AM/PM

this morning's sunrise--Click for full size

this evening's sunset--Click for full size

Still looking for a job.
Craigslist = tedium ad nauseam.

Saw Pan's Labyrith. It was good.
Found 2 free movie tickets on the ground Saturday. Now we have 4 freebies rat-holed.
Children of Men is supposed to be good.

We're on movie-renting hiatus.
It got out of hand there for a bit.
We're reeled back in now.

Slothy McSloths didn't get much done this weekend.

I asked.

I received several military recruitment offers after posting my resume on craigslist.

Please read.

From: "Velasco, Alejandro X SFC USAREC"
To:
Subject: I don't want to live for the weekend.
Date: Fri, 26 Jan 2007 12:30:45 -0500

Hello
My name is SFC Velasco I am a recruiter with the U.S. Army
I would like to offer you a job as a soldier in the Army for full or
part-time positions. Yes this would require enlistment into the U.S. Army as
a soldier. We are not looking for people to work as civilians for the Army
we are looking for people ages 17 to 39 to serve their country as a soldier.
You do not need to have any prior training or experience; the U.S. Army will
pay you while you are being trained to perform your job. The U.S. Army
offers guarantied training of choice in over 150 different positions you can
enlist for.

Some of the most in demand jobs include: Health care specialist, pharmacy specialist, laboratory specialist, dental specialist, radiology specialist, respiratory specialist, Aircraft electrician, Air traffic control operator, Aircraft hydraulic repair, Crane operator, Heavy construction equipment operator, Interior electrician, Telecommunications operator, Paralegal, military police, Psychological operations, Administrative specialist, Human recourse specialist, Public affairs specialist, Journalist, Metal worker, machinist, light wheel mechanic, ammunition specialist, transportation management and human intelligence collector,

The U.S. Army is looking for people in all of the following career management fields:
Medical field, Flight, Paralegal, Aircraft maintenance, Psychological operations, Financial management, Special forces, Signal operations, Electronic maintenance and calibration, Mechanical maintenance, military intelligence, Engineering, Armor, Transportation, Adjutant General, Public affairs, Religious support, Military police, Electronic warfare, Ammunition,
Supply, Chemical, Field artillery, Infantry, Air defense artillery, Civil affairs, Band,

Benefits include
Up to $40,000 cash sign up bonus
Up to $70,000 for college
100% medical, dental and vision with zero co-pay ever
100% medical for your family with zero co-pay ever
30 days vacation with pay each year
Full time pay
Contact SFC Velasco
Email Alejandro.velasco@usarec.army.mil
Toll free 877 842 8583

-----Original Message-----
From: The Blankenships [mailto:letsgogetsometacos@hotmail.com]
Sent: Friday, January 26, 2007 7:59 PM
To: Velasco, Alejandro X SFC USAREC
Subject: RE: I don't want to live for the weekend.

Does that include life insurance? How much would my husband get if I am
killed?
Thanks,
April Blankenship



From: "Velasco, Alejandro X SFC USAREC"
To: "The Blankenships"
Subject: RE: I don't want to live for the weekend.
Date: Sat, 27 Jan 2007 14:26:13 -0500

Yes we do Have life insurance. The beneficiary receives $400,000.00
If you are interested in taling with me more in depth over the Phone give me
a call

Alex velasco 877 842 8583

Last night

Senior Limpia doppelganger, on the bus, answering his annoying cell phone ring:
Hey, what's up?

Me:
Not much, just listening to some jerk on his cell phone.

Fan Dance by Dirty Martini

It was really loud, so make sure your volume is turned down before you play it.
But have it loud enough to hear the music, it's great.

Panorama-Rama!

I've wanted a Horizon for several years now. But I can't really justify shelling out $250-400+ for a camera that is not all that practical, especially since I have a problem with film, developing, etc.

Those crazy Russians...

So, I don't know why I've suddenly remembered the AutoStitch program and now I have panorama fever.

Now you have to click on these to see the larger versions and really appreciate the panoramaness.

this afternoon around 2pm, while on a dog walk

just a few minutes ago, leaning out the window
and trying not to SPLAT on the sidewalk

This is opening up a whole new world of possibilities for me, I tell ya. Be prepared to be inundated with panoramas. I've never heard of anyone complain of too much panorama. Perhaps I will test that.

Now if I can get somewhere to take a really great 360 panorama, I can try making a polar panorama! Oh yes.

Photography by

Jeremy Birn
© 2001-2002

Sunday Adventure! Aventura de el Domingo!

Keith said we should start doing mock magazine covers for our weekend adventure. Sounds time consuming.

But intriguing. I do need to beef up my PhotoShop chops. I've decided to manifest a creative job for myself. (I am quitting my personal asst job.) So far I've applied for only creative stuff--photog intern, typesetting, glass blowing shop helper... I can work for less if it means I actually want to get up and go to work. That's a benefit that does not translate to wages. So I've checked out some books on how to be better at what I feel I am moderately okay at: turning photographs into something more. I plan on incorporating some more complex PhotoShop tricks, design elements, etc. Plus textures. Anyway, as I look for a creative job, I am also brainstorming how to make money freelancing. A lot of good ideas out there. A lot of coffee shops wanting to show art. Etc.

Today's adventure:
We found a scanner on craigslist for only $60 and it does slides, too (not in violation of The Compact since it's used). Keith has a bunch of slides from his dad's childhood, traveling around the country (i.e. Disneyland, CA Redwoods, etc.)

The guy with the scanner was in Sellwood. He tried to sell us a futon, too, which we could have used. But it would have been hard to fit on the bus.

