Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

I’ve spoken to my cat about this, but it doesn’t seem to do any good.

Optimism opens the door to great things.

This blog will pay for itself.

I didn’t have alien invasion on my 2023 BINGO card.

Not all heroes wear capes.

It’s easy to sit in safety and prescribe what other people should be doing.

Is it negotiation when the other party actually wants to shoot the hostage?

You are so fucked. Still, I wish you the best of luck.

I see no possible difficulties whatsoever with this fool-proof plan.

“And when the Committee says to “report your income,” that could mean anything!

Republicans are radicals, not conservatives.

Republicans do not pay their debts.

You can’t attract Republican voters. You can only out organize them.

Shallow, uninformed, and lacking identity

So it was an October Surprise A Day, like an Advent calendar but for crime.

Let’s delete this post and never speak of this again.

Jesus, Mary, & Joseph how is that election even close?

The GOP is a fucking disgrace.

A thin legal pretext to veneer over their personal religious and political desires

Let us savor the impending downfall of lawless scoundrels who richly deserve the trouble barreling their way.

It’s always darkest before the other shoe drops.

Let’s finish the job.

The next time the wall street journal editorial board speaks the truth will be the first.

They traffic in fear. it is their only currency. if we are fearful, they are winning.

You are here: Home / Artists In Our Midst / Artists In Our Midst

Artists In Our Midst

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Been a while since we had one of these, so I thought it would be a good opportunity for all of you creative types out there to share your wares. I’ve bought several pieces of art from the readership, the latest being this rendition of the animal family.

That was done by Larime Taylor, who paints better with his mouth than most of us can with our hands. Also, Larime passes the word that he is looking for one of you who commissioned some work, but he can no longer get in touch with you.

Hopefully in a couple weeks I can send that picture back and have him airbrush out the asshole in the lower right. I’m going to hell.

At any rate, throw some links to art done by you and yours.

BTW- I would love it if the person who sent me these WONDERFUL pictures that I then had professionally framed and hang prominently in my living room would take a bow and share her awesome work with everyone.

I just love them. They are the first thing anyone sees when they walk into my house. And wait a couple months, and I will show you the pansy pot that Laura W. made, complete with my pansies grown from seed in my basement.

Reader Interactions

172Comments

  4. 4.

    Gina

    You’re not going to hell for that. Glad you finally faced reality. She’ll be way better off at a JRT fancier’s place, you’re absolutely doing the right thing by everyone. Then you can stop being so bitter. About the dog thing at least.

    /in before the “poor Rosie” posters, most of whom seem to be conspicuous in their lack of a sincere offer to foster or adopt Rosie.

  5. 5.

    JPL

    OMG, I just watched Fair Game. Yes I know the story and lived at fdl during the day but the movie just reminds you about the time when criticizing the president during a time of war made you a traitor. Remember that? It’s the same folks who now criticize the president.

  8. 8.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    I love these threads that illustrate how talentless and worthless I am.

  12. 12.

    BD of MN

    I make pretty tasty beer, so if that’s art, then I’m a frickin’ arteeest! now that it’s spring and I can brew again, it’s time to plan out the next few brews. First up will be a Wit (like Hoegaarden, not that Blue Moon crap), then a fairly hoppy red ale (Simcoe hops), then I don’t know what I’ll do… any suggestions from the homebrewers or craft beer fans?

  15. 15.

    cathyx

    @Just Some Fuckhead: Well, your name says just what you think of yourself. Start there and change it to something more positive and uplifting, and then maybe go out and volunteer somewhere. That should raise your self image.

  17. 17.

    anonymoose

    Thanks Alex

    Unfortunately weather has sucked up here pretty much over the winter and I haven’t taken an astrophoto since sometime in late December. Needs to warm up now so I am not freezing my butt off all night :)

  18. 18.

    General Stuck

    pansy pot that Laura W. made, complete with my pansies grown from seed in my basement.

    So that’s how we grow little fuckheads.

    I got nothin new on the artsy fartsy front, due to being lazy and broke, but next week, finally going to escapade down to the magic world of the Chiracaua Mountains and take some photos, especially of exotic birds and other critters they have there.

    Laramai’s work continues to amaze, as beauty and the power of life force to overcome.

  20. 20.

    General Stuck

    @cathyx:

    He went with Death By Mosquito Truck, but that didn’t quite catch on, being a little too positive for a fuckhead.

  21. 21.

