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You are currently browsing the daily archive for May 5, 2009.
In the vein of the five sightless people describing an elephant while each touching a different part of its body: leg, tail, trunk, flank, and tusk and each coming up with radically divergent views of the beast, here's my attempt to see tugboats from one of many possible unusual angles . . . bow and stern. Below, Norwegian Sea, dawn in the north end of Arthur Kill,
Dace Reinauer, same location, different day and weather,
Evening Tide leaving east end of KVK,
Penn No. 6 westbound in KVK,
Greenland Sea looking to refuel at IMTT Bayonne,
Mary Turecamo fishtailing in KVK,
and back to Norwegian Sea in top end of AK.
Now as for more "new" angles . . . I'm working on it. If you're privy to angles off-limits to me, I thank you to take some fotos and send them along.
Unrelated: A new logbook page has beamed in from obsessed Henry and the Half Moon headed for Cathay 1609. Check it out here.
Photos, WVD.


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If you use someone else's WiFi signal without permission, you're a thief. That's the conclusion of a bill introduced into the Maryland General Assembly last week. Sponsored by Delegate LeRoy E. Myers, Jr., the legislation would criminalize the unauthorized use of a wireless access point in the state; it has since received an "unfavorable report" by the House Judiciary Committee, which all but dooms its prospects of passage.
The bill's purpose is to prohibit anyone from accessing a wireless access point "intentionally, willfully, and without authorization." It appears to ban both everyday WiFi leeching and using an open access point for more nefarious activities. And if you live in a Maryland neighborhood with broadband usage caps, it would be illegal to deliberately cause someone to overuse their bandwidth allotment. Violators would be subject to fines of up to $1,000 and three years in jail, unless they tried to hack into a password-protected system or used their unauthorized access for mischief. Then the penalties could climb to $10,000 and 10 years in prison.
With 802.11b/g/n technology becoming widespread over the past several years, there has been a corresponding rise in cases of people being arrested for using open access points without permission. One of the first cases came in 2005 when a Florida man was convicted of accessing a computer network without authorization. He was arrested and charged with the third-degree felony after the WAP's owner discovered him surfing in an SUV outside of their home.
There have been other cases, including an Illinois man who pleaded guilty to remotely accessing a computer system without permission in 2006 and a Michigan man who parked his car in front of a café and used its free WiFi service—without even ordering so much as a latte. When combined, it's a troubling trend of law enforcement and politicians overreacting to what is generally a harmless activity.
In the case of Delegate Myers, the legislation was prompted by his neighbor's use of Myer's WiFi connection without permission, according to Maryland newspaper The Herald-Mail. Apparently, Myers hadn't bothered to password-protect his WAP or use rudimentary security precautions. The proposal of the bill suggests that Myers would rather see this legislated than learn how to set up wireless security.
Sanity appears to reign in Maryland, however. The Maryland public defender's office is opposing the bill, noting the widespread availability of WiFi networks. "A technically unsophisticated user, such as a visiting parent, or simply a houseguest unfamiliar with the home's Internet could and probably would choose the first available network," the office noted in a filing. The public defender makes the obvious point (one that seems to have escaped Myers) that those wanting to prevent unauthorized access should enable routers' built-in security functions. It's so easy that there's no excuse for not doing it.
Of course, some people don't mind sharing their WiFi connections. In a piece I did earlier this year on the ethics of using unprotected wireless access points, I mentioned a friend who left his WAP unsecured as a public service. If people don't bother to protect their networks, there's no way of telling whether or not they want others to use it. Using an open WAP to cause harm should be punished in the same way as other nefarious hacking activities, using one to check e-mail, surf the 'Net, or read RSS should not be punished at all. Thankfully, the Maryland House Judiciary Committee appears to have more common sense than Del. Leroy Myers. That said, we probably haven't see the last of such bills.

subset: commoncrawl


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New for app developers in iOS 7: text to speech, motion effects, background downloads, free in-app purchases, more
We've reported on a number of big improvements coming to iOS 7 for both app developers and accessory manufacturers already. Yesterday we reported first on the new blinking and smiling detection features available to camera and photo app developers, and earlier this month told you about some of the new Bluetooth related APIs coming this fall.
We previously walked you through some of the new APIs and features for gamers, but there is still a lot more coming to third-party app developers in iOS 7. A few big improvements: a text to speech API, background downloads for in-app content, motion effects, 3D maps, and much more.
Head below for details on some of the more notable new APIs available for developers to take advantage of in iOS 7: Expand


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Arizona-based Local Motors made waves when they unveiled their Rally Figher, a jaunty offroader which was crowdsourced using a design contest that attracted more than 10,000 entries. Following in those four-wheeled footsteps was a motorcycle-inspired competition, which drew from a field of 200 submissions tasked with rendering a custom bike around a Harley-Davidson Sportster chassis and powertrain.
The winner? A Portugese fellow by the name of Andre Costa, who cleverly named his DP Racer after DP Custom Cycles, the shop which sponsored the competition.
The design is an homage to the 1970s-era Brabham BT44 F1 car, and incorporates that famous Martini livery that's so fashionable these days among racing nostalgiacs:
More From Popular Mechanics
In addition to a $2,000 prize, the contest winner's bike will be built and made commercially available-- a cool but smaller story compared to the creativity and inventiveness seen among the sea of entries, which makes one heck of a strong case for open-sourced design. Incidentally, that basic principle isn't exactly shunned by the big guys, either: mainstream manufacturers often hold anonymous competitions to determine top designs, pitting internally sourced concepts against exernal efforts so the best design can win.
At its best, the democracy of open-sourced design takes a stab at insular elitism; after all, the only thing more inalienably American than the invitation to compete is the possibility that anyone can win.
Source: Local Motors


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from 1999, TLC with
In honor of Women's Day, a special encore presentation of…
A Princess on Every Street
written & edited by Kendall F. Person
There is a princess on every street.
We know who they are by their smiling faces,
and silver braces.
We see the pretty dresses that they wear,
and the adorable ponytails arranged of their hair.
We see them skipping down the walk,
headed off to school,
and ready for the world
because they are daddy's little girl.
There is a princess on every street.
In the broken down apartment buildings,
and in the houses that blot the streets.
We know who they are,
even if they rarely come outdoors
by the songs they sing,
like the sun will come out Tomorrow,
and other wishful things.
There is a princess on every street. Living with abusers
intent on robbing them of a childhood and a future.
We know who they are from the sadness in their eyes
and the bruises on their faces,
that hide the truth in memorized excuses.
We watch them fail their classes
lost concentration, partly to blame.
We feel them close down, isolating themselves
blocking out the world, but still living with the pain.
Clean and dirty, homeless and rich.
Every color of the rainbow,
in every country on earth.
There is a princess on every street.
And the little girls that do not know this,
please won't someone tell them
…..they are a Princess too.
Thank you to All the Women in My Life.
And Happy Birthday Mariana (big smile).


