Let's Try The New Camera!

I took several photos around my yard yesterday, trying out various settings, "Portrait, Macro, and so on.This is probably the best one, a macro closeup of a Hosta flower.


I discovered that I have a lot of oddball crap around.

Garage Cafe, Birmingham, AL

This is more of my typically bad photography. I've since invested in a (slightly) better camera, but my only real talent as a photographer is in going to cool places and pointing the camera at them.
The courtyard at the Garage Cafe has brought the place national recognition in several publications. It is truly funky and unique.
The annual birthday celebration is alway a great event, usually featuring Scott Boyer and the Decoys. This year Donnie Fritts sang a few and David Hood played the bass. Pretty legendary talent for a free event with free food.

I honestly never saw this coming.

I made this with a fun little toy I found on the internet, "The Fake Magazine Cover Generator" http://www.fakemagazinecover.com/?page=1

Why Florida Is Better Than Japan...

Brush With Greatness: Seth Green

We ran into Seth Green at LAX when we were returning from a trip to Encinitas, CA.

He posed for a photo with my son (left) and a friend.

Suspicious behavior...

You Should Know: Craig Fuller

Singer/songwriter/guitarist Craig Fuller was a founding member of the folk-rock group Pure Prairie League in 1970. Fuller was with the group for its first two albums, leaving in 1972.During this period, Fuller encountered legal difficulties over his claim of conscientious objector status to avoid the draft, eventually serving two years in a hospital instead. (He was later pardoned by President Ford.)

"Amie" is Fuller's best known song.


Craig Fuller joined Little Feat in 1988 as Vocalist/Guitarist, replacing his friend Lowell George, who died in 1979.

Chapel, US Naval Academy

I took this photo about four years ago on a visit to Annapolis, MD.

If I remember correctly, John Paul Jones is buried in the basement. (John Paul Jones the war hero, not the bass player from Led Zeppelin)

When You Put It That Way...

In the film THE THIRD MAN, Orson Welle's character famously said this:

"In Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love - they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock."

Born A Rebel...

They say there's one in every family. If you don't know one in your family, it's probably you.

Fr. Thomas Schnurr, OSB

This man was my German teacher in College. He recently passed away at 101 years of age. I took this photo about 5 or 6 years ago.
Fr. Thomas Schnurr, the oldest priest and monk at St. Bernard Abbey, died peacefully at 6:05 p.m. on April 5 in his monastic cell in the infirmary area of the Abbey. Fr. Thomas, a native of Louisville, Ky., celebrated his 101st birthday last November 11th. He was active until the past few months when illness limited his ability to participate in the daily life of the monastic routine.

Fr. Thomas came to St. Bernard at the age of twelve as a “Minim,” a student in the seventh grade. At the age of 19 he entered St. Bernard as a novice in June 1926 and professed his first vows as a Benedictine monk one year later in June 1927. He was ordained to the priesthood in September 1932. After his ordination, Fr. Thomas attended Catholic University in Washington, D.C. where he attained his Masters degree in Philosophy in 1934 and did further studies toward a doctorate.

By the numbers: 90 years ago Fr. Thomas came to St. Bernard; 82 years ago he became a monk; and 77 years ago he was ordained a Catholic priest.

Acquired Situational Narcissism defined

Acquired Situational Narcissism (ASN) is a form of narcissism that develops in late adolescence or adulthood, brought on by wealth, fame and the other trappings of celebrity. It was coined by Robert B. Millman, professor of psychiatry at the Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University.

ASN differs from conventional narcissism in that it develops after childhood and is triggered and supported by the celebrity-obsessed society: fans, assistants and tabloid media all play into the idea that the person really is vastly more important than other people, triggering a narcissistic problem that might have been only a tendency, or latent, and helping it to become a full-blown personality disorder.

In its presentation and symptoms, it is indistinguishable from narcissistic personality disorder, differing only in its late onset and its support by large numbers of others. The person with ASN may suffer from unstable relationships, substance abuse and erratic behaviour.

A famous fictional character with ASN is Norma Desmond, the main character of Sunset Boulevard. (Wikipedia)

Know Your French Actresses: Sophie Marceau

One of France's most recognizable film stars, Sophie Marceau is possibly best known in the U.S. for her debut performance as Princess Isabel in Mel Gibson's Braveheart, and for her part as Bond girl Elektra King in The World is Not Enough. She was also featured as Hippolyta in A Midsummer Night's Dream opposite Kevin Kline and Michelle Pfeiffer and in the lighthearted Lost and Found opposite comedian David Spade.(Filmbug)

How To:

Jason Isbell "Dress Blues"

This is a very appropriate Memorial Day song.. (Actually we prefer "Decoration Day" or simply "Decoration" in North Alabama)
Jason Isbell is one of my favorites, great songs, great voice.