    Yara

    Wow – Larime is amazing, wish I could paint that well with my hands. It always amazes me how no matter what people with talent find a way to express it.

    I’m cerently not as talented as some but I make some cute jewelry and even manage to tak a nice picture or two. You can find my stuff here http://www.etsy.com/shop/yaranunez

  28. 28.

    eemom

    @cathyx:

    that’s a splendiforous idea!

    Here, lemme start the process with a few suggestions:

    Not Just Any Old Fuckead

    Totally Awesome Fuckhead

    Head of the Fuckhead Class

    Fuckhead With Benefits

    Magnus Fuckus

    Summa Cum Fuckhead

    Coitus Caputus

    Fuckless Head

    Headless Fuck

    AND, how ’bout we work up a little slogan to go with it:

    A Blog Without a Fuckhead is like……..??

  30. 30.

    Guster

    @Alex: My wife says ‘no’ for over the sofa. Some people have no vision.

    My art is writing. I’m very literary. Today my editor told me that in the space monkey warriors thing I’m ghostwriting, she don’t want any violence. She wants space monkey iors. Because that, she tells me, will really appeal to young boys. The story of a young monkey who, when the Evil Bunny Empire attacks Simian Space, doesn’t fight them off, but listens with consideration and wisdom to opposing viewpoints. Like a Jedi, without the Force or the light saber, I am.

  32. 32.

    AAA Bonds

    @eemom:

    Look, I like you and all, but I also like the original name, and I like how its owner straight riles all of you up by writing out words that you’ve all learned are taboo.

  35. 35.

    Tim

    @WaterGirl:

    Holy crap! That’s a lot of hair. Amazing.

    Back then you never knew if your house was going to blow over in the next dust storm. You might have to live in your own hair for a while until the barn-raising committee gets to your homestead.

  36. 36.

    gil mann

    No art to promote, but ironically enough, I spearhead a charity called “Pot for Pansies.”

  37. 37.

    PTirebiter

    @Gina:

    Glad you finally faced reality

    WTF? You think the dog actually is an asshole? No, John shouldn’t feel guilty but his comments about her won’t help. Adoptions don’t always work out and that’s all there is to it. Rosie doesn’t know it’s likely that John saved her life. She doesn’t know how to show that kind of gratitude but I imagine she tries.

    most of whom seem to be conspicuous in their lack of a sincere offer to foster or adopt Rosie.

    How many of us do you think live within, say, 500 miles?

  44. 44.

    Less Popular Tim

    @Alex:

    the bed bugs strain even my finer aesthetic sensibilities.

    Ah, even the lowly bedbug is just doing the best it can according to the plan that FSM has set out for it. That’s beautiful, in its way.

    Are you the skin/blood model in those shots, or do you make some grad student do that?

  45. 45.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    Sigh. I’d love to hang around and poke at eemom with a stick but the boy wants to play billiards and the beer ain’t drinking itself.

    I’m going to put you on my Christmas card list, AAA Bonds.

  46. 46.

    stuckinred

    OMG, Lawrence has MY FUCKING idiot congressman on explaining the “diabolical plan”.

  54. 54.

    Guster

    You’re in Wilson and Holldobler’s book. OMG. Must restrain inner fanboy.

    Once this monkey book gets approved, I’m buying something, wife be damned.

  55. 55.

    General Stuck

    @Alex:

    cool macros, I’m saving up for a true macro lense, but will have to advertise more for selling my awesome bod.

  56. 56.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    Alright clowns, enough about me. This thread is for the artists. I actually used to do pen and ink portraits but the only market for that appears to be theme parks.

  58. 58.

    Kirk Spencer

    @BD of MN: I like to challenge beermakers to do a good winter barleywine. Now’s about the time to start for a young one, though if it turns out well when you drink it this winter you should save some bottles to age.

    An unusual but quite good scotch ale I had recently included oatmeal. The hops were reduced to keep the oaty bitters from overwhelming it. (Side comment, I much prefer a light touch to the hops, and so do NOT like heavily hopped beers. ymmv.)

    One of the local brewers is experimenting with various herbs in a gruit. Some work, some don’t, which are which often depends on the drinker and expectations. (Gruit – herbs used instead of hops to balance the malt.)

  59. 59.

    WaterGirl

    @stuckinred: it’s the same look as my father’s mother. Their lives were not easy. Such beautiful hair, only brought out for special occasions. :-)

  60. 60.

