CLIMBING ROCKS

I recently visited the Garden of the Gods park here in Colorado Springs and everywhere I looked was a climber scaling one of  the tall, massive sandstone rocks that make this park famous. It was a beautiful day, considering it was November 26.

I knew the sun was getting low this late afternoon and that was good, but if I wanted to achieve saturated color, I'd have to shoot with the sun at my back.  But I noticed two climbers with their ropes inching their way up one of the large rocks and I could see what my shot was going to be.  In order to make it though, I had to shoot directly into the sun.  I decided to shoot anyway because I knew the sun would cause my camera lens to close down and darken my subjects, revealing only the silhouettes of the rock and climbers.  I positioned the camera so as to just show a hint of the sun behind the rock, and here is the result. By the way, the image shows the climbers near the end of their climb.  This view shows only about the top third of the rock. (As with all of my photos, click on the image for a larger look)

THE DARK SIDE OF THE LENS

As many who are now discovering the medium of HD video, some are learning how to to create new art with it. Others, like Matty Lambert, videographer, have already mastered the medium.  Watch the video, "The Dark Side of The Lens" and not only experience the sound and majesty of the ocean but the way Mickey Smith, photographer and bodyboarder, narrates the video with his Irish accent and describes the joy he feels doing what he does. Click on the title to watch this video.

LAWS OF THE NATURAL UNIVERSE

Law of Mechanical Repair: After your hands become coated with
grease your nose will begin to itch or you'll have to pee.

Law of the Workshop: Any tool, when dropped, will roll to the
least accessible corner.

Law of probability: The probability of being watched is directly
proportional to the stupidity of your act.

Law of the Telephone: When you dial a wrong number, you never get
a busy signal.

Law of the Alibi: If you tell the boss you were late for work
because you had a flat tire, the very next morning you will have a flat
tire.

Variation Law: If you change lines (or traffic lanes), the one
you were in will start to move faster than the one you are in now. (works
every time)

Bath Theorem: When the body is fully immersed in water, the
telephone will ring.

Law of Close Encounters: The probability of meeting someone you
know increases when you are with someone you don't want to be seen with.

Law of the Result: When you try to prove to someone that a
machine won't work, it will.

Law of Biomechanics: The severity of the itch is inversely
proportional to the reach.

Theatre Rule: At any event, the people whose seats are furthest
from the aisle arrive last.

Law of Coffee: As soon as you sit down to a cup of hot coffee,
someone will ask you to do something which will last until the coffee is
cold.

Murphy's Law of Lockers: If there are only two people in a locker
room, they will have adjacent lockers.

Law of Dirty Rugs/Carpets: The chances of an open-faced jelly
sandwich landing face down on a floor covering are directly correlated to
the newness and cost of the carpet/rug.

Law of Location: No matter where you go, there you are.

Law of Logical Argument: Anything is possible if you don't know
what you are talking about.

Brown's Law: If the shoe fits, it's ugly.

Oliver's Law: A closed mouth gathers no feet.

Wilson's Law: As soon as you find a product that you really like,
they will stop making it.

RECOMMENDED MUSIC

Earlier I posted a video of Chris Botti and Lucia Micarelli in concert performing "Emannuel".   I just bought Chris Botti's CD, "Chris Botti In Boston" because it has the fore-mentioned song on it.  What a concert that must have been!  In concert and on the album are songs performed with Botti by not only Micarelli, but Sting, Katherine McPhee, Yo-Yo Ma, Josh Groban, John Mayer, and Steven Tyler.  You can preview the songs on video or on YouTube, but you should purchase the CD to hear the songs in full high fidelity.

ERIC WHITACRE'S "SLEEP" PERFORMED BY THE VIRTUAL CHOIR

Here is "Sleep" as performed by the world.  (You should watch the introduction from the last post first). CLICK HERE

VIRTUAL CHOIR (INTRODUCTION)

Not only is this beautiful to listen to, it is amazing how it was accomplished! See the next post for the whole performance.
CLICK HERE

SHADOW MOUNTAIN RESERVOIR SUNSET

Last week, I was on vacation and visited Rocky Mountain National Park.  My friend Wayne and I camped at a campground next to the Shadow Mountain Reservoir near Grand Lake, Co.  I had hoped to get some good lake reflection and sunset shots.  Near sundown, I grabbed the tripod and cable release and took my Nikon D200 up by the lake.  The clouds began to turn orange, and eventually became more and more red.  This vertical shot is one of my favorites. 

A NOTE ABOUT COMMENTS

For a while now I have not allowed comments by anyone not registered to Blogspot.  I had received a number of spam comments and had to make a change.  I have gone back to requiring a word verification set before leaving comments.  I regret having to do this, but it only takes a moment and now anyone can leave their comment.  Hopefully, spammers won't take the time to go through the process.

