Happy Birthday, Dave!

We had a wonderful meal at Tokyohana with Matt, Caryn, Dave, Skyler and Sammy tonight. Today is Dave's birthday, but we also used the occasion to finally exchange Christmas gifts - sad, but true. Christmas in July... We will do better next year. Happy Birthday, Dave!

The Magic Leaf

I caught this footage while on a photoshoot at The Arboretum at Memorial Park. It was a hot day, but The Arboretum was beautiful (I had not been there before) and I was in great company. Thanks for going with me, David, we will have to do it again. I had a wonderful morning with you.

Hello Dolly

This is footage off of the Seawall in Galveston as the outer rings of Hurricane Dolly were pushing up through the Gulf. The sea was roiling, the sky was incredibly beautiful, and the air was so thick with salt and mist off the ocean that you could literally see it. Wonderful night and a great photo shoot, as well.

Ribbon Awareness

I stumbled upon this page and it finally hit me how weird and ridiculous this movement has become. "Ribbon Awareness" seemed plausible when it was yellow ribbons for the missing or red ribbons for AIDS. Now things have gotten completely out of hand.

This info can be found at the link above. If you manage to read through them all, you will probably be quite surprised (and possibly as amused as I was) to find out what color is associated with what disease. A particular favorite is the red and yellow for hepatitis C - presumably red for blood and yellow for jaundice. Another is the green and orange ribbon, just for being so very obscure in what it represents.

Black Ribbon
The black ribbon is to show your support for melanoma cancer patients and Sleep Disorders.

Blue Ribbon
Blue ribbons are associated with ARDS, Osteogenesis Imperfecta, Colon Cancer and Arthritis.

Burgundy Ribbon
Burgundy ribbons are for myeloma, hospice care, Sepsis, APS (Antiphospholipid Antibody Syndrome), FVL, Thrombophilia, headaches and to support the Permanently Disabled.

CDH Ribbon
Support Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia (CDH) patients.

Gold Ribbon
The Gold ribbons are for childhood cancer and COPD.

Gray Ribbon
Gray ribbons are for asthma and brain tumors.

Green Ribbon
Green awareness ribbons support organ & tissue donors, Neurofibromatosis, Kidney Cancer, Cerebral Palsy, Bipolar and Tourette syndrome.

Green-Orange Ribbon
The green-orange ribbon is for Ritual Abuse and Dual Diagnosis. It's a special tribute to our friend Jim. You are all welcome to wear the ribbon and support the dual diagnosed.

Lavender Ribbon
Lavender awareness ribbons are associated with cancer and epilepsy.

Light Blue Ribbon
Light blue is the ribbon to support prostate cancer.

Lime Green Ribbon
Lime Awareness Ribbon to support Lyme Disease and Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy patients.

Orange Ribbon
The orange ribbon stands for leukemia, RSD/CRPS, hunger, and addiction recovery.

Pale Yellow Ribbon
Spina bifida awareness is symbolized by pale yellow ribbons.

Pearl Ribbon
Pearl ribbons are for lung cancer, mesothelioma and multiple sclerosis.

Periwinkle Ribbon
Periwinkle Ribbon is a symbol of eating disorders and pulmonary hypertension.

Pink Ribbon
A pink ribbon is to show your support for breast cancer patients.

Purple Ribbon
Purple ribbons are worn to show support for Alzheimer's disease, Fibromyalgia, Chronic and Intractable Pain, ADHD, Lupus and cystic fibrosis.

Puzzle Ribbon
Wear the Puzzle Ribbon to support those 'living with' autism.

Red Ribbon
Red ribbons are associated with AIDS and HIV, heart disease and substance abuse.

Silver Ribbon
Parkinson's disease and mental illnesses are represented by silver ribbons.

Teal Ribbon
Teal ribbon represents substance abuse, Myasthenia Gravis and Panic Attacks.

White Ribbon
White ribbons support diabetes and retinoblastoma.

Yellow Red Ribbon
Hepatitis C Virus.

Yellow Ribbon
Yellow ribbons represent bladder and testicular cancer , liver disease, hydrocephalus, suicide prevention, down syndrome and hope.

Hey - "Purple ribbons are worn to show support for Alzheimer's disease, Fibromyalgia, Chronic and Intractable Pain, ADHD, Lupus and cystic fibrosis." OK - I've changed my mind - ribbons are the COOLEST! Marilyn and I get to wear the same ribbon (Lupus and ADHD) - into our old age and feeble mindedness! OH YEAH!