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- Replies
- Anonymous09:11
So instead of investing in your own airline which would hire locals, you would rather invest in a Hungarian registered airline with its head office in Geneva. Great.Delete
- Nemjee09:20
We all remember what happened the last time Sarajevo tried to run an airline. Better to give up on this dream and to let others, more competent people, do it.Delete
- Anonymous09:46
And just because Wizz Air has an office with a desk and 2 secretaries in Geneva, that gives them the right to pay all of the corporate tax in Switzerland and have all employees pay Swiss income tax.Delete
WTF @ 9:46. LOL.Delete
It is actually true you can see two secretaries through the front door. I guess they never let you enter the offices.
Just kidding. You're probably just talking out of your ass.
- Anonymous10:07
I was never a big fan on B&H but I must admit it is a shame they have gone bankrupt. The company did link Sarajevo with some European capitals. None of these have been covered since their bankruptcy. If Wizz Air had come and established a base in Sarajevo then I would say OK, letting B&H Airlines go was not that big of a price. But the problem is nothing has happened at Sarajevo since then except that we have fewer options to fly to Europe.Delete
- Anonymous10:11
Why is everyone obsessed with a Hungarian airline here? I don't see that anyone forbid Wizz or anyone else from flying to Sarajevo. I can't believe that B&H Airlines was such a massive competitor and threat that they had to sink it in order to allow a Hungarian airline to start flights to Sarajevo.Delete
- Anonymous09:05
It's not problematic that they have given up on this national airline. What is problematic that pretty much no one, not even LCCs, has stepped in to take B&H Air's spot.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous09:09
What are the chances on creating a pan-exyu airline? If Bosnia, Macedonia and Montenegro invest together with the help of a major airline, they can create a worthy Balkan airline that can compete with ASL and CTN.ReplyDeleteReplies
- Anonymous09:14
Atalsglobal from Turkey was interested in doing that with those three countries but nothing seems to have happened. For something like that to work out you do need a strong partner.Delete
- Anonymous09:16
It is probably the only option for those three countries, if they want a "domestic" carrierDelete
- Anonymous09:18
I don't think the governments in those three countries are smart enough to do and coordinate something like that.Delete
- Anonymous10:05
It won't happen. The only similar plan being made is for 4K to take Croatia Airlines at the end of the year and then eventually Montenegro Airlines. It was even published here but I don't think they named it was 4k. But it is.Delete
- Anonymous11:26
Vucic once said that JU would already bought regional carriers if there weren't political obstacles :DDelete
- Anonymous09:14
Hopefully Wizz will start more flights from Sarajevo soon and problem solved.ReplyDeleteReplies
- Anonymous09:21
Here we go again with the flag carrier obsession. Slovakia, Hungary, Estonia don't have a national airlines and they are doing fine. What Sarajevo Airport needs is to remove its ludicrous double taxation and get an LCC to fly EUROPEAN routes and not Riyadh and Istanbul.ReplyDeleteReplies
- Anonymous09:33
What destinations did Sarajevo loose with the bankruptcy of B&H Airlines that are not covered by other airlines?ReplyDeleteReplies
- Anonymous09:44
Good decision. Just hope they will attract an LCC to base at least one plane in SJJ and the state's job is done.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous09:49
I hope the guy trying to establish this Bosnian Airlines has some success finding a partner but I think it's a stretch.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous09:51
While I do think that Croatia Airlines plans to open bases across the Balkans is a stupid move I do fully support them doing that in Sarajevo. It's an underserved market with huge potential and they could make it work.ReplyDeleteReplies
- Anonymous10:17
Basing a plane there would be too costly in my oppinion. You would have to provide hotel accommodation for at least two batch of crew. The alternative is to hire local crew which is also expensive. If they do fly from SJJ they should start off with 2-3 profitable destinations and the plane could come back to ZAG at the end of the day.Delete
- Anonymous14:51
What planet are you on? Wizz has bases in Tuzla, Belgrade, Skopje and has no problen flying from there. Why would it be different for Croatia Airlines?Delete
- Anonymous10:01
OT: 1st time in ex-YU:ReplyDelete
today 2 Dreamliner at once @ DBV (TUI/Thomson):
G-TUIC and G-TUID (ex MAN and LGW)Replies
- Anonymous10:04
Sarajevo should be connected to major European cities by a legacy carrier. At the moment, it doesn't have connections to FRA, LHR, CDG, AMS, BRU, MUC, DUS, MXP...ReplyDeleteReplies
- Anonymous10:23
What does "should" mean? If there's a market for these servcies to the cities you mention, then some airline will offer those flights. If not, then no flights, simple as that. Considering SJJ is a very low yielding market and very price sensitive and at the same time extremely high cost, it makes the economics almost impossible. Until either the yield or cost environment (or both) change, there won't be flights to those markets.Delete
- Anonymous10:29
Good news for Bosnia that this 'project' won't see the light of day. It would be just another state enterprise to accommodate politicians and their families.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous10:33
Keep mulling your investments in loss making airlines EY. Virgin Australia in which EY has a stake lost AUD 69m last 3 months, bleeding almost $1m a day. Time to do the number crunching EYReplyDeleteReplies
- Anonymous10:50
Interesting that Air Serbia never took up the opportunity to benefit from B&H Air bankruptcy. First they could have taken one or both aircraft and introduced a second daily flight.ReplyDeleteReplies
- Anonymous10:53
You keep moaning about SJJ not serving European destinations but this is already done by TZL. I'm confident it'll beat SJJ and even INI.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous11:03
Bosnia has much more pressing issues then a national airline. Just let Wizz into Sarajevo and problem solved.ReplyDeleteReplies
- Anonymous11:30
Costs at Sarajevo Airport are too high and that's the main problem. Wizz Air was supposed to announce flights to Sarajevo in November 2015, everything was agreed with Sarajevo management and then a day before the flights were supposed to be announced at a press conference, mafia man Ivica Velican increased fees for unexplained reasons and the whole thing was cancelled.Delete
- Anonymous11:23
I don't understand that Transavia didn't start flights from Amsterdam this year when they started Belgrade, Ljubljana, Sofia and Tirana. There is a market and I'm sure they would have performed well.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous11:54
Why doesn't the government set up a low cost airline? Everybody would be happy that way. You have a national airline and you have low cost flights.ReplyDeleteReplies
This government and countless previous ones have destroyed everything they have touched. They are incapable of running anything let alone something as complex as an airline.Delete
I agree. Something like Ukraine Int. Airlines. But please with newer and better AircraftsDelete
- Anonymous15:03
Ukraine Int. Airline has been receiving one brand new 738 from the factory every two months for the past two years, 6 planes due to arrive this year.Delete
- Anonymous18:13
That helps you big time if you are lucky enough to fly one of their 28 years old B733s. The average age of their fleet is over 12 years.Delete
- Anonymous09:56
Plus they have a couple of 25 years old B-737-500s and B-767s. Even some of the B-737-800s are 16-17 years old. That's not something to be proud of.Delete
- Anonymous12:13
Would love to see a Bosnian carrier in the sky again! Hire locals and help the local economy.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous12:22
For a smart investor, Air Bosna could still work with significant investment. Couple of ATR and Embraers Connecting Sarajevo and Mostar with Italy, Poland, France etc for sure would be lucrative. Add couple of flights through Banjaluka and you might have some interesting times at Sarajevo AirportReplyDelete
- Anonymous13:03
Maybe Croatia could set a base in Sarajevo and become a regional leader in Bosnia. That would be great.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous13:04
Bosnian Airlines is searching for a foreign partner at the Sarajevo Business Forum - Al Maktoum is a participant of this Business Forum. Any relations?ReplyDelete
- Anonymous13:42
Aviation is a very expensive and difficult business. Local politicians have realized that now so I support this decision.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous13:56
The biggest revolution in Bosnian aviation would be if Banja Luka follows the Nis example : lower the fee to 3 euro per passenger and attract Wizz Air as well RyanairReplyDeleteReplies
Even though BNX lost chilled meat business at the end of 2014, and will not get it back for sure, the managing board decided to buy a brand new high-loader and build a new warehouse as well.Delete
- Anonymous14:01
So this guy has Bosnia Airlines? Soon they will run out of names. We have already had Air Bosna and B&H Airlines.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous15:34
OT: looks like EasyJet and Norwegian have piled massive losses in 2017 so far. Hundreds of millions. Does Purger have any details he could share?ReplyDeleteReplies
- Anonymous15:58
I'm constantly reading how Sarajevo should be focusing on Europe and not Middle East destinations. But why? There is huge demand for these flights and as long as there is there will be more and more flights to that region.ReplyDeleteReplies
The ME flights (DXB) mostly serve for Khaleeji tourists visiting BiH, very small amount for the Bosnians in the region (diaspora) and further, and the odd group of Bosnians visiting the UAE.Delete
Euro destinations would benefit Bosnians in BiH, Bosnians in the diaspora, business links to Bosnia (investment) as well as open doors for tourism.
- Anonymous20:09
T1 reconstruction is almost complete and after a decade we can finally see the apron and runway once again. :)
Thanks to Uros Mitrovic for the photo.
Looks quite nice
- Anonymous02:39
Svakako bi JA nebi otisao u Bankrot samo da je imao malo drugaciju flotu i mrezu linija .ReplyDelete
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The old codger wants cookies and milk. Cookies and flippin' milk.
So he sends me out to kill endless Moonkin.
It's not like I can swing by Kroger's and pick up a dozen, is it Old Man? You've sent me on an errand of death.
Oh, I remember those Moonkin. Often enough I found myself running from them. This time around it was painless. They never knew what hit them.
Cookies and milk. Dead Moonkin. Is this world mad??


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Its been a busy busy month for me. We just launched out Dedicated vCloud Product at Rackspace which was fun to work with. I am part of a team of three Product Engineers who led and are primarily responsible for this massive undertaking and it has been fun.
Anyways, here what I have for you is the configuration automation script for VMware vCloud Director.
The script was fun to write and like my other scripts runs off of PowerShell and VMware vCloud Director RestAPI. Now I did want to write this in Java using the Java SDK for vCloud Director however that may happen in some time. No promises though.
You can pull my script and tweak it for your environment. The idea here is to identify the Restful payloads that you will need to finish parts of the configuration and then integrating the same in your environment.
You can find the script at my Github repo.
Do not forget to update the VCD-CONFIG.XML file and appropriately add the number of hosts and its credentials to the XML payload. Also make sure you comment out what you don't need.
Let me know what you think 🙂


