Mini Beetle

The Bees Are Back

It's that time of year again in which swarms of bees start cropping up around trash cans because of all the extra sweet goodies that people keep throwing out. The trash can at the local Starbucks drive through is no exception to that. So I can understand why they clean it out and put a cover over the front so people can't use it.

My personal favorite though is not the sign itself. It's that down to the left someone has written in, "Yay the bees returned!"

Rock On

In case you haven't figured it out by now, I like taking pictures. More to the point, I like taking close up photos with my mobile phone. Macro-photography has always interested me, and the little idiosyncratic quirks of mobile phone camera always make it both a challenge to get a decent shot as well as an adventure to see what you really end up with.

This time I was having some fun with a bunch of rocks. Despite putting the phone's camera on closeup mode it's always interesting to see where the field of vision finally comes out.

Typography Freeway

A great look at the alphabet as seen from the highways and byways of Europe.

As seen from Electro Stories: Typography Freeway

Pixelize This

Digital Signal Processing. From photography to home entertainment, it's key in today's modern world. That's why it's a little annoying when all of a sudden it goes awry in the cable signal (in good weather no less). Still, ignoring the annoyance of not getting a clear signal, and not being able to have tech support help any (it's an issue with the signal itself, not the hardware in the house), it is an interesting view of things.

Seen here is an episode of NCIS which has been scrambled due to some poor signal quality. It seems that it couldn't descramble itself properly. Still, it does make for an interesting mobile phone background...

Two Sides of the Same Thing

A little graffiti fun from a Subway parking lot. I'm not sure what this was originally used for, but now it's just sitting in a parking space next to the dumpster...

Your grammar is uglier than how your mother dresses you....

I'm Singing a Song of Freedom

-Freedom! Freedom!

-Here comes the Freedom Man

On this day of independence

On this Independence Day

Listen to an American troubador from the U.S.A.

I'm singing a song of freedom

For all people who cry out to be free

Free to sail the seven seas

Free to worship as we please

If the birds up in the trees can be free

Why can't we?

I'm bringing a song of freedom

To all people wherever they may be

Free to speak and free to hear

Free from want and free from fear

Sons of freedom far and near who agree

Sing with me

That all God's people shall be free

Music and Lyrics by Irving Berlin

Played by the Bob Crosby Orchestra

Sung by Bing Crosby in the movie Holiday Inn

Stack O' 'Shrooms

The glorious portobello mushroom, just a disguised brown crimini mushroom that's grown too big for it's original name, makes for a good meal, and once in a while, a good photo as well.

A Cuppa Style

Be it morning or evening, it's always time for a cup of tea. Sure, you could say it the English in my genes that gives me my penchant for tea, but I think that it's more than that.  It's more than the caffeine too (especially when it comes to the herbal blends).

Brewing a good cup of tea takes time. You can't just press a button and expect to get near the full flavor and aroma of the tea. Similarly, you can can't just suck down a cup and get the full experience either. Tea is meant to be sipped (and not just so you don't scald your tongue).  Having tea is forcing yourself to slow down and enjoy life. 

What does all this have to do with style and design? It's all really quite simple. It's all about the tea cup and its many shapes and designs!

Mall Shots

Malls can be a great source of inspiration if you stop looking at what's for sale...

The skylight.

Escalators.

Riviting... Isn't it...?