Banned Books and Controlled Looks

The American Heritage Dictionary, The Bible, Decameron, Tarzan, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, The Divine Comedy, Grimm’s Fairy Tales, Ulysses, The Talmud and Candide share something in common. At some point in time, these were (and some still are) banned books.

Authors Francis Bacon, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Lewis Carroll, Confucius, Homer, Martin Luther, Galileo, Socrates and Voltaire - and even some were executed for their dangerous ideas.

If you want a fairly comprehensive list, the following publications are available:

Banned Books: Literature Suppressed on Political Grounds by Nicholas J. Karolides. New York: Facts on File, 1998. ISBN 0-8160-3304-8

Banned Books: Literature Suppressed on Religious Grounds, by Margaret Bald. New York: Facts on File, 1998. ISBN 0-8160-3306-4

Banned Books: Literature Suppressed on Sexual Grounds, by Dawn B. Sova. New York: Facts on File, 1998. ISBN 0-8160-3305-6

Banned Books: Literature Suppressed on Social Grounds, by Dawn B. Sova. New York: Facts on File, 1998. ISBN 0-8160-3303-X

Freedom of speech is a prized right - but are we free to write hurtful things? Is the free press free to say and do anything without restraint? Should somebody do something about stalkers with cameras? With great freedom comes great responsibility. Make things available, but respect the privacy of people who are in pain.

This big and juicy can of worms continues to excite discussion.

With a camera, I think restraint and respect should supercede the public’s right to gawk. With a pen, I think that everyone should be given due process before the press and photographers set forth sentences of guilt.

Information from sources are not necessarily facts. Photographs are always taken in context and should not be published out of context.

Be careful little mouth what you say ...

I could have lived without seeing the Zapruder film, and I am not one to hide his eyes from anything. My President was dead and that image could have been hidden away from most eyes without a bit of loss to our basic freedom of information.  I would have preferred not to hear Nixon’s tapes where he not only revealed he was a liar and CROOK - but also a foul-mouthed, vulgar, scheming man. He was OUT anyhow. Some information does not make us a better people.

I don’t want to see the corpse of Michael Jackson. His end was the finale of his life’s tragedy.

Do study and read and learn what you don’t know. Never bury your head or deny yourself the Truth. But join me in a cry for balance.

Banning? NO! Restraint? Please. © Tim www.timjohnsonphoto.com

Fix It OR Let It Go???

Fix it or let it go. What a question.


How much Goop, superglue, Duck tape, wire and string, splints and even the very best JB Weld, not to mention, TIME do we apply to something that is broken and may or may not be fixable?


I enjoy the challenge of repairing things. The satisfaction of putting things back together goes back to one of my very first “jobs”.


Already I have told you about the countless hours I spent sorting pop bottles back into their proper wooden crates. That is a task that no longer has to be done, since bottles aren't returnable and recycling is so very easy.


When my grandfather decided I had the sense and the strength to set about this new job, he waited till school was out and I had put in two good days of fishing and putting the yard in order. Then, he brought me a tool case, filled mostly with wrenches and ratchets and heavy flat-head and Philips-head screwdrivers. He also had some WD-40 and some heavy grease and a few punches and a two-pound hammer.


Papaw never did things lightly or casually and I knew something was up. He told me that a car was arriving later that day and my job was to take it completely apart. Bolt, nut, screw, spring, O-ring, hinge and every window and every knob. Cotter pins, brackets and the tiniest parts of the carb and electrical harness had to be removed.


Removed and sorted. Plus, with the mechanic's manual, I had to explain where the parts had come from and what they did.


This old car had Worsted wool seat covers and free-range Naugahyde here and there. I had coffee cans filled with the somewhat surgically-removed parts and learned how things fit and worked. I even got my buddy Curtis to come and help in the dis-assembly of this monster auto.


Finally, all that was left were the parts that had been welded together.


I looked forward every day to a new level of discovery. Even the lubricants and fluids became familiar smells and textures.


The other part of the deal was that I had to keep my work area clean, myself included. I learned it was best to have a shirt and some shorts dedicated to this job.


At the end of it we had a lot of metal parts, bolts, screws and little auto components in coffee cans and cigar boxes – all labeled.


The romantic end of the story would be that when I finished with taking it apart, he would tell me to put it back together and that would be my first car.


Nope, this was just an exercise in keeping my over-active self busy and teaching me to do what I was told. He also told me about auto factories and that probably 200 people had been involved in the assembly of that car. It only took one kid to take it apart. (After the summer, I knew what "torque" really meant.) I felt like I was the story never told on one of my favorite shows, "Industry On Parade". I'll bet YOU never watched that program as faithfully as did I.


The sheet metal was taken for scrap, the useable parts were sold to a junk yard and I got some muscles and knowledge out of the exercise.


Some things are worth fixing. Some things are beyond repair. Some things need to be let go.


As I approach my 61st birthday, I feel very much like an old auto. I do OK most of the time. I need frequent tune-ups and I can be driven, but gently please. Some day the cost of the repair will be too great and I just won't be worth it. But not TODAY!


Vintage Tim is OK – reading, writing, playing and still scrapping. I have a publicly known DNR and I am an organ donor, but I am not ready to part with anything just yet.


Many thanks to the mind of Bill Munzinger for his great illustration. I have kept that image before me for many years. I have tried to think things through before I took the SWING. Don't make a mess, unless that mess is just the really right thing to do.


By the way, I have a couple of bolts from that 52 Chevy, just in case someone might even have a need for them. © Tim   http://www.timjohnsonphoto.com/

Open Invitation To OpenSource

This is a testament to the flexibility of Open Office Write and other OPENSOURCE applications.

You know that I am a fan of Open Source software. The Research Triangle of North Carolina is the home of Red Hat. From just about anywhere in the world you can access a powerful or even a light and quick PC OS just by downloading or borrowing a CD or DVD.

The hefty Mandriva or Unbuntu for consumers and Edubuntu for educators are three leaders. Others, like Red Hat, Fedora and Debian and many other forms of Linux OS will fit and flourish on older PCs who lack hard drive space and RAM to run the hole-in-the-wall OS.

They also flourish on RAM-ONLY e-netbooks which work where power is scarce.

With any PC and any OS you are open to a world of open source applications. Users are also application writers and tweakers who make the “open” meaningful. If there is a Windows or Mac application, there is or will be an open source application to follow. You don't have to run Linux exclusively to benefit from Open Source advancements. Of course you can go dual-boot, just for fun.

For Windows users there are fine applications from open source. Open Office is the equivalent of MS Office and many of its components are more powerful. There is no cost for Open Office. Free. Tell your friends.

The Gimp is a strong image processing package that rivals many Adobe and Corel products. Tell more friends.

Don't let me mislead you. I do use and enjoy my relationship with Microsoft. I use their products and do not begrudge the work they do. However, if patches and fixes were made of Duck Tape (that IS the original name) how much would Vista weigh? Now we're rolling out “7”.  ( ... of NINE if the packaging is right ... )

Their ONECARE is one of the most solid, least invasive utility and anti-virus packages. Their technical support is astounding. But this is a challenge that Corel and MS could not meet.