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Nowadays, so-called houses on wheels are becoming increasingly popular. Why not? Having such a van, you can travel across the world and not worry about the overnight stay. There are people who spend their entire lives in such vans and feel happy! We offer the best places where you can buy tiny home on wheels you need.
Best Places Where to Buy Tiny Houses on Wheels in Soldotna
Amazon MarketplaceBuy products related to tiny homes and see what customers say about tiny homes on Amazon.com. Free delivery possible on eligible purchases
Not in Soldotna? Choose Your City from List Below
- Akutan
- Anchor Point
- Anchorage
- Barrow
- Bethel
- Butte
- Chevak
- Cohoe
- College
- Cordova
- Craig
- Delta Junction
- Deltana
- Dillingham
- Ester
- Fairbanks
- Haines
- Healy
- Homer
- Hooper Bay
- Houston
- Juneau
- Kalifornsky
- Kenai
- Ketchikan
- King Cove
- Kodiak
- Kotzebue
- Metlakatla
- Mountain Village
- Ninilchik
- Nome
- North Pole
- Palmer
- Petersburg
- Prudhoe Bay
- Sand Point
- Selawik
- Seward
- Sitka
- Skagway
- Soldotna
- Sterling
- Talkeetna
- Togiak
- Tok
- Unalaska
- Valdez
- Wasilla
- Willow
Tiny Houses for Sale in Soldotna
The mobile home is suitable for family vacation and journey. It gives an opportunity to come in any town or outside it, and with it you won`t have to rent a hotel room, pay for this and solve other accomodation problems. In some cases, the house on wheels is used as a temporary housing or summer house.First, let`s remember what is the house on the wheels. It is a vehicle with a special van or separate trailer fitted to the vehicle.
Such vehicle is distinguished by powerful chassis to which a living module is fitted. In some mobile houses the person can enter the living area only through the driver cabin. There are individual mobile houses that have a separate door (they are often structured as trailers).
As a rule, in houses on wheels there are special seats that can be turned into a bed. In modern mobile houses there are all amenities for normal life: shower cabin, WC, gas heating, air conditioning and fridge. Manufacturers also don`t forget about furniture items and proper lighting. In general, there is everything for fulfilled life.
Advantages of Tiny Houses on Wheels
Money saving. Such house is much more advantageous financially. By moving into the house on wheels you`ll save money that you would spend on the mortgage or rent.
Eco-friendliness. The house on wheels is more environmentally friendly and energy-saving that the usual big house.
Small size. The compact house doesn`t take much space in vain and each square centimeter is used efficiently.
You won`t need a big land area. The small house doesn`t take a large land area. If you don`t like the place where you`ve stayed for a while, you can drive to another. This is easy and inexpensive.
Low costs of repairs and clean-up. In small house repairs and tidying won`t scary you with their scales and expenses. It will take you a few minutes but not hours to order everything. Think about effort and time saving.
How Much Does a Tiny Homes Cost in Soldotna?
The price of an individual project of the house on wheels including the interior and exterior design is from 1200$-3000$.
The price of the house on wheels equipped with appliances and furniture is from 30000$ (depending on the customer`s preferences).
The price includes: project design, trailer frame, windows and doors, insulation and roof, exterior and interior finish. The price of communications, household appliances and furniture is agreed on separately depending on your preferences.
The terms are agreed on individually and are from 1 to 3 months.
Different Types of Tiny Homes: What to Choose?
Houses on wheels are also often called campers. They are vans, the trailer or cabin of which represents a proper living space with kitchen, WC and sleeping area. Such home sales level is sustainably rising, as such houses are quite popular with country lovers and tourists who prefer travelling comfortably. Houses on wheels in Soldotna are presented in all three constructive options, alcove, integrated and caravan.
Alcoves are great because they imply an additional double bed above the driver cabin but this thing reduces car`s maneuverability and speed and increases fuel consumption. New and used houses on wheels with an integrated living space are maneuverable and easy-to-drive but their price is quite high. Living caravans are so much cheaper and more comfortable that any powerful vehicle can transport them.
Today mobile houses are offered by different manufacturers, and they all guarantee convenience and functionality. The choice is made by the whole family based on personal preferences.


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Northern Michigan Labor Day: If you're heading to Northern Michigan this Labor Day Weekend 2013 to take advantage of summer Up North before the crisp weather sets in, you'll need a bed to fall into at the end of your busy days. Check out our list of some of the best Northern Michigan hotels and Traverse City hotels that offer up a lot more than just a pillow to rest your head, in fact, don't be surprised if these Northern Michigan hotels change your Labor Day Weekend plans!
Crystal Mountain Resort & Spa
Take advantage of Crystal Mountain Resort & Spa's Labor Day Weekend Half Off Sunday special, where you can lodge Friday and Saturday night, and get half off your Sunday night stay! As a guest, you'll have access to all of Crystal Mountain Resort & Spa's fun amenities: Ride the Crystal Coaster alpine slide, swim and splash at the Park at Water's Edge, tee it up on 36 holes of championship golf, explore miles of trails on a mountain bike or your hiking boots, or take a day trip to nearby Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Crystal Mountain also has all kinds of activities lined up just for Labor Day Weekend including an ice cream social and full moon chairlift rides!
The Homestead
You'll find plenty to do at The Homestead in Glen Arbor! Enjoy a private beach stretching along one mile of Lake Michigan's shoreline, take a dip in the pools, kayak or tube, bike or hike, play tennis, play golf at the resort or at Manitou Passage Golf Club, rejuvenate at Lillyjade, a Salon. The Homestead offers classes for those who want to start the school year early, including Chef John Piombo's Divina Cucina Cooking School, the Great Lakes Photo Tour, the Dave Pelz Scoring Game School, and the Orvis Michigan Fly Fishing School. The Homestead is also located within the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, voted Most Beautiful Place in America by Good Morning America, near small-town shopping and a short drive to Traverse City's restaurant scene.
Stafford's Bay View Inn
Stafford's flagship property, Stafford's Bay View Inn in Petoskey offers guests the grace and romance of a bygone era, set against the exquisite views of Little Traverse Bay in Petoskey. This charming country inn was built in 1886 and has enchanted visitors for over 125 years. Spend your Northern Michigan Labor Day Weekend days shopping and dining in Petoskey or Harbor Springs and your evenings on the cool and relaxing Reed Avenue Porch. The perfect Northern Michigan hotel for a romantic Labor Day Weekend Up North.
Boyne Resorts
With three sprawling Northern Michigan hotels, Boyne Resorts offers guests amenities galore. Choose to stay at Boyne Highlands in Harbor Springs, Boyne Mountain in Boyne Falls or the Inn at Bay Harbor for an activity filled Labor Day Weekend in Northern Michigan. Enjoy rounds of some of the finest Northern Michigan golf, get wet at Avalanche Bay Waterpark, saddle up and hit the horse trails, go on a zipline adventure, and more! Boyne Resorts are family-friendly, so just pick with of these Northern Michigan hotels is right for you and get ready for an unforgettable Labor Day Weekend in Northern Michigan!
Holiday Inn West Bay
Stay at the Holiday Inn West Bay in Traverse City during your Labor Day Weekend in Northern Michigan! Guests can immerse themselves in downtown Traverse City for incredible shopping at local shops and dining at acclaimed Traverse City restaurants. Want to get outdoors? This Traverse City hotel is located on the sandy beaches of West Grand Traverse Bay. Lay out in the sun, splash in the water, and take advantage of nearby kayak, canoe and paddle board rentals. Holiday Inn West Bay is also home to the popular Patio where guests and locals can enjoy drinks overlooking Grand Traverse Bay, Shimmers Nightclub for dancing, and the launch point for Nauti-Cat sailboat trips. Centrally located, the Holiday Inn West Bay Hotel is a short drive to the Sleeping Bear Dunes, Northern Michigan wineries on both the Leelanau Peninsula and Old Mission Peninsula, and so much more!
So what are you waiting for? Book your stay at one of these Northern Michigan hotels and ready yourself for 2013 Labor Day Weekend in Northern Michigan!
—By Catie L'Heureux


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SATHAN TRANSFORMED into an Angell of Light
[Cornell University Library of Witchcraft Collection]
pp. 207-208 (pp. 176-177 in the original)
Of the Subject of Witch-craft.
NOw let us come to the maine Subject and Occasion of this Treatise: Namely, to consider of the Practiser of this Mystery, to wit, the witch, whether man or woman.
And heere, first consider wee the Generall Notion or Description of a Witch.
Secondly, wee will resolve these points, I Whether men as well as women, may not bee Practitioners in this Art:
And yet, Why more women then men are engaged therein.
Thirdly, we will lay downe the divers kindes of these Witches: namely, 1 The Bad Witch, which is the Hurter.
2 The Good Witch, as they are termed, because they doe seeme to helpe.
Where it shall bee resolved.
1 Why Satan useth these severall instruments for these contrarie ends.
2 Whether the good Witch cannot hurt, or the bad Witch helpe.
3 What places are especially infested with Witches.
pp. 234-236 (pp. 203-205 in the original)
And so contrariwise, there are others who by Divine Justice, are given up to Satans power with this limitation onely, to helpe and do good, and these are called Good Witches, Blessers, Wise, and Cunning-women. And this Divine Dispensation is both Sutable to the parties who are limited thereby, and also very availeable for the execution of the Divine Justice.
I say sutable it is to the severall qualities of the parties thus diversly dispensed, whereof some being vaine-glorious and drowned in Poperie are therby caried with the applause of Good Workes, and therefore are fitted by Satan thereunto: Others are prone to malice discontent, couetousnesse, & c. and so are likewise fitted by the Devil, with power to bee avenged.
And doth not the just and holy God, by this diversitie and restraint of Satans power, accomplish most wisely his just wrath upon the wicked?
Yea certainely, and that not onely upon the unbeleeving world; but upon the very Witches themselves. As for the unbeleeving and wicked Generations they are hurt by the one, that they may with the danger of their soules seeke helpe of the other: And they have helpe by the one, that so, as a punishment of their infidelitie they may bee given up againe to bee hurt of the other. And so betwixt the Good Witch and the Bad, afflictions are encreased, and yet repentance excluded, and so the measure of sinne is made up among the children of disobedience, that so the measure of vengeance may accordingly be inflicted.
And doth not this also very wisely, further the damnation of the Witches themselves.
Yea certainely, the Bad Witch, by hurting, makes way for the good Witches helpe, and so thereby encreaseth her sinne; and the Good Witch in helping bewrayes the Bad Witch, and so, many times, brings her to the Gallowes.
The Good Witch in helping makes more worke for the Bad, who being suspected, revengeth her selfe usually by doing more mischiefe, and so thereby ripens her sinne to the Gallowes, and so still makes more worke for the Blesser to encrease her condemnation. The Bad Witch, because she doth hurt, is hated of the world, and so thereby encreaseth her malice, and doth more harme. The good Witch is honoured, and reputed as a God, because she doth good, and so is hardened in her sinne and ripeneth the same, by adding to all former sinnes, finall impenitencie, and so usually commits the unpardonable sin.
pp. 300-301 (pp. 269-270 in the original)
CHAP. II. Of the detection of Witches, and meanes thereto.
OF the detection and punishment of Witches: That they are to bee punished with death, especially the Blesser and good Witch, as they terme her.
SECT. I. Of unlawfullmeanes of detection.
HAving discovered the power of Witches, and so followed them to the utmost of their glorie and advancement: Seeing now Pride goeth before destruction, and the glorie of the wicked is their shame: Let us now consider of their Fall and confusion, and of such meanes as further the same.
Wherein we may behold the admirable wisedome and power of God, who as hee leaves them to their owne lusts, to embrace Satan, and submit unto him, for the obtaining of their desires; so hath hee so disposed in his wonderfull Justice, that the God whom they worship, when he hath them sure his owne, seeing he is greedy of his Prey, and would gladly have other imployment to doe more mischiefe, therefore he cares not how soone the bargaine be performed, and rather then faile, though all other meanes of detection should cease, himselfe will bee the instrument to bring his Beare to the Stake: And this he doth,
By Being an instrument for the detection of the Witch, and yet in such dangerous policie, as that heerein also he hunts after unstable soules, while he seekes to give them content in the discoverie of the Witch which hath done them so much mischiefe. To this is it, that he hath not onely The Blesser readie to discover and detect the A Bad Witch, that so he might thereby encrease the poore peoples rage against the Witch, whereas indeed they should be angry at their sins.


