Things That Piss Me Off

 The Elf on the Shelf. WTF? A cheap, creepy-faced little doll spies on the whole family all day and sneaks back to HQ at night to report on whether you're naughty or nice. (Don't we have the NSA for that?) Worse, it comes alive and moves around the house when nobody's looking. Talk about The Nightmare Before Christmas.
 
NPR. I love NPR. It's one of the very few sources I trust, and I have it on all the time. But couldn't there be some kind of pleasant topic interwoven into the daily dose of depression? Something other than the muck and mire of American politics,  the desperation of wars in faraway places, the endless litany of terrible things about which I can do absolutely nothing...keep those, yeah, because somebody has to do actual journalism. But even I need a breather in between stories, a momentary shelter from the shitstorm. Anything will do. I'll even take a little news from from Lake Woebegon.

Cannibalistic commercials. I find it disturbing that the cute little Cinnamon Toast Crunch pieces are eating each other. I don't think I could stand having a whole box of them on my shelf, because I'd always be imagining the horrors taking place within. And I don't think it's funny to watch the little M&M guys being lured to their doom, fighting for their lives while being stuffed into ovens, and especially the one  having his brain devoured by voracious women (who are not even zombies). "It hurts! But I kinda like it" he says. It hurts. I don't like it. Ditto all the happy, singing cows, chickens, and pigs selling beef, chicken, and pork products. Epic Ewww.

No point here. I'm just saying.

Here Comes the Bride

Spotted at a busy intersection. The ladies seemed to be following a photographer who was walking half a block ahead. I couldn't see any particularly interesting destinations for a photo shoot, though, so maybe they were making a last minute getaway.

Posted for The Weekend in Black and White.

Shadows: Merry Christmas!

Happy Holidays to the shadow hunters at Shadow Shot Sunday 2!

Black and White: Bauble

Happy Holidays, everyone!  May your season be bright - and colorful!


Published for The Weekend in Black and White.

Abstract: O Christmas Tree

This is what happens when you use a long exposure on a Christmas tree at night and deliberately move the camera in circles. (Because hey, we have so much extra time on our hands during the holidays, right?)






Posted for NF Abstract on Wednesday.

Black and White: Diner

Fast food seems like a real treat when served under a fabulous, shiny tin ceiling. All I had with me was my new little Sony Cybershot, which I had accidentally set to some funky effect or other that produced neon-bright colors. But once I converted to black and white, I thought the shots turned out kinda neat.





Posted for The Weekend in Black and White and for Shadow Shot Sunday 2.