Just two miscellaneous photos I took this week.
This first one was from early in the afternoon. The wind had just come from the beach, and properly tussled your hair as it raced on by.
March Passing Skies
This second one was from late in the afternoon the same day. Although the skies were tinted a flush autumn red, the breeze was teasing my nose with slight floral scents of the oncoming spring.
March Skies At Dusk
Let’s say, hypothetically of course, you’re the kind of person who takes photos of foreign Law Enforcement Officers and their activities.
And let’s say, again hypothetically, those foreign LEOs in the country you are visiting just don’t feel all that pretty at that particular moment, and if they realize you have taken a photo of them, they decide to move toward you asking (very nicely, of course!) to see all the photos you just took.
I think I found a way out of a situation like this.
Hypothetically, of course.
First off, if you know you’re going to be in a foreign country, you really need to bring a new blank memory card for your camera. The risk of losing a special photograph just because it’s on the same memory stick you’re currently traveling with just isn’t worth it. Spend the $10 to $20 and have a new, blank memory card in your camera when you travel.
Second, you will need to take a series of this next image as the initial photos on your camera’s new memory card (click to enlarge)….
NO IMAGES ON CAMERA
You will have to set your digital camera to capture “low light” or manually change the settings so you don’t get the “waves” on your monitor coming out on the photo. Plus you might need a tripod (or a stack of books) to make sure the image is in the same position in every photo.
When you have 7 (or more!) photos of that image, click to review it on your camera. If it looks centered and passable, you’re all set.
Here’s what hypothetically happens. As some foreign LEOs are heading toward you, press PLAY (or REVIEW) on your camera to get to the photos you have already taken. Hide every menu option that shows up on the LCD (that usually means pressing the DISPLAY button to cycle through the display options). When the camera’s LCD display is showing the photos you have already taken in full screen, press FORWARD on the review buttons to jump back to these first photos you took.
Photos that appear to say the camera’s memory card is empty.
Jump ahead 3 or 4 photos so you can cycle back and fourth.
Now here’s the moment you want to go for the academy award for best acting in a foreign film… act very apologetic. Very contrite. Right before the foreign Law Enforcement Officers get to you, say you’re very, very sorry, you didn’t know there was a problem taking photos in that area, and you have already erased the whole memory card. That’s why you were pushing all those buttons on your camera as they got closer! Show them the camera display, and press forward twice and back twice.
It really is better if your performance lets you keep the camera in hand, but if the foreign Law Enforcement Officers do grab your camera from you, and if you’re lucky, they will also press FORWARD and BACK to see if there are any images on the camera.
Nope. None at all officer!
And then, when you’re far, far away, you should immediately email those photos to get them out of your possession!
Of course, this is all just a silly hypothetical situation, and I have no idea if it will work at all in the real world. No idea whatsoever!
Best of luck, everyone!
There’s a free iPhone app called “Hello Washington” that lets you look up who your representative is, write them directly from your iPhone (or iPodTouch), call their office, read current bills, and much more.
When you install the application on your iPhone, you will need to provide a valid email address. Once you do, a activation code will be sent to that email account. Once you type in that activation code on the iPhone, “Hello Washington” will be unlocked. From there, you can write everyone! The President, Vice President, Representatives, or Senators. Not bad!
The only thing I would add is a county lookup for the representatives in the main listing. But aside from that, I think it’s a great application as is!
As a side effect of getting older, I’ve become a big fan of writing my representative on matters that concern me. This app should help speed things along quite a bit!
The author’s website is here and the link to the info page (and where you can launch iTunes) is here.
BONUS: Here’s their demo video from YouTube…
Highway 281 is on it’s way to bypassing the town of Falfurrias, Texas.
Back on the 4th of this month, I took these photos as I was driving through the middle of Falfurrias. I’ve been through Falfurrias many times as part of my business trips in the Texas valley, and for the longest time, only the basic groundwork was evident for what would eventually be state highway 281. But now mounds of earth have been piled much higher than the cars passing by, and you can’t miss the concrete pillars thick with wire mesh reaching skyward. Now you can actually see highway 281 coming closer.
Falfurrias Bypass 7
Falfurrias Bypass 2
Falfurrias Bypass 1
Falfurrias is not a large town by any means, but it has a decent enough selection of fast food places to stop at and an “original late 1980s size” Wal-Mart that does not have a grocery store. There are the scattering of hotels, small ramshackle garage repair shops, and the occasional business that looks like it has been around since the last century.
Falfurrias Bypass 5
There’s nothing in Falfurrias for me, but still, this highway bypass construction is a bit sad to see. On the one hand, it will save wear on the town’s roads and drastically cut down on the local traffic. On the other hand, any income that came from traffic stops and people stopping for a quick break before getting to the town of Alice going North (or McAllen going South) will be severely reduced, if not completely eliminated.
And then what?
Falfurrias Bypass 3
Falfurrias Bypass 4
This whole setup reminds me of that town in that movie Cars called “Radiator Springs”. I do sincerely hope Falfurrias winds up better than that fictional town, but from what I’ve seen, I’m honestly not so sure.
Just another set of clouds from my road trip back on March 4th.
