The Smirkonian Sightseer

Greek Light

He is not of course the first visitor to be electrified by Greek light, to be intoxicated

by the white dancing candescence of the sun on a sea with blue sky pouring into it.

- Lawrence Durrell, The Greek Islands (1978)

~~~~~~~

It’s one of my favourite quotes. I’ve been to the Greek Islands a few times and read many books in my philhellenic research.  

This week the first episode of The Durrell’s premieres on Australian TV. The series follows younger brother Gerald Durrell’s account of his time growing up on the island of Corfu, as outlined in the tele-movie My Family & Other Animals.

Vision is Better - eBook bundle

BUY THE VISION IS BETTER BUNDLE FOR $10 NEW EBOOK / BUNDLE ARTICLES, TUTORIALS, ESSAYS, AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY DAVID DUCHEMIN The VISION IS BETTER series is an epic collection of articles, essays, and tutorials about the photographic life. David duChemin shares his insights on the how and why of photography, visual storytelling, and life lessons learned along the way. Today we're announcing Vision is Better 3: Become a Better Photographer, Make Better Photographs—the latest and largest of this series! Curating the best from his blog, David has put together a fine collection of his written and photographic work (including larger images and new articles). Here's a sneak peak inside the new eBook: Talk about bang for your buck: these three eBooks combined total 300 pages! EachVision is Better volume gives readers a no-holds-barred vantage point of the adventures and creative life of David duChemin, and provides fresh ideas for making the most of your own photographic journey. Note: Volumes 1 & 2 have brand new covers, and the layouts have been updated to display as full spreads instead of the previous two-page view. Purchase Note: We've locked in the savings! No discount code is needed to purchase this 3-eBook bundle for just $10 (that's a savings of $5). Buy Vision is Better 3 Already have the first two? No problem! Add Vision is Better 3 to your digital library for just $5. This eBook gives you offline access to 145 pages of beautifully laid out material, 52 articles—including two previously unpublished articles: "Don’t Get Ahead of the Muse" and "Simplify, Simplify"—and expanded “Postcards from…” features. BUY VISION IS BETTER 3 FOR $5

New Smirkonian Flipboard Magazine

I've started creating my own personal Flipboard magazine "Smirkonian". It's similar in a way to the old Tweetsheet posts I published on this blog last year. Primarily the Flipboard mag is a collection of articles, rss posts and tweets that I've read and had an interest in.

It requires the Flipboard app for iOS or Android. Download the app and search for Smirkonian.

Available on the App Store

Android app on Google Play

Joey L. - the future of photography

One of my favourite photographers has a new book coming out in December. Although I specialise in landscape and not portraiture, I really like the lighting style of  Joey L . 

Photographing Shadow and Light: Inside the Dramatic Lighting Techniques and Creative Vision of Portrait Photographer Joey L. 

 

Amazon book description:

Aspiring photographers are always looking for that edge, that fresh point of view to add drama to their images. Photographer Joey L. found his vision early, drawing critical acclaim as a brilliant commercial photographer with a distinctive technical expertise for lighting. 
            In Photographing Shadow and Light, Joey lifts the curtain on his dramatic, creatively fearless approach to portraiture, sharing his personal philosophy and a behind-the-scenes look at 15 striking photo sessions—from personal projects shot in Africa, India, and Brooklyn to commercial shoots for 50 Cent, the Jonas Brothers, and Project Runway All Stars. Joey provides readers with a step-by-step description of how he visualized each shoot, formed meaningful connections with his subjects, and “built” his signature dramatic lighting effects—one light at a time.
            Featuring more than 85 stunning portraits, detailed lighting diagrams, and a foreword from industry icon David Hobby (aka Strobist), Photographing Shadow and Light shares the creative process behind one of today’s most exciting photography talents, providing serious amateurs and professionals a fresh perspective on creating compelling, professional quality portraits.
 
“Joey Lawrence is . . . the future of photography. Get used to it.” —David Hobby, from the foreword
 
Get inside the images of commercial and fine art portrait photographer Joey L. with this behind-the-lens guide to his fearless approach, creative vision, and signature lighting techniques.

Also available as an ebook

  

Portraits of Earth

Download David duChemin's latest PDF eBook Portraits of Earth

New PDF eBook  Portraits of Earth, An Introduction to Landscape Photography is an inspiring and beautiful eBook that teaches just about everything David has learned about landscape photography while chasing the light across seven continents. As a landscape eBook for all levels, photographers will find the education and inspiration to make beautiful photographs of their own, no matter what adventure awaits them.  This massive eBook boasts 90 spreads (180 pages if you're still counting the old way) is broken down into sections on Gear, Composition, Light, Land, Water, Snow, and Detail Shots, and is accompanied by large, beautiful photographs, all with complete EXIF data, many of them previously unseen, from travels on all seven continents. There's also Behind the Shot sections that discuss topics like exposure blending, maximizing sharpness, using ND and polarizer filters, and shooting in weather, like fog. Whether you're new to landscape photography or looking to hone your craft this eBook will be a valuable and inexpensive addition to your library.   Download David duChemin's latest PDF eBook Portraits of Earth

Finding Focus

Download Nicole S. Young's latest PDF eBook Finding Focus