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Overeaters Anonymous
February 19 @ 10:30 am - 11:30 am
|Recurring Event (See all)
An event every week that begins at 10:30 am on Sunday, repeating indefinitely
Overeaters Anonymous will meet from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. at 9907 Gravois Road, Suite E. Enter at the rear of the building. For more information, call 314-638-6070.


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From the ACP e-news e-blast:
"Announcing the ACP 12 Portfolio Review in Atlanta, Georgia.
We're happy to announce that the ACP 12 Portfolio Review will be on Saturday, October 16th. Sponsored in part by Turner Broadcasting and their "Turner Voices" initiative, the ACP Portfolio Review brings together curators, gallerists, editors, photographers and artists for a full day of extremely productive engagement and networking.
Registrations for the Portfolio Review are juried, and applicants will need to submit 3-5 jpgs with a brief artist's statement for consideration. Registration will remain open until 11:59PM EST on July 12th, and successful registrants will be notified the week of July 19th. Once accepted, the registration fee is $250.
Here is a partial list of reviewers. A full list will be available as soon as all have confirmed participation:
Julian Cox – Curator of Photography, High Museum of Art, Georgia
Sylvie Fortin – Editor, Art Papers Magazine, Georgia
Stuart Horodner – Artistic Director, The Atlanta Contemporary Art Center, Georgia
Stella Kramer – Independent Photo Editor, Consultant, New York
Yan Li and Li Shufeng – Curators, Beijing, China
Laura Moya – Director, Photolucida, Oregon
Christopher Rauschenberg – President and Founding Member, Blue Sky Gallery, Oregon
Anna Walker Skillman – Owner, Jackson Fine Art, Georgia
Susan Todd-Raque – Private dealer, independent curator, Georgia
Paula Tongarelli – Executive Director, Griffin Museum of Photography, Winchester, Massachusetts
We will be accepting 52 artists for the ACP 12 Portfolio Review, and each artist will receive four 20 minute, face to face reviews. Review participants may select their choice of reviewers, and ACP will make every effort to meet requests through a computerized matching system.
We're looking forward to hosting our panel of reviewers and artists from across the country once again at the Grady High School campus. The ACP 12 Portfolio Review is a great way to connect and make contacts with reviewers and fellow artists alike. We hope to see you in October!"


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By Serena Gordon
HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, April 11 (HealthDay News) -- As anyone who's lost a job can attest, stress and worry often quickly follow. But the health of your heart after unemployment can also take a tumble.
Job loss can cause immediate heart issues, and the stress and bad habits that frequently come with unemployment can build up over time, causing cardiovascular damage, health experts say.
In some people, especially those who might not be expecting the job loss or those with significant financial obligations, getting fired may cause a condition called broken heart syndrome. "In a very stressful situation, you can actually get a severe release of adrenaline and sympathetic nerve discharges that cause the heart to beat irregularly," said Dr. John Higgins, a sports cardiologist at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston.
These changes can actually cause a heart attack in some people, though Higgins said that most people who have significant stress reactions return to normal over time without having a heart attack.
Long-term changes that happen after a job loss -- such as financial stress, family problems, loss of daily routine and sometimes higher-risk behaviors, like increased alcohol use or a poor diet -- can cause heart problems to develop over time, Higgins explained.
Psychological factors can play a role, too.
"Most of us know the common risk factors for heart disease, like high cholesterol, high blood pressure and genetics, but about 25 to 35 percent of heart disease remains unexplained," said Dr. Kavitha Chinnaiyan, director of cardiac imaging at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich. "Psychosocial factors likely play a role in these unexplained cases. More and more studies have been looking at stress, anger, sudden stress and major life changes like losing a job, and all of these can have a major effect on cardiovascular events," she said.
One recent study, published Nov. 19 in the Archives of Internal Medicine, found that the risk for heart attack increased significantly for middle-aged to elderly people when they were unemployed. The researchers also found that the risks increased incrementally with each subsequent job loss.
Losing a job, however, doesn't mean automatic heart problems, especially if you take steps to protect your heart's health.
"Decreasing stress hormones is important," Chinnaiyan said. "We know from studies that behaviors such as meditation, yoga and tai chi work specifically to reduce our response to stress."
Meditation, one of Chinnaiyan's favorite ways to reduce stress, "can help in multiple ways," she said. "It helps you see your choices and have a clearer perspective of what to do next. Stress may still be around us, but meditation gives us a better ability to cope with it." Yoga can also be quite helpful in decreasing stress-related hormones, she added.
Higgins noted that it's crucial to keep up a regular exercise routine. He recommends exercising 30 to 60 minutes most days of the week. "This helps reduce cardiac risk factors and depression," he said. But, if someone has significant clinical depression, exercise won't be enough, he noted, adding that it's then important to see a mental health professional.
He also recommends body muscle relaxation exercises. "Lie down and go through each muscle group in your body, progressively relaxing the muscles as you go," Higgins said. He noted that a variety of CDs and programs available on the Internet offer detailed instruction on relaxation exercises.
For some people, Higgins said, job loss support groups can also be helpful.
But what's most important, he said, is to remember that "while it's bad, you could be worse off."
As Higgins said: "One of my favorite quotes from Winston Churchill applies here: 'When you're going through hell, keep going.'"