    Roger Moore

    @General Stuck:
    Real macro lenses can be had for quite reasonable prices, especially if you use a system like Nikon or Pentax that has good compatibility with older lenses. Real macro work is almost always done with manual focus anyway, so those old MF lenses are just fine today.

  61. 61.

    Cat Lady

    Laura W made something special for me that is so beautiful and fun, and she’s such a joy to work with, I can’t recommend her enough. Every part of the process was fun, and the end result is amazing. She’s a true creative genius.

  63. 63.

    metalgirl

    I have a day job that is kicking my butt right now but, in my spare time, I make jewelry with stones and pearls. My website doesn’t have all of my work but it’s got most of it (would rather make stuff than update the site – click on my name to go to my site). I’m taking a jewelry workshop this weekend in Raleigh with Ken Bova — very excited about that!

  64. 64.

    General Stuck

    @Roger Moore:

    I’m going to go with a Tamron 1 to 1 90 mm macro for my Rebel XT. It is only 400 bucks or so, so not expensive by lens standards, but I ain’t exactly rich, so it will be a few months to pony up that cash. It will still be in the heart of Hummingbird season, and I have a setup where I can get within a foot of them flying around a feeder. Just to see how close I can get to taking a pic of the little flying jewels.

  69. 69.

    Gina

    @PTirebiter: I know, if only there were some sort of way to get a dog, or other things, like people, items, to travel over long distances. Someday, science will save us, but in the meantime, we can all wring our hands. And lash out at people too, that’s fun.

    FYI, I just took in a foster dog from Texas last week, and I live in upstate NY. She didn’t just magically appear because I felt sorry for her, or I was really mad about how nasty the former owners were. Can you guess how she got here? Maybe the same sort of thing could work in Rosie’s situation? Or is it just more fun to be a concern troll over who’s calling what an asshole?

  74. 74.

    WereBear

    John’s good deed was taking Rosie in. If she is not a good fit at the rescuers’, she, and John, will be happier if she finds a place where she is appreciated, no?

    I found homes for cats who found my Circus of Rescues a bit much; they made marvelous Only Cats for shut-ins, elderly people, and people with challenges of all sorts. Did that make them bad cats? Did that make me a bad rescuer?

    Of course not.

  78. 78.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    @Fucen Pneumatic Fuck Wrench Tarmal:

    i can’t believe you let john arbuckle cole, blast you like that, you are no longer my hero.

    If I was ever yer hero, you need yer head examined.

    Anyway, I let John get his shots in occasionally because that is what friends do for friends. That, and mutual masturbation.

  79. 79.

    PTirebiter

    @Gina:

    FYI, I just took in a foster dog from Texas last week, and I live in upstate NY.

    Well smack my ass and call me Nancy, I’ll look for you on the cover of Dog Lovers Without Borders.
    I’ll assume that every dog in N.Y. that needed a home had already been placed.

    we can all wring our hands. And lash out at people too, that’s fun.

    Or we might all practice the kind of preemptive lashing out that you were practicing in the comment I replied to. Oh, and concern troll? Seriously. you’re too clever by half.
    FYI, I didn’t so much as even insinuate that you were an as**ole, as**le.

  80. 80.

    debit

    @Gina: If you look back at past threads where John has complained about Rosie, you’ll see that people have offered to take her, either to foster or to place. Several others have recommended a JRT rescue.

    You’re doing a good thing with fostering the dog from Texas, but really, you shouldn’t piss all over the readership here. Several offered help, solutions and homes; John spurned them all until his recent, abrupt decision to find another home for her.

  83. 83.

    eemom

    you are no longer my hero

    aHA! There’s our slogan: A Fuckinghead Hero Is Something To Be.

  84. 84.

    BD of MN

    @Kirk Spencer: Kirk, I’m all about the malty versus the hoppy. The in-your-face hop bombs do nothing for me. It’s gotta have some balance. Victory HopDevil, fabulous. Hop Wallop, meh…

    I’ll think about a barleywine, I’d definitely go English instead of American (I’m a BJCP judge, and have judged entirely too many resiny, overly bitter American barleywines…) I think it’s actually easier to make a “big” beer than a “small” beer, easier to hide the flaws with so much malt…

    One of my wife’s co-workers is a beer lover but has Celiac’s, so I’ve started doing a bit of research into brewing a gluten free beer…

  86. 86.

    eemom

    @PTirebiter:

    yeah. Gotta say I can’t fathom calling a dog an asshole. It is an epithet rightly reserved to the human species, to which all animals are indisputably superior.

