meet some of the nicest and most fascinating people while I am out and about. Thank you, Kusa, for being open enough to allow me to take your picture. It's the first time I have asked someone I didn't know well to let me do that, and you had no way of knowing that you weren't enabling a stalker (you weren't).

Wiggy the Menace

This is footage of Wiggy bullying Lena. In spite of the huge difference in size, Wiggy is unstoppable. She gives much more than she gets and at one point, she attacks the camera. What a wigged out little kitten! Ignore the messy room - it's been a tough week.

Connor Can Dance!!!

Connor went to the eight grade dance tonight and ROCKED! He has been saying all year that he would not go to a dance and we could not make him. Being irritated with his refusal to just go to a dance once in middle school, I told him that he WOULD go to the dance, or we would make him take dance classes this summer. Connor opted to go and we went out and bought his clothes for the Hollywood themed dance about two hours before he was to attend. He was dropped off about 8:15 PM and he text messaged his mother at 10:15 to say he was going to ask Rachel to dance. When he was picked up at 11:00 PM, he had already asked FOUR more girls to dance. YAY!!! Connor can dance!!!

Wiggy Sleeps

I took this footage of Wiggy as she was sitting in front of me on the computer desk about to fall asleep. It went on for a while, but I was only able to catch the tail end of it. Damn, she's cute.

Wiggy Cam

This video of Wiggy interacting (sort of) with Lena and Bodhi was shot this evening. Wiggy is trying to be social, but the big cats don't really know what to make of her. I'm pleased to report that in spite of a run by swatting by Lena, Wiggy is holding her own and doesn't really back down from them. I think Lena, Bodhi and Saffie are more afraid of her than she is of them. Enjoy the videos.

Autoacide

Sign Scaffold by Finijo

I took this photo while at the Enterprise Rent-A-Car on the South Loop after I dropped my car off at the dealership today. My car appears to be committing autoacide. My headlamp has cracked (internally), probably from damage sustained in my fender bender a few weeks ago, my motor mounts are busted, my check engine light came on, my belts are in need of changing, I need a new battery, and there is a problem with the idle. VERY frustrating day!!!

Ghandi, King, and Ikeda

I took Connor to the Ghandi, King, and Ikeda exhibit at Rice University when I volunteered to man the booth for SGI. He seemed to enjoy our brief time there and watched the video and read through the panels with interest. The exhibit is a comparison of how three men from very diverse cultural backgrounds all extol the ideal of peace.

This is taken from the official website for the exhibit:

Gandhi, King, Ikeda: A Legacy of Building Peace Exhibit

Mohandas K. Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr. and Daisaku Ikeda, three men from three different cultures and continents, have followed a common path of profound dedication and achievement in improving the lives of all people. “Gandhi, King, Ikeda: A Legacy of Building Peace” conveys the themes and pivotal principles in the lives of these giants of the 20th century.

The exhibit panels feature colorful photographs, inspiring quotes and factual information about Mohandas K. Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr. and Daisaku Ikeda. While walking around the free-standing, s-curved walls, viewers can take in the wondrous lives of these three individuals.
This exhibit is divided into sections that present their lives as they relate to key themes.

• 
  Forging Destiny imparts the importance of mentors and the key influences upon each man’s life.
• 
  Humanity at the Heart explores their common belief in the innate dignity of humanity.
• 
  Principles into Action illustrates how each man was able to translate his principles into dynamic action.
• 
  Nonviolence explores the principles of nonviolent action as a way of life and a means to bring about positive change in society.
• 
  Adversity and Resistance shows each man’s ability not only to triumph over adversity, but to utilize it to further their growth as humanists.

I found the exhibit to be interesting and thought provoking. It is also timely, given that the current war does not seem to have an end in sight. The version of the exhibit that is currently on display at Rice University (and will move to the University of Houston at Clear Lake next Saturday) is smaller than the exhibit described above, but it the message is still quite powerful.

Wiggington Weslayan

Wiggy Yawns by Finijo

Matt and Dave brought us a surprise kitten last Saturday night. She was found in the middle of the busy intersection at Weslayan and Bissonnet. Matt and Dave took Connor to the Astros game, and found the kitten after dropping Connor back home. This is the luckiest kitten since Bodhi narrowly escaped his demise in a steaming hot dumpster back in 2005.

Wiggy Afterbath by Finijo

Dave said he thought the kitten was a "piece of paper" at first. Lucky for the little girl, they turned the car around and went back to check. Dave and Matt unofficially started a kitten rescue program, but allergies in the family prevent them from keeping her. After her arrival at Casa Mantequilla, she was christened Wiggington Weslayan (after an Astro's player and the odd patch of grey fur atop her head, and the street where she was found) with a flea bath and combing. We have been calling her Wiggy for short.

