alley-oop

I was reading Captain America and The First Thirteen and Cap said "alley-oop" as he hopped out of his window. It got me thinking of where this phrase came from. Cap was in France during World War II so I thought maybe the phrase should actually be "allez-oop?" Aller is the French word for to go. The tenth Doctor Who is famous for saying "Allons y!" meaning "let's go!"

I checked online and found a couple different definitions. According to wordsmith.com 

interjection: Used as an exhortation or to signal the start of an activity. For example, when coordinating efforts to lift something heavy.
noun: A basketball move in which a player throws the ball to a teammate near the basket who leaps to catch it in mid-air and then puts it in the basket before returning to the floor.

The Oxford English Dictionary adds that alley-oop is a maneuver used in skateboarding or snowboarding spin usually involving an 180 degree or more turn.

entasis

From the Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Convex curve given to a column, spire, or similar upright member to avoid the optical illusion of hollowness or weakness that would arise from normal tapering. Exaggerated in Greek work of the Doric order, it grew more and more subtle in the 5th–4th century BC. Entasis is also occasionally found in Gothic spires and in smaller Romanesque columns.

Without adding the extra width to a column, they may appear skinny in the center. This happens more with taller columns. Thin columns do not look sturdy and able to hold up the weight above.

rss. a work still in progress

My rss client, FeedWrangler, stopped working on a Saturday morning. Interruptions have happened before. I assumed it would be corrected in a couple of hours. Towards evening, I went looking for some news of FeedWrangler. A few mentions on Twitter but nothing from @FeedWrangler nor its developer @_DavidSmith. I started to get concerned but hoped David Smith was at an all day event and could access his website.
By Sunday morning, I was frustrated. I subscribe to a lot of feeds. Too many feeds. I wasn't too worried about missing important news, but I didn't want my unread items piling up. I went to my feed reader apps and added my FeedBin credentials. I haven't used FeedBin in weeks. My unread count was near 10,000. Also, the feed list was different as I have deleted some and added others.
When GoogleReader was shutting down, I looked for a replacement. I first chose FeedBin. I signed up for FeedBin. It seemed OK but then one of favorite apps added FeedWrangler before FeedBin. I signed up for FeedWrangler. After going back and forth, I settled for FeedWrangler. FeedBin raised their prices, the went open source and I was glad for my choice for FeedWrangler. I knew I would get rid of FeedBin account when it came time for renewal. 
However, this weekend showed me that rss is still not stable and I should keep my options open. I should also keep a list of my feeds in a space I can access if the system goes down again.
FeedWrangler is back up. The developer was at a cabin without reception. It is good that it was fixed easily enough. Though I am now a bit doubtful that one person can handle this much responsibility. Where are the backup contingencies? What is something happened to the developer? None of us are invulnerable. 
It took a few days but I created a backup list of my feeds. I know I have an OPML file but that needs something to read it. I just wanted something for those temporary outages. As of Tuesday, I am halfway through the list. I am paring down the list as well. There are many feeds I only look at the headlines, some I keep because they followed me at some point. I have also found quite a few that have stopped posting. 

it is better to fade away...

Seems like the blogging fad is fading. Sure, everyone has a blog. But only a few post on a regular basis. Most of my friends have abandoned their blogs. I only post here sporadically. 

It is easier to post little snippets on twitter and Facebook and tumblr. 

A blog post should be a longer post. I formed thought. We think in 140 character thoughts.

lightroom quick start guide

Lightroom quick guide

I use Lightroom everyday so I know the program pretty well. But if you only open it every so often, you can forget how use the different modules. I met with a fellow photographer who needed a quick Lightroom refresh for a project he is working on. This is only meant as a refresher as there are much better resources for learning to use Lightroom.

Import

I import photos using a card reader and Lightroom. This keeps all my photos in one location. I keep them on an external hard drive. Open Lightroom. You will be in the Library Module. Click on Import.

I convert my raw files to dng. This is just an option. There is plenty of reasons to do it, and plenty not to waste the time.

I import my photographs into folders by date and use presets to apply meta data such as copyright and creator information. If I am importing a single event, I will apply location information as well.

Quick triage

My next step is to do a quick triage.

I look at photos in a the Loupe view at 100% and apply 1 star, 2 stars or reject. Photos get 2 stars if they are in focus, 1 star if they are off a bit and reject if the are out of focus.

I use my keyboard to apply these ratings. With the CAPS LOCK key on, Lightroom will move to the next photo when a rating is applied.

Once this is done, I delete all my rejected photos. I do not have unlimited drive space and do not need to keep photos I will never use.

As I scroll through, I apply keywords. I use keywords a lot. Many people do not use keywords. I find it is a great help when locating all photos of one of my boys. 

Create collection

I use Folders only to store my photos. I use Collections to sort my photos. I highlight all the photos I want and create a new collection. Just click on the + to the right of Collections Panel. 

