Gradually degenerating into ignorance and complacency.

Monday, April 07, 2008

one small moment in the woods

water bug and more

less conventional pictures

"...ruined your watershed Wonka."
"It's chocolate."
"That's chocolate!"
I'll just hang this upside down and use the reverse side if you don't mind.
narrower tracks for a smaller train
gravel between the tracks
what a slug on the tracks might see
dead cat on the street ...

OK, it's a "dead" shoe, CAT brand.

photo walk

white ducks
path through forest
headless fish
sunset with jet
small creek
residual pools
golf course
small creek
dog print
deer print
raccoon prints

Sunday, April 06, 2008

Seemingly long walk ....

I think I need new shoes. I walked about 7 miles today, which is slightly less than my 8-9 yesterday, but ... it was all in one shot. My next trip I'll plan with walk paths and sidewalks in mind. My feet were actually sore today. I also spent hours and hours in the sun -- now I am read like a tomato (e).

I will post pictures later.

Thankfully I have been able to walk, rain and shine, at least 5 miles daily. It isn't as tough as jogging, but it does my body good.

Terrible week

May we never have another week with so much death. Stop the killing, please!
Fort Wayne has seen too much!

Zodiac

I normally tear movies, TV, and books into shreds, but I will simply remark on this movie. I think it inspired me to read the book, as the movie was stylized for the non-reading movie goer. I like the end where the dots are connected explaining who the author/screenwriter thought was the killer. Without giving away any parts of the movie, should you choose to watch it, I was surprised that Robert Downy, Jr did an alright job. I think they cast the movie well. The scenes held some mystery in spots and the theme of one man's obsession to find the killer and the toll it took on him was fairly notable. Overall, the movie was B- work.

The text in the movie showed the slow passage of time, 1969 to 2000, so many years and never a conviction on the crimes.

The movie does give you safety advice if you read it carefully. If you are held up by a masked man wielding a pistol and silencer, don't tie each other. If he plans on killing you, then he's going to do it. Don't let him torture you because you helped him or complied with his demands.

Friday, April 04, 2008

Historic Photos of Fort Wayne

Historic Photos of Fort Wayne is a well-crafted, simple collection of pictures taken of Fort Wayne up to the nineteen eighties. Well the pictures tell their own stories, the captions detail the people and significance of the scene. Interestingly, the author notes the Germanic founding of Fort Wayne and the later toned-down German influences that were a distraction during the onset of WWI. I have read Fort Wayne history and being a native of Fort Wayne, I was surprised to learn even more with this book. Since it is a fast read, while interesting, I would recommend this book for any Fort Wayne native. People liking historic photos could also benefit from this neat and clever book. While it was near me, family read it and had much the same praises as do I for this book.

While I normally harshly criticize many books and focus on the negative, I will endorse this one. Good viewing, good reading.

Thursday, April 03, 2008

sign of Spring

Sprout, grow, push away Winter

I drew the wrong conclusions

Elwood, a Blues Brother, or maybe not. I think not.
Fresh Market trash

carried away


I believe that this was moved from a shopping center, near a body of water, then pushed along about .2 mile downstream.

Hire a ninja

Not askAninja. I was just sharpening my blade when the thing went off. Man kills another with sword. I got this from MR who (mono) blogs . So, put the guy in jail, but insist on killing registered sex offenders, then you don't have to worry about sword-wielding guys doing "accidental" things.

Yeah, sex offender is dead!
Sad that supposed protective father will be in prison.

It's good that this impulsive man will be off the streets.

watching the game

So I got Beowulf from the library and if you like cut scenes from video games, then you'd love this movie. It is like watching a long series of cut scenes from sci-fi horror games. It was avoidable. It was interesting with some of the sound, the visuals were ok, but lacked realism -- still had the cut scene flair of a person altering shape and mass during times of the movie.

Overall, the movie isn't a movie. It was more like a long game trailer -- play now on Wii, PS #, GC, XBOX #

Wednesday, April 02, 2008

moley moley moley

A neighbor was fixing a dryer vent and asked for help. Apparently a mole crept in through this access and entered the home. While it deftly escaped his terror campaign of chasing it in the house, the cat, a day later, was clearly more skillful and left the assassinated mole on the floor.

There's it's dead, can I go now?

Anyway, I helped him with the venting and it is as good as it is going to be.

My Neighbor Totoro

This kid's movie is fairly typical of Hayao Miyazaki's work. There are children being independent, but this one has fewer "scary" moments and scenes. The characters are all interesting in their own right, but the mother character is never developed -- like most of his work. When watching the movies you must assume that there are myths and creatures that are unknown to you, but he will show you.

The English version was remastered, leaving a perfect surround sound with stereo elements. The relationship of the sisters is very well done and typically there is an elder who helps the main character go through life and learn. The only disappointment with the movie I had was the Poke'mon like qualities a few of the forest spirits. I did, however, like the Cheshire Cat allusion as well as the Magic School Bus allusion.

It ended fairly abruptly leaving you wanting more, as if ... "is this a series".

Tuesday, April 01, 2008

Old Vermilyea House

Old Vermilyea House at Redding Rd. and Aboite Rd. in Allen County, Indiana

In Indiana, specifically Huntington


Dan Quayle ... oops, should that be Quail, or Kwale or ... well, I think you got it.

today's Zork walk Gru on me

I walked again today, a habit I hope I keep, and found some odd things on my trip. I found a caster (wheel) broken free from a wooden cart. It was lying in water. Elsewhere near the discarded wheel was a shovel. It was "unused". Apart from many other scraps of wind-blown trash, I found a yellow golf ball and saw, but did not move, a flower pot, a small basketball, large stones, van with four flat tires +, long oddly-shaped stick, car tire, empty water bottle, ...

While you couldn't, even in Zork, carry the van in your inventory, I am sure that putting all of these things in the right places would have yielded something like a gem that would be worth n points. I didn't meet the Wizard of Froboz or the Red Cloaked Figure, but I did see a mailbox. Oh, I forgot, matchbox with 3 matches. It was getting colder and darker. I didn't want to be eaten by a Gru, so I headed back.

+ Sadly, this was the only vehicle in the lot with a keyed side and four flat tires. It was clearly targeted. The only good news, is that the vandals didn't get every car there.

MR made me laugh

Did I find any Geo Metros, like the one I had once driven, slip through the grate holes into the stormwater/sewer? No, but that was very funny!

dark day

Fort Wayne experienced the death of at least five persons.+ It was a dark day. I hope Fort Wayne never again has such a dark day.

+ it will be argued that the fetus is a person, thereby making it six deaths.

Today's weather

ass-biting cold