  87. 87.

    metalgirl

    @General Stuck: I was very bummed about having this weekend workshop when I realized KY was in the Final Four. Then I realized that our first game is at night and that I won’t have to miss it! I imagined I would be taking my iPad to the workshop and watching the game during class — no way I’m missing it! And I’m from a family of UK “yellers” — we YELL at the TV during the games :) Would have been hard to watch silently during class.

  89. 89.

    Roger Moore

    @General Stuck:
    Yeah, $400 is a reasonable price, especially for a nice lens like the Tamron. It’s one of the few non-manufacturer lenses that routinely gets praised as equal or better than the best available manufacturer’s lens. I haven’t been really lusting after a new lens for a while now. That either shows that I have too many lenses already or that I know my own photography well enough that I don’t have a great desire for lenses I know I’m not going to use.

    The only lens that seems at all interesting to me right now is Nikon’s truly fabulous 14-24. Unfortunately, it’s heavy, bulky, and too expensive to justify paying for. I’ll have to live with my old manual focus 20mm f/4 for wide angle work.

  92. 92.

    TuiMel

    Cole,
    In all sincerity, please do something about Rosie. Anyone who consistently refers to a pet as an asshole needs to find another way. Do it.

  93. 93.

    Roger Moore

    @BD of MN:

    I think it’s actually easier to make a “big” beer than a “small” beer, easier to hide the flaws with so much malt…

    I think there’s a school of craft brewers have gotten into a macho dick waving contest about who can make the biggest beer without enough thought about making the best beer. They wind up making beers that just crush your mouth without actually being pleasant. I’d much rather have a nice, modest beer that concentrates on being good to drink.

  94. 94.

    snarkyspice

    @Gina:

    Maybe because we already adopted our own challenging pets. I have 6 cats, 2 of whom are chronically ill and cost me a fortune and 2 of whom are feral and hard to help. You want to tell me I don’t have the right to feel sorry for Rosie? Balls.

  95. 95.

    debit

    And by the way, I do feel for Rosie. Dogs know when they are not wanted. I’m glad John has decided to find another home for her. I just wish he’d decided to do that before he grew to hate her.

  96. 96.

    snarkyspice

    And no dog deserves to be called an asshole. John did a good thing when he saved her. That doesn’t excuse him for the rest of his life.

  97. 97.

    Vibrant Pantload, fka Studly Pantload

    Wow, I was all excited to come home from work and post my photos to this thread, but seeing some of y’all’s work reminds me that I’m very much an amateur.
    =0 )

    Here’s some pix I’ve run through Photoshop. My inspiration is the old wet-plate photo processing method of the 19th century, although most of my pix are off my cell phone. (I’ve only just recently gotten an grown-up’s camera and am learning that an aperture isn’t a pre-dinner drink).

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/robinmerigan/5580511729/in/photostream/

  99. 99.

    cathyx

    @debit: Do animals know when they’re not wanted? How could you prove it? Many times people assign human emotions to pets that don’t actually have them. Anthropomorphism.

  100. 100.

    eemom

    @debit:

    the thing is, it’s been cyclical rather than linear. We’ve been through this exact same “can’t take it any more, gotta find another home for her NOW” for over a year since he found the doggie. And as noted above, people have offered options on those prior occasions. But somehow it always ended with the doggie staying put until the next freakout.

    I dunno. Maybe it’s got some relation to the “I’m out of here, not gonna post till next Sunday” phenomenon that invariably leads to a higher number of posts than usual. Who knows?

    All’s I can say is, folks who recognize a responsibility to the animal and would never do something like abandon it on the road or leave it at a shelter, are decent human beings in my book, and any doggie or kitty in the care of one of those is, sadly, vastly luckier than most other unwanted animals.

  107. 107.

    metalgirl

    @General Stuck: Mr. General — I think I’ve failed to say how much I LOVE your hummer photos. Have just clicked and enjoyed! I put up 3 hummingbird feeders each year and just love to watch them but your photos let me know exactly what I am seeing. Thanks for sharing!

  108. 108.

    Gina

    @PTirebiter: I’m not trying out for your cover, I’m simply pointing out that rescuers do, often, pull dogs from places that are “over 500 miles away”. Note also that I didn’t call Rosie an asshole, I simply told John that it was about fucking time he got real – meaning, took actual steps to find a different home for a dog that isn’t working for him, and hasn’t been working for a too long a time.

