Wodehouse Quote

by Jeff W Posted on April 1, 2008

“At the age of eleven or thereabouts women acquire a poise and an ability to handle difficult situations which a man, if he is lucky, manages to achieve somewhere in the later seventies.”

P. G. Wodehouse
British humorist & novelist in US (1881 – 1975)

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Happy Anniversary

by Jeff W Posted on March 30, 2008

Eleven years ago today I was fantastically fortunate enough to get married to the most wonderful woman in the whole world.

She, on the other hand, got stuck with me.

Babe, you are the best thing that ever happened to me. I am so thankful that fate brought us together and that you have been in my life these past 11 years.

Happy Anniversary, My Love.

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Which Movie Should I See?

by Jeff W Posted on March 29, 2008

I’m thinking about going to see a movie this weekend, but I’m having difficulty deciding between “21” and “Superhero Movie.” Which one do YOU think I should go see?

And don’t suggest “Run, Fatboy, Run” because I have no interest in watching a movie about myself.

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The Little Child Inside The Man

by Jeff W Posted on March 29, 2008

I returned to the hotel yesterday to find my room phone flashing like the Batphone.

When I checked the voicemail message I found out Commissioner Gordon wasn’t on the other end, but there was a package waiting for me at the front desk.

When I saw the box was from Amazon I knew that it was my anniversary gift from Cindy. We had already decided that we would get each other something from our respective Amazon Wishlists. She told me the other day that she was thinking of getting the Complete Captain America (every Captain America comic book published by Marvel Comics up to April of 2007) on CD for me, so when I saw the size of the box I thought, “That’s bigger than it should be for that one item.”

I raced up the three flights of stairs (Ok, OK, I slowly made my way up the three flights of stairs), got in the room and ripped (Ok, Ok, cut) open the box to find not only the Complete Captain America BUT also the Complete Courageous Cat and Minute Mouse DVD set. I haven’t seen those cartoons since I was 7 or 8 years old.

Thanks, honey. And thanks for understanding the little child inside the man.

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Back To The Future

by Jeff W Posted on March 28, 2008

The other day I watched Back to the Future III.

When I came to Louisiana I brought some DVD’s I had not yet watched from home and the set containing all three of the BTTF movies was one of them. A couple of weeks ago I watched the first, last week the second and this week the third. But it was watching the third that brought back a nice memory.

Back in 1990 when BTTF III opened, theaters across the country decided it would be a good promotion to have marathons where they would play all three of the movies in order in one showing. A local science fiction/comic book store had a TV show on the local cable access channel and they had some contests to win tickets to the showing at the only theater in Orlando that was participating in the promotion. I was fortunate enough to win 2 tickets and got to spend a day enjoying the movies with someone.

Watching it the other day reminded me of how much I enjoyed that Saturday and it brought a bittersweet smile to my face.

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Flood Warning In Baton Rouge

by Jeff W Posted on March 27, 2008

The area of East Baton Rouge (where I currently work and temporarily live) has been under a Flood Warning since last Sunday when it was issued by the National Weather Service.

The heavy snows up north and the flooding that has affected Missouri and closer states such as Arkansas has finally “rolled downhill” so to speak and cities along the Mississippi are keeping a close eye on the ever-increasing water level. Since the warning was issued, the river’s level has risen about 6 inches per day, which means it should hit flood level stage here in Baton Rouge by tomorrow.

Fortunately, that is not as bad as it sounds because the Baton Rouge area has a good strong levee in place (remember those concrete steps you saw along the river in my Baton Rouge I Flickr set? If not, go look at it now, I’ll wait…Back? Ok.) and flood level stage is where the water would crest the river’s banks if the levee system was not in place. By the way, the water you see below the grassy area of the bank in that photo is now up to the second step from the bottom. The rising waters will curtail industrial activity along the river, but should not be a physical danger to people in the area unless it rises much, much more.

But our forecast DOES call for heavy rains tomorrow through Sunday, so if you hear me gurgling, you’ll know what happened.

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2007 Tax Return

by Jeff W Posted on March 26, 2008

I’m currently enduring one of my least-favorite annual tasks; working on our tax return.