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(Received Third Prize in the International Garden Photographer of the Year "IGPOTY" 13th edition and is displayed at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in London. https://igpoty.com/competitions/plants-planet-13-single-results/)
I had seen some phenomenal pictures by great artists like Marc Adamus, Ryan Dyar and Miles Morgan that involve a very photogenic cactus called Barrel Cactus (Echinocactus polycephalus) which is also referred to with a few other names and one of which is totally inappropriate.
So my goal was to find a cluster of those cacti to photograph especially for the night sky. So I stumbled up on this cluster of Barrel Cacti during the day while scouting with Wisanu. I can't remember a time previously I worked an image so much in the field. I must have spent a good one hour fussing over the composition. Eventually I settled upon a vertorama or a vertical panorama of three horizontal frames. The sky frames were stacked to improve signal to noise ratio where as the ones for the middle ground and foreground were focus stacked for increased Depth of Field. Overall, 25 shots went into this panorama.
Alabama Hills on the foothills of Sierra Nevada near Lone Pine, California is a landscape photographer's delight while also being a great dark sky location. Unique compositions can be and will be found. One has to just look for them.
Ah! about the caption, this location took me to a meditative state. While Nayana was resting on the rock to my left patiently waiting for me, I was immersed in nothing else but capturing the otherworldly beauty of his place.
Vyraj (Belarusian: Вырай, Polish: Wyraj), Iriy, Vyriy (Ukrainian: Вирій, Russian: Ирий, Ирей, Вырий), or Irij (Croatian: Irij, Czech: Irij, Slovak: Irij, Serbian: Ириј), is a mythical place in Slavic mythology where "birds fly for the winter and souls go after death" that is sometimes identified with paradise. It was said that spring arrived on Earth from Vyraj.
Initially, the Early Slavs believed in only one Vyraj, connected to the deity known as Rod—it was apparently located far away beyond the sea, at the end of the Milky Way.
Sony a7RII
Zeiss Batis 25mm f/2
ISO 10000, 10s at f/2
Sky: 10 exposures stacked in Starry Landscape Stacker
Middleground: 5 exposures focus stacked
Foreground: 10 exposures focus stacked
Cowboy Church
Landscape astrophotographers are more often than not, kindred spirits. Who else would sacrifice their sleep and go to new places and shoot pictures in challenging conditions? One such kindred spirit is my friend Joey Burns. Though we met through a local photography club on Facebook, we never got to meet or shoot with until now. Joey shares the same passion for finding new places and compositions and not more of the same that most people are content to shoot.
When Joey shared a picture of this unique chapel, it brought back memories of the Chapel of Transfiguration in Grand Teton National Park. Now, this being Texas, there are no jagged peaks or mountains to form a background. Nonetheless, at a whim Joey and I decided to take take a quick trip to The King's Trail Cowboy Church in Whitewright, Texas a rural community about 50 minutes drive northeast of us.
Both of us having never been there at night, arrived to very bright lights in the parking lot cloaking the entire scene in light more suitable for a movie set. To the left hand side of the frame, there was a Rodeo Arena befitting the Texas cowboys and country folks that the church primarily serves. The frogs croaking in the pond behind the church provided some background music.
As I took my first test shots, it became apparent that the clear Milky Way that I had hoped to find was more of an ethereal presence. To capture any details in the skies meant that we had to forego any of the standard practices for shooting a usual Milky Way shot. A whole lot of creative experimentation in the field and careful processing yielded this image. When we left the church grounds around 3am, we left happy that we came away with something satisfying. And for me the best part was I finally got to meet Joey and his wife Cindi along along with their very sweet dog, Lakota.
Star Trails over Mangalam
Capturing Star trails is a little tedious affair with many hours of shooting followed by processing hundreds of exposures to get one single image. Sometimes however, it feels worth it like this one, especially as I set this camera first before moving on shooting the Milky Way from the otherside of the Dome at Chinmaya Mangalam, a spiritual retreat in Barry, Texas.
388 exposures of 30 seconds each represent the motion of Earth relative to the heavens in the form of star trails around Polaris, the North Star.
The colors in the star trails are real but slightly exaggerated for artisic effect. Does anyone know what the Red Star is on the far left?
For more info on color of the stars visit this website: https://www.universetoday.com/24640/color-of-stars/
Airglow - The Green sheen of the night
Night sky pictures such as this sometimes have some green sheen in them which often is mistaken for at best Auroras (northern lights in the northern hemisphere), camera noise or worse, bad post processing by the photographer. Unless you are the northern latitudes, the chances of capturing Aurora Borealis is like finding a Polar Bear in the Texas Hill Country. It ain't happenin!
More than likely it is a phenomenon called "airglow". Airglow's subtle radiance arises from excitation of a different kind. Ultraviolet light from the daytime sun ionizes or knocks electrons off of oxygen and nitrogen atoms and molecules; at night the electrons recombine with their host atoms 80km or higher, releasing energy as light of different colors including green, red, yellow and blue.
Aurorae are at similar heights and are also the light of excited atoms. There is a difference, however, auroral excitation is by collisions with energetic particles whereas daytime short wavelength solar radiation produces the airglow via chemical excitation of which electronically excited oxygen atoms are the main component.
A couple of months ago on a night when I tried out a few combinations of my camera gear and lenses at Chinmaya Mangalam, a spiritual retreat in Barry, TX, this one stood out for its tell tale green band above the tree line on the left of the dome which is about 10-15 degrees above the horizon where you would normally find airglow. But this image was shot 60 miles from the heart of Downtown Dallas. I have not seen airglow in pictures shot so close to cities that too one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United States.
I wanted to be doubly sure what I was seeing here was indeed airglow. So, I started reading about it and found that one of the most renowned researchers and experts in the Airglow Imaging Studies is right here in Dallas. Dr. Brian Tinsley, a native New Zealander is Professor Emeritus of Physics at University of Texas at Dallas and for 50 years has been actively researching Aeronomy. After a couple of email exchanges, I sent him this picture to which he replied:
Hello Rajesh,
That is a fine photograph of the milky way and night sky that you have taken. Yes, it is possible that the green coloration in the lower left of the sky is the 557.7 nm airglow. However there could be contributions of scattered light from mercury and sodium lights in towns below the horizon. The rest of the light in the sky as a whole, in the spaces between the stars, would be scattered starlight and zodiacal light.
Brian Tinsley
Velkommen til St. Olaf kirke
One of my favorite places to photograph the heavens above, St. Olaf Kirke aka Old Rock Church in Cranfills Gap, Texas is used for special services at Easter, Christmas Eve, and other planned events.
For night owls like yours truly, this is a treasured site with minimal light pollution with a storied subject to include.
The church grounds are closed and gates locked at night. Permission from the church authorities for night time access is granted if requested in advance.
Technical Stuff:
Sony SLT A99v
Sony Fisheye 16mm f2.8 lens
299 exposures (why not 300! would have been a nice round figure)
ISO 1600, 30secs at f/4
Stacked and processed in Photoshop.
Alluring Olaf
I know there are others that have photographed this stunning Norwegian chapel in Cranfills Gap, TX at night but, I do not recall having seen the tell tale green airglow in photos taken here. I have been there three times before this and my fourth visit is special for what I was able to capture in near ideal conditions. This time even the wispy layers of clouds contributed to the intrigue of the scene in contrast to my previous visit when thick clouds blanketed the skies.
After setting up the star trail time lapse, I found this composition and took the first photo. As soon as I looked at the back of the camera I told my friends, "Wow! There is a lot of airglow. I have never seen so much of it here"
It is only at this time of the year the Milky Way aligns vertically with the church spire. For this composition, I had the company of the Larsons in the foreground. I took care to be deliberate and respectful around their resting places. This has to be one of my more satisfying night photo shoots where everything worked like intended and to the unusual airglow was icing on the cake.
Night sky is not actually totally dark like most people think. There is color in the stars and the sky itself has color. Airglow comes from emissions of different colors of light from naturally occurring chemical reactions in the upper reaches of the atmosphere. The green portion of airglow occurs when light from the sun splits apart molecular oxygen into individual oxygen atoms. When the atoms recombine nearly a 100 km up in the sky, they give off the excess energy as photons in the green part of the visible light spectrum, giving the sky a greenish tinge.
Tree of life
A lone leafless tree waits for spring creeping up from the darks of the winter in the form of bluebonnets.
I really wanted to shoot the Milky Way with the tree but had to be content with just a hint of our home galaxy barely peeking over the horizon before moving on to to another pre-arranged shoot on a private ranch in Ennis , Texas.
Heavens over Chinmaya Mangalam, formerly Thousand Oaks Ranch in Barry, Texas. This is a panorama of about 116 shots giving the ability to print very large sizes in amazing detail and very high resolution.
Cobalt hues & midnight blues
On a beautiful Ranch in Ennis, Texas about 30 miles from downtown Dallas as the crow flies, my friends and I shot the first of many compositions here as the Milky Way rose over the hill laden with bluebonnets. A gentle cool but moist breeze blew.
What I have found since I have been shooting astrophotography is that it needs practice and a lot of it. To be able to operate and juggle the camera settings in the dark of the night, needs repeated use of it and get the muscle memory built in so one does not need to shine the head lamp to look at the equipment.
Somewhere in that initial excitement of being able to shoot this scene, I found my shots were taking too long and I did not realize until after left this location that I had my bracketing turned on. Now that is what someone would call, a schoolboy error! Bracketing is a method of taking multiple shots instead of one with different exposure settings. In this case instead of one shot of 20 seconds duration, I ended up with 3 shots, 10s, 20s and 30s long.
I did not get a chance to go back and reshoot as my buddies had move on and I didn want to be alone in the dark. With the multiple bracketed shots, I was however able to get something out. This is a result of 12 exposures stacked for the sky. (The -1 and +1 EV shots were adjusted to 0EV in LightRoom) and 7 exposures focus stacked for the ground.
Since my friends had moved on by the time I took these shots, there was no light painting of the foreground. What you see was shot in star light. For once the schoolboy error of overexposing some shots helped bring out the foreground details.
I like to include a title for my pictures and when I showed this to my older daughter, the first thing that she said was "Cobalt blues & midnight hues"
Star Spangled Fort
Fort Griffin, now a Texas State Historic Site, was a US Cavalry fort established 31 July 1867 by four companies of the Sixth Cavalry, U.S. Army.
The ruins in the picture are that of the administration building of the fort near Albany west of Fort Worth, Texas.
This site has some of the darkest skies closest to the Dallas Fort Worth metroplex.
During this shoot, I used a technique called low level lighting (LLL or LLLL) which utilizes very low intensity LED lights to illuminate the foreground. The intent is to try an and match the starlight to provide depth and presence for the foreground elements. For this image, I had one LED panel on a tripod to my right and a second LED panel dimmed down was set facing down in the inside left hand corner of the structure.
Up Close and Personal
Earlier in Spring this year, I had a special opportunity to photograph the stars in the sky over the stars of the Texas spring, the bluebonnets. On a beautiful Ranch in Ennis, Texas 35 miles (56km) as the crow flies from Downtown Dallas the air was damp and the grass moist from the dew settling in the early hours of the morning, At 5am as the Sunlight began to add to the ambient light which being so close to a metro area is inevitable.
My friend Wisanu Boonrawd, the extraordinarily talented photographer from Thailand and I shot similar compositions side by side to try out a technique called Focus Stacking which enables everything in the scene to be in focus rather than just the foreground or the skies. I shot my composition with a 18mm lens whereas Wisanu shot his with a 14mm. The extra 4mm makes such a big difference if you want to include more of the scene and the sky. My 18mm composition on the flip side, brought me up close and personal to the wildflowers and the best part of the heavens enjoying the views of the Texas Spring.
astrophotography, flower, flowers, Flowers & Plants, fog grass greenery ILCE-7RM2 Landscape Long Exposure Lupine Milky Way morning morning light night scenic Sky Sony Spring starry stars sun sunrise Texas Tranquil trees wildflower
Sony a7RII
Zeiss Batis 18mm f/2.8
ISO 6400, 20s at f/2.8
Ground: 6 shots focus stacked
Sky: 3 shots stacked for Noise Reduction
Magical Christmas
No one told me RAW files sitting on a computer hard drive can age like fine wine but, I shot these images a little over a year ago and was spurred to process them finally thanks to the recent Geminid meteor shower and the disappointment of missing the best opportunity to shoot them. These images were shot with my then back up camera while I was shooting what I thought was the best composition pointing in the opposite direction to where the Perseid meteors radiated from in the northeastern part of the sky. Little did I know that the camera I had set up for time lapse and star trails would capture a lot of meteors too.
This has been my first and only experience shooting meteors and my then 12 year old daughter and I had memorable experience watching the sky explode with the celestial fireworks over the St. Olaf Kirke, aka Old Rock Church in Cranfills Gap, TX.
Between midnight and 4:30am, I shot about 500 individual shots with this camera. A portion of those shots had meteors flying through. The setting moon threw off some wonderful sunrise/sunset colors on the horizon in the background.
The Meteor shower image shows the Milky Way and the meteors exactly in the same place and orientation as captured by the camera. Folks that are familiar with processing meteor shower images will understand that the meteors were not warped to show them flying in a certain direction. So for next meteor shower, pointing toward the Radiant may not be the best composition.
Prints of this image can be ordered on my website below.
Merry Christmas
