I CARE ABOUT THE MONEY!

Gentle Viewer and sister to my brother and I, daughter to my parents, and mother to my niece and nephew, bstout, saw me today and said "You ripped up a dollar bill for your blog???"

She was CLEARLY remembering the days back to when we were poor Sharecropping Tenant Farmers during the Depression.

"No," I replied, "It was technically 65 cents."

Now to comfort her I'll post this image of the worthless dollar and powerful Loonie THAT I TOOK MOMENTS AGO so she'll sleep tonight. It was all just a photo trick. Done with, umm...lighting..and..ummm..selective focus...and...moving right along.

I never ripped up the dollar. I respect money too much. Let me give you an example.

Last Monday the clutch on my Honda Civic EXPLODED AND BROKE (It didn't WEAR out, torekimi!) and needed to be replaced.

I called Gentle NonViewer and brother to my sister and I, son to my parents, and father to my niece and nephews (different ones, I swear) and asked how much it would cost because he knows things like this having been born long after us in the Industrial Age. "Twelve hundred bucks." he said.

Ok...now watch carefully...

1200 bucks for the clutch + 150 towing = 1350 bucks. Damn. That hurts.

Now the clutch REALLY only cost 662 bucks and I drove the car home by brilliantly speed shifting it saving 150 bucks.

So 1200 - 662 = 538 plus the 150 I saved = 688!

THAT IS LIKE MAKING almost 700 BUCKS!

The day before I paid 360 bucks for a Tamron 28-75 2.8 lens.

let's see 700 - 360 = 340!!!

I MADE 340 BUCKS AND got the lens for FREE!! Nice!

A Canadian Exchange

Way back when the Canadian Dollar was trading at .65 US, I had an old, senile, Canadian fool tell me that he could recall when the Canadian Dollar was at PAR with the US Dollar.

"You can not you old, senile, Canadian fool." and I spit on the ground. (Being in Canada and all)

Then the old, senile, Canadian fool went on to tell me he could recall the day when it was HIGHER than the US Dollar and it would be again if things kept going like they were.

"That will never happen you old, senile, Canadian fool." I replied and spit AGAIN.

Today's exchange rate: 1 US Dollar = 1.0056 Canadian Dollars.

My humble apologies to the old, senile, Canadian fool.

I'm really worried now because he also said that each American president gets dumber than the last.

Lisa, Paul, and Carmine Palumbo

Dr Jeff Mattera

The funniest man I ever met. The funniest part? Our common friend Paul thinks him the LEAST FUNNY which Jeff thrives on and simply uses as more material.

Hornets? Wasps?

 

 

 

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

Mmmmm...Grain

Posted for Macroday: Grain

Dangerous Donuts

I wonder if I could get one of these for my apartment....

NO! My BEDROOM! You know...it starts a little while before the alarm goes off....

Oh yes...I think we have something here.

(Posted for Moody Monday: Fragrant)

You Are Here.

Posted for Tuesday Challenge: Directions

Carmine Palumbo

Guest photographer: Bob

Bob was trying out the lensbaby.
I was trying to keep that tongue off my legs.

Bob was more successful than I was.

Guess Where My Seats Would Have Been.

My cameras are always going cool places. This time mward took the Canon Powershot S2 to New Hampshire for a NASCAR race. Had I gone, I'm certain I'd have only been seeing 'Stripes and bright stars.' "Guys! C'mon! I can't SEE!" Guest Photographer: mward

princessleiaward and mward. Guest Photographer....umm....HEY!

Lensbaby Pumpkins

What? You don't like Produce Photographs?

Then you clearly don't know that Thursday night is Grocery Night!

Partners in Crime

This is The Thing of the Moment's 2500th Post.

I started The Thing of the Moment on Dec 16th 2004 just to see how blogger worked intending it as a way to post some old family Christmas photos and has since grown, of course, to a Monumental and Majestic blah blah blah compromising this photoblog, The Thing of the Moment Gallery and a massive flickr site.

It's drawn old friends, new friends, strangers, stalkers, lurkers and customers. It's nearly been killed off a couple of times in panic or frustration. In its short life it's made me learn more about photography, writing, and of course blogging. It's also made me learn more about other people and myself. It's taught me I'm the worst editor in the world. It's taught me that I'm terribly vain and proud on one hand and truly humble on the other. It's made me learn to live with contradictions. It's taught me the power and exposure of the new media which I have at times used for mean and petty ends and sometimes for good.

It takes more than a smart ass and a camera to keep a blog going for 2500 posts. It also takes the best Gentle Viewers in the World.

I sincerely thank you all for having nothing better to do.

No, it's not a GD moo Card.

moo cards are all cute and I'm sure wonderful to be tossing around your local flickr meetup, but once one strays outside the flickr community and the photoblogging world, I think the standard business card works best.

It's hard enough explaining blogs and digital archives on the fly without getting into why I just handed the person a ridiculous sized card that can't even be licked and stuck on a letter and mailed. I got enough trouble already.

A blog card can serve as a get out of jail free card and instantly diffuse a confusing situation, be a point of contact should anyone want to follow up and actually SEE the photos you've taken of them, or (THE BEST) serve as a distraction as you make a quick get away.

The Best Part of Taking This Shot?

Wrestling down the Secret Service Agent who wanted to know why I was on the business side of the fence!

"Because my Gentle Viewers demand it.", I told him as he was begging me to let him back up.

17

TtV Pumpkins

With these images I henceforth declare your lowly and humble photographic servant to be THE GREATEST TtV PUMPKIN PHOTOGRAPHER IN THE WHOLE WOOOOOORLD!

Attention other TtV photographers in running to be THE GREATEST TtV PUMPKIN PHOTOGRAPHER IN THE WHOLE WOOOOOOORLD! I'm totally willing to cede my crown if there are other TtV pumpkin photos.

I have been dethroned! The King is dead! Love Live the King!

It May Or May Not Be Art But It *IS* Art Supplies II

Lensbaby

TtV

Artbaby. STARE INTO THE TtV CONTRAPTION and SLEEP! SLEEEEP!

This is Pat Herbert Walker Haugh the art teacher who shares an office with me because she either drew the short straw or they were hoping her unerring professionalism would wear off on me. I'm working hard to make it backfire. She's brilliant. She's the only person who ever successfully pulled the 'forgot my wallet' trick on ME at lunch AND lured me to her house on a FRIDAY when I COULD have been going HOME on the false promise of buttermilk.

Dan's Pretty Pleased With His Pipes