Dreaming about Bill Gates

Continuing to upload pictures to Flickr. In the last few days I've uploaded photos from Cincinnati, Portland, and St. Louis. I figure I'm 40% through my collection so far (my digital photographs, that is).

I dreamed about Bill Gates last night! It was strange. He was taking me on a trip somewhere - he and his wife. I can't remember why. A Lamborghini figured in there. The dream was probably inspired by an article David Pogue wrote about Gates this week, focusing on his philanthropic work. It gave me a new appreciation for the man, despite my lack of enthusiasm for Windows.

B&H Photo is sponsoring a travel photo contest for amateurs and professionals. I'm thinking of submitting a photo. Suggestions are welcome! (You can browse the photos at Flickr's site).

Glacier photos

Grinnell Glacier
Originally uploaded by Mike Willis.

I finally finished posting the photos from Glacier National Park. Have a look-see. The slideshow feature works well. Also learned how to use Google's RSS feed reader (with a little help from Paul!) I can now subscribe to various blogs and flickr accounts, and any updates are automatically emailed to me. Cool stuff indeed. On another note, tennis lessons went great tonight - my forehand was consistent for the first time since I-can't-remember-when. Practicing last weekend with LeAnn really helped. The trick seems to be stepping into the shot and keeping the wrist firm as I follow through. I'm psyched!

photo update

Posted some more photos to my Flickr account today - mostly from Glacier and Toronto. More to follow.

As I post the pictures, I see little changes I'd like to make, but can't, lacking Photoshop or Aperture at home. Drives me crazy. Guess I'll have to spring for one of those apps soon.

Flickr does it again

While playing around with Flickr yesterday, I found a cool little feature (well, cool for photo geeks like myself, anyway!). Any photo taken with a digital camera has a digital stamp that includes all kinds of information about the camera settings when the picture was taken, including the day and time, the shutter speed, aperture setting, and so forth. If you look at a photo on Flickr, there's a column on the right. Under "Additional Information" you can find out what kind of camera was used for the shot. Under this is a link for "More properties." Click on it, and you've got data up the wazoo. How cool is that? Probably overkill for the average person, but if you're an aspiring photographer, it's pretty fascinating. Kinda like peering into the toolbox of an artist.

BBQ Quest: Des Moines

I know what you're thinking. BBQ? In Des Moines? Who cares! But bear with me, here. There was a front page article yesterday in the Des Moines Register about one of their local BBQ shacks, Mr. Bibb's BBQ and Tenderloin. According to the article, it's in a rough neighborhood and since the owners moved in, they've acted as a catalyst for cleaning up the block, literally and figuratively. Problem is, they can't make their rent, so they may be closing shop or relocating. I've not been there, so I can't vouch for their cooking, but I love the idea that the owners have invested in their neighborhood. If you're in the Des Moines area, be sure to check it out (soon!) and share a report.

tennis lesson babble

Warning: technical and geeky tennis talk ahead...

I think I was so distracted ranting about the state of tennis in my last post that I forgot to mention I'm taking lessons this summer! It's a great deal - $19 for roughly six weeks of lessons, meeting twice a week (take that, snobby tennis clubs!). The lessons are offered by the city. There's twelve of us. The ages range from high school to retirees and everything in-between. A good mix. Tonight was the second lesson. We practiced hitting both forehands and backhands. Predictably, I was much stronger and consistent with my backhand. My kingdom for a strong forehand! I don't know why I struggle so much with my forehand, while my backhand comes naturally. All I can say for certain is that it is supremely frustrating! I'm trying to slow down and not hit the ball so hard. I've also noticed that I tend to hit the ball much better if I stretch for it - when I do that, I think I'm stepping into the shot, which is something I do naturally with my backhand.

Did I mention how thrilling it is to hit a backhand winner? There's nothing else like it in the world!

For the last fifteen minutes we once again played King of the Court, which means essentially that everyone had a chance to play each other, one on one, in brief, mini-games. I enjoy the variety of opponents. I'd say there are three others who are at my level or higher, so I have some people to watch and learn from. Andrew, a high school student, has a wicked spin on his forehand and backhand. I'm SO jealous! I want to learn how to do that.

We haven't gotten to serving yet, thank God. It's not going to be pretty.