No one told me RAW files sitting on a computer hard drive can age like fine wine but, I shot these images a little over a year ago and was spurred to process them finally thanks to the recent Geminid meteor shower and the disappointment of missing the best opportunity to shoot them. These images were shot with my then back up camera while I was shooting what I thought was the best composition pointing in the opposite direction to where the Perseid meteors radiated from in the northeastern part of the sky. Little did I know that the camera I had set up for time lapse and star trails would capture a lot of meteors too.
This has been my first and only experience shooting meteors and my then 12 year old daughter and I had memorable experience watching the sky explode with the celestial fireworks over the St. Olaf Kirke, aka Old Rock Church in Cranfills Gap, TX.
About 500 individual shots went into the making of this star trails image. And a portion of those images had meteors flying through. This image contains all those 500 shots and you may be able to see the meteors flying through the star trails.
This is also the first time I have shot star trails without the Polaris (North Star) in the picture which makes the stars appear to go around the Polaris. The setting moon threw off some wonderful sunrise/sunset colors on the horizon in the background.
Prints of this image can be ordered on my website below.
For Eternity
The barely noticeable movement was with the stars overhead, as the Milky Way rose above the tree line. Nymph Lake in Colorado's Rocky Mountain National Park is known for the nymphs (lilies) that grow in the lake during the short growing season. In late May the lake was still thawing out and there were large chunks of snow around. One of the amazing things was the reflection of the stars was as sharp as the ones in the sky, like in a mirror.
Deep in the heart of Texas
'The stars at night are big and bright
Deep in the heart of Texas
The prairie sky is wide and high
Deep in the heart of Texas
The sage in bloom is like perfume
Deep in the heart of Texas
Reminds me of the one that I love
Deep in the heart of Texas'
These lines are very familiar to every kindergartner in Texas schools. I got to experience it first hand on the Red River as a few perseids flew overhead and an occasional Oklahoman drove into Texas. I shot this over two years ago but is still fresh in memory.
Outtake at Oxbow Bend
I was cleaning up my Hard Drive and found this image which I had perhaps shot to be a part of a Milky Way Panorama at the iconic Oxbow Bend in Grand Teton National Park. This frame did not make it to the panorama image. Not having the Milky Way Core competing for attention gives the Mt. Moran and the Cathedral Group their rightful place under the stars. Whatever that sunrise type glow from behind the mountains definitely was special as was the aurora like airglow that permeates the skies over Yellowstone and Grand Teton.
This was quite an adventure for me since I was by myself and not a soul in sight. I say in sight because, I could only see 3 sets of eyes following me back and forth at a distance. What were they? I would imagine they quite possibly were the mama Grizzly and her two cubs that were photographed by another photographer a few days later.
Visit to the Star Factory
Orion is visible in the northern hemisphere during the winter months early March was the latest reasonable time to image it. A few days ago, the weather changed and there was a narrow window of opportunity to image Orion. From about 8pm to 10 pm we had clear skies before clouds rolled in. The result of that session is this image. I was not planning to do so but by a happy coincidence, I was able to capture not just Orion but three other Nebulae in the picture. The most colorful one of course is Orion. Just above that is the Running Man Nebula named for the Running Man like feature in it.
At the very top of the image is the Flame Nebula, with those veins showing and below that side ways is the Horsehead Nebula. If you look closely, you will see the horse's head sticking up though in this image, it is hanging towards the 4'O clock direction
Orion Nebula is a place where new stars are being born. The constellation is noticeable for three medium-bright stars in a short, straight row. These stars represent Orion's Belt. If you look closely, you'll notice a curved line of stars "hanging" from the three Belt stars. These stars represent Orion's Sword. Look for the Orion Nebula about midway down in the Sword of Orion.
According to modern astronomers, the Orion Nebula is an enormous cloud of gas and dust, one of many in our Milky Way galaxy. It lies roughly 1,300 light-years from Earth which means the light we are seeing now left Orion 1300 years ago when some major world religions and most countries were not even born.
At some 30 to 40 light-years in diameter, this great big nebulous cocoon is giving birth to perhaps a thousand stars. A young open star cluster, whose stars were born at the same time from a portion of the nebula and are still loosely bound by gravity, can be seen within the nebula. It is sometimes called the Orion Nebula Star Cluster. In 2012, an international team of astronomers suggested this cluster in the Orion Nebula might have a black hole at its heart.
The dark-sky aficionado Stephen James O'Meara described it as: … angel's breath against a frosted sky. (Source: earthsky.org)
Ridiculous.. Possibility
Over the years we had gotten to know Anna Walker through my daughter Nayana being in the same class as CeCe Walker. Anna is loved by everyone in the community for her kindness and volunteering spirit.
The other day, Anna reached out to me and said you need to visit our lake house on Lake Cypress Springs which is about 2 hours east of us. We can see stars clearly and you might be able to shoot there. On a whim, I asked my friend Yogesh if we can go there. If nothing else, we will be able to practice deep sky astrophotography that we have started to dabble in.
The weather forecast was reasonable with 20% sky cover. We drove out to the Walker family's lake house which is a beautiful log cabin on the lake with its own marina/dock to launch canoes/kayaks etc. By the time we go there it was quite dark and we saw some deer around the area. Our plans to shoot deep sky was shot with thick clouds that were moving. We drove around the area trying to scout for any locations to shoot the Milky Way which was to rise around 3am when the moon would also be setting. Did not find anything interesting and decided the best place is perhaps at the lake house though there were a few lights that we would have preferred not to have including one on a deck we nicknamed, "The Discotheque"
We set up star trails since that was the best option we had and went to catch some sleep. Early in the morning when the Milky Way was to rise, we saw nothing on our cameras or to the naked eye. We could identify Mars and Saturn above two street lights which meant the Milky Way core was there as well. The thin clouds moving through made the stars look diffused and dreamy. After trying to do the best we could, we decided it is time to go home. We went back to pack up when I saw an embroidered wall art that said "Only he who attempts the ridiculous can achieve the impossible" with a star next to it.
It sounded so true, I wanted to take a picture of it with my camera which is when I realized, I had Image Stabilization turned ON on my camera. Any self respecting landscape or astro photographer reading this now would be squirming. The rest of you can continue reading.
A few choice expletives came out under my breath and after I had a chance to calm down, I asked Yogesh, since I realized this and we have not left the place, shall I go and try to shoot this again? Yogesh said, "Sure, I will load up the things in the car". So I went back to place I had been shooting before under the tall oak trees that were just leafing out and some aquatic plants were sticking out of the water. The Milky Way core had by now moved southward and out of the glare of the two street lights. The clouds were also clearing out. I shot as many pictures as I could trying to do the impossible. This is literally the only direction I could compose this image and a healthy dose of utter ridiculousness made it possible.
Flat Earth
Star trails from the Milky Way shoot at the Walkers' Lake Cypress Springs house back in March.
About 225 shots and little over two hours of shooting went into this. The camera ran out of battery else the bright light trail in the middle which is Jupiter, would have been more complete.
Apparently there are people who still believe Earth is flat.
Glacier Point Road
Driving on the Glacier Point Road in which is open only for about 6 months every year, we saw a photographer taking picures from this spot. Curious about what the gentleman was shooting, we returned a few minutes later to see this view of the Half Dome as cars passed by. The Blue Hour made for some interesting twilight conditions.
What is hard to notice unless you zoom in very tight is the presence of two portaledges half way up the 1.5 km hight Half Dome.
Portaledge is a deployable hanging tent system designed for rock climbers who spend multiple days and nights on a big wall climb.
Lonely Jeff
For some, It will be hard to believe when I say that I had not seen a picture like this taken here at Yosemite's Olmsted Point before. Until I visited this place and Wisanu told me that Michael Shainblum had a picture of this iconic tree, I did not know this Pinus Jeffreyi or Jeffrey's Pine tree was that famous or a composition similar to this existed.
The granite that this tree I nicknamed Lonely Jeff was growing on reflected most of the star light to the point I did not need to use the head lamp. It was that bright all from just the photons that left distant stars long long ago. May be the light is reaching us now but some of those stars are long gone. All the light you see in this picture is from starlight except for the light on Jeff's head.
That happened when a small group of photographers in the parking lot below where being told their leader about this famous tree and he shouted to me if it was ok to shine a light on the tree to show his group. I said sure. The added benefit was the light painting he inadvertently did for me in the process
Annabelle can speak Chinese?
Just got back from Colorado from a brief visit. When I was looking for places to visit around Buena Vista where we stayed for the weekend, I came across this town called St. Elmo.
I had one night to shoot, Saturday night. The party animal Luna was going to bed late like at 2:30am. Moon phase was Waxing Gibbous 81% of full moon. Which meant it was not a serious night for star gazing. Also weather in Colorado at this time of the year is crazy. Sunsets and sunrises are devoid of much needed clouds. For Pete's sake, I had my eyes closed for a large group photo that was shot mid morning. But come night time, the clouds come out of the woodwork.
This night was going to be no different but I had no choice. I had to take a chance. So I drove about one hour around 11pm on dirt roads and up a 10,000 foot mountain with no cell phone coverage of any sort along the way. I had been there during the day to look at the place so that helped. At dinner time in the quaint little but expensive town of Buena Vista, the sky was promising the storms having passed through. I was excited to see the stars. Once back at the hotel, I was chatting and my wife got bored of me sticking around and talking for the sake of talking or perhaps she was just tired and wanted to go to sleep asked me "When are you leaving and what time are you going to be back?" I replied I will be back by the morning. said, I might have to nap in the car to wait for moonset. Before I left Nayana told me, "Daddy, don't sleep in the car. Stay awake".
Once I arrived here, I parked my car at the entrance to the town and was very disappointed to see the thick clouds. I was hopeful that it would get better as the night progressed. I parked the car and walked into the town. Sadly the town has bright lights. Not too many but just enough to cause any astrophotographer to feel extremely annoyed mildly put. I remembered reading earlier in the day that they had to install security cameras and lights to keep out people stealing antiques from this well preserved "Ghost" town.
I walked around by myself and went back to the car to wait and it started to drizzle. I reclined the seat and began to nap. Around 12:30am, a pick up truck pulled up behind me and I woke up with the bright headlight shining from behind my SUV. Now who would come to an abandoned Ghost Town in the middle of the night except of course some crazy night photographer from Texas! Several thoughts quickly passed through my head. Are they photographers like me? Are they antique thieves? Could they be some really unfriendly people perhaps with a fire arm? Or, did I trip off some security camera alarm when I walked in to town and they have come to investigate. I decided to stay put in the car until one of them walks up to me and asks what I was doing there.
After what seemed like a long 5 or 6 minutes. The headlights were turned off and several people got out of the pick up truck. I saw them walk towards me in the rear view mirror and several of them walked past me. I thought I saw one person turn towards me and look at me and I tried my best to stay reclined. I could hear them talking and laughing as they went past. I could tell they looked caucasian like any white person but I heard a female voice speak in what I thought was Chinese. They had no cameras or tripods so they were not photographers. But what were they doing there and why were they going into the town?
Now, I was tempted to get out of there and drive back to the hotel. But the stronger temptation to be the first person to shoot Milky Way in this Ghost Town won (PS: I think I am the first person to shoot the Milky Way core here. I have not found any other photos online and if you have shot before me, you should share it)
So another hour or so later, the group of people came back and now I expected someone to knock on my window but instead they knocked on the log cabin to my left, laughed and went to their truck. I don't know what truck it was but it sure held a lot of people. After another very long 5-6 minutes, they turned around and left.
The moon was too bright and clouds thick and it was drizzling a little. I decided to take a chance and walk into the town and shoot some pictures Milky Way or not. I shot some compositions and finally gave up on being able to see the Milky Way clearly and around 2:50 am, decided to drive back. I returned to the car and looked back at one of these intact homes and there behind it with the moon gone and the clouds disappearing, I saw the Milky Way flaming up the sky. I wasted no time and composed this shot and fired away a few. Then I got into the car and started my drive downhill.
Once I came back to the hotel and had caught up on my sleep, I asked Nayana "Why did you ask me not to sleep in the car and stay awake?" She replied "I just did not want those people to come". I said "what people?" She replied "Those random weird people".
Now read the rest..I read this not before I went to St. Elmo but after I processed this image and wanted to share some details about this intriguing place.
St. Elmo, Colorado is one of America's best-preserved ghost towns. It's a town that's frozen in time. Located 10,000 feet deep in the Sawatch Range, 20 miles southwest of Buena Vista. It's probably one of the coolest abandoned places to visit. St. Elmo was founded in 1880, and quickly swelled to a population of2,000 people. The draw: Gold and silver mining. Within just 10 years the town had reached its peak, with the establishment of a telegraph office, General Store, a town hall, five hotels, a local newspaper, school, and of course the obligatory Wild West saloons and dancing halls.
Unfortunately within just 4 decades the mining industry began to decline, and once the railroad stopped running in 1922, the town was abandoned. Saint Elmo today has numerous structures that have been preserved and are all privately owned. It is one of the best preserved ghost towns anywhere in Colorado and still has a few residents. The remaining structures include a general merchandise store, which still operates from May through October, a church, a school building, and many other business structures and cabins.
