He Lives!

I submit PROOF that I still live.

(click pic to enlarge)

Me and my Palm Prē,* that is.




* - Which I used to take the picture.

Where's Tennille?

I've only been to The Florida Mall in Orlando the one time, but seeing this dude just about made it all worthwhile.

His swagger may not be apparent in the photo* but believe me... you could not TELL this man that he didn't look gooooooood.





* - Sorry that it's so blurry. I had to be quick.

MegaCON 2009

MegaCON is a convention in Orlando, Florida that centers around comic books, sci-fi, anime, video games and more. There are vendors selling all of the above in addition to hard-to-find memorabilia. Some areas offer sneak peeks of upcoming movies and video games. Celebrities of the past and present sign autographs, pose for pictures, and talk with con-goers. And, of course, there are "cosplayers," people who dress up as their favorite characters and pose for us.

This year the convention took place over the weekend of February 27th. There were fewer vendors of-interest to me, the convention floor was just as crowded as usual, and parking conditions were insane but we still managed to have a bit of fun, sell some items, and take some great pictures. Not to mention the fantastic dinners we enjoyed at our favorite restaurants.

In the MegaCON 2009 section of my Flickr account should be some of the still photos I took with my Treo smartphone and traditional digital camera - along with some videos I took with the phone, as well. And, yeah, that's my big mouth providing the needless commentary at the end of the mock fight video.

The other video is of a working R2D2 replica that wandered around the convention floor, wow'ing spectators like myself.

I hope you enjoy the pix.

New Av?

I'm considering updating my avatar/photo, but it's hard to get a good picture - especially without someone else holding the camera. (Also, I'm too lazy to pull out the tripod.)

click to enlarge

This is the one I'm considering, at the moment, but I've got reservations.

Have a Nice Day

I took this picture of the Orlando sky, last weekend. I've seen sky-writing before, but I'm not sure I'd ever seen sky-drawing.

Take a look.

When I looked, again, later, I saw the sky-writer was trying to air-scribble "Jesus Loves You." Unfortunately, by the time the words were written, the illustration had been smeared.

Now I regret not getting a picture of the smeared smiley.

Bukkit Nekkit

Okay, I admit it.
I'm a guy and I like - REALLY like - Sex and the City.

The humor, sexiness, and themes stimulate so many different parts of my brain that I can't get enough.

The other day, I was watching an episode in which Samantha revealed her plans to pose for and purchase nude photos of herself. Why?

Well, in her own words, 'So that when I’m old and my tits are in my shoes I can say, “damn I was hot.”'

That's a pretty damned good point, in my opinion. Not that I'm gonna rush out and pay a professional photog big bucks for a well-lit, well-composed, well-focused shot of my scrotum, but the lady's right:

The universe is moving toward entropy.

We're all falling apart. And that's by-design.

I love to tell folks (and I try to tell myself), "Be PROUD of the body you've got now because the day will come when everything's flabby, sagging, or parts are falling off. Then you'll WISH you were as 'fine' as you are, now."

Samantha's act of narcissism seems to be the ultimate expression of such vain considerations.

But really, who cares? I've done my share of judging those who bare all in one form or another (skin magazines, movie roles, etc.) but how cool must it be to have the balls (so to speak) to put it all out there?!

Besides, there's no rule that says you have to share your nudie pix with anyone other than your damned self. Samantha said those pictures weren't for some man (although she had no problem with "some men" drooling over them).

They were for her to enjoy, now... and much later.

I'm probably not expressing it very well, but I think there's something cool about that. What about you?


After you answer that last question, answer this one: Would YOU take nudie pix of yourself... FOR yourself?*



* - (As for me, I'm thinking about it. Everything may not be as toned as it used to be, but it ain't that bad... and it's a helluva lot better than it's gonna be if I get to live as long as I'd like to.)

First Class

♪ It's been a long time. (long time) I shouldn't have left you (left you) without a dope beat to step to. ♪


This picture, in part, accounts for my recent absence. It's a shot of my first day back in school.

Between job-searching and school-related activities, I've had something of a full plate. Plus, there have been some bumps along the road that eroded my blogging-motivaton. Of course, I could've just posted about these things, but sometimes a person (even me) doesn't want to release a flurry of negativity.

I may still do so, but I wasn't up to it before. Hopefully, some of it will be worth reading - or at least sprinkled between more interesting material.

I hope to see you then.

Many thanks to those who expressed their concern for me. I really do appreciate it.

More Than Meets the Eye

It's funny how the addition of a fictional symbol can increase one's cool-points, exponentially!

Nature Spoiled

Kinda disappointing.

There's a pond behind my place of employment. Although the recent drought has left it somewhat slim around the middle, it's still a lovely bit of scenery to check out on a break or something.

Except for this part...

(Picture taken with my Treo 755P smartphone. Click image to enlarge.)

After clicking on the image, you may or may not be able to tell that the debris collected on and near the "shore" consists of all types of trash - including old, moldy (or algae-covered) soda bottle.

How someone could see a geese- and turtle-populated pond or lake as a trash receptacle is beyond me. I mean, of all places to toss your crap...!