Texas Clouds March 4th
Betty White is going to host Saturday Night Live May 8!
So now I’m actually going to watch SNL for the first time in… 8 years? 10? Do I need to go to confession for this before or after the show airs?
Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Molly Shannon, Maya Rudolph, Ana Gasteyer and Rachel Dratch are also going to be on the show, but I bet Betty’s 10 minute skit will kick everyone else’s butts.
I just saw this on the local news.
“A Mexican Navy helicopter was seen doing surveillance in Starr County. Residents of Falcon Heights… noticed a Mexican helicopter hovering over a home shortly after six o’clock last night. Witnesses say the helicopter hovered for about 15 minutes over a house where a known criminal used to live. Zapata County Sheriff Sigifredo Gonzalez Jr. says, “They had armored individuals in the chopper, open ramp, very military looking, in style and preparation.””
Um… and this was OK? The Mexican Navy is free and clear to send a heavily armed excursion into the United States?
This is the only movie trailer you will ever need to see.
Totally true. Absolutely brilliant.
Created by the guys over at Britanick.
Salmonella is makin’ the rounds this week!
Proctor and Gamble just announced that are… “voluntarily recalling Pringles Restaurant Cravers Cheeseburger potato crisps and Pringles Family Faves Taco Night potato crisps as part of an industry ingredient recall to protect consumers from potential Salmonella exposure.”
Fortunately, it only concerns those chips with the following codes…
| Product Name | UPC Code | “Best by” date |
| Pringles Restaurant Cravers Cheeseburger, Super Stack Canister, 181 grams | 37000 26936 | 02/2011 04/2011 |
| Pringles Family Faves Taco Night, Super Stack Canister, 181 grams |
37000 26773 | 03/2011 04/2011 05/2011 |
Toss ’em if you have them!
Wait… the same guys that make Charmin, Mr. Clean, Downy and Pampers also make Pringles? Those same Pringles that come in pizza, cheeseburger, jalapeno, and loaded baked potato?
Dude. That’s it. Kettle chips from here on out.
Here’s the link to the FDA recall.
UPDATE: And apparently this recall is about to snowball, but not just on Pringles. A company that makes hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP) that’s used in a ton of foodstuff looks like the culprit. Click HERE to read more.
On my road trip last week I had a chance to drive through the same area I saw an abandoned gas station back in November of 2009.
It was beyond ruined now.
Abandoned Gas Station Revisit 01
The giant roof over the three rusted gas pumps had finally fallen and crushed everything underneath it. Getting closer to the store, I could see the roof apparently came straight down with the support beam pushed out and pointing toward the highway.
Abandoned Gas Station Revisit 02
I would have thought with the angle the roof and the support beams were leaning on my last visit, the roof would have fallen toward the store or toward the highway. Not straight down like this.
Abandoned Gas Station Revisit 03
The gas pumps that were once standing had been violently pushed aside…
Abandoned Gas Station Revisit 04
…and covered with debris from the upper roof collapse.
Abandoned Gas Station Revisit 05
Around the corner, I could see what was left of the top portion of the roof.
Abandoned Gas Station Revisit 06
Surprisingly, the roof superstructure seemed mostly intact despite the fall. The criss-cross latticework of rusted metal hadn’t reflected much of the impact at all.
Abandoned Gas Station Revisit 08
The painted over red Texaco sign was smashed on one side, exposing what once illuminated the logo…
Abandoned Gas Station Revisit 09
…but the other Texaco signs were completely intact on the other sides of the roof.
Abandoned Gas Station Revisit 10
The rusted gas pump near the lowest point of the roof’s impact was completely crushed and twisted underneath.
Abandoned Gas Station Revisit 11
Abandoned Gas Station Revisit 12
Abandoned Gas Station Revisit 13
While the gas pump in the center had been torn off its’ base in the impact.
Abandoned Gas Station Revisit 14
Although the door to the “Uncle Sam’s” store behind the gas pumps was broken on my last visit, I hadn’t bothered to take a look inside. Since I had a little spare time on this trip, I took a moment to get a few photos…
Abandoned Gas Station Revisit 17
Abandoned Gas Station Revisit 15
…and saw the interior was completely destroyed. Vandalized would be a better word.
Abandoned Gas Station Revisit 18
Someone tore apart the inside of this store. The light fixtures were pulled down, the window frames were bent out… pretty much everything that could be broken was broken.
Abandoned Gas Station Revisit 19
Abandoned Gas Station Revisit 21
Back behind the beverage doors, some product display notice was inked on the wall around September of 2000. 10 years ago… not really that long for something like this to happen.
Abandoned Gas Station Revisit 22
I suspect this is one of the “window liberators” the vandals used.
Abandoned Gas Station Revisit 23
Even the glass on the periphery of the store was smashed and broken.
Abandoned Gas Station Revisit 24
Glass was crunching in my soles every step of the way back outside, and it took awhile to get every sliver out from where they had dug into my shoes.
I don’t think I will see this gas station again. At this point, this location is a complete loss, and only a complete demolition will make anything appear at this location again.
Abandoned Gas Station Revisit 20