New PDF eBook  Finding Focus, Understanding the Camera's Eye is an invaluable resource for photographers who want to further develop their technique of on-camera and post-production focus. Finding the best expression of your photographic vision can only happen when your working knowledge and skills produce images that direct the viewers' eye to what you intended. This beautiful eBook is for photographers of any level and you can expect to immediately benefit from Nicole's in-depth analysis of aperture, depth of field, camera settings, lenses and lens compression and editing. "FINDING FOCUS will help you make sharper photographs, but more than that it'll help you make photographs that help you tell a stronger story and achieve the aesthetic you're hoping for in your photographs." - David duChemin. This ebook merges together the best of both worlds: the Artist and the Geek. Nicole's insights and hands-on advice zeros you in on the advanced focusing techniques you need to photograph subjects of all kinds (people, groups, animals, still life, macro, landscapes) while at the same time leveraging the element of focus to further develop your visual storytelling. Then the software gets its turn as she unpacks how to best use sharpening tools in Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom and use advanced techniques, like focus staking and adding blur, to your advantage. All of this is backed-up by easy to understand illustrations and detailed descriptions. And no stone is left unturned as Nicole addresses common mistakes helping you make quick work of making clear and stunning photographs. Nicole S. Young is a full-time photographer and author specializing in food and stock photography, licensing her images through iStockphoto and Getty Images. She's an accredited Adobe Certified Expert (ACE) in Photoshop CS5 and has authored print books through Peachpit Press (Canon 7D: From Snapshots to Great Shots, EOS Canon 60D: From Snapshots to Great Shots and Food Photography: From Snapshots to Great Shots). Download Nicole S. Young's latest PDF eBook Finding Focus

Shoot + Share - eBook

Download the New PDF eBook by Craft & Vision for just $4. SHOOT + SHARE Getting Your Photographs Out Into the World by Stuart Sipahigil. New eBook Available SHOOT + SHARE by Stuart Sipahigil is an inspiring and insightful eBook about making photographs you’re proud of and successfully sharing them with an eager audience. Do you want to attract more fans, followers, and buyers? Are your best photographs buried in a shoebox or hard-drive? Stuart will help you define your goals, understand your opportunities, and determine the best approach to navigating the seemingly endless choices of where and how to display your work. SHOOT + SHARE is packed with great ideas that will help you process why you want to share your photographs, who needs to see them, which photographs they need to see, and where to find your audience. This 56-spread PDF eBook is full of practical and down-to-earth advice by a photographer who has over 30 years experience. Stuart is a great teacher, and SHOOT + SHARE will help both the amateur and vocational photographer formulate a sharing strategy that includes websites, social media, self-published books, prints, canvases and more.    Special Offer on PDFs For the next five days only, use the promotional code SHARE4 when you check out so you can have the PDF version of SHOOT + SHARE for only $4 OR use the code SHARE20 to get 20% off when you buy 5+ PDF eBooks from the Craft & Vision collection. These codes expire at 11:59pm PST April 28, 2012.

Click here to view more details

Here's to throwing the book at you...

In the age of iPad's and Kindle's, here is a lovely homage to a bygone era when elegantly printed books inhabited our world.

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore won the 2012 Oscar award for best Animated Short Film.

Well deserved.

 

Vision Is Better 2 - new e-book

New eBook Available VISION IS BETTER II is a collection of 44 of the most recent essays about the photographic life and craft from David duChemin's wildly popular PixelatedImage Blog. His insights on the how and why of photography, visual story telling, and life-lessons learned along the way make for a compelling and inspiring eBook that will captivate you from beginning to end. This massive 95-spread eBook is the follow-up to one of Craft & Vision's best-selling titles. TheVision is Better series acts like a PixelatedImage yearbook that gives readers a no-holds-barred vantage point into the adventures and life of David duChemin while at the same time providing you with fresh ideas and insights about making the most of your own photographic journey. If you're a regular follower of David's blog you'll be glad to know that he's included some previously unpublished essays, and removed a few of the typos, all re-designed and put into a package you can access off-line whenever you like. If you're unfamiliar with David's blog, Vision Is Better I and II will show you why this popular blog has become a gathering place for photographers around the world.

Twitbits Wednesday

@miketomalaris

Michael Tomalaris

Anyone know the whereabouts of @AntonEnus. Looks like he's missed the window to present tonight's @sbsnews

- From what I know about news presenters, he could be busy setting up a dinner party!

 

@SmirksTas

Andrew Shepherd

Beyond Thirds bit.ly/ru5zSC A photographer's introduction to creative composition

 

@SmirksTas

Andrew Shepherd

Cradle Mountain bit.ly/u8K98Q colour negative scan processed in Lightroom flic.kr/p/aEUbQw

 

@petapixel

PetaPixel

Did you know? Film and photo paper are made using animal parts: bit.ly/vogTnE

- Back in those pre-digital days there was no such thing as a vegan photographer.

 

@SmirksTas

Andrew Shepherd

[Photo] Hobart at night bit.ly/skdUCI also on Flickr flic.kr/p/aF2oyd

 

@tw1tt3rart

tw1tt3rart

┈┈┈◢▇◣┈┈┈┈◢▇◣┈┈

┈┈┈▇▇▇┈┈┈┈▇▇▇┈┈

┈┈┈◥▇◤▔◥◤▔◥▇◤┈┈

┈┈┈┈▕▏╭╮╭╮▕▏┈┈┈

┈┈┈┈▕◣┃▋▋┃◢▏┈┈┈

┈┈┈┈╱┓▇▇▔┏◥▏┈┈┈

┈┈┈▕▏╰┳━┳╯▕▏┈┈┈

┈┈◢▇◣▂╰━╯▂◢▇◣┈┈ #TwitterArt

 

@wilw

Wil Wheaton

The Star Trek: TNG pinball won't let me get a higher rank than Ensign... It's like it knows.

 

@AP

The Associated Press

AP VIDEO: The Secret Service says bullet hit exterior window of White House and was stopped by ballistic glass: apne.ws/t0F74N

- Dumb ass Americans. HE'S NOT HOME.

Twitbits Thursday

@Eamon_Sullivan

Eamon Sullivan

The director instagr.am/p/RixSM/

- Career change?

 

@Wes_Sulzberger

Wesley Sulzberger

twitpic.com/762gyf - Afternoon tea! Apple, Orange, Pineapple, Kiwi, Beetroot, Lemon Juice.... Tasty

- Diet change?

 

@NathanPeterHaas

Nathan Haas

Bound for Garmin Cervelo in 2012, dream achieved! Currently goal setting:) what a year, whole hearted thanks to @GenesysCycling

- Team change! Wow, that was quick. Snapped up by Garmin-Cervélo. He'll look dashing in that argyle garb.

 

@PhilKeoghan

Phil Keoghan

3news.co.nz/Amazing-Race-h…

- Sea change! Amazing Race host helps out with the Rena cleanup effort.

