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Sick Day
January 29, 2008I had all the good intentions of writing a blog today about getting stung on the neck by a wasp this weekend and how random that is... but I was sick
I actually called into work sick today, which is highly unusual for me. I mean, I went to work one day last year with about a 103-degree fever. Well, the fever reached a fever pitch while I was at work and I didn't go home.
But I woke up today with the absolute worst sinus headache and stopped-up-edness that I've had all cedar season. It was a really debilitating kind of not feeling good. Combine that with a persistent cough that was really really bad... and it was enough to send me to the doctor.
A few meds later.. and I'm honestly not feeling all that much better. Hopefully this medicine will actually start to work overnight and I'll feel better in the morning. Heck, I'm just hoping to feel better at some point tomorrow period...
And if not... I'm going to march back up to the office and let them know that I'd like a different prescription.
Posted by Jason Palmer at 09:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Show me the money.
January 25, 2008Insert any number of Jerry Maguire references you want... but that's really all that I'd like for the government to do at this point.
Just show me the money. Shoooooooow meeeeeee the monaaaaaaaaaaaaaay.
Of course, I'm talking about the hopeful plan to hook up 1/2 the country with tax rebate checks to help stimulate our floundering economy.
You see... it's a great plan in theory, but it has to pass both the snake pits that are the Senate and the House.
Somebody in there will no doubt try and muck things up and add several provisions to the bill... not that there is anything wrong with what they want to do such as extend unemployment benefits, and help out food stamp recipients and states suffering budget crunches.
They've said that they hope it can overcome the bipartisan politics and positioning for the upcoming elections. You know the Democrats would LOOOOVE to posture themselves as the generous moneyback givers that helped saved the American Economy.
Bush would love to have this on his desk to sign by Feb. 15 and hopefully have the IRS sending out checks starting in May... which would find me $600 richer sometime in July. Hopefully.
I got a similar check a couple of years ago when they did this in 2001. I don't know what kind of effect it will have on the economy as a whole... but I know that I should have all of my credit card debt and other sort of stuff paid off by then and would basically have just an extra $600 to do whatever I want with.
With my luck, it'll go straight into paying for my car insurance (which would need a renewal in August). But then again, if I pay my insurance in full and upfront, that will save me more than $100 a month for the next six... which would be great. I'm sure I could find something to blow it on.
One of my friends told me that I should invest it in the stock-market. I have no idea what I would buy... and I don't think I'm generally smart enough to understand that "Mad Money" show that some of my co-workers gather around a TV set to watch.
I suppose I could use the money to put in a 401K plan or something. I mean, I'm closing in on 30 and don't really have any sort of retirement plan going yet. I had hoped that I could accomplish that as soon as I am out from under the credit card debt. Not like I have a ton of that or anything like most people my age.
'Course, I could always use that $600 to put towards a shiny new camera....
Posted by Jason Palmer at 01:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
What the Duck?
January 24, 2008Two in one week... that's pretty good for these guys.
This one made me laugh a little bit this morning.
Posted by Jason Palmer at 08:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Breaking News... Girls Gone Wild filming in Abilene
January 23, 2008I got a pretty good chuckle out of this story from our buddies at the Abilene Reporter News this morning.
Here it is.
They're looking for hot girls in Abilene who'll show their stuff.... good luck with that.
Posted by Jason Palmer at 10:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Caught by the Pseudoephedrine Law
January 22, 2008Another odd chapter in my war against mountain cedar and my ongoing sinus problems.
I was turned down from being able to buy Sudafed today at Walgreens.
Basically put... the 2005 State and 2006 Federal laws that are meant to help fight the wave of meth users are hampering my efforts to feel better.
Now, sure that sounds selfish. But that's not really the point.
But in short... here are a few of the highlights that are keeping me from feeling better tonight.
In Texas as of 2005:
Before completing the over-the-counter sale of a product containing ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, or norpseudoephedrine, a pharmacy must require the person making the purchase to:n display a driver's license or other form of identification containing the person's photograph and indicating that the person is 16 years of age or older; and
n sign for the purchase.
