Saturday, 2008 · Popularity: 80% · journal, low light
Last night we went to see the fireworks display in Auburn. It was a very enjoyable night to have even just an hour or so to hang out with some friends and family while we waited for the fireworks. The fireworks display that the city of Auburn Alabama puts on each year is great, and we have been to see fireworks all over the country.
This year they started a little early, we presume because a storm was on its way, but they were still great to see. I decided to take my camera equipment and do some fireworks photography this year. I have not shot any public fireworks display in many years, but still came away with a few good shots (see full gallery here).
Normally when doing fireworks photography you want to setup using a sturdy tripod so you can use your remote shuttle release in manual mode, but I found another Auburn photographer on Twitter (ToomersCoffee) who also got some great shots hand holding with a faster ISO.
I hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July weekend.
Friday, 2008 · Popularity: 71% · journal, music
Happy 4th of July to everyone
Holiday’s always seem to be a time when we neglect our blogs and online lives for that of something in real life. Tonight I am going to spend the evening with some family and close friends watching the fireworks in Auburn.
Each year the city of Auburn puts on one of the best fire works displays I have seen in person. Great for such a small town, so tonight of course I am going to try and get some good fireworks photography.
I love that type of photography but I haven’t shot fireworks in almost 10 years now, should be great.
Holidays, the 4th, and Some Hendrix
I wasn’t going to even do a blog post today, but I had iTune on random and up came the famous version of the Star Spangled Banner by Jimi Hendrix, and I thought about this particular holiday. If any of my two or three readers read my rant on Father’s Day (Why I Don’t Like Father’s Day // Top 10) you might get an idea I don’t like holiday days. Generally, I don’t. Everything is out of sync, but maybe I just have a problem taking some time off.
So, here comes the Hendrix Star Spangled Banner (video of performance). If you have never heard it before, it is not for the faint of heart. Hendrix played this on August 18th, 1969 on the final performance at the Woodstock music festival. He only played it two more times, once in Greenwich Village and once in Harlem where two kids actually stole Hendrix’s guitar out of the back seat of his car before he went on stage.
We are More Than Just one Mind
It just reminded me what a diverse and complex collection of people that have graced the history of the United States. You may not care for Hendrix, his lifestyle, or his rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner (I know many who hate it) but he was a part of what made this country what it is today, just as much as we all are.
Here is wishing everyone a wonderful 4th of July.
Tuesday, 2008 · Popularity: 38% · journal
Why does it always seem like there are a thousand things to do when you get back from a trip. I try to minimize this by taking my laptop, phone, work, all that stuff with me whenever we go out of town, and it does reduce the workload when you return, a little. It also keeps you connected to work all the time, but, owning your own business, that is what you tend to do.
What is amazing is that it always seems like when you return, not only do you have the normal things to do that didn’t get done while you were gone, but some how, you now have a brand new list of things that were never on the list to begin with. This comes from being in the car for 25 hours and getting away from the normal routine of things.
If makes you think, sometimes it refreshes the mind, sometimes it gives you new ideas. This was a very fun weekend at the Polka Festival (see Busy Memorial Day Weekend Photos) as usual, but I also brought home a new to do list with items that had never before graced the presence of my office. Time to get busy.
I leave you with a photo above from the parade on Saturday. This is my grandson, William, explaining to the fireman that there are plenty more people behind him that want to say hi, to him, and he better be on his way. In all I think I took about 2,000 images over the weekend and about 2 hours of video. It will take a while to get through it all, in the mean time, its back to work.
Thursday, 2007 · Popularity: 10% · international
How far does your Internet connection reach? I am speaking mostly to those of us in the United States, but the question is a valid one for everyone. How far does your blog reach? To the ends of the political borders you live in?
To some of us here in the U.S. that might be as far as a writer might think about, but thinking that way is very limiting, and offending to some.
So, happy Thanksgiving to those readers that are in the U.S. (or that celebrate this holiday), and to everyone else, happy regular Thursday.
Write and Correspond for a Worldwide Audience
I just love seeing posts in forums and blogs that have a huge “Happy Thanksgiving” greeting as if the entire world is celebrating Thanksgiving. I really wish some of us here in the U.S. would have a little broader perspective of the world and realize that just because it is going on over here, doesn’t mean it is the same everywhere else in the world.
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Tuesday, 2007 · Popularity: 12% · BUSINESS, ecommerce, shopping
Do you want to increase your sales, ad revenue, and ultimately your profits in a short period of time? Was your online storefront or website ready last year when the holiday selling season rolled around? The time to prepare for the Christmas holiday season is right now.
Many retailers can sell as much in the few weeks between Thanksgiving and New Years Eve as they sell all year long. Don’t have an online retail store that sells a product? Well, don’t think that eCommerce storefronts are the only websites that see an increase in traffic over the Christmas season.
If you run a commercial, non-product based, website (like a blog) you can also take advantage of the increased online traffic that often starts when the weather gets colder and visitors are hunting around for good deals. Don’t be caught unprepared and leave revenue lost between being unprepared, no inventory, and bad customer service.
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