The Stark family were part of St. Elmo's elite, a high-class group that attended church regularly. Anna was said to have been a humorless woman who severely controlled the children, believing that they were better than the other townsfolk – miners, railroad men, prostitutes and hard women. The children were rarely allowed to leave home, forbidden to attend local dances or social activities and had only each other for company. In 1890 a fire destroyed the business section and the town was never entirely rebuilt.
The survival of the town was largely due to the Stark family and their descendants, who remained the sole year-round residents for many years. According to local legend, perhaps at least one of them, Annabelle Stark, still keeps a ghostly watch over the town.
Though Annabelle was always said to have been kind and generous to the few who still frequented the store, the locals began to call her "Dirty Annie" because of her filthy clothing and tangled hair. She was also known to have roamed the old town, with rifle in hand, to protect her property. The town officially died on Sept. 30, 1952, when the post office closed.
Eventually, Tony and Annabelle were sent away to a mental institution, for their own safety and that of others. However, after just a few weeks, a sympathetic friend convinced the authorities that they were of no harm to anyone and they were released. Tony died a short time later and Annabelle was sent to a nursing home in 1958 where she died in 1960. Their property was left to the sympathetic friend who had helped them.
Shortly after Annabelle's death, the friend's grandchildren were said to have been playing in a room of the hotel, when suddenly all the doors in the room slammed shut and the temperature dropped nearly 20 degrees. The terrified children refused to play in the hotel again.
Another one of the grandchildren, a young woman in her twenties, decided to take on the hotel as a project, cleaning out the rooms, making minor repairs, and washing down the walls and floors. After cleaning up for the day, she and her friends would put away their tools and cleaning supplies, only to find them in the middle of the floor when they returned the next day. After this continued to occur, they started placing the items in a padlocked closet, but still they would be in the middle of the floor when they came back.
On another occasion, a skier was said to have seen a very attractive woman in a white dress framed in the second story window of the old hotel. The owner was away on vacation, so who could it have been? The young woman's eyes were focused on something in the distance and when the skier followed her gaze, she saw a group of snow mobilers who were riding through the street. The skier flagged down the group, informing them that snowmobiling was illegal in St. Elmo. The group apologized and rode away. When the skier looked back at the hotel, the woman nodded to her, then turned away and vanished.
The legend of Annabelle's ghost lives on with the part-time residents of Saint Elmo, believing that she continues to protect her property from vandals or trespassers.
Mountain Pride
One of the things landscape photographers covet is a unique composition and we all seek that to satisfy our creative appetites.
On my the recent trip to California, I had no preconceived ideas or wish lists on what I wanted to shoot. This could be good or bad. Good because whatever you are shooting is your own fresh take on what you see. Bad because you have not done your homework so you are not prepared for field work and you end up wasting precious time. In this case, having a clean slate was good. It helped that my friend Wisanu had scouted this location prior during the day when we split up and scouted different areas. He shot here first and me at a more accessible location at Yosemite's Olmsted Point.
Later we radioed each other and switched places when I went up the hill in the direction of the dim low level light panel he had set up to light up this Bonsai like tree. I am a sucker for wildflowers and one of my favorite native wild flowers and one that uses hummingbirds as matchmakers is the Penstemon strangely also named beardtounge. They are native to North America and do not grow wild anywhere else. On this mountain, I found this Penstemon at the base of the Bonsai tree. It seemed like both the Mountain Pride (Penstemon newberryi) and Jeffrey's pine (Pinus jeffreyi) had been planted there carefully to have the best view of the Half Dome, quarter dome if you consider it is sort of cropped off on the right side; and the heavens above.
The ground feels quite flat in the image but I am on a slope almost at the top of this 8500ft (2600m) mountain. I was by myself listening to any rustling noises or foot steps. No, there were none but my senses were heightened. I did spend more time here than the norm. I actually sat down and enjoyed the fresh mountain air and appreciating the beauty of the tough as nails flora this rugged rocky place had to offer. There was no soil for these plants to grow. Just cracks in the granite where they claimed their rightful place under the wide open sky.
I spent last week with some special people exploring some really special places in California's Eastern Sierras. It was intense, tiring but also very fulfilling. To be in places I had never seen before for the first time often in the dead of the night was thrilling to say the least.
I can only imagine what my 14 year old daughter, Nayana felt. We created everlasting memories which will only become better over time. It was not a cushy trip. We slept very little, sometimes ate food we wouldn't give a second look at home. Those freeze dried foods, MRE types are really a hit or miss! The better the packaging, worse it is inside. We experienced drastic changes in elevation and temperatures often within a span of few hours.
With the out of comfort zone efforts came the great experience of being with and shooting alongside a future (I predict 2 years at the most) legend and a role model Wisanu Boonrawd. If nothing else, Nayana got to experience what goes into creating great images. The meticulous research, planning, preparation, being able to change plans on quick order due to factors beyond our control, and time management is no substitute for creating great images from the comfort of our homes regardless of creative vision.
This image was one of the last shot the first night we arrived at Mobius Arch in Alabama Hills, a range of hills and rock formations near the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada in the Owens Valley. This is also the site where many Hollywood Cowboy movies were filmed. Our drive from LAX to Alabama Hills was exactly like going perpendicular to a vey wide wind tunnel. Only this wind tunnel was also blasting sand and our rental car stayed caked in fine dirt for the rest of the week.
On this night we arrived to a group of friendly photographers from Bakersfield who were already shooting. We approached them in the dark with our headlights turned off from a distance. When requested if we could shoot alongside them, they readily agreed and even let us use a small light to light the Mobius Arch. Since the Milky Way was fairly up by then, we did not get to shoot some of the compositions we wanted to and decided to come back in a couple of days.
People that know me well know that I have two left feet. On this night night however I felt like I was Dancing With The Stars.
Texas Sized Welcome
The one thing a Texan returning home looks eagerly for is a sign that says "Don't Mess With Texas".
This monument welcomes motorists coming over the Red River from Oklahoma (now, if you are curious about where this is, Google maps can help you). I had photographed this previously in September 2015 on my second Milky Way shoot with my friend Uday Tummala who showed this to me.
I had wanted to go back and shoot this early in the season rather than in late summer since the Milky Way moves further to the right of this frame and gets diluted by the light pollution coming from the nearby town. Yogesh Mhatre was a willing partner and joined me on this shoot on a weekday night.
Astrophotography is a challenge in so many ways.
1. You can only shoot the Milky Way core during the warm months since in the winter months it sets too soon.
2. You need to be in a fairly dark sky area to be able to see and shoot the stars.
3. You should not have moonlight.
4. The weather has to cooperate and you need clear skies.
So quite literally, the stars have to align and when they do like they did on this particular night, sacrifices like losing sleep on a weekday become meaningful.
I used two exposures for this shot. One for the sky with star tracker turned on and an identical one for the ground with tracker turned off. The light trails are courtesy of truckers entering Texas.
May the Fourth be with you!
A website FAQ asks:
What is there to do at Redfish Lake?
Relax and enjoy the scenery! Rent a boat from the Marina to explore the lake on your own. Sunbathe on the sandy beach. Hike: there are plenty of trails around to lead you to gorgeous backcountry. Saddle up at the Redfish Corrals. Stop by the Redfish Lake Visitor's Center. Eat a hearty meal in the restaurant. Sip a cocktail in the lounge. Gaze at the Milky Way in the crystal clear night sky. Fish a nearby stream.
While did not do most of the leisurely stuff described above, I did get to gaze in wonderment at the Milky Way in a really dark sky area. I had wanted to shoot a panorama of tracked longer focal length shots for some time. A well known astro photographer Eric Benedetti shoots spectacular Milky Way panoramas in this fashion. He also shoots them mostly in this area which gave me the motivation to try something similar. This was shot the night before the Great American Eclipse from the nearby Stanley Lake.
I used a star tracker to gather more star light than I could without a tracker. For the ground portion, the tracker was turned off. A total of 30 exposures were then stitched into a panorama. I also used a 55mm lens which is more commonly used for portraits. Apples to apples, a longer lens gathers more light than a wide angle lens. (You can read about Clear Aperture Ratio here : http://www.clarkvision.com/articles/nightscapes/)
My biggest challenge with this panorama is blending the sky and ground parts like it would be in one large wide angle shot. Thanks to John Burge for the pointers. John shoots some fantastic longer length panos (85mm and above). Do check out his work..
The peaks which frame the lake at its south end are
· Mount Heyburn at 10,229 ft (3,118 m) on the Right
· Grand Mogul at 9,733 feet (2,967 m) on the left
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Stars growing on trees
On the evening we arrived in Stanley, Idaho for for the Great American Solar Eclipse, we visited the Redfish Lake which we were informed was going to be closed for public during the eclipse and accessible only by the campers. My friends and I wanted to take advantage of the access when we had it, to shoot the Milky Way shortly after sunset.
After I shot a couple of compositions we were packing up when my friend Christopher Jackson showed us this composition he had found with the Milky Way nicely framed by evergreen trees. I shamelessly shot the same compostition and Chris was game enough to even light paint the trees for us.
There are only a handful of places on Earth like Hot Creek's active geologic setting in California, which makes it a nice addition to your next adventure when you visit Yosemite. Within the shallow gorge, groundwater heated by subsurface bodies of molten rock (magma) reaches the surface and mixes with the cool waters of Hot Creek, creating a picturesque environment with otherworldly features. Below the hot springs, healthy populations of fish thrive off the abundant nutrition generated by the consistently warm waters of the creek. Delicate rock formations created by the precipitation of minerals rim the hot spring pools. Like most geothermal springs, the area is constantly changing and evolving. Once-active geysers and springs are now dormant or extinct, and new springs appear annually. Earthquakes can cause sudden geyser eruptions and overnight appearances of new hot springs at Hot Creek.
If you are thinking of a nice Finnish sauna, swimming is illegal at this location due to the rapid fluctuation of water temperatures, as changes of 200 degrees F ( i.e., 93 Celsius so it will boil your eggs!) over mere seconds have been recorded within the stream.
Again like most places I have been fortunate enough to visit, I was unaware of this place and the potential for astrophotography. Thanks to my friend Wisanu, I was able to not just visit it but also spend time taking in the grandeur of all that has been created.
The only negative about this place was that bright light in front of the mountains on the left. That is from a local airport. Not a deal breaker but would have been nice to not have that element of artificial light. The rest of the ground is lit by pure unadulterated star light.
Now the jargon:
Sony a7RII
Zeiss Batis 25mm/f2
22 shots went into this 3 frame vertical panorama.
Top third of the image:
ISO 10000, 25mm, 10s at f/2.5
10 exposures Median Stacked
Middle third of the image:
ISO 10000, 25mm, 10s at f/2.5
10 exposures Median Stacked
Single long exposure
ISO 800, 25mm, 125s at f/2.0
I left the Long Exposure Noise Reduction on in the camera for this shot since it was the last shot of the very long night.
Processed in Capture One Pro and Photoshop
Jupiter Descending
When on a long road trip and especially while starving, one of the nicest experiences one can have is to be greeted by a friendly waiter who serves good food and regales you with some local legends.
We met one such person at a nice Bakery/Restaurant in Lone Pine, California. I can't recall what I ate but it was well done and presented. The onion rings were to die for. More than that, I recall the affable waiter who recounted how he lived in Dallas for sometime in the 1970s before moving westward and ended up living near Alabama Hills. He seemed genuinely happy with the decision. More than that, we had a picturesque view of a mountain out the window and I asked him if that was Mt. Whitney. He told us that it was actually Mt. Langley and showed where Mt. Whitney was.
He then said that the first guy who was trying to scale Mt. Whitney climbed Mt. Langley instead. But the first summiteer of Mt. Whitney was actually a drunk local fisherman who took took a bet to climb Mt. Whitney and did so before lunch. Now that is the word of mouth story. The story that is published goes this way:
In July 1864, the members of the California Geological Survey named the peak after Josiah Whitney, the State Geologist of California and benefactor of the survey. During the same expedition, geologist Clarence King attempted to climb Whitney from its west side, but stopped just short. In 1871, King returned to climb what he believed to be Whitney, but having taken a different approach, he actually summited nearby Mount Langley. Upon learning of his mistake in 1873, King finally completed his own first ascent of Whitney, but did so a month too late to claim the first recorded ascent. Just a month earlier, on August 18, 1873, Charles Begole, A. H. Johnson, and John Lucas, all of nearby Lone Pine, had become the first to reach the highest summit in the contiguous United States. As they climbed the mountain during a fishing trip to nearby Kern Canyon, they called the mountain "Fisherman's Peak".
In the picture you see Mt. Whitney framed by the Mobius Arch. The bright light on top of the peak is actually Jupiter that was setting. Jupiter which is usually the second brightest object in the sky after the moon was looking like it is usual very big star appearance until the moment it just started to go behind the mountain. I am not sure if it was the partial obscuring of the planet but Jupiter did balloon up before it disappeared behind the tallest mountain in the Sierra Nevada range and the highest summit in the contiguous United States.
Sony a7RII
Zeiss Batis 25mm f/2
41 exposures
ISO 10000, 25mm 10s at f/2.8
Four Horizontal Frames stitched into Panorama
Each Frame median stacked with multiple identical images to improve Signal to Noise Ratio
Processed in Capture One Pro and Adobe Photoshop


