The Ultimate Vampire Resource and Directory

STABB666
00:23 Aug 31 2008

I have faith in you, and I will hope for the center.



You'll manage it, as you have before. You'll come back and you'll help people and fix everything up again, but even better before.

Babaganoosh
00:27 Aug 31 2008

The best of luck for everything.

You're in my thoughts.

Stay safe.

Kontradiction
00:39 Aug 31 2008

my prayers and well-wishes to you and that Community/State.

thesavageant
00:42 Aug 31 2008

Ahh okay, there's the wigging. Hmmm, seems like bad luck season is coming around.



My prayers are with you.

Vespers
02:43 Aug 31 2008

My prayers are with all of New Orleans, and everywhere else that this storm is hitting, or may hit. I am so worried about everything I have come to love in that city. So worried.



Be safe.

Be well.

Beastt17
03:29 Aug 31 2008

Waiting for the next word from you. I'm with you all the way. I've been listening to Louisiana radio all afternoon. It continues to sound worse but anything can happen so I'm hoping the course will change, the severity will taper off and the storm surge stays on the lake-side of the door mat.

Beastt17
04:30 Aug 31 2008

Update: Joli is on the road and headed to meet with family members. She's still not certain of their intended destination but will keep me updated as soon as she finds out. Traffic is rather congested so she wanted to focus on driving and then get back to me when the traffic spreads out a little and driving requires less than 100% of her attention. She's okay which is what matters but the news on the storm is not encouraging.

LadyChordewa
04:46 Aug 31 2008

Thinking of you, your children, your community and your cat lol. Please take care and be safe.

birra
05:34 Aug 31 2008

Be well Jo... your girls will be fine. The center will continue on. Your saftey and the saftey of the ones you're with should now be your primary concern...



...everything else, in it's own way, will be alright.



Just make sure you take care of you.



Good luck... we're all here for you if and when you need us.

Silverbow
06:42 Aug 31 2008

Thinking about you my cherished friend. Will try and keep my worrying to a minimum if possible, I can't promise anything though.

Beastt17
06:53 Aug 31 2008

Update: Joli is now North of the Louisiana/Mississippi border, well above I12. She's going to continue Northeast but at least we know that she's safe from the worst of the storm right where she is. As she continues to drive, she should be moving farther and farther from any real danger from the storm.



Meatball is in charge of the A/C in the car. If it starts to get a little warm, he whines until she turns the A/C back on. Savvy is a bit less entertained by the whole affair.



She has several hours of driving ahead of her and cell phone contact is sporadic. I'll be updating as often as I can. As long as traffic behaves, she's safe.

Oceanne
08:33 Aug 31 2008

Thank you for the updates Beast.My prayers are with her.And all of New Orleans.

Sinora
11:33 Aug 31 2008

As you leave you take with you the prayers and wishes of so many my dear, as you said yourself, whatever you come back to you will get through it.

Irony
13:55 Aug 31 2008

I am so glad you are safe, I haven't had internet for a few days and I was frantic after hearing the news reports. I will pray for you all every day, and no matter what happens, we will work together to get New Orleans back on its feet again if the worst comes to the worst. I love you so much, be safe. Text me if you get the chance, I will keep the phone next to me at all times.

Beastt17
16:37 Aug 31 2008

Update: Joli reached her destination around 4:00AM (her time). She wasn't exactly sure where that was as she was following the vehicle of a family member. From what she could tell me and the highways mentioned, it looks like she's somewhere close to Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Now the storm simply has to stay its course or cut farther West. Heading North and East seems like the best plan based on the storm track.



She was tired but safe. Meatball was faithfully panting into the air conditioning vents to send his doggy-breath directly into her face. But even that wasn't enough to keep her awake. After being up all day, packing, double-checking the center, failing to sleep when she tried and having a moment of emotional release as she thought about the Center following Katrina, her long hard day was working together with the tedium of the road to make it very difficult to stay awake.



We did some "Silence of the Lambs" trivia, some vocabulary quizzes and talked about the storm situation to keep her alert for the final hundred miles (or so), of the drive. So she's well North of the coast, East of the storm track, with family members and has Meatball and Savvy tucked in with her. We can only hope the storm decreases in intensity, passes through with minimal damage and that the next storms of the season fail to develop into hurricanes.



