BonK!

Charleston Falls, Tipp City, OH - Autumn 2011

2011-10-10T23:01:00.001-04:00

Charleston Falls, Autumn 2011, a set on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
Fall foliage colors were reported to be at their peak in our area this weekend (10/7~9/2011). My wife and I chose to visit Charleston Falls on recommendation from a friend. I tried a few more of my 3-D stereo pair images and am happy with the results. Having grown up in areas to the north of Dayton, OH, I was surprised to learn of this place. I'd never heard of it before! It's a beautiful setting with waterfalls, cliffs, and a lot of hiking paths through forest and field settings. Many of the paths, especially near the falls, are old, narrow, and otherwise rather challenging with rocks and tree roots making for uneven footing. Casual walkers with a fear of heights or claustrophobia may not do well here. Footwear with ankle support is recommended, and be sure to watch your step, as some trails are immediately adjacent to steep slopes. Despite concerns about the trails, it's a beautiful site and worth the bearing of it's challenges. We'll certainly be visiting again and may even take the dog with us for a walk on some of the safer trails. Don't miss this place!

Sporangia of Stemonitis splendens (a slime mold)

2011-05-15T06:00:00.000-04:00

In the course of discovering what it was I'd shot in these photographs I learned some disturbing facts. My research uncovered details of living things I believed to be fiction; things that, nevertheless, jad haunted my childhood and have, conceivably, dimmed my overall life experience ever so slightly. I'll explain...

First, I have to point out that Stemonitis splendens (Stemonitis sp.) typically does not appear as in my photos. When it runs out of food, or conditions become otherwise unfavorable, it sprouts super-thin black hairs on which brown spore groups grow. The spores eventually fall off and are spread by wind, and possibly other means. I don't know what this slime mold looks like in its normal thriving state. Perhaps it's not very noticeable when it's normal. It only grows sporangia when it must.

So, Stemonitis sp. is a type of slime mold. There are different forms of slime molds, but this one is particularly disturbing (to me) because it's basically "The Blob" until it becomes hairy, as in my photos.

I saw the Steve McQueen version of "The Blob" when I was a little kid. The memory of "The Blob" gave me frights as a child when I'd notice shadows under doors and caused me nightmares for many years. The most recent nightmare was just a few years ago... The dream was one of those commonly experienced 'chase' situations that most people have from time to time, in which someone or some 'thing' is after you. Also, "The Blob" ruined my desire to enjoy puddings and gelatins. I'm over that food problem now and will eat such things, but, if I have a choice between pudding/gelatin and anything else, Else always wins.

So, slime molds (slime/s), like Stemonitis sp., are large single-celled organisms containing multiple nuclei and lacking cell walls. Such organisms are called 'plasmodia' and are made up of protoplasm, the same stuff inside most single cells. They move by pulsating, though I have no idea how they manage to pulse in the first place.

Stemonitis sp. are different from other molds and fungi in that they do not grow roots into surfaces. Rooting would hinder their ability to move about in search of food. They creep along, blob-like, enveloping bits and pieces of organic matter and 'consuming' those bits. Unlike "The Blob" they do not subsist on living matter, but may pass over living plants in their search for other organic debris foodstuffs.

Stemonitis sp. are not edible by humans. Even if they were, they would barely make a decent snack. However, they do provide food for slugs and other creepy crawlies, which will eat just about any debris they find. I often find slugs feasting on the poo residue on scoops we use outside to clean up the yard when our dog has to go #2.

For the sake of posterity, my first impressions upon seeing the mass of sporing slime were as follows:
I thought that someone had stuck a patch of stringy brown fuzz to the window frame. Why would someone do this? I don't know, but I've seen far more random things than a patch stringy brown fuzz on a windowpane.

I should mention that, in this sporing state, the slime is not readily visible, perhaps having dried out. I suspect the slime was thriving in our remarkably rainy Spring. Then, the recent day and a half of no rain, plus a wee bit of sunshine, may have dried out the slime enough to cause this batch to go into spore mode.

The black stems, at first glance, resembled a patch of black velcro to which the stringy brown fuzz was attached. As I leaned in for a closer look I noticed the dusty brown stuff laying on the windowsill beneath and to the side of the fuzz and recognized it as spore dust. Even after discovering that this was a patch of mold I thought it looked like something else. The storefront where this was found had once been home to a dealer of saltwater aquariums, fish, corals, etc. and I considered the sporangia to resemble a sea anemone.

Spring is a good time for finding many odd things. Later, in the evening of the same day, I found a large Cleopatra moth at a local convenience store. I have photos of it to post as well.

I hope this information will be of use to someone else in the future.

Thanks to http://www.messiah.edu/Oakes/fungi_on_wood/club%20and%20coral/species%20pages/Stemonitis.htm for the scientific details concerning my strange find.

Hey Dayton!

2011-05-03T07:58:00.001-04:00

kb.ultra's photostream on Flickr.

Patrick Dougherty Woven Wood Scupture!
Wegerzyn Gardens MetroPark has a new attraction. Photos don't do it, or the park, justice. Go see it for yourself!

Limberger PSA - A Warning

2011-05-03T06:47:00.000-04:00

I love cheese. Not just in the cultural sense, but in the edible sense. I love to try cheeses I've never had before.

One day, about a year ago, a friendly clerk at the grocery store had samples of Limberger.
I've seen enough cartoon Limberger gags to know that it was probably fairly potent stuff, so I tricked myself into disbelieving Tom & Jerry. I convinced myself that it couldn't be so bad, and that I shouldn't allow cartoons to deprive me of a life experience. As it turned out the cartoons were right.
I was Wile E. Coyote ordering another fine ACME product. My palate paid the price, falling to it's apparent death. And, just like Wile E. Coyote, as my taste buds begin to rise from the impact crater, a boulder of Limberger memory comes crashing down to ruin a good day and add insult to the "injury". The cartoons were right! I'm sure you'd rather not imprint your face in a frying pan; so too, you do not want to try Limberger cheese.

When it comes to Limberger, I can't stress this enough, DO NOT EAT IT. DO NOT EVEN TASTE IT. I mean that with all my being. It's not a warning, not merely a request, but a Commandment.

Limberger tastes like the combined scents of month old used cat litter, on a plate of fresh bird droppings, with a severed decaying hobo foot for garnish.

Limberger will not kill you, but it will haunt your tastebuds for eternity, really. NEVER, EVER PUT LIMBERGER CHEESE ANYWHERE NEAR YOUR MOUTH. And if anyone else tries to tell you it's not all that bad, make them eat it first. They won't. You'll know them for a liar, and you have a duty to punch them square in the face.

Limberger really is that bad. FACTS: This is not a matter of personal taste. Limberger cheese is not an acquired taste, like oysters or caviar. It's not a flavor that you will grow to appreciate. I believe Limberger cheese exists only to create a market for gourmet dog poop!

People get struck by lightning and live, but there ain't a'one of them that'll suggest you try getting struck by lightning for yourself. Limberger is just like that.

Limberger is the worst thing I've ever experienced that didn't cause me any physical harm, but the random phantom-smells and taste memory of the experience is still with me over a year later. I have Limberger PTSD!

If you feed a prisoner Limberger cheese, their lawyer will probably get them freed on grounds of cruel and unusual punishment.

Limberger is really that bad. Like a cobra snake bite, just believe Limberger is bad. Don't find out for yourself.

Thank You

Photo Blogging

2011-04-07T14:25:00.001-04:00

Some years ago, maybe more than a handful, there was a very friendly community of people using a site called TextAmerica - TA, for short. Pre-MySpace, TA was a 'first generation' site. It's sole purpose was to do something quite uncommon at the time; place photos and text together online, from your phone! Soon, TA added video and "vlogging" became an option as well. Many photos of pets, brewskis, dinner plates, and local landmarks later, here's a picture of my cat, as this nostalgic reminiscence of newness gone stale comes to an end. It's worth remembering how we got to here and considering the who what when where and why of it all. 'Tis the will of Samson Kitteh.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Fun with #ChangeLoveToLubeSongs

2011-03-09T11:03:00.064-05:00

I don't spend a lot of time on Twitter. I like Twitter. I appreciate Twitter. However, short bursts of communication only get us so far. Fortunately, I'm a huge fan of well-done short-form works. Limericks, Haiku, bumper stickers, T-shirts, and Tweets can all be extremely funny, thought provoking, controversial, and even important and/or meaningful forms of word-play. This post, as you might have gathered from the title, is focused primarily on humor. As with many humorous endeavors, there can be found a grain of truth, or a spark for waxing philosophic.

Tuesday night, while checking in on Twitter, I took a look at the Trending Topics. Hashtag #changelovetolubesongs was at the top of the list. The idea is to change the word Love to the word Lube in song titles. Thus, The Beatles' "All You Need is Love" becomes "All You Need is Lube".

Seems simple enough, but I found many of these to have layers of meaning waiting to be discovered. Much of it depends on what your mind brings along, much like in Tuesday's episode of Glee; in which the naíve school counselor chooses the song "Afternoon Delight" as a wholesome tune for the Celibacy Club to perform - because she thought it was about a refreshing snack on a 4th of July afternoon. So you see, "All You Need is Lube" by The Beatles is funny, but might be funnier still if one's mind is "polluted" enough to include masturbation euphemisms derived from the band's name. It was in my neurons! LOL

OK, so, I LOVE word games and couldn't resist following the hashtag for a bit. A lot of titles are obvious and get repeated often. Other ideas just aren't very good. I wasn't impressed with the majority of posts I found, and at the same time, I had a few of my own ideas, but was unwilling to participate (I was at work, signed in on my work account - one should at least attempt a professional demeanor). On the other hand, I wasn't willing to let this fun find go un-noticed, so I posted a Tweet about #changelovetolubesongs and how funny I thought it was, knowing it would serve as a reminder to me later. And yet, I couldn't wait until later...

I started scrolling through the song titles on my iPod and found a lot of gems. I also found that I had some duplicate songs as performed by different artists. This led to the realization that the artist/group performing one of these songs could either add or detract from the humor in various ways. Consider any Love/Lube song as performed by The Cars ("Looking for Lube" & "This Could be Lube"). Cars require lubrication. It's not even a dirty joke any more! And, the twist can still put a smile on your face. :-)

Because of the recent Valentine's Day, and my personal inclination toward the romantic, there happen to be a lot of Love-titled songs on my iPod. Below is the full list of songs actually on my iPod when I found the hashtag. All are funny, some hilarious, a few awkward items, others downright philosophical, and some that might be gross. I now leave my list and the meme in your capable, and possibly slippery, hands:

All My Lube - Led Zeppelin
All You Need is Lube - The Beatles
Beat Out My Lube - The Cramps
The Book Lubers - Broadcast
Can You Feel the Lube - Candy Flip
Crazy Lube - Van Morrison
Crazy Lube, Vol. II - Paul Simon
Creatures of Lube - The Talking Heads
Crimson & Cluber - Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
Dominated Lube Slave - Green Day
Double Shot (of My Baby's Lube) - The Swingin' Medallions
Exotica/Voodoo Lube - Martin Denny
Forbidden Zone: Lube Theme - Danny Elfman
Genius of Lube - The Tom Tom Club
Get Down, Make Lube - Queen
The Glory of Lube - The Dukes of Dixieland
Good Old-fashioned Luber Boy - Queen
Hello, I Lube You/Touch Me - The Lettermen
Hold on to Your Lube - Neil Young
I'm in the Mood for Lube - Jackie Gleason
I Can't Believe that You're in Lube with Me - The John Buzon Trio
I Lube You (Miss Robot) - The Buggles
I Need Your Lube - NRG
Indian Lube Call - Slim Whitman
Isle of Lube - Martin Denny
It's the Lube - The Tasties
Lay All Your Lube on Me - Information Society
Little Thing Called Lube - Neil Young
The Look of Lube - Billy May
The Look of Lube - Dusty Springfield
The Look of Lube - Susanna Hoffs
Looking for Lube - The Cars
Lube Catalog - Bassomatic
Lube Dance - Les Baxter
Lube Goddess of Venus - The Ventures
Lube is Stronger than Justice (The Munificent Seven) - Sting
Lube on a Farmboy's Wages - XTC
Lube Theme from TRON - Wendy Carlos
Lubefool - The Cardigans
Lubely Head - Goldfrapp
Luber - Richard Marino & his Orchestra
Lust to Lube - The Go-Gos
The Magic Piper (of Lube) - Edwyn Collins
Message of Lube - The Pretenders
Moments in Lube - The Art of Noise
My Lube - Paul McCartney & Wings
Mysteries of Lube - Julee Cruise
Native Lube - The Enchanters
Our Lube is Here to Stay - Dave Grusin
Pool of Lube - Les Baxter
Sea of Lube - The Honeydrippers
So in Lube - K.D. Laing
Space Age Lube Song - A Flock of Seagulls
Talking 'Bout My Lube - James Hunter
This Could be Lube - The Cars
This Guy's in Lube with You - Gene Chandler
What is Lube? - Deee-Lite
What the World Needs Now is Lube - Burt Bacharach/The Posies
When a Man Lubes a Woman - Percy Sledge
When Lube Comes to Town - U2 with B.B. King
Who Do You Lube? - The Woolies
Who Do You Lube? - George Thorogood & the Delaware Destroyers
Wicked Lube - Bassomatic
Xtabay (Lure of the Unknown Lube) - Yma Sumac/Les Baxter

TRON Assault on MCP board game 1981

2010-12-25T22:35:00.001-05:00

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Holiday Season with The Flash

2010-12-15T17:49:00.002-05:00

Reminding us of the craziness this time of year can bring. Slow down and enjoy time with friends and family.