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Did the Scientology Police Investigate South Park's Creators?
Apparently so: Ex-Scientologist Marty Rathbun has posted on his website the contents of a Scientology-penned document discussing an investigation into the private lives of South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker conducted back in 2006—not long after the controversial Scientology-mocking SP episode "Trapped in the Closet" appeared on the teevee. The Scientological spy memo—brought to our attention by the Village Voice—is just "one of a trove" of docs that Rathbun plans to reveal about the investigation, which involved rooting through Stone and Parker's garbage (scary), using public records to turn up info on John "America's Uncle" Stamos and other friends (creepy), and deploying Tom Cruise to break into their homes, jump up and down on their couches, and shake loose all of the deep, dark secrets stuck between the cushions (terrifying). [Village Voice, Marty Rathbun's Website. Image via AP]


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The Beautiful Game
I presume that everyone in America has quit their jobs in order to watch every game of the World Cup (I can't confirm this on account of how I haven't left my apartment since the tournament started last week), and so you probably know that the Brazil is favored to win, due to its overwhelming awesomeness.
There are many theories about why Brazil is so good at football, but I personally believe it is the nicknames--a tradition that dates back almost a century. According to this article, the first Brazillian national team featured an attacking player named Formiga, or ant.
These days, for some reason, Brazil's best players tend to be named Ronaldo. The current starting line-up features two. Ronaldinho, which means "Little Ronaldo," is the greatest player in the world (I mean, seriously--he's so good that sometimes opposing fans cheer him). And Ronaldo used to be Brazil's best goal scorer. But it may be time for Ronaldo to start going by Ronaldao (meaning "Big Ronaldo"), since the President of Brazil recently phoned the national team's coach to ask how Ronaldo got so fat.
Incidentally, the goal-scorer in Brazil's 1-0 defeat of Croatia today? Kaka. Get your head out of the gutter, dear readers--it's just a shortened form of Ricardo.