A Dozen Doors

Well, I just completed and delivered my first set of commissioned photographs!

Here's one. If you'd like to view the rest, please visit BortmasPhoto.com and look under Current Projects.

The Rabbit in our Pocket

Someone told me the other day that the average American is in credit card debt for $16,000! Great, I thought, I've never been so happy to be below average. (paradoxically, below average is above average, right?)

The number stuck with me. Could it be right? A new car in debt? A year's worth of work in debt?

I dug around, and found wildly different numbers. This site nearly cut the number in half, but then told me it was realistically closer to $2000. I inch closer to being average.

Creditcards.com phrased it in a way that made a bit more sense.

"...the average American with a credit file is responsible for $16,635 in debt..."

OK. Total debt/amount of credit card holders. So some big spenders have collectively put us a year behind the ball. I hope they have nice toys.

While researching, I came across Money as Debt, an animated feature on the origins of credit. It's 45 min. long; I downloaded it to prevent the start and stop of inconsistent bandwidth. It's an eye opener, to say the least.

As if being a slave to personal debt wasn't bad enough, it also happens to be Americas No 1 Export.

In the end, I'm left wondering; If it's so pervasive, why should I care how much debt I or the government has? It's status quo. Why not go on a spending spree for canned foods and a fallout shelter? I promise that after the dust has cleared, I'll pay it all back.

Scout's honor.

Charlie Brown Said it Best

Good grief!

I understand that repetition is the foundation to clarity (or at least a solid foundation for belief), but Jeez!

Everything is slightly more tragic than it was last week. Palin continues to persist. The economy continues to take head long dives into the shallow end of our pockets. Gas prices continue to fluctuate wildly. Russia con... where's Russia? Other than being able to see it from Palin's porch, I've not even heard a scathing and wholly un-diplomatic remark from Condi Rice about the big Bear over there. Perhaps they're just sitting back and enjoying the entertainment.

Even Mother Nature had a vicious tantrum last week. From Ohio to Texas, that's quite a reach for one storm.

I get it. We're in panic mode, or at least we should be. If any of you giggled at ancient Mayan predictions that 2012 was the end (of something), take note of the signs. It sure feels like an exit ramp of sorts, speed bumps included.

I just want new news, something exciting and fresh. You can't be clean if you continue to wash in the same dirty bath water. Speaking of which, I'm off to work for the fifth time in three days.

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Ike in Ohio

80-100 mph winds whipped through Columbus last week knocking out electricity and taking down trees. In the aftermath, I ventured down to Goodale Park and Greenlawn Cemetery to document the destruction. Here are some shots from those outings.

Goodale Park






Greenlawn Cemetery
(starts at angel)




More from Greenlawn to follow...have to run.

Waste Not

I have worked in catering off and on for nearly a decade. I've served in embassies and at universities, at private homes and small picnics. Weddings are my bread and butter...literally.

Buffets = Over production = waste
Plated dinners = better portion control (even though the size of those portions are ridiculous) = less waste

True, some of it may be able to be used somewhere, but most is destined for the bin. Donate? Many places I've worked worry about lawsuits. The scary part is that it's viewed as acceptable loss. It has been paid for.

After the weekend, my fridge is usually full of left overs that I didn't cook myself. Meats, cheeses and fruits are common. Visits to the grocery store are few and far between, and only for the essentials. Not a bad trade off for lack of tips.

I would (still) be a vegetarian if it weren't for the free fridge fillings. Toss a dozen chickens or eat a dozen chickens? The options are weighted.

I was thrilled when I found Wasted Food. I was reading an article on NY bicycle safety (I've friends in NY that bike) on No Impact Man when I came across the link. There's a lot of great information about social awareness on both of these sites.

Dig in!

Wasted Food

No Impact Man

The Work of Geniuses

The Vegetarian Diet

17 Years of Photographing Himself (daily)

Darwin to Receive Apology from Church of England

HAPPY FRIDAY!

It's a nice day... I'm out.

Got Smarts?

I've two websites to share with you today. I'm thoroughly entertained by their content, and am really surprised I haven't posted direct links to them sooner.

TED

DISCOVER

TED is an acronym for Technology, Entertainment, Design. It's basically an award given to thinkers and innovators; a platform for sharing ideas with other like-minded individuals. People are given about 15 minutes to make a 'sales pitch', and some of them are wildly creative.

DISCOVER is Discover Magazine's site. It's filled with great articles and interviews.

As a deviation from the norm, I'm not going to suggest you watch a certain video or read a particular story. Just start at the beginning and let adventure and interest guide you.

And AEP Said...

With a pop and a hum, electricity was restored to my street at approximately 11:30 this morning. It's 8:30 P.M. and I'm all ready for bed.

