Banned from the city
for using profanity,
the jogger defies.
If I told you it
happened in Arkansas, then
would you believe me?
Side by side for weeks,
two coworkers discover
they're really brothers.
Am I the only
one who thinks this sounds like a
scene from "The Simpsons"?
Cattle rustling: A
crime that still occurs around
my neck of the woods.
When I was a kid
and I was spooked, I bolted.
Kids are different now.
Really though, what known
mortal can resist the spell
of Nintendo Wii?
You are not alone.
I would have wanted to say
"Hello Dalai!" too.
I understand the
case for Wal-Mart but who would
want Obama's job?
I'd be proud to make
"I just climbed a beautiful
mountain" my last words.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Friday, September 25, 2009
Friday Photography - Lockheed Martin P-80
Wow, who would have thunk that there is an old fighter jet from the Korean War in Buffalo, Minnesota? The things you notice when you're paying attention! I found this by the airport.
It is a A Lockheed Martin P-80, which has been converted to a T-33 Trainer. Whatever that means. I just thought it looked pretty cool! Not often a civilian gets to be up close and personal with these, even if the engine is taken out.
And it was about the perfect time of day, too. Check out that sunset. I shall name this photograph "Danger Zone." There are more pictures in at the Buffalo MN Flickr set.
Did you like Friday Photography? Want more? Barker & Hedges has Friday Photos, too. This week its a snapshot of Lake Street in downtown Wayzata, on the shore of Lake Minnetonka. My Green Side also has Photo Fridays, and this week it is Signs of Fall!
It is a A Lockheed Martin P-80, which has been converted to a T-33 Trainer. Whatever that means. I just thought it looked pretty cool! Not often a civilian gets to be up close and personal with these, even if the engine is taken out.And it was about the perfect time of day, too. Check out that sunset. I shall name this photograph "Danger Zone." There are more pictures in at the Buffalo MN Flickr set.Did you like Friday Photography? Want more? Barker & Hedges has Friday Photos, too. This week its a snapshot of Lake Street in downtown Wayzata, on the shore of Lake Minnetonka. My Green Side also has Photo Fridays, and this week it is Signs of Fall!
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Cursive Writing a Fading Skill
Cursive writing is apparently falling by the wayside. In schools, most "penmanship" classes have slowly been converted into typing classes over the years. In fact, in 2011 the writing test of the National Assessment of Educational Progress will require 8th and 11th graders to compose their answers on computers, with 4th graders following in 2019. And why not, since our society relies so heavily on forms on computers, technology, and instant messaging?
I, for one, won't miss it. I learned cursive writing and thought that it was named as such because it made me want to say words I wasn't allowed to. I couldn't make my letters look as nice as the writing of my classmates. And there was only so much practice I was willing to put into it on top of all the "real" homework I had. After a few years of trying to write in cursive and never being satisfied with the end result, I totally rebelled in 6th grade. From that point on and to this day, I write it printed, all-capital letters. My signature looks like it belongs to a doctor (my mother wishes!).
Apparently I'm not the only one who prefers printing. For the SAT's written essay portion, a 2007 report by the College Board found that just 15 percent of test-takers chose to write in cursive, while the others wrote in print. Most adults don't write in cursive, though many do employ a printing/cursive hybrid. And as technology continues to improve, there will be fewer and fewer reasons to write things out by hand.
It's doubtful, though, that cursive writing will disappear entirely. Cursive writing helps to teach children hand-eye coordination and fine muscle control. Keyboards and computers are still not available for every student in every classroom, meaning homework, school notes, and tests will be handwritten for years to come. And finally, no matter how reliant on texting and e-mailing we become, we will probably always jot down notes with paper and pen.
I, for one, won't miss it. I learned cursive writing and thought that it was named as such because it made me want to say words I wasn't allowed to. I couldn't make my letters look as nice as the writing of my classmates. And there was only so much practice I was willing to put into it on top of all the "real" homework I had. After a few years of trying to write in cursive and never being satisfied with the end result, I totally rebelled in 6th grade. From that point on and to this day, I write it printed, all-capital letters. My signature looks like it belongs to a doctor (my mother wishes!).