The Ghosts of Hauntfests Past (my Boo-N-Brew photo galleries)

2010-10-21T22:15:00.000-04:00

The Oregon Historic District/Oregon Arts District in Dayton, Ohio has been host to the famous Hauntfest Halloween Party (formerly known as Boo-N-Brew) on the stretch of East Fifth Street between Patterson Boulevard and Wayne Avenue for many years.

Late October weather in Dayton is quite fickle. Hauntfest has seen all kinds of weather. We've lingered in the street sporting costumes with short sleeves and we've wished we had on thermal underwear while watching a KISS tribute band perform in the snow. I can't tell what weather will face us this year, or what my costume will be, yet, but I'll be out and about with my camera, once again recording some of the fun and adventure.

2010 marks the 25th Anniversary of this (in?)famous event. My friends and family have enjoyed many of them, many more than are represented in the photos below.

If you find yourself in any of these images please let me know in the comments here or in their Picasa galleries. Enjoy!

2009 - 2008 - 2007 - 2006 - 2005 - 2004 - earlier

Internet Disappoints

2010-07-31T06:07:00.000-04:00

Recent stories about financial investments by Google and the CIA in a company called Recorded Future have spawned no comparison that I can find, as of this writing, to Hari Seldon's science of psychohistory as described in Isaac Asimov's science fiction novel "Foundation". I'm rather ashamed of you, Internets.

Foodies, you may never see your meals the same way again...

2010-07-18T03:22:00.002-04:00

http://insideinsides.blogspot.com/

Inside Insides is a small collection fruits and vegetables rendered as black & white animated .gif files created from Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans.

These images are amazing, beautiful, disturbing, and thought provoking.
To me this project seems, in some way, kin to the photographic motion studies of Eadweard Muybridge.

Together, they could be used as a Rorschach test for the 21st century!
The humble tomato becomes nuclear plasma, watermelons are fractal generators, broccoli as migraine optical effects, and more.

Some are hypnotic. A few appear to have been positioned to achieve some small artistic effect. I only wish they'd been assembled in a way that alleviated the little visual jolt at the beginning/end when each animation loops. Despite any alleged "flaws" I may think I perceive, these things are mind-blowing. Do not hesitate to check them out.

Enjoy!!!

"The Truth About Ninjas" from Skinny White Chick's Blog

2010-06-21T01:00:00.001-04:00

I have a handful of Google Alerts for a variety of things of personal interest. One alert is for the words "burlesque" and "Dayton" in the hope of finding sexy and humorous events that I might attend in my area.

Naturally, I have to spend some time separating the the useful alerts out of the lot, but I find it worth the trouble. Good alerts are are always welcome, bad alerts get deleted, but the search often turns up odd little gems like this, "The Truth About Ninjas" from Skinny White Chick - Blog

As always, Enjoy!

BonK's Burly-Q Blitzkrieg! A DCA: BotG-G Special

2010-05-19T03:31:00.002-04:00

TOMORROW NIGHT

As you may have heard [from me*], Casino O'Fortune Cookie Productions will bring their NYC Burly-Q show "Dangerous Curves Ahead: Burlesque on the Go-Go" to Gilly's Jazz Night Club in Dayton, Ohio on May 5th, 2010 for the low, low price of $10.00!

The tour originated in New York City and D-town is the first stop along the way, with the third show in Columbus on Friday night! Check http://www.burlesqueonthegogo.com for details. Video links below!

One detail you may not have encountered... the crew mentioned in the above image will be joined by Miss Champagne Shock!

I thought you'd like a hint of what's in store... Here are some clips from thier previous projects:
Returning "Champion" Clams Casino, and her Go-Go pals, Anita Cookie, GiGi La Femme, Darlinda Just Darlinda, Minnie Tonka, with their guest Champagne Shock!

Clams was here last year on the "Monsters of Burlesque" tour; a short but sweet affair that gave me my first taste of live burlesque. If you'd like to see my photos from that show, check out my Picasa gallery.

I hope to see you at Gilly's on Thursday night at 8 PM for the Dayton stop of "Dangerous Curves Ahead: Burlesque on the Go-Go!" Just $10.00!

Some of my feeds:

Twitter - BonKH / BonnettsBooks
MySpace - BonK! / =[BONNETT'S]=
Facebook - Kevin Bonnett / Bonnett's Bookstore

Strange but fascinating - Urinal.net

2010-04-02T03:00:00.001-04:00

While watching "The Marriage Ref" with my wife I learned of a man who wanted to install a urinal in his home. His wife, predictably, objected.

"The Marriage Ref" is a light-hearted and often very funny show executive-produced by Jerry Seinfeld. The show features arguing couples who set their disagreements up before a celebrity panel. The panel briefly discusses the merits of both parties and chooses a side. Sometimes they find a middle ground and tell the couple to compromise. There are usually four couples/arguments per episode.

This week, Kirstie Alley, Jimmy Fallon, and Sheryl Crow debated the issues. The celebrity panel changes from week to week and is typically made up of people affiliated with NBC. A fifth person, the show's fact-checker, has some background information about the argument and sits with a laptop near the panel, searching the Web for additional information related to the arguments.

I was surprised when Sheryl and Kirstie thought the guy should get his urinal, but Jimmy and show host Tom Papa disagreed. The host gets the final say, no matter how the voting goes, so the guy didn't get his urinal. However, during the discussion they mentioned he's been shopping around for the perfect pot for many years. The fact-checker provided some sidebar info regarding the wide variety of basic urinal choices available to the world at large.

The various styles presented on the show reminded me of some odd pissers I'd seen around the Internet in years past. I did a quick search of my own and found Urinal.net. There are some very odd and truly classic urinals in the world. I'm sure we're all familiar with the trough style found in some arenas and bars,

Once you finish reading this page, Rothesay (including a bit of possible, though unlikely, pop music history), just click the Home button at the bottom of the page to see more of the world's greatest pots to piss in.

Rothesay was found on this list of the Top 10 Most Fascinating Urinals, according to Urinal.net. My personal favorite was their #10 of Number Ones, The Felix. The Top 10 list can be found at the following link. It opens in a pop-up window that, in turn, opens it's links back in your browser. Relax and enjoy.
Urinal.net Top 10

McFarlane Toys ALIEN 3-D Movie Poster light bulb replacement (How To)

2010-03-29T03:21:00.002-04:00

I've been a fan of the movie ALIEN since before it came out, thanks to fan mags like Starlog back in the 70's. So, A few years ago my son bought me this pretty sweet ALIEN 3-D Movie Poster made by McFarlane Toys.

McFarlane has a line of these 3-D items, but I think this is the only one that lights up. There's space behind the white text block at the bottom for two AA batteries that power a lightbulb behind the egg. When the light is on there's a nice eerie glow emanating from the cracks in the ALIEN egg. The switch is a protruding push-button on the lower right side of the frame.

McFarlane Toys are known for their attention to detail regarding the iconic items they produce. I frequently find nuisance issues with their products, but McFarlane Toys are so good overall that they're worth a little suffering. This is one such tale of temporary despair.

When my son presented me with this little gem I didn't immediately have a place to display it. I tucked it alongside a shelf near my desk for safekeeping until I could give it proper placement. We had already removed the poster from it's box to get a better look at it and we failed to secure it as it was when purchased, with twist ties running through the back panel. Alas, the poster was stowed in such a manner as to apply sufficient force to the push-button switch that the light was activated. Since the package was facing the side of a shelf the dim green glow was not evident, even in the dark.

When I was ready to display the poster I found the light wouldn't come on. I changed the batteries. No joy. I tried another set of batteries. Phooey. "It must be the light bulb" I thought, and I turned the thing around to try and find an access point for the bulb. I couldn't find any obvious way in. There are a number of screws on the back panel, which I removed, only to determine that the back panel is glued firmly in place, which in turn caused me to wonder why the product has screws at all. Then I tested the egg.

Engineers know that egg shapes are surprisingly resistant to pressure from end to end, and I found that to be the case with this soft plastic ALIEN version. The sides would flex but not the point or base. I believed there might be a lip located at the top and bottom of the egg, clipping it to the frame, but no matter how hard I tried I couldn't release those imagined plastic latches. Over the years I've managed to break or ding a few treasures by trying a little too hard to repair them, so I turned to the Internet. After about an hour of searching, which included the McFarlane Toys site, I failed to find any useful information.

I gave up any repair attempts, fearing I might damage the gift from my son. So, now it was late, I was tired and frustrated, and I decided to put the thing away and go to bed, slightly disappointed that I wouldn't have a working display on his next visit.

A few weeks later my son called me up and informed me that he had purchased one of these things for himself too! His light had also burned out, but he, being a brash youth, was more willing to apply force, and found that the egg could be removed by simply pulling it away from the panel on which it was mounted. Hurray!

Now, even when you know how one of these things is built, their materials and details are easily damaged by carelessness. Use gentle force when attempting this repair. Very often with such detail oriented items, I've found that removeable/replaceable features are not as they should be, primarily due to issues regarding the paints. It seems these toys are assembled before the paint is fully dried, creating joints and parts to stick when they should not, or that the paint creates a layer thick enough to interfere with an items design specs.

So here's what we found. Three pins hold the egg in place. One pin near the top seems to be fixed to the egg itself. The other two pins are fixed to the back panel and slide into corresponding holes near the bottom of the egg.

1) Carefully grip the sides of the egg (don't squeeze too much, you might damage the matte finish on the back panel or cause the egg's materials to separate or the paint to flake).

2) Pull the egg away from the back panel. Some folks may find that a little tiny bit of wiggling helps, but avoid as much side-to-side or top-to-bottom pressure as you can because you might snap one or more of the pins.

3) Once you've replaced the bulb the egg should simply slide right back into it's secure place.

NOTES:
a) The protruding side-mounted push-button light switch is a design flaw, but was probably the most cost effective choice for McFarlane Toys. The poster has a single hole in the back for a hanger, meaning that turning the light off and on is liable to cause it to move and require straightening. If this matte black frame rubs too much against a light colored wall, it WILL leave a mark. Consider applying tiny felt sticky pads to the back of the poster near the corners.
b) I've considered replacing the cheap incadescent bulb with an LED, but I don't honestly feel I'm up to the project at this time.
c) Please use rechargeable batteries whenever possible. I've had a set of four Panasonic AA's for my digital camera since Autumn of 2003 and haven't experienced any noticeable decline in performance in those nearly seven years.

Good luck if you find yourself needing this page. Please let me know if you've found the information useful.

Image text reproduced here for easier searching:

How many fanboys does it take to change a lightbulb? Two. One to burn it out, and the other to put his collectible at risk. Repairing your McFarlane ALIEN 3-D Movie Poster. Pin Hole 2 Pins Light Bulb

Learning while Building with Toys

2010-02-26T04:52:00.001-05:00

When I was a little kid I wanted to be an architect. At that time, all I knew about architects was that they made cool buildings, and that's what I wanted to do. I always had a thing for places and spaces and I do still, but it goes deeper, because it has to. There's no point in places without We the People to occupy them.

What's the coolest place? The Batcave, without a doubt, but it's a cave; a space, not a work of architecture. By association, Wayne Manor might then be the coolest place, but no. Wayne Manor is a stuffy old manse built primarily to impress. Even it's primary occupant, Bruce Wayne, remarks on the stodgy and overblown nature of the place, while dining with Vicki Vale in Tim Burton's "Batman". How cool would Batman be if he was a minimum wage employee who's HQ was a basement, garage, or a shed in the back yard? Cool places for cool people; that was my childhood thinking.

Childlike thoughts or not, I knew that structures are designed to serve human needs. Wayne Manor's design serves the need of vanity; displaying it's owner's wealth as a symbol of success, power, and influence. It's form serves it's function. The Batcave however, is a predetermined space. It's function is a result of it's form; A secret, hidden place, configured by, and to serve the needs of, the Dark Knight.

But, that's enough of the comic-book geekery. Batman's and other heroes' headquarters are likely largely responsible for my interest in structures and design. However, I always had a tendency to ponder the purpose and layout of more mundane locations, my childhood home in particular. I don't really know where my design-related leanings were spawned, but I do know they were encouraged by my playthings.