 

@mynikonlife

My Nikon Life

The #Nikon AW100 is featured in the Nov. issue of @SHOPTilYouDrop as one of this summer's most fun cameras. #Fashion pic.twitter.com/ODiGHYJ4

- Get changed! The panties look fun too.

 

@Cyclingnewsfeed

Cyclingnews.com

News: Video: Giro d'Italia 2012 - the promo: Race gets underway on May 5 bit.ly/rZPhYk

 

@NelsonAspen

Nelson Aspen

KISS star Paul Stanley undergoes vocal cord surgery. cnn.com/2011/10/26/sho…

- I… wanna cough all night.

 

@mattgoss1986

Matt Goss

Had a great ride today with the guys from hilditch. Beautiful weather, nice food and a great ride!

 

@SmirksTas

Andrew Shepherd 

Chronicle trailer HD youtube.com/watch?v=i-M5Qx…

 

@cinefugue

Peter Chang

San Francisco 3D Moco Timelapse shot with @bradkremerfilms and @camBLOCK 3D: youtube.com/watch?v=PqRgJp… 2D: vimeo.com/31175428

 

@SmirksTas - Following 155 - Followers 50

I'll finish with this…

Twitbits Saturday

@tonygray
tonygray
So Walter Isaacson's "Steve Jobs" bio is $9.99 in Australia, and $16.99 in the US (on iBooks). How come cheaper here? That's unpossible!

- Incentive to buy more Apple product (iPad, iPhone, etc.)

@Joshua_Freeman

Joshua Freeman™

A Velociraptor with a jet pack and scissors. pic.twitter.com/kZzeNywR

 

@HomerJSimpson

Homer J. Simpson

Two terrible lockouts happening this fall: the NBA owners locking out their players, and Marge putting a padlock on our pie cabinet.

 

@anildash

Anil Dash

People always ask "Why won't MTV play videos?" "Why won't CNN cover news?" Just go to YouTube or Google News! TV is not that into you.

 

@SmirksTas

Andrew Shepherd 

Sunsets and Mythos vimeo.com/30394458 A GoPro adventure in the Greek Islands

Greece September 2011 from Andi VC on Vimeo.
- Brings back memories of my island hopping adventure.

 

@MarkCavendish

Mark Cavendish

Well, nice welcome into Dubai. Taken into Immigration Office & talked to like a dog. Definitely should change my #skinhead passport photo.

- It's one of those 'don't you know who I am?' moments!

 

@MerlinOfficial

Merlin Official

Can you guess what scene Colin is filming here? pic.twitter.com/Gl8KYH8E

- Probably having a 'deep and meaningful' with the dragon.

 

@Joshua_Freeman

Joshua Freeman™

One year ago from tomorrow campl.us/goip

So that's why you were grumpy. You had to work when you should have been celebrating. Congratulations for tomorrow.

 

@badger83

bernard sulzberger

twitgoo.com/4rfixh

- Something to remember home by, next time he's overseas.

 

@MarkCavendish

Mark Cavendish

I'm happy to announce, beyond doubt, my proudest moment of this year.... @petatodd is pregnant. I'm going to be a daddy.

 

@petatodd

Peta Todd

Can now confirm that whether or not the world is ready for it... there is a baby @MarkCavendish on the way. A very happy family this end.

- Apparently conceived during this years TdF. A tour baby!

 

@SmirksTas - Following 156 - Followers 51

Twitbits Friday

There are several dozen other blogs/sites that have a regular post or column going by the title Twitbits. And apparently there's a Twitter account by the name @TwitBITS, but only one post back on 26 March 2008. That said, I'm keeping my retrospective daily blog post title. Read on…

 

@AP

The Associated Press

Walter Isaacson's new Steve Jobs biography sheds light on Apple CEO's early life: apne.ws/oyTkEH

- AP reviews an advance purchased copy of the official Steve Jobs bio ahead of next weeks release. There are a few of these bios either already released or on the way. The Walter Isaacson book is the one to get.

 

On the subject of books…

@Dothegreenthing

Do the Green Thing

Read a book made from straw and save 800 million trees a year ht.ly/73440

- or just buy the Kindle version!

 

@tinybuddha

Tiny Buddha

How to Meditate at Any Time without Meditating bit.ly/oUujw6

- Day dreaming?

 

@NelsonAspen

Nelson Aspen

Matt Damon to make directorial debut. cnn.com/2011/10/20/sho…

 

@NelsonAspen

Nelson Aspen

The Trevor Project posted my "It Gets Better" vid as part of their anti-bullying campaign. What can you do to help? itgetsbetter.org/video/entry/cd…

 

@SmirksTas

Andrew Shepherd 

Chinese Manufacturer Sends Man Giant Slipper huff.to/qNajP9 via @huffpostUK

- I was amused at this story. Do the chinese understand decimal points?

 

@kochie_online

david koch

“@MolksTVTalk: re:Gaddafi. Can we no longer trust news services to tell us he's dead?Pics too much for Brekky.” we tell but how much to show

- In my job, I've recorded tv news services for nearly 30 years and I've seen some horrific and confronting images in that time. Even-though Sunrise chose to censor the pictures they showed, I still had to look away. Sometimes it's not the content but the context in which it is shown. Maybe it's the Arab culture to display like a trophy, and give it no dignity in death.

 

@AP

The Associated Press

Curious why @AP spells the name `Gadhafi,' not Qaddafi, Qazzafi, Qadhdhafi, Gaththafi, Khadafy? apne.ws/n5kEEq

- This was an interesting article. I've had an interest in etymology, linguistics and hermeneutics (translation) for many years.

 

@AP

The Associated Press

BREAKING: #Earthquake felt in San Francisco area.

 

@jasewells

Jase Wells

Wow, that was quite a shake.

- My old blogging friend gets the shakes.

 

@leeunkrich

Lee Unkrich

Damage from today's earthquake at Pixar: pic.twitter.com/gvDVJg8Y

- Oh no! Not the diet coke.