    Nope, all dogs in local shelters haven’t found homes yet, all due to me. I am that powerful. Even more obnoxious, I do breed rescue, so I discriminate in favor of Rottweilers only. You can also get on my case for not saving starving children, and battered women, and all the other causes I don’t directly involve myself in. It’s a constructive approach to the world’s ills, pissing about how other people just aren’t doing it right. So, when are you adopting Rosie?

    @debit: I know some people did offer, but many who got all butthurt over whether Rosie was getting her feelings hurt reading John’s mean comments on BJ didn’t seem to want to jump in with both feet and make a transport to any other home a reality – the commenter I reply to above made 500 miles sound like an insurmountable barrier that no person has ever overcome. I was compelled to call bullshit.

    Now, John should have jumped on any offers in the past himself, but he didn’t. He is now, he certainly made it clear tonight that he’s serious about re-homing her now. Maybe all those who had offered in the past could raise their hands again, and we can set up a transport. I’m happy to help, if the parties involved need or want it.

    It’s obvious to me that he’s been in crisis for a while, I’m glad he’s finally doing something that will resolve things for everyone. I’d like to try to help if he needs it. Have minivan, will travel.

  109. 109.

    debit

    @cathyx: Why should I have to prove anything? I believe that animals can sense a lot of things; when we’re happy, sad or angry for example. My dog, who was previously owned by someone with a heavy hand, hides if I come home from work in a bad mood, but comes running up the minute I laugh.

    But I repeat, why should I have to prove anything to you? You obviously don’t believe animals are capable of telling when someone doesn’t like them. I do. I’m sure we’ll continue to live our lives just fine without either one of us changing our minds.

  110. 110.

    Gin & Tonic

    @Roger Moore: That 14-24 is something to lust after, but I have been very, very happy with a Tokina 12-24 for way, way less. That’s assuming you have a DX sensor, of course.

  111. 111.

    John Cole

    Only here could you malcontents start a flame war in a thread in which people are supposed to display their artistry…

    BTW- I still love Rosie, even though she is a PITA. I have second thoughts every day about finding her a home that fits her better. Especially when she jumps up on my lap and pours it on.

  113. 113.

    BD of MN

    @Roger Moore:

    I think there’s a school of craft brewers have gotten into a macho dick waving contest about who can make the biggest beer without enough thought about making the best beer. They wind up making beers that just crush your mouth without actually being pleasant. I’d much rather have a nice, modest beer that concentrates on being good to drink.

    You mean you’re not a fan of the “Imperial Double IPA 10,000 IBU Bourbon Barrel Oak Infused Coffee Vanilla Cocoa Nib 37% alcohol limited edition seasonal”? I can’t possibly understand why not…

    As a brewer and judge, I’m much more impressed by a clean, crisp 3.5% abv beer than the inevitable ton of IPA’s that every homebrew contest attracts…

  115. 115.

    cathyx

    @debit: I never said that animals can’t read our moods. I said that they don’t subscribe to the same gamut of emotions as humans have. But many people want to think that they do.

  116. 116.

    debit

    @eemom: I agree, John did a good thing. And I know he tried to make it work. A relationship with a pet is a lot like one with person; sometimes you just don’t click, and no matter how much you want to like someone, you just don’t. And it was obvious that Lily was his One True Dog, so Rosie was always going to be odd dog out anyway.

    @Gina: Ah, okay, got it. I think that perhaps people, like I did, extrapolated from John’s comments that he was treating Rosie differently now. I know that I wondered if she was still being allowed to sleep on the bed, or is she’d been banished to the crate. I hasten to add that I think it’s understandable for John to begin distancing himself, to start on the letting go process now that he’s made his decision. Because, while I think their relationship can never be salvaged, I also believe John has a good heart and is, on some level, finding this process difficult.

    ETA: And Cole himself proves it with his ninja comment above.

  117. 117.

    WereBear

    @JPL: Cats usually react to catnip (if they react at all) with some wild enthusiasm which tires them out.

    It’s kind of a drug; the way a cup of chamomile tea is for a human. But we also offer different herbs; they offer the cat a different experience.

  118. 118.

    Vibrant Pantload, fka Studly Pantload

    @John Cole:

    I’m sure most of us here realize you don’t “have it in” for Rosie or any such thing — that it’s your exasperation with some of her behavior talking when you vent. You have enough pets in your life, you’ll have a few that can push your buttons, no matter how much you love ’em.

