What’s not to like about this photo, which makes me laugh? The animals’ expressions set against opposing foreground and background angles is priceless. Hindrik Sijens used Sony Alpha SLT-A57 to shoot self-titled “Favorite Sheep”, on Aug. 9, […]
Category: Living
Comic-Con Heroes: The Bicyclists
I am quite reflective about San Diego Comic-Con on this fine Saturday. An hour from now, thousands of people will begin the registration process that, from 9 a.m. PST, will let them into the online waiting room where they might be chosen to purchase tickets. I will be among them, for the first time since moving to San Diego in October 2007. My attendance was always guaranteed, for being a news reporter.
But SDCC has yet to re-certify my press status, and as time drags on the likelihood diminishes. Earlier this week, I received email indicating eligibility to participate in Open Registration, for which I am hugely appreciative. I worried about my uncertain status locking me out from purchasing tickets. Press get free admission, which is a benefit I can take or leave; paying is no problem. It is the assured admission that matters to me.
Flickr a Day 51: ‘Happy Fence Friday’
If you like cat photos—really like them—spend some quality meow time with Kerri Lee Smith. She will satisfy your Internet hunger for fearless felines. Somewhere here there is the makings of a movie script, with […]
Flickr a Day 50: ‘Happy Enough to be Caricaturized’
I strongly debated about whether or not to feature this photo, because the EXIF data isn’t readily visible. All pics picked for this series are authenticated for copyright, which is less certain when camera info […]
Flickr a Day 49: ‘Happy Snow Year’
Today’s selection is the first of three found searching Flickr for “happy”. Winter weather is a constant across much of the northern and eastern parts of the United States and Canada—although days are unseasonably warm here in San Diego. For those of you sick of snow, delight even if briefly in this magnificent portrait.
John Britt joined Flickr in September 2008, and he primarily shoots nature. His experimental, photo techniques, particularly the most recent work, is fun—and educational. He communicates about what he did to capture the image and why.
Flickr a Day 48: ‘In for the Kill’
I picked today’s pic for three reasons: Photographer Andrew Stawarz uses the Fujifilm X-T1, and I want to draw attention to this fabulous, mirrorless camera; his photostream demands your investigation; and my wife loves red […]
Flickr a Day 47: ‘Hurdles Start’
I really wanted to remove this photo’s distracting border, which likely seemed cool on July 8, 2007. But I believe such alteration would violate the Creative Commons license. Sometimes you just suck it up. Robert […]
Cries by Day, Cries by Night
For Valentine’s Day, I present a sad song of lost love written in early 1979. Lyrics are same, but I made an alternative melody in 2014 that is lighter than the original’s more somber tone.
I wrote this song back in my cat-despising youth. If you asked why, I could present no answer for the attitude. Regardless, it is what inspired the verse, to which I soon after put to melody. I knew little about romantic love and nothing about loss then.
“Cries by Day, Cries by Night” is the fifth lyric posted since the new year. The others: “Dank Deep Eyes the Darkness“, “Disco Queen“, “Empire State“, and “Surrealistic Pillow“. More will follow.
Flickr a Day 45: ‘Love in the Subway’
Happy Valentine’s Day! As you can see, today’s selection is all about love. They say love is mysterious—so is the photographer, Benurs, who joined Flickr in October 2009 but hasn’t posted to his stream in […]
Comic-Con Heroes: The Writer
Among the 12 profiles that are the core of my book Comic-Con Heroes: The Fans Who Make the Greatest Show on Earth, the one that follows offers the most interesting content for science fiction fans. The convention isn’t just about superheroes. Sci-fi is part of the core culture dating back to the very start during the 1970s, and it’s even stronger in the 2010s. Because what was niche more than 40 years ago is mainstream, and more, today.
This profile also introduces some valuable historical insight—if 10 years can be considered old, and measured by Internet time it most certainly is. Fans’response to a new sci-fi television show, and their torrenting it, kicked the pebbles eventually unleashing an avalanche of legitimately-available streamed TV programming. So-called video pirates of 2005 are indirectly responsible for there being Hulu, Netflix streaming, and Google’s purchase of newbie service YouTube.
Comic-Con Heroes: The Nerd Culturist
Comic-Con’s contractual commitment to San Diego expires in 2016, and the event already entertains offers to move to another city. While conducting interviews during SDDC 2013 for Comic-Con Heroes: The Fans Who Make the Greatest Show on Earth, I asked numerous attendees about relocation. Among them: Tauri Miller, whose profile appears in the ebook.
For whatever it’s worth, I favor keeping the Con in San Diego. While the convention center limits the number of participants to about 130,000 over four days, the city already is a tourist destination with all the right amenities, which include hotels and the Gaslamp Quarter. Getting in out and around (including the airport) is much easier than Los Angeles, by contrast.
Where are the Comments?
Websites without comments feel barren, like there are no visitors or no one is home. Reader reaction makes a site feel lively, and it generates energy—desire to participate. More importantly, comments can extend the storytelling. But as you survey my site, most posts stand solitary, creating, perhaps, impression that no one reads them. So why should you?
For numerous reasons—among them my putting priority on social networks during 2011-14—interaction is so seemingly limited. Engagement takes place, but mostly on social networks like Google+ where I have audience and where links to posts from here also appear. Readers engage where they share community, so the majority of interaction is elsewhere. I could flush out more commenting here by using Disqus, which spreads community across many thousands of sites. The choice to stick with WordPress’ system is quite deliberate.