Thanks to everyone here for your wishes, concern and loyalty.



Hurry back, Joli.

Beastt17
18:14 Aug 31 2008

Update: I just got off the phone with Joli, (I was typing a text message to her in case she was still sleeping when my phone rang). She's closer to Meridian, Mississippi but safe and sound in a campground there. I was able to deliver the good news that the expected storm surge for the North Shore is now 6 to 10 feet, rather than yesterday's predictions which ran as high as 22-feet. That news was so welcome that she handed the phone to her mother and had me repeat it to her. Apparently, there is a region of cooler water in the Gulf which isn't feeding the storm intensity as was originally expected so that's good news for everyone.



Varying sources are providing slightly different projections but at this point I'm leaning strongly to Accuweather. They're projecting a Category-3 when Gustav makes land-fall on the Louisiana coast line Monday. WWL Radio in Louisiana is still projecting a Category-4. I'm hopeful that WWL is remaining on the side of caution to avoid unintentionally encouraging people to stay.



Anyway, she was headed to the store to pick up a few supplies and seems to be looking forward to a much more restful night tonight. She spent last night in her van with her cat and dog. After the day she had yesterday, a hot shower, soft pajamas, cool sheets and a fluffy pillow would have been more fitting. She was all excited about having an air mattress and tent for tonight.



With all of the other things we can say for her; hard-worker, tremendously caring, frighteningly intelligent and incredibly gifted, we can most certainly add that when the chips are down, she's an absolute trooper. We can all learn from her.

Irony
18:15 Aug 31 2008

Thank you so much for the updates Beastt. Knowing she at least is safe has given me the first breath of relief I have had all day. I hope everyone else has managed to evacuate ok. I will keep watching this space.

Beastt17
18:33 Aug 31 2008

I'll be posting updates until just after 3:00PM (MST) today (assuming there are updates to post). After that I'll be at work where we do have Internet, but use is highly restricted. From then I won't be back until after midnight (MST).



At least we all know she's safe where she is and that they have plans to stay for as long as it takes to assure the storm is over before they return.



Thanks to everyone for keeping her in your thoughts.

Beastt17
07:54 Sep 01 2008

Update: I was able to speak to Joli for several minutes today. She's doing well, though her tent is much smaller than the box claimed and did have one small leak. I'm hoping to get the tent situation rectified before another night passes.



She asked me to let everyone know that she is receiving your messages and thanks everyone for their thoughts and kind words. Unfortunately, she's not in a position to respond to them at the moment but she is receiving them and is characteristically thankful for each and every one.



She also asked me to spread the word that the food she left for police access is going to be collected and utilized as she'd hoped. That seemed to be her greatest concern and she was immensely relieved to learn that it would be utilized. Somehow, I can't imagine how anyone can be facing the potential loss of their home, the possible destruction of their work-place and still place getting food to hungry mouths as a top priority. I guess that's just who she is and why she's so cherished by nearly everyone she meets.



There seems to be cause to hope that the storm is going to affect her area to a much lesser degree than previous reports suggested. It's been a few hours but last I heard, if the storm remains on track and the wind speeds don't change, the storm surge in her area might be as low as 6 to 8 feet. Hopefully, in another 24-hours we can all breathe a sigh of relief.



As for Joli, sometimes she asks for so little and is so gracious in all she receives that I'm simply amazed. She had electricity in her tent -- three outlets on an extension cord. One for a lamp, one for the charger for her phone and one for a small fan. She had a good book (I was supposed to remember the name and author but it escapes me... "Douglas" *SOMEONE*), her dog filling her space with the scent of warm, moist kibble, her phone and a tiny sandwich-bag of a tent to keep most of the rain off and she seemed content and happy with that for now. If too much of the weather reaches her, she can take refuge in her vehicle with Savvy and Meatball. (Gotta get that girl a real tent!)

thesavageant
20:51 Sep 01 2008

=)

Angelus
23:31 Sep 01 2008

Douglas Adams??

**

I so appreciate the updates.

..

Thank you.

Beastt17
08:53 Sep 02 2008

I knew someone was going to say "Douglas Adams", but no, that's not the guy.