But all in all, I'm really happy to be back on the courts, playing again. I love this sport. I hope I can continue to improve and play for a long, long time.

the problem with tennis

Every three to four years, I get an itch to play tennis. I've been playing since high school, when Tony and I would bat the ball around on the courts at Hempstead for hours on end during the summer (random memory: Tony was crazy about iced tea back then; me, not so much). I was never very good, but we were equally inept so we had a good time.

Since then, I've taken lessons off and on. I love the game, but I need to play consistently to improve. Unfortunately, Iowa winters wreck havoc on this strategy. And this is my biggest beef with the sport: it's impossible to practice or play in the winter unless you belong to a racquet club (that is, if you live in the midwest). And guess what? A racquet club can be rather expensive. I looked into fees at one in Dubuque a few years ago. This particular place hits you with charges twice - once for the monthly membership fee, and a second time for a court fee. That's right - anytime you want to play a game of tennis at this club - the same club you pay dues to every month - you must also cough up some dough just for the privilege of stepping foot on their court! Doesn't that strike you as just a little, well, stupid and/or greedy? I haven't done any comparison shopping - after all, there are just so many indoor racquet clubs in Dubuque (which is to say, one) but I suspect this is not uncommon. My question is, why? For all the United States Tennis Association's efforts to reinvigorate interest in the sport, it's expensive racquet club fees which don't help the cause of tennis (a country-wide tour of tennis pros wouldn't hurt, either). My guess is, despite the remarkable story of the Williams sisters rise from Compton, most people still consider tennis as something snobby and country-clubbish. And that's a shame.

song of the week

I love this song. A new favorite. (Fun fact: Big Star also wrote "In the Street", the song played in the opening credits for That '70s Show).

The Ballad of El Goodo
Big Star

Years ago, my heart was set to live, oh
But I've been trying hard against unbelievable odds
It gets so hard at times like now to hold on
My guns they're waiting to be stuck by
At my side is God

And there ain't no one gonna turn me 'round
Ain't no one gonna turn me 'round

There's people around who tell you that they know
The places where they send you, and it's easy to go
They'll zip you up and dress you down
Stand you in a row
But you know you don't have to
You can just say no

And there ain't no one gonna turn me 'round
Ain't no one gonna turn me 'round
Ain't no one gonna turn me 'round
Ain't no one gonna turn me 'round

I've been built up and trusted
Broke down and busted
But they'll get theirs and we'll get ours
Just if we can
Just, ah, hold on
Hold on
Hold on
Hold on

Years ago my heart was set to live, oh
But I've been trying hard against strong odds
It gets so hard at times like now to hold on
Well, I'll fall if I don't fight
And at my side is God

Ain't no one gonna turn me 'round
Ain't no one gonna turn me 'round
Ain't no one gonna turn me 'round
Ain't no one gonna turn me 'round
Hold on
Hold on
Hold on
Hold on

BBQ Quest!

Quick weekend recap:

LeAnn, Maddie and I went to Cars on Friday night. Thumbs up. Luke Wilson was perfect in the role of an egotistical, self-involved race car. The tongue scene (you'll know it when you see it) made me laugh!

On Saturday morning Maddie's dad picked her up in Galena for a weekend visit in Chicago. LeAnn and I went to her cousin's wedding in a tiny town near Manchester, and then we went to see Styx, who were playing in Dubuque for some festival - you know, the one with log cutting contests - I lose track! We went with Kathy and Matt - Matt's a big fan of seventies and eighties progressive rock. I'm not a big Styx fan, and I'm not usually very keen on live music in general, but I was glad we went - it was a blast. Things I enjoyed:

1. The band started on time
2. The concert was outdoors, so it wasn't too smoky (although, as fate would have it, I did have a smoker standing next to me)
3. We had a decent view of the stage
4. The crowd was into the show
5. I forgot I knew half the songs the band played!

I actually left the concert with a new appreciation for Styx. I love Come Sail Away ever since I saw the pilot episode of Freaks and Geeks, and Too Much Time on My Hands was always an eighties fave of mine. But I had forgotten about Renegade, Lady, and The Best of Times. It's a guilty pleasure, sure. But watching them fly around on stage, you'd never guess that they've been playing - what? - thirty years? They coulda phoned it in, but the band really played their hearts out. You could tell they were having a great time.