 

@SmirksTas

Andrew Shepherd 

Bryan Singer’s ‘Battlestar Galactica’ Gets Airborne With John Orloff Scripting Deal deadline.com/2011/10/bryan-…

- Battlestar going big screen? Do we get to see Boxie and his mechanical Daggit named Muffit?

 

@SmirksTas

Andrew Shepherd 

Investors at risk as GR Finance collapses smh.com.au/business/inves… This is a quarter of my cash portfolio. I'm holding my breath.

- I only found out about this on Tuesday. Aunty would not be pleased knowing I've lost the inheritance she gave me.   : - (

 

@CyclingCentral

CyclingCentral

Australians Richard Lang and Ben Grenda sign with British Continental team Rapha Condor Sharp tinyurl.com/6hsceek #cycling

- Congrats to Launceston's Ben Grenda.

 

@bengrenda

Ben Grenda

Off to Rapha Condor Sharp for 2012. Thanks to @RWCYCLINGTEAM for all of their support this season. Can't wait for 2012!

 

@MarkMcCrindle

Mark McCrindle

Decoding "slanguage"- the slang language of the global youth generation yhoo.it/mUFyjs

- Mark's book is on my wish-list. Totally chron foshizzle. Confuzzled? Soz!

 

@ThePixarTimes

Samad Rizvi

Advance copy of The Art of Pixar came in today. yfrog.com/oe3txbj

- Another book for the wish-list.

 

@SmirksTas

Andrew Shepherd 

Could the *unt of a helicopter pilot flying over Prospect at the moment please fly at a higher altitude!

- I don't care if the golfing high-roller wants to get to Barnbougal in time for lunch - go the long way round!

 

@Sim_sat_cyclist

Paivi sims

@SmirksTas smirks language.

 

@tonygray

tonygray

@SmirksTas there's a stunt copter flying over Prospect???

 

@Joshua_Freeman

Joshua Freeman™

CHECKLIST ✔Try Turning it off and on again ✔Call IT ✔Get treated like an idiot TO DO ❑Get a Mac

 

@BrianJacobSmith

Brian J. Smith

Aww, you guys GOTTA check the vid out in this link. Some good SGU memories here. josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/2011/10/20/oct…

- Frickin' awesome (that's a quote from the vdo btw).

 

@SmirksTas

Andrew Shepherd 

Australian Girls of Herpetology 2012 calendar. Can't really see my friend Sal as Miss April. madaustraliaproductions.com.au/2012-calendar In support of DevilArk.

 

@FMJRacing

Full Metal Jacket

FMJ Racing are 1st equal in the Master Espania grade 2 regatta going into the penultimate day. Semifinals should start today. Stay tuned

- Good luck guys!

 

@rshyr

Rolex Sydney Hobart

Eclectic Fleet and Big Names for 67th Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race rolexsydneyhobart.com/news.asp?key=5…

- Six yachts from Tassie already entered.

 

@DiscoverTas

Discover Tasmania

TasPride Festival set to light up Tasmania blog.discovertasmania.com/discoveries/ta…

- Run by the Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender Intersex (GLBTI). If this bunch get anymore politically correct they'll have to pause half way through the title for intermission.

 

@500px_choice

500px: Choice

Arctic Dance - Polar bear cubs by Siddhardha Garige bit.ly/q7sWZC on 500px.com

 

Wow! That's got to be a record. Sorry it was so long.

@SmirksTas - Following 156 - Followers 51

 

Twitbits Friday

@SmirksTas

Andrew Shepherd

CNN: Blackberry Outage Impacting Users On Almost Every Planet techcrunch.com/2011/10/13/cnn…

- Galactic catastrophe, E.T. can't phone home.

 

@AP

The Associated Press

Let there be Tweets. UK lawmakers defeat effort to ban @Twitter in House of Commons. Smartphones are ok, too. apne.ws/pom9Pd

 

@wtdcomics

wtdcomics

WTD 42 whattheduck.net/strip/42 pic.twitter.com/Rg3cCPw5

 

@LumleyNews

Joanna Lumley

Joanna attended the Cheltenham Literature festival 2011 where she promoted her new book: youtube.com/watch?v=0BhukM…

- And a teaser spread on her Greek series that premiered in the UK last night ... http://tinyurl.com/64mtcjr

 

@richie_porte

Richie Porte

Not exactly the way I wanted to finish up with Saxo but it is what it is. Great team and fantastic 2 years. From Bjarne down thanks a lot!

 

@CyclingCentral

CyclingCentral

Porte confident of Grand Tour glory ow.ly/6WYgl #cycling

 

@DannyTRS

Dan Trachtenberg

Wanna See Some Beautiful Animation Like You've Never Seen Before? http://t.co/piOstaYt

- Great find by @parabola. Thanks for RT, Cam.

 

- Found on the same site and hot on the tail of my Parkour diversion from last weekend …

 

@jasewells

Jase Wells

rated TRON: Legacy (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) by Daft Punk 5 stars itun.es/iBw4n3 #iTunes

Track 13 "Derezzed" seems to be the most popular.

 

@MarkCavendish

Mark Cavendish

Woke up this morning & was happy I could have a lay-in. After 10 minutes, I am now genuinely bored of it.

- The way I'm feeling at the moment, I could sleep through all of tomorrow.

 

@SmirksTas - Following 152 - Followers 53

 

Twitbits Tuesday

Highlights from my twitter feed...

 

@xequals

Brandon Oelling

All Lightroom eBooks are now only $4.99, today, tomorrow, and forever! - bit.ly/nWSaJO

- After realising that they have competition with Craft & Vision $5 e-books. BTW,  Craft & Vision have better and nicely presented publications available in both PDF or iPad App.

*disclaimer: I have an affiliate account with Craft & Vision and take a small percentage from sales through the above link.

