Mestwick66 Break Dancing Santas

Mestwick66 Break Dancing Santas
Originally uploaded by NYCArthur.

Merry Christmas!

happy flamingo holidays
Originally uploaded by MBK.

Giant Turkey Suggests Pork for Thanksgiving

IMG_7129
Originally uploaded by abp7.

My sister snapped this one in her neighborhood in South St. Louis.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

work release - governor's mansion

work release
Originally uploaded by bfelice.

more ghoulish sights from the mansion.

Temple Sunset

temple sunset
Originally uploaded by Sara Heinrichs (awfulsara).

The photographer, Sara Heinrichs, says:

Riding back to the guesthouse on my rented bicycle from a day of exploring and photography when the sky turned amazing colors. Stopped and hustled off the road to these, the nearest temples, set the camera on a low wall, & took this shot.

This photo is one of many great shots in her photoset those you like best. Sara includes in that set her photos that have been "faved" by 50 or more people. Every one of them is well worth viewing.

I don't have any photos on flickr faved by that many people, but I do have quite a few that at least one person marked as a favorite. Many of these "faved" photgraphs must hold some kind of significance to the person doing the "faving" that I cannot fathom. Maybe the subject matter reminds the person of her childhood, or the favoriter used to work down the street from the old shack in my photo.

Of all my photos (over 24,000 so far), this one has been favorited the most:



Just wait till I get time to scan in all my old photos from my days of taking film shots. Most of my photos on Flickr are from June 2005 up to the present time, and shot with a little digital camera with only 1.3 megapixels. The quality of the images ranges from decent to pretty awful. I rarely delete anything, but I certainly don't expect anyone to look at my entire ouvre. I put lots of my photos into sets, so that you can click on a set that looks like it might interest you and see all the photos in thumbnail view. If they don't look interesting enough to click on individually, you've at least seen a little overview of what I took.

I will take a photo of just about anything except roadkill or other dead animals. Unless the dead animal is cooked for food. I take lots of photos of buildings, skies, and things that look interesting or strange to me. Lately the majority of my pictures are taken from the car.

I could spend hours on the Flickr.com website. There are all kinds of pictures, groups of photos, and discussions of photos, it would take several lifetimes to check it all out. I wish I had the time to work at my real job, sing in the choir, do my radio show, add things to this blog, take photos, hang out with my friends and family, get enough sleep, and still have the time to browse around on the Flickr site.

Bloggers create emergency blogs...

fat kills germs
Originally uploaded by MBK.

to fulfill their solemn vows to blog every half hour for 24 hours, some of the blogathon bloggers have had to start whole new blogs on the fly!

SJ's emergency blog

I'll try to catch up to what SJ is doing, I had gone out for breakfast and came back to see only one post on SJ's regular blog, The Write Coast.

I found her emergency blog at the Blogathon site.

Blogathon 2006 starts soon...

nipper and touille dog
Originally uploaded by MBK.

I won't be one of the almost 400 bloggers who will blog every 30 minutes for 24 hours. Starting at 8 AM Central Time, these intrepid folks will be blogging for charity, and preblogging is not allowed. They have to actually stay up for the 24 hours. Monitors will be watching!

I will, however, be checking out as many of the blogathoners as I can, especially my friend SJ of The Write Coast, who will be blogging for Puppies Behind Bars, a charity who helps dogs and prison inmates both, by training the inmates to raise puppies to become guide dogs for the blind and explosive detection canines for law enforcement.

I have pledged my support for SJ and Puppies Behind Bars in memory of my dog Touille.

...more information about the Blogathon...

Good Luck, Bloggers!

fireworks @ the arch 2006

fireworks @ the arch 2006
Originally uploaded by paparutzi.

I haven't been blogging here lately. I had to have my little dog Touille euthanized at the end of May. She lived a good long life. This is my first Independence Day without her. Touille had always hated fireworks or any loud noises. A year ago, the firecrackers set off by the kids in the immediate neighborhood, right near our house, didn't seem to bother her so much. I knew that she must be losing her hearing.