I have some ancient document and data files from the early 80's. Neither Word nor Wordperfect could open them. I did not want to lose to lose these files, so I threw them at Open Office Write. The little diskette hummed and the screen asked if I would like the documents in the same format in which they were created – or would I like them in ODF format? WRITE, on! The data files? Excel? Nope. BASE? Yep!

SURPRISE!

Files saved and safe.

These BLOGS are first crafted and saved in Write. Pretty mundane stuff – but Write is also close to a publishing package.

Little victories? Tiny steps? Yes, taken on the backs of giants. Bless the programmers!

Many people who cannot buy a brand new system can easily find an older PC for virtually no money, have a free OS and these good tools and more. With a phone line they can have very inexpensive web access.

It is so cool to see this sort of technology bringing many people in remote areas into touch with the world. Solar-powered eBOOK pcs with Linux or XP and satellite uplinks are bringing thousands of people into touch with libraries, medical resources and education that was out of touch just a year ago.

Let's hope that the Open Source will be met with open hearts and minds.    © Tim      www.timjohnsonphoto.com

Writers Do Go To Heaven

One purpose of writing is to put old heads onto young bodies.

Another is just to get information from one brain into another as well as to inspire, share feelings and say things on paper that may not make it into any conversation.

At the heart of it all is the desire to do something you love to do and make money. The two great names at doing this are Charles Dickens and Beatrix Potter. They knew what they were doing and took their work places it had never been before - for PROFIT. We might like to look at their business models.

While involved in the book publishing industry I was privileged to attend BOOK EXPO. The meetings I attended were in the great city of Chicago. The Expo has been in New York for a while now.

At BOOK EXPO, all the publishers, distributors authors and editors are THERE. Print houses from around the globe are there to offer to print your book. The distributors that sell to AMAZON are there.

All books and media are arranged according to topic. In an area about the size of 4 football fields, everyone and their recent work is at hand. There are workshops for writers, distributors and publishers. There are parties and chances to meet and greet EVERYONE.

The same day I met Ray Bradbury I also met Danielle Steele. Ed McMahon was there and then Tom Wolfe topped it off. My PUBLISHER registration got me everywhere, as well as a huge collection of sample books.

These books and the media were the ones being prepared for Christmas sales. That is why the meeting is held in May.

The BEST of what I got was the energy of being in the world of book creation and distribution. Unlike a library, the point here was to publish, contract and sell writing.

Meeting people whose voices were familiar, due to business contacts, and having a bit of time to get to know the people critical to our success was the point of the trip.

Charlton Heston too. Oh yeah, everybody eats breakfast with Charlton Heston.

There was education. Those bargain books at the front of the Barnes and Noble and Borders stores? Remainders. They are bought by the pound, not the title. Pounds of books for pennies.

Writing and publishing is work. Readers are sometimes hard to come by. But there is a writer and publisher heaven and haven – BOOK EXPO.

Now, back to it. Get those words on paper. Tell someone what you've done and how you feel. I just bet you have an audience. © Tim     http://www.timjohnsonphoto.com/

Basic Tools For Writing, Imaging and Lettering

Dr. Terrance Brennan is “Bones”. She is intelligent, beautiful and terse. In the TV series she works at the Jeffersonian, a pretend high-tech crime lab. She and her fellows use the latest and some as-to-be-invented (pretend) technology to solve capital crimes. Her skills as a scientist do not always translate into great people skills. (Kirk/Spock) She is also a successful author.

On one episode, a TV interviewer asked her as to how aspiring writers might “get started”. Her reply was rich. They need something to write with, some paper and a pencil or pen – delivered in perfect deadpan.

I could be pretty straight about getting started in photography: Get a camera, some media and go do what the manual says when something catches your eye. Calligraphy – just as easy. Get that Popiel calligraphy kit (a JOKE, as are most kits) and start writing beautifully. Better yet, just come to one of my classes.

Of immense help though, is getting to know your tools. Know your mind and heart. Ask yourself, “What pictures do I want to take?” Next, buy the lens that takes that kind of picture and a camera body that supports the lens.

When people ask me for advice on what kind of computer to buy, I ask them what they want to do with it. After the puzzled look, they generally say what they intend to do. Then I ask at what level they want to do it. Then I suggest that they buy software that does the work they want to do and finally the kind of computer that supports the software. Don't buy the camera or computer first. Let's talk.

When writing is your thing, gather the essential items (pen, pencil, paper, laptop, PC, netbook) and then master the stuff of stories and books. Get a handle on grammar and etymology. Read other good writers and listen to what people are reading. Then, start writing your heart out.

Coming later is a list of some books that are basic to understanding words and phrases that will help propel and stimulate your writing. Yes, dear reader, much of this is online, but there is something about having these tools in a nest (so that in that setting your baby ideas can hatch) and feeling their pages and looking at them and having the printed words looking at you.

Start with an Unabridged Dictionary, a good thesaurus, a rhyming dictionary and maybe a reference book in the field of your particular interest.

Get these printed resources together, start with what you are feeling, write it down, save and revise, revise, revise. You might want to keep your early drafts.

You can also learn to use the advanced editing tools in Write, Word and Wordperfect that allow you to see your original text and your revisions. Sometimes you might get carried away with the "delete" key and wish you had that perfect phrase back later.

If your verbal expressions run to poetry, try doing your drafts in Excel - just a thought about how to keep up with your universe of verse.

Then share what you write. Connect your heart with another. Join with some other writers so that you can have some shared energy and get some help and positive criticism.

Here are some great resources:

Etymologically Speaking, Morgan

Origin of Phrases, Chuck Moreland

Verbivore, Richard Lederer

Wilton's Word and Phrase Origins, Dave Wilton

The Word Detective, Evan Morris

World Wide Words, Michael Quinion

Family Word Finder, Reader's Digest

Morris Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins, William and Mary Morris

Origins: A Short Etymological Dictionary of Modern English, Eric Partridge

The Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Edited by C.T. Onions

Success with Words, Reader's Digest

© Tim www.timjohnsonphoto.com

Summertime Care For Your Cameras and Media - CHILL

We have covered some broad, non-technical issues for a while and now, back to some nitty and gritty.

Summertime is fully upon us and that means trips, photo ops and chances to ruin everything that we image.

Film and digital media share something in common: they, along with the batteries that power many cameras, can't take the heat. If you look at the manuals and product labels (printed exclusively for me, I fear) [One of these days I really am going to talk about why cars sold in NC even have signal lights. So few drivers use them, they ought to be optional equipment. We really do have to guess where these people are going, since they don't know, and if they do know, they aren't telling.] you will see a temperature range for the operation of film, camera, battery and media. In fact, LCD screens on your laptops and TVs cook at a certain temperature and I have seen them installed over fireplaces. Soot and heat – the nemesis of a clear picture.

Do not leave your cameras, digital or film, in your cars. If I have even the most remote idea that I might encounter heat for an extended period of time, I carry several frozen ice packs to help keep things cool.

If your condo A/C is set to 65 degrees and the heat and humidity outside is paralleled at 90 degrees and 90%, plan on your lens fogging up. In such a cold room, you can keep your camera functional by keeping it near a little lamp.