Now I do a second triage. I look at photos that appear similar and decide which ones I want to develop. I delete the ones I do not want from the collection. Hitting the delete key will remove them from the collection but they will still be in the Lightroom catalog. To remove a photo from the Lightroom catalog, you need to be in the Folders Panel.

I mark the photos I want to develop with a 9 which is also the color blue.

Develop

Click D to move to the Develop Module.

Here is where I do cropping and straightening. I will adjust the white balance, exposure and remove clipped highlights as necessary.

At this point I will do specific adjustments using spot removal and the adjustment brush.

B&W

If I want to convert the photo to black & white, I will do this in the HSL / Color / B&W Panel. Click B&W and the photo will convert. At this point, you can do any adjust to specific color ways. Next I move to the Tone Curve Panel to bring out the highlights and deepen the blacks.

Presets

After using Lightroom for years, I have created my own presets. I apply one of those now. You can play with all the sliders in the Basic Panel and get the photo just the way you want it. You can also use one the Lightroom Presets as a starting point. If you find yourself applying the same adjustments, it is quick and easy to make your own Preset.

Sharpening & Noise reduction

I typically shoot with 100 iso so I rarely need noise reduction. Applying too much noise reduction and your photo will become too soft. Play around with the slider until you get something you like.

You need to be zoomed in 100% to be able to apply sharpening. There is no magic number for sharpening. You can play with the slider until you like what you see. I typically then move it the left just a bit. I think it is better to under sharpened than over sharpened.

If you have several photo which need the same adjustments but maybe not enough to create a preset, you can apply the same adjustments using sync. Click on the first photo in the Filmstrip on the bottom. Then go to the last photo you want to adjust and use shift-click to select them all. Click on Sync and choose which adjustments you want to apply. Click apply and watch the filmstrip make the adjustments.

At this point, I add a star and mark green (8) which tells me the photo is good to use.

I save 4 & 5 stars for really awesome shots or printed photographs

Export

Lightroom is unique in that none of what you just did has really been applied to the photo. That original photo is kept intact until you export the photo. I don't export for printing often. Mostly I export for web. Back in the Library Module, you can highlight the photos you want to export then click Export. There are some presets already there. You can use one as a starting point. Make the adjustment you need. Before you click Export, you can make a Preset of the options you just made by clicking Add at the bottom left of the Export Dialogue. I find this really helpful so I don't have to rethink each time I export images.

an unexpected teacher

George Carlin is an educator.

Yes, that George Carlin.

When my dad came down to visit in the winter, he would set up his windows laptop at the kitchen table. We had Apple computers but the boys liked trying out this different operating system. One year, he came down with an updated Google Earth app. This version had YouTube video links. The videos were pretty safe and silly and the boys loved watching them over and over. Soon, the boys learned to browse YouTube on their own computers. At least YouTube defaults to safe search if you don't have an account.

They found Thomas The Tank Engine videos people had uploaded. We had most of the video tapes but they could watch what they wanted and repeat it over and over. George Carlin narrated many of the Thomas videos. YouTube suggested other George Carlin videos which were not quite as kid friendly. An aside, I do not know why someone would make a video of George Carlin reading his audio book. But people did and my boys loved to listen to them. My boys have great aural memories and could soon repeat many of Carlin's bits. 

Ryan found my copy of When Will Jesus Bring the Porkchops? on my bookshelf and started reading it. I am not sure how much he understood but I let him read it. Ryan has read most of the Carlin books several times. Andy prefers listening to the audio.

When the boys started repeating some of Carlin's thoughts on religion, I knew we had a problem. My dad is very Catholic. Carlin was not. I told the boys that they could read or listen to the bits but not to repeat them in front of Poppa. Surprisingly, they understood and we didn't have any problems.

The boys learned about curse words. Carlin used the f word a lot. Andy was repeating a bit that included this word. He knew he shouldn't say the word but didn't know what to say instead. In this case, I instructed him to say what the heck. It worked and I didn't hear the f word from either boy. One time Andy was repeating another bit and substituting hecking instead of the f-ing word Carlin used. Oh, heck is not as versatile as the f-word and we need another lesson in appropriate words. 

Another time, Andy walked in repeating another Carlin bit which is in the form of a cheer. I told Andy he is not to repeat that and Ryan asked why. I explained that there are many words which are not appropriate in their usage. Ryan asked, “Like pussy and snatch box?” Once I picked up my jaw from the floor, I tried to explain what these words meant. “I know what they mean!” Sure pussy can meant cat and snatch means to grab and box is something you ship or store something in. But they can have other meanings and I tried to explain. But Ryan didn't want to listen. Like any other 13 year old boy, he did not want to talk about sex with his mother. But I prefer to teach him the meanings of these words at home rather than he say them at school and be embarrassed or in trouble.

The boys do not socialize like regular kids. They prefer to stay at home. So they pick up bad habits and incorrect facts from YouTube. I have had to explain gay and homosexual. Though I was uncomfortable, I explain without opinion and prejudice and Ryan was OK with it.