MORE LUCIA MICARELLI-KASHMIR

Lucia Micarelli deserves an encore!  If this doesn't  knock your socks off, I don't know what will.  I will continue to showcase the very best vocalists and musicians on this website.  Click on the title to watch her video.

LUCIA MICARELLI AND CHRIS BOTTI -EMMANUEL

I believe all things are beautiful in their own way.  There are some examples, however, that exemplify beauty. Some people have dedicated their entire lives striving for perfection in their art, mastering it, and then they do a wonderful thing - they share their beauty with us.

The attached video pairs two of the most talented musicians in their field: Lucia Micarelli on violin, and Chris Botti on trumpet.  Alone, they are perfection and beauty personified.  Together, well together, they are just awesome!  ENJOY

JOSH GROBAN IN CONCERT/AWAKE

Here it is a video of Josh Groban in concert: singing "Awake", one very beautiful song    HERE

AFRICAN MUSIC VIDEO (This Time For Africa)

I have tried to introduce a lot of international music to this blog because the world has a lot to offer and I don't think Americans get much exposure to it.  I ran across this video today that was created to get Africans excited about World Cup Soccer.  Shakira's music and the dancing are infectious! Watch and listen HERE.

OK. So while I'm in a nostalgic mood, here's another story about my growing up.  Hey - it's MY blog, and I'll write what I want!  When the Beachboys were all the rage, it reminded me of when I still lived in California and going to the beach, so I just naturally loved their songs.  When my old buddy Jim Taylor and I rented a house, we didn't have any furniture except my Grundig stereo console and a bunch of foam rubber cushions scattered on the floor and we would play records all weekend long.  I also owned an Akai 7" reel to reel tape recorder and I soon realized I could record several albums on one tape and we could go to sleep each night listening to our favorite music.


The Beachboys were Jim's favorite group and together, we would actually sing along with all the songs, like Good Vibrations and Little Surfer Girl. We knew all the words by heart. Well, you know, we were just out of high school!  I still love their music and have seen them in concert twice.  Listen to Little Surfer Girl here.

JIM BOITOS VIDEO

A while back I wrote about an old high school friend of mine who became a really great sax player.  So good, in fact, he taught music at Illinois State University for more than thirty years.  I mentioned that I couldn't find any videos of him and today someone was on my blog and saw the post on Jim Boitos.  He or she emailed me and provided a link to a YouTube video that showcases his huge talent.  A surprise to me is that he apparently chose a clarinet for this performance.  I am very familiar with that instrument since I played it in band and throughout high school.  Boitos has mastered it.  Watch and listen HERE.

HYMNE DE L'AMOUR

While searching for "Awake" by Josh Groban on Playlist, I discovered another beautiful song that he sings called "Hymne De L'Amour".  I recognized the song immediately.  It's one that I had not heard since I was a young boy and didn't realize I loved it so.  I remember my parents, Lorene and Del Bluhm, had an extensive collection of 78 rpm records and I would sit for hours, mesmerized, while listening to the likes of Frank Sinatra, Patty Page, Perry Como,The Four Lads and Vera Lynn.  Lynn, a British singer,  was one of my favorites.  She sang WWII songs such as "When We Meet Again", "White Cliffs of Dover" and "If You Love Me, Really Love Me", the English version of "Hymne De L'Amour".

"If You Love Me", was originally sung by Edith Piaf, the famous French singer.  It is said Edith was in love with a French boxer, and after he died in a tragic plane crash, she rewrote the lyrics and sung it on stage.  The lyrics were so close to her heart, remembering her loved one, she fainted on stage while singing the song.

Listen to Josh Groban's rendition of it as he sings it in French on Playlist or your mp3 source of choice.  But if you really want to hear the song as I heard it sung by Vera Lynn, click HERE.  It will always be the only arrangement that stirs the passion I have for the song. And for an update, visit the next video where Dame Vera Lynn, now in her 90's, is interviewed HERE ALSO.

SURPRISE HOMECOMING

I ran across this video on Kim Kommando's website.  It' shows some heart-warming homecomings of military personnel. You might want to have some Kleenex handy. Go to VIDEO .

Kim Kommando  is  a great place to gather information about things electronic or related to computers, cell phones, software, etc.  Click on other links on her website.

FAIRY SCIENTIST

This little girl will become a real scientist someday. And people will look at this video and see where it all started. I hope her cold is better. Click here for for the link.

