Michael

It was great to be surrounded by a plethora of artists here in the Houston, Texas Bayou City Arts Festival for two days. The amount of creativity was extraordinary. Paintings, sculpture, photography, glass works, jewelry, wood works, textiles and mixed media were spread out over several city blocks.

I was really inspired not only in my own creative pursuits in photography but in other areas of my life. The large number of vendors opened up my mind to new ideas and concepts. They were a catalyst in shifting my perspective about what is possible and more importantly what I am capable of accomplishing.

I’m always amazed at what the human mind can think and create. The possibilities are truly endless. Seeing the evidence crammed into a small geographical made for an exciting weekend.

I’m looking forward to seeing what will happen.

Look for creativity and you will find it. Practice creativity and you will become it.

Michael

Lead Guitar Player

Since I’ve been off from work since the August 15th, I needed a relaxing evening to unwind.

So, I drove down to Newport, RI this afternoon to meet Erica for the “Thursday on Thames” evening. This is a fun packed evening with a variety of free music, food and discounts in many retail stores. The Lower Thames Business Association puts on this event for several Thursdays in a row during the summer.

I particularly liked the band called The Buddy Roach Trio. The guitar player was very good and I liked their generally fast paced jazz music. There were three other bands down the street all playing different types of music. It was a lot of fun to check out each venue. Plus we got to taste some good food as we moved along the street.

The Rest of the Band

The streets were filled with a decent number of people. I always enjoying going to these kinds of events. They help take the mind off the normal day to day activities and help to get to a happier place.

I especially like the local events of cities and towns. There usually is a much more intimate feel to them and the people seem to be a bit closer.

A real bonus was that the weather was almost perfect. Partly cloudy, cool air, low humidity and a lovely sunset. You can’t go wrong there.

Michael

Kids: they dance before they learn there is anything that isn’t music. - William Stafford

There are short-cuts to happiness, and dancing is one of them. - Vicki Baum

Dancing with the feet is one thing, but dancing with the heart is another. - Author Unknown

I don’t want people who want to dance, I want people who have to dance. - George Balanchine

As I said yesterday, I flew into Austin to see my niece dance after working hard in the three week Joffrey Ballet Workshop held in San Antonio, TX every year.

Well, I haven’t seen her dance in almost two years and the progress she has made is dramatic. There were moments where she seemed to defy gravity and float across the stage. How does she do that? I was very impressed.

It’s obvious she enjoys dancing. The glint in her eyes gives it away. The other thing I love is that she is fulfilling a dream. I believe when you do that, your life fundamentally changes in very positive ways. Thanks Morgan! You’ll be bringing a lot of joy to many people with your dancing ability. That’s a really good thing.

A bonus for me: I got to practice some technically challenging photography; i.e. low light, lots of movement and etc. Very fun!

Have a great day!

Michael

Erica and I went to see WALL-E on Monday night. Pixar has done a remarkable job with this film. The animation is superb, detailed and realistic. The character of WALL-E is completely fascinating. You will really believe that he has become partially human.

The movie was uplifting and made us smile and laugh many times. It was quite easy to connect with the characters. WALL-E also highlights possible consequences of our actions as a species on this planet. Nothing wrong with that. Anything to get us thinking about where we are going and what we are doing is okay by me.

I think all ages should see this G rated movie. Enjoy. Smile. Laugh. Be entertained. Think a little.

Have a great day!

Michael

There will be a rain dance Friday night, weather permitting. - George Carlin

I’ve collected a few YouTube videos highlighting some of George’s funnier performances. Again, if you are offended by any his videos, please stop watching.

Seven Words You Can’t Say on Television - Very explicit language! So, be warned now. (10:38 minutes)

All About “Stuff” - Self-explanatory. (5:09 minutes)

On Soft Language - How words and phrases have changed over time. (6:55 minutes) - Very good

Airport Security - Love this one. (8:02 minutes)

Baseball and Football - Differences and some similarities. (4:48 minutes)

The Sanctity of Life - May be religiously offensive to some. (3:45 minutes)

We Like War - Hmmmmm. (2:56 minutes)

Our Similarities - Very good one. (7:52 minutes)

Things that come off your Body - Some gross stuff here, but funny. (10:54 minutes)

I hope you enjoyed these. Here’s to George!

Michael

I was sad to see that George Carlin recently passed away. He was one of my favorite comedians of all times. In celebration of his comic genius I’ve gathered some of what I think are his funniest quotes. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. Some may trip over the edge of what you may personally find acceptable. All I can is just read past them quickly and move on to the next one.

“I am” is reportedly the shortest sentence in the English language. Could it be that “I do” is the longest sentence?

I have as much authority as the Pope, I just don’t have as many people who believe it.

If God had intended us not to masturbate he would’ve made our arms shorter.

Some people see things that are and ask, Why? Some people dream of things that never were and ask, Why not? Some people have to go to work and don’t have time for all that ...

The very existence of flame-throwers proves that some time, somewhere, someone said to themselves, You know, I want to set those people over there on fire, but I’m just not close enough to get the job done.

By and large, language is a tool for concealing the truth.

What does it mean to pre-board? Do you get on before you get on?

When someone is impatient and says, “I haven’t got all day,” I always wonder, How can that be? How can you not have all day?

Fighting for peace is like screwing for virginity.

Death is caused by swallowing small amounts of saliva over a long period of time.

I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman, “Where’s the self-help section?” She said if she told me, it would defeat the purpose.

There’s no present. There’s only the immediate future and the recent past.

I was thinking about how people seem to read the Bible a whole lot more as they get older; then it dawned on me . . they’re cramming for their final exam.