You never know where kids are going to learn. There are worse people than George Carlin.

i read comic books

I don't remember my brothers reading comic books. They are older than us girls so maybe they outgrew them. Though dad tells stories of Steve getting caught with them at school.

Nancy and I only read comics in Brighton when we stayed at the cottage for the summer. We had to go into town to use the laundromat. Next door was Uber's Drugs. Mom would get a book or magazine, we got comic books. We chose Archie or Richie Rich or Casper The Friendly Ghost. 

As we got older, we chose crossword puzzles or teen magazines. 

I learned of Sandman by Neil Gaiman. I really liked his conventional books, maybe I should try his graphic novel? I looked for Sandman at Barnes & Noble. I wanted to look at it before I spent the money. Twenty dollars seemed like a lot for a comic book, or graphic novel. I had an iPad and tried Comixology. I tried a few issues of Sandman. I was confused. It more complex than I expected. It didn't hook me. 

Merlin Mann convinced me to try again with Saga, Locke & Key then Hawkeye. Soon I was trying The Avengers, Batman and Robin. I tried to stick with the series that were new so I could start fresh and know what was going on. But Merlin said he liked House of M and I said OK. I really fell in deep with House of M. I wanted to read all the tie-ins. I wanted to know everything. 

New comics are about $3.99 an issue. Older issues are usually reduced to $1.99. but there was so much to read and I can easily read several comics a day. I had to stop. I decided to try Marvel Unlimited. It is a bit like Netflix for Marvel Comics. And most of what I read is from Marvel. For $9.99 a month, I can read most the older issues. In two days, I have already read 16 comics. Some of these weren't even available on Comixology. 

Marvel Unlimited is not a great app on the iPad. I don't know why they don't use the same software they use for the regular Marvel app with the smart panels. I hope to read all I want in a few months and catch up. Then I will go back to getting just new issues as they are released. A budget would be good too.

I do find it odd that my boys don't get into them. Occasionally they will read The Simpsons but that is as far as it goes.

brand loyalty

Being brand loyal can makes shopping easy. When I need something, I look at those favorite brands first. It saves me time comparing products and prices. Just give me the stuff I know will work.

My loyalty started with Neutrogena. I used their products for over 2 decades. I only stopped using their products when they didn't seem to be as effective and I learned that they weren't the safe and natural products I thought they were.

These days, I use Dr. Bronner's. I use their soaps and conditioners and the boys use their shave cream. If they made facial moisturizers, I would use them as well.

The same loyalty holds true for computers and electronics, I choose Apple For clothing I choose Lands' End and for luggage and backpacks I choose LL Bean.

at the pool

A portion of the pool is closed off. There is a depression in the bottom though there is no apparent crack. I hope they can hold off on repairing it for another week. The boys will be in school and won't be upset by the interruption. 

Two women walk into the pool area. One looks to be in her 40s and the other is most likely her mother. The mother walks so straight and regal. I can tell she is foreign. Both women get in the pool. They are  both wearing bikinis. Both are trim but not in great shape. The mother looks better than me but I would not have the courage to wear a bikini. 

They stay in the warm water for about 10 minutes then get out and lay on the lounge chairs. They slather on the generic baby oil. After 20 minutes, they come back in the water still shining from the oil. They speak a foreign tongue. It is something Slavic, eastern European. 

A middle aged couple comes in. They claim two lounge chairs. She spreads her towel while he opens the mesh float and blows up the surrounding tube. He finishes and gets into the pool. He does not help her with her tube. When she finally done blowing up her float, she leaves it and lies down on the lounge chair. 

do not disappoint

On Sunday morning, I got up and walked. I didn't do it because I wanted to, I did it because I told Andy that I would.

I usually walk Saturday mornings then wash my work out clothes on the delicate cycle. I didn't walk on Saturday and didn't wash my clothes. Andy noticed and questioned me. I could see that it bothered him. I told him that I would walk on Sunday and wash my clothes afterwards. This made him smile and say that he would eat the bagels. Huh?

On Saturday mornings, I toast 4 bagels for Andy. He eats them throughout the morning. Even when they are cold. He had eaten 3 of the bagels when he noticed that I hadn't washed my workout clothes. Once a compromise was met, he finished the bagels. It is silly but it is how Andy deals with situations he cannot control. Instead of getting upset and pouting, crying or having a tantrum, he withholds something of his own. Sometimes he will not allow himself to watch a favorite video. Ryan has known to do similar things as well. They would rather cancel everything or go without that change the routine.

When Sunday morning came, I did not want to get up. I did not want to walk. But I did get up. Because I did not want to disappoint Andy after I told him I would walk. The walk was OK. I have been feeling lethargic and out of sync. I didn't feel better after I was done. I felt relieved like a chore completed. I showered and put my clothes in the washer. Andy was there to see me select delicates. His smile is what made me feel better.

Why is OK to disappoint ourselves but not OK to disappoint others?