CINEMA PARADISO

Followers of this blog will remember I said I would occasionally comment on various songs placed on my Playlist. Cinema Paradiso is my choice this time. It is performed by Josh Groban in Italian and he does his usual mesmerizing performance.  I have discovered a great pianist by name of Philip Aaberg.  I had originally commented on this post that he also performed his version of Cinema Paradiso and it was also on my Playlist.  Both songs are equally beautiful renditions.Unfortunately, Aaberg's version is no longer available.
I must admit, I have only just discovered Philip Aaberg. Apparently, his music has been available since the 80's. I found another song he performs that I think is fantastic. It's on YouTube but it is only audio. The song is "Oh, Shenandoah". You'll recognize the music. This man can really play beautiful piano! I have linked this song HERE.

If you are a person who only likes rock or only country or punk. or jazz, or whatever, that's great, but the music I put in this blog on my Playlist or from video is a mixture of all of that and more. I appreciate all music, all kinds. I listen to the lyrics, the rhythm, the notes, the melodies. The two songs I'm presenting here are for a quieter mood; maybe for a time of meditation or relaxation. I truly hope you have good speakers attached to your system so you can crank up the volume and enjoy these and other songs. And give yourself some time to sample more songs from my Playlist. You'll discover I prefer romantic music mostly, but they take the form of many genre.

LAGUNA BEACH, CALIFORNIA

It had been years since I visited my big brother Bob and his wife Bev in Corona, California. This last Christmas, they invited me out to spend a week with them. I'm used to the cold and snow during this holiday, but Californians still find ways to make the holiday special even if it is way too warm to be authentic! We saw fantastic decorations in nearby Riverside and Bob and Bev decked out their lovely home with multiple Christmas trees and lights. But I was born in California and what I miss most is the beach. They knew that and took me to Laguna Beach, where surfing rules and sunsets are spendid. Here's a couple of shots that I'm sharing with you.

TAYLOR SWIFT/WHITE HORSE

Taylor Swift has become one of my favorite female singers. I never cease to be impressed with her delivery of pure, genuine, melodic love songs! She writes or co-writes most of her songs, usually written about her ex-boyfriends. I suppose that is the format of most love songs, but Taylor has made a career out of publishing her diary in lyric form. Behind all that young 17 year old cuteness, however, is a mind that has created her own persona. She is in control of everything. Listen to her song, White Horse, by clicking her name above.

DONATE FOR HAITI

I just donated to Haiti. I wanted to make sure it was a safe donation site. It doesn't get much safer than this one. It's the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund. If you haven't done so already, here's your chance. Click HERE.

OLYMPIC TRAINING CENTER

As we get closer to the next Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, I want to relate a wonderful experience I had recently. I'm fortunate to live in Colorado Springs for many reasons, but also because the U.S. Olympic Training Center and Olympic Committee Headquarters are located here. In fact, I live on the same street! I've visited the center several times in the past, but this time was special.

The GM of the company I work for arranged for about twenty of her management staff to take a tour of the OTC. I normally would not have been able to go, but my boss couldn't make it so he allowed me to fill in for him. We were treated like VIPs! Although the tour itself is the same that is provided free to all visitors, we were provided a delicious buffet lunch and visit with an Olympic champion.

But first, let me describe our tour guide. She was Carissa Gump, Olympian in women's weight lifting in the 2008 Olympics at Beijing, China. Although she didn't win any medals, she still placed 7th in her category-the clean and jerk and snatch. That's seventh in the WORLD! It is unbelievable how much she can lift. She said her best weights are 210 lbs in the snatch (that is lifting the weights from the floor all the way over the head in one movement) and 290 lbs. in the clean and jerk(from the floor to the shoulders then over the head). I don't know her size, but I would guess she is only about 5'3" or 5'5" tall. Her pic is on the right above.

We were visited by Lindsay Benko, gold medal winner in both the 2000 and 2004 Olympics in swimming. She won as part of the relay team in the 4x200 relays and also won a silver medal in the 4x100 relay in 2000. Lindsay was gracious to talk to us about her experiences. She also let us hold her gold medal and even signed autographs. Her pic is on the left above, third one from the left. 

ANOTHER ONE

Here is another example of a Garden of the Gods rock formation that when viewed just right, it can look very much like the profile of an American Indian. Of course, it might look like some other person, but I like to think that because the Garden of the Gods was a major campground for the Ute Indians long ago, maybe nature decided to honor them this way. It could happen!

GARDEN GHOSTS

Two years ago, when I started this website, I posted a photo of the Garden of the Gods and mentioned, "you will see the faces of these great people etched in the rocks". I also stated I would show examples later. Sorry it took so long! But now you have no excuse but to click on 2008 at the right of the blog and look for "Garden of the Gods". It will give you an opportunity to see many more of my photos. Above, if you look close, is the profile of a Native American Indian. It could be a chief with his head dress or a female with her baby carrier on her back.