Cold is no friend to batteries. We are talking about electrons. They move more slowly when they are cold – like many of us.

One of the safest things to do while handling equipment is to keep it on you or in your hands. Chances are you are going to maintain a decent body temperature that will not threaten the health of your imaging equipment or media.

Perhaps that is the allure of the Hassy 503 CX, no batteries and the best glass in the world, not to mention TOUGH.

 © Tim    http://www.timjohnsonphoto.com/

LUNACY AT KODAK AND GOOD SENSE AT NASA

On any given day, good things and bad things can happen. Sometimes it seems like an odd stew of both and you have to get through one to get to the other – or you must chew and swallow both.

I am looking forward to the results of the fresh lunar information that we will get from the LCROSS mission to the moon. People with any interest in science always like to see things go “BOOM”. What we will learn from impacting a missile onto the moon's surface is whether there has ever been water in that spot.


From the aspect of cool photography, there will be a couple of hours of live-feed coverage of the missile's flight from a trailing rocket. In earlier days, I would have been at the screen, watching it LIVE.

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/LCROSS/lunarswingby

Now, I will settle for the replay. My excitement will not be diminished by the delay. There's nothing like almost BEING THERE and watching it on my schedule. Now, if I was a part of Mission Command … but why even ponder that line of thought?

This is the day that Kodak announced that Kodachrome is going out of production. I will grieve and move on. I will also find out for all of us what they intend to do about processing the hundreds of thousands of rolls of KC still in our refrigerators, freezers and camera bags.

Momma, they took my KODACHROME away!

Whenever I think about anything in my life that even approaches loss and suffering and begin to have feelings about “getting and having”, I immediately give thought to Mahatma Gandhi.

Love him or hate him, you can't ignore him. Educated, determined and self-sacrificing, he changed things for millions of people. First, he changed himself.

The photograph at the top of this article shows the collected estate of Gandhi. This was all that he owned. Even if you have seen the movie with Ben Kingsley 3 or 4 times, none of us can get into these sandals or what do you call those other things? They are not flip-flops – there is no thong. Just a peg. Hmmm.

I sometimes haul forth memories of traveling alone on many trips with just enough money, or working for money at odd jobs on the way. I carried a towel, soap, toothpaste and a toothbrush. Simple.

My dear friend, Clyde Bond is a magazine and information content publishing wizard. Not only does he have sound ideas. He works. He refines his own electronic and print creations and the his own selling process. One line that he uses successfully in his presentations is: “Everyone broadcasts and listens to one radio station, WII-FM.” WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME? Offering them a chance to participate in his business plan, he explains the great and lucrative benefits of his program to his clients. What plays on that station? In Clyde's case, for his clients, he brings them SUCCESS.

Without Kodachrome, should our photographic expectations diminish? No. We need to elevate our work, our investment in the process of making good images and move forward. Use the film, work at wearing out our equipment and keep ourselves fresh.

Travel LIGHT; Think LIGHT; Be LIGHT.

Maybe the Agfa 25 needs to be shot next. The Hasselblad and the Pentaxes beckon.

I will respond.                       © Tim www.timjohnsonphoto.com

Thinking Big To Get This Small

A miniature wonderland

Shared via AddThis

Thanks Kim for the point to this site and all your good, weekly advice.

When boys and girls and their imagination stations get out of control you wind up in a place like this.

What a joy to dream and build and visit.

This is what we are talking about: excellence and elegance.

Play the video again and look at the expressions, not the toys. These are people of every age, state of health and from every walk of life.

Surrounded by this playful artistry they are elevated to the happy state of JOY.

I bet they have forgotten their aches, bills and pills.

Come on now, one little shot at Sudoku won't hurt. One game of Tetris will be fun and is anyone GAME for TWISTER?

(c) Tim www.timjohnsonphoto.com

. . . BLAH BLAH BLAH . . .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrsuiD2y3c0

Direct your mind to the above animated piece about absolutely nothing:

. . .  BLA BLA BLA  . . .

Jerry Seinfeld, the master of making millions of fans and dollars with a show and comic routines about nothing would be proud – if he had any pride to have.


The expression: BLA BLA BLA is a spelled-out version of the familiar ellipsis marks:

…

These little things can be overused, but they do serve a purpose. They let us know that a thought is not quite thought out or matured. They let us know that we are not going to get to the point. We know that we are going to be left hanging. Hanging is not a bad thing – sometimes.

I am grateful for the direction I get from the CHICAGO MANUAL OF STYLE. Kate Turabian is the queen of grammatical style and has provided direction for me in the magazines and books on which I have worked. She rarely misses anything.


I close with the greatest example ever for the use of the ellipsis marks. You can play the video again if Kate's unfinished sentence makes your head buzz. Here we go:

He could easily have saved the situation by …

But why talk about it?

If, in addition to the former rant about nothing you need more to fill the void, there is one more thing that you must see and hear. Make sure your speakers or headphones are ON. If you have folk in the house, gather them around NOW. This will be a family MOMENT. You will all be thinking the same thing when this is over. I promise.

http://www.snotr.com/video/2630

 

(c) tim    www.timjohnsonphoto.com

WEDDINGS, FELLOWSHIP, INK AND A LITTLE HEAVEN

In 2002 I was commissioned by a Quaker (Society Of Friends) couple to hand letter their marriage contract. The words are traditional and I got to add their personal touches. The wedding took place in Texas, so one of the decorations is a stylized Bluebonnet. The names of the bride and groom are in traditional European Royal Blue and Red, both Cardinal colors. All the writing is gouache and there are touches of 24k gold leaf.

Traditional words, their touches, my writing and drawing, the best part, to me, are the signatures of the witnesses. The paper is laid finish Bainbridge. And is 12x16. Without the signatures, the whole piece would have been terribly incomplete, as would have been the wedding.


I love the signatures and the way everyone kept the lines fairly straight – though everyone was afraid of both left and right margins. There were NO LINES to help. I did provide pigmented pens, so that the signatures would be permanent, just like the intentions, vows, promises, papers, gouache and gold.


The following quote came to me in with the sweet spirit and teaching of Peter Thornton, my lettering tutor and a great and handsome British calligrapher (Peter, did I say that correctly?) I first met in 1982. The quote is from A Dream Of John Ball by William Morris, (yes, the guy that made the furniture too):


Forsooth, brothers, fellowship is heaven, and lack of fellowship is hell: fellowship is life, and lack of fellowship is death: and the deeds that ye do upon the earth, it is for fellowship's sake that ye do them, and the life that is in it, that shall live on and on for ever, and each one of you part of it ...


The fellowship is a lifetime centered on a day and then back to our normal orbits, enriched by a memory. Yes, ink, promises and images. Meeting, reunion and new friendships all because of the catalyst of a wedding.


Some things are worth sharing, worth the travel, worth the effort because in the day or two of great fellowship we have that little bit of heaven. And THAT is worth everything. © Tim    http://www.timjohnsonphoto.com/

Tim's Tools And Other Precious Things

This is an image of some quills, pens, bamboo, “automatic” pens, staff marking nibs, edging markers and some pretty cool old nib holders.

