brappy!

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kids hustling with bikes, originally uploaded by brappy★.

Late at night, I often get nostalgic for Taiwan and start pouring through the 30,000 or so photos I shot there (maybe more, maybe less, I don't remember). Looking at them, I marvel at how photogenic it is. Everywhere I look, I see a classic shot, or an indelible memory. It's a place that is clearly very near to my heart.

Frequently, I wonder why such a silly island means so much to me. I can't come up with a good answer. It's just under my skin.

So, for fun, here are some kids pushing bikes up an overpass, to get to the park along the river beyond.

Come to think of it, I think earlier that day, I was in that park, sitting and reading Moby-Dick which I eventually finished. It's a great book, when you skip chapters like I did.

Tongan Jie, Taipei, 6 Feb 2007

Posted by arion at 06:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Eclipse, originally uploaded by brappy★.

A long, 15-second exposure of the lunar eclipse I saw tonight. It was interesting to see, but the novelty of the lunar eclipse is wearing off. I've seen two within six months now, and both times, it was interesting, but I'm sort of missing the point.

Now, if I had been up on my blog reading, I would have gotten this great opportunity to see grown adults singing Total Eclipse of the Heart over and over. Too bad I'm not up on that stuff.

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I walk a mile with a smile.
I don't know I don't care where I am,
But I know it's all right.
Jump the tracks, can't get back.
I don't know anyone round here,
But I'm safe this time.

Posted by arion at 05:54 PM | Permalink

Seawall, originally uploaded by brappy★.

I was at Alki the other day, enjoying the sunset. As usual, I misjudged the cold winds that would be blowing along the seawall. Apparently, everyone else at the beach got the message. I did get off some cool shots, here.

After freezing, I decamped to the lounge at the Edgewater Hotel and warmed up during their super-cheap, super-nice happy hour.

Last night, I was at Redondo Beach with Tony and we got some very cool shots with an even nicer sunset.

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Apartment Wheel, originally uploaded by brappy★.

I don't get a lot of photography gimmicks. I think they're often more about pushing the technological envelope rather than pushing the visual or artistic envelope. Using a procedure I found on the internet, I was able to take a photo of an apartment building and make it into a wheel. Which is sort of a gimmick, and sort of a unique artistic statement. It's also a pain to make!

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Soufflé, originally uploaded by brappy★.

I made a soufflé last night with my friend Hong. We had a nice time, and they tasted great :D

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Could someone buy the State Dep't a Spell check?, originally uploaded by brappy★.

I got this gem in my e-mail today. I'm always amused when I get random travel warnings from the government (I thought I unsubscribed a long time ago). How sad that they get the name of a former American Commonwealth incorrect. :-/

Posted by arion at 02:07 PM | Permalink

I'm popular, originally uploaded by brappy★.

Adding your photo to groups can pay off. I like to add mine to local blogs' flickr groups and every once in a blue moon, one of them chooses the photo for their pages. Like this morning, this shot was featured on this post. Well, today, the same photo is on both Crosscut and Metroblogging Seattle. How fun is that? After I post this, they'll probably change that, but heh, I like the attention.

Now, one blog calls me by my real name, another calls me by my real name once in a day, and by my flickr nickname later in the day. Ah, the mysteries of life.

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I'd be scared if I gave a meeting in front of birds, too. They might bite your head off of something.

Or your meeting not from hell...

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2.50 pm, last Friday, The Bubble is Over, Folks..., originally uploaded by brappy★.

Despite what locals keep saying about Seattle's housing market, I would like to now draw your attention to the fact that it has now obviously tanked.

Any student of history, or long-time resident (not that there are many of either in this area) could tell you that national economic slowdowns <b>always</b> hit this area later than the rest of the country, and we always recover later. It's a function of geography and trade. We're far from the rest of the country and close to our major trading partners[1]. Next up, the job market will slow down. Oh wait. It has.

[1] Seattle being the closest mainland-US port to Asia.


I spotted this plethora of signs when i was shooting photos of a car crash near my house.

Posted by arion at 05:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

2.14 pm, last Saturday, Baltimore, originally uploaded by brappy★.

Sean, Leo and I went to Baltimore last Saturday, seeking to find my work in a gallery there. Sadly, the gallery was closed, which was a big disappointment to us all. Apparently, the gallery is only open by appointment on the weekends, which struck me as a bit odd - most galleries do brisk business on weekends.

Baltimore is different, I learned.

We had a nice lunch, walked around the Inner Harbour and headed back to Philly with me highly annoyed in the back seat.

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Now that I'm back home, I can't resist goofy videos on Youtube, including this 1990 ad for Sprite, complete with bad singing (heavy on an accent, too).

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