Apparently I'm not the only one who prefers printing. For the SAT's written essay portion, a 2007 report by the College Board found that just 15 percent of test-takers chose to write in cursive, while the others wrote in print. Most adults don't write in cursive, though many do employ a printing/cursive hybrid. And as technology continues to improve, there will be fewer and fewer reasons to write things out by hand.
It's doubtful, though, that cursive writing will disappear entirely. Cursive writing helps to teach children hand-eye coordination and fine muscle control. Keyboards and computers are still not available for every student in every classroom, meaning homework, school notes, and tests will be handwritten for years to come. And finally, no matter how reliant on texting and e-mailing we become, we will probably always jot down notes with paper and pen.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Ian Talty Exhibit to Open at SpotArt in Minneapolis
Trying to get the word out. Feel free to link to this article if you know of artists, photographers, and fans of Ian Talty who may be interested in this knowledge:
MINNEAPOLIS (September, 2009) — SpotArt, a gallery located at 1828 Marshall Street NE in Minneapolis, has confirmed that an exhibit of works by late photographer Ian Talty will be held next month. SpotArt will host the opening reception from 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm on Friday, October 2. The show will be his debut exhibition.
Ian Talty, also known as Joy of the Mundane, was a photographer who found beauty in unexpected places. A resident of Woodbury, he combined his love of photography with urban exploration, often adventuring to metro area locations many people would never think of going. In the process, he captured some of the most amazing images that show a side of the Twin Cities not many get to see.
Though he had no formal training, he drew a large audience online and his work was admired by many. At the beginning of April this year, he caught the attention of SpotArt and was invited to show some of his photographs at the gallery. Jumping at the chance, he immediately began preparing for the event.
Sadly, just a few weeks later on April 26, 2009, tragedy struck. While he was taking photos inside storm sewers in St. Paul, a sudden downpour filled them with rainwater, sweeping him and his friend into the Mississippi River. He did not survive, though his friend did.
His wife, Nicole Talty, has made it her mission to ensure that his work is still displayed. She has been making all of the arrangements needed for the show. “I am honored to be able to organize this for him. His photography completed him and allowed him to express who he truly was,” she said. “He was so excited about having this opportunity, I wanted him to still have it.”
SpotArt, believing in Ian Talty’s work, has been more than accommodating for the unique situation. The artists’ reception is open to the public. The photos will be on display throughout October.
About Ian Talty
Ian Talty, also known as Joy of the Mundane, was a Twin Cities amateur photographer. Though he photographed a variety of topics, his primary subjects were urban decay, abandonment, and street art. His photo collection can be viewed at Joy of the Mundane.
About SpotArt
SpotArt.org's mission is to support local art. They invite local artists to show their work in the gallery and have become a growing force in the art community. They regularly schedule group exhibitions which emphasize color and design, provide promotions and host artists' reception for each show. SpotArt strives to present the diversity of local art by offering emerging artists the opportunity to show alongside established artists in a variety of media. They have also hosted numerous events including poetry readings, private parties, rallies and lectures. The gallery is the working studio of founder and painter spleee, photographer Matt Porath, and artist Carisa Westbury.
Ian Talty Exhibit to Open at SpotArt
10 of the late photographer’s photos to be on display throughout October
10 of the late photographer’s photos to be on display throughout October
MINNEAPOLIS (September, 2009) — SpotArt, a gallery located at 1828 Marshall Street NE in Minneapolis, has confirmed that an exhibit of works by late photographer Ian Talty will be held next month. SpotArt will host the opening reception from 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm on Friday, October 2. The show will be his debut exhibition.
Ian Talty, also known as Joy of the Mundane, was a photographer who found beauty in unexpected places. A resident of Woodbury, he combined his love of photography with urban exploration, often adventuring to metro area locations many people would never think of going. In the process, he captured some of the most amazing images that show a side of the Twin Cities not many get to see.
