Inspiration comes at goofy times

Why is it that inspiration comes right before some other required task? Right before I have to spend days at work focusing on the mundane for the sake of duty>

This post is in reference to the amazing body of work that is always cropping up courtesy of photographer and boy genius Jason Rydquist (Aka Heinrick, Aka Fahrmboy).

This guy's work inspires me like few others.

He has an amazing ability to communicate thoguhts and emotions using sometimes the barest images and at other times he has the gaul to stage a shoot using props, lighting, anything at his disposal that will leave the viewer with a reaction.

This is the sort of person I aspire to be.

And yet, at the end of the day, I am only myself.
And I think, "therefore, how has God gifted and enlightened me to be on this day?"
How will I follow through with that tomorrow.
Now while Mister Rydquist is not necessarily interested in the things of God always, I still see God's handprint all over him.
As for me, God uses Jason to remind me that I too ave gifts. Very different than Jasons, but I can aspire to be myself, as Jason aspires to be his ownself.

These things we can learn from observing each other.

Please buy this guys prints.
Please some one, bankroll the publishing of his coffee table books and calendars.

And my sincere prayer is that he will never become a collossal a-hole after the caliber of Thomas Kinkade, once he finds his niche and makes his millions.

Yay! No more PBD Layout!

I am so glad I got rid of the PBD layout (Push the Button Dumbie) and was able to revert to the old manual template editor.

I think I will work on finding a way to add a slide show.

I really hate the PBD layout

I liked the old template editing options best and once I get a minute I am SO reworking this thing so that I can go back to editing it the OLD way.

Minutae:

Facebook must be the greatest timewaster on the face of the planet.
It is so easy to get sucked into doing al of yoru communicating and messing about there that you turn around and look at the clock and a whole hour has gone by, when really, all you meant to do in the first place is check in with your kids and update your status.
Dang!

While there are many fun features at FAcebook, they aren't necessarily the ones I want, but they suck me in to wasting time.
Like Food Fling.
How horribly addicting.
I don't know why maybe it has something to do with the fact that you can fling the most retarded food items such as "Rice Gruel" at people.

Anyway, I need to refocus what I want to do with my time.

I have not mastered updating my proper website at michelle ehr dot com, and while there is a gorgeous front page ready for my use at redIgallery, I haven't managed to conquer uploading even my front page to that site, so for now, my default teporary site is back here a blogspot until such time as I figure it out. In the meantime likewise, my gallery will remain housed at DevArt because it is a screamin free service.
I just hate the slutty ad bars.

Anyway so now I am off to work at the antique/vendor mall.
I will maybe post some images fro the store of what it is like.
Its a fun and kitchy place, housing all manner of retro stuff to crafty quilty things and everything in between. It is quiet. The tourists that come in are nice, not demanding, they are just happy to be on vacation. It is a place that suits me. (now if only I could figure out how to get an internet connection there.) ;o)

Have agood day.

Winter Shoes for Work

So I took my reward points that I have saved up from two years worth of airline tix purchases to and from Rhode Island and got my self some work shoes for winter.

What I like

If anybody ever wondered.
These are the kinds of garments and fabrics that I love.
I confess.
I am a freak.
I would indeed wear any and all of these things to work. (The fact that I work at an antique shop helps.)

This is probably about 2-3 years of saving and making purchases.

Heroes

I have been watching the NBC series entitled "Heroes."

Typically I detest watching broadcast tv, considering it to be a colossal waste of time, however this new series has intrigued me, as I think it has good writing. I think the writing is so good that not only does it cause the viewer to wonder what will happen next, I think in some cases that it causes the viewer to exercise their own imaginations as to what COULD possibly happen next.

So as I was doing this very thing one day, I thought to myself, "Michelle, if you could have a power or 'ability' what would it be? "

No matter what power I opted for, I came to the conclusion that it was one I already posessed - through the power of Jesus Christ.

It was an inspiring communion moment between God and I.
Yes, I "had Power," but also, am I truly USING that power? As He intends me to use it? Conviction sets in at this point.

One of the show's characters, Hiro Nakamura, makes the statement early in the first season saying , "A Hero who does not use his power does not deserve to have it."

Decidedly so.
And yet God is so gracious to let us exist, even while we are failing Him all the day. Such is the power of His matchless grace and love.

British man says he invented the iPod back in 1979...

