The Elaine Report

Today's items of interest, variously posted, and now here all in one place for your browsing pleasure.

• Digital Product Placement and the Rise of MiriAd
New fields to furrow and brows to burrow.
• 21 Tips to Keep Your Shit Together ...
Ways to lift your spirits and other suggestions on how to suck it up.
• Chowder Clam knitting pattern Cuteness break.
• Severe Weather Forecast for Topeka
Wondering wether I have time to walk to the library this morning without getting sucked up by a tornado. Answer: yes, I do.
• Saudi Arabia Denies Paralysis Punishment
Keeping an eye on the tiny changes that happen in a country ruled by Islam.
• Gulf of Mexico Deep Cleans Itself
But for how long? And does that mean we can use it as a dump? I think not and neither does Professor Hazen.
• Easy-to-make tasty frozen drink. Just in time for summer!

And a late addition: How to Really Manage Creative People. 

Sky 317 - officially spring

And, March in like a lamb. If you don't count yesterday.

Bonus sky to make up for one or two missed days.

Sky 316 - raining

Sky 315 - blues

Because it was that kind of day.

Sky 309 - desert sunset (with snow)

The blurring is supposed to make it look like oil paints. Not sure if it does or not. Yet I like it.

Sky 306 - snow walk

Sky 304 - not February

... and yet it is. Drove with the windows open because the sun made the interior so warm.

Sky 272 - changeable

Sky 257 - like winter

There was a windy downpour and then clear blue skies with sky-pink-blue clouds. Lovely. Not like these orange ones. These are okay, though.

Since next year is a leap year, do I need to make 366 skies????

Sky 227 - dark glow

Sky 180 - motivation

This is what convinced me that today would be a better day to cut the grass than tomorrow. Since then the sky has cleared some and is sunny. And the grass is cut. Yay!

Sky 176 & Sky 177 - sun drama

Pretty dramatic later that evening, as well, with an impromptu storm that launched fires, lightning strikes, strong winds and power outages. As I left the parking lot where I took these photos, I overhead a woman say, "It's a great sky to make into an oil painting." Can you say Baroque? 

Sky 175 - stuck in tunnel traffic

Headed west toward the Hampton Tunnel, nearly parked on the bridge. Rained all weekend and then cleared up on Monday. Supposed to rain again, though, until Thursday. Had a nice visit anyway.

Sky 166 - bridge sunset

Song of the Day: Long, Long, Long - The Beatles (White Album)

365: Sky 57 - Vast

The rain clouds have been coming and going. Here's some passing through. It rained later.

365: Sky 56 - Forest Hill Park

Sudden urge to know more about taking good sky pictures took me to the bookstore to look at photography books. This is a typical good sky with overexposed surroundings. The sky is the main part of the photo, of course, but would like to get the green also. 

Took other photos that have a blown-out sky. Need to read the fabulous camera manual and discover what is in there to help avoid white sky. I could not fix it in Photoshop. There wasn't enough information to build/edit from. 

Also, a little scary to become the person who carries around a camera. I feel obnoxious and elitist. But it's just a camera. Not too terribly fancy. And I'm fairly discreet or at least nonchalant. 

About two hours after this was taken there was a rain storm.

365: Sky 39 - no storms

Windy with no tornadoes or hurricanes over my house yesterday.

365: Sky 30 - with whirlpool

Another Bryce sky, nicely brooding and perhaps a little foreboding. In the sixties, I began noticing the white skies around the D.C. area in Northern Virginia. In the 80's we started getting them in Richmond VA. White skies can't be good. The sky is trending toward white today. Possibly a sign of a hot, wretched summer ahead. I hope not.

I'm interested in how this sky project is making me notice the weather and environment as reflected by the health of the sky. I've never been an activist, although it's never too late to start.

365: Sky 29 - after the hurricane

The morning after Isabel (2003)

365: Sky 28 - all day blue

It's been like this all day.