Though he had no formal training, he drew a large audience online and his work was admired by many. At the beginning of April this year, he caught the attention of SpotArt and was invited to show some of his photographs at the gallery. Jumping at the chance, he immediately began preparing for the event.
Sadly, just a few weeks later on April 26, 2009, tragedy struck. While he was taking photos inside storm sewers in St. Paul, a sudden downpour filled them with rainwater, sweeping him and his friend into the Mississippi River. He did not survive, though his friend did.His wife, Nicole Talty, has made it her mission to ensure that his work is still displayed. She has been making all of the arrangements needed for the show. “I am honored to be able to organize this for him. His photography completed him and allowed him to express who he truly was,” she said. “He was so excited about having this opportunity, I wanted him to still have it.”
SpotArt, believing in Ian Talty’s work, has been more than accommodating for the unique situation. The artists’ reception is open to the public. The photos will be on display throughout October.
About Ian Talty
Ian Talty, also known as Joy of the Mundane, was a Twin Cities amateur photographer. Though he photographed a variety of topics, his primary subjects were urban decay, abandonment, and street art. His photo collection can be viewed at Joy of the Mundane.About SpotArt
SpotArt.org's mission is to support local art. They invite local artists to show their work in the gallery and have become a growing force in the art community. They regularly schedule group exhibitions which emphasize color and design, provide promotions and host artists' reception for each show. SpotArt strives to present the diversity of local art by offering emerging artists the opportunity to show alongside established artists in a variety of media. They have also hosted numerous events including poetry readings, private parties, rallies and lectures. The gallery is the working studio of founder and painter spleee, photographer Matt Porath, and artist Carisa Westbury.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Haiku News - September 21 2009
In Australia,
death awaits you all with big,
nasty, pointy teeth!
At home, the office,
or even at school: turn off
the damn coffee pot!
Anti-cancer group
caused surprise when they cut ties
to cancer makers.
When I first read this,
I thought it was the plot to
a bad horror flick.
Honestly, the cops
should have expected something
like this to happen.
death awaits you all with big,
nasty, pointy teeth!
At home, the office,
or even at school: turn off
the damn coffee pot!
Anti-cancer group
caused surprise when they cut ties
to cancer makers.
When I first read this,
I thought it was the plot to
a bad horror flick.
Honestly, the cops
should have expected something
like this to happen.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
The New Look
After I created the Sam Can Shoot blog, and customized it a little bit to suit the wider format of large photos, I decided I wasn't happy with how True to Words looked and wanted to be able to make it wide, too. I couldn't make the old blog look right with the wider margins. What's more, I didn't like how it looked with the colors of my freelance writer website. So I redid them both entirely.
Instead of being varying shades of blue and brown, they are black, grey, and blue. I think they look a lot cleaner. And now the photoblog blends in, too, so if/when I link it from my website it'll all look similar.
Now that summer is winding down and my calendar is less full, I'm hoping to re-energize True to Words in the coming weeks and months. I admit my blog hasn't been the most important thing in my life this summer, but I'm okay with that. Friday Photography and Haiku News have kept me contributing and visitors coming. But now I'd like to rely on them less and start doing more installments of Bad Ad Placement, Language Barrier, The Word, and even some poetry.
So, with a new look and a rededicated spirit, be prepared for some new content in the near future. I'm excited :)
Instead of being varying shades of blue and brown, they are black, grey, and blue. I think they look a lot cleaner. And now the photoblog blends in, too, so if/when I link it from my website it'll all look similar.
Now that summer is winding down and my calendar is less full, I'm hoping to re-energize True to Words in the coming weeks and months. I admit my blog hasn't been the most important thing in my life this summer, but I'm okay with that. Friday Photography and Haiku News have kept me contributing and visitors coming. But now I'd like to rely on them less and start doing more installments of Bad Ad Placement, Language Barrier, The Word, and even some poetry.