 

@Grazalenco

Graeme Phillips

Hey @CanonAustralia check out the TVC I made for VW Amarok shot on 7D #canon #7d vimeo.com/29712094

- Special feature from the one-man-band department.

 

@DiscoverTas

Discover Tasmania

RT @jr_plusplus: Tour of #Tasmania yfrog.com/o0hzabhyj yfrog.com/h3lh8iyj

- And they're off up THAT mountain. Tour of Tassie started today with the TTT. Lookout for the Russians. Congratulations to team Jayco-2XU's Mark Jamieson on stage 1 yellow jersey.

 

@Pro_Cycling

VeloNation News Feed

HTC-Highroad women’s team to become Team Specialized lululemon goo.gl/fb/mvKpD #cycling

- After the demise of the men's team, it's great to see the womens team continue on in another name… I just gotta learn how to pronounce lululemon

 

- Now, continuing the saga from yesterday…

@Cyclingnewsfeed

Cyclingnews.com

News: Sky confirms no signed contract with Cavendish: Brailsford calls situation “complicated” bit.ly/n35JiV

 

@tonygray

tonygray

for the first time I can recall, iCal has failed to transparently deal with summer time

- Small problems in big Mac town. My iCal is running just fine.

(for you PC peeps, yes it's an Apple thing)

 

@chrisroww

Chris Rowbottom

David Foster the People #shittybandsandtasmaniancelebrities

- This local hashtag was running most of the day. This one was the best.

 

- And finally...

@iSpeakFresh

j u s t i n ♕

Time to give my pillow some head

 

@SmirksTas - Following 154 - Followers 46

Goodnight Eggheads.

Tweet Reads Tuesday

Remains of my twitter day...

 

@LauncestonProEx

Pro-Ex

Check out the cycle course of Tasmania's 1st #GRANFONDO 160km through the amazing Tamar Valley & a timed hill-climb bit.ly/rgJsil

That climb looks NASTY!

 

@SmirksTas

Andrew Shepherd

This image reminds me of a scene from that film "A Bugs Life" #500px 500px.com/photo/2161149

 

@jimmyeatworld

Jimmy Eat World

So great to be in San Francisco for these next few days playing Bleed American all the way through at the Fillmore. #fb

- Their best album yet.

 

@DavidBlue

David Blue

Hey networks: QUALITY. Not quantity. I didn't watch LOST b/c of the stars or b/c you made it fast & cheap. I watched b/c it was GOOD.

- Never got into Lost but I agree with his point.

 

@NBCNews

NBC News

MT @RStearns NBC boom operator on a 30-Rock rooftop maneuvers camera for #EducationNation 2011.. PHOTO: instagr.am/p/OR-Tp/

 

@Wes_Sulzberger

Wesley Sulzberger

GE Staff & riders all together at the ETC.

- And so GreenEDGE are born! Only one problem… just waiting on a license.

 

@LumleyNews

Joanna Lumley

Joanna: 'Playing Patsy again is extraordinary' tinyurl.com/66tkj9e

- Love this lady. View the tv interview on my link below...

 

@SmirksTas

Andrew Shepherd

Joanna Lumley interview talking about her new book Absolutely and the five J's in reprising roles of Ab Fab bit.ly/p7h61C

 

@wtdcomics

wtdcomics

WTD 1286 whattheduck.net pic.twitter.com/Z4ZreaCa

- A lesson for me.

 

@mindrelic

Josh Owens

some more great sunset light at VLA last night twitpic.com/6qxqpv

 

@parabola

Cameron Gray

Love waking up on my day off to some new parcels of tea to try! :)

- When Cam starts consuming his tea in parcels, I have my concerns!

 

@amazingraceau

The Amazing Race Aus

Just announced! #amazingrace USA returns next Thursday 9:30pm on 7! yhoo.it/rtdcvY

- The indoor bungee looks exciting.

 

@worldofgreece

ODYSSEY

Homer's 'Odyssey' is full of metaphors for modern life--one of the many reasons its appeal is so enduring. Film... t.co/07UbIyi1

- A q&a with Greek film-maker Dimitris Athanitis.

 

@VisitGreecegr

Visit Greece

#Love, Made in #Greece! t.co/4EeTKcP8 filmed on location in various regions and islands of #TravelTuesday #Travel

- I've seen several on this list. Not mentioned is my favourite Summer Lovers.

 

VisitGreecegr

Visit Greece

Stunning Watercolor #Paintings of #Greece t.co/LSJ6OIZ8 via @BLblog #Art

Beautiful set of watercolor paintings. Economic crisis aside, Greece is just stunning; in film, in painting, in real life.

 

@petatodd

Peta Todd

My son was suitably impressed with the new rainbow jersey as next seasons 'look'. #toocoolforschool

 

@MarkCavendish

Mark Cavendish

Arrived in Barcelona for some filming. A little bit grumpy after 4am wake-up. But at least there's sun here!

 

@petatodd

Peta Todd

So @MarkCavendish is now in Barcelona, it must be love as I was awake at 03:30 to say goodbye etc. Never has the school run felt so early.

- The etc sounds interest. Sychronised watches might help.

 

@MarkCavendish

Mark Cavendish

Bugger. Sunny here in Barcelona but we're filming indoors all day! #daylightdeprived

@TheSunOlympics

The Sun - Olympics

@MarkCavendish "It breaks my heart the other lads don't get to wear rainbow jersey" - Cav's incredible year t.co/eAWSeAoc @petatodd

Peta Todd and Mark Cavendish

 

@kochie_online

david koch

All Ords up 136pts. Aus shares end up 3.6% on Europe debt plan hopes; First home buyers drop in past year. AUD trading at just above $US0.99

- Opened strong and positive and seemed to remain steady for the remainder of the trading day. I could say things are getting back to normal, but we're a long way off it just yet. And just what is considered normal?

@manfrotto_tweet

Manfrotto Tweets

Melissa Mercier: Felinophobia- Fear of Cats. t.co/YDmH0wIT

- This one for my mum who can't stand to be in the company of cats.