Joli is finally in a stand-up, stretch-out tent. Hopefully, this one won't leak! Her Internet seems more than a tad sporadic but we may see her here once in a while over the next few days. Hopefully, she won't have to stay away from us any longer than that.



I hope she's getting some peaceful rest tonight. It's been a little hectic and someone nerve-racking. It will be nice when things finally get settled again.

Morrigon
04:16 Aug 30 2008

*raises hand*



I see the problem. You guys have this huge red arrow pointing at you, that could be causing the disturbance.

Joli
04:19 Aug 30 2008

I KNOW! I think that may be what attracts the storms...they aim for the red arrow!

Cinnamon
04:20 Aug 30 2008

All I can say is "Wow." I really hope you guys remain safe and that everything works out. My aunt once told me about when she lived in Florida and experienced a hurricane. She said that she'd sit through a tornado any day after that. I can't imagine thinking a tornado is nothing in comparison to a hurricane. Tornadoes terrify me and I run to the basement at the faintest hint of one...even though I'm also terrified of my basement. Creepy, dank hole in the ground. -.-

sahahria
04:22 Aug 30 2008

Stop putting those arrows there! You know I happen to like the area you live in, and while the lush green is amazing... there are easier ways to water the garden.



Seriously I hope you and yours are able to get to safety swiftly without difficulty.

birra
04:22 Aug 30 2008

I blame the republicans.



...hopefully it will not intensify...

LadyChordewa
15:34 Aug 30 2008

If it follows the path, yours and Images area, is going to be hit with the more intensive side of the storm. My father and grandparents didn't get out of the way from Charlie, when it took the right turn in 2004. My family was on the left side of the eye and didn't get much damage, but the right side totaled Punta Gorda, not 5 miles away.



I will be thinking of you both...please take care.

Joli
16:49 Aug 30 2008

Yeah, in all honesty, I really am getting scared about being on the east side of this hurricane. Some of the latest models have it going to a Cat 4.

captainglobehead
03:52 Aug 30 2008

Our prayers follow you.

Sevenn
22:45 Aug 27 2008

*shakes my head and mutters about living in a bowl surrounded by soup*

STABB666
22:51 Aug 27 2008

I know you don't stress about these things, but remember the link: http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/



;)

Morrigon
22:53 Aug 27 2008

I know, Birra was talking about you and the hurricane. I see you as a cool cat, gazing quietly at the horizon. Calm, confident, waiting for whatever.

Beastt17
23:02 Aug 27 2008

Thanks all the same, I think I'll go ahead and worry. You be calm. I'M GOING TO WORRY! ;)



You'll be okay.... gotta be

Oceanne
23:41 Aug 27 2008

This is why Im sitting right here before making that last leg down there.But Yeh,Im watching real close,trying not to worry.

Kontradiction
23:52 Aug 27 2008

holy sh*t, my prayers are with you and the surrounding communities.



good luck.....!!

Vampirewitch39
01:36 Aug 28 2008

You could send the puppy and cat up for me to take care of. :)

Silverbow
02:42 Aug 28 2008

Well as long as you have a plan...

I am still worrying though, you cant stop me. :)

LadyChordewa
03:15 Aug 28 2008

I'm with Silverbow...we will worry until it is done and over with. Please take care.

LIFEBLOOD
08:17 Aug 28 2008

''AHHRRRR'' RUN FOR THE HILLS.....



Oh sorry .. ''don't worry'', I miss read it!!

No heroics you hear!

Sinora
14:08 Aug 28 2008

Thinking of you all...x

Irony
01:06 Aug 29 2008

I know you will be ok, you are in good hands. I love you.

Beastt17
22:00 Aug 19 2008

People should note that the background image is far more impressive (perhaps you should post it here), when viewed by itself and she took it (and several other amazing photographs), about the third time she had the camera in her hands. She's a natural (which makes me not only a little jealous).

Beastt17
22:21 Aug 19 2008

You/she/her... fun to mix second and third party references. It keeps the world confusing.