This photo shows some of the spectacular fireworks by the Mississippi River that St. Louisans saw on Saturday, July 1. There is another fireworks show scheduled for tonight, if the rain stops in time. It's raining right now at 7:20 PM.

new product at the local walgreens

Creative Marketing Strategy
Originally uploaded by idahostudios.

A local photographer found this sign and declares:

NOT A FAKE----Found at a South St. Louis (Bayless) Walgreens. No Kidding.

One of the commenters on the photo directs us to this website:
Chicken Poop

I Passed Eighth Grade Math (in the blogosphere)

You Passed 8th Grade Math

Congratulations, you got 8/10 correct!

Could You Pass 8th Grade Math?

Now, I didn't even understand one of the questions in the quiz. It used a sort of carat symbol, the meaning of which was a mystery to me. Instead of just guessing, I left that one blank. So the other question that I got wrong? Who knows?

It's been a pretty long time since eighth grade.

what's in YOUR easter basket?

what's in YOUR easter basket?
Originally uploaded by MBK.

The orange "creepy peeps" are leftovers from Halloween. The eggs were done years ago by dipping the egg in progressively darker colors of dye, covering with wax the parts you wanted to remain the lighter colors. My friend Debby convinced some of us to try this with her. I never did it again, but I did enjoy it and treasure these three eggs that I designed and made. By the way, you never have to "blow out" the egg, the yolk and the white just stay inside the shell forever and are supposed to eventually dry up. These eggs still feel heavy, like there are egg innards inside.

Happy Easter, everyone!

Bride. Havana, Cuba

Bride.
Originally uploaded by Robin Thom.

Paseo de Prado, Havana, Cuba. Part of the Havana Cars photo set by Robin Thorn.

MacMillan Clan Tartans

MacMillan Hunting Clan Tartan

MacMillan Clan Tartan

MacMillan Hunting Clan Tartan

Ron Thompson (Clan MacTavish) and Donald Fisher (Clan Campbell)

Ron Thompson,Donald Fisher
Originally uploaded by MBK.

These two gentlemen kindly allowed me to photograph them in their tartans at Christ Church Cathedral on Sunday, April 2, 2006.

Happy Tartan Day!

Marjie Kennedy (Clan MacMillan)

Killlin Highland Games

Killlin Highland Games 027
Originally uploaded by swisskiltbear.

Killin Highland Games photo set

2003 Max in Slippers

2003 Max in Slippers
Originally uploaded by svana.

The photographer says:

The infamous Max is a regular attendee and damn hard worker at the Glasgow, KY Highland Games.

Highland Games, Glasgow KY photo set.

Here's a really cool photo set by Dober Man from Sangamon County, Illinois, with lots of great photos of musicians, kilted men, and dancers in motion:
Springfield, IL Highland Games 2005

Elder at Richmond Highland Games

Elder
Originally uploaded by driko.

Richmond Highland Games 2005 photoset

Leprechaun

Leprechaun
Originally uploaded by Mute*.

In Chicago, they dye the river green...

Da River
Originally uploaded by rj3dc.

I've never been in Chicago for St. Patrick's day, but I think the river looks kind of cool in photographs. I wonder what kind of dye they use.

Asian Girl in Brazilian Costume at the Vancouver St. Patrick's Day Parade

Asian Girl in Brazilian Costume at the Vancouver St. Patrick's Day Parade
Originally uploaded by sillygwailo.

- gotta love it!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

3/14 is Pi Day

Pi Day and also Albert Einstein's birthday!

From the Wikipedia:

(Math or science clubs) might gather to consider the role that the number π has played in their lives and to imagine the world without π. During such an event, pi celebrants may devise alternative values for π, eat pie, play piñata, drink piña Colada, eat pineapple) or watch Pi. The shape of the pie is sometimes square, due to the pronunciation of the equation for the surface area bounded by a circle = πr2, i.e. "pie are squared."