    And what would a BJ thread be without at least one pissing match? I’d be worried if it didn’t happen.

  123. 123.

    Chad N Freude

    @Alex: I would be struck dumb if I could ever stop talking. Your photographs are incredible. Your photographs are magnificent. Your photographs are gorgeous. Your photographs are [adjective of your choice]. Thank you.

    ETA: Your photographs are stunning. Thank you again.

  127. 127.

    General Stuck

    @debit:

    Why should I have to prove anything? I believe that animals can sense a lot of things; when we’re happy, sad or angry for example.

    So true, we are the leader of their pack, and a big chunk of their attention and time is spent of pleasing us, some more than others, but sometimes when Charlie follows me around the apart, but at a distance, I will look out of the corner of my eye at him lying on the carpet, and he is fixated on my every move.

    PS – I am a dog whisperer, since childhood. for real. and I am certain that if anything like reincarnation exists on any plane of existence, I once was a dog.

  128. 128.

    JPL

    @WereBear: The video was great. It’s not that I mind drugging Alice but with catnip, little goes a long way.

    John, Don’t feel bad about Rosie, she wants to be your one and only and that’s not possible. It does sound like she would be better off in a family where she doesn’t have to share. Would you rather give up Lily and Tunch?
    Just Do It..

  129. 129.

    jenn

    @snarkyspice:

    But, but, that’s been the nickname for all of my (extremely well-loved) dogs!

    @debit:

    Yeah, there’s no doubt animals can read our moods (they can warn us of our epileptic seizures and sniff out bombs, why would we think they couldn’t smell the pheromones and see our body language that signal our emotions, and respond accordingly.) It’s something I have to work on myself with my new rescue – fantastic dog, but extremely reactive, and the owners who abandoned him to the streets, not surprisingly, never trained him to do anything, he just didn’t really understand the concept of a human asking him to do something/anything. It’s taking me an enormous amount of effort to train him to do what he’s going to need to be able to do — he’s coming along, but it’s so slow, that sometimes I get frustrated. And then that’s just counter-productive, so I have to bump us back down to something totally elementary that he can ace and get some praise, then we both take a break! It’s a great learning experience for me, though, since all my other dogs have been so quick to get things.

    And on topic: I love the painting that Larime did – Rosie’s fantastically well-done. I can sort of sketch, but I would (metaphorically) kill to be able to paint well enough to get that kind of shading!

  130. 130.

    Anne Laurie

    Cole, you can think about Rosie the way you think about your fraternity brothers. Y’all had some fun times together, lots of great tales to tell, and later reunions are prone to sloppy emotional outbursts. But if you had to live together now, 24/7, the local SWAT team would have your address on the GPS equivalent of speed-dial.

    Saving Rosie off that highway, and getting her into better shape physically & emotionally, was a mitzvah. But some souls are our companions for life, and others are “friends of the road”.

  131. 131.

    eemom

    Once, long ago, someone told me that the beauty of loving an animal was that it’s the only simple relationship you’ll ever have. I instantly adored that concept, and always felt it was true…..until I came to linger upon this blog, and witnessed The Ballad of John and Rosie.

    How does this blog fuck with my brain? Let me count the ways…..

  135. 135.

    Incoherent Dennis SGMM

    @Alex:
    Late to the party. Alex, your photos are a wonder! And, an extra “Thank you!” for including the locations.

  136. 136.

    Scott

    Damn, I wish I’d known y’all were doing this hours ago instead of playing video games. CURSE MY INABILITY TO MONITOR THIS JOINT 24/7.

    My sister makes glass. Mostly art glass, dishes, and suchlike. Very pretty stuff, great for display. Some items can be used in the kitchen, though I’ve always wondered why anyone would want to, when it looks better sitting on the coffee table.

  138. 138.

    Scott

    And as long as I’m impossibly late to the party, I’m gonna go ahead and pimp something I made: The Metro City Chronicles, a work of serial superhero fiction. It’s free! And awesome! But you’ll be reading it all on a webpage, which might make it tl;dr. :/

  139. 139.

    PTirebiter

    @Gina:
    Jesus, you are a piece of work. I’m guessing you spend your spare time crafting straw men? Here’s a puzzle: Which of these comments is your revised version?

    if only there were some sort of way to get a dog, or other things, like people, items, to travel over long distances. Someday, science will save us…

    I’m simply pointing out that rescuers do, often, pull dogs from places that are “over 500 miles away”.