You know what would be nice? If congress would just scrap the whole damn tax code and implement a flat rate income tax. No deductions, no exemptions, no loopholes to exploit and no little-known regulations to get caught in. Just a nice, simple, flat rate income tax.

It sure would make this mess easier.

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Cindy Hard At Work

by Jeff W Posted on March 25, 2008

Today, tomorrow and Thursday Cindy is working hard at a company-sponsored “retreat” being held in the award winning Mirbeau Inn & Spa located in upper New York state.

Here’s a picture she snapped with her cellphone of the salt mines she’ll be toiling at.

She’s already had time today to indulge in a facial and guests are encouraged to roam the facilities in plush robes and slippers.

Sheesh!

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Scenes From Saturday

by Jeff W Posted on March 25, 2008

So, Saturday morning, as you already know if you read this post, I spent walking around downtown Baton Rouge taking pictures. When I returned to the street where I had parked the rental car, I was amused to find another gentleman across the street taking a picture of the same “Schlitz and Giggles” sign I had photographed a couple of hours earlier. Other than one man on a bicycle and a mother with her children (and of course the people at the State Capitol Building), I didn’t really see any other people on foot until I spotted him. Apparently, downtown Baton Rouge is not a popular place on a Saturday morning.

Somehow, without my even planning it, Saturday turned out to be my “random acts of kindness” day.

On the way back to the hotel from downtown I stopped at CVS to pick up my prescription I had dropped off the night before. When I walked up to the pharmacy there was a middle-aged woman waiting at the counter. The clerk indicated I should come on up to pick up my order as the prescription for the woman waiting would not be ready for a few more minutes. I was swiping my debit card and entering my PIN, so I wasn’t paying attention to the clerk as she rang up the 2 toiletry items I had with my prescription. As I looked up, she was holding a small plastic case that looked like (and turned out to be) one of those little repair kits for eyeglasses with the tiny screws and screwdriver and said, “I’ll just put this in the prescription bag.” I asked her what it was and she pulled it back out and I told her that was not mine. The woman who had been waiting said that it was hers and the clerk apologized and started to call a manager for approval to take it off my charge. I told the clerk, “Please don’t bother” and took the case, handed it to the woman and said, “Here, my gift to you” and kind of chuckled. The woman’s face lit up and she threw her arms around me exclaiming, “Thank you, that is so nice!” I told her it was my pleasure, then extricated myself from her grasp because I don’t care to be touched by most people, especially strangers, and walked away with my items. I have no idea why that small act (it was a $3 item) caused such a more-than-necessary reaction from her, but apparently it made her happy. And it was certainly better than getting a “Screw you, I don’t need your charity!” response, lol.

Later, when I returned to the hotel, there was a man taking a picture of his wife or girlfriend in front of the hotel under the sign. Assuming they were trying to have a keepsake photo of their trip to exciting(?) Baton Rouge I did something I seldom do and asked him if they’d like me to take their picture together. I was probably still in my “photography mode” from the photowalk, lol. Anyway, he said they would and thanked me very much afterward for taking a beautiful picture of them.

So, if an old curmudgeon like myself can practice random acts of kindness, you can too.

Practice Random Kindness and Senseless Acts of Beauty

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Posted in Baton Rouge, Personal | 1 Comment

New Right Column Content

by Jeff W Posted on March 24, 2008

This will be of more interest to writers who may visit this blog, since I am attempting to make this a page about writing in general and my own writing in particular. Accordingly, I have been adding content that will pertain to writers and their interests.

Over in my right-hand column, I have added a feature that suggests writing prompts for those who may have hit that proverbial “writer’s block” wall; a scrolling marquee of current and upcoming writing contests (I’m actually, seriously, maybe considering the possibility of submitting a short story entry in a Science Fiction and Fantasy contest); and an ad for a free subscription to “Blogger & Podcaster.”

Please don’t forget, if you plan to order something from Amazon (and who doesn’t?), that if you’ll go to Amazon via the ad in my right column, I’ll get a few pennies as a referral fee that I can apply toward defraying the cost of this site.