Most of these particular tools are worn out or bestowed to someone else because this image was made in 1982.

I have used gallons of ink and gouache and reams of paper, calfskin, goatskin and some other exotic writing material and the most exiting time I think about writing is

THE NEXT TIME!

The freshness of the new media, the smell of the inkstick and the tactile experience of the whole thing. Maybe I will play some favorite music or just listen to the rhythmic serenade of the quill on paper. Everything is familiar and yet everything is fresh and new every time.


It's the same with the familiar cameras and that whole process. The old friends rise up and serve their technical purposes, just like this keyboard, monitor and PC.


They do their work and help me do mine.


Thank you dear fellow scribes, artists and photographers who have invented these tools centuries ago, friends that have made presents of these to me and for those that have tutored me and for those that share the joy of the pursuit of excellence (and point out where I can improve) in putting these tools and our hearts and brains to use. © Tim

www.timjohnsonphoto.com

Testing, Trilobytes and Eternity

Writing is easy. All you have to do is place a blank piece of paper on the table below your head. Stare at it until your head bleeds and the words fall where they should, perfectly formed on the page.

Gene Fowler (1890-1960) tried to say this, but he didn't produce enough blood to get it right. Either that or the paper moved. The above is my attempt at improving on his original thought. What follows is a recollection and a reflection.

The writing process is easier if you are in touch with what you need to say. For a life-long romantic, aging athlete, readerly, intuitive, hands-on artist, calligrapher and a guy that tries and fails to be sensitive and helpful – simply trying to live a connected life is enough of a source to provide plenty of subject matter.

I had the best teachers. I lived among storytellers and scientists and people freshly away from the two great wars and those who worked in coal mines and on the railroads. I knew their mothers and wives and families. They had seen many parts of the world. I understood why they had worked so hard to come back "home".


I also lived just a few yards from a huge deposit of trilobites. These creatures had lived so long ago that our houses were built on their fossils. They were so fragile and embedded in rotten shale that when touched they simply crumbled. But there were lots of them. A few could be collected.


When I could drive I learned that showing up at the closest college campus with a basket of these could get attention from cute, scholarly females in the science departments. At 16 I did like lasses who wore glasses and were interested in my rock collection. I guess that would be worth another post altogether. Or not.


Just a few yards from home was the New River. Despite its name, the New River is the 3rd oldest river in the world and it flows north, like the Nile and the Amazon. Its rocks were round – OLD. Its banks had been the habitat of ancient people – OLD. There were fault lines I could see along the river – huge walls of rock shooting vertically and we KNOW that sedimentation takes place horizontally - from the time of the formation of the New River Gorge – BEYOND OLD.


I was called, when I was just 10, to spend the night at the home of a cousin who had died. It was my first wake. I was there along with five of my cousins. We had only met at Memorial Day gatherings and funerals for the elders who had died.

On Memorial Days we gathered at the old family cemeteries and cleaned up the graves. Young kids did the gravel and stick clearing and moving, the women trimmed and planted flowers and the men drank and smoked.


On this occasion though, we little boys were to be pallbearers. We didn't know what A WAKE meant much, except a harsh bath and NO SLEEP.


Who could anyway? Our cousin's open casket was open right below our loft and our bare feet were dangling just above him. Were were living under every adult warning and curse that could be imagined – I MEAN imagined.


The next day we were fed, warned not to giggle, fart or do anything except to look solemn and take careful steps.


The funeral lasted forever. I think I began to understand what E – T – E – R – N – I – T – Y was as we all tried to remain awake and solemn and non-gaseous for 200 hours. [It seemed.]


When the preaching and praying was finally done and the grim looks and warnings about HELL given directly to each of us surviving boys (we kind of begrudged our blood who was beyond suffering this preaching) we carefully picked up his little body and the poplar casket and carried it to the grove of trees and its final destination. We paused, and each of us threw a fistful of dirt onto the casket and walked away. I know I heard some ethereal remains of pinto beans whistling between some relieved cheeks. Mine were not yet relaxed enough to allow for that pleasure.


Getting home, I really felt better, hearing the sound of the ancient river, walking along the steadfast rocks and knowing my cousin's soul was in a better place, even as his body rested with the trilobites. ©     Tim www.timjohnsonphoto.com

Sheared Beauty

This You Tube posting may disapper. It belongs to Walt Disney Inc. and was cut from "Fantasia".

Finding this was like feeling a cool breeze on a hot, muggy day. Refreshing, and a reminder that some things must be grasped and savored before they pass. This is my second-favorite piece of music and is so very elegantly set to animation. If you don't like the animation, just close your eyes and rest and meditate.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcpamvLB2JU

From another source I found this portion of reflection on writing and I must share it with you gentle readers:

It is a delicious thing to write, to be no longer yourself but to move in an entire universe of your own creating. Today, for instance, as man and woman, both lover and mistress, I rode in a forest on an autumn afternoon under the yellow leaves, and I was also the horses, the leaves, the wind, the words my people uttered, even the red sun that made them almost close their love-drowned eyes.   Gustave Flaubert (1821-1880)

From the world of our creation we share glimpses of what we wish to be. The reality is immediate when words and characters enter our brains and they are incarnate when we name them on paper and fill their veins with our ink.

They breathe the breath of life when their names are read by others.

Even if we decide to delete their character or change their name, in our mind and through our imagination, they have lived a lifetime, felt every feeling, laughed, cried, loved, dined, fought, overcome and passed on. For us, a thought; for them, everything. (c) Tim   timjohnsonphoto.com

WRITE THE LETTERS, EAT THE MUFFINS, TAKE A NAP

This is a great day to get out your favorite fountain pen and your best stationery and write at least three letters.
I just think it is important to put some ink on paper every once in a while. We all really need to one up Hallmark, America Greeting and Gibson and write at least a one-page letter to someone that is important to us.

If you are in any way like me, you will have a hard time stopping at just one page. I sometimes do go on.
Although I generally jazz up the recipient's Name in some fancy letters, I do my best to send them content. You know, the kind of thing they are interested in. In my case, the twins and the GRANDCHILDREN. Most of us are aware of the news and weather leaving large gaps in the area of "small talk".
So, I try to share my feelings and hopes about how their life is going, how their faith is holding up and offer some encouragement and humor about something funny that the precious GRANDCHILDREN have gotten into.

I also report on any projects, tell them about any new discoveries and current good books.

If I have any new photos of the GRANDCHILDREN I enclose them and also put some bits and pieces or pictures of any art that I have been working on, if I think that would be of any interest to my reader. Then I fold the letter and seal the envelope and trust it to the USPS for delivery. Even with the recent rate hike, I figure that having a letter delivered is still a bargain – it's only a penny or two a day for the delivery. The rest of the money they charge is for storage. [Drum roll … ba da bing!]

I really enjoy imagining their receiving and reading my note and looking at the enclosures. Even as I write the letter I am already in their home having the conversation with them. I am smelling a meal I have eaten there or hearing the home filled with laughter or maybe shared grief – or both of the extremes and all of life in between. At least that is the connection I get from writing letters.
I really can't forsake the habit of offering a benediction as I close out the letters. It generally makes us both remember that our lives are linked by our Purpose of being here to serve God and others.