Understanding Poverty

Ann and Ben by Finijo

While at Little Barnaby's, I was lucky enough to encounter Ann Walton Sieber and Ben DeSoto and have a brief, but very interesting conversation about homelessness and good books. They are working on a project that will premier at Diverse Works on September 12th called Understanding Poverty and it will showcase Ben's incredible photography. Check out Ben's online gallery at his website zendfoto.com.

Healing Stones

I was home sick today and generally felt like caca. I went out this evening to find dinner and ended up at Whole Foods. While eating my dinner there, I met a woman who was wearing the most interesting jewelry. She said it was labradorite and that she worked with a PhD therapist who could "talk to the stones." We had a lengthy conversation about the healing properties of stones and "stone elixirs" she used to make. She described the elixir process as "submerging the healing stone in purified water, then add other ingredients and either vodka or brandy." She says each stone has a different healing property, but I couldn't help but think that perhaps the healing was from the vodka or brandy. I shot this footage of the aquarium at Whole Foods,and I think the sight of fish swimming probably has more of a healing property than the stones we discussed.

Stinger

Stinger III by Finijo

This thing has been menacing my home for a few days now. Buzzing around, acting angry - that's how he gets his kicks. He also seems strangely fond of lights that are on - but not so fond of being whacked by the ceiling fan. This is not what you would call a bright bug.

Stinger Light by Finijo

It lurks, then it comes out and drives the cats mad. I have concerns that they will pounce on it and get stung, but then I'm a little curious about how they would react should that happen. It seems that cats should have some inner mechanism that keeps them from getting hurt in that situation.

Stinger Light II by Finijo

I finally managed to scoop him up in a cup and get him out the door, but I still don't know what it is. Anyone got a clue for me? Whatever he is, he did not enjoy being held in a cup, and he protested very loudly.

Fourth of July Fireworks

Spider Lily by Finijo

I got to see fireworks this 4th of July. I went to a party in BFE and the ENTIRE neighborhood was lit up like...well, like the 4th of July. It was incredible. I left around 1:00 AM and there were still 30 people standing out in the street setting off fireworks.

Lion King by Finijo

I played with the settings and even moved the camera around to get some experimental shots. So most of my fireworks shots, don't look exactly like fireworks, but I had fun shooting them.

Flamenco Dancer by Finijo

This shot brought to my mind a flamenco dancer, with her red dress twirling about her.

Fireball by Finijo

This looks like some kind of strange space shot or explosion. Maybe even the Big Bang for an emerging galaxy. It was a fun evening and the sky was lit up beautifully.

Zoo Photo Shoot

Turtle Girl By Finijo

I went on a photo shoot at the Zoo with a photo group I joined on line. It was a lot of fun and a HUGE learning experience. This statue reminded me of when I rode a turtle like that at the Little Rock Zoo - it doesn't seem the nicest thing to do to a Galapagos turtle.

White Bird by Finijo

This bird was perched at the top of a habitat enclosure that had other birds, gophers, field mice and some strange kind of rabbit. The rodent life seemed to be enjoying themselves as they scampered all over the place.

Vulturine by Finijo

This bird looks like a cross between a vulture and a pheasant. The picture does not do the electric blue plumage justice - it was gorgeous.

Giraffe by Finijo

The sun was really bright, so I had a difficult time seeing what I was shooting at. I took a huge amount of pictures and very few of them were usable. The problems on this shoot were innumerable.

Iguana by Finijo

In the reptile house they use different types of lighting to simulate the habitats of different reptiles. This is one of the few shots that came out looking like it what I saw behind the glass.

Blue Frog by Finijo

I didn't doctor this shot of the frog at all. He is a blue frog with black spots and his tank had a lot of condensation built up on the glass. I like that it came out looking like a heat sensory image.

Albino Gator by Finijo

This guy was half in and half out of the water, so the bottom half looks a little distorted because of the water. I snapped this photo of him just as he was giving me the eye.

Komodo Dragon by Finijo

I took a lot of shots of the Komodo Dragon, but I had to shoot through Plexiglas that was quite scratched up, so there is some distortion. Worse than the distortion was the fact that most of the shots had the reflection of a yellow warning stripe that was on the stairs in front of the enclosure. For being a dangerous reptile, it has a rather sweet facial expression.

Elephant Hiding by Finijo

I took photos of the elephants, but this is the only one I like, because it doesn't show the industrial looking pen. The others are full body shots, but the elephant enclosure looks like something from Juraisic Park - and frankly, it's just too ugly to want to capture in photos.

Snakehead Turtles by Finijo

These guys freaked me out. At first I thought that there were snakes in the water with the turtles - creeeeepy! I took this shot from above their tank while they were under water.

