Monthly Archives: October 2010

Backyard Full of Common Grackles

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This was interesting. My better half ran upstairs this afternoon all out of breath. She said, “Look at the back yard…it’s full of birds!!!” I got up and looked out of the upstairs bathroom window and what do you know, the back yard was, in fact, full of birds. Common Grackles to be exact.

I have no idea why they were there and why there were so many of them. I do know that just before this swarming of Common Grackles, we have some weird freak thunderstorm. Perhaps that storm was the signal for the Common Grackle to come out of hiding and to land over here. They were all pecking at the ground looking for insects.

I got a few photos of this event. My apologies for the lousy quality. I was forced to take these pictures through the window screen.

Common Grackles Swarming the Back Yard

Common Grackles Swarming the Back Yard

Back Yard Full of Common Grackles - Closer View

Back Yard Full of Common Grackles - Closer View


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Orange, Pink and Purple Sunset

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Here are a few more pictures of the late October sunsets that we have been enjoying. It’s always nice this time of year, especially in November.

You can’t really see too much in these pictures, but I think you’ll get the idea. Next time, I’ll try to get some pictures a little earlier in the day. Enjoy the orange, pink and purple sunset pictures.

Orange, Pink and Purple Sunset - #1

Orange, Pink and Purple Sunset - #1

Orange, Pink and Purple Sunset - #2

Orange, Pink and Purple Sunset - #2

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Beautiful October Sky

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I was driving up to Jiu Jitsu class last night and happened to be talking to my friend via my cell phone. He was in Connecticut as well, but about an hour and a half West from my location. I mentioned what a beautiful October sky I had in front of me, when my friend got all excited and told me he could see the same orange, pink and purple sunset.

Luckily I have nice friends who take pictures of these things and email them to me.

Beautiful October Sunset

Beautiful October Sunset


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Sean Stephenson Dance Party Video

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I want you to watch the video that I posted below. It’s pretty entertaining to say the least. It’s called the “Sean Stephenson Dance Party Video.” If you devote a few minuted to fully absorb what’s going on, you should experience three different emotions.

I saw this video for the first time a few days ago. It was posted on Break.com and when I first began watching it, I thought it was supposed to be a comedy. There was this guy sitting there telling me that I should be dancing. I honestly didn’t know what to think.

After a few minutes, I realized that Sean was not joking around and that he was really suggesting that we should relax in life just a bit and stop to enjoy. One of my favorite lines is, “…and, it makes your spirit feel good.”

By the end of the video, I felt kind of stupid. Here was this guy who I have never met before, sitting in a wheelchair telling me that I need to relax. The reason I felt dumb is because he is right. It’s all about perspective. I’ll let you think about that one for a little while.

Watch the video. Strangely enough, I have a few times over the past few days. It’s this perspective thing that’s got me hung up.

Thank you Sean. I like your honest and open personality. You have made me think.

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Camera Lens Simulator

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I know I have mentioned this a bunch of times, but if I haven’t yet, please let me mention it now: I really know nothing about photography.

I do have a good eye though and have proven to be a natural at many things. I have a simple (yet expensive) point and shoot camera and have taken some wonderful photos. I particularly enjoy working with various cases of lighting. Close-ups are fun too. Take a look at this picture I took yesterday. I took this photo with my point and shoot and touched it up with some Photoshop work. Not bad and I really like looking at it.

So I asked my friend to teach me about lenses. She emailed back and suggested that I get just the camera base and then purchase an 18-200mm lens. She said that I will pretty much never have to take the lens off the camera. But the question remained…what the heck do those numbers (18 and 200) mean? I found this on eHow:

The letters “mm” on a camera refer to the focal length in millimeters. Focal length is how far away the lens is from the sensor inside of the camera. Larger numbers mean that you will have a telephoto shot, which is good if you are taking a lot of pictures from a long distance away. The smaller the number, the closer the view. If your camera has an mm range, you can adjust the view within the range to get the best result.

Okay, well that explains it, but what can I do to see how a 18-200mm lens operates? This is so cool – check out what I found. It’s a camera lens simulator by Nikon and Canon. I think you’ll agree that Nikon’s is more in depth, but they both serve a purpose. Now I don’t have to guess and fiddle around with things in the camera store while I pretend I know what I am talking about.