As I get to know you I am sure that these posts will get more and more personal and we will get to know one another better.

I really do want you to write those letters and you know who deserves them.


And you do remember the Plum Muffin recipe that I gave you a few weeks ago.

After you have written your letters and washed your hands, get out the ingredients that I am sure you have in your pantry, and get to it. Or, you could drag out the crunchy little pack of Nekots.

Write the letters.
Eat the muffins.
Take a nap.
 It's Sunday. Bless you. © Tim www.timjohnsonphoto.com

DO TOUCH THAT DIAL!

Ready or not, the digital conversion has taken place.

I watched live as Jim Goodman of Capitol Broadcasting tripped the switch that turned off the analog broadcasting tower. A little analog TV with a set of rabbit ears simply went blank. The nearby HD system was receiving crystal clear.

There will be Christmas lights on the old tower and it will be leased for other uses, but the TV broadcasting tasks now belong to some little digital towers.

Television viewing, oh how you have changed and changed us and how we have changed the way we use you.

The first TV signal I ever saw was a dim, bounced signal from a TV station originating in Oak Hill, West Virginia. To get to our little black and white set it had to bounce off of a range of mountains and endure being captured on Dad's array of antenna and follow a 300 ohm cable into the house and into the TV. The various mountains, iron ore deposits in the mountains and distance from the source made for a weak signal with multiple shadows – but we could see and hear The Lone Ranger and Howdy Doody. That was 1958 and I was ten years old.

The first color set I saw was sad. A clever couple had put a sheet of blue, red and green plastic over their screen and that was supposed to emulate color. The blue was at the top and the green at the bottom. I guess it worked as long as the top shot was the sky and the bottom was a meadow. It didn't do much good when “A Wonderful Life” was shown.

By the time Bonanza made it to the screen, another neighbor had a real color set and it was the place to be after evening church, liberals that we were. I remember one of our hounds being scared to death when a Ponderosa bear charged at us on the screen.

All of that started “appointment TV”. You had to be in your house at a certain time to watch your shows.

Our most watched programs really were sports, programs Like Red Skelton, Perry Como and Lawrence Welk and, just for me, Mr. Wizard.

There was news with real newsmen: Walter Cronkite and Huntley and Brinkley.

Television brought us the launches of our first efforts in space and the Kennedy assassination.

This tubed box was a wonder that had immediacy and that immediacy is growing.

Being the school A/V guy I learned about TV and radio tubes and later how to work on transistors and certain cards.

Cable and satellite opened our eyes to more selections and probably lesser quality.

VHS and Beta let us choose when we watched what we want. Now, we Tivo and DVR and download shows at our leisure. Appointment TV is gone forever, for most of us.

Something is lost when something is gained. Fewer families watch TV together. Marie Callendar even lets us eat TV dinners in separate rooms.

I'm sorry that some people's TV's went gray with the transition. I have helped about 20 people install their converters and will help others, if called upon to do so.

I might also point people that have a high speed internet connection and decent PC or laptop that many TV shows and movies can be watched by logging on and tuning in. Be careful of getting butter, popcorn, chips, salsa and Coke in the keyboard. [Now that's a Sham-Wow seller: laptop keyboard to TV-tray converters. Protect your keyboard and enjoy your snacks at the same time. Look for it in the no-too-distant future. Am I joking? Hmmm. ]

Our world population is more connected in some ways than we used to be. However, a digital connection is not a personal connection.

Rabbit ears don't replace letters and phone calls and sharing a meal – in the same room has to be a decision people make and keep together.

Maybe the clarity in the digital signals will signal a growth in the clarity of our true communication with one another. DO TOUCH THAT DIAL! © Tim www.timjohnsonphoto.com

Power To The Paper BAG

Margaret (Mattie) Knight (1838-1914) invented flat-bottomed paper bags. Knight was an employee in a paper bag factory when she invented a new machine part to make square bottoms for paper bags. Paper bags had been more like envelopes before. Knight can be considered the mother of the grocery bag. She founded the Eastern Paper Bag Company in 1870.


You go girl!

Paper or plastic was not an issue then and soon it may not be an issue in the near future.

One emerging problem is that people who use cloth bags do not keep them clean. People are getting sick from mildew and mold that grows in the eco-”friendly” containers.

Paper bags, on the other hand or both, are easily reusable, recyclable and are biodegradable. I regularly make a nice mulch by running shopping bags through my paper shredder. Acid-loving plants love this kind of mulch.

Paper bags have solved gift wrapping challenges for manly men. Gifts go into pretty paper bags with nice paper, jazzy tissue, some ornamental ribbons and lots of love. It beats un-squared and over-taped corners and the glare of the “Men can't wrap a package looks by the women at Belks.” Bah!

Square bottom bags also work better for nails, cameras, heavier supplies and groceries. Except for Cuban and French bread and flowers, bags without bottoms are useless except for lingerie purchases that still need to be re-wrapped – in another flat-bottomed bag.

If you are lucky enough to own a Gocco printer or have the skills to decorate bags with your artistic skills, be glad you don't have to build the bag to start with. Just print or ad your art to the existing bag. That adds more love to the gift.

By the way, bag these thoughts: if you use plastic bags before they go extinct, please reuse or recycle them. If you use cloth bags, wash them occasionally. Febrezing ain't cleaning. When you use your paper bag, think about the little lady from the northeast with a great idea.

By the way, the first hot-air balloon was a very large inverted paper bag. Those crazy and daring French! © Tim www.timjohnsonphoto.com

Good Music and Great Teachers

The Police needed a drummer. History will tell the story of how Phil Collins occupied that seat, the sticks and the title – BEST. Then, Phil started to SING. The members of The Police disbanded, but individual careers were born. His is among one of my favorite voices.

Phil Collin's unique sound resonates and owns certain lyrics and tunes. Tonight … Another Day In Paradise ... Invisible Touch … Take Me Home. He owns the songs. Funny thing. At some point, Phil Collins needed a drummer for his band.

What sort of talent would he choose to sit in HIS seat and handle HIS sticks? You can research that answer too.

Thus it goes in growing any enterprise. Even if you are the best at what you do, there is a point at which you must choose to be just what you are and do what you do by yourself or invest yourself in someone else and take the risk of growth.

To the especially gifted, you might earn the title – TEACHER.

I love the process of calligraphy and photography. I like the feel of the equipment and way that it feels right in my hands. I like the way it gives back to me when I invest my energy and expertise in it. I especially like to see others develop the same command of their tools and see the same joy in their faces as I have in mine.

There are teachers taking a break this summer and there are teachers with broken hearts. Their contracts are not renewed and classes are canceled. They are looking at themselves seriously and critically and seeking new places to teach or for new types of work. Our hearts are with them.

If you know a teacher, especially one enduring a special hardship, offer them some help and encouragement.
 
They love notes, shiny apples and students. Even emails and text messages are good. © Tim www.timjohnsonphoto.com

School's Out and Learning Is IN

School's out!


This phrase is being repeated throughout the region as children, families, teachers and administrators transition out of another school term.