Ockham
22:43 Aug 19 2008

Very nice, though a shame that's all Nikon. Boo Nikon. Long live Canon! /fanboi

Joli
23:14 Aug 19 2008

Two of the lenses are Sigma :P

Ockham
23:51 Aug 19 2008

Nikon-mount Sigmas.



Though, to be fair, I have a couple Nikon-mount sigma's sitting less than 5 feet from me for my Nikon FG.

Requiem
00:55 Aug 20 2008

Ok. Call me blonde ... but why do you need a rocket blaster for a camera?



*very confused*

Joli
03:13 Aug 20 2008

I had about a half dozen snarky responses for that, Requiem, but it's to gently blow dust from the lens and sensitive internal camera guts :)

Beastt17
10:35 Aug 20 2008

Ockham:



Definition of "Canon D-SLR camera": Box with a window to allow light patterns to stimulate electron flow through an imaging array and store resulting data, leading to dwindling bank account.



Definition of "Nikon D-SLR camera": Box with a window to allow light patterns to stimulate electron flow through an imaging array and store resulting data, leading to a dwindling bank account.



(It's just that Nikon is better, but not in any confirmable, verifiable or tangible way. You just have to believe!) :-P



I like Nikon better because those silly people over at Canon don't know how to make a lens. Really! Just grab one of their lenses and try to mount it on any Nikon camera. It won't work! They can't build a working camera either. You can test this by trying to put a Nikon lens on ANY Canon camera. The mount on the Canon is all wonky. What good is a camera without a lens? ;)





Requiem; where else would one use a Rocket Blaster?



Actually, dust is a fact of life with digital SLR cameras. It WILL get inside your camera. Since a particle of dust is much larger than the photosites on the sensor array, a dust speck will leave noticeable dark blobs on your photos. You have to be able to get the dust off of the sensor (or actually, the IR filter over the sensor). The first step is to try blowing it off. The Rocket blaster has a small filter at the air intake so that you don't end up blowing more dust into the camera. If that doesn't work, you can try special brushes made with naturally charged fibers and the last resort is a special sterile swab made in a clean-room together with a special methanol-based solution and a bit of bravery.



NIKON RULES!! (Except for certain other brands starting with C, P, K, S, F, O and other letters of the alphabet.) :)

Ockham
15:40 Aug 20 2008

Well, there's always the Nikon to EF adapter, so you can use the nice Nikon glass without the dead weight of that useless Nikon light box ;)



Really though, the only reason I went with a Canon 400D instead of a Nikon D60 was that I liked the feel of the Canon better in my hands when I went to play with dslr's at the local camera shop.

Beastt17
17:18 Aug 20 2008

With the image quality being so good among the major companies, it really does come down to what feels good in your hands. Aside from that, given the feature list for the D60 verses 400D, and the price, I don't know why anyone would choose the Nikon. As I see it, the D60 is just a glorified D40x and the D40x is just a glorified D40. The D40 is a solid, well-engineered camera with fantastic image quality and a good feature set for a good price. The D60 will cost about as much as a D80 and doesn't give you the internal focusing motor of the D80 which limits your choice of auto-focus lenses. I went with the Nikon D80 primarily because I've had Nikon cameras before and already had three F-mount lenses.



Of course that's when the NAS (Nikon Acquisition Syndrome) hit, resulting in a Nikon D200 2-months later. That cuts my lens swapping in half and the feel of the D200 is just INCREDIBLE. It has a rubberized magnesium body with a full compliment of rubber gasket seals and an array of external switches which puts the dashboard of a Boeing 747-400 to the test. It's so much faster to flick a switch than to hunt through menus or even rotate dials while holding buttons. The 5-fps doesn't suck either. ;)

Ockham
19:07 Aug 20 2008

Yeah, the lacking AF motor of the D60 is a deal-killer in the entry-level field. The D40 is at a great price for it's features, but the D60 is so much more money for so little more functionality. Nikon has never really been great in the entry-level though, historically. They've always been King Nikon in the professional series, at least til Canon's EOS series put them into a race, which is great. Competition has definitely led us into a feature/quality/function race, which has been nothing but good news for photographers. Unless you're worried about being getting outdated, but it's not like releasing a better camera body makes the old bodies suddenly take worse pictures.