Lego bricks were an endless wonder, but the older versions could be frustrating. They were made of a different stuff than today's Legos, and had a tendency to fit too well for little kid hands to pull apart. I remember using my teeth as clamps often, sometimes causing injury to my gums and/or lips in the process, and very sore fingers in cases when teeth weren't quite required. Oh, also, blood blisters, from getting pinched between bricks. For the record, none of the aforementioned problems seem to exist with today's Lego bricks.

My brother and I also had Lincoln Logs, Erector Sets, and, while I don't remember owning any, I know we played with Tinkertoys somewhere along the line. Perhaps some of these toys weren't architectural, per se, but they did require some forethought. Re-designs were common upon learning that a certain structure wouldn't serve it's intended purpose. These early engineering experiments gave me a useful grasp of concepts I still use today,* more often than I realize, until I spend time, as I am now, thinking about it.

The point of all this blather is that I've found a site all about Architectural Toys. The man who runs the site must be some sort of kindred spirit. It's an amazing effort. If you're inclined to check it out, I'm sure you'll find many things you remember and some more that you have forgotten. Enjoy the site!

Check out Architoys - Jackie Britton's Home Page and look for the A-Z listing of Architectural Toys.

*Some of my best engineering and design lessons were learned from a toy line not mentioned on the ArchiToys site, but Hot Wheels aren't architectural in nature. Even so, the building and rebuilding of tracks to achieve faster races, farther jumps, and longer runs was some of the most educational free time I spent as a kid. Bonus: Cool cars!

(not actually) A Picture A Day - December 2009

2010-01-04T01:23:00.000-05:00

Collecting some of my photos from December 2009, featuring Santa Pub Crawl. Enjoy!

All I Want for Christmas (Is to Rock!)

2009-12-24T02:16:00.000-05:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY!

Click here to visit Chris' blog to get the free download of this track.

SNIPER feat. Chris Hardwick
All I Want for Christmas (Is to Rock!)

Video Games - E3 2010 - Comedy

Video linked from G4TV.com

November 2009 Edition of A Picture A Day

2009-12-22T04:00:00.000-05:00

December is almost done. Daylight hours don't get any shorter. It's well past time I posted the November issue in my series of "A Picture A Day" video slide-shows.

As usual, there are a few phonecam photos to start. Me, waking up with cats all over me, Team Void getting ready for their first guerrilla show above East Fifth Street in the historic Oregon District (Dayton, Ohio's first neighborhood), and a couple snaps of the Target exclusive DVD version of 2009's "Star Trek" movie (the discs are stored inside the saucer section of the starship!).

When we get to the non-phone images there are really only two sets this month.

A) I spent some time shooting our Jack-O-Lantern, it's fellow mini-pumpkins, and a squash. I was interested in photographing orb-shapes, but their uneven surfaces and the direct sunlight worked against me. I didn't get precisely the shots I wanted, but I caught a few interesting things anyway.

B) Dayton's own Lucha-Surf rock band, Team Void, threw down a body slam of jams from the top rope of the Oregon District. Tunes include "Los Vampiros Mexicanas", "I am Six", and a damn fine version of the theme from the 1960s TV "Batman".

C) Last are some random shots for a little variety. My dog, the Riverscape tent venue (under construction), and a shot I made specifically to include the star ship Enterprise NCC-1701 in my blog banner [If you haven't guessed, I'm a bit of a Star Trek fan]. November was a slow month for photos. December isn't going much better, but I hope to have enough to close the year in a satisfactory manner.

Once again, Enjoy the Show!

HAUNTFEST 2009 - A Picture A Day Special

2009-11-30T00:39:00.000-05:00

And now, the Hauntfest edition of A Picture A Day!
If you spot yourself in any of these pictures I'll be happy to send you a copy of your photo. Just ask. :-)
Also, if your picture isn't seen here, but was taken by "the SiMs guy" (that's me), it's available also... just ask.

2009 Fall Colors - A Picture A Day Special

2009-11-30T00:19:00.000-05:00

This year's autumn was so beautiful I took a couple of special trips out just to try and catch the colors. A few photos here were reserved from my other sessions for inclusion in this cornucopia of color. Enjoy.

October "A Picture A Day"

2009-11-29T23:48:00.001-05:00

Here it is, nearly December, and I've still not posted the October 2009 slideshow.
October was an month of abundant photographic opportunity. This slideshow is my standard release for the month. Two bonus slideshows feature my photos of "Fall Colors 2009" and my "Hauntfest" collection; a plethora of costumed characters from the Hauntfest on 5th Halloween street party in Dayton, Ohio's historic Oregon District. Collect them all!

Minor Banner Update

2009-11-20T05:03:00.000-05:00

I haven't been blogging as I should lately, but I couldn't ignore the new Star Trek DVD any longer.

If you know me, you know I am fond of Star Trek. There was no question that I would pick up the DVD when it came out. I considered getting the blu-ray version, but I haven't a player yet, and if I did, my 26" CRT wouldn't do it justice anyway, so DVD it is.

I'd heard Wal-Mart would be selling the single disc version for about $10.00, so I went online to confirm the story. In the process I discovered a number of exclusives at different stores:

Amazon had a version with a small metallic Enterprise statue. Perhaps in a gift box.
Best Buy had a version with 4 Starfleet badges; command, science, engineer, medical.
Target had a model of the new Enterprise with the discs inside the saucer section!

By far, the best deal was the Target Enterprise. $26.99 for 2-disc SE DVD or $28.99 for for 3-disc SE Blu-Ray, both with available digital copies of the film. Not only was that a fair price, but they unexpectedly knocked a couple of bucks off at the register! Sweet.

I watched it Tuesday night/Wednesday morning; watched the deleted scenes, gag reel, and featurettes on Wednesday night/Thursday morning; and I've just finished watching the movie with commentary. Friday night/Saturday morning I'll watch the deleted scenes with commentary, unless something else comes up.

There is no way to dislike this movie. I've been trying. The "red matter" bugs me, but it's not a fatal flaw. And some of the Star Wars inspired bits are too obvious for my taste, but they don't harm this movie.

So, to honor a job well done I've clumsily plopped my DVD Enterprise into my current banner. Thanks JJ Abrams. Hats off, kudos, and keep up the good work.

Team Void - Lucha Surf over Fifth Street

2009-11-06T21:53:00.003-05:00

L to R: X/drums, Cruzado/guitar, 'The Mother'/event tech, Infinity/bass, El Muerto/guitar

Photos from September 2009 (formerly A Picture A Day)

2009-10-19T03:42:00.001-04:00

Welcome to my September photo collection. It's late, so let's get to it.

This video slide-show begins with low quality images from my phone camera. Also, I was tired when I put this one together; I forgot to turn off Picasa's captions so some images are cluttered with words. One image is totally obscured with words, but it won't matter for that particular photo; and each image displays slightly longer than I had intended, so this slide-show is lengthy compared to it's predecessors.

I've included a quick guide to the contents of this slide-show below the video. Not mentioned are the images captioned in the video itself. Finally, there are links to help you find more of my photos and ways to make sure you don't miss out on future installments... like the October Halloween Hauntfest/Boo-N-Brew Special! And now, on with the show!

Jack-O-Lantern dreaming, dead old iPod nano, building bridges, mystery image (can you guess what it is?), surprisingly colorful, Urban Nights, Courteous Mass, my only mantis sighting of 2009, art show poster, OSU vs USC football block party, mushrooms or toadstools, more fungus, a shrub growing in a tree, sunset, tiny pumpkins, cooking, cat double-take, my gift arrived, scenes from Aullwood Farm during Applefest, shots around Aullwood Audubon Center, pictures from Englewood Reserve MetroPark, a Great Blue Heron couple.

Don't miss the October edition featuring photos from Halloween at the Oregon District Hauntfest (formerly known as Boo-N-Brew). See the sidebar for links to more and use them set up Alerts, Bookmarks, leave a Comment, send an Email, add to Favorites, Follow, Friend, Link, Subscribe, or do whatever else you do.

If you plan to attend Hauntfest let me know and I'd be happy to include you in the nights photos.

2009-10-12T19:34:00.002-04:00

About to see the Psychedelic Furs with the Happy Mondays

2009-09-30T21:10:00.002-04:00

Kaleidascope 91.3 FM WYSO.org Dayton Music Fest

A Picture A Day (sort of) - August 2009

2009-09-17T03:48:00.000-04:00

My unfortunately named "A Picture A Day" project continues here with two slideshows of my photos for the month of August 2009. We begin with the car show at the Englewood Festival (aka Englewood Arts Festival) at Centennial Park in Englewood, Ohio.

I went to the Englewood Arts Festival specifically for the car show. I'm glad I went! Then, the very next weekend was FesTiki! FesTiki was a first of a kind event for Dayton, Ohio. I certainly hope it will return. Visit www.SurfOhio.com for details, and watch the video slideshow below to see some of what you missed.

THIS JUST IN: As I was typing this up I had to Google for some info and found a blog called "Suede and Chrome". Here's "Ol' Scruffy's" series of FesTiki photo posts. Tell him BonK! sent you (he won't know what you're talking about, but tell him just the same [wink]):

Abandoned Theaters - Stages of Decay by Julia Solis

2009-09-06T04:55:00.001-04:00

A must see slideshow
Abandoned Theaters

Photogs Unite! First Friday Full Moon - keep your pants on

2009-08-30T20:42:00.011-04:00

This Friday, September 4th, is another First Friday Art Hop in downtown Dayton, and it's going to be a full moon!

Weather permitting, I invite fellow photographers of all skill levels to come downtown on Friday and take advantage of these combined events. Something like "Light Up Dayton" back in May, but with one giant night-light for the nite-life! And stop in Bonnett's Books to say Hello. I'll be working, but I'll have my camera ready to grab shots should opportunities arise.

I'd be interested in seeing some of the results that come from this exercise, so I've set up a Flickr Group called "Keep Your Pants On" in case anyone wants to share.
http://www.flickr.com/groups/kypo/

If you're a new photog, or new to Lunar photography, these two links might be helpful (if you know of others, please share):

Below are some slideshows of my past moon sets. The first two were shot in the Oregon District. One set was to document a Lunar eclipse and the other was a much earlier unplanned shoot. Enjoy!

This one isn't a full moon, but two subjects are better than one, right?

Finally, this full moon was supposed to be particularly bright due to a closer orbital path than usual. But, as the song goes, "the clouds got in my way."

Google logo 8/29/09

2009-08-30T00:27:00.016-04:00

I'm generally quite fond of Google's altering of their logo to honor people or events. I've been known to save those I like, such as the recent 400th anniversary of Galileo's invention of the Telescope (an all time favorite for me).

Well, in case you hadn't noticed, the August 29, 2009 U.S. logo honored what would have been Michael Jackson's 51st birthday. I don't recall ever seeing logos for Elvis, The Beatles, Frank Sinatra, or any other pop music icons, and I have to admit a slight loss of respect for Google due to their logo choice on August 29th, 2009:

When I saw it I didn't know what it was supposed to represent. I've learned that one can find out what the logo represents by hovering the mouse cursor over the image, which I did, to my dismay.

Let me make clear, I have nothing against Michael Jackson. I have owned many of his albums, in multiple formats, and I've always enjoyed the Jackson 5ive's hits (since before I was old enough to have my own music collection). Today I own more Michael Jackson CDs than my Elvis and Sinatra CDs, combined.

My complaint is that this feels, for the first time, like Google is pandering, or trying to stir up a little fuss, which apparently worked in my case. It was nearly enough to have made me switch to Bing, but frankly, I prefer making my own decisions. BTW, Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Fred Astaire, Gene Kelly... no logos. But there was an awesome Ray Charles logo a while back (another favorite):

Many other great musicians share August 29th as a birth date and have yet to be honored with a Google logo:

Bebop jazz pioneer saxman, Charlie "Bird" Parker comes to mind. "Bird" was certainly as important to musical history as Michael.
Shouldn't the "Queen of Jazz" precede the "King of Pop"? In 1963, Dinah Washington also died of an overdose (accidentally). She was interred at the (in)famous Burr Oak Cemetery in Illinois. Burr Oak is the site of the recent scandal involving the re-use of gravesites. With the similarities of death and post-mortem controversy, why not feature singer-Dinah's lungs as they did dancer-Michael's feet?

From fetishists to prudes, many folks will find
this adaptation of the 8/29/09 Google logo crass,
but I prefer a pretty smile to sweaty feet any day.

Anyone wondering why I mentioned Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly earlier? When I think of Gene Kelly I think of Fred Astaire, so there he is, and I was thinking of Gene Kelly because 8/28** is Donald O'Connor's birthday, and Donald and Gene starred together in "Singin' in the Rain", for which a logo like this might have been concocted.

Any sticklers who believe the 3 umbrellas don't accurately
represent Google's two O's? There is precedent in Google logo
history for further stretches than I've made here. Also, it
closely resembles the quick-jump bar at the bottom of a Google
search results page.

For simplicity I've limited my complaint to the naming of musically connected performers. If we looked also at sports, cinema, theater, science, and other celebrities, I honestly believe a more important and relevant choice could have been made, but not one as timely or controversial.

