|
| Puppies and Orangutans | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
By now, most have heard about the video of U.S. marine throwing puppy off a cliff in Iraq. This sort of behaviour isn't new to war. There was a Vietnam veteran in Cahill 3 with me. He told me a story that seems now eerily similar to this. The guys in his unit called the orangutans "rock apes", because they would catch rocks you threw at them and then throw the rocks back. They had fun playing catch with the orangutans until one day one of the guys in the unit decided to pull a pin out of a grenade and throw it at an orangutan . Of course the orangutan caught the grenade and was blown to pieces. That ended the fun they had with the orangutans. The difference is that they didn't have camera phones then. Should we be surprised by this sort of behaviour? These soldiers have been sent to kill people. Most humans view other animals as less than human. If they're killing people left and right, what's the odd puppy or orangutan ? Who is more evil then: the marine that killed the puppy or the politicians sent him over there to kill? | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
blank| Christmas | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
This has been a wonderful and merry Christmas so far. ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} purpleglitter got me wonderful gifts, including a new birding camera — the same model as the broken one, so that it will work with my telephoto lens.My parents gave me a brass clock once owned by my great-grandfather. It's an old electric clock and wasn't made with the ability to start up on its own. A knob in the back must be spun just right so that it "catches", then the electric power will take over. The neat thing about the clock is that it will run backwards if the knob is spun backwards. I used to always set it running backward when I was a kid, and it is running backwards in my livingroom now. | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
cheerful| Shoveling Again | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
Woke up about an hour ago, had a bowl of creamy mushroom soup and went outside to start shoveling. The snow had turned to sleet by the time I got out there. A good 5 inches of the mix, mostly loose snow, was on the ground. I got some pictures of one of the dark-eyed juncos that have been hanging around yesterday, but the sun had went down too far to get good exposures. I'm going to try again Monday. Without my birding camera, I have to be sneaky to get close enough for a good shot. Sneaky in this case means feeding them on fenceless fenceposts near the window. | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
groggy| Too Cute | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
found via evilgrins:
| |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
mellow| Taking Pictures at the Reservoir | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
awake
| Autumn Birds at Arlington Reservoir | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
My birding camera is still giving me a lot of grief. I'll get it working only to lose power again in less than a minute. I'm more and more convinced the problem is internal, and the prospects of getting it fixed anytime soon are dim. Even so, I was able to get a few shots with it at the Arlington Reservoir today.  ( +3 ) | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| Doing It Myself | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
I went down to New England Photo this afternoon and learned that zarthon's assessment of how much my camera will cost to repair was much more accurate than mine, and unfortunately the cost of getting my camera fixed is well over what I can afford to spend. On faith that it will be fixed, I bought the new lens cap I've been needing.I'm going to see if I can repair the problem myself without taking the camera apart. There is at least a chance that I might be able to get it working and the risk of breaking the camera further is relatively low as long as I don't actually pry it open. Christian suggested swabbing the prongs in the battery case with alcohol. If that doesn't work, I'm going to attempt ti gently but firmly reposition the prongs. I have a few other ideas up my sleeve, but if none of that works I'll have to reassess my options. | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| Virginia | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
I'm back in Boston. I had a great deal of fun with My sister, niece, brother-in-law, and mom. Maddie is a little ball of energy. Well, not little, she's quite big for a 7 year old. Smart and creative, but I just can't keep up with her. The day I arrived, Thursday, we pretty much stayed around the house and relaxed. My mom had already been there for several days and was already settled in. Friday, Christian stayed home while Maddie, Bridgette, my mom, and I went down to Georgetown. We hit Lush and Godiva and went to Dean & Deluca for lunch. While I've seen central meter machines in parking lots, I'd never seen a central machine for street parking before. I guess it is more efficient than having a separate parking meter for each spot, I'm just not used to it. The biggest disadvantage I see with the central machine system is that if it breaks down it disrupts the use of a number of parking spots at once. Saturday we drove into Virginia through wine country and went to Linden Vineyards (nothing to do with Second Live). That was my favorite part of the trip down. Relaxing doesn't even begin to describe the place. Surrounded by rows of grapes and vine watching the clouds shadow-dance on the Blue Ridge Mountains. The cigar Christian gave me to smoke at the vineyard not only went perfectly with the cheese and wine, but also with the surrounding tranquility. Sunday, I got up later than I had planned, but not so late that it caused any hassle in catching my flight. Upon leaving, Christian gave me some cigars, along with a 15-pack of Rocky Patel vintage 1992s, one of my favorites. My mom gave me a wonderful dragon cane when I arrived at the house and I was a bit worried about getting on the flight with 2 canes, but I didn't have any hassle and the return trip from Reagan National to Logan went smoothly. I had hoped to get some good bird pictures, but unfortunately my birding camera is not working. I noticed it my first day there. It seems to be a connection problem with the battery prongs, which should be repairable. But, I was glad to see that Maddie loved birds and birdwatching despite her father's hatred of them.  | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