If I'd waited a month or two before purchasing my camera, I likely would have splurged a bit more and picked up a 40D, the higher FPS and faster AF would be very welcome, given that you can now pick up a used 40D for about the price of a new 450D, but at this point, I can't justify upgrading my body... However, whenever Canon releases a 50D, I am going to end up parting with money, as that will drive the 40D even further down, I hope.

LIFEBLOOD
20:15 Aug 20 2008

I'm not very good with 'kit' cameras, where you have to assemble them yourself .. lol ... was it a monthly magazine?!!



Hunni, may you have endless fun and good wishes with your equipment.

Ockham
01:28 Aug 21 2008

Just as a note, I forgot to mention that at the time I was camera shopping, I was unaware of the D60's AF compatibility issues, otherwise I likely wouldn't have looked at it at all.



I also failed to mention the embarrassing fact that I very nearly bought an Olympus instead ;)

Beastt17
08:52 Aug 21 2008

Joli; Did you know you have the same number of lenses I have? You also have the same remote I have for my D80, the same model Rocket Blaster and the same 2GB SD card. Your tripod is very nearly the same. Your best macro lens is a Sigma and my best macro lens is a Sigma. Between your three zoom lenses, you cover 18-300mm and between my two zoom lenses I cover 18-300mm. Now all you need is the ability to spend an afternoon shooting 300+ images and find out every single one is a throw-away. (Don't despair, I can teach you. ;)



LIFEBLOOD, I'm assuming you're expressing a preference for point & shoot cameras. I know someone else who thought they preferred them until they tried a D-SLR. ;)



Ockham: I don't think the lack of an AF focusing motor will remain much of an issue. It's obvious that most companies are opting to put the focus motors in the lenses and as this trend continues, the only people really affected by the lack of the focusing motor will be those who already have a collection of older glass. Excluding the motor makes the camera lighter, more affordable and smaller. And with the amazing quality of even the least expensive SWM lenses from Nikon and the availability of the HSM lenses from Sigma, there are still lots of options from which to choose. I haven't checked Tamron or Tokina but I would imagine they either offer lenses with internal motors or will do so in the very near future.



My old 3.0 megapixel point & shoot is an Olympus and it still takes better pictures than many of the newer point and shoot models. I certainly wouldn't rank Olympus with Nikon or Canon in the D-SLR market but they make some good quality stuff. It might even send a shiver down one's spine to look at the hardware inside and see how much is shared across multiple companies. Nikon buys their sensors from Sony. The CCD in the D80 and the one in the D200 are essentially the same except the D200 sensor has four output channels (instead of two), to accommodate the 5-fps data rate. (Canon does make their own sensors and it's interesting to see a CMOS sensor in the 400D. Those are usually reserved for the top line models and FX formats.) With the popularity of 2.5", 230,000-pixel rear LCD monitors, I'd be very surprised if many aren't the same unit, sold to several different manufacturers. It's all good. The most important accessory is the camera stabilizer unit (operator). That's by far the weakest link on all of my Nikons. :)

Ockham
09:25 Aug 21 2008

"spend an afternoon shooting 300+ images and find out every single one is a throw-away."



I did that just yesterday :( Though only about 100 shots. The sun, she is a fickle mistress, as eager to burn out your highlights (while your meter lies to you) as to fill your shadows. It's what I get for trying to shoot light colored insects against evergreens (ie, ever-whiteundersunlights) at high noon. The shots that were exposed were fuzzy, and the shots that were sharp were burnt, and the shots that were both properly exposed and sharp were boring :P



Then you have the days where you get dozens of keepers and only delete a few. :)



Or the day that you head down to a river without bug spray and are swiftly chased away by the local mosquito mob for failing to pay protection.



And yeah, my camera has the same weak link, isn't that strange? ;) Though, admittedly, my cheapo tamron-knockoff 70-300mm lens is trash quality :| CA out the wazoo, and a touch soft to boot. Throw a cheapo +1 closeup diopter on for maximum chromatic mangling!

Joli
14:14 Aug 21 2008

That's "velociraptor," Ockham.

Ockham
17:09 Aug 21 2008

I attack the darkness with my +1 Velociraptor.