I'm hoping this is mostly the result of rain water being funneled from the surrounding area to the pond. Not much better, I know, but at least that means people aren't tossing crap in a fenced-in pond.

Sometimes, people really do suck.

Good for the Goose

One-time for two-parent households.

Pimp My Bike

Sadly, it looks like a pimp already got hold of this bike.

Why would anyone rob this poor motorcycle of its dignity like this?

By the way, the fur looks much worse in-person.


But maybe it's just me. Anybody out there actually diggin' this moto-look?

The Light's Lie

See the light at the end of the tunnel? Me, too.

But the light lies.

At one point during my journey back from Maryland, last week, I had to cross the Chesapeake Bay. The bridge I crossed connected to the tunnel in the picture, which was under the Chesapeake.

But once I emerged from the tunnel, I realized there was a five-mile series of three bridges and two tunnels to traverse before I'd make it beyond the Bay.

Below is as much of it a I could capture in a photograph.

Click to enlarge.

I'm not at my best under water or in the air, so making my way beyond the Chesapeake a week, ago, was mildly analogous to my journey through this illness. I made beyond a very rough period, but recent events, combined with my weak limbs and dizzy head, tell me that it's still not over, yet... even after seeing the light, at the end of the tunnel.

I guess the best I can do is be aware of the light's lie, while using its promise as motivation and inspiration, to get me closer to my short-term and ultimate goals.

Sea & Sky

I'm not sure how tomorrow's going to go, so in case I don't get a chance to post, here's a picture from my trip back from Maryland.

I don't know if anyone else will find it interesting (especially through my cluttered windshield) but I thought this was an extraordinary sight.

I captured and passed on a number of visually impressive moments, but I'd never seen clouds that looked like ocean waves, before. Even though I was behind the wheel and falling behind, I really wanted to capture this shot of the North Carolina sky.

MegaCON 2007 pt. 1 - Snapshots

MegaCON is a convention for fans of comic books, sci-fi, and anime materials, among other things. There are things to see, buy, sell, eat (please don't), and play.
It usually takes place at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida.

I've got stories to share, both good and bad, but I thought I'd start off (this very late post) with one of my favorite things:
Pictures!

Enjoy.

(Click photos to enlarge.)

(left) Birds-eye view of MegaCON 2007.

(right) The Huntress

Lotta people. Lotta skin.


(below) Rogue and Psylocke of the X-Men

These ladies were kind enough to let me try out a couple of different flash modes.
I can't decide which is better. Great costumes.

(left) Akuma of Street Fighter fame

(right) Mystique and Deadpool

I dig Street Fighter from waaay back and you don't see many Akuma costumes (or Black people), so this was kinda cool. Mystique was a lil scary, but everyone's costumes were great.

(below) A couple of Black Cats
of Spider-Man fame

The old school and the new school.


Daredevil, Psylocke, Gambit...

...and some dudes I dunno.

My first flash mode produced rather creepy results so I copped someone else's photo op.
EDIT: Notice Gambit's "energized" throwing card. Lucky flash effect.


Carmen Sandiego
I found her! What do I win?!

This young lady mentioned a Tampa event that takes place in November. I don't recall the details, right now.
Excellent, very novel costume choice.

(left) Nick Fury of The Ultimates

(right) Superboy and... umm...?

I'm glad I took a chance and asked if this guy was Nick Fury. He didn't think people recognized him. I think folks were afraid he was just a Black guy with one eyeball. He was so happy he asked for a pic of me, too!
Superboy's costume is one of the best I've seen. I don't know who the other guy is, but he's braver than I.

(left) Wonder Woman/Green Lantern sandwich.

(right) The Green Hornet.

It was nice to see a couple of different Green Lanterns representing. I assume that's Hal Jordan and Kyle Rayner. Great WW outfit, too.
The Green Hornet is pretty unusual. I'm glad I spotted him.

(left) Batgirl, Wonder Woman, & Superman

(right) Lou Ferrigno from the live-action "Hulk" series

So cute. So blurry.
(The kids, not Lou.)

(left) Robot from "Lost In Space"

(right) R2D2 and friends

I regret not snapping some pix of the C3PO, as well. R2 was mobile (and vocal), by the way.

(left) Green Arrow

(right) Orange County Convention Center

That's the GA from a recent episode of Smallville. Damned nice costume.
Annnd a shot of the convention center as we departed. Kinda reminds me of that Sydney opera house.

Good-Bye, Orlando!

That's all, folks!

Dog Tired

I don't have a pet, but I'm fond of animals, so I stop by a local pet store now and again to get a quick four-legged dose o' cuteness.

The last time I went, I saw these two pups huddled together in a rather unique position. Both were resting on their hind quarters, with their heads on each others' backs - knocked out.
I couldn't get a picture quickly enough to fully capture the moment. The black dog kept waking up (he wasn't fully supported by the brown dog; is there a message there?).

Also, whenever the black dog moved, the brown dog would wake up just long enough to shuffle along with his head stuck out, trying to rest it him.

The lighting was awful, but hopefully you get the picture. (Ouch.)

Photo - Me @ 33

I was okay with this pic, at first, but now I seem to look kinda cross-eyed.
The other one is very similar. Oh well.