Click here to keep up with international and past Google logos: http://www.google-logos.com/

**Donald O'Connor was born on 8/28 and appears here by accident due to my reference of a faulty "8/29" birthday list. I didn't wish to waste my efforts, so I've made editorial corrections for their inclusion.

Updates & Facebook maintenance

2009-08-27T03:49:00.007-04:00

I've been busy lately. If you're reading this on Facebook, click through to read the whole post and see the links therein to learn more. Feel free to begin with these:

BonK! on Blogger- http://blonking.blogspot.com (what you're reading right now)
BonKH on YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/user/BonKH
BonK! on Picasa - http://picasaweb.google.com/khbonnett
KB.Ultra on Flickr - http://www.flickr.com/kb_ultra

Lately, I've been doing things that have kept me away from Facebook, so FB, if you're feeling ignored, don't. So right now, when I finally get to a point where I can check in on it, I find my FB account is unavailable due to site maintenance. Phooey.

If you haven't already noticed, I've got this blog's feed piped into Facebook, so if it takes a few MORE days before I check in over there this should get through to let those who care know why.

Updates:

FOOD - Roberta has been making foodstuffs like a crazy person. It's AWESOME! She's experimenting with 'stuffed' this-and-that, so I've been eating a lot of stuffed green peppers, and tomatoes stuffed with tuna salad... never heard of that before, but it's delicious! I've neglected to photograph these things and I hang my head in shame for the slack. I actually rather enjoy photographing food and drinks, but my faves involve a burning flame, like food on a grill (see my FesTiki shots on Flickr). I like to give these shots a vintage look, as if they came from some old cookbook of the 60's or 70's. But this is about the wife's cooking...

In the last week or so I've had zucchini bread, banana bread, the aforementioned stuffed vegetables, a mushroom omelette and bacon, charcoal grilled hamburgers, corn on the cob, and more, all by her hand, and every bit of it as good or better than comparable items I've had elsewhere. She loves cooking as I love photography, but I think her skills are proportionally more advanced than my own. Oh, I just remembered, I did take a photo of Sunday breakfast. It was so good, even the coffee maker wanted some...

Another thing worth mentioning, FesTiki's headlining band, The Cocktail Preachers, asked me for a couple of photos I nabbed of them at that gig! They're not my best work, but I'll blame it on the beverages. They're the same photos from my FesTiki video slideshow on YouTube. I've recently updated the video with music by Dayton's legendary surf band, The Mulchmen. The Nick Kizirnis Band still performs a number of Mulchmen tunes... really good stuff. They had me at "theremin".

And, one more thing. I met a genuine published author at work on Wednesday, and I'm actually strongly interested in reading his book. More on that coming soon on the "Penciled Margins" blog of Bonnett's Used Book Store.

And that's about that... oh, except, I wanted to shoot the moon again tonight. The waxing slice visible tonight was very low and setting when I spotted it, but it was a deep orange color that I wanted to catch. I didn't stop to shoot it, and by the time I arrived home it had already set. I'll be watching for it tonight.

A Picture A Day Catch-Up, July 2009 -- Variety Pack!

2009-08-22T04:53:00.006-04:00

If you find this via Facebook, click through to see the slideshow.
I keep certain photos in the following locations, if you'd like to take a closer look at them than is possible in these video slideshows:
My Original Online Gallery -- http://picasaweb.google.com/khbonnett
Most Recently Used Gallery -- http://www.flickr.com/photos/kb_ultra/
Most Underused Gallery -- http://morecrap.deviantart.com/

There's a wide range of stuff in here, from quickie mobile phone images to artistic architecture.

BTW, I should explain my use of video slideshows.

Google's Picasa is where I have kept most of my images but I'm nearing the storage limit. They offer an upgrade option but money's a bit tight... (no, really?).

I started using Flickr to supplement my photo storage addiction, but I'm bumping into their limits as well. Flickr seems to have become THE place for online photo storage so I'm considering scraping together the money for an upgrade there. BUT! I've never ever been a fan of Yahoo! or any of their products, of which Flickr is one. I'm even more turned-off now that they're partnering with Microsoft and switching to Bing as their internal search engine.

Soooo... Google's Picasa makes it very easy to create video slideshows of your photos and upload them to YouTube, where there are no storage limits! I can upload video slideshows all day long to share my photos. Also, using video instead of stills somewhat helps keep people from 'borrowing' photos without permission.

BTW, I keep my Picasa/YouTube slideshows silent, but you can add music. Just be sure you use something that won't get removed by the copyright police on YouTube. ;-)

Ciao 4 now! :-)

32 seconds of Soul Fire Tribe @ FESTIKI

2009-08-21T04:19:00.002-04:00

Here's another little clip from FESTIKI. Again with the fire? I guess flames display better when they're in motion. This clip features a member of Soul Fire Tribe from Yellow Springs. Enjoy!

9 Seconds of Flaming Tiki Madness!

2009-08-16T23:49:00.003-04:00

I hate shooting video with my still camera, but some things just aren't the same without the action... Enjoy!

We went with wine...

2009-08-16T15:15:00.004-04:00

Personally, I think a cold beer would've washed it down better, but who I am to argue with the chef?

Bartenura Moscato

Surf & Turf weekend, Part 2...

2009-08-16T14:52:00.004-04:00

Part 1 was FesTiki, yesterday at Carillon Park, a little slice of Heaven. We continue the theme today with a surf & turf extravaganza. Sadly, we're out of fruity cocktails, so beer or wine will wash it down. It's nice to finally have my sweetheart back in action!

...And I get to enjoy this for lunches through the week. Awesome! :-)

A Picture A Day Catch-Up, June 2009

2009-08-15T04:57:00.004-04:00

Facebook users! Visit my blog at http://blonking.blogspot.com, or my YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/BonKH to see the video slideshows included in these posts.

This is a nice colorful batch of my photos. Some of them might appear to be the same as things I've posted before, but they aren't; they're different pictures of something I've shot before. There will be few such duplications in the future. These were simply a matter of circumstances. Enjoy! :-)

A Picture A Day Catch-Up, May 2009 Part 2

2009-08-15T04:34:00.007-04:00

I don't have an exact count, but this slideshow should put me above my 'picture a day' quota. I warn you, this is one of the most mundane batches yet, but it's worth the watchin' for a nice glimpse of the Dayton Five Rivers MetroParks fountain at RiverScape and some fresh glimpses of that totally sweet Lotus Elise I posted some time back (maybe on "Penciled Margins", if not here). As always, enjoy. :-)

A Picture A Day Catch-Up, May 2009 Part 1, Light Up Dayton

2009-08-07T03:47:00.005-04:00

Some of these pictures have appeared on Facebook, MySpace, and maybe even Flickr (I can't remember off-hand). But most of them are making their debut right here and now!

If you see anything interesting and would like to know more, as always, feel free to contact me about it.

All alone, this video slideshow goes above and beyond the call of duty for May's requirements. It should help make up for a bit more of March, and there's more May yet to come! I could actually put myself ahead of schedule... but, at this point, I'm not even really counting anymore.

Enjoy!

A Picture A Day Catch-Up, April 2009

2009-07-28T04:58:00.003-04:00

With April comes Spring and many more opportunities for photographs. My wife and I attended the home opener of the Dayton Dragons (they lost, but it's tough to have a bad time at a Dragons game) and the Monsters of Burlesque tour visited Gilly's. I took plenty of photos for both events, putting me above my picture a day count for April. The photos included in this slideshow help make up for my March deficit.

Be sure to check the archives for the Dragons and Monsters of Burlesque slideshows.

Enjoy!

A Picture A Day Catch-Up (not quite) - March 2009

2009-07-28T04:07:00.003-04:00

It seems I was far more preoccupied than I had realized in March. I took a total of 91 photos in March, most of them concerning private family functions, and not to be shared here. From the remaining shots there are fewer available than there were days to fill. I will make up for the difference in short order.

A Picture A Day Catch-Up, February 2009

2009-07-28T02:48:00.003-04:00

Another catch-up video attempting to fill in my 2009 "A Picture A Day" project. While working on these video slideshows I've realized that, technically, such a project should consist of a picture taken on every day of the year. This year hasn't been compatible with such an endeavor. I take a lot of photos, but often they come in bursts related to specific events or outings. So, many photos taken on one particular day will have to suffice for filling in the spaces this year.

Once again, enjoy.

A Picture A Day - Catch-Up - January 2009

2009-07-28T01:11:00.003-04:00

On January 2nd, 2009 I began trying to post "A Picture A Day" throughout 2009. The project quickly slowed to a crawl and was eventually derailed in the wake of a family emergency. This was originally intended to consist of pictures from my phone. In short order I began including pictures from my 'real' camera, and later I included some graphics cobbled together without any cameras at all. I've been shooting, off and on, the whole time. This video slideshow completes the quota for January 2009. I'll attempt to create catch-up slideshows for the other shorted months as well, through to December if needs be, should I never actually get caught up.

This video slideshow was assembled using Google Picasa. The captions were supposed to appear in the lower left corner, ala music videos, and were supposed to be colored to provide contrast with the background, making them legible. I'm not sure why the captions didn't appear where I told the program to put them. Future video slideshows will forgo the use of captions altogether. If you see something you like and want to know more about it you may comment here or send an email.

Enjoy.

Bare bones but OPEN for business

2009-07-13T21:26:00.003-04:00

Back in the middle of February there was a terrible fire at the Tumbleweed Connection.
Today, they're back. The 'Weed is OPEN.

Kahiki Restaurant slideshow

2009-06-07T04:24:00.004-04:00

My photos of the Kahiki, taken just before they shut down for good to make way for another pharmacy box. The images are small, low-rez, and of poor quality, but they provide a rare glimpse at what may have been the coolest restaurant ever, anywhere.

Enjoy

Kahiki Salvage operation

2009-06-04T03:39:00.002-04:00

The Kahiki Supper Club: Legendary restaurant, or placeholder for a Walgreen's? It turned out to be both.

When Kahiki closed there was talk of building a new Kahiki. Key components of the original were salvaged and stored. Whether or not they are still being stored is unknown to me. I've heard no whispers of rebuilding since then and, in this economy, the prospect seems less likely than ever.

I found a link on Facebook to these photos of the salvage operation. If you were/are a Kahiki fan, grab a tissue or two before clicking.

Kahiki Salvage operation

Writers Made the Difference!: Land of the Lost (1974 - 1976) [Thanks IMDb]

2009-05-26T03:22:00.007-04:00

"Land of the Lost" [LotL] is a movie due to be released on June 5, 2009, based on the Saturday morning children's program of the same name that ran from 1974 through 1976, produced by Sid & Marty Krofft, who also produced "H.R. Puf-N-Stuf", "Sigmund & the Sea Monsters", "The Bugaloos", "Lidsville", and many other popular kids shows of questionable quality and controversial content. The original LotL was popular enough that Krofft Entertainment made a new version in 1991 & 1992. The show has had a lasting impression on most everyone who enjoyed it as a child, primarily, comedian Will Ferrell who's interest and efforts helped bring the new movie into being.

In conjunction with the movie release, the Sci-Fi Channel ran a Memorial Day marathon of the original LotL. Despite ridiculously low production values, effects are used in interesting ways and the stories always managed to be strangely intriguing, regardless of being crammed into a 1/2 hour time slot. This curiously compelling cocktail of crap seemed worthy of further investigation. That's the idea that led me to IMDb to look up the writing credits for the original "Land of the Lost". I was pleasantly surprised to find good reason for the lasting effect this show has had on so many of it's viewers. Below is a listing of some of the more interesting things I found in my search. This is not a complete list, just things of interest to me at the moment I found them. Enjoy!

