Not writer's block, just kinda in hermit mode. Dropped out of the NorCal Peace Corps alumni group, have stopped going to BASFA meetings, withdrew from the Silicon 2009 art show. Pulled out of all the photo meetup groups which do group model shoots.

Been watching America's Got Talent on Tivo. The first 10 minutes of each show is crap & commercials, so FF gets used a lot. I have come to cherish Piers' comments. He mostly thinks like me, though he's way too soft-hearted when it comes to the Everyman entrants. The show is not called "America's Got People Who Sing Flat" or "America's Got Derelicts Who Clean Up Okay". And I want to shoot the producers who have torpedoed some real talent by over-producing their numbers, putting them in horrid costumes, and making them do numbers which don't suit them. My Way as a trio? OMGWTFBBQ. Backup singers for a child trio? High School Musical production numbers for solo dancers? And worst of all, IMHO, making the reincarnation of Paul Robeson sing tacky contemporary with backup singers and sexy women violinists. The only person they have done justice to is one Barbara Padilla, who sings opera so beautifully I have cried during each and every one of her performances. They have costumed her perfectly, and let her sing in her own genre. Her voice still needs a wee bit of work, but she would have fit right into one of Pavarotti's master classes.( cut for length )
Been reading Mainspring a lot. I am finding it very slow reading. Part of the problem is the name of the main character. Hethor. That name makes my eye stop. It makes my brain freeze up too. You know that theory Mel Brooks has about "some words are funny, some aren't"? Hethor is just one of those words which does not look like a name for a character in a book set in British New England. And since he tells the story in the third person, it's on the page early and often. Did anyone else have this experience, or is it just me? Other than that, I'm torn, because it's certainly a very creative setting and story, but I keep running into phrases which stop my eye, or just make me wish he'd called it something else. Anyone know if Jay owns an astrolabe? That would explain a lot. I'm almost done, I may or may not write a full review. Yosemite's reading list will include Sherri S. Tepper.

Looking forward to Thursday's band rehearsal. It's what got me started on the implant thing - it can hurt a lot to play Baritone or trumpet without real teeth. One of the other older bari players suggested it to me.

Are uploaded to my web page gallery. These are web-resolution, with minimal Photoshop work (auto levels, sharpen, and brightness/dodge work where absolutely needed). As usual, if you are in a photo, it is yours to use non-commercially with attribution ("photo by howeird" is fine). I will be putting the full-resolution pictures on DVD - send me a snailmail address if you want one.
( Way too many photos behind the cut )

Last night's BASFA meeting wasted a lot of time, once again, on start-of-the-meeting mock parliamentary procedures. I arrived at 8:15, they were still debating some item which eventually failed almost unanimously. We only have 2 hours, tops, for the meetings (1.5 is the technical time, but our restaurant cuts us some slack), eating up such a big chunk on nonsense motions means not getting to the good stuff. The auction was so rushed we probably only got half the income we should have, not to mention the fun. I had three reviews I wanted to give, but didn't because we were so short on time. NP, I'll do them here. Eventually.

Through all this, our esteemed President continues to do a brilliant job of conducting the meetings with wit, charm and fairness, against all odds. The parliamentary madness is something he's stuck with, it's part of the club rules (which I like to call the Dread Pirate Roberts' Rules of Order). The abuse of these rules by the members is fun, don't get me wrong, I just prefer some meat under my piquant sauce. Announcements, reviews and auctions are all great sources of mirth, and they're high in nutrition as well. I guess what I'm asking the membership is to please not fill up on the appetizers.

And I found myself being rude to a new member who sat next to me, who was trying to ask me questions about something which had nothing to do with the meeting (a review I wrote). As much as I wanted to talk to her about that, it wasn't the time or place. And I'd just commented last week on how annoying the side conversations are. If she's reading this, my apologies, comment here and I'll make it up to you.