On Sunday LeAnn and I drove to Madison for ribs. Well, it would be more accurate to say that I talked LeAnn into going to Madison for ribs! I'm on a BBQ quest somethin' fierce. I blame it on Al and Irene's BBQ in Cedar Rapids. Ever since going there a week ago, I'm all afire to find all the local BBQ joints and shacks in the tri-state area. I still love Famous Dave's, but now it's time to widen the net. So armed with a little internet research, I found Smoky Jon's #1 BBQ (that's the name) in northeast Madison. It was fantastic. The place is small - about the size of your average living room, I'd say - and the interior is bedecked in split logs reminiscient of a cabin. It looks a lot like Famous Dave's, actually - only smaller. I ordered a half-rack, which was very tasty. LeAnn wasn't crazy about the sauce - said it was too sweet and thick - but I didn't mind. I would like to find a 'que shack that offers a more vinegar-based sauce, but I don't expect to find anything like that around here.

qwantz (it's a small world...)

It's funny how small the world can be. About a week ago, I stumbled across a site called qwantz.com when I was doing a google image search for dinosaurs. One of the highlights is a comic which features talking dinosaurs that have a penchant for stomping on people (they also sell hilarious t-shirts that only a true geek would appreciate - like me!)

The site also acted as a catalyst for a public art project (of sorts). The goal was to have people make and place real, three-dimensional question boxes (from Mario Bros) in random places all over the world. I thought this was brilliant! Can you imagine walking down a street, only to look up and see a real-life, three dimensional question box floating above you? Apparently some folks in Ohio didn't find it so amusing - a bomb squad was called in at one location to investigate the strange boxes. I'm grasping for a pithy aside here, but really, with a story like that, I'd be gilding the lily.

Here's where the shttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.giftory gets interesting. Last spring, the selfsame question boxes made their appearance on the UD campus, both in the technology center lobby and hanging from the trees outside. Coincidence? I think not! Sure enough, as I scrolled through the article, the site mentioned the University of Dubuque! As if that wasn't funny enough, the site gave credit to a student named Paul. I can only assume that this was my student assistant from last year. Paul was a freshman computer graphics student that had a penchant for wacky, crazy things like this. Alas, Paul left UD to pursue animation at the Rochester Institute of Technology. Poor guy didn't really fit in. I'll miss him. But it sure makes me smile knowing he was behind the Mario Bros public art on campus! We could use a few more students with his surreal and off-kilter sense of humor.

waterslide bonding

Had a great weekend in Cedar Rapids. Yesterday LeAnn, Maddie and I went to the Cherry Hill "Aquatic Center" - you know, those things that used to be known as city pools! It's amazing how far the common city pool has come in twenty years or so. I realize I'm sounding a bit old and curmudgeonly when I say this, but when *I* was growing up, the pool was rectangular and had two things sticking out at one end, known as diving boards. Today, pools are SO much more kid-friendly. Now there's something called "zero depth entry" (a fancy phrase for ramp) so the wee ones can walk in the water slowly. This also has the added benefit, for those of use who like to warm up to the water gradually, of stringing out the process of acclimation even l o n g e r than usual!). There are large fountains shaped like flowers. There's even a set of large plastic lilypads that kids can hop across, just like in that Atari classic of yore, Pitfall!

And, needless to say, waterslides are everywhere. Cherry Hill has two - a standard, serpentine kind that winds around, and a second, steeper slide that goes almost straight down (known as a "drop" slide for those in the know). I did both. The serpentine slide was fun but not terribly thrilling. The drop slide, on the other hand, is just a little bit freaky. Part of the freakiness is that you can't actually SEE where you're going - the pitch is that steep! It's also roughly 75 feet high. I'll admit it - I was a wee bit tentative about doing it. But before I knew it, I was next in line and the fourteen year old lifeguard was telling me it was my turn. It was over in 3-4 seconds. For the first half second, you think, "This isn't so bad." Then, before you know it, you're in a near-free fall mode. I believe my butt actually lifted off the slide at one point! And as you're falling, you wonder just how many kids waiting at the bottom you're actually going to flatten as you careen out of control. But of course you don't. As quickly as you start, you're done.

