What is “absolutely out of the question” you might ask. The expectance of a straight answer from particular folks is… So, that alone should answer it for you.
I was planning to post several times in the last week but due to circumstances I couldn’t. And I was fighting with folks as described here above, and I was fighting with my own procrastination and unwillingness to get down to it and write. The 2nd part of myself, the negative one, was winning on all fronts, and my 1st me, the positive one, was too overwhelmed by the “bad me” to be able to fight it.
The photo here above was meant to be posted on the 08-08-08, however, as I explained above it did not happen. It was chosen to be displayed on an article talking about the opening of the Olimpics in China and I did submit there. The 8-8-8 was a very special day for especially the light workers. It is expected that many more “doors” will open on this particular day, and more, much more magic will start happening all around Earth. I really hope this is true as I am in need of more magic into my own life, and the life of my loved once…
And with this photo here I am leaving you until my next post. A friend of mine wrote about it the following:”THIS IS A TEST for “humanity”. the comp, angle , colors and DOF have set so well that this is a mood spinner…”. So I hope it will bring you joy, as this is what it was meant for
As most of you know I am away from home, and have a very hard time keeping up with all that I have to do here, and my online business is suffering from it too.
But to get down to the story, and the why of this title…Yesterday night, about 24 hours ago, I found through StumbleUpon.com (where from much traffic is going to my Crystal skulls blog) that someone has STOLEN the following photo of two of my crystal skulls… To be more exact, from Elie together with Jolly Zee.
I know it’s happening to about everyone placing their photos online without taking as precaution an ugly watermark in the middle of the photo, so that it cannot be cut off without ruining the photo completely.
Even while my partner Willem cautioned me I did not want to ruin the beauty I was capturing with the cameras and decided to take the risk, thinking the people will be honest and appreciative enough to link back to the site of mine that they found the photo on at the least. And even better, if they contact me and ask permission first and, before doing it. I will most certainly consent it as the photos are online already. But to steal, to not even link back to where the photo was found is downright STEALING. This is totally obnoxious and unacceptable behavior and I will definitely fight it.
I wrote the guy last night and gave him 24 hours the time to either link back to where he took my photo from, or take the photo off his blog ASAP. No reply until now whatsoever, and I decided to write about it on Totally Useless, and to write a review on his blog on Stumble Upon too. And if he does not as I am asking I will take it higher up.
Who knows how many of my photographs have been “stolen” until now online. In any case, if any of you have used any of my photos without linking back to where you found them posted - I’ll find you sooner or later, and will act exactly in the same manner as I am doing right now. And hopefully people will use their mind in a better way than this guy did, or I will be forced to start using an ugly watermark somewhere in the middle of my photographs from there on. So friends of mine, enjoy my photos without watermarks while I am still in the mood to leave these as they are.
This video shocked me so much that I had to share it with you on Totally Useless.com.
Think about your daily commute and compare it if you can with what seems to be normal in Japan…
And the most important part of it all - be sure to choose other means of traveling while in Japan
Than I’d like to ask if you know the name of this wonderful flower? Is it maybe some type of an orchid? I shot it a few weeks ago in an orchid garden, and the same goes for the photo of the “angry orchids”, the name of which I also do not know.
Time flies quicker than we imagine it would, and while I was planning to let you all know that I will be away for an undetermined period of time - I did not tell you so. The photo above is a weird paradox really. No post processing was used and I was amazed about the mask on one of the dice and the weird forms the bokeh made on it. The title is about this photo.
I am away from home, and in another country, and I don’t know for how long I will remain here but it could be for months. This doesn’t mean the end of my blog, and I will definitely keep posting as often as I can. Here are some resent photos that were meant for Mother’s day and am sorry that I wasn’t able to post these in time, and as many things lately - the old cliche - better late than never…
Freeze for a moment if you please and think about the lack of human rights in so many countries around the world.
Posting a few of my newest photos for the Bloggers Unite for Human Rights - today - 15th of may 2008.
My heart goes to all the innocents that are imprisoned, and to all the hungry and devastated by natural disasters, such as in Burma recently. May their situation change for the better and ASAP. And how is it possible that 2 million people’s lives are endangered because of the refusal of the junta to open up to a full-scale relief effort? Wake up world!