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Baton Rouge II Photos Up On Flickr

by Jeff W Posted on March 23, 2008

Amazingly, I’ve had another full weekend off.

I spent yesterday morning photowalking the northern part of downtown Baton Rouge in general and the State Capitol Building in particular.

After recalling what little I learned in school about Louisiana’s history, I found it interesting to step into the lobby of the State Capitol Building where the late Huey P. “Kingfisher” Long was fatally shot on September 8, 1935. There is, apparently, some disagreement as to whether his assassin actually shot him, or whether he simply punched Long and Long was subsequently shot by a stray bullet from his bodyguards and state police, which had opened fire on the assailant and shot him some 30 times.

Anyway, if you’re interested, there are about 108 photos in the Baton Rouge II collection on my Flickr page.

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Posted in Baton Rouge, Photography, Photowalking | Comments Off on Baton Rouge II Photos Up On Flickr

Flickrvision

by Jeff W Posted on March 23, 2008

If you like photography or seeing other people’s photos…have I got a web-based application for you!

Flickrvision. Most people either use Flickr to put their photos on the web, or at least aware of what it is. Flickrvision allows you to see photos uploaded to Flickr from all over the world in real time.

The screen opens with a map of the globe and as you watch, newly uploaded photos pop up with a pointer indicating where they are originating from. If you see one that intrigues you, hover your mouse over the balloon and a larger version will appear.

It can become addicting.

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Posted in Photography | 1 Comment

Atlanta Tornado Photo

by Jeff W Posted on March 21, 2008

Last weekend, as an EF-2 tornado swept a path of destruction across downtown Atlanta, local photographer Shane Durrance was on the roof of his condominium building with his camera. Listening to the local news, he took the photo below just as the meteorologist from 11Alive news was giving out a tornado warning.

Later, Durrance sent the photo to 11Alive and said he believed he had missed capturing the tornado, but after the meteorologist reviewed the photo he assured Durrance that he had indeed gotten the shot he was seeking.

The picture shows a light-gray vertical strip of what looks like clouds connecting the cityscape to the larger clouds above. That is the actual tornado, according to 11Alive’s weatherman. He said it didn’t look like the usual sort of funnel cloud because it was embedded in rainshowers at the time of the photograph.

What a fantastic picture of both the beauty and fierceness of nature.

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Posted in Photography | 5 Comments

Spam From Writing

by Jeff W Posted on March 20, 2008

I never thought my online writing would generate spam, but I guess these days ANY online presence will subject you to these unwanted e-mails.

What confused me, at first, with this one was the e-mail address I received it at and the sender referring to me by my full name rather than my initials, which are what I use in the e-mail address itself. I only use this particular address for writing assignments with reputable organizations. Then I realized it had come through my articles I had written for Suite101 last year. The site offers readers the opportunity to click and e-mail the writer without disclosing the writer’s address to the sender.

This spam e-mail is a variation on those fun “Nigerian” inbox bloaters. The added twist is the writer is a female, possibly a princess and, in addition to the $8.5 million dollars she wants to deposit to my bank account, she wants to start a new life with me.

Wow, money AND the girl. It’s like the perfect ending to a romance novel…or an episode of The Love Boat.

I wish I had the time to spare to have some fun with this by sending some replies and stringing the princess along like these people do; it would probably be very entertaining. You’ll just have to settle for this initial contact, misspelled words and all, that she hopes “would not be thrown to the wind.” No wind, princess, just the ether of cyberspace.


Deares Jeff Wetherington

This is Celine Milan, I thank God for this opportunity to get in touch with you, I pray that my decision to ask you for help would not be thrown to the wind. Introducing myself, I am Miss Ceiline Milan, the only daughter of Late Chief and Mrs.Sule Milan a businessman who based in Liberia and Abidjan Cote d’ivoire who sold Gold and exported Cocoa .My father was poisoned to death by his business associates on one of their business trips,

But before the death of my father on the 29th April 2004 in a private hospital here in Abidjan He secretly called me on his bed and told me that he has a sum of USD$8.5M (eight million five hundred thousand U.S) deposited in a Prime Bank here in Abidjan Cote D’ Ivoire, that he used my name as his beloved duaghter for the next of kin in depositing the fund.