David Gerrold

LotL: Cha-Ka (pilot episode), The Sleestak God, The Possession, Hurricane, Circle
Star Trek [TOS]: The Trouble with Tribbles, The Cloud Minders
Star Trek [TAS]: More Tribbles, More Troubles, Bem
Star Trek [DS9]: Trials and Tribble-ations
Logan's Run: Man Out of Time
Tales from the Dark Side: Levitation
The Real Ghostbusters: The Hole in the Wall Gang, Adventures in Slime and Space
Babylon 5: Believers
Sliders: New Gods for Old

Margaret Armen

LotL: Dopey, Tar Pit
Star Trek [TOS]: The Gamesters of Triskelion, The Paradise Syndrome, The Cloud Minders
Star Trek [TAS]: The Lorelei Signal, The Ambergris Element
The Mod Squad: A Time of Hyacinths, My Name is Manolete
Wonder Woman: (made for TV movie), (episode) Wonder Woman Meets Baroness Von Gunther
The Six Million Dollar Man: Taneha
The Bionic Woman: The Pyramid

Larry Niven

LotL: Downstream, Hurricane, Circle
Star Trek [TAS]: The Slaver Weapon
The Outer Limits (1996): Inconstant Moon

Norman Spinrad

LotL: Tag Team
Star Trek [TOS]: The Doomsday Machine
Werewolf: Gray Wolf

Walter Koenig (Ensign Pavel Chekov - Star Trek [TOS])

LotL: The Stranger
Star Trek [TAS]: The Infinite Vulcan
Family: Just Friends
The Powers of Matthew Star: Mother

Barry E. Blitzer

LotL: The Paku Who Came to Dinner
McHale's Navy: The Balloon Goes Up, Urulu's Paradise West, Fuji's Big Romance, The Late Captain Binghamton, Pumpkin Takes Over, A Star Falls on Taratupa
The Flintstones: The Flintstone Canaries, Kleptomaniac Pebbles, Peek-A-Boo Camera, Reel Trouble, Son of Rockzilla, Adobe Dick, No Biz Like Show Biz, Shinrock-A-Go-Go
The Andy Griffith Show: A New Doctor in Town
Get Smart: Where-What-How-Who Am I?
Good Times: The Nude
The Jetsons: The Space Car, Uniblab, G.I. Jetson, Fugitive Fleas, S.M.A.S.H., S'No Relative, The Wrong Stuff
Small Wonder: Crazy Like a Fox

Ben Bova

LotL: The Search

D.C. Fontana

LotL: Elsewhen
Star Trek [TOS]: Charlie X, Tomorrow is Yesterday, This Side of Paradise, Journey to Babel, Friday's Child, By Any Other Name, the Ultimate Computer, The Enterprise Incident, That Which Survives, The Way to Eden
Star Trek [TAS]: Yesteryear
Star Trek [TNG]: Encounter at Farpoint (pilot), The Naked Now, Lonely Among Us, Too Short a Season, Heart of Glory
Star Trek [DS9]: Dax
Ghost Story: Earth, Air, Fire and Water, Alter-Ego
The ABC Afternoon Playbreak: A Special Act of Love
The Six Million Dollar Man: Straight on 'till Morning, Rescue of Athena One
Kung Fu: Battle Hymn
The Streets of San Francisco: The Cat's Paw, Solitaire, Ten Dollar Murder, Shield of Honor
The Fantastic Journey: Turnabout
Logan's Run: The Innocent, Carousel
The Runaways: Throwaway Child
The Waltons: The Revelation, The Beau, The Starlet
Dallas: Survival, The Dove Hunt
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century: Planet of the Amazon Women
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe: Battlecat
War of the Worlds: The Meek Shall Inherit the Earth
Babylon 5: The War Prayer, Legacies, A Distant Star
ReBoot: Where No Sprite Has Gone Before
Earth: Final Conflict: Miracle
Silver Surfer: The Forever War
Transformers: Beast Wars: Crossing the Rubicon

William J. Keenan

LotL: Fair Trade, One of Our Pylons is Missing, Baby Sitter
The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie: The Mad, Mad, Mad Monsters
The Partridge Family: Maid in San Pueblo
Laverne & Shirley: Frank's Fling
Mr. Merlin: A Moment in Camelot

Theodore Sturgeon

LotL: The Pylon Express
Star Trek [TOS]: Shore Leave, Amok Time
Out There: Ordeal in Space, Mewhu's Jet
Tales of Tomorrow: Verdict from Space, Enemy Unknown, The Miraculous Serum
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars: No Answer
The Invaders: The Betrayed
Killdozer

Donald F. Glut

LotL: Blackout
Spider-Man (1981): Wrath of the Sub-Mariner, The Hunter and the Hunted, The Capture of Captain America, Arsenic and Aunt May
Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends: Origin of the Spider-Friends, Along Came Spidey, The Origin of Iceman, Pawns of the Kingpin, Knights & Demons, The Vengeance of Loki, The Prison Plot, The Crime of All Centuries
G.I. Joe: Primordial Plot
Transformers: Divide and Conquer, S.O.S. Dinobots, War of the Dinobots, Heavy Metal War, Autobot Spike, Dinobot Island I, Dinobot Island II, Megatron's Master Plan: Part 1, Megatron's Master Plan: Part 2, The Autobot Run, Maquerade, Call of the Primitives
Jonny Quest (1986): The Scourge of Skyborg
Masters of the Universe
X-Men (1993): Deadly Reunions
The Erotic Rites of Countess Dracula
Countess Dracula's Orgy of Blood
The Mummy's Kiss
The Mummy's Kiss: 2nd Dynasty

Jon Kubichan

LotL: After Shock, The Orb, Repairman, Hot Air Artist, Medicine Man (final episode)
M Squad: The Platter Pirates
Eight is Enough: Is There a Doctor in the House?

Samuel Roeca

LotL: Survival Kit (featuring Richard Kiel), Cornered, Abominable Snowman
Annie Oakley: Sharpshooting Annie
Sabu and the Magic Ring
Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok: The Bold Raven Rodeo, The Rainmaker, Jingles Wins a Friend, The Steam Wagon, The Sheriff of Buckeye
Sugarfoot: The Canary Kid, Inc.
The Roaring 20's: Vendetta on Bleecker Street
The Runaway
Angel Baby
When the Girls Take Over
Rawhide: Incident at Two Graves, Incident of the Prophecy, Incident of the Midnight Cave, Incident of the Dowry Dundee, Incident at Gila Flats, Incident of the Pied Piper, Incident of the Odyssey
Daniel Boone: The Sisters O'Hannrahan
The Outer Limits (1965): The Premonition
Tarzan (1966): The Figurehead
The Night Visitor
Mission: Impossible: Blast, Invasion, Image, Trapped, Break!, Kidnap
Hawaii Five-O: Secret Witness, Sign of the Ram, Use a Gun, Go to Hell, A Bird in Hand

Greg Strangis

LotL: Medusa
Room 222: Elizabeth Brown is Failing, Rights of Others, Someone Special, Here's to the Boy Most Likely
Happy Days: Big Money, Richie's Flip Side
Laverne & Shirley: It's the Water
Electra Woman & Dyna Girl: The Pharoah: Part 1, The Pharoah: Part 2, Return of the Pharoah: Part 1, Returns of the Pharoah: Part 2
Eight is Enough: Pieces of Eight, I Quit, Much Ado About Garbage, Hard Hats and Hard Heads, Long Night's Journey Into Day, The Lost Weekend, Fast and Loose, (movie) An Eight is Enough Wedding
Harper Valley P.T.A.: The Return of Charlie Chow's Palace
Dark Justice: 2nd Story, Crash Course
JAG: High Ground, Black Ops
Soldier of Fortune, Inc.: Hide and Seek, Critical List, Welcome to Bent Copper, Reasonable Doubts

John Cutts

LotL: Flying Dutchman (featuring Richard Kiel)

Peter Germano

LotL: Ancient Guardian
Maverick: The Ice Man, The Art Lovers
The Rifleman: Jealous Man
The Fugitive: Terror at High Point, The Homecoming
The Time Tunnel: End of the World
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea: Doomsday Island
The Life and Times of Grizzly Adams: Survival

TOS'n' 'bout my generation

2009-05-24T04:50:00.004-04:00

OK, fresh banner here at BonK! because my son gave me an action figure of Captain Kirk in his chair. The new figure is Kirk at his captainy best, shiny ankle boots and all. My other Kirk figure is the 'battle damaged' Kirk with scratches on his face and a dirty shirt.

My first idea for the banner was something based on "The Enemy Within", an episode of Star Trek in which Kirk is split into two caricatures of himself. One is caring, peaceful, quiet, and timid; the other is angry, boistrous, and aggressive. As the story goes, neither of these two half-Kirks is worthy or able to command a starship... Only someone who has balanced these factors can be a strong and compassionate leader.

I'll try my original idea later. I just couldn't resist including Vena in this trial. It's still a good Kirk/bad Kirk idea, but this Orion slave girl is keeping them apart and breaking the 4th wall, gazing directly at us. I was unable to find words to put in her mouth. Any ideas for a quote or caption?

Oh, the background is the board from a limited edition Star Trek board game I've never had opportunity to play. If I'm going to teach myself to shoot miniatures I should probably put a bit more effort into their settings.This is a pretty terrible photo... I know it. At least the colors are nice. ;-)

Star Trek post on Bonnett's Book Store blog

2009-05-13T21:26:00.004-04:00

This post serves as a cross-link to a photo I placed on the Bonnett's Book Store blog.
"May your way be as pleasant."

Lotus Elise - A Picture Every Now & Then # 34

2009-05-08T04:09:00.004-04:00

A Picture Every Now & Then 034 - Lotus Elise

What is there to say? Enjoy!

Photographic notes:
Normally, I snap a few photos, move them to my computer, and use Picasa for some simple editing. I've found it completely satisfactory for my needs.

My philosophy has been: If Picasa can't fix it, it isn't worth fixing. To me, that's my way of accepting the fact that I've taken a bad photo and using that knowledge to try and avoid making the same mistake again... however...
I've recently started experimenting with the GIMP photo-editing software because I've heard of something called HDR imagery. HDR stands for High Dynamic Range. What it means is that an image will display nearly the full range of light that our eyes can see... here's an rough example: You're on a tree-lined city street with the sun low enough to cause you to squint when looking at the people or buildings down the road. You can look down the street and your eyes can adjust to make out details, colors, and textures because they automatically adjust to the light. You're camera isn't so good at that. If you take a photo of that scene you're likely to get a blindingly bright sun and everything else in the image will be in silhouette. Now, look down the street away from the sun... a photo taken in this direction will be well lit, perhaps too much so, losing definition and detail. HDR imagery allows you to combine multiple exposures of the same shot to bring out much of the detail that the human eye would see.

Typically, three exposures of an identical scene are used. It's possible to use more exposures, or only two. I've read that a single image in RAW format can be used to create an HDR as well, but I'm not so sure ( Please forgive any mistakes I may make, and feel free to correct me. I'm a novice, especially in the software side of photography). Getting three (or more) exposures of the same shot is quite easy these days. Many cameras have an auto-bracketing feature built-in. 'Bracketing' is when you take a picture, then take an under-exposed version of the same picture, and and over-exposed version. These images can be composited to make an HDR image of the scene.

What I've posted above was composited using exposure masking. Some folks think exposure masking is HDR, but I'm not so sure that's right. I took three bracketed shots, layer masked them together in The GIMP, and finalized it with some Picasa tweaks. I can barely do this process, let alone explain it. Search for the terms I've used above and you'll find the same info I found.

Here are three links I've found helpful:

A nice collection of Star Trek randomosity

2009-05-07T04:18:00.004-04:00

These are not your father's 'Star Trek geek' links! Check out Gizmodo's amazing collection of Trek-osity on parade. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll laugh 'til you cry, and you'll go back for more.

http://gizmodo.com/tag/star-trek/
Starfleet's Vulcan Bettie by Jesus Diaz

MONSTERS of BURLESQUE - A Few Pictures Every Now & Then #33

2009-04-30T18:13:00.005-04:00

Submitted for your approval "The Monsters of Burlesque!" From the 4/29/09 show at Gilly's in Dayton, Ohio.

Neil O'Fortune is our Master of Ceremonies, presiding over performances by:
Clams Casino, Creamy Stevens, Jonny Porkpie, and Nasty Canasta

"The '34", a Led Sled Customs original - A Picture Every Now & Then #32

2009-04-17T02:52:00.005-04:00

A Picture Every Now & Then 032 - "The '34", a Led Sled Customs original

I've known about Led Sled Customs for some time, but I've forced myself to ignore that knowledge in order to avoid a terminal case of frustration.

I've always loved cars, especially hot-rods, customs, and 'fantasy' cars, like the Batmobile and Mach 5, but I've never really had the chance to take up REAL cars as a hobby. That's life. I'll have to settle for appreciating the craft of others.

So, my wife and I spotted this bad boy outside The Southern Belle Tavern after the opening day game of the Dayton Dragons. We were in a hurry to get home and feed our dog or I would've tried to go inside and find it's owner. Anyway, I didn't have many options, photographically speaking, but I'm really diggin' this shot, so here it is. This is what I'd call a 'real rod', a workin' man's hot-rod, not some glorified showroom piece that comes no closer to the road than it's trailer will allow. This is the real deal, steel and wheels. Rock and roll.

Sha Na Na

2009-04-17T02:22:00.004-04:00

You're on your own for this post. No links, no pictures, no clips, just "Sha Na Na". Search. Enjoy. ESRO2, thanks for the reminder.

Easter B-Ball - A Picture Every Now & Then #31

2009-04-17T02:00:00.004-04:00

A Picture Every Now & Then 031 - Easter B-Ball

Family members enjoying a sunny Easter Sunday at the hoop.

Favorite TV Episodes - a new one for the list

2009-04-17T00:52:00.003-04:00

Here's the preview for CSI: - Episode 920 - 'A Space Oddity'
You don't have to remind me that this was a blatant promotional episode meant to raise awareness for the new "Star Trek" movie. If you're a Trek fan, do yourself a favor and ignore that annoying 'promotional' detail. This may not be a great episode in the pantheon of CSI:, but it's a great bit of sci-fi television homage. It gives due and pokes fun at some of the biggest franchises fandom has ever honored; primarily Star Trek, but including Battlestar Galactica and The X-Files. Make a point of seeing this episode.