hungry| Preloaded with Dismorphia | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
Found through recoiling:HP Slimming Filters The models in their examples are already pretty damn skinny and need no "slimming". If you're going to pre-program your cameras with body dismorphia, at least offer a better "filter" than simply reproportioning the image. I have no intention of ever buying any HP product again. | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| Mount Auburn Cemetery | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| Cait | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
 (click image to see the picture she took) | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| Back in the Click | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| Mystic Lakes | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| purpleglitter dropped me off by Lower Mystic Lake on her way to work and I had a good half-hour walk home. Next time she want to drop me off by the marina on Upper Mystic Lake; which I think sounds great, however I want to have a battery for my camera first. The Mystic Lakes are an area of Arlington I haven't really explored yet, and I think it's about time I do. | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| Home Walk | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
Just got back from a wonderful walk around Arlington. As I currently don't have a battery for my camera, I brought a cigar instead. A fine cigar goes well with a good walk the same way a fine wine goes well with a good meal. As much as I thought Ontario was beautiful, nothing can compare to or rival New England. The more I really spend time just being in and observing Arlington, the more I realize that this is my home. If I move, I do not want to move to any other town. | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| Voice Post: | |||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| |||||||
| Being Not Watched | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
After spending three days with a camera trained on me, I can't shake the feeling I am being watched. I keep "remembering" that the camera is there, but it isn't. It's almost a paranoia, as I catch myself in a pose that would not be appropriate for the purposes of the EEG filming and jump slightly before I realize that it is unplugged, in the closet, and waiting to be returned on Monday. I wonder how long it will take me to get to a baseline unwatched state. | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| Glass Salsa Monitoring | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| Hooked Up | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
I was hooked up to the EEG equipment this morning. I was anticipating looking like a Borg drone, but they wrapped my head and I look more like I just had brain surgery. I'm very nervous, because I'm fraught with self doubt. I'm afraid to push the button that registers events because i worry that maybe all those people were right and I've been imagining everything. I hate this. purpleglitter has convinced me to press the button twice, but I don't know if I should have. I don't know if they were "enough" of events. I also wasn't expecting a camera to be part of the equipment. I'm being filmed all day. I feel overly monitored and self conscious. I know this is just for a three days and will result in getting the correct treatment. Even though this is unpleasant, I must remember to be thankful that I am at last getting examined. | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
anxious| Stream of Consciousness | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
it's a bit warm and muggy today but that's okay because i have a feeling it's the last warm and muggy day of the year autumn is upon us If I'm lucky and got the dates right I should get to see the leaves peak twice this year once in massachusetts then again in missouri i need to bring a camera to missouri i want to bring photographic evidence up that there are indeed liquor guns and ammo stores one stop shopping yee-haw i plan to bring back geodes even though i still have some to give away in my closet which reminds me i need to find the baking soda see if i can clean the tote bag mazzycat pissed init really stinks i remember this because it too is in the closet the closet is huge it runs about 20 feet literally down the side of the room and it's only one of two that size i've got it going on with the closet space i really need to find the baking soda | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
high| First Timer | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| merryperseis and I went to Man Ray last night. merryperseis had never been to Man Ray, or any goth club, before. I got to dress her up for the event. Where's a camera when you need one? I had fun and met several people and introduced merryperseis to several people. I also invited several people I know only through the club scene to my party, though I'm not sure if they'll actually shop up. | |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
|