The funny thing is, the second time I went up, everyone in the line was talking about the slide like it was a bonding experience. Suddenly, you share an intimate bond with people that you would never look twice at in the normal, workaday world. "Isn't this one awesome?" "I was a little freaked the first time." "You think you're gonna fall, but you're really not." "Yeah, man. I was trying to hydroplane at the end, but I lost my form."

In short, it was a blast. And I have to say, whoever has the job of actually designing public pools these days has one of the coolest jobs around. I feel just a little bit sad when I think about the lame pool I had grown up with. Who knows where I might've ended up if I had access to an "aquatic center"? And more importantly, who needs to look any farther that today's modern aquatic centers to see that good design does make a difference?

deep thoughts, part 2

There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are. - W. Somerset Maugham

Skill without imagination is craftsmanship and gives us many useful objects such as wicker picnic baskets. Imagination without skill gives us modern art. - Tom Stoppard

The media. It sounds like a convention of spiritualists. - Tom Stoppard

Life is a long lesson in humility. - James Barrie

We live in a world that gives scant attention to beauty. We're willing to build cities that function but have little beauty and to make homes that are convenient and affordable but not necessarily beautiful. We believe that beauty is expendable. But to the soul beauty is more important than almost anything, and so it plays an important role in our desires and cravings. - Thomas Moore

learning to love the Swiss Miss

I've always been a fan of Martina Hingis. She's a refreshing example of grace and technique when tennis seems overflowing with testosterone-fueled hitters who share more in common with Barry Bonds. But she's got a problem with diplomacy, and that's cost her a number of fans. Slate sports writer Seth Stevenson used to be one such Monica-hater. He even went so far as to nickname her "Chucky" in reference to her "bulbous" forehead. How rude is that?

On Thursday, Mr. Stevenson wrote a funny and contrite reconsideration of the Swiss Miss. It's worth reading if you're a tennis fan or enjoy seeing sports writers admit their mistakes (how often does that happen?) Without a doubt the funniest passage comes at the end of the article, when Stevenson actually professes a grudging admiration for Martina's lack of tact:

I was even happy to see some of her patented crude arrogance return this week. When asked about her first-round match, Hingis replied, "Well, I don't think I was totally tested today. It's hard to say something after 6-2, 6-2 against Lisa Raymond."

Daaaaaaaamn! Why you gotta hate on Lisa Raymond like that? I'll tell you why: because Chucky's back.

Easter

Thought I'd share this pic of LeAnn and Maddie from Easter. I took it on the front sidewalk of my Mom's house. I'm not normally very good with portraits, but I really like how this turned out.

the anxiety of influence and sour grapes

Ok, I have to come clean. I fibbed in my post yesterday when I said my art history classes had no effect on my artistic inspirations. As you can see from another of my Microsoft Paint masterpieces (TM), I was clearly influenced by Rembrandt Peale, an early 19th century portraitist, as well as Picasso. I love how Rubens (the boy in the REAL painting) has two fingers in the soil, checking the moisture. What a great moment to capture. You can read more about the Peale painting here.

In one of those funny coincidences life doles out on occasion, the New York Times has an article today about just this topic. Dale Chihuly, the biggest name in glass art, is suing two of his former assistants for copying his work. Their response is that Chihuly can't copyright a particular style or technique, and I'm inclined to agree. They may be using the same technique in the same style, but they are not physically copying or reproducing his work. And to make things more interesting, Chihuly has not actually blown or made glass for a long time due to several injuries he suffered when he was younger. He comes up with the ideas and sketches them out (his sketches are beautiful, by the way), but his apprentices and assistants are the people who actually make the glass. Are they taking the skills he taught them and ripping off his muse? Sure. Does it make for good art? Probably not. Can you legally stop them from doing it? I don't see how.

deep thoughts, part 1

In addition to my UFO drawings, I also rediscovered a bunch of quotes I'd compiled when I was in high school and college. These still make me laugh...

I can't understand why people are afraid of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones. John Cage

All bad poetry springs from genuine feeling. Oscar Wilde

Love is the answer, but while you're waiting for the answer, sex raises some pretty good questions. Woody Allen

Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all other countries because you were born in it. George Bernard Shaw

If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man. Mark Twain

The word "meaningful" when used today is nearly always meaningless. Paul Johnson