I took a lot of pictures over the last few days; now it's time to edit them.

Powerless

It was just a little windy; a soft breeze that toppled trees and ripped the face off of many a building.  Seasonal debris is everywhere... it is almost fall.

The power has been out since Sunday.  There's a great candle shortage.  I don't normally burn them for their ambience, so I was kind of prepared.  Small, short-lived candles for the early evening, pillars and oil lamps for the later.  They promise it will be on soon.

I've had to go to the other side of town to find and fight for internet access.  The outlet is prime real estate.  I'm sitting at the bar, the tender is already surly to me because I didn't order my caffeine from him.  I'm a squatter, but everyone else at the bar is on their machine as well.

What to do when there's no electricity?  Take pictures of the destruction.  Uploading, so that you can see what's going on, is just a little more difficult.  Bandwidth is not cooperating.  Such is free wi-fi.

What to do when it's dark?  Take pictures.  Last night it was plants, tonight I'll have a live model.  I'll need more candles.

It's better than going to bed early.

It may be days before I have this kind of access again.  It's almost fun being out of touch.

Photo Exhibits

In the last three weeks I have gone to just as many photo exhibits. Original prints by British great Bill Brandt, early originals by Ansel Adams, and the Ohio Historical Society's show Capture the Moment: Pulitzer Prize Photographs. The last was just today, and I'm still kind of depressed.

Brandt and Adams might have been contemporaries, but their styles were vastly dissimilar. Even so, I was left with a greater idea of what the world was like from the 30s-50s... from a certain point of view.

From a certain point of view, as exited as I was to see the work of these men, neither of their shows stirred me like Capture the Moment.

The collection spans 65 years. Very few images capture the glimmering accomplishments of man; our great spots of hope for achievement or pride. No, we give prizes for photos of brutality, chaos and desperation. We give prizes for bringing light to the human condition, and we've done it for 65 years!

(Breaking News and Feature Photography are the categories under the prize for distinguished photography.)

Back to the condition:

1. We are always at war.
2. We are starving
3. Nature will win.

I never want to win a Pulitzer Prize.

People tell me I take beautiful photographs. To that, Thank You. My secret is that I crop out everything else that I don't want you to see. You're still seeing what I'm seeing, but not the whole picture. You see?

In situations like this, I have the privilege of experience; I was there, man!

Capturing the tragedy of man seems like never ending work, and a painfully daunting task at that. At least one of the photographers was reported to have killed himself because of what he had been witness to. These images are constant reminders of inhumanity, and they've changed nothing.

Sure, these photos had an impact on the situation at hand, but the near consistent subject matter reveals the truth.

It's a good thing I've sided with the winner. Here are some recent shots from a few of Columbus, Ohio's Metro Parks

X Marks the Spot

Using a series of photographs and timestamps, I retraced my steps through the dense growth of a Hocking Hills gorge. The first time I was here (this year) it was January. Visibility wasn't an issue. I had come to chase waterfalls, and with the snows melting, I was not disappointed.

One spot in particular captured my attention. The photos have since been the subject of many a conversation. Where is this? Is this a picture of space? Did you take this? Is it under water? What is it?

When I returned in June to scout the location for portraits, the gorge was thick and verdant. I was also relying on memory to get me there. I was caught in two separate, and fairly vicious thunderstorms. I was forced to take shelter in caves and under rocky overhangs. I unwittingly followed a creek into an adjoining gorge and found myself lost for three hours.

I was wet, tired, without food, water or cell service. I was alone, and no one knew where I had gone. I dug myself out of the hole I was in, and eight hours after I left it, I returned to my car without finding the waterfall. I also suffered a rash of poison ivy for a week after.

BUT!... (↑ see first line above ↑)

Before I left the house yesterday, I made a map using the photos that I took in January. Each photo has a time stamp of when it was taken. I used this as a distance between subjects. I know my pace while I'm hiking, so it was as easy as checking off landmarks.

It rained hard Monday night, and I was expecting a spectacular display. As wet as the gorge was, all the falls were drips.

Yes, I found my subject, nearly dry. But, wet or dry, now I know, and I can start shooting people in front of that Beautiful Face.


I also found this bright little fellow. I believe him to be a Small Chanterelle.

Sciency Type Stuff

Without it, we'd still be living in the mud, dying by 40, afraid of kings and monsters... magic would have crushed logic, the air would be cleaner, but we'd probably be really really stupid.

Some of those things don't sound so bad. Perhaps science will bring them back one day. (albeit an unnatural and potentially disastrous experiment.) Maybe we should just leave the recreation to Hollywood.