Here are some more Pi Day Links:

Pi Day with a scrolling pi to a large number of decimal places. However, most of the links at the bottom of their page were dead. This one, the Pi-Searcher (search for strings of digits within pi) is still operational. Mr. Nathan Grimm sent me a link to this site: Pi Day and Beyond, a nice site with Fun Facts, Advanced Facts, Pi in Culture, and more links.

Pi Day Songs that you can sing to familiar tunes, like Happy Birthday or O Tannenbaum ("your digits are unending").

The Ridiculously Enhanced Pi Page has this disclaimer, though I wasn't able to view it except by viewing the source code:

Disclaimer:

While this is technically the Ridiculously Enhanced Pi Page, you are seeing a lesser non-enhanced version. Please note that this particular version is neither enhanced nor ridiculous and is in fact rather ordinary. If you came here looking for something "ridiculously enhanced" and are not entirely satisfied do not hold us responsible. We can only do so much. You need to get Netscape 2.0, then if you feel the page is somewhat less than "ridiculously enhanced" you will have cause for complaint.

The Other Ridiculously Enhanced Pi Site can be viewed if you have Netscape 3.0 or 4.0.

This site will not work with any other broswer. This site is certified 98% content free!

WARNING: THIS SITE DISPLAYS TECHNOLOGY FOR TECHNOLOGY'S SAKE! The Exploratorium is not responsible for any incidental, special, indirect, or consequential damages arising out of use of this product.

I don't have Netscape, but if anyone does, please let me know what the ridiculously enhanced version looks like. Inquiring minds want to know.

Here's some pi for you:
3.141592653589793238462643383279502884197169399375
10582097494459230781640628620899862803482534211706
79821480865132823066470938446095505822317253594081
2848111745028410270193852110555964462294895493038196...

And according to the Morning Edition (NPR) story by Renée Montagne, the Kate Bush song about pi has a mistake in the numbers.

Sea Foam Green

Sea Foam Green
Originally uploaded by Pay No Mind.

This photograph caught my eye while I was browsing on Flickr. even the sky looks a little greenish.

This is a photo of someplace in LA.

Patterns

Roasted Pigeon
Originally uploaded by Jan Tik.

Patterns photo set by Jan Tik on Flickr.com.

Happy Center: wouldn't you like to go there?

happy center
Originally uploaded by richardzx.

The photographer says only that this is a photo from Happy, Texas. I think every town ought to have a Happy Center, where you can go if you need a little happiness.

You can't tell from the outside of the building what joys may await.

reflecting

reflecting
Originally uploaded by MBK.

I spend a lot of time right here, mostly uploading photos to flickr.com. I should be exercising, cooking, walking outside, cleaning the house (you can see the dust on the lamp if you click on the larger version of the photo)... I should be calling my mother, petting the dog... But here I am in the corner by the computer, listening to Judge Mathis on television and editing a bunch of photos I took of stuff in St. Louis... buildings, neon signs, trash lying on the ground...

why you shouldn't put your cell phone and some loosely wrapped chocolate candy into the same pocket...

why you shouldn't put your cell phone and some loosely wrapped chocolate candy into the same pocket...
Originally uploaded by MBK.

...there's still a little chocolate in the crevices of my phone.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Music Is The Best Cure For A Sorrowing Mind.

Music Is The Best Cure For A Sorrowing Mind.
Originally uploaded by JourneyToNoWhere.

The photographer, JourneyToNoWhere, gives his photos titles. I like this photo and the title he chose.

Here's a set of his photos that he calls Whatchamacallit.

Happy Chinese New Year

Happy Chinese New Year
Originally uploaded by T Bell.

It's the year of the dog!

I chose this picture because I think this photographer, T Bell, takes really great photos. Check out some of her great photo sets.

Snowfall...

IMG_4323a
Originally uploaded by save it for a rainy day.

from the Night Hawks photo blog.

snow chairs

S0062
Originally uploaded by indiewench.

It's actually springlike weather here in St. Louis. But I like this photo by indiewench of the snow on the chairs.

view of MIT staircase

MIT Staircase
Originally uploaded by Orbularity.

part of Orbularity's photo set The Built Environment on Flickr.

Happy New Year, everyone.