Interesting:

British man claims that he invented the iPod back in 1979.
Original artwork may prove his claim?

Thanks for the tip on this Andrew Wilson.

Alaska's full of Creative Thinkers

When Stu and I were working with Native North Americans the organization we worked with had a base in Alaska.

In the Matanuska-Susitna Valley area.

We had co-workers who were from Wasilla.

Alaska is amazing.

A Brief (-ish) History and/or Theory for my personal opinion:

As people migrated west, from the east, they exhibited a spirit of independence.

As I have spent time in the last few years, having family in the Extreme East, and having grown up in the Extreme West, I can say that I can see the outcomes of that "Pioneering Spirit."

Comparing East -vs- West, the West coast exhibits an independent mind set, -vs- an INTER dependent one (such as one might find on the East Coast where people actually KNOW their neighbors and their neighbors kids and what not. My eastern family would be appalled that we in the west can live next door to someone for 10 years and only say "hi" to them and not have any problem with that, whereas people in the East seem to build relationships more readily with those around them. The west is more independent as opposed to inter-dependent - this is a broad statement of course and I realise, there are a multitude of exceptions, but for the most part, these are differences I have noted in my own families.)

This independent, "Pioneering Spirit" finds its culimation in Alaska I think. The furthest west, the last frontier.

People from Alaska are strong.

They are creative (sometimes unorthodox) problem solvers.

(Unorthodox as compared with what might be considered typical behaviour using typical resources.)

Alaskans will dare to try new things in order to solve a problem.

They are amazing people.

They can figure out how to do things on their own without needing input from other humans, although when such input presents itself they are not averse to it necessarily.

Alaska is a hard place.

Only the creative thinker and hardy individual can thrive there.

I never would have imagined McCain would have chosen Palin as a running mate, but not only does it seem fitting right now - in these days of people crying "Change! Change!" It is a wildly creative solution on the part of McCain.

Maybe he has some Alaskan history himself?

I'm just saying, I support her with a fuller heart than I have supported any presidents/candidates in the last few decades.

Palin is a true hope for positive change, imho.

I don't know that I would vote for her as President...yet...but she is going to make a screamin' VP.

imho.

Just my two cents on this one.

:o)

Since I rarely have a real political opinion.

You should check out Alaskans.

They are awesome and wacky all at the same time.

Reading the poetry of Robert Service would also not be amiss here.

("The Cremation of Sam Magee" has long been a favorite shared at our family's table after a Thanksgiving or Christmas Dinner before the whole family.)

It sounds crazy I know...but it works.

;o)

m-

Heroes Countdown

I really like this show in a way that I have NEVER liked TV shows at all.
Same as I pretty much HATE to listen to the radio.

But this show, "Heroes" is so well written in my opinion. I think it causes the viewer not only to be curious about what happens next, it gives the viewer the impetus to use their own imagination as to the upcoming plot. What twists? What turns? How does/did Sylar gain people's abilities? Does he eat their brains? (ewww!) How does he work? And Where is Elle's mom? What is Angela Petrelli's ability? What was her husbands ability. And what about West? Are his parents even alive and whoch one of them or both have abilities and what are those? Will Adam/Kensei escape? What/who will he do when he does?

The possibilities boggle the mind.

Anyway, I never really did like to watch TV.

Not until this show came out.

So anyway, that is why you see the Season 3 countdown clock widget for the moment.

There is just enought time to rent Season 1 and the abbreviated Season 2 (due to the writers strike).

Yeah well I am back here for now.

For now anyway I am back here until I can hool up a new blog at my new website.
I got REALLY tired of yahoo shenanigans - they just raised my rates.
poop heads! so I canxed my account - hence the reason why soylent media's webstie went Jack Benny. Fortunately, and strangely before this missive came down from Yahoo I had already been working with good long time friend Blue Max to procure web hosting services, so when Yahoo sent me the upgraded costs, I said "piss off!" basically.

B Max has been VERY helpful to educate me in areas where I am woefully inept. And I have decided that it is unwise to contradict a WINNER OF THE EDWARD R MURROW AWARd when he advises you.

:o)

So for today I am here, but I look toward the day when blog, and galleries are housed solely at my own "michelleehr.com and redIgallery" under the tuteledge of Monsieur Le Max Bleu go online permanently.

So for now, I am busy here and at Facebok because my kids and their homies are there.