Now I have decided to invest these money in your country or anywhere safe enough outside Africa for security and political reasons.I want you to help me contact the bank inorder that they will pay the Money into your personal account in your country for investment purposes, after which you will make arrangment for me to travel out from here to come and Join with you in your country to start a NewLife with you.

Moreover,I am willing to offer you 25% of the total sum as compersation for your effort and input after the successful transfer of this fund into your nominated account overseas, I will be waiting to hear from you as soon as this email gets to you in good health.

I will give you more details of the transaction as soon as I hear from you.

Thanks and God bless you.

Yours,

Ceiline Milan
Private Email:(ceilinemilan_505@yahoo.fr)

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Posted in Writing | 2 Comments

A New Obsession?

by Jeff W Posted on March 19, 2008

Oh man, I love the night, I love abandoned structures and I love my camera. This may be a brand new obsession for me to pursue.

Oh, and there’s an excellent interview with the photographer, Troy Paiva, here.

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Arthur C. Clarke, R.I.P.

by Jeff W Posted on March 19, 2008

Though not unexpected, I was saddened to learn of the passing of Arthur C. Clarke today at the age of 90 in his home in Sri Lanka. I had already been thinking about him, especially over the past few days as I was compiling a list of my top 10 favorite science fiction authors to post here, so it seemed even more serendipitous to hear of his death.

Despite his fame as a writer of science fiction, Clarke was also hailed as a visionary in the world of science, developing the concept of space satellites in 1945, years before they were created, and was regarded as an expert consultant in matters of study involving the future.

Somehow, it would not surprise me to learn that he was a time-traveler from that very future he let us peek into.

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Flying Through Airport Security

by Jeff W Posted on March 18, 2008

Wired Magazine has a nice, illustrated little article in their latest newsstand issue and on their website with tips on how to make your trek through airport security a little easier.

Having to fly so often I’ve already incorporated all of these suggestions into my routine. Plus, when I was home in January I had my retinas scanned and was fingerprinted at the Clear office inside OIA. Recently my new Fly Clear biometric travel card arrived and I’m looking forward to using it the next time I fly out of Orlando and hopefully at other airports as they get added across the U.S.

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Happy St. Patrick’s Day

by Jeff W Posted on March 17, 2008

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Updates: FriendFeed And Twitter

by Jeff W Posted on March 16, 2008

Took some time last night to update the right column information, including the addition of FriendFeed and getting back on Twitter.

FriendFeed is a way to keep updated on different aspects of your friend’s life including blog posts, Twitter feeds, DIGG feeds, FaceBook updates and many other web 2.0 applications. According to FriendFeed, none of my friends are using it, which may mean I’ll be standing out here all by myself, lol. But if you take a look at it and like what it does to keep you up to date on friend’s goings on, then get an account and let me know.

After I got my BlackBerry in December I failed to add Twitter to my smartphone, but that has been remedied now and I’ll use it to make mini-posts when they are not large enough to post here.

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Anger Management for Dummies

by Jeff W Posted on March 15, 2008

I was in the bookstore last night picking out something to spend a gift card on (Thanks Kirk!) and as I was walking up to the checkout counter I passed a table full of different “Dummies” books that were under a discount sign and obviously on display to entice browsers to buy.

Under normal circumstances I would have paused to peruse the display in the hopes of finding a book that deals with my own particular kind of “Dummieness”, but the store was putting on some kind of special presentation and program for kids and there were multitudes of the little ankle biters swarming all over the first floor. Kids are great, I love kids. It’s the parents who never make their little cherubs behave that irritate me, and there were plenty of those in attendance.

So, to save my sanity and escape the screams, crying and whining of the collective future of our world, I hurried on my way past the display. But one title caught my eye and made me chuckle at the irony of both the current situation and the title’s intended audience.

I mean, don’t you think that someone who suffers from anger management issues would be set off by a title such as, “Anger Management For Dummies”?

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Posted in Books | 2 Comments