I was the available family member today for one of the grandchildren to stand for them during their end-of-year program. It is pretty cool to be there when the little one looks back to see a familial face (Yes, that is the right word.) and there was one and it was mine.


We got to unpack book bags and put away some things we won't need till the new school year starts in the late summer. There were certificates, report cards, comments, too many pencils, scissors, glue sticks, tissues and germicidal wipes, even a borrowed pointer for a class presentation and some nondescript food item that had to be handled with tongs on the way to the trash.


Putting things away is one way we mark transitions.


The only sad note was that the true trophies of the school, Spanish language specialists, were not having their contract renewed and they were returning to their home countries. What a loss for the children next year.


Then, there are GRADUATES.


This area has so many colleges and universities that graduation has been going on for weeks. Dr. Oprah, Secretary of State Clinton and others have roused the young people who have finished their coursework and theses to go out and thrive in the greater world.


Some will.


By the way, Mary Easley got promoted to the ranks of the unemployed. This was a sad and necessary action by the UNC Board Of Governors. Now we can get on with business without that sideshow.


In my photo lab I have dozens of glass and plastic graduates. Most are metric. They measure precise amounts of liquid.


I don't think college degrees at the Associate level are necessarily less full than the doctoral level. In today's economy, many people with technical degrees are more in demand than people with masters and PhD s.


We just have to look at the mark on the graduate and see where the line of value exists.


I am very happy that we have excellent Empowerment Coaches (I'd be happy to name a great one for you.) that can help offer centeredness and direction to us in this dynamic culture.


School's out and the time for learning is off the clock. I have an 8 year old granddaughter and a 9 year old granddaughter who will be doing some italic handwriting and photography this summer. They will be having Papa art camp and they will have fun. Me too!

 I'd love to see you take some graduated steps toward your happiness and success in one of my classes.  © Tim www.timjohnsonphoto.com

Paper Joy!

After clay(Sumerians and others), papyrus (Egyptians), thin wooden strips(Romans), parchment(Greeks) and vellum(Germans), along came PAPER. The idea for paper sheets and early sheet-making technology was imported from China along Arabian trade routes.

The clearest, most readable site that explains this is:

http://personales.upv.es/gbenet/teoria%20del%20color/water_color/paper1.html

As long as this link is up and running we don't to reinvent its excellent explanation of the nature and applications of paper and its variety of surfaces.

So, when you get to the special room of paper at Askew Taylors, or pay a visit to Jerry's or dive into Xpedx, you can have a better grasp of why you are investing in certain papers.

Weight, texture, color, pH, rag content and writability and printability are all factors that will influence your choice of papers for your project – whether it is for your writing or for binding or embossing or for broad applications.

Making your own stationery, binding your books or just having the right paper that makes your gouache or gold look more brilliant is important.

Some suggestions:

1. Have a supply of your favorite papers. Some people just want to have some 32# Cranes or some big sheets of Pergamente, Bainbridge, or Roma in the house, just for comfort. Name your paper and keep it near just in case you bust out in a writing frenzy.

2. Your will need to have a supply because the frenzy will come when the stores are closed. You can learn the hours of the stores, but they will be closed when you are at the most rabid creative moment. This need for a supply applies to ink and gouache as well.

3. Keep your pounce and sandarac handy.

4. Have some pens, water, mixing dishes and quills at the ready. You shouldn't have your writing board at the back of the closet and you shouldn't have to dig through five layers of holiday supplies to get to your lettering goodies. You don't want to lose that letterin' feeling.

When you are finished or even when you have your basic layout set up, share the energy and joy with a colleague. Scan or photograph what you have done and send the image along – it might inspire another person to create their own new art – on this wonderful thing called PAPER. © Tim

www timjohnsonphoto.com

Meeting Beyond The Greeting

Epictetus [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epictetus] was a first century Graeco-Roman philosopher[http://www.iep.utm.edu/e/epictetu.htm] . He had been born a slave and had earned his freedom. It is easy enough to find collections of his thoughts, thanks solely to the fact they were written down by one of his students.

If Epictetus had managed a blog, this entry would have been one of his favorites.

He was ranting over the number of people who come and “see” him. Granted, philosophers did have rock-star status in that day and people wanted to meet him. Of course, these visits interrupted his thinking and teaching.

People traveling through his town would “take him in” just like running past the Eiffel Tower for a snapshot or walking past THE WALL in DC just to say, “Been there; done that”.

Epictetus and his teaching were famous and people wanted to say that they had met him, but the great philosopher would not let the public off so easily. His observation runs:

But a man who meets a man is one who learns the other's mind, and lets him see his in turn. Learn my mind--show me yours; and then go and say that you met me. Let us try each other; if I have any wrong principle, rid me of it; if you have, out with it. That is what meeting a philosopher means.

Obviously there is much greeting and very little meeting going on.

I am watching, as are we all, a very intelligent, sincere President Barack Obama attempt to meet (according to the definition of Epictetus) with many people. He is trying to engage fellow leaders of a variety of cultures and countries. I believe his mind and heart are open to them and I believe just as sincerely that his efforts are being met with bull-headed opposition. He is dealing with that opposition in our own Senate and House Of Representatives and in the world forum.

For that I am sorry. People are holding onto their biases, won't budge on their budgets and the walls of ancient bigotry don't seem to crack.

He is past his first few months as our nation's leader. We can continue to pray for him as we have prayed for our leaders in the past. We can also pray that there is another world leader that will rise to begin the process of MEETING our President.

Coming back to earth, just how many people have you met (according to the definition of Epictetus) in your span of years?

In THE DAY we called it FORMATION. Those precious few who we know and have known us and have chipped and smoothed and formed us into useful tools in society are on that short list.
Obviously you can't meet (according to the definition of Epictetus) every acquaintance.

However, don't be satisfied with a book of autographs when you could have met the one or the few who could have changed your life and, through you, perhaps the lives of many others. © Tim
www.timjohnsonphoto.com

Your Bigger Brain And The Library Of Congress and The World

Dear reader,

This is important stuff you have to know and there is a really important point at the end. If you need to do so, prop your head up so it will not crash and keep reading. You'll be a better person for it. Plus, you won't be caught with Play-Dough on Pato Day!

Your Library Of Congress (http://www.loc.gov/) just released this news via IT'S blog:

We can estimate that the approximate amount of our collections that are digitized and freely and publicly available on the Internet is about 74 terabytes. We can also say that we have about 15.3 million digital items online.

THIS concise and clear information is from the University of Indiana:

A kilobyte (KB) is 1,024 bytes, not one thousand bytes as might be expected, because computers use binary (base two) math, instead of a decimal (base ten) system.
Computer storage and memory is often measured in megabytes (MB) and gigabytes (GB). A medium-sized novel contains about 1MB of information. 1MB is 1,024 kilobytes, or 1,048,576 (1024x1024) bytes, not one million bytes.
Similarly, one 1GB is 1,024MB, or 1,073,741,824 (1024x1024x1024) bytes. A terabyte (TB) is 1,024GB; 1TB is about the same amount of information as all of the books in a large library, or roughly 1,610 CDs worth of data. A petabyte (PB) is 1,024TB. Indiana University is now building storage systems capable of holding petabytes of data. An exabyte (EB) is 1,024PB. A zettabyte (ZB) is 1,024EB. Finally, a yottabyte (YB) is 1,024ZB.