So, with a new look and a rededicated spirit, be prepared for some new content in the near future. I'm excited :)
Friday, September 18, 2009
Friday Photography - Semi-Bountiful Harvest
When I whined last week about my green tomatoes not turning red, I honestly didn't expect them to ripen before the first frost comes. Even after all of my salvage attempts. Now it's a week later, and more than half of them have changed color!
Notice the very distinct lack of leaves compared to last week's post. I snipped two tomatoes off earlier this week and put them in a paper bag, along with a green bell pepper that had yet to turn orange, hoping those still on the plant would ripen better. That really seemed to trigger the rest to change.
I harvested everything but three green tomatoes today, then I took this Semi-Bountiful Harvest photo. Next year, I hope to have more. But even if those tomatoes would have stayed green until the snows came, this container garden experiment would still have been worth it because I had fun just tending to the plants and watching them grow.
Did you like Friday Photography? Want more photos? Barker & Hedges has Friday Photos, too. This week shows Lake Minnetonka and a brief history. Check out the beautiful sunset photo! My Green Side, who also has Photo Fridays, didn't this week. But there's always a good read there!
Notice the very distinct lack of leaves compared to last week's post. I snipped two tomatoes off earlier this week and put them in a paper bag, along with a green bell pepper that had yet to turn orange, hoping those still on the plant would ripen better. That really seemed to trigger the rest to change.I harvested everything but three green tomatoes today, then I took this Semi-Bountiful Harvest photo. Next year, I hope to have more. But even if those tomatoes would have stayed green until the snows came, this container garden experiment would still have been worth it because I had fun just tending to the plants and watching them grow.Did you like Friday Photography? Want more photos? Barker & Hedges has Friday Photos, too. This week shows Lake Minnetonka and a brief history. Check out the beautiful sunset photo! My Green Side, who also has Photo Fridays, didn't this week. But there's always a good read there!
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Haiku News - September 17 2009
Trash bin rendezvous?
Apparently they do it
different in Kansas.
Comfortable, relaxed
cows are more productive than
confined, stressed-out cows.
Michael Vick's signing
to the Eagles the straw that
broke the camel's streak.
I find it hard to
believe kids would vote to kill
a "pet" they hand-fed.
We give and they take.
We work while they sleep. Yet, we
love and adore them.
And some wonder why
dogs are treated like children
by those who know them.
Okay, I admit:
I am a complete sucker
for a good pet tale.
Apparently they do it
different in Kansas.
Comfortable, relaxed
cows are more productive than
confined, stressed-out cows.
Michael Vick's signing
to the Eagles the straw that
broke the camel's streak.
I find it hard to
believe kids would vote to kill
a "pet" they hand-fed.
We give and they take.
We work while they sleep. Yet, we
love and adore them.
And some wonder why
dogs are treated like children
by those who know them.
Okay, I admit:
I am a complete sucker
for a good pet tale.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Sam Can Shoot: A New Blog for a New Camera
I have started a new blog!
Yes, I copied the blog's first post outright because I'm not certain I can improve on it :) I'll still have Friday Photography here, but it'll probably be changing just a little bit. Pictures still do speak 1,000 words.
I just bought a new camera, a Canon Rebel XSi to replace the 9-year-old EasyShare DC3400 Zoom. From now on, I'll have new adventures in semi-professional photography, a far cry from the feats of point and shoot I've been relegated to. Through this blog, you can have some adventures, too.
Who am I? I'm Sara Duane, Twin Cities professional freelance writer. I'd like to make that writer/photographer. Since this blog will be more laid back than my True to Words blog, I'm using a more casual name - Sam - which has been my nickname for half of my life now.
"Sam" also fits better with my choice of blog name, "Sam Can Shoot" - a spoof of the Chinese cooking show "Yan Can Cook." What was the show's catchphrase? "If Yan can cook, so can you." So it stands to reason that if Sam can shoot, so can you. :)
Why am I doing this? I like photography, blogging, learning and sharing. Though I've had some photography training and taken a few classes, I'm rusty. And digital SLR cameras are an entirely different animal. I'll be sharing what I learn here in this blog to maybe help out other photographers who are just starting out or are trying to advance their skills (like me!). Plus, its FUN!
