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Shine on Harvest Moon
September 26, 2007In case you didn't know...
Tonight is the Harvest Moon....'course, hopefully the clouds that are out there right now will break by this evening so we can see it.
Posted by Jason Palmer at 9:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Sorry I've been away...
I couldn't really think of anything that I particularly wanted to write about this last week. But I've got a few in mind now.
Ready....go.
1. My sister's wedding shower
This past Sunday, my middle sister April had her wedding shower at church. It was really pretty, and I was genuinely shocked at how much cool stuff she got from all over the place. One of the good things about that...I kind of inherited some of her "old" kitchenware that was in better shape than the plates and dishes I have currently. So it's a win-win situation.
Now, being the wedding shower novice that I am, I did not know that I was "exempt" from buying her a wedding gift now that I got her something at the shower.
Call it beginners luck I guess. I had a big idea, but looks like I can save it for Christmas. Which, by the way... I'm beginning to understand why April wanted the wedding so close to Dec. 25th anyways. It's not because of the weather or the fall colors. She's smarter than that....
It's because she wants us to get her Wedding Registry leftovers.
2. Halo 3
Okay then..., i don't even have an Xbox or Xbox360 and I'm excited about this game. I never really got into the whole Halo thing when it first came out. I mean, I went over to some of my friends houses and played Battle Mode for a few hours occasionally, but I never really got as into it hardcore as they did.
But seriously folks... have you SEEN the commercial for this game. That has got to be the best ad I've ever seen period. Much less anything for a video game.
First... a little background in case you don't know. The main character, the one you see at the end of this commercial... is Master Chief. The whole game centers around him and a futuristic intergalactic battle.
The entire battle scene diorama is real, not computer generated. Basically, it's one of the most effective ads I think I've ever seen. I may have to go buy an Xbox 360 for this game and Guitar Hero.
3. The new Nike for Indians
Yeah...that's right. Nike has created a shoe specifically designed for Native Americans, or so they claim.
While the effort to promote physical fitness to a race with a high obesity rate is admirable, what is really shocking is the price.
A mere $44.
That's bottom barrel for Nike. Which either means the shoe is going to suck, or they actually care. I'm betting on the quality of the shoe will fail.
But, it appears they did their homework. The article states that "Nike designers and researchers looked at the feet of more than 200 people from more than 70 tribes nationwide and found that in general, American Indians have a much wider and taller foot than the average shoe accommodates. The average shoe width of men and women measured was three width sizes larger than the standard Nike shoe."
That's fairly impressive. But the big question...
Are they going to come out with a long-distance hike/swim shoe for sale in Mexico?
Posted by Jason Palmer at 7:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Batten down the Hatches
September 18, 2007There's a storm on the way. Hail, 50-60 mph winds, rediculous amounts of rain.
What is this....spring?
Posted by Jason Palmer at 4:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
New Wal-Mart slogan.
September 13, 2007After a run of 19 years... Wal-Mart is changing their tone from "Always Low Prices" to.....
"Save Money, Live Better."
I guess...
Gone will be the little yellow smiley face from ads. I loved that little guy, zipping around the store and slashing prices.
I mean, seriously, who doesn't like a smiley face sticker.
Here is the article from Reuters about the change.
The article says that: Wal-Mart said it will begin running TV ads on Wednesday illustrating "how saving money on the little things adds up and helps families live better."
That is...unless your family owns a Mom&Pop store in the same town as a Wal-Mart. Then you're pretty much just screwed. Capitalism at its finest.
The general jist of the story is how Wal-Mart is trying to incorperate a more "emotional tone" in their general advertising pitch. Actors, talking about how Wal-Mart saved them money with the gas prices being so high.
Global Insight, a research company that Wal-Mart hired, said in the past 20 years, the "Wal-Mart effect" lead to a 3-percent decline in consumer prices for all items, as measured by the Consumer Price Index, which includes prices for goods and services.
The Reuters article says the research firm said its updated study concluded that the reduction in price levels due to Wal-Mart's presence translated into savings for consumers of $287 billion in 2006, which is $957 per person or $2,500 per household.
So Wal-Mart saved me about a thousand dollars last year...I think of all of the needless things I purchased at Wal-Mart and wonder how much I could have saved if I hadn't purchased them.
Chances are I'm going to shop at the new WallyWorld on Southwest Parkway when it opens, I'm hoping it's a more sophisticated crowd that roams the isles.
Posted by Jason Palmer at 12:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
What is a Beanie Burger?
September 11, 2007I got an e-mail asking me exactly what a Beanie Burger is....
Truth is, I don't know.
I know it has nacho cheese, chili, jalapenos, fritos and onions on what was otherwise a normal burger.
Any ideas?