The main reason Santa is so jolly is because he knows where all the bad girls live.

Michael

Sean Penn directed this incredible but tragic story of Christopher McCandless. Chris graduates from college and promptly leaves his middle class family, gives away all his money and starts to explore a life without responsibility or obligation.

Into the Wild tells the tale of one man’s determination to experience each moment fully conscious. He touches many people and in turn is touched by many also. Emile Hirsch plays Christopher brilliantly. This had to be a difficult part to play because most of the time, his character is the only one on the screen.

Erica and I watched this movie last Thursday and I’m still thinking about it after four days. There is a lot to absorb. The rest of this post contains spoilers for this movie. If you are planning on watching it, don’t read any further.

Near the end of his life, Chris has a realization which is that “Happiness is only real when shared.” I’m still questioning this statement in my head after several days of thinking about it. I have believed that true happiness only comes from within without dependencies on external influences. So, I’ve been trying to blend these two concepts together.

Can happiness be real without sharing with others? I believe so, but I do know that when two or more share their happiness, the synergistic effect is much more than the sum of its parts.

I’ll be thinking more about this in the future; probably a lot more.

Michael

Do not wait; the time will never be just right. Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along. - Napoleon Hill

Erica and I just got back from the movie, The Bucket List. Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson play the characters Carter Chambers and Edward Cole. Both have terminal diagnoses and decide to fulfill together what they call a bucket list; i.e. things you want to do before you kick the bucket.

The acting was superb and writing was clever, introspective and personal. There are many moving parts to the film. Some will see this movie as predictable but they are missing the message. And that’s to not wait until you run out of time to do and say the things you want or need to do. Don’t wait. Time flies by and goes even faster the older you get.

I’ve had a similar list for many years, but I have a less than a clever title. I simply call it my “100 Things To Do Before I Die” list. I’ve already completed many items and still have many to go. I’m going to bring out that list again, review it, modify or delete some and then add a few more. I’ve written before that I don’t want any what ifs at the end of my life. I want answers regardless of the outcome.

How about you? Do you have some things you want to do or try? Do you have some things that need to be said or done? How about writing them down and start fulfilling those hopes and dreams now. The only requirement is that you try.

Have a great day!

Michael

Waterfire is a Rhode Island tradition dating back to 1997 when it was created by Barnaby Evans. It’s classified as a sculpture but it touches a number of senses; sight, smell, sound plus the imagination.

Waterfire typically starts in late May and runs until the end of August with fires being lit every other week. The events typically last until midnight. After sunset, fire tenders in boats light the bonfires, which sit in metal baskets floating above the water. Music is piped through the entire area helping to set the mood. Vendors with tasty morsels of food can be found along the streets. Street performers are also popular.

The Waterfire events are extremely popular and thousands of people spend the evening walking along the rivers watching the fires, listening to the incredible range of music, talking with friends and enjoying the evening air.

I enjoy the play of light on the water. The shimmering reflections are very soothing in combination with the fires themselves. I also like the smell of burning wood. It’s reminiscent of a fireplace.

Erica and spend the evening with friends walking along the water’s edge before we went to dinner. Even though it was raining at the beginning, the whole experience was special.

Michael

After a quick trip to the Beijing Zoo this morning, we were soon face to face with the Giant Panda. The Chinese call the Panda, Xiong Mao (approximate pronunciation is soong mow) or “bear cat.” They believe the panda is like a bear but not a bear and like a cat but not a cat. The Giant Pandas are considered a national treasure to the Chinese. There are not that many left in the wild (1200 - 1500).

As we had arrived early in the morning, the pandas were having a hearty breakfast of bamboo. Three pandas were actively eating outside where they could easily be seen. All were eating sitting on their haunches with a slouched posture, but each was eating the bamboo in their own individual way. One was eating both stalk and leaves whole heartedly. The second was eating mainly the bamboo stalk, while the third was stripping the leaves and quickly devouring them. I was quite mesmerized as was most of our group.

A short bus ride took us to the Beijing Capital City Museum. The first thing you notice is the absolutely stunning architecture of the building. The design is well balanced with a round section (symbol of heaven) and a square section (symbol of earth). The interior space was grand on a massive scale.

The museum has been open for about one year and houses a large collection of Chinese folk history, ancient calligraphy, ancient jade art, ancient bronze art, paintings and etc. We only had 1 1/2 hours to peruse the many exhibit floors.

In the ancient jade exhibit, I was looking at some wonderful pieces from a few hundred years ago when a Chinese gentleman carrying a Nikon digital SLR camera approached me. Of course, I had my camera out also. He began to talk about some of the pieces, reading the Chinese for me as the English description was very short. I could tell he knew the collection as he maneuvered around the exhibit in a well traveled manner. He told me to follow him as he wanted to show me the finest piece on the floor. I was brought to an exquisite dark, translucent green jade thumb ring from several hundred years ago.

The Chinese gentleman told me that the ring was very difficult to photograph. The lighting was low and designed to bring out the translucence of the jade without throwing too much light around. Also, a tripod was needed because of the low light, but tripods were not allowed in the museum. So, I pointed my Canon camera and took the shot. He immediately wanted to look at what I had taken. I showed him and he stepped back and smiled with approval. As we parted, I thanked him for showing me around. I walked away watching him taking photos from the angle that I had been shooting from.

I leave China with a tinge of sadness as I’m quite taken with the country and its wonderful people. I’m already planning my next trip and hope to experience more of Zhong Guo, The Middle Kingdom.

Have a great day.

Michael