So in computer jargon, the following units are used:
Unit Equivalent
1 kilobyte (KB) 1,024 bytes
1 megabyte (MB) 1,048,576 bytes
1 gigabyte (GB) 1,073,741,824 bytes
1 terabyte (TB) 1,099,511,627,776 bytes
1 petabyte (PB) 1,125,899,906,842,624 bytes
At this point, any reader might want to revisit the great Powerpoint presentation, The Power Of Ten. This presentation gives a glimpse at what bits, bytes, milobytes, kilobytes, megabytes and terabytes really mean.

I have an 8 gig thumbdrive on my keychain. That one drive has slide shows, videos, music and data files that would not have fit on the hard drives of my first 3 PCs, not to mention the PCs lack of ability to process or display them.

Now, we can visit the Library of Congress and, through the cooperation of other international agencies, link directly into the libraries and databases of many other nations and international groups.

It is all out there and what are you going to do with it? I enjoy the cybervisits I often take at some of the most wonderful time. Those times: WHEN I WANT. These libraries and resources rarely close. They are not STARBUCKS, but I can make some decent coffee or make a hasty run to the 24-hour McCafe' or Sonic.

I can visit the beautiful repository of calligraphy in Great Britain's Victoria and Albert Museum. That is not all that that particular museum has, but you have to plan your visits. Otherwise you will get distracted into the costumes, architecture, book collections, rooms of the royals, etc. I can visit the great photograph collections in Berlin, Paris and in Florence. I have special guest privileges at the Vatican Library, but most people can get into 90% of their collection.

We can go to the Chicago Museum Of Fine Art or their Museum Of Communication History.
We can visit libraries throughout Asia, Africa and all over the globe.

There is a commonality present in all the work being done in all the museums and libraries:

Our past is important and preserving it is urgent.

The greatest thing that this represents to me is that some scholar-student is going to use this wealth of information to better their own life and to better the lives of people living today and in the future. Gather all the information you can and HAVE THE NEXT BIG IDEA. This is your commission and permission to do so. Get on with it - with JOY. Feel the gentle p-u-s-h.

Another thing this does is remove any excuse for any person for ever saying, “I'm bored.”

My response to that kind of thinking is that there is not enough time. Not in a day, a week or a lifetime to do the good and important things that need done. For some, the school year might be winding down – but that simply means that the time for learning and exploring and growth is off the clock.

THIS SUMMER

I have a few openings for private calligraphy and photography sessions. This could be a well-used summer of fun and focused learning. Get the global picture and then get specific on what you are going to do with the knowledge and opportunities you have. Come learn with me. I have something for you. I can be more intersting than an online visit and I don't quite smell like old books. © Tim http://www.timjohnsonphoto.com/

THE POWER OF THE PENCIL

The power of the pencil is astounding.

Mechanical and wood-bound pencils provide a portable, durable means of carrying and using the marking material without making a mess of our fingers.

At this point I suggest you take a visit to http://www.pencils.com./. The information that you will discover there will tell you some important things about this writing instrument that we too often take for granted.

If you want to defer that visit, that is OK, but be sure to make it at some POINT.

Here are the pencils I use the most:

1. "H" pencils, starting at number 6 hardness. I don’t like the mess of the pencils containing the "B". Most of the pencils are actually in lead holders, some antique and very precious to me and some are the latest and greatest designs. I prefer the pencils from .5 mm and smaller. I use a variety of pointers and make especially fine points with hard leads using chamois and just polishing the point down to my need.

2. Watercolor pencils ( I can draw letters and sketch and then play with the designs with a slightly moist watercolor brush.)

3. Paired pencils for the good old double-pencil calligraphy discipline.

My pencils don’t have erasers. Lead-holders don’t have them and maybe there is something, to me, about making an error and either making something out of it or moving on.

One of the great things about pencils is that the majority of them contain some level of graphite and that makes their marks archival.

Maybe out there is someone that will spend some time singing the merits of the soft "B" leads, if so, I await your song and will probably dance to your tune but still do my work and art with my precious H’s.

Whatever your choice of pencil, pick one up and make a mark - make YOUR mark.

The volumes of painfully written and smuggled records of the lives of the hell of Russia’s Gulag were written with handmade pencils on the poorest paper. The power of their words may have been the first wedge hammered into the Iron Curtain and the words written by the mighty pencil made that wall come tumbling down. What power lies in your pencils?

Don’t forget your visit to http://www.pencils.com/

© Tim http://www.timjohnsonphoto.com/

Happy Birthday Tetris

Happy Birthday to TETRIS, Happy Birthday to You!

Let the blocks fall where they may.

Tetris and its variants: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Tetris_variants. My favorites were the original, Welltris and Wordtris. Obviously these were not the favorites of the general population because the reversion for use on modern devices is for something akin to the original game.

Tetris changed things for computers. I was one of the first church pastors to have a PC. I spent a lot of money in the very early 80's to use the latest technology to create a database of the members of the church I served, write and edit my sermons and lessons and get onto the INTERNET with a modem and a service called COMPUSERVE. All with a 12 inch amber monitor and a 9-pin dot matrix printer. That printer was soon paired with a noisy daisywheel printer that replaced my trusty IBM Selectric.

When Tetris came along, something else could be done on the PC. A mental break could be taken and we could play.

This seemed to bring a balance to the whole system. The computer was really PERSONAL. It connected us. It did our work for sure. I have only played two games on my PCs ever: The three Tetris titles and the Mechwarrior series. XP and Vista won't run them and I don't care to run retro, but those were the days.

A new generation of games and gamers abound. They have the eyesight and coordination to PLAY. Of course, many gamers salivate at my graphics PC saying it would make a grand gaming machine – but, hands off. It is for photos and videos. That is for my mind and work today. And bless your young thumbs.

However, if I could just get my XP or Vista wrapped around a decent rendition of PONG! Tim

http://www.timjohnsonphoto.com/ © tim@timjohnsonphoto.com

Fun Quiz For Sharing & To Head Off Dementia

Here's a little quiz to see how much you remember about some less-than-important things from a few decades back. It's just for fun, no scoring necessary. Even the wrong answers may bring back a memory or two. Have fun.

I saved this for a day when we all needed a light touch and thought. I don't remember the source and anyone that wants can take credit for the original. The purpose is to fire up some synapses that haven't been triggered for a while. And just what if some of these products and characters switched roles and places? Things that make you want to go, "Hmmmmmm?"