Dayton Dragons Opening Day - A Picture Every Now & Then #30

2009-04-10T04:19:00.003-04:00

A Picture or more Every Now & Then 030 - Dayton Dragons Opening Day

Dayton Dragons Baseball games are a good time, every time.

'74 Cuda - A Picture Every Now & Then #29

2009-03-18T04:30:00.006-04:00

Beautiful!
1974 (I think) Plymouth Barracuda - Picture 029

I shot this on Sunday outside a nearby Dairy Queen. I was lucky to get this single photo. My camera batteries died right after.
Mmm mmm Vrooommm!

Self-loathing (not really)

2009-03-18T03:49:00.001-04:00

I was frustrated with myself for not having created a 1-click way to get to my own blog (that which you are now reading). Realizing that I would have to type something anyway I chose to Google "where the hell is my fucking blog?" The only blogspot page appearing in the single page of search results was this: Damaging Noise: Where the hell is my camera???!!!

I thought it deserved at least this small bit of recognition for helping me vent my frustration.

BTW, I have now remedied the link-lack.

The Night Stalker (Kolchak) - Dayton, Ohio's historic Oregon District, 2008

2009-03-12T02:47:00.003-04:00

A new short from Dayton, Ohio's 2008 Oregon Historic District Hauntfest, featuring yours truly as Carl Kolchak - The Night Stalker. Shot and edited by Joseph "Mother", an Owenzilla Presentation.

The Prisoner of Dharma - A Picture Every Now & Then # 28

2009-02-19T04:13:00.004-05:00

A Picture Every Now & Then 028 - Prisoner of Dharma

This is a simple cut and paste of items I found online. Ever since the survivors of Flight 815 began finding hatches "Lost" has reminded me of the game "Myst". However, "Myst" was a mostly solitary situation and didn't include the social complexities found in "Lost".*

Next stop, the Village. Perhaps Rod Serling is Number 2 and host of the Dharma orientation films.

A Picture A Day has been forced, by my inability to keep up the pace, to become A Picture Every Now & Then. What was meant to be a series of daily mobile phone images now includes higher resolution photos and mash-up images. Enjoy!

*Yes, I try to insert bad puns into my writings whenever possible.

The Mesopotamians

2009-02-13T01:38:00.001-05:00

TMBG was on TV and I just happened to have on my shirt of the song from the tune they performed on the show.

Statler Arms (Fuji S5000) - A Picture A Day # 27

2009-02-09T01:34:00.003-05:00

A Picture A Day 027 - Statler Arms (Fuji S5000)

A little while back I posted another photo of this hotel which was taken with my LG VX8300 phone from my hotel room on the 9th floor of the Wyndham Hotel.

Remember the two old complainers in the balcony seats on "The Muppet Show"? Their names were Statler and Waldorf, after the well known hotels in NYC. "Waldorf" is also a type of salad, presumably served at it's namesake hotel, thereby standing out in my memory, but, in the past I frequently found I couldn't recall the name of the other old man, Statler. This hotel reminded me of his name and cemented it in my memory for the time being. My fondness for "The Muppet Show" caused me to insist on acquiring a better image of this hotel than the one from my phone. Also, it's a fair street-level view East on Euclid from the Wyndham.

Lighted Decorative Sculpture - A Picture A Day # 26

2009-02-09T00:40:00.006-05:00

A Picture A Day 026 - Lighted Decorative Sculpture

More 'fun with colors'!

To be completely honest, I'm not certain this wall ever changed colors. I believe the impression of color-change in these shots is due to my tinkering with my cameras settings or the slightly different angle of each shot.

Not the Death Star - A Picture A Day # 25

2009-02-09T00:19:00.007-05:00

A Picture A Day 025

No. We are not smuggling a Wookie to a detention center on the Death Star. Did the EXIT signs give that away?

This is the wall opposite the color changing wall in my previous post. This wall is static. The only thing moving here is the reflected light from the color-changing wall.

Reflected light is typically somewhat dimmer than it's source and the blue tones showed up best, but, at the far end of each of these images, you may notice that one is tinged green and the other is tinged red.

Color Changing Wall - A Picture A Day # 24

2009-02-08T23:54:00.007-05:00

A Picture A Day 024 - Color Changing Wall

This fancy display is in a tunnel under Euclid Avenue connecting the lobby of the Cleveland Clinic to it's main parking garage.

I don't know the method used, but the change progresses at a relaxed pace.

When I first encountered this wall I believed the effect was related to the angle from which one viewed the wall because, as I walked, the effect seemed to be keeping pace with my stride. So, I stopped in my tracks.

A moment or two of observation revealed that the wall changes color in waves from one end to the other. It's interesting when one is in the hallway.

In truth, I only shot these as a test for my camera, to see how well it would reproduce the illumination.

If I've never mentioned it before, I'm proud of my humble camera, a Fuji S5000, which seems to match my skill level fairly well.

I'm still learning from it and it's still serving my photographic needs after five years.

Still, there are some things I'd like to try, photographically, which will require a professional strength camera and some extra equipment.

I don't expect to be dabbling in those waters any time soon, so it's a good thing I like what I've got.

It was a 2003 Christmas gift from my wife. Thanks again, Dear.

R.I.P. Lux Interior of "The Cramps" - A Picture A Day # 23

2009-02-07T00:22:00.006-05:00

Psychedelic Jungle/Gravest Hits, Bad Music for Bad People, Smell of Female (Red Rose), Smell of Female (Enigma), A Date with Elvis, Stay Sick, Creature from the Black Leather Lagoon (CD single), Look Mom No Head!, Flamejob, Big Beat from Badsville, Fiends of Dope Island, How to Make a Monster
[Not shown: The Purple Knif Show, and Live at Napa State Mental Hospital (DVD)]

A Picture A Day 023 - My collection of CD's by "The Cramps".

The first five CD's shown here might be called "Music to Haunt By" because nearly every song on each became something of an anthem from late August through October 31st every year for a select group of friends who were all in the Jaycees together, building and operating Haunted Houses for fund-raising.

There aren't many people in the world who would praise "The Cramps" for anything outside the musical realm, but they were truly a driving force for us while we worked, helping us do good deeds in a strange and frightening manner. It should be noted that our Haunted Houses were indeed award winning and all due credit goes to the inspiration we derived from the music of The Cramps.

When you get right down to it, Lux Interior was a musician paying homage to some great music and, with Poison Ivy Rorschach and The Cramps, doing his damnedest to remind us what it is to be true to your individuality. Few of us have the guts to do it, but some of us can still appreciate it. Thanks Lux.

Parental Advisory - Don't Give Your Kids "The Cramps"
Let them learn about it in the streets,
where they learned everything else that matters.

Best tracks for a scary good time:
Goo Goo Muck, Rockin' Bones, Voodoo Idol, Primitive, Don't Eat Stuff Off the Sidewalk, Can't Find My Mind, Human Fly, Surfin' Bird, Garbageman, Love Me, She Said, Save It, TV Set, Uranium Rock, You Got Good Taste, I Ain't Nuthin' But A Gorehound, Weekend On Mars, Psychotic Reaction, Surfin' Dead, and Aloha From Hell.

Other stuff your momma warned you about:
The Crusher, Green Door, The Way I Walk, New Kind of Kick, I Can't Hardly Stand It, Thee Most Exaulted Potentate of Love, Call of the Wighat, Faster Pussycat, The Hot Pearl Snatch, People Ain't No Good, What's Inside A Girl?, Kizmiaz, Cornfed Dames, (Hot Pool of) Womanneed, It's Just That Song, Bikini Girls with Machine Guns, The Creature from the Black Leather Lagoon, Shortnin' Bread, Mama oo Pow Pow, Saddle Up A Buzz Buzz, Muleskinner Blues, Jailhouse Rock, Beat Out My Love, Dames Booze Chains and Boots, Hardworkin' Man, Miniskirt Blues, Don't Get Funny with Me, Eyeball in My Martini, Hipsville 29 B.C., Wilder Wilder Faster Faster, Ultra Twist, How Come You Do Me?, Nest of the Cuckoo Bird, I'm Customized, Inside Out and Upside Down (with You), Sinners, Route 66 (Get Your Kicks on), Cramp Stomp, Like A Bad Girl Should, Super Goo, Hypno Sex Ray, Big Black Witchcraft Rock, Oowee Baby, Mojo Man from Mars, Wrong Way Ticket, and many, many more...

Oh, what curves! - A Picture A Day # 22

2009-02-02T03:43:00.009-05:00

I'm not sure if I've mentioned this in the blog before but, when I was a kid I wanted to be an architect when I grew up. Weird, huh? I had a neighbor who was an architect and I knew he had designed his own house (of a 'modern' style, for the time), and I thought that was cool. But what does a little kid know about being an architect?

Because my family runs a used book store we always had a small but interesting library at home. I remember spending a lot of time just flipping through books.

We had a decent encyclopedia set, books from some of those TIME/LIFE sets, and so many coffee table and kids' books about other places, animals, space exploration, and you name it, that I'll never remember them all. The point is, sure I loved dinosaurs as much as any other child but I was endlessly intrigued by man-made things.

My fascination with building and design is what spurred hours of play with Lego sets and, perhaps more important, designing and re-designing what, to me, were the ultimate Hot Wheels tracks.

Hot Wheels should be required play for small children. Not just the cars, but the building of tracks. You can't just string together anything you can imagine. Hot Wheels track design requires a kid to obey the most basic laws of everyday physics and learn how to command them, and this includes an introduction to algebraic concepts. If this track is X pieces long and begins at height Y (the back of a dining room chair?) the loop/jump/curve must be positioned at Z for the car to successfully transit the obstacle. Oh no! We then learn that the weight and speed of the car will cause the track to slip if not properly supported... and the exercises in design, engineering, and physical theories begin anew with every fresh track design.

So, the point is, I like design, architecture, and engineering. And curvy stuff always catches my eye (wink wink). So, this is the first building I encountered at the Cleveland Clinic and I was pleasantly surprised to find an architectural model of the whole campus inside the main building, then lucky to have an opportunity to photograph the building in daylight and again at dusk.

By the way, if you haven't noticed, you can click the images to see larger versions of almost all of them.

A Picture A Day 022
Oh, what curves!

Bus Lanes & Bike Lanes - A Picture A Day # 21

2009-02-02T02:15:00.006-05:00

A Picture A Day 021
Bus Lanes & Bike Lanes

Public transportation has a rather nice face in Cleveland. These bus stops sit on islands down the middle of the street. The buses have their own "BUS ONLY" lanes, more lanes for regular traffic, and, along the outer edges are bike lanes. These bus stops protect riders from most precipitation but not from wind. Inside the shelters are vending machines so riders may purchase tickets prior to boarding. The 'Healthline' route, sponsored by the Cleveland Clinic runs 24/7/365 from every 5 to 15 minutes, depending on the time of day. Naturally, the more frequent runs are during business hours and the 15 minute waits are in the middle of the night. I purchased a day pass on my first day in C-land and it worked out quite well. I rode 4 times for $4.50, something that would have cost me $8.00 had I paid per individual ride.

This view, from my hotel room, shows the central bus lanes in a block without a stop. I had no worries, there were stations on each of the blocks adjacent to this one, so there was no trouble catching the buses. Oh, I just noticed that the bike lanes are absent here too, but that may be due to the fact that this is a city block rather than a sprawl block.

It's worth noting that all of this work was recently completed sometime in 2008. At the time of this post, if you look at Euclid Avenue in Google Earth or Google Maps you will see the streets dug up as construction of the new bus line was still underway. BTW, this hotel, The Wyndham, was in an area called the Theater District near something called Playhouse Square. I didn't have much time for tourism, nor was the weather cooperating with such endeavors but, I noticed what appeared to be a centralized ticketing house, which I presume permits visitors an easy way to find information about and pick up tix to any show in the district. If you're a fan of theater this place is certainly worth a long weekend, should you have one to spare. I'd love to go back, but honestly, such things aren't in my budget right now. It's going on my "hope to do" list.

Ice Hole Abstract - A Picture A Day # 20

2009-02-02T01:58:00.006-05:00

A Picture A Day 020
Ice Hole Abstract

A small glacier formed behind the book store. The ice was at least 4 inches thick in some places. I nearly broke a sturdy wooden shovel handle trying to break the ice away from the ground on Saturday (1/31/09). I managed to clear this patch (about 3' wide x 5' long) before I had to call it quits.

I took this photo when I was leaving work. It was dark and the lone street light cast too few lumens for a good photograph. I took the junk shot, cranked up the fill light, and treated it to a number of effects to wind up with this nebulous, Star Trek-ian, void. The ground in the center of this hole was dry and I had set my pack in the middle to try and provide some sense of scale. Alas, the bag remained invisible, so we're stuck with this.