Wiggy Sleeps by Finijo

After eating a bit, she fell asleep in her carrier. She is adorable, affectionate, and healthy, but because we have three large cats already in residence, so we are looking for a suitable family for Wiggy. There have been two offers so far, but one fell through and the other is a tentative offer. Let us know if you are interested in adopting Wiggy. She is free for the asking, as long as we think the home will be safe and comfortable for her.

Existentialist at Heart

Colleen's Moment by Jessica Perry

Existentialism - A philosophy that emphasizes the uniqueness and isolation of the individual experience in a hostile or indifferent universe, regards human existence as unexplainable, and stresses freedom of choice and responsibility for the consequences of one’s acts."The Existentialist Primer"

I have long been fascinated by the interplay between Psychology, Buddhism, and Existentialism. Different aspects of these philosophies guide me in almost equal measure at any given time. This intermingling of ideas has been rattling around in my head again until I had to find a way to get it out. Since it is more than a little difficult to paint or draw Existentialism, I chose some quotes to share that struck a chord with me. I hope you like them, too.

"Our greatest challenge today...is to couple conviction with doubt. By conviction, I mean some pragmatically developed faith, trust, or centeredness; and by doubt I mean openness to the ongoing changeability, mystery, and fallibility of the conviction."~ Kirk Schneider, 1999, The Paradoxical Self, p. 7

"Good art wounds as well as delights. It must, because our defenses against the truth are wound so tightly around us. But as art chips away at our defenses, it also opens us to healing potentialities that transcend intellectual games and ego-preserving strategies."~ Rollo May, 1985, My Quest for Beauty, p. 172

"Integrity is unity of the personality; it implies being brutally honest with ourselves about our intentionality. Since intentionality is inextricably bound up with the daimonic, this is never an easy, nor always pleasant pursuit. But being willing to admit our daimonic tendencies - to know them consciously and to wisely oversee them - brings with it the invaluable blessing of freedom, vigor, inner strength, and self-acceptance."~ Stephen A. Diamond, 1996, Anger, Madness, and the Daimonic, p. 233.

"But thus I counsel you, my friends: Mistrust all in whom the impulse to punish is powerful. They are people of a low sort and stock; the hangman and the bloodhound look out of their faces. Mistrust all who talk much of their justice! Verily, their souls lack more than honey. And when they call themselves the good and the just, do not forget that they would be pharisees, if only they had - power. ~ Nietzsche, 1892/1966, Thus Spoke Zarathustra (W. Kaufmann, Trans.), p. 100

"What makes us most human is not whether we are or are not biologically driven and determined beings; but, rather, how we respond to this relative truth. The conscious choices we make in related to the dynamic, psychobiological forces of the daimonic define our humanity." ~ Stephen A. Diamond, 1996, Anger, Madness, and the Daimonic, p. 179

Voice Box

Memory Box by Finijo

I was very pleasantly surprised today by the arrival of a box from my Uncle Gary's wife, Donna. Uncle Gary died a year ago, and as Donna went through his things, she set aside the items she thought Marilyn and I would want. As I went through the small box, I found the lovely book that was made for Uncle Gary's funeral. The book is filled with pictures of his funeral and spiritual poems. The box also contained family pictures of family members I never met, and the two pictures above, which were the school ID cards for our older brother, David, and our sister, Linda. The ID's are from Muscogee Elementary School in Columbus, Georgia from 1960. I never knew they lived in Georgia. There were letters to Uncle Gary from me from 1983-1984, and letters that Linda sent him from that period, as well. The most surprising treasure in the box was a letter that my father wrote to Uncle Gary in December 1975. I never received a letter from my father before he died, so holding that letter in my hands 31 years after his death was a moving experience, to say the least. For the first time in years, I heard voices from family members that I thought would never speak to me again. Thank you, Donna, for your most thoughtful and gracious gift. We appreciate it more than we can say.

Volvo - Death Proof!

Bob Strong/Reuters

I am thrilled to hear that Volvo is working on a car that will protect its passengers in a crash. Volvo has taken this idea to the full extent of where it can go by setting a date for a death proof car - hallelujah!! Now, if we can get other auto makers to get behind this idea and also to get behind fuel efficiency (not just pay it lip service), then we will be getting somewhere. While we're at it, lets work on some other ideas (feel free to add any you can think of). I'll start:

1. Pollution free cars



2. Houses that won't burn down (and won't give you cancer)



3. Recycling programs that help turn our waste into products that can benefit the people who need help (building materials for low income housing, books for schools...)



4. Pothole proof roads - this is a no brainer to me - "We send people into space, but we can't make a road that doesn't get potholes?" (said with Yiddish accent - Fakakta road builders!)



5. Healthy, inexpensive school lunches served in every lunch room across the US . This should be doable - and NO, ketchup is NOT a vegetable! You can't make me believe it (really, you can't) no matter how many times you say it!



Feel free to add to this small rant. Oh, and Thank you, Volvo!

***I do get the irony that this declaration came out by Volvo a little after they had to recall cars due to an airbag software problem - but at least they've set a goal for improvement.