Beastt17
20:19 Aug 21 2008

"Velociraptor" from the girl who, unlike the rest of us, could probably spell and define "diopter" when she was in the second grade and when asked to use it in a sentence, wrote a poem about it that would have fooled T.S. Eliot's own mother.



That "APO" you probably see stamped on your 70mm macro and your 70-300mm zoom are all about fighting off the Chromatic "Velociraptors" (and aberrations), and stands for "Apochromatic". The worst I've ever seen was from a Kodak point and shoot. It had blue and purple color "fringing" around blown out highlights at least the width of the highlights themselves.



I took 311 photos yesterday, Ockham, of which I can salvage maybe ten. Some insects have a slight translucence to their exoskeleton and I fall for it every time. I focus part way into the exoskeleton instead of at the surface and ruin every shot. The praying mantis fooled me when I focused on his pupils which actually sit just below the surface. I was also suffering from lens over-kill with my 150mm macro and a 1.4x teleconverter. I should have put my 60mm macro on the second camera and carried both. On the other hand, any day you find not one, not two, but THREE jumping spiders is a good day!!

Beastt17
20:24 Aug 21 2008

This section now officially exceeds "comments" and qualifies as a "thread".



That's a great graphic, Joli. I don't know who did it but they're damned good! ...Oh wait, I see the credits now. I thought that looked vaguely familiar. ;)

Joli
00:18 Aug 22 2008

Yeah, keep this up and the dominars will come and close my journal!

Ockham
01:41 Aug 22 2008

From Hell's heart, Stabb, I uh.. post at thee.

Vampirewitch39
13:52 Aug 22 2008

*thank god she read the comments or she would of asked the same question Req did- what the hell is a rocket blaster. Would of been WAY TOO much like the main forum* :)

STABB666
01:01 Aug 23 2008

This thread does not fit the theme of the Dark Network...

Requiem
05:25 Aug 23 2008

Oh! That's what a rocket blaster does!





I thought it was for shooting those annoying papparazzi out of the air when they are circling like vultures aiming their velociraptors at my semi-shadowed nude sun-bathing in my back yard. At night. :P

Irony
04:27 Aug 24 2008

I can't think of velocirapters without thinking of ms paint dinosaurs now:( Mine eyes!

Beastt17
14:49 Aug 26 2008

So... what is your next hoped-for acquisition? Another lens, an SU-800 wireless command unit (and second flash), studio lights, a softbox? What's next?

Joli
16:44 Aug 26 2008

Yeah, right! Like I'm telling you :P

Beastt17
22:14 Aug 27 2008

Coward!! :-P



Any other takers? Any planned purchases or (photographic) equipment you dream of owning?

Vampirewitch39
19:48 Dec 14 2008

*does a little shopping online using this list*



;)

Morrigon
20:07 Aug 17 2008

Holy crap, we could have a lot of fun...

pandorasbx65
20:09 Aug 17 2008

Now thats just hilarious!

Joli
20:22 Aug 17 2008

Yeah, we could grab feature from different members and build our own Frankenstein perfect VR creature!!!



You should see the ideas in my head...and they all have Moony's boobs!

LIFEBLOOD
00:04 Aug 18 2008

I was one step ahead of you with this idea .. but I ran out of time .. lol

birra
23:36 Aug 18 2008

*ahem*.. I'm away for 2 days and look what I get dragged into...



...we could have LIFEBLOOD's tongue sticking out of the mouth...



All I know is you don't want my nose... might make the avatar distort the whole page... :p

Vampirewitch39
13:49 Aug 22 2008

;) I will never tell what that netting is.



lol- Could you not see it? The VR perfect member that you built? But who's brain? Stabb's? Meepers? Sevenn?



Yours?

LIFEBLOOD
22:19 Aug 13 2008

I think it's great, we've also got mermaids swimming back up the Thames to give birth ...... something to do with the Thames being the cleanest it's ever been! I must find that link.

captainglobehead
22:21 Aug 13 2008

Is this what you do with your free time?

Beastt17
22:37 Aug 13 2008

I think it's interesting that two hunters are proclaiming they have DNA evidence. I'm assuming they purchased a portable DNA sequencer from Cabella's Outdoor Supply. I also thought it was interesting that they're promising DNA evidence and the article claims DNA analysis is under way. It seems they have their promises ahead of their research.



