Monday, February 27, 2006

306 and counting...

The "Rock" station down here has been conducting a countdown of the top 1000 'rock' songs of all time. Number 306 was Van Halen's JUMP. One might ask how a song could possibly be better than that song. I disavow the friendship of anyone that would ask that question.

Or one might assume that all songs then following would be better than this song. I, however, being more cynical than the rest, know that I will now be force-fed the likes of Blaze of Glory, or worse, Simply Irresistible.

Now there is no telling where the money went, I understand, but I'm the colt in your stable; I'm what Cain was to Abel, and unless I hear some FYC soon, heads may roll.

"Come on Feel the Noise..."

Update: Number 255 was Shine on You Crazy Diamond. How dare they! To say that there are 254 better is inflammatory.

Update and Finale: A correction is in order. The list was not of the best of all time, but of the best in New Zealand. And whereas before I would have directed criticism towards some corporate entity deciding the outcome, this was voted on by and is the complete responsibility of Kiwis at large. My disappointment now permeates this whole country; it has let me down.

Thursday, February 23, 2006

Not yet, but soon, maybe?


Off to ship away the camera.

Oldies, almost goodies.

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

1 Step Forward, 2 Steps Back

We come together:

An incomplete (and growing) list, In the Southern Hemisphere

- Light switches are 'switched' down to turn on.
- Hot on the right, Cold on the left.
- North is South. East is West.
- Brakes on Bicycles are Reversed. Like ATVs.
- Lefty Tighty, Righty Loosy.
- Man in the Moon is on his head.
- People STOP for you in pedestrian crosswalks.
- Orange is Blue.
- The Coriolis Effect. It's true.
- Look right, then left, then right again.
- Bon Jovi is still respected as a musician.


BTW, I walked around in neoprene shorts for a while, jumped in the lake with fins, goggles, snorkel, and found my keys. The watch still works. Unlike my camera. Pentax is going to mail me an 'International Warranty' card which has the same conditions as the original warranty. But in the Southern Hemisphere...

Wednesday, February 08, 2006

SuperMonday

That's right. Starting at Noon-Thirty-ish. On a Monday. By the way, one is supposed to 'Shoot' on 'Three.' None of this 1,2,3,shoot.

It was the day I lost my keys - house and bike lock.
Why on Earth would I run into a fish or an eel? Apparently if you're bit by an eel and would like to reclaim that which the eel bit, you are supposed to keep pushing down the throat due to the projection of their teeth. But I'm way ahead in the story.

I went running, as I am wont to do, reaching little Thailand, a cliff dropping into Lake Wakatipu, ~17 min. after leaving the house. Some locals were hanging out at the highest jump (probably around 45 ft.) and they agreed to drop my shoes off in Sunshine Bay (used to be called Sandfly Bay). So I decided to swim the slightly less than 1/2 mile back to my shoes. Jumped in the lake, and decided that next time I won't wear a shirt. About half-way was the fish or eel and my watch came off along with my keys.

Ran back home (another 20 min or so) then to the football game. I write football, b/c everyone should know that the only real football is football as God-fearing Americans know it. None of that sissy European what have you. I was looking forward to not having to ask someone to explain the game to me, but then I had to return the favor. And none of the commercials. Never again SuperMonday. Super is for Sundays, not Mondays.

More Poetry

This poem is direct from the brain of a one Olivia Kalb, age 11.

The excited sky

An excited sky has marshmallow clouds.
An excited sky has shimmering stars.
An excited sky has an evil looking sun.
An excited sky has a glowing moon.
But an upset sky cries with wet rain.

Friday, February 03, 2006

One, Two, Shoot!

Or is it One, Two, Three then Shoot? I can't answer these questions.

So the camera has made up its mind not to be waterproof anymore. It did not let me know before we went swimming last, and now the camera seems to be quite upset with me. As in incommunicado. Nothing. I threw rock, it threw paper.

So the lovely people at Pentax can expect some lovely writing from me about warranties and the strong desire of the Masses to have more photos or poetry which needs to be satisfied.

Otherwise, meditate on negative space. How the song is beautiful for the notes that aren't in it. How the canyon is beautiful for where the rock isn't. You know, the aggregates. Have at it.

Hope it's good out there.