Lakes, Skies, Winters and Work.

I wonder if that lake really is that blue? Or if it's just dirty rotten photoshop tricks! Either way, it's certainly nice to look at... here, I have another, from a different angle...

Actually, that isn't the same lake, is it... Is it? The features are similar, but I'm having a hard time matching exact features. Must be a different lake in the same general area...

Greetings, y'all! How's life treatin' ya? Good, I hope. Things are mellow here. That'll change once I pick the rest of the Wagner Women up at the airport on Saturday. Then it'll be back to normal (read: crazy) around here. It's been nice and quiet here this week, for which I am grateful. But it will be nice to have the fam back again.

Kind of uneventful, really. Wish I had some fascinating tidbit to share with you. Just normal life stuff. I've been able to sleep in my own bed this week, which is terrific. Implementing new systems at work, which looks promising. Getting a (difficult) hold on my freelance graphics responsibilities, which is rather grueling. And just chilling.

I better dip into my go-to bag of goodies and see what I have for you tonight...

Everything I'm reading about this next video is in a language I don't understand, lol. It's pretty self-explanatory. A few thousand people all releasing these little paper lanterns into the air at the same time.



Must be amazing to see in person. Must not be fire season in that part of the world.

Here's another "sky event" video, this time in reverse. Looks like a couple gliders release a few thousand LED lights attached to streamers over what looks like a big music festival of some kind, to very cool effect.



Also one of those things that likely is amazing to see in person, but only so-so in film. Like anything, I suppose. Take the pics of that lake up at the top of this post. Such is the nature of pictures, I suppose, that only a limited glimpse is available. I remember the first time I went snowboarding up at Lake Tahoe, at Heavenly, and when we went down the main lift toward the parking area... as we started the long descent down the face of the mountain, the whole lake just appeared in front of me, literally filling my vision to the edges of my peripheral sight on both sides, and the ground dropped away beneath me. It was stunning - I felt like I was floating in another realm or something. I tried taking pictures the next day, but that sense of overwhelming awe couldn't possibly come through in a photo.

Anyway, those two video clips are like that, I'm sure. Way cooler in person.

There's a similar distinction, I think, between watching film and watching a live play. Two different beasts entirely, I know... but there's something about seeing something performed live that is impossible to convey in video form.

Theater acting and film acting are completely different arts. You can be infinitely more subtle on film. You have to be full intensity on stage, or else you'll appeal to no one beyond the first few rows. If you want to see an incredible study of this, watch a movie called The Dresser, with Albert Finney and Tom Courteney. Two amazing, Oscar-nominated performances.

Let's see... what else have I got? Lemme check my drawer...

Oops, wrong drawer...

Speaking of animals in strange places, check out this X-ray...

I thought they normally bury their heads in the sand...

I'm still not reading anything substantial lately. I've casually read numerous "free samples" that I've downloaded for my Kindle app (fantasy/sci-fi stuff) but nothing that really wowed me enough to buy the full book yet. But that's a problem I won't have for much longer... A Dance With Dragons will be messily devoured by me, very soon. I've purposely tried to avoid reading any reviews on blogs to this point, except to try and get an over-all sense of whether the book is good or not. So far, from what I've carefully gleaned, the consensus is very positive, and apparently there are several bombshells I can look forward to (woot!)... Can't wait!

Figures... I finally take down the sidebar link to the TV Legends YouTube site on the right side of my blog over there, and then I find an interview to link to! If you're a fan of Jonathan Winters, you will definitely find his interview series fascinating. Here's a sample clip, and here is the site with the full interview, if you've got a couple hours to kill... He's traveled quite a road.

Well, I suppose that's enough for now. I better get back to work...

Wish me luck!

Adios,

Dave the Luckless