Still, it wasn't that long ago that the Giant Squid was a myth and the coelacanth was a long-extinct species. Sometimes we're wrong. Time will tell but don't count me in as an investor on this one.

Joli
00:08 Aug 14 2008

Let's remember, this is Georgia...probably just a citizen who dropped his banjo. Poor bastard. :P

KCRC
01:22 Aug 14 2008

Beastt17 you are SO WRONG!



Everyone knows the Cabela's DNA sequencer is crap. You have to get the one from Bass Pro Shops if you really want to analyze you some DNA!

Beastt17
07:11 Aug 14 2008

Maybe that's why the large LED on their sequencer read out: "Big Fuht", instead of "Crock-puked cow". It's not an accurate see-kwen-ser but it do gotta slot marked "D and A".

Irony
09:38 Aug 14 2008

I will be sad if it is real. I quite enjoy the mystery of the bigfoot:(

ThothLestat
18:33 Aug 15 2008

it's gonna end up being someone's uncle or something... those mountain folk are a little strange.

(georgia native)

Vampirewitch39
22:05 Aug 15 2008

*Rat screams and runs for her life from your journal*

Kontradiction
23:55 Aug 27 2008

ape suit and pig-guts....had me up in arms almost violently excited (to the point of peeing my pants in delight)....

meeper
18:51 Aug 10 2008

The new girl scares me.

Joli
19:04 Aug 10 2008

Oh, she shouldn't. She's hand-raised and gentle. She's small and can't hurt you. Her temperament is curious and not skittish at all. She was so curious about the flash when I shot these pictures that my son had to keep pulling her back so I could keep her focused and in frame.



She's not far from shedding in these images...a bit murky as you can see on her head. They get bad PR, but snakes are gorgeous and interesting. I love touching her, feeling the muscles and firmness of her...slight bumps under your fingers, dry and a little cool to the touch.

KCRC
19:14 Aug 10 2008

AAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaahhhh



A SNAKE!



*Runs and hides*

Xzavier
19:35 Aug 10 2008

Love the snake but take out the Photobucket links next time! :)

birra
20:26 Aug 10 2008

Ooooo...she's purdy!

Joli
20:30 Aug 10 2008

nah...I like the one click and paste. My Photobucket is basically all images for the journal. I don't care if anyone clicks and goes poking around in there like you, Xavier the Photobucket Stalker!

Kontradiction
20:52 Aug 10 2008

:O



i was expecting another puppy.....

Beastt17
21:46 Aug 10 2008

She's a real beauty but it does make me feel little sorry for male snakes. Sex without tits would be like eating a warm rodent without chewing.

LIFEBLOOD
21:51 Aug 10 2008

Awwww, how cute ... right!

Beastt17
21:52 Aug 10 2008

Great pictures, by the way. You can clearly see the heat-sensing pits above the upper lip. These are similar to the two pits at the front in pit vipers.

DarkPimp
22:55 Aug 10 2008

She's a Burmese right?



Not that I use wiki a lot but here is some info for the folks who visit:



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burmese_Python

Irony
02:20 Aug 11 2008

She is really pretty, I love her spots and rings :D

Joli
04:32 Aug 11 2008

No no no! She is not a Burmese! She is a ball python. She's very nearly full grown. At maturity, they are only 3-5 feet long. I would not recommend a large constrictor as a pet.

Silverbow
05:49 Aug 11 2008

Jealous!!!! KO says... "Not fair... want.."



She is a beauty.

captainglobehead
14:38 Aug 11 2008

I bet she could handle Irony's Thumbcat problem.

LIFEBLOOD
17:50 Aug 08 2008

I have a friend sitting here who tells me he's licked a few things in his time that only 'smelled' like fish. lol

SouthernFreak
18:05 Aug 08 2008

Looks like it's time for a fishing trip.

Bones
18:41 Aug 08 2008

Meh, you can't catch those things with a fly rod though (which is all I use), and around here they're most often caught at night. ;)

sahahria
19:19 Aug 08 2008

I much prefer crawdads... O.o

Kontradiction
20:24 Aug 07 2008

uhm, not to jump on the train, but i've done that too.