The Snow Melt Begins - A Picture A Day # 19

2009-02-02T01:50:00.002-05:00

A Picture A Day 019
The Snow Melt Begins

A Kitten's First Winter - A Picture A Day # 18

2009-02-02T01:44:00.005-05:00

A Picture A Day 018
A Kitten's First Winter

Snowy Day - A Picture A Day # 17

2009-02-02T00:57:00.004-05:00

A Picture A Day 017
... on the crest of the new fallen snow...

Snow Day - A Picture A Day #16

2009-02-02T00:44:00.005-05:00

A Picture A Day 016

Neon Snacks - A Picture A Day #15

2009-02-01T23:47:00.005-05:00

A Picture A Day 015

I enjoy photographing real neon. If there is a reflection, all the better!

Some of my previous photos, as well as others still to come, were taken in and around the Cleveland Clinic. This photo was taken at Grandview Hospital in Dayton. It's the sign above a bank of vending machines available to visitors 24/7.

Part of the reason I'm so far behind on this "picture a day" business has to do with spending so much time with family in hospitals lately.

I'm going to try and post enough photos tonight to get caught up with the idea of a picture a day. Thinking about how and why I was able to get these photos has become something of a choke point. To speed things along and avoid thinking about them too deeply I'll refrain from adding text to most of them, if not all them.

Enjoy the images. I do... really. I wouldn't post them if I didn't. It's just the how and why behind them that's getting under my skin. Feel free to comment or ask questions about any of the upcoming pictures. Some of them are pretty nifty... Catharsis Photography

Breaking the rules

2009-01-30T04:17:00.004-05:00

Not that anyone is paying close enough attention to notice but, I'm way behind on posting a picture a day, I'm cheating by posting pictures I took in one day a couple of weeks ago, and I've given up on posting strictly photos taken with my (very unsatisfactory) phone camera.

I'll still post from my phone now and then but it's not a rule any more.

In truth, this Picture A Day project is an exercise meant to (slowly, over time) train me to blog on a regular basis. The treatment isn't quite taking effect yet but I'm sure it will, eventually.

Compelling Sculpture - A Picture A Day # 14

2009-01-30T04:08:00.005-05:00

A Picture A Day 014
A rather interesting sculpture

Inside the main entrance of the Cleveland Clinic sits this sculpture, this man of letters, this Letterman. I photographed the placard describing this work but I doubt it will be legible here... Enjoy.

Hospital - A Picture A Day # 13

2009-01-30T03:18:00.006-05:00

A Picture A Day 013

An architectural model of the Cleveland Clinic campus.

When I was a kid I remember wanting to be an astronaut. I also remember wanting to be an architect.

What does a little kid know about being an architect? I knew they helped make houses, I had a neighbor who was an architect and designed his own house in a sort of modernistic style (for the day), but what's the appeal of that to a little kid? Well, in junior high I learned I was a terrible draftsman and that I couldn't build a useful bike rack out of pine. Both were valuable but discouraging enough to turn me away from pursuing an architectural career. Even so, I still have a very strong appreciation for design that I explore through photography. Confession: My favorite part of "The Sims" is building houses. I've been trying to replicate the places I've lived in "The Sims" and with Google SketchUp, the latter actually having purpose... I'd like to SketchUp my former residences and import them to Google Earth. So terribly exciting.

RidingPretty-Bicycle Chic California: DIY Vintage Bicycle Care and Repair...Guest Blogger: Old Bike Blog

2009-01-26T03:11:00.001-05:00

I've got an old Schwinn Twin that I've wanted to fix up for years. Perhaps I've finally found a source of inspiration. Once Old Man Winter's frosty ass gets outta town I'll crack the seal on the storage bin and post a few pics of my Ol' Blue Built-for-Two.

RidingPretty-Bicycle Chic California: DIY Vintage Bicycle Care and Repair...Guest Blogger: Old Bike Blog

Sculpture - A Picture A Day # 12

2009-01-25T03:42:00.003-05:00

I didn't get the name or any other information on this piece, but WHERE it is played a big part in urging me to photograph it. This is one of many shots I took while visiting the Cleveland Clinic. This sculpture is in the clinic near a bank of elevators servicing the food court.

Hospital, health, nutrition, food court...
The shape and colors of this work, in this setting, simultaneously reminded me of a human heart and healthy fruits and vegetables. The green stem emerging in aortic fashion from the strawberry atrial chambers which, in turn, rest upon the blueberry ventricles. The red squiggles reminded me of muscle tissues which, along with the general shape of the piece, helped me form the "heart" idea.

Anyway, I liked it, brightly lit, colorful, meaningful (to me, particularly then and there). So here's A Picture A Day 012.

The End of LaserDisc - A Picture A Day # 11

2009-01-22T05:01:00.003-05:00

A Picture A Day 011 - Pioneer combo LaserDisc/5-disc CD changer.

I didn't know it, but Pioneer has still been making these things. They've announced that they will discontinue production very soon. I adopted this one from my dad.

Dad has always been a hi-fi kinda guy. He's had dozens of tuners, record changers, turntables, equalizers, and all sorts of other moderately high-end equipment over the years, much of it still around. He introduced my brother and I to the idea of home theater long before there was any such thing as multi-channel surround sound. I currently also use a pair of his very nice old Acoustic Research speakers (AR's) as the front right and left channels in my 5.1 system.

Once again, Dad is primarily responsible for my passion for home entertainment. It began with a Show-N-Tell, led to a nice portable stereo record changer with attached (removable) speakers, then to a marvelous tuner/amp with a flywheel tuner. I loved using that thing.

I'd spend hours and hours, all hours of the day, carefully trying to find and log every signal it could pick up, no matter how faint. I'd listen to each station at least long enough to get the call letters. This helped me build an appreciation for a very wide range of music and broadcast styles. There's no satisfaction to be found trying to do what I did using todays digital tuners. You can't find those faint distant signals hiding between frequencies. And all this auto-seek push-button nonsense... there's just no fun in it.

R.I.P. Patrick McGoohan - A Picture A Day # 10 (with bonus picture)

2009-01-22T04:56:00.004-05:00

My brother and I were introduced to "The Prisoner" by our father during one of it's runs on PBS back in the late `70's or early `80's. "The Prisoner" is one of the most enigmatic things he ever presented to us and we've been fans of it ever since. These images are of items in my personal libraries.

When we were young, Dad was our cultural conduit and trail guide through the visual arts, particularly where acting was involved. Before we were born, Dad aspired to acting professionally. He also participated in local theater from time to time over many years, appearing in many of Shakespeare's plays and in plays based on Agatha Christie mysteries. We would be tasked with helping him learn his lines from time to time. The last role I remember him in was starring as Sir Thomas More in the Dayton Playhouse presentation of "A Man for All Seasons". Coincidentally, the 1966 film of "A Man for All Seasons" co-starred Leo McKern, who would become, perhaps, the most memorable #2 to appear on "The Prisoner".

Frankenpoodle by Olivia - A Picture A Day # 9

2009-01-22T04:55:00.004-05:00

A Picture A Day 009

This blurry excerpt from the October 2008 issue of Playboy is a phone photo I sent to my son, teasing him that he should get a tattoo of this Frankenpoodle.

Statler Arms (LG VX 8300) - A Picture A Day # 8

2009-01-22T04:53:00.004-05:00

A view of the Statler Arms hotel from a 9th floor room at the Wyndham on Playhouse Square in Cleveland, Ohio.

Cleveland Healthline Bus - A Picture A Day # 7

2009-01-22T04:44:00.005-05:00

A Picture A Day 6 (APAD -20 and counting)

2009-01-21T04:30:00.003-05:00

A Picture A Day 006
Cityscape @ 510 Gallery

A colorful cartoonish skyline. This is just one of the items by an artist whose name I can't recall at the moment. Argh. I really like a lot of this guy's work... Zachary something?

It doesn't pay to blog at this time of day.

OK, the artist is Zachary Armstrong (I had to look it up). This cityscape is made up of two pieces and is atypical of the rest of Zachary's work on display at 510. If you're in or near the Oregon District or downtown Dayton, Ohio, you should stop in and take a look for yourself. I feel certain that you'll like his work as much as I did. He shows a bit of humor in some of his pieces, but I'm not posting any spoilers here. I'll just say that browsing this compelling display left a smile on my face. Again, see for yourself!

Perhaps I'll follow this up later with some better teaser images but, I'll have to make sure it's OK with all involved before doing so.

510 Gallery - 510 E 5th St, Dayton, OH (in the Oregon District)
blog - Loretta Puncer Fine Art

Room with a View... of a roof - A Picture A Day 5

2009-01-07T15:38:00.002-05:00

A Picture A Day 005

What a difference a few hours makes. First, I tell you APAD is on hold, then it's back in the same day! I'm still behind on posts, but the pictures have already been taken.

Cleveland with snowfall. This is what it looked like from my 9th floor room at the Wyndham. I was napping (only about 5 hours sleep between the last two nights combined) and had just been awakened by a phone call. The snow wasn't there when I laid down for the nap. The call was good news. Right after taking this shot of the weather I had to venture out into it. It's not too cold out. Just cold enough to snow and only a little windy.

The thing that brings me to Cleveland isn't a good reason to have to go anywhere, but I do enjoy seeing new places.

More pictures soon. I'm very uncomfortable using unfamiliar computers.

Picture A Day on Hold

2009-01-07T11:28:00.003-05:00

I'm away from home at the moment and the situation isn't exactly ideal for a picture a day. I will catch up, I just can't be exactly sure if it will be tomorrow or the next day or the day after that. Heck, it's less than a week in any case. Ciao 4 now!

Dramatic Shadows - A Picture A Day #4

2009-01-05T01:59:00.003-05:00

A Picture A Day 004
Dramatic Shadows

Walking the dog before sunset. Baby Girl had caught the scent of one of the neighborhood stray cats and I had a tough time getting her to sit still. Then she kept looking around, so it took a while before I got a good shot showing her head in profile.

My own personal LOLCat - A Picture A Day #3

2009-01-05T01:11:00.003-05:00

A Picture A Day 003
Mister Junior Cat watching TV

I came out of the shower to find this scene. I knew I had my third photo for this series.
I'm a big fan of LOL Cats but I'm not very good at the captions. If anyone steals this for ICanHasCheezBurger at least send me a link to it. 'k thx bai.

Movie Night & My Weekend Movies

2009-01-03T04:51:00.008-05:00

I'm going to begin posting about the films I'm watching. This has been a good week, the holidays giving me plenty of time to take in some extra entertainment. A lot of what I watch comes to me via Turner Classic Movies (TCM), or on DVD. I have a very hard time appreciating movies filled with commercial breaks, but will occasionally watch American Movie Classics (AMC), or other commercially cancered channels (TBS, USA, etc.) if it's something I really like, really want to see, or (as in most cases) my wife has started watching something there. By the way, some of these pieces may seem vague, but I'm not a 'spoiler' kind of guy. Anyone who wants to know more about the movies can Google, IMDb, and Wiki to your heart's content. I'm just putting my $0.02 in and trying to help match viewers to films they might enjoy.

My Weekend Movies
Friday Night - Movie Night

"Teacher's Pet" (1958) - Clark Gable, Doris Day, Gig Young, Mamie Van Doren - I dig Doris Day. I've seen her many times, but only actually watched two of her movies. She was a pleasant surprise on both occasions. Clark Gable was great but seemed a bit too harsh for just a moment in two scenes, but one of those scenes involved drinking, so, perhaps he was playing drunk at that point. Gig Young... I don't know where I've seen him before but he's fun to watch as well. He played this role perfectly and I thoroughly enjoyed his hangover. Mamie Van Doren was virtually a cameo as a lounge singer dating Clark Gable. However, if it wasn't for the number she performed at the club there wouldn't have been any foundation for that pleasant surprise I mentioned from Doris Day that appears just a bit later in the film. I didn't waste a second of my time watching this.

"Sonny Boy" - Answers the question - What if you crossed Raising Arizona with Deliverance then took Rocky from the Horror Picture Show and dropped him into the middle of it? If you see this, you will recognize a lot of people in it and be able to name only David Carradine off the top of your head, and you'll wish you couldn't. He's good at what he's doing, but you'll wonder why he's doing it. There's something to this film that kept drawing me in, even when it got so bad I considered giving up on it. If you have NOTHING better to do and this movie is on, it's worth watching for the experience, but I can neither confirm or deny that I sincerely recommend this movie. I have to admit that I never bothered to pause this when I had to leave the room a few times. I'm certain it made no difference. Seemed like a very long hour-and-a-half.

"Spider Baby" - Lon Chaney, Jr., Sid Haig - A creepy and slightly disturbing tale. The opening titles of this film had me thinking it would be a comedy, but imagine if The Addams Family wasn't meant to be humorous. That's what we've got here. Lon Chaney, Jr. wasn't really top-notch, but his performance is key to setting the tone. His dialog with other characters, while not a narration, describes the strange tale for the audience. The least believable characters in this flick are the ones meant to represent we normals of the viewing audience. While not overburdened with gore, this film remains troubling. By the end of the movie you may realize that much of what you've just seen could happen in that creepy old house at the edge of your town. Enjoy!