 

@ETittensor

Elliott Tittensor

It's the 100th episode of Shameless tonight! I was cheeky & watched it last week on e4, wicked ep! Tune in plz tweeps, I'm in it a fare bit.

- Does he mean we see more skin than necessary. Eye candy for some. Still waiting on SBS or whoever is going to show it here in Australia.

 

@SmirksTas

Andrew Shepherd

Liking the theme song for Hung. The Black Keys "I'll Be Your Man" t.co/eh76iJrQ

@SmirksTas - Following 152 - Followers 46

If you made it this far, thanks for following Eggheads!

 

Joanna Lumley interview

Love this lady - Joanna interviewed on ITV's This Morning (September 26, 2011) talking about her new book Absolutely and the three up coming episodes of Absolutely Fabulous.

 

Tweet Reads Wednesday

 

Here are todays shiney twits, I mean tweets…

 

@kochie_online

david koch

People asking what I think of Harry Dent's views. Property will go down, not 50%. global recession is coming. Pay down debt, take no risks

- That's why I'm keeping cashcows, not investing in property.

 

@clientsfh

Clients From Hell

Client: “Can you take the Facebook logo off? I think it violates the integrity of the product. It should... tumblr.com/xep4o62da9

- Yes, unfortunately they do exist.

 

@BigBang_CBS

The Big Bang Theory

Huge #BBT fan? Test your knowledge & play #BigBangTheory's "Who Said It?" Trivia! bit.ly/o2Su3C

- After seeing all episodes about 8 times, I only scored 5 out of 10. Damn it! Do I have to sit through all those repeats again?

 

@murphytravels

Mark Murphy

Don't look down..."Fixing An Antennae On The Empire State Building" http://ow.ly/6tp5O

- Which one is Dilbert?

 

@MarkCavendish

Mark Cavendish

King of the Mountains points!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's on the 'crying' climb I mentioned yesterday. I'm keeping this results sheet #GCrider

- Like cry me a fucking mountain. No wait, i think it's cry+river, climb+mountain… wot-ever, that's a framer!

 

@macworld

Macworld

Is 3D TV headed for the ash-heap of electronics history? macw.us/pVe4p5

- My views from two days ago haven't changed. It's a dud.

 

@murphytravels

Mark Murphy

Earth at night...somewhat incredible http://ow.ly/6toys

 

@wilw

Wil Wheaton

Can't stop reading The Name of the Wind, and when I am forced to stop reading it, I can't stop thinking about it.

- Sounds like Wil's reading quite a page turner. I love those kinda books. Haven't got my nose stuck in a good read for over a year.

 

@MarkCavendish

Mark Cavendish

Talking to @petatodd & sympathising about the loss of the cats furry dice today. Her response to me..... "Be warned".

 

@petergallagher_

Peter Gallagher

Back in Miami for Step Up 4 and September is even hotter and steamier than August! Almost as hot as the dancing! Loving my wool suit Cheers!

- Feeling the heat, Pete?

 

@swegen31

Alex Johnston

I just ousted @chrisroww as the prettiest princess in the newsroom

 

@DiscoverTas

Discover Tasmania

Fri night 8.00pm second to last episode in this series of ABC's 'Collectors' was filmed at MONA in Hobart

- As long as they went nowhere near the poo machine I'm fine with it.

 

Ciao eggheads!

@SmirksTas - Following 152 - Followers 43

 

Linda McCartney: Life In Photographs

I've been a fan of Linda McCartney's photography since the mid eighties.  This impressive portfolio of her work is a treasure to own.

Linda McCartney: Life in Photographs

 

Tweet Reads Monday August 29, 2011

Here's todays picks...

 

@petergallagher_

Peter Gallagher

RT @Chris_Gorham: Check out @petergallagher_ in SF on 10/22! bit.ly/pWwzeC I'll sing you a few songs and tell you some stories! Come!

 

@Wes_Sulzberger

Wesley Sulzberger

yfrog.com/kgqzkp Some people celebrate marriage others celebrate divorce. Out training Ventimiglia Italy.

 

@nbcnewscrew

Dwaine Scott

Behind the Scenes: control room 3A producing special weather coverage with @nbc & @weatherchannel teams in the field http://t.co/TkShepz

 

@nbcnewscrew

Dwaine Scott

Behind the scenes: a panoramic photo of the @msnbctv studios. twitpic.com/6cvt8s

 

- Once again, Dwayne delivers some NBC behind the scenes magic. I'm loving his tweets.

 

@kochie_online

david koch

All Ords up 63pts. Aussie & NZ dollars march higher with stocks; Forestry Tasmania posts $12m loss. AUD up to $US1.06

 

- There's no money in forestry anymore. The market plateaued years ago and has been declining ever since (my opinion only).

 

@Eamon_Sullivan

Eamon Sullivan

Come and have a cocktail and a look my cook book, Eamons Kitchen, tomorrow night at Ariel book store on Oxford street @ 7pm!!

 

- Oh, …Oxford Street? ….?

 

@chrisroww

Chris Rowbottom

I'd rather burn my toast than go and see that new Smurfs movie #evenneilpatrickharriscantsaveit

 

…in replay…

@Barz88

James Barwick

@chrisroww Imagine your balls the whole time your watching that movie. They would just be sitting there, just smacking.

 

@SmirksTas

Andrew Shepherd

How (not) to set up a travel blog ... Step 1 is essential. killingbatteries.com/2011/08/how-to…

 

Not tweets of interest from me today except for a retweet seen above.

 

@SmirksTas - Following 144 - Followers 39

Awesome read...

Earlier this month I stumbled upon Neil Pasricha's blog 1000awesomethings.com. Even better, I bought his books on Amazon; The Book of Awesome and The Book of [Even More] Awesome. Both arrived today.

The Book of Awesome reminds us that the best things in life are free. His wise, witty observations are smile-inducing musings that make you feel like a kid looking at the world for the first time.