You can't stop it, though. Science fiction races towards science fact at ever increasing speeds. Authors become prophetic, and the collective moves forward. Star Trek alone has given us communicators/cell phones and phasers/tasers, both set to stun. Space stations; yeah, we got
'em. Missions to other planets; those, too. Nuclear subs; check! Eradication of disease... still working on it.

All these toys are great, let's see if we can hold on to them. (we did forget that the world was round for almost 2000 years)

10 Most Beautiful Experiments

Rare Genetic Disorder Creates Super Strong Toddler

Large Hadron Collider Goes Online Sept 10

Water Bear Survives Vacuum of Space

A World Without Engineers

NASA's Turbulent Gases

Get a lab coat and some goggles and do something fun.

Historical Record

Common people have been taking photos now for well over 100 years. Many people today carry the power of image capture in their pocket. Snap shots are still wildly popular, but few (if any) will ever see the light of day. "Negatives" will stay on hard drives, and prints will only be made on the rare occasion that you get a good one.

A few years back, I heard that the average person's picture is taken eight times a day. A walk downtown might double that number. But, who looks at those?

By comparison, Flikr is now estimated to house over a billion images. Growing daily, they're just one of many image hosts.

I'm getting ahead of myself.

Columbus, OH hosts a Paper Show twice a year. 'Paper Show?', you say. Books, magazines, posters, and row upon row of post cards; printed items, to include photos, that celebrate paper in its various forms. Tid bits of ephemera that if you hold on to just long enough, you can sell it for a dollar.

Of course, many of these items are worth far more to the collector. Post cards with $500 price tags are common. The photos are where it's at, though.

People, places and times set in silver, many of them unidentified. The lost history of families shoved in a dusty box. Half price table and I'll make you a deal for the lot.

Sometimes you can find the negatives, which I'm more partial to rescuing.

In another 100 years, what will be in that box...if it's a box at all? I still use paper, but I use plastic more. I still make prints, but only the good ones (and they're ink, not silver) I still have film negatives, but not as many.

Another comparison: a silver gelatin print can last 300 years with proper care. My hard drive might last five (and by then, there's no support for its maintenance).

Take a look in today's box.

70 yo Color Photos

Who Needs Nuts?

By loose association... The Bookseller

Tomorrow, I think, is going to be a science day.

HAPPY MONDAY!

Rise and Fall

Lots of things do it, and some are more glorious than others. Here are some currents.

Lobbyist Jack Abramoff

Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick

Col. Muammar Gaddafi

And here are some things that are just good for Friday.

An Alien Place on Earth

Hanuka Illustrations (oddly, while at work yesterday, I passed by someone on their laptop and the first illustration was on the monitor.)

Chimps are People Too.

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Why So Serious?

Today, I think you need a laugh.

Not the Best Angle

Non-dairy Creamer

Cartoon Anatomy

The Customer is NOT Always Right

Not made for a laugh, but still interesting: 100 foods you should try before you die.

I can't remember who said it, but; "...those that were seen dancing were thought insane by those that couldn't hear the music."

oh, wait. It was Nietzsche.

Just remember, as you sit alone in your cubicle (or wherever you are reading this) and laugh... someone thinks you're crazy.

I Palin Comparisson

Wow.

Bush is angling to keep us in a perpetual state of war; He's even decided to send a billion dollars to help Georgia's economy after the 'Russian Invasion'. (I don't think they spent that much on our own Economic Stimulus Package.)

The separation of church and state is falling apart...guess where? That's right, Texas. It's now a law that the Bible is to be taught in public schools.

The environment's still bad. Canada is melting. It's unstoppable, so let us divert our attention elsewhere.

Lets not speak of war, or the economy. Religion is taboo and too sensitive a topic. The environment?... I'll be green tomorrow.

I know! Has anyone noticed how HOT the Republican VP nominee is?

Come on. Really? Guys and Gals alike...eyes on the ball. Obvious Distraction Alert!

Do Not Get Swallowed By The Walking Drama That is Sarah Palin. She may be a reality show come to life, but there are more important things to take care of.

Ice Cream

There are fewer things more exciting than ice cream. There are so many flavors; sometimes it's hard to choose. Occasionally, one will come along and it'll just make sense. (think chocolate) You'll also find your rarities, usually specific to location, that can also be show stoppers. (salted caramel, pooh's honey pot) Sometimes we deviate, compelled by our sense of adventure. Sometimes we win, and sometimes we lose. Sometimes we're met with combinations that are just plain nonsensical.

Here's a little bit of political ice cream for you. Make sure you eat slowly, so that it doesn't give you a headache.

Stewart and Colbert mock Palin choice

Carville vs. the Congresswoman

Juneau ..vs.. Juno

A Kiss for Hillary

↑ is just too funny.