1. What builds strong bodies 12 ways?
A. Flintstones vitamins; B. The buttmaster; C. Spaghetti; D. Wonder Bread; E. Orange Juice; F. Milk; G. Cod Liver Oil

2. Before he was Muhammed Ali, he was...
A. Sugar Ray Robinson; B. Roy Orbison; C. Gene Autry; D. Rudolph Valentino; E. Fabian; F. Mickey Mantle; G. Cassius Clay

3. Pogo, the comic strip character said, "We have met the enemy and...
A. It's you ; B. He is us; C. It's the Grinch; D. He wasn't home; E. He' s really mean F. We quit; G. He surrendered

4. Good night, David ...
A. Good night, Chet; B. Sleep well; C. Good Night, Irene; D. Good Night, Gracie; E. See you later, alligator; F. Until tomorrow; G. Good night, Steve

5. You'll wonder where the yellow went,
A. When you use Tide; B. When you lose your crayons; C. When you clean your tub; D. If you paint the room blue; E. If you buy a soft water tank; F. When you use Lady Clairol; G. When you brush your teeth with Pepsodent

6. Before he was the Skipper's Little Buddy, Bob Denver was Dobie's friend,
A. Stuart Whitman; B. Randolph Scott; C. Steve Reeves; D. Maynard G. Krebbs; E. Corky B. Dork; F. Dave the Whale; G. Zippy Zoo

7. Liar, liar...
A. You're a liar; B. Your nose is growing; C. Pants on fire; D. Join the choir; E. Jump up higher; F. On the wire; G. I'm telling Mom

8. Meanwhile, back in Metropolis, Superman fights a never ending battle for truth, justice and ...
A. Wheaties; B. Lois Lane; C. TV ratings; D. World peace; E. Red tights; F. The American way; G. News headlines

9 . Hey, kids, what time is it?
A. It's time for Yogi Bear; B. It's time to do your homework; C. It's Howdy Doody Time; D. It's Time for Romper Room; E. It's bedtime; F. The Mighty Mouse Hour; G. Scoopy Doo Time

10. Lions and tigers and bears...
A. Yikes; B. Oh no; C. Gee whiz; D. I'm scared; E. Oh My; F. Help, Help; G. Let's run

11. Bob Dylan advised us never to trust anyone
A. Over 40; B. Wearing a uniform; C. Carrying a briefcase; D. Over 30; E. You don't know; F. Who says, "Trust me"; G. Who grills tofu

12. NFL quarterback who appeared in a television commercial wearing women's stockings.
A. Troy Aikman; B. Kenny Stabler; C. Joe Namath; D. Roger Stauback; E. Joe Montana; F. Steve Young; G. John Elway

13. Brylcream...
A. Smear it on; B. You'll smell great; C. Tame that cowlick; D. Greaseball heaven; E. It's a dream; F. We're your team; G. A little dab'll do ya

14. I found my thrill...
A. In Blueberry muffins; B. With my man, Bill; C. Down at the mill; D. Over the windowsill; E. With thyme and dill; F. Too late to enjoy; G. On Blueberry Hill

15. Before Robin Williams, Peter Pan was played by
A. Clark Gable; B. Mary Martin; C. Doris Day; D. Errol Flynn; E. Sally Fields; F. Jim Carey; G. Jay Leno

16. Name the Beatles
A. John, Steve, George , Ringo; B. John, Paul, George , Roscoe; C. John, Paul, Stacey, Ringo; D. Jay, Paul, George , Ringo; E. Lewis, Peter, George , Ringo; F. Jason, Betty, Skipper, Hazel; G. John, Paul, George , Ringo

17. I wonder, wonder, wonder, who
A. Who ate the leftovers?; B. Who did the laundry?; C. Was it you?; D. Who wrote the book of love?; E. Who I am?; F. Passed the test?; G. Knocked on the door?

18. I'm strong to the finish
A. Cause I eats my broccoli; B. Cause I eats me spinach; C. Cause I lift weights; D. Cause I'm the hero; E. And don't you forget it; f. Cause Olive Oyl loves me; g. To outlast Bruto

19. When it's least expected, you're elected, you're the star today...
a. Smile, you're on Candid Camera; b. Smile, you're on Star Search; c. Smile, you won the lottery; d. Smile, we're watching you.; e. Smile, the world sees you; f. Smile, you're a hit; g. Smile, you're on TV

20. What do M & M's do?
a. Make your tummy happy; b. Melt in your mouth, not in your pocket; c. Make you fat; d. Melt your heart; e. Make you popular; f. Melts in your mouth, not in your hand; g. Come in colors

The answers follow this comment.

Those were the days and the memory of those advertisements occupies a part of our brain. By the way, you must know this. There is a part of the Library of Congress dedicated to the organization and preservation of advertising. Every jingle, ad, video and flyer that has been printed and presented is on file. We'd hate to lose any of this and you can have free access to as much as your head can stand. The LOC is more than speeches - it is EVERYTHING. In some future post, we'll talk about the ARCHIVES - an entirely different organization, but a part of YOUR government.


Okay, that's it. Here are the right answers.
1 d - Wonder Bread
2 g - Cassius Clay
3 b - He Is Us
4 a - Good night, Chet
5 g - When you brush your teeth with Pepsodent
6 d - Maynard G. Krebbs
7 c - Pants On Fire
8 f - The American Way
9 c - It's Howdy Doody Time
10 e - Oh My
11 d - Over 30
12 c - Joe Namath
13 g - A little dab'll do ya
14 g - On Blueberry Hill
15 b - Mary Martin
16 g - John, Paul, George , Ringo
17 d - Who wrote the book of Love
18 b - Cause I eats me spinach
19 a - Smile, you're on Candid Camera
20 f - Melts In Your Mouth Not In Your Hand

Seizing Your Potential - With Help

Visit any home improvement store or a grand grocery store or a real art supply store like our Askew Taylor Paint Store or a Jerry's Art-A-Rama and the greatest thing you find is potential.

It is a rare occasion that I go to these places because they have a finished product I need. It is really the lumber, the soil, the hardware and the stuff of which other things are made that draws me through the doors.

I like making things, fixing things, improving things and appreciating what other people have done with the stuff they have brought home from these supply centers.

The potential in unfinished lumber is enormous – since I have my own milling machine, planer and sanders. The potential in the ingredients in a great grocery store is wonderful
because people are choosing items that they will use to make their own delicious creations.
The development of a garden through soil enrichment and putting plants in just the right place some people have elevated to an art.
Some plants produce tasty food and some plants produce visions for the soul … both marvelously important.
The potential inside a bottle of ink or in a tube of gouache or humble cake of watercolor is enormous. In the right hands, with the right strokes, these elements come alive, making words and images that inspire and expand our imaginations.

Potential is the wealth inside every one of us. This potential sometimes needs developed, refined, coached and directed by someone who sees in us what we cannot see in ourselves.

Sometimes we need a guide. Sometimes we need a friend who will stand with us when others have chosen to keep their distance.

Sometimes we need a healer who can correctly diagnose the thing that is hurting us and can provide help and nurture.

Sometimes our need for connection is even deeper. In making that connection we come in touch with the richest potential within ourselves.

This true soul-mate, partner, our other heart beating in another chest, helps us gather the parts and pieces and stuff of our lives and, together, we fulfill the potential we each have within.

The ingredients are blended, the components make sense and the structure is built and we are home and nourished within the Grace of our good God and within ourselves and the doors to this creation are open and goodness flows in and out.

And you are ever welcome.

© Tim http://www.timjohnsonphoto.com/
tim@timjohnsonphoto.com