Givin' it up to get the picture

I don't know if this is a real picture or a product of someone's Photoshop abilities, but assuming it is real, it's impressive that someone could give it up like that to get the shot he or she wanted.

It's also worth noting that this photographer is holding one expensive rig. The EOS 3 is one of Canon's finest film cameras, and the white lens, while I cannot tell you the focal length from this picture, is not cheap. Any of Canon's white lenses are almost always of the "L" variety, and they are pricey indeed, and a professional quality lens. I hope the photog's persistence paid off and the risk was worth it, because one trip or a wrong maneuver would probably cost four figures with that equipment.

Funniest pic so far in '08

This is one of the funniest pictures I've seen in a long time. Our friend Mandy just got back from Thailand a week or so ago, and while she was over there, she saw this dog on the beach, and she couldn't stop laughing.

Someone actually took the trouble to dye eyebrows on a stray dog. How funny is that? Please note that this pic is NOT Photoshopped or altered in any way - this one is the real deal. Of all the beautiful pics that Mandy came back with from Thailand, she said this one is her favorite. After looking at all of the pictures that she took, and there are some truly breathtaking ones, it's my favorite, too.

Adobe Lightroom should be fun & useful

I just installed the new Adobe Lightroom on my computer tonight, and I'm pretty excited to get to know the program.

If anyone knows of any good books to recommend, please pass it along. By all accounts, it looks like a terrific complement to Adobe Photoshop.

Our would-be AG gets billboard love

I found this one last week and forgot to post it - it's a "billboard" of Utah Senator Orrin Hatch, but I assume the pic has been Photoshopped.

Evidently, Hatch has self-serving billboards all over Utah that get on some people's nerves, from what I've read.

I've never liked Hatch, ever, other than he's one of the few Repubes who is for stem-cell research.

I blogged last week about Hatch, jeering him for bucking for attorney general before Gonzo is gonezo. Give it a week or two, Orrin - you'll have your shot at getting shot down during Senate confirmation. All kidding aside, he'd probably get confirmed by the Senate if offered the job of AG, but it's just downright tacky to be campaigning for it, even if quietly.

Anyway, I like the billboard effort.

Ahh, the wonder of the Internet.

At long last... Photoshop CS3!

I've been waiting for this for a long time. Today, Adobe Systems, my favorite software company, announced the new version of Adobe Photoshop - dubbed Adobe CS3 (Creative Suite 3), or Photoshop 10. Since I own Photoshop 7.0, I'm well overdue for an upgrade. Most exciting of all, since I'm in education, I get the educational discount.

If anyone has any recommended seminars to attend, I'm all ears. Ben Willmore has an excellent reputation as one of the premiere Photoshop experts in the country, but he doesn't tour very often. I'm hoping to attend a seminar sometime this summer.

I've also downloaded trial version of Adobe Lightroom, and I'm going to poke around that over Easter Break to see if it's worth the investment. With my educational discount, the price certainly is right for Lightroom.

I just wanted to share my excitement and enthusiasm with today's long-awaited Photoshop announcement. A new version only comes out every two to three years, so it's a pretty big deal, especially when you are three versions behind!

A buffet of YouTube hilarity

I wanted to take a bit of a timeout today from all of the serious posts, and, of course, YouTube, the site I sometimes love to hate, but that in the end I ultimately love, provides the entertainment. I know it's a shotgun blast of vids, but trust me, if you have a few minutes, check these out - it's worth the time investment. I know some of them are kind of random, but they'll give you a good laugh. Best of all, if you're reading this on Monday morning and you're at work, it stinks to be you, because you didn't get President's Day off. I did, so I'll provide this service to you, because right now, you need the laugh. Enjoy!



This one is kids with too much time on their hands. The worst part about this is that I can totally see my brothers and I doing this when we were younger. The end of the video is hilarious, but don't spoil it - hang in for the whole thing.



One of the dumbest criminals ever. And don't we all love dumb criminals. The payoff is the end - "Hey, screw it, I'm caught. Guess I'll have a smoke."



This was voted collegehumor.com's funniest video of 2006. I'm not too familiar with the site, but who could disagree? Only an out-of-touch, out-of-shape dad would try for a slam dunk with beer pong. I have a special affinity for anything beer pong - hey, I graduated from Kutztown University, where beer pong is a major, I think.



This one is for all the rap fans out there - this guy is dead on accurate - Snoop, Jay-Z and DMX. He flat out nails 'em all. Straight up dope, yo!



Lastly, I found this video, and I was a bit awe-struck. It's called MS Paint God. I can't imagine being that artistically adept at, well, anything, besides photography. It is pretty cool, though. Someday I hope to be that good at Photoshop.