Yes, it's all about enjoying the simple moments in life. Here are a few of my favourites...

• Bakery air
• When there's still time left on the parking meter when you pull up
• Peeling the thin plastic film off new electronics
• Waking up and realising it's Saturday

AWESOME!

Dropped scones...

If someone dropped your food on the floor, would you eat it? Probably not. But that's not what I'm talking about.

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I've been reading Lawrence Durrell's The Greek Islands. There's a passage I read about English Corfu society...

From almost everywhere in the town one can hear the characteristic click-clock of the ball on the bat, and the rounds of applause. Once upon a time it was mingled with the stately popping of ginger-beer bottles, which as ritual objects, together with drop scones, lingered on in the coloured marquee until about 1937-38. (page 22)

This reminded me of a cafe board I spotted in the Kefalonia town of Lixouri on our Greek Islands tour of 2007, and I can clearly remember Tony making a joke about the 'dropped scones' on offer.

At the time I'd never heard of drop scones or indeed, dropped scones, and had forgotten about it until I read the passage quoted above. So a short Google search later reveals they are small pancakes, similar to what we call in Australia pikelettes.

Pictures from our 2007 tour of Greece. Left; approaching Lixouri on the ferry. Right; Pero's cafe board with dropped scones on the menu.

Greek light...

Months have past since I last massaged my brain in a good novel and I've been longing to return to the comfort of a sunny chair, a cup of coffee and a can't-put-down page turner.

I like reading travel fiction and travel memoirs, particularly located around the Mediterranean. So this week I started reading Lawrence Durrell's 1978 book, The Greek Islands. I found it through an Amazon Marketplace vendor - used and in good condition for $7.32 USD. With a strong Aussie dollar it was even cheaper but the postage absorbed any real saving.

Durrell's writing style, reminds me of those classic english novels from the last century, with descriptive and expressionist paragraphs, a welcome change from the modern conversationalist style from younger writers of today.

He is not of course the first visitor to be electrified by Greek light, to be intoxicated by the white dancing candescence of the sun on a sea with blue sky pouring into it. - Lawrence Durrell, The Greek Islands (1978)

Bookends

Bookends, originally uploaded to Flickr by Andrew Shepherd.

I have an eclectic range of books on my bookshelf. Most are travel related or deal with Greek and Mediterranean culture. Travel fiction, guide books, Greek mythology, it's a diverse mix.

The bookends were given to me on my 50th birthday by Tony's sister, Tanya and her two daughters, Stella and Lucy.

Buy Buy Buy

Someone please confiscate my credit cards! This week I've been a mail order junkie, spending like crazy. Tuesday I received an email from PayPal with some special deals. One being for an 8GB iPod Nano 5 Gen. This is the new model that can record up to 8 hours of video, although I'll probably just stick to the more traditional uses of music and podcasts. The offer was $20 cheaper than that quoted on the Australian Apple store, plus $50 cashback to my PalPal account at the end of the promotion period.  

Thursday saw another splurge on the card. This time for a new digital SLR camera, the Nikon D5000 for $653. I'm buying just the camera body which saves me a bundle. I can use the old Nikkor lenses that came with the D60. I saw it advertised in the Myer catalogue for $1699 (with the twin lens kit I already have) and I've seen it selling for about $1300 with just the 18-55mm VR lens and around $800 for just the body. So I think I found another reasonable deal here. I decided on the D5000 model (over the D90 and D3000) for various features and benefits. Significantly better than the D60, which didn't have Live-view, exposure-bracketing and the ability to accept the optional GPS data unit. 

CNET Review: Judged on its own merits, the D5000 is a great digital SLR for those wanting something a bit better than the entry-level D60 model, and equals or betters a lot of the performance specifications of the D90.

Then, how could I not go without this wonderful book on how the use the D5000. I've seen other offerings from publishers that offer nothing more than what's in the supplied manual, but this book goes further with chapter assignments that make you want to use the camera features and gain a knowledgeable understand of the controls and settings.

Little Toot...

When I was little, about 4 years old, my favourite book was Little Toot. I had my Mum read it to me all the time. I'd forgotten about it until today when I was scanning some transparencies from an overseas trip I did to Canada in 1986 (when I was 26... I'm now 48 btw).

The photo I had taken was of a barge being towed by a very tiny tugboat. As the scan appeared, it reminded me of Little Toot.

I remember I always had a liking for tugboats. Even today when I see one cruising by on the river, I stop and reminisce my childhood and think of the joy I felt when I saw a tugboat gliding by.

So, having a brain spin, I thought I'd take a look on the internet to see what was out there on the little tugboat I remembered from when I was a kid. It turns out the book by Hardie Gramatky is still available and there's also an official website.

Tasmania... booked up.

I want to mention two books that have been released this month with whole of partial reference to my home state of Tasmania.

The first is a book by Holly Hughes titled Frommers 500 Places to See Before They Disappear. The book covers locations from around the world including 21 in Australia. Places like the Daintree Rainforest in Queensland, Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory, Luna Park in Sydney and the WHOLE state of Tasmania also features, with attention drawn to the endangered Tasmanian Devil.

Author Holly Hughes writes:

Many unique species thrive in Tasmania, one of the world's most unusual ecosystems. Increasing development, including logging, mining and other industries, threaten many of the island's most beautiful places.

As well as the Tasmnanian Devil, I believe there would have been several reasons Hughes included the whole state and not specific locations. Head strong in many peoples minds here, the controversial proposal to build a pulp mill in the Tamar Valley. This project is seen by many locals as a fast short-term investment for shareholders, against the long-term interests of Tasmania and with careless disregard to the environment and local residents. The approval process has been government fast-tracked and corrupt from the outset, further infuriating those that oppose it.

In a letter on the Amazon site Hughes writes:

Though this book was originally conceived as a handbook for eco-tourists, it soon became clear that we couldn’t separate natural and man-made attractions. After all, historical and cultural landmarks are part of the environment, too. The destruction of an entire city like New Orleans is as much as a natural disaster as the destruction of an entire biosphere like the Amazonian rainforest; the same concerns affect the Acropolis as the giant redwoods. If changes in the natural environment have threatened the piping plover, the Tasmanian devil, and the mountain gorilla, so too have changes in our cultural environment threatened classic amusement parks, ballparks, and movie palaces. Our planet is the poorer every time we allow something beautiful to die.