Posted by Jason Palmer at 3:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)
The amazing Beanie Burger Contest
If you have a chance this weekend... you should go to the Texas Oklahoma Fair and witness the bizarre and amazing beanie burger eating contest.
You might be grossed out...but that's part of the point I think.
I remember my first BBEC (Beanie Burger Eating Contest) rather vividly...unfortunately for me.
It was in 2004, and I was working on the Saturday the contest was taking place. There was also a pie-eating contest earlier that morning. The pies were way easier to photograph and not as visually disturbing as the BBEC.
I stood there, on the edge of the stage, not sure if I really wanted to photograph what was about to happen. I don't usually get grossed out at a bad car wreck or some kind of shooting... But I genuinely thought I might need to find a trash can before this thing was over.
So I'm standing there, and this little kid jumps up to the table, ready to take his seat for the contest.
I'm thinking to myself...there is no way I'm actually seeing this.
Shaleendria Murphy watches the competition during the 2004 Stanley's Beanie Burger eating competition Saturday afternoon at the Texas Oklahoma Fair.
There were about 20 contestants in 2004, and it wasn't going to be possible to get a shot of everybody, but I couldn't miss a chance to preserve history and not take a picture of the kid. She gave it a champions effort...but was several burgers short of the title. The look on her face is priceless though.
So, after nailing a shot of the youngest contestant in the group...I thought I'd step back a bit and look for another angle. It's been about two minutes into the contest, and I'm wondering if I'll be able to hold down breakfast at this point. I cannot possibly describe the smell.
If you've never HAD a beanie burger...do so with caution. There are a lot of people in town who swear by them, saying they're the best in the city.
I'd probably swear AT it.
Robby Schorer, right, reacts after his first few bites during the 2004 Stanley's Beanie Burger eating contest Saturday afternoon during the Texas Oklahoma Fair at MPEC.
I use the word "reacts" in the caption. That's the generic thing to do. Truth is...he was pretty much gagging. I very nearly threw up in my mouth a little bit when he did. My eyes were watering and I really just wanted something to drink.
After a few minutes, it was all over. And this college kid, Nathan Biller, took home the trophy after eating six and a half (if I remember correctly).
But seriously, does anybody actually "win" in this situation? Charmin wins...that's about it.
In 2005, Nathan Biller was all the rage at the contest. He was the front-runner, and I was basically instructed to stay with him for the duration of the show, photographing him bite by bite. It wasn't the best of jobs to say the least.
Nathan Biller (left) crams the first of five beanie burgers in his mouth Saturday evening during the 2005 Times Record News/Stanley's Beanie Burger Eating Contest at the Texas Oklahoma Fair. Biller defended his title from last year's innaugural eating contest.
Nathan Biller (left) crams the one of the beanie burgers in his mouth Saturday evening during the 2005 Times Record News/Stanley's Beanie Burger Eating Contest at the Texas Oklahoma Fair. Biller defended his title from last year's innaugural eating contest by polishing off five of the beanie burgers.
Now, he didn't eat as many in 2005 as he did the previous year...there was no need to. He was watching his nearest competitor out of the corner of his eye and was pacing himself.
It didn't matter.... as soon as the contest was over, he lost it. Nearest trashcan lost it.
That's the way it goes at the BBEC.... If you win, you still lose. See you there...
Posted by Jason Palmer at 7:51 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
The Duck Returns
September 10, 2007It's been a while since they had anything posted that I liked.
But once again....here's my fave. cartoon in the land.
This brings back all of the memories from my very first summer with the newspaper as an intern. Kinda made me laugh.
Posted by Jason Palmer at 7:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Lost in the Wichitas
September 4, 2007First and foremost... I will admit this at the very beginning. I was lost.
I was lost on a mountain with my girlfriend in the Wichita Mountains and I wasn't sure which way to go.
It was a scary feeling...
So the long version of the story...it goes like this.
My girlfriend Amy and I decided that for our Labor Day weekend, we'd go camping up in the Wichita Mountains. I have never been camping up there and thought it'd be fun, especially since the weather wasn't 10000 degrees for the first weekend since the monsoon season in June.
We took off about 8 a.m. Saturday morning and had all of the needed items (tent, camp stove, marshmallows, ice chest full of stuff). We plopped down in Camp Doris (for only $8 a night...not bad).
The plan was to get up there, set up the camp, and take a nice hike on one of the trails before it got to the heat of the day, then go on in to Medicine Park for a bit of touristy fun.
The trail I wanted to check out was The Narrows near Eagle Mountain. Not too long and probably shaded a lot because of the high canyon walls.
But for some reason...the Kite Trail caught my eye on the map. It winds around Lost Lake (which should have been my first clue to avoid this trail).
In all of my past experiences...Lost Lake would equal Lost Jason. My sister April even warned Amy about the dangers of spending time with me in the great outdoors.