Matt Conley here: http://www.militarycity.com/valor/1550696.html

and here:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=conley

"Refections Of My Life" Marmalade

This is a mostly forgotten BritPop masterpiece that my friend Wayne reintroduced me to.Marmalade were a successful Scottish pop/rock group, from Glasgow in Scotland, originally known as Dean Ford and The Gaylords between 1961 and 1966. They changed the group name to "The Marmalade" in 1966.(Wikipedia)

I guess this qualifies as a guilty pleasure, but it's pretty good stuff.

Don't judge me...

LSU "Groom's Cake"

This is a "Groom's Cake", a wedding tradition primarily in the South (I'm told)

This one is chocolate, but I imagine it smells a little like Bourbon, Corndogs and Fear...

Stephen Magsig, American Oil Painter

Stephen Magsig is a Michigan-based painter who seems to specialize in urban scenes and architectural detail studies. He paints the sort of images I like to photograph.
His website is "Postcards From Detroit" http://myartspage.blogspot.com/

"Breaking Bad"

Set and produced in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Breaking Bad revolves around Walter White (Bryan Cranston), a struggling high school chemistry teacher with a teenage son who has cerebral palsy (RJ Mitte), and a pregnant wife, Skyler (Anna Gunn). When the already tense White is diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, he breaks down and turns to a life of crime, and starts producing and selling methamphetamine with his former student Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) in a desire to secure his family's financial future.[2]The title comes from a Southern United States colloquialism "to break bad" which is defined as "when someone has taken a turn off the path of the straight and narrow, when they've gone wrong".[3] The series is set and filmed in and near Albuquerque, New Mexico.[4] (wikipedia)

Dana Delany, American Film/Television Actress

Dana Welles Delany (born March 13, 1956) is an American film, stage, and television actress. She is known especially for her two-time Emmy Award winning role as Colleen McMurphy on the ABC television show China Beach (1988–91), in more recent times as Katherine Mayfair on Desperate Housewives and as Lois Lane in the DC Animated Universe as well as the TV series The Batman. Delany has been active in film, television, and stage since the late 1970s.


Dana Delany is only slightly older than me, but is aging much more gracefully. She is the only "Ginger" among my imaginary girlfriends.

Wildwood Springs Lodge, Steelville Missouri

We took a trip to rural Missouri a few years ago and went a concert at Wildwood Springs.
It's a great setup. You get a room, a meal and an intimate concert experience. They've drawn some great acts over the years.










We saw Pure Prairie League there, then everybody hung out till the wee hours partying.
I'd liken the experience to something like having your favorite band play at your birthday party at the place where they filmed The Shining.

http://www.wildwoodspringslodge.com/concert09/index.html

Highly recommended, especially if you see someone listed you really like.

Party Planning?

I really need to get started on planning a party. I keep procrastinating, however. (It would be really tough to top that last one..)

Hatch Show Print, Nashville

We got a Hatch Print at the Van Morrison show in 2008.

Hatch is a great place to visit when in Nashville, right on lower Broadway. They are the oldest/last? remaining "Letter Block" printer in the nation.

Also a great Nashville souvenir can be had for under $20, suitable for framing.

http://www.etsy.com/storque/handmade-life/the-handmade-tourist-hatch-show-print-92/

http://store.countrymusichalloffame.com/store/product_hatch.aspx?cat_id=14

Lafayette and New Iberia, LA

My brother Jesse with an old friend (below)

"Birmingham Tonight"

I gotta admit, I wasn't familiar with this Delbert McClinton song, just stumbled onto it searching for a Youtube video from his show the other day in order to update a previous post. It's a little twangy for Delbert, but good.

There's a good old Telluride/Kevin Derryberry song also called "Birmingham Tonight" that used to get some local airplay.

My Dog Is Nuts...

I heard Tessie rustling down the steps yesterday and wondered what she was up to. Apparently she found and finished a bag of cheapo vanilla wafers one of the kids had taken upstairs.The photo doesn't do it justice. She was calmly eyeballing me through the clear cellophane bag, trying to give it the old "This? Oh, I meant to do this..."

Is Nothing Sacred?

Well, it's actually pretty clever.

Random Images: Oilfield Louisiana