Lioness by Finijo

I shot this beautiful girl through Plexiglas. She came right up to the window I was standing in front of and just plopped down and went to sleep. It was a hot day, so I can't blame her. I thoroughly enjoyed getting together with other photographers (20 in total) and I plan to do it again soon.

Buddhist Temple

Pure Land Window by Finijo

I took this photo from inside of the Buddhist temple I visited somewhere near Tomball, Texas. I have to be honest, because of my lousy sense of direction, I am not sure what the name of the Temple is or exactly where it is. I would never have found it, if I had not been given explicit directions each step of the way. I didn't even get off any exterior shots, because the sky opened up in a major thunder storm before I got the chance.

Temple Interior by Switters

This is what the inside of the temple looked like. It is ornate and quite simple at the same time. The type of Buddhism practiced here is called Pure Land and it is a type of Mahayana Buddhism. The exterior of the building is not ornate, but the grounds are full of statues and the interior has a huge alter and many objects of worship.

Amitabha by Finijo

We were greeted by a female monk when we arrived and she called the master on her cell phone to ask what to do with us, because she did not speak English. I talked briefly to him and when he was satisfied that we were there to learn, he gave her instructions. She allowed us to take pictures inside the temple, and she gave us books to take with us to learn more about their practice. I was impressed by their sense of openness and hospitality, and in spite of the distance, I am really glad I made the trip. This was a really nice surprise of an adventure.

Rain

My yard has been so parched lately. The storm that hit today was more than welcome. I need to throw down that grass seed I have in a bag, to try to bring back what has burned away.

Wiggy's New Trick

Wiggy Trick by Finijo

Saffie has taught Wiggy the fine art of drinking...from the toilet. We now have two cats who think this is appropriate. Notice the repair job I did with strapping tape. The truth is that I bought a new toilet seat a month ago, but haven't felt like putting it on since the tape worked so well...

The Station Museum - Defending Democracy!

Connor and I got a chance to visit The Station Museum of Contemporary Art again. I have to say that this museum and the Menil are my two favorite places to view art at the moment. The Menil is fantastic with so many pieces of classic art, antiquities, and an incredible Surrealist collection. The Station Museum is a different kind of museum. The installations I have seen so far are based on a theme that ties all of the work together. Although it is a smaller exhibition space, each of the exhibits I have viewed there was staged for maximum visual impact, and they have all been incredibly provocative.

The exhibit currently showing is Defending Democracy and it features Emory Douglas: The Black Panther Party, Otabenga Jones & Associates, and ASAR (Assembly of Revolutionary Artists of Oaxaca). As the curator said, "This is revolutionary art for the people." Notice the markers on the floor, put there for patrons to be able to contribute their own revolutionary declarations. Connor wrote, "McCain is OLD!" I'm not sure how revolutionary that statement is, but it made him feel good to put his two cents on the walls of a museum.

As I walked through the museum, it occurred to me that many of the works I was viewing were painted directly on the walls of the museum. I know The Station Museum well at this point, so I realized that the works would be destroyed when the exhibit ends, because they were not on canvas or paper that could be rolled up and sent off. The ASAR logo is a gun with a finger on the trigger. I had to be told this by the curator, because I thought it was a watch and a cell phone (I know, how revolutionary is watch and a cell phone?).

I told the curator on duty that it was a shame that the murals would no longer exist in a matter of weeks. I also said that I have always wanted to take pictures in a museum, and I was shocked when he responded by telling me to take all the pictures I wanted. I didn't believe him at first and asked a couple of times if he was sure- as you can see by the pictures here, he was serious.

This is a woodblock print about two by two and a half feet. There are many of these works on display in the exhibit, including one that is about 6 times the size of this one. I never saw woodblock prints that were this large before. There is a lot of the exhibit that I left out, because my pictures did not turn out very good. I did take some video of the back room of the exhibit, which has been turned into the basketball court for El Shabazz H.S., with a net, a score board and bleachers for watching the documentary that is playing. It was a visionary concept to create a theater out of a basketball court and for the presentation of this film.

I have to credit the curator, James Harithas, for his vision and for consistently and imaginatively presenting a unique variety of contemporary art at the Station.

Piddling Girl

I saw this when I was on the road today. I had to stop to take a picture. I think the statue is quite beautiful (albeit a bit much for the modest home it stands before). On the other hand, the placement of the water hose is a bit unfortunate, but it did catch my eye...

Reflections on a Life

Reflections on a Life by Finijo

I passed this old woman who was slowly lumbering in the sweltering heat of the day as she made her way home with her groceries in tow. I drove around the block so that I could meet her at my driveway and offer her a ride to her destination. She smiled when she replied, "No, Honey. This is my WALK." She was so cheerful in her big hat under in stultifying heat, I could not help but admire her and her spirit.