So now I've finished uploading the last pictures taken with my old camera to Flickr. Starting from this point on, all the photos I will upload there and display here will be taken with the new camera. This is going to be fun and I hope to meet a few other people who like photography, blogging, and sharing, too!
Yes, I copied the blog's first post outright because I'm not certain I can improve on it :) I'll still have Friday Photography here, but it'll probably be changing just a little bit. Pictures still do speak 1,000 words.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Friday Photography - Green Tomatoes
It's getting to be the end of summer, and if you recall from some of my earlier post, I've been experimenting with potted or container gardening. I was so happy with the results I was getting, until now. I've harvest many of the herbs I planted this spring, so that has been great. And i've collected and eaten several bell pepper from my plants, even if none of them made it past the green stage.
My trouble comes in the form of tomatoes.
This picture was taken about a month ago, and these tomatoes are still on the vine and still green, though they are considerably larger.
This picture was also taken a month ago and the fruit you see here is, you guessed it, still on the vine and still green. Again, they're much bigger.
I tried what I could to get them to turn red, even defoliating them so that the plants only had one thing on which to concentrate: ripening these yummy tomatoes. The result has a nearly imperceptible change in the shade of green on two of the tomatoes (of 8). Though it has a vague orange hue in the right light, I'm not holding me breath for a fire-red tomato. So I am immortalizing my green tomatoes via the internet. If I can't get something to eat off of these plants, at least I have some beautiful photos.
You can see more pictures of the herbs I've been growing in abundance in the My Green Thumb Flickr set. For more photos on Friday, check out My Green Side! There, it's the First Day of School!
My trouble comes in the form of tomatoes.
This picture was taken about a month ago, and these tomatoes are still on the vine and still green, though they are considerably larger.This picture was also taken a month ago and the fruit you see here is, you guessed it, still on the vine and still green. Again, they're much bigger.I tried what I could to get them to turn red, even defoliating them so that the plants only had one thing on which to concentrate: ripening these yummy tomatoes. The result has a nearly imperceptible change in the shade of green on two of the tomatoes (of 8). Though it has a vague orange hue in the right light, I'm not holding me breath for a fire-red tomato. So I am immortalizing my green tomatoes via the internet. If I can't get something to eat off of these plants, at least I have some beautiful photos.
You can see more pictures of the herbs I've been growing in abundance in the My Green Thumb Flickr set. For more photos on Friday, check out My Green Side! There, it's the First Day of School!
Friday, September 4, 2009
Friday Photography - Beyond the Clouds
I've given up taking pictures with my crappy, ancient camera. Something is desperately wrong with it and most of the photos don't turn out. Disappointing and frustrating.
My solution to tide me over until I can fork over the money for the camera I want has been to further explore photo editing for dramatic or artistic effect. Up until this point, most of my changes have been in the form of black and white conversion and minor exposure fixes. This time I did much, much more. In particular, to my Above the Clouds picture:
Reverse Color
Sky In - Sky Out
I played around with a few more ideas, but I liked these the best. You can see the rest here.
Can't get enough photo Friday? My Green Side likes to explore the Great Outdoors with a photography themed post on Fridays as well! Also, Barker & Hedges has Friday Photos. This week it is a look at the FlatPak House at the Walk / Minneapolis Art Sculpture Garden and FlatPak eco-friendly custom homes.
My solution to tide me over until I can fork over the money for the camera I want has been to further explore photo editing for dramatic or artistic effect. Up until this point, most of my changes have been in the form of black and white conversion and minor exposure fixes. This time I did much, much more. In particular, to my Above the Clouds picture:
Electric Color
Reverse ColorSky In - Sky OutI played around with a few more ideas, but I liked these the best. You can see the rest here.
Can't get enough photo Friday? My Green Side likes to explore the Great Outdoors with a photography themed post on Fridays as well! Also, Barker & Hedges has Friday Photos. This week it is a look at the FlatPak House at the Walk / Minneapolis Art Sculpture Garden and FlatPak eco-friendly custom homes.
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