The photos above are an experiment that I was planning to do for quite some time. I decided to place some flowers in colored water and freeze these in. Under a certain angle the sun light hit the ice in such a way that a shine and rainbow colors came up from within and surrounded the daisy. Check the few leaves of the daisy pointing towards heaven like fingers … ( I like that ) It reminds me that there are certain powers that could change events even when we tend to loose hope…
Yesterday was Earth’s Day and I did post a photo on Flickr, the one you are seeing above this text, but did not post it on the blog when i should have - yesterday. You see my friends, I am very unhappy with many things in my life at this moment, and at times I feel like being in a black hole. Emotionally, I seem to be on a path that inextricably leads to solitude and suffering. This seems to bring me nothing but frustration and disillusionment - and that could easily lead to great sadness, or depression. What I hate most of all is whining and forgive me for whining here at the moment. I simply feel that you need some kind of explanation for the missing chapters, or better to say - the missing posts on my blog(s). I will definitely try better to do my best and post more often. Even if without writing I could at least post some more of my photos. Here are a few for you taken in the last few days. Talk to you soon my friends, and have a splendid and shiny week ahead
The purpose of this survey is to examine how people think and feel about the political issues, parties, and candidates in the upcoming election. In the survey, you will be asked a series of questions about two political candidates, John McCain and Hillary Clinton. We are very interested in how individuals that find information on the web think about politics, and your participation would be greatly appreciated. In total, the survey should take about 15 minutes to complete. The survey is completely anonymous and you can skip any questions you do not wish to answer.
To start the new week with a brighter mood, I decided to use the artistic work of Connie, a Flickr friend of mine. She did some bright and beautiful works with a few of my images that were blurred almost beyond recognition. The one here above she called: “Taty’s Deep Electric Blue Thoughts,” and this is the state of mind I am presently in. I’ll need another day or two until the answer to the law firm will be ready to send. Will let you know what will happen after the message of mine has been sent.
On another note, this evening on one of the Dutch TV channels SBS 6, a girl was telling that she saw Maddy McCann in Montpelier - France. The French police took it very seriously and started the hunt for a guy of about 1.80m that was together with the presumed Maddy. I hope so much that it was indeed her, and that she will be found finally. My heart goes out to her and to her parents.
Talk to you soon my friends and wishing you a splendid week ahead
This capture was taken by yours truly and describes best the title of this post and this is why I am using it. This morning when I checked my email all the lovely thoughts and memories of the Valentines Day yesterday vanished. Why? Because of the email that I received from the attorney of a huge and world known company, asking me to cease and desist the use of a domain name and the web site that goes with it, as according to them, I am in breech with the Intellectual Property Rights of the company they are working for…
Needless to say it but I got cold shivers all over me. The though that first crossed my mind was - how can I go against them - it would be crazy to even try. You see, I am like the ant against the elephant here. No matter how good of an attorney I have I would never win this battle as I do not have the time, nor the cash to bear with the consequences that a probable loss would mean for me. Ceasing the use of the domain name and site would mean for me cutting my bread and butter for at least 3/4 of what I now make a month. Meaning I would have to do with barely a 1/4th of what I earn right now. And the entire amount is worthless and not even enough to make me pay the monthly costs of the server I am using alone
Really my friends, I am so distressed and upset right now that I need to take a break and see to put my mind together and come up with a good enough plan as to where I will go from here on with my online venture. Will talk to you soon, and if you don’t see a post from me in a week means that I am too busy with this problem as they have given me only 10 days to solve the crisis. Bye for now.
Again my friends - apologies for not having written on my blogs for longer than I thought. There are a few important things that I wanted to mention to you before these become old news as all of it becomes sooner or later.
What do you think about the statement in the title: “Smile and You Shall Receive?” Is it really so in life? In your life or in my life? It’s true of course that with sweetness you are catching more flies than with bitter or with other tastes, so it must be true. Why am I asking? Today in the newspapers I read that Ayaan Hirshi Ali, the Dutch politician that went to the US is now in France and asking for French nationality. You have heard about her of course, known for her outspoken criticism of conservative Islam.
She hopes to get French citizenship because, than she will not have to worry about the costs of her security. You see, when she went working and living in the US the Dutch government kept paying the costs for her security, but after 18 months they stopped with it. In the US she had to find funds to pay for her own security as the US government did not intend to pay for it.
I mean, don’t you all find it ridiculous that one is praised as an activist, as a hero, until it comes down to money. Than everyone turns and looks at the opposite direction like they have nothing to do with it. How is it possible that money is more important than anything else, or so it seems?
We will see if France will grant her the citizenship and if they will start paying for her security. For her sake I do hope that sooner or later some country will take the task upon themselves.
About Joran van der Sloot. His lawyer gave a statement that he has been in talks with the Dutch police force denying everything that he said on the movie taped in the car of Patrick van der Eem. He said, he was stoned while making the ridiculous declarations. LOL, I really laughed about it a lot, as this guy smokes constantly, and the tapes were from different days, and on different occasions, and he was always smoking :D. His attorney stated that he will remain in The Netherlands and always available if the Dutch Police needed him, and at any time. I guess he is praying that The Netherlands will keep him here and will not send him back to Aruba.
I will keep you updated when I know any news in regards.
Totally Useless is all about my personal philosophy, and how I interpret what is happening
in our lifetime, what is important to us, and how
come. It is about all those things that often
appear as totally useless but mostly are not.