VampireYui
20:26 Aug 07 2008

oh dear.....hope their not wearing a g-string but nice diaper.....(my bad...very very very bad lol)

LadyKrystalynDarkstar
20:35 Aug 07 2008

LMAO

Joli
20:45 Aug 07 2008

Well, I've planted the seed and now you will ALL do it, too. My misery will have company.

Maledicta
20:46 Aug 07 2008

Ooh...I wonder if that name is taken?



:-P

DivaK
20:56 Aug 07 2008

oh, Mal.



that's why I love you.

birra
21:09 Aug 07 2008

OMG!!!!



I've been saying that since they joined!

Irony
04:04 Aug 08 2008

This is a productivity sucker! I played with it way too long:P

Irony
07:01 Aug 06 2008

I am going to steal John Corbett for a while. I promise to have him back by midnight;) Great list!

Sinora
08:46 Aug 06 2008

Suddenly I don't feel so bad about my nerdy crushes lol

borked
09:53 Aug 06 2008

Sian Phillips, she gave me nightmares in "I Claudius"

Joli
16:36 Aug 06 2008

She's one of the reasons I own 3 poison rings today!

Beastt17
10:12 Aug 08 2008

I have a bike and a tongue, but I can't ride like Christophe. My puns are at least as bad as those of the Smothers Brothers, but I'm not famouse, I'm myopic like Adam but I don't have an engineering degree and I'm not as neurotic as Niles (David Hyde Pierce), but I'm trying! What more could a girl want, money?

Beastt17
10:13 Aug 08 2008

....errrr, ah... "famous", either.

Pinky
05:55 Sep 08 2008

Adam Savage is awesome.

Ockham
10:32 Aug 05 2008

For the record, it doesn't work very well with a 200~300+mm focal length lens, there's just too much camera shake unless you are in good enough light to use a very high shutter speed. I would assume an IS lens is a bit better (or whatever Nikon's equivalent of IS is), but I'm not sure how much. I won't use my 70-300mm without a tripod unless the light is VERY good nowadays, anyways, even with the ghetto stabilizer. However, shorter lenses work great with it.

Joli
15:25 Aug 05 2008

Thanks for the tip. I think Beastt was going to try to build it, too. I'm hoping that he'll weigh in on how it works for him. I'm going to try to get to the hardware store today...BUT...I got tripod! My sweet dad gave me his and it's awesome! No question about it, though...the stabilizer would help make shots faster and more convenient.

Beastt17
20:18 Aug 05 2008

I can sometimes hand-hold my Nikkor 70-300mm VR lens at 300mm but likely only because of the VR (Nikon's equivalent to Canon's IS). VR stands for Vibration Reduction and is claimed at 4-stops while most general users confirm about 2.5. At any rate, with this gadget being so small and easy to carry, I'm going with the idea that it would be better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.



I'm going to try to stop on my way home to get the 1/4" 20-thread bolt, non-stretchy heavy string and large washer.



So someone snagged a tripod for themselves and didn't tell me? C'mon, let loose; brand, ball head or three-way, height, construction... do tell!

Ockham
21:32 Aug 05 2008

It's an ingenious device, I'll say that. My jaw dropped at the simplicity. Unfortunately my 300mm lens has no IS/VR, so even with the ghetto stabilizer, there's just too much camera shake unless I'm shooting in bright daylight and can use a respectable shutter speed. With my other lenses, though, it works spectacularly as a quick and dirty tripod solution. I lug my tripod around for a lot of shots anyways, but I carry the bolt 'n washer in my kit at all times, and it has let me take quite a few shots that I'd never have had time to set up a tripod for.

DarkPimp
20:09 Aug 06 2008

http://digital-photography-school.com/blog/how-to-avoid-camera-shake/

Kontradiction
03:25 Aug 05 2008

cool.



good to know.

placidchaos
05:19 Aug 05 2008

That's cool, I don't know about you but the stames with audio bug me. I don't have a problem with video in them though. I'm glad something's been said and has been done.

BLOODLIFE
22:23 Aug 04 2008

Now that's a great choice.

Kontradiction
03:25 Aug 05 2008

wow, i'll go give him my congrats.