Well said.

The second book I want to mention is Mikkel Aaland's Photoshop Lightroom 2 Adventure.

Earlier this year I blogged about 25 photographers from around the world who converged on Tasmania for a week long photographic adventure of this beautiful island. During their stay, each photographer used a beta version of Adobe's Lightroom photo processing software with amazing results.

And those results are now published in this book, showing off Tasmania to the world... well, those that are keen to see some of the tricks that were used with the software.

In his blog Aaland writes:

I am a proud father. The book looks great! I'm not surprised--a lot of good people at O'Reilly worked really hard on it-- but I am relieved. It's nerve racking to work with other photographer's images and honor them. I think the double page spreads look fantastic and really highlight the amazing talent that made the adventure--and the book-- successful.

My copy should arrive in the next week or so.

A tribute to Arthur...

Take me at my word...

Macquarie Dictionary have opened voting for their word of the year and now here's your chance to keep up with our complicated Aussie slang. Here are some words that caught my eye...

fauxtography
noun the manipulation of photographic or video images to convey a false representation of events.
[faux + (pho)tography]

floordrobe
noun Colloquial (humorous) a floor littered with discarded clothes, viewed ironically as a clothing storage system.
[floor + (war)drobe]

lady garden
noun Colloquial (euphemistic) a woman's pubic region.

tart fuel
noun Colloquial wine coolers and alcopops, viewed by men as deceptively alcoholic drinks that will lower a woman's resistance to sexual advances.

Author, Author...

Here's my new book!...

A World Tour of Greek Islands is a three week photographic backpacking tour of five Greek Islands I visited with my friend Tony in May 2007.

View the wonderful landscapes of Mykonos, Santorini, Crete, Zakynthos and Kefalonia... and featuring the breathtaking scenery of Samaria Gorge on Crete.

40 pages, 9" x 7", casewrap-hardcover binding, full-colour interior and exterior ink.
$41.20 USD + shipping charges

A great day in history...

It's October 1st. A few things are happening today, and have happened in history.

I've read the Alexander Trilogy by Valerio Massimo Manfredi and been a fan of Alexander The Great since then (yeah i know, the movie sucked!)

Anyway, thanks to Wikipedia for jogging my memory... today in 331 BC, Alexander the Great of Macedon defeated Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela, and was subsequently crowned "King of Asia" in a ceremony in Arbela.

Now what's significant about this is, if Alexander had lost this battle and been subsequently killed, the world as we know it today would probably not exist. This is because the Greek society back then was the foundation of democracy.

As for today, it's my Mum and Dad's 50th wedding anniversary. So congratulations to my folks... i know it hasn't been easy, but you've both pulled through in flying colours. Have a great day.

Margaret Scott

The thing I like about Tasmania is the wealth of character (and characters) shown by many in our community. One well known Tasmanian died today. Margaret Scott, a writer, poet and educator, passed away aged 71 after a long illness of emphysema.

Nose in a book

This week I started reading Peter Moore's Vroom with a View - his adventure through Italy on a '61 Vespa. I can put the book down, it's the Italy I never saw. Through the quiet back roads from Milan to Rome. Bella vista!

Bad review?

MyMac have posted a review of Wil Wheaton's book
Dancing Barefoot. Unfortunately they only rated it 1 out of 5.

I guess it's not to everyones taste.

UPDATED BIT
In a much healthier review, issue 10.05 of ATPM gives Dancing Barefoot a "Very Nice" rating.

Reviewer Ellyn Ritterskamp wrote:

Wheaton has a nice, easy writing style. He understands that to write well we must write about things we know, and that we should write in our own voices. He’s done both. This is a very good first effort. I look forward to Just a Geek, coming out this summer.

On leave

I'm currently on a week off from work. Just normal annual leave. Catching up on a few things and doing those odd jobs I left for rainy days but didn't do on those rainy days (lazy slob!)

The new Mac is going well. I'm very pleased with it.

I've started reading a book called Separate Lives. It's partly set in the Greek Islands (wouldn't you know it). I've added it to the Typelist on the right. I found the book at the local book market reduced from $29.95 to $9.95. A bargain don't you think? I know, I know, it's one of those womens romance novels... but it's Greece peeps!

Billy

I'm on a weeks leave which has given me some spare time to catch up on a few things, including my mounting book collection. Last time I was on leave I spent five days in Sydney catching up with a friend. On the way home the flight included a short stop in Melbourne. At a book store I bought Pamela Stephenson's biography about her husband Billy Connolly. I started reading it with enthusiasm in the airport terminal. Over the weeks I'd pick up the book and read a bit more... and I mean a "bit", like a page or three but no more. Sometimes, whole weeks would go by before I'd continue.

Anyway, after three and a half months, today I finally finished it.

Before reading 'Billy!' I only knew Billy Connolly as a funny strange guy I'd seen occasionally on TV. Now, having read Pamela's book I have a better understanding of this hugely successful comedian. The cover notes say it better than I ever could...

... From a troubled and desperately poor childhood in the docklands of Glasgow he is now the intimate of household names the world over.... In this extraordinary book, Pamela Stephenson combines the very personal with a frank objectivity that makes for a compellingly moving, yet hugely entertaining, biography.

Adam and Andy

James Asal has been having some problems with the 'gay haters' lately. A not-so-nice review of his "Adam and Andy" comic book resulted in loads of nasty hateful messages in the A&A guestbook. Sadly the guestbook is no more. Here's some of what James had to say in his blog:

It's a shame that there are so many people in the world with such a low opinion of themselves that they must actively seek out other people to hurt in order to make themselves feel better. That's not what I am about, and it will NEVER be what "Adam & Andy" is about.

I read the Adam & Andy strip each week because it brings a little joy and humour into my life. Keep up the good work James. I'm relieved you overcame these stupid acts of ignorance and immaturity.