Enjoy.

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Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Side and Mount Escapes

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Hey…guess what. I get to teach Brazilian Jiu Jitsu class tonight. My instructor is visiting another school (adult education) in hopes of showing the students the awesomeness of BJJ. Hopefully he will attract some students to our school and we’ll have more good guys to roll with.

Anyway, since I am teaching tonight and we have a brand new guy, I was thinking about going over how to escape from side and how to escape from mount.

The funny thing is, I have been doing these escapes for so long without thinking about them, I practically forgot the textbook methods. For that, I turned to YouTube.

What did I find? Well, I came across some really great videos made by Roy Dean, consisting of exactly what I was looking for. Now, I can demonstrate side and mount escapes a heck of a lot better tonight.

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Philosophy Vs. Jiu Jitsu

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I was talking to someone just a few minutes ago and I made a profound discovery. I really need to write these things down. Wait, I think that’s what I am doing.

Anyway, I was talking about Atlas Shrugged and I told her that there are so many philosophical principles to learn it’s overwhelming. I was talking about “Either/Or” and “Søren Kierkegaard” and again felt sorry for myself.

So where have I been all these years? I feel like so many people in the world are more educated than I am. I feel like I have been fooling around for far too long. There is something that makes me feel better though. As the days pass by, I talk to more and more people. I become more and more educated about so many thing and I want to discuss them. The blank looks on their faces really give me a boost. I know that I am edging up in society because I am slowly trotting by those people who I once thought were more educated than I am.

Which brings me to my point. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is just like philosophy. In the beginning, BJJ is quite intimidating. During the first class, I didn’t know anything. Even the guy next to me who had only been practicing for a month seemed like an expert. It was a lot to grasp.

As time went on and my Jiu Jitsu got better, I began to see more of the whole picture. While I know I have an eternal number of years left of practice, I do see light at the end of the tunnel. For sure, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is an never-ending art.

Sound like philosophy? It sounds just like it. The two are very similar and that’s probably why I am so attracted to them both. They are unlimited quests that will never be achieved. That sums up my personality.

So here is my profound statement I said just a few minutes ago: “Philosophy is a lot like Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. They are both so vast in the beginning, but in time, you start to see the edges of a pool. As the years go by, you realize that this thing really does have something you can wrap your arms around and that you are, in fact, swimming with the rest of them.”

How’s that?


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Update On Canon EOS Rebel T2i

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I have been thinking about this camera more and more lately. I have to stop myself because I know how I get. When something enters my mind, it’s tough to get it out.

I want this camera, but I know that I am going to have to purchase the wide angle lens fairly soon after the camera purchase. The lens is probably more expensive that the camera, so it’s a tough pill to swallow. I suppose that if I want to get serious about taking pictures, I need to get going.

Anyway, I did manage to stop by a camera dealer yesterday and I took an up-close and personal view of this camera. I guess it’s nice. I kind of felt like an idiot just looking at the thing. They all look the same pretty much. I think I basically went in there for a price.

This dealer didn’t offer the camera with the standard lens everyone else sells it with. They gave a better lens, but then raised the price $200. The guy said it was a $500 lens. I know nothing about lenses so I think I am going to make a few mistakes during this process. Although, I do have family and friends who are into photography, so I may pick their brains for a while before I do anything.


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Atlas Shrugged – Part Two – Either-Or

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I made it to part two of Atlas Shrugged. This section is called, “Either-Or.” To learn more about “Either/Or” just click here.

This book is truly a learning experience. Not only am I reading a very well written story, but I am being exposed to things I would have never thought I would be exposed to. Sure, I take it upon myself to study the principles laid out in the book and I have to read between the lines at times, but that’s what learning is all about. I am finding this fascinating.

You would be amazed at what I have discovered in the past year of my life…how many books I have read. And to think, I barely graduated high school.

Atlas Shrugged - Part Two - Either-Or

Atlas Shrugged - Part Two - Either-Or

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Richard Ashcroft and U.N.O.S – Are you ready?

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And just to follow up with my previous post, here is an awesome song by Richard Ashcroft and U.N.O.S (United Nations of Sound). It’s called, “Are you ready?”


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