Sunday Afternoon

"Two-Minute Warning" (1976) - Charlton Heston, Beau Bridges, David Janssen, Jack Klugman, and many more. Movies in the mid-70s were chock full of Plymouth Furys. Every cop car is a Fury, many other cars are too. My brother had one for a few years so it's become something of a cliche game for us. Aside from the cars, this movie has little to offer modern audiences other than a little slice-of-life from the days before wireless phones, internet, and Homeland Security. It uses the standard disaster movie formula. There's a threat, a cast of stars are living out their characters life-dramas knowing little or nothing of the danger right under their noses, then there's the hero who knows what's going on but has to keep the situation under control despite the bumbling of other officials and the stumbling of the innocent bystanders. Most modern crime TV shows today are better than this movie in almost all respects, but I always take an interest in seeing how things have changed from one era to the next. As a placeholder in the history of cinema I'll have to say it's worth a viewing.

Movie Snippet

I also caught a few minutes of "Road House", where Swayze clues the bouncers in on the new way of doing things and their first night under his watch. I almost watched the rest of it but I had to go grocery shopping. Why do I want to watch it? I don't know. I'll have to give it a look some day to try and figure out what makes people like this flick. BTW, I grew up watching Kevin Tighe on 'Adam 12' re-runs. I hate when he plays bad guys, but he's done it so well that I may never be able to accept him in a role as a decent man ever again.

More to come...

My Mii Menagerie - A Picture A Day #2

2009-01-02T02:56:00.001-05:00

A Picture A Day 002 - This is a catch up post since I started a day late.

My Mii menagerie

One of the best things about the Wii is that you can enjoy it without buying ANY games. A wireless broadband connection helps... but, the Mii Creator is a blast! Last holiday season (2007) my son managed to acquire a Wii and we made some quickie characters as a lark. Rondo Hatton, Clint Eastwood, Dr. Venture, The Monarch, and, naturally, we made ourselves. So, now that I've got a Wii also, he transferred those folks to my machine and I've put them in the Mii Parade. The picture above shows my collection of original Miis. From top left to bottom right they are as follows:

Ludwig van Beethoven*, Cicada, Mantis, wife, Spike Spiegel, son, Jet Black, step-daughter, myself, step-son, Faye Valentine, brother, The Perfect Grandpa (my own)*, Hattie the Witch*, Sir Isaac Newton*, Benjamin Franklin*, Bettie Page**, Goth Girl (Cassandra)*, Edgar Allen Poe*, and Edward Wong Hau Pepelu Tivrusky IV, with many more to come.

*Created in response to contest calls for the Check Mii Out channel.
**Some of the contest criteria are oblique, like, "Someone who looks like they know a lot about life." I was stumped by this one... did they want us to create hookers, the Dalai Lama, or what? Finally, it hit me... I would make Bettie Page! From Model to Missionary it can be said that Bettie knew a lot about life. No doubt about it. But, by the time I chose Bettie, the entry window for that contest had closed. Nonetheless, I've set her free into the Mii world. You can find her through the Check Mii Out channel by searching for Mii number 2372-3495-2354. Her initials are B.P. and she's filed under Acting.

2008 Obits - A Picture A Day #1

2009-01-02T01:56:00.001-05:00

A picture a day 001

I've decided, a day late, to post a phone picture every day in 2009. I'll probably include some background for the photo. Let's see if I can make it interesting.

I spent New Year's Day totally chillin'. We ate leftover party treats for lunch. For me it was a total Pajama Day! The wife went to bed after Penn State lost to USC, and I fired up the Wii, checked the Nintendo Channel and promptly fell asleep while viewing the Top 30 most watched Nintendo promos of 2008. [Why was I watching these things?] I woke up a couple of hours later with a warm cat in my lap and checked AP News feed (on the Wii), where I learned that Donald Westlake had passed away (One last big name for the series of tragedies that made up 2008).

A huge chunk of American culture died in '08. 2008 was especially bad if you were a 'geek' and/or fan of esoteric Americana or Exotica. Here's a partial list of those we lost. Feel free to add anyone I may have missed.

Donald E. Westlake, Bettie Page, Yma Sumac, Gary Gygax, Dave Stevens, Forrest J. Ackerman, Maila Nurmi (Vampira), Eartha Kitt, Isaac Hayes, Bernie Mac, George Carlin, Arthur C. Clarke, Bo Diddley, Paul Newman, Charlton Heston, Heath Ledger, Roy Scheider, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, and many more.

Everybody on this list has had a key role in our entertainment history. These people were not idols, they were icons. Every one of them changed the game, and I thank them for it.

Two-thousand Nein!

2009-01-01T00:45:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year! It's 2009!

I've come up with a new idea, just a step beyond my usual alliterative New Year's blather (e.g., Have a Great 2008, Have a Fine 2009, etc.).

'Nein' is German for 'No'. In America, most people say 'nein' so that it rhymes with 'nine', which isn't quite right, but I'm going with it anyway.

So, I declare, "Yay! It's Two-thousand Nein!"
Say "nein" to everything keeping you from that which you need and want to be and do.

If anyone is reading this, feel free to comment about the things to which you will say "Nein" in 2009.

[I thought about making a list of "Nine Neins for 2009" then thought better of it. Creating a such a list would take more time than it's worth and 'wasting time' is Nein Ein on the non-existent list. Also, I'd feel bad about failing to meet my goals and 'creating negativity' would be the Nein Zwei if I were to compose the list.]

"A Christmas Story" cookies

2008-12-25T03:02:00.004-05:00

Merry Christmas!

These are some of our low-sugar sugar cookies made with Splenda and Splenda-based frosting. Alas, the label on the decorating gel reads, "corn syrup, sugar, water, ..." so we can't call them sugar-free.

This was my wife's first attempt at frosted cookies, made trickier for trying to use Splenda to make the frosting. The frosting turned out a bit grainy but it's delicious. She's sure she can correct the process next time she tries it, to achieve a smoother frosting. Also, we found the frosting a bit tricky to spread upon, without breaking, the cookies. We lost one bunny ear and two bunny feet before we figured out the best way to do it. Be generous with the frosting. Rather than spreading it onto the cookie, like butter, we put on too much and sculpted away what we didn't need. I managed to give the turkeys and the leg lamps a nice 3-D impression by using the sculpting method. Having never done this before, I'm fairly pleased with the results and look forward to trying again.

Next, we tried to add details. Neither of us had used decorating gels before and we found them a bit tricky to manage, made no easier by the rough frosting. First off, the gels seem to separate a bit inside their tubes which makes the first bits to come out runny, rather like the watery stuff that comes out of a mustard bottle. Some of the mistakes are evident in this photo, particularly the red on the candy cane, the yellow on the bright tree, and the blue on the same tree and the teddy bear eyes.
I tried mushing the tube of yellow around a bit to blend the gel but it didn't seem to help. Best bet is to simply squeeze out the runny part onto a paper towel or something until the thickened gel comes out. Also, it's a good idea to let the frosting dry well before applying gels. Shaped or sculpted frosting tends to have rough edges which can make applying fine lines of gel difficult. Perhaps our future frosting, being smoother, will help alleviate this problem. It's worth noting that yellow, blue, and purple were the runniest colors in this project. I believe the red on the candy cane only bled because the frosting was still moist when the gel was applied.

These cookies aren't perfect, but my wife always does a great job in the kitchen. She normally won't let me near anything she's working on, but this time was different and I think we'll be collaborating again. We're proud of our sophomore effort and these cookies taste great. I'm sure they'll go over well with the family tomorrow. They're meant to be a special treat for Dad, but I know he'll share. ;-)

Once again
Merry Christmas!

9. Speed Racer - The Top 10 Everything of 2008 - TIME

2008-12-11T05:09:00.001-05:00

9. Speed Racer - The Top 10 Everything of 2008 - TIME: "Speed Racer is the future of movies" - Richard Corliss
=======
Go, Speed Racer. Go!

Obsession? Perhaps.

I've only seen the movie twice (on opening weekend and again upon the DVD release).
I will absolutely be enjoying it again, many, many times.

"Speed Racer" was such a gem, and so poorly received, that I am determined to defend and recommend the film every time it comes up.

As for the ranking... I wonder where "The Dark Knight" is and why I've never heard of the movie at #10. I'd have to place "The Dark Knight" above "Speed Racer" on my movie list. Included would be "Kung Fu Panda", "WALL-E", and "Burn After Reading", but not in that particular order.

For the rest of TIME's Top 10 lists for 2008 visit:
http://www.time.com/time/specials/2008/top10/

R.I.P. - Forrest "Forrie" J. Ackerman (old post hiding in draft until now 1/30/09)

2008-12-07T04:05:00.005-05:00

There is no shortage of information about Forrest J. Ackerman. I've spent most of my life either admiring or envying the man... I'm not really sure which feeling is most accurate. The only thing I have to add is my remembrance of his influence on me. I never met the man, though I would certainly have enjoyed doing so. Until the announcement of his passing, the last thing I'd heard about/from/of him was an interview in the "Geeks On" podcast. He seemed a warm fellow, but a no-nonsense sort... he put me in mind of my Grandpa.

When I was a kid I was an avid reader of "The Monster Times" and I dutifully disemboweled each issue to place it's monstrous centerfold somewhere in my bedroom. Back then I didn't actually read much in the issues but I would pore through every page for cool pictures of things both familiar and never before imagined. Star Trek and Godzilla were familiar to me. I loved "sci-fi" and all the gigantic beasts from Japan, but the horror movies and monsters were new to me.

I remember being easily and frequently scared when I was little. Steve McQueen's nemesis, "The Blob", prevented me from ever developing a taste for puddings. The mere sight of Phyllis Diller on TV caused me to hide in another room, away from the set. I don't know when it happened, but I somehow got over my frights and "The Monster Times" was a big part of that.
Later came Starlog. I collected Starlog from issue #1 through issue #43. By this time I was doing a bit more reading. I would flip the pages of every issue and try to learn about only the things that caught my eye. "Sci-fi" was my primary interest, having been groomed with Trek, Lost in Space, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Planet of the Apes, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Space: 1999, UFO, Silent Running, and that damned Blob.

Starlog is where I became aware of Forrest Ackerman. I seem to remember a photo of him standing next to Robby the Robot but I could be mistaken about that. I had only seen Robby once before, versus B-9 (aka 'Robot') on "Lost in Space", but this photo of a regular man standing next to a menace out of space and time finally broke the spell, the horror was gone, and new ideas were planted in that freshly tilled soil of imagination, mystery, and fear. Forrest Ackerman was playing with toys, just as I did. But, his were the coolest toys in the history of Humanity.

With Forrie serving as a mental ground-wire for my imagination, I began to learn a little bit about how these cool movies were made. He reminded me that these monsters and aliens weren't REAL and allowed me to tremble with other fears, like UFO's, Bigfoot, and the supernatural.

I owe you a big load of thanks Mr. Ackerman. You were a sort of lighthouse, steering this man's young mind away from the rocks of childhood horrors. Thank you.

Name the Holiday Characters Quiz

2008-11-25T01:30:00.006-05:00

I've created my first ever Holiday logo from a photo of the hutch on my desk. To celebrate the occasion I thought I'd have my first quiz, too! Can you name every figure in my 2008 Holiday Banner? Begin on the left with the snowman under the starship Enterprise.
The green box* under the Enterprise isn't clearly visible, so don't worry about it.
The boxed figures near the right end of the image are not holiday figures, so they don't count either, but feel free to name them if you can. Finally, finish up with the last character on the right. They do not have to be in order.
Answer by leaving a comment.

My comments are moderated. I won't post any for a while so don't count on taking advantage of other people's answers. In the event of a tie... well, I guess multiple people will share the pride of being "BonK's Biggest Christmas-Special Geek" of 2008.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

*It's the 2001 Holiday Hot Wheels diorama with surf theme called "Santa's Holiday".
Santa's "Surf Crate" Hot Wheels car is painted holiday chrome red with white 'frost' detailing for that North Pole touch. Not shown, behind the car, is a chubby bearded Elf, wearing shiny blue trunks and a white hat, lugging a boom-box on his shoulder. Jolly old Saint Nick is first to the surf, board in hand, wearing his hat with marine-green trunks and a red t-shirt. Another hefty holiday helper is wearing a green hat and pink old fashioned-style swimsuit, lugging a white surfboard overhead with the help of a holiday hottie in a Santa hat and teeny-weeny red bikini bringing up the rear. Santa's bag is nearby, spilling a beach ball, umbrella, and other goodies onto the sand. All of this and a nice wint'ry snow-covered village scene in the background. Aw, what the heck. Here's a view from the celly.

50 jobs in 50 states

2008-11-24T14:00:00.001-05:00

50 jobs in 50 states Livingthemap.com