    Here’s a hint: They’re both replies from you but, one of them reads like a very reasonable response, while the other reads like the lame sarcasm of a needlessly defensive as***le. Rather than trying to rewrite your b.s. when someone calls you on it, try owning it. It’s easier ion the long run. A quick reread will reveal how often your responses are to things that simply weren’t said or cited by you.

  141. 141.

    Jules

    Maybe all those who had offered in the past could raise their hands again, and we can set up a transport.

    If Rosie needs a ride though Central Arkansas then I’m willing.

  142. 142.

    Roger Moore

    @Gin & Tonic:
    I have a D700, which I really love. I got it mostly for the high ISO performance, but I love it at least as much for the ability to use really wide angle lenses. I can’t imagine using the old 20mm f/4 on a DX camera, but with the D700 I can see why it was a favorite of Galen Rowell. It’s become my go-to ultrawide for pictures like this one and this one.

    I wouldn’t get the 14-24 for a DX camera; it’s a total mismatch. The whole point of the 14-24 is that it’s sharp to the corners on FX even at such an insanely wide FOV. To get that, you have to sacrifice size, weight, cost, zoom range, and the ability to use practical filters. When you put it on a DX camera, you lose the incredibly wide FOV and don’t take full advantage of the full-field sharpness but still have to deal with the inconvenience.

  143. 143.

    Roger Moore

    @BD of MN:

    You mean you’re not a fan of the “Imperial Double IPA 10,000 IBU Bourbon Barrel Oak Infused Coffee Vanilla Cocoa Nib 37% alcohol limited edition seasonal”?

    The really scary part is that I’m sure this is only a mild exaggeration of how crazy some people get. It’s as though brewing is a contest to see how much they can get into a bottle without a thought of what will happen when they try to drink it. I’m enough of a hophead to love a good IPA, but I draw the line at anything so bitter it makes me sneeze every time I take a sip.

  144. 144.

    jenn

    @Scott: I looked over your cast o characters – the Chrome Cobra and Gearbox are my faves :-). Though it’s a good thing Gearbox appears to be one of the good guys, since he seems pretty Terminatory in skills!

  146. 146.

    sim

    Pretty late to the thread, but wanted to drop a link to my wife’s site at http://www.kallisteshop.com

    She makes handmade natural soaps from a generations-old family recipe, with a modern twist. They’re organic and vegan, and not tested on animals (unless you include me).

  147. 147.

    Gin & Tonic

    @Roger Moore: Can’t help wondering if something is wrong with your EXIF data, because both those photos say they were shot at a focal length of 105mm. I really like the Mesa Arch one.

  148. 148.

    Platonicspoof

    Somewhat related topic, e.g., if you may be receiving artwork orders by UPS.
    Norton, my anti-virus program, just intercepted an e-mail that I received today claiming to have a UPS tracking number for me in an attached (red flag!) zip file (exe extension) for a package they were going to deliver in the next three days.

    That number should be in the body of the e-mail, I believe.

    Description as of 2007 at this Symantec link.

  149. 149.

    Lesley

    Rosie must be one hell of an asshole if she’s competing with Tunch.

    Now I am going to hell.

    You know I love your assholes.

    Btw, Lily’s nose in that rendering just slays me. The artist is extremely talented.

  150. 150.

    Roger Moore

    @Gin & Tonic:
    Yeah, it’s a combination of Nikon’s way of dealing with MF lenses and operator error. I have two f/4 lenses, the 20/4 and the 105/4 Micro. I accidentally set the lens info for the 105/4 and didn’t notice because only the aperture is shown in the viewfinder, not the focal length. So the EXIF data is wrong and the obvious perspective distortion is right; they were both shot with the 20/4.

    Photographing Mesa Arch was an experience. I was staying in Moab, which is something like an hour’s drive away. A companion and I got up at like 3:30 AM so we could leave by 4:00 AM, drive to the Mesa Arch trailhead, and hike to the arch in time to get set up well before sunrise. When we got there, it turned out that there was a photo expedition who had gotten up even earlier and set themselves up in a line right in front of the arch. I took a spot all the way over on the left, so there was a whole line of photographers off to my right. They wanted to be there because that’s the position for the classic shot through Mesa Arch; you can get a nice picture of an interesting rock formation framed by the arch.

