Mike@60

Status update

Michael — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 00:45:10 +0000

Reading: Game of Thrones.
The HBO series got me interested in this book. I’m about half way through the first book and liking it a lot. The shear quantity of the whole series is a little intimidating though.

Watching: Storage Wars.
I hate them all except Barry the Collector.

Doing: Painting in acrylics. I’m finishing up something I started a couple of years ago. A painting of broken pottery.

Listening: Roseanne Cash.
The List is her latest. Highly recommended.
MM

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Location:Home

Photography is not a Crime (Feel free to skip this Rant)

Michael — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 16:16:28 +0000

I was just approached by a security guard at Liberty Media. I parked in their parking lot to walk down to a tree in the slough, to take some pictures with the storm coming in from the West. As I walked back to my car, I snapped a couple of photos of the architecture of the building with the storm in the background. “I see you took a couple of photos of the building. I would like to ask you to delete them and tell me your name.”, said the security guard. “We don’t allow people to take pictures of the dishes.” Well, of course, I had not taken pictures of the dishes as they were on the far side of the building.
I didn’t really mind giving him my name, as a communications company is a so-so national security risk. After all, who would want their cable TV to be shut off during war-time . We wouldn’t want to miss “Three and a Half Men” just because there is a war on. What I wasn’t going to do was delete the pictures of the building that I had taken as was originally suggested by the guard.
I told him my name, and proceeded to leave without further incident. But, it stuck in me like a splinter that I couldn’t dig out. It was the second time in less than a month that I had been approached by “security” and told I couldn’t take photos. The first time was on a highway.
I had been trying to take some photos that had a nice background with the highway and cars blurred, simulating speed. I was borderline trespassing by standing on a bridge abutment while taking the photos. Thus, I did not argue with the patrolman. I just smiled and left. None of the photos turned out anyway so I moved on.
It did have an effect though. I went to the American Civil Liberties Union web site and looked up my rights as a photographer. The bottom line is this. If you are standing in a legal place, you can take a photo of anything you can see, including the policeman who is asking you questions. It is legal to take photos. It is legal to take photos of policemen doing their job. Photography is not a crime. Flying a jetliner into a building, twice, is a crime. Photography is not a crime.
Terrorism works. We can see that every time we are scanned at the airport. We can see that when we push the shutter button and are questioned. Terrorism makes us afraid and that is what it is supposed to do. September 11th made George Orwell’s “1984″ a reality.

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Location:Somewhere on Earth

The White Stripe of Death (WSOD)

Michael — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 18:14:10 +0000

Opening day at A-Basin! I had to go just because it was opening day. I knew it would be crowded (and it was). It’s OK, it’s OPENING DAY! My first run was shaky. Then I got my boots adjusted correctly and it was just as if I had never taken the summer off. Except ,of course, for the fat and out of shape part.

Everyone is packed onto one run. That is what makes it the WSOD. Some of the young men and women pretty much just go straight down the hill. Although I didn’t witness any collisions, it’s scary to have some one going 20 mph whiz by just inches from your elbow.

There were a few costumes present. Not nearly the diversity of end-of-season when they get really wild. I took this photo of one mild one.

I had lots of fun yesterday and I am looking forward to another snowboard season.
MM

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Location:Arapaho Basin

I am STILL getting carded.

Michael — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 00:31:58 +0000

I bought a six pack of beer today. And as usual, the clerk asked me for my ID.

Dude. Is there any way in hell that I could be under 21? I mean, just look at me. I didn’t get these wrinkles from being rode hard and put away wet!

Instead, I asked him if he was old enough to card me. I used to tell them that I had just dyed my hair gray that morning or that it was just plain stupid to card me because there wasn’t anyway in hell that I was under 21. It doesn’t do any good though. They are so scared of the government fining them that they are willing to offend their customers.

Just what’s the deal? Has anyone else been carded and it bugged them? It’s a minor annoyance, but an annoyance just the same.

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Location:Nature Walk Tr,Parker,United States

A Lovely Day in the Mountains

Michael — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 15:21:06 +0000

Terri and I had a wonderful day in the mountains yesterday. We took a drive up highway 119, The Peak to Peak Highway, to take pictures of the fall colors. An added plus was that we got to drive through Blackhawk which has a bunch of casinos. When we stopped to use the restrooms we, of course, had to put a $20 in the “penny” slots. Fun but not why we were there.

There was lots of color where we went. At 9000 feet elevation, the trees were pulling into themselves to spend the winter underground. I was surprised by the number of mines up these roads. There was lots of dilapidated mining equipment and yellow Aspen for our photographic pleasure.

A perfect day with my Sweetie.

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