We took a couple of buses. We are really getting some good orientation around different parts of town.

Click on this for a larger version. Really worth it.

Tried a panorama on the fly while waiting for the 70. Used AutoStitch to put it together. Surprisingly simple. This was made with 5 photos I took leaning up against the bus stop sign for a stable POV.

Made some more paper and got some more Year in Review letters out. It's still January, right?

Keith made a score over by a market near us. This Sid & Nancy poster. Classic. Nothing like livening up a Portland winter by hanging two heroin junky co-dependents on your wall. Something to aspire to.

If I had $105,000

Does anyone want to float me a loan? I would like to buy this place near San Blas.

You know how to contact me. There are two houses; we could work something out.

Thinking HARD

Oregon Convention Center

Keith came home from the laundromat to find me poisoned by bathroom cleaner fumes (no kidding! that stuff is toxic) and suggested we go "out." My brain was atrophying and I tried to argue, but he dragged me out and as soon as I hit the cold fresh air I was feeling better. Hmm...

We threw caution to the wind and hopped on the MAX for Parts Unknown.
Or Gresham, whichever came first.
We saw a lot of new country and started planning on checking suburbs for rentals next spring/summer. (Yes, ugh, the suburbs. For the doggies. They need a yard. But also: usually cheaper.)

In between listening to random incoherent coversations (never a shortage of those on the MAX), I picked up a Tribune and read a review for a restaurant that had veggie sliders. We'd been talking about where/what to eat for about 45 minutes and this place sounded good so I talked Keith into adventuring some more and taking the Yellow Line up Interstate Ave.

We got off a couple of stops too early, but walking was nice, in the sun! And I got to take some photos I would have otherwise missed. Finally made it up to Pause (Alberta St., not Albina St.!)

Click on these for the HUMONGOUS versions.

Anyway, sliders went down realllll nice. Vegetarian for Keith (he gave up meat 01/01), vegan for me. Best hand-cut fries EVER. Salt! Also, the coke was a good washer-downer. 4 thumbs up.

We're in the midst of a Simpsons marathon. Watched Season 5, now on Season 6. These are good ones, smart. For those of you who don't live in Portland, you may not know that many of the characters are named with Portland names. Street names, etc. Ned Flanders, Montgomery Burns (from Montgomery Park), Revered Lovejoy, Sideshow Bob Terwilliger! Look at a map, I'm serious.

Last night laying in bed I was going to that place just before you fall asleep and I told Keith to manifest something in the mail this week.
I said (sarcastically), "You know, pray."
He said, "I don't pray. I just think real hard."

Dear U.S. Citizens,

from Graffiti Friday

What's it going to take?
Would you send your child to Iraq?
What makes someone else's child expendable?
Can we afford to let this happen again?

We can't afford to let this happen now:
$357,000,000,000 and counting for this war. That's three hundred seventy-five BILLION dollars.
In fact, the tab grows by at least $200 million each and every day.
Instead, we could have hired 6,192,177 additional public school teachers for one year.
Instead, we could have provided 17,321,474 students four-year scholarships at public universities. (So they wouldn't have to join the military...)

More than 50,000 Iraqis killed. Citizens.
Nearly that many of our military personnel wounded.
3,000+ soldiers killed in action to date. This does not account for the ones who die once they are home.

Americans authorized to torture other people.
"You don't defeat terrorism by becoming a terrorist." (Vic Blazier, Iraq war veteran)
Continued desecration of rights we are guaranteed. Like freedom from search and seizure! (Get your That's okay. I wasn't using my civil liberties anyway. sticker now.)

Wait, why are we there again?
WMDs? Osama who? Saddam is dead.
It's the Crude, Dude.
"...the idea that the U.S. invaded Iraq to secure this strategically important and highly valuable resource is strangely taboo in the mainstream media. It is practically shouted down whenever mentioned. Instead, we are asked to believe that the U.S. invaded Iraq for a variety of reasons, none of which has anything whatsoever to do with a desire to gain control over the most lucrative untapped oilfield on earth — even as dwindling worldwide reserves threaten to turn competition for crude into the major international battle of the future."

What do the insurgents say about Bush's new plan to send more troops?
Iraqi insurgents last night threatened to send President Bush’s 22,000 new troops home in body bags as details emerged of the new Baghdad crackdown at the core of his “surge” strategy.

Who runs this country?

One questionably-qualified, illegally-elected man?

A man who is "... ignoring the results of the November elections, rejecting the central thrust of the bipartisan Iraq Study Group and flouting the advice of some of his own generals, as well as Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki of Iraq.” (Al-Maliki may not even tolerate the presence of more US troops for long, although he spared Bush the humiliation this week of saying so outright.)

Or all of The People?
People, that's us.

2006 in photos

Since we've started documenting our lives in photographs, it's been interesting to go back through them and remember things I would have otherwise forgotten.

While we had many memorable experiences in 2006, sometimes it's the small beauties that we overlook when we scan our memories. For that, I am thankful for my camera.

Click for a larger size

Things to do in 2007

*I reserve the right to modify this list at any time.

(waiting for the bus, on the way to The Bins!)

• Get back to a strict vegan diet.
• Do not buy anything new (underwear/socks, food, and health supplies exempted).
• Spend less time on the internet.
• Check out fewer books from the library so I actually get them read before they're (over)due.
• Sell the Jeep and rely soley on public transportation (car rental for longer trips--seeing family, etc.)
• Take more photos (if this is even possible); carry my camera every day.
• New ink, of course.

(Keith cracks himself up)