    I think I was inadvertently lucky to be forced into the position I wound up in. I’ve seen a lot of pictures taken the other way, but I don’t remember seeing one like mine. I personally like the balance of my picture, with the arch as a strong visual element in the foreground, better than the “classic” view, which uses the arch mostly as a frame for a view of the rock formations behind.

  151. 151.

    Scott

    @jenn: The Chrome Cobra is one of my personal faves. Still trying to get the hang of Gearbox’s character, but that’ll come when I write more about him… :)

  153. 153.

    LiberalTarian

    @John Cole: If you give her away you’ll love her all the time instead of just when she doesn’t irritate you.

    But, I feel your pain. I hate Abby sometimes, then I don’t when he is nice. But, I still think I should give him back sometimes. He beats up on Uncle Milton (the oldest cat), he is a terrible farter and nothing glass or made of toilet paper is safe around him. The reason I don’t give him back is because I worry about what will happen to him … I get mad at him, but someone else might really off him. Sigh.

    Maybe I envy you being able to give her away to a loving home–cuz I assume there are people who love that kind of dog for just being a JRT.

  154. 154.

    Roger Moore

    @Gin & Tonic:
    The red glow on the under side of the arch is the reason everyone wants to photograph Mesa Arch at dawn. The light is already red from the sunrise, but it also reflects off red cliffs under the arch so it’s a brilliant red color around that time. You can see I positioned the camera vertically so that the arch just blocked a direct view of the rising sun.

    If you want to photograph the desert Southwest, I strongly recommend getting one of the many books that discuss it specifically. They have all the tips about which places are best at what time of day, though your best pictures will sometimes come when you don’t listen to their advice. The truly amazing thing is how many great pictures there are to be had in little backwater places that don’t even make it into those guides. I remember seeing a photograph of a cotton tree on Thom Hogan’s web site and doing a double take because I had photographed that same tree from almost the same angle and during the same season. It’s obviously not in anyone’s guidebook, but it was apparently a good enough shot that both of us noticed it on our way to Calf Creek Falls.

  155. 155.

    Brother Shotgun of Sweet Reason

    Well, for me, the art is a National Resophonic 14-fret Style O, with a bottleneck. I play open mics every now and then and have learned that instead of my goal of sharing my art with an audience, I am actually engaging in a long-term experiment in overcoming Stage Fright.

    I get compliments, at least, while I’m blowing the chords and screwing up the breaks. And sometimes forgetting the lyrics. Apparently the trick is to keep barging through the song as if you’re doing it exactly as you intended.

    A beer when it’s done is Pure Heaven.

  156. 156.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    @LiberalTarian:

    But, I feel your pain. I hate Abby sometimes, then I don’t when he is nice. But, I still think I should give him back sometimes. He beats up on Uncle Milton (the oldest cat), he is a terrible farter

    lmfao

    Ever open up a little and someone else opens too much?

  158. 158.

    polyorchnid octopunch

    @cathyx: My favourite .sig ever from usenet: “Don’t anthropomorphize computers. They hate that.”

  159. 159.

    polyorchnid octopunch

    @metalgirl: Heh… when you said you liked his hummer photos, birds is not the first thing that sprang to mind :D

  160. 160.

    Ab_Normal

    @BD of MN: Probably too late, but as a former beer snob who was diagnosed with celiac in 2008, please let us know how it goes! I miss good beer!

  161. 161.

    Catsy

    My primary artistic outlet is Lego. I don’t really do commission work, I do it for the hell of it. Nonetheless, I do keep a portfolio, although it’s probably better described as “my favorite stuff that I’ve done”.

    A few scenes that I think stand out on an artistic level:
    Bird’s Eye
    Object Lesson
    Long Way Down

    Edit: FYWP for link moderation

  169. 169.

    WaterGirl

    @jayboat: Nice photo!

    Edit: 3 posts in a row is okay, as long as they are not the last 3 posts on a thread. That, i find humiliating!

    Edit; I see that I now have 2 in a row, myself! Stopping at 2. Really.

  170. 170.

    Gatsby

    John,

    If you realy cannot stand Rosie, please give her to one of us who can deal with her. She deserves love and attention.

  171. 171.

    Gatsby

    John,

    If you realy cannot stand Rosie, please give her to one of us who can deal with her. She deserves love and attention.

  172. 172.

    cay

    @gatsby you are a dick. why don’t you adopt a dog on the street and try your best to raise her, when you already have two pets? btw, he’s already asked someone (anyone) to adopt her. it feels good to write it, so I will do so again. You. Are. A. Dick. :)

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