The trail started off fairly normal, nice granite inclines, picturesque landscapes such as:
It was as this point the trail started climbing the canyon and getting farther and farther from the river bottom. This little rock-strewn creek flows out of Lost Lake and through a section of the park.
Finally...the deepest part of the canyon opened up. It was breathtaking to say the least.
It was after this point that our hike took a bad turn...literally. We got lost. And lost on a granite-faced mountainside isn't the best place to be.
As we hiked past the deep part of the canyon, the trail became less and less defined. We ended up going up the mountain a bit, while the actual trail went downhill towards the river.
Here's the topographical map from the area....the red is the trail from Lost Lake to the Boulder Cabin Picnic area...
The green is where we got a bit wayward....
The trail kinda vanished and I didn't have the handy topo map with me (dumb mistake #1). My GF thought that the trail went higher up in the hill and that was where we started to deviate. I thought it went closer to the river (which it does as one point) but I wasn't sure where we were in relation to that.
From the top of the hill...you could see the occasional car drive on the road (the thick black line)...so we started moving in that direction, knowing that the road would be there somewhere....then we ran into the steep canyon and river below. We decided to turn back to the top of the hill....and rested for about 30 minutes.
Now, I had two bottles of water and a bottle of Gatorade, and despite my usual pension for downing an entire beverage in about 25 seconds, I knew to hold off and conserve my water for such an occasion.
I was actually pretty worried for a while. I hated it because I knew what mountain I was on...just didn't know which direction to go to get us out of there.
We found a shade tree and sat there for a few, most of it me apologizing profusely for getting us lost. But I must admit, Amy was a total trooper and wasn't really that mad at me. She was tired and sunburned but she says she wasn't mad.
I on the other hand was fairly furious with myself on the inside. I didn't want to be lost...I wanted to have fun.
Finally, I heard voices on the trial below us and saw two hikers moving perpendicular to our location on the high ground....we started moving downhill and my g/f located the trail just above the river. We followed it to the end of the hike.
All in all, the trail ended up being about two miles with elevation changes of about 400 ft. That was the rocky trail part.
Then, the second error in judgment, I forgot that the trail wasn't a circular one. We had to walk back up the road from the Buffalo Cabin to the Lost Lake (most of it uphill). That was another two miles.
The moral of the story....stop in the Visitors Center and pick up a Topo map of the area for $4....it could save your freaking life. :-)
Posted by Jason Palmer at 10:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Fireworktacular
If you missed the July 4th makeup from the city of Wichita Falls on Sunday..... you missed a good show.
Actually, I thought the city did a great job for the most part. There were a few bumps, but there always is.
First off....the problems. And I wasn't there for a long time, so I don't really know how dire a situation it was.
The lines for the beer tent/bbq stand outside the MPEC were fairly long. People were griping left and right it seemed. The rest of the food places were indoors, but in the cramped back hallway to the MPEC. It was like trying to herd cattle through a canyon.
The only other real concern I heard was there wasn't a whole lot of things for the children to do. They had one of those moon bounce things going, but that was about it. Other than the main concert stage, there was nothing for the children to do but run around it seemed.
A bit of an oversight...especially since it was billed as Family Fun.... it was fun for the adults, but until the fireworks show got cracking...the kids were pretty much left out.
Now...the good.
The fireworks were fantastic. A heck of a lot better than I anticipated, especially since it's wasn't a July 4th show. There were some shapes that I hadn't seen before and several of the really huge shells that rattle the windows.
All in all, it was about a 20-25 minute show and worth every minute. The city did a great job of stepping up and making sure they didn't let the crowd down. I have no idea how many people were there, but I'd say several thousand. No telling how many were watching from other parts of the city.
Shooting the fireworks wasn't going to be that much of a challenge for me. They're pretty easy once you get the hang of it. It's always the same setup...use a tripod, shutter speed between 5-15 seconds....and set the f-stop so that the bright explosions won't be too bright.
Easy as pie.... but finding something in the shot to give perspective isn't as easy. The trees and crowd beneath worked out well for me.
These were the first few shells that were fired. It was more of a test exposure to make sure I would get things right, but I really liked how you can still see a bit of the sunset colors in the sky. It wasn't that visable to the naked eye...but with a long exposure, the camera sees a bit more.
This one was actually my fave. of the night. I love the colors and the exposure is just about perfect for the scene. I probably shot 50 photos, moving to 5 different locations in the crowd to vary it up a bit....and came away with about 10 shots that could have ran in the paper.
This one showed the crowd better in my opinion than the previous shot...so it's the one that I used for the paper on Monday.
I scrambled back from a Wichita Mountains camping trip to get home in time for the fireworks Sunday...more about that trip in a bit. You won't want to miss that one.
Posted by Jason Palmer at 2:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