The pharmacy must make a record of the sale including:
n the name of the person making the purchase;
n the date of the purchase; and
n the item and number of grams purchased.
Now... that is basically the law that moved all of that stuff behind the counter. I have no problem with that.... except the part about the number of grams purchased.
Okay first off, I don't have a calculator handy, but I know that 1 milligram equals 0.001 grams of this that or the other.
The Federal measure says:
n Effective April 8, 2006:§ Daily sales are limited to 3.6 Grams of the base product; and
§ Monthly sales are limited to 9 Grams of the base product.
I didn't know that. And the worst part about it it... with the new batch of all sorts of Sudafed Max, Mucinex Max and the like with a full 120 milligrams of pseudoephedrine, it can get really confusing really quickly just how much of the stuff you have purchased.
I blame the pharmacy for that. Both of the Walgreens I've made purchases at in the last month have swiped my D.L. so I can be entered into their system. Today, the card came back saying that I could not be allowed to purchase the Sudafed Max that I wanted/needed to help curb the ridiculous sinus headache and pressure I had today.
The girl at the counter asked me if I had purchased nine grams of the stuff in the last month. Well how the hell am I supposed to know that. I do know that the 120 milligrams in the Mucinex I've been taking basically twice a day only lasts me 12 days if I take the recommended dosage.
When you start combining purchases of medicine with varying amounts of the chemicals that may or may not have restrictions, I think that it should be up to the pharmacy folks to let you know... according their online records they keep.... how much you can purchase, and how much you have left in a month and frankly, just how many grams of pseudoephedrine are in each of the varying types of meds behind the counter.
They can flat out keep me from buying the stuff, but (despite being legitimately sinus clogged) they can't tell me what I can buy that will help. I mean come one.
I know that the whole thing is in the spirit of helping society and curbing meth cookers.... although frankly I with they'd just put some chemical compound that is harmless on it's own, but when combined with the other ingredients of meth just kills the folks taking it.... but they should also be willing to help those who are looking for a medical reprieve from not being able to inhale air through their noses.
I fall into that category pretty much every morning. And now... I have no freaking clue when I'll be able to buy the medicine that I know actually works for me.
And don't give me that crappy Sudafed PE stuff. As far as I can tell, the rumors in the medical industry about phenylephrine (the alternative chemical) being no better than placebo in the dosages found in the alternative meds. I believe that statement.... I've tried.
I've tried a lot of things lately to get through the endless winter runny nose and clogged up head.
'Course, I haven't tried one of those Neti Pots and honestly, I can't think of anything more disconcerting than pouring hot salty water up my nose.
Posted by Jason Palmer at 08:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Haven't done one of these in a while
January 21, 2008Mainly because they have done a lot recently that focus more on the wedding photography side of the industry.
That is something that doesn't always apply to me. Don't get me wrong, I'll shoot weddings no problem. But journalism has always been my first priority.
Posted by Jason Palmer at 09:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Cloverfield
January 18, 2008You have no idea how bad i want to see this new movie Cloverfield.
Basically... it's a monster attacking New York movie, but it's told from the handy-cam perspective of a group of 25+ year olds trying to flee the city and rescue their friends. It kinda looks a bit "Blair Witch"esque... but I'm sure it's going to be much much better.
J.J. Abrams is the producer... and if that name doesn't ring a bell, you aren't a fan of Lost on ABC. It's the same producer, so of course, a pretty cool viral marketing campaign has been going on the internet for a while. It's all designed to hook you into the realm of the movie.
The main characters all have pages on Myspace... there are fake global corporation pages on the internet. It's a fairly new tactic being used by a few to tie in the online crowd... and it's working.
Anywho, it's showing at the Cinemark in town (which is good because I won't go to the mall theater) so hopefully I'll get a chance to watch it this weekend.
Posted by Jason Palmer at 09:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
I know why the Cowboys lost.
January 16, 2008In case you didn't see the paper... I was on the sidelines for the Cowboys-Giants game on Sunday shooting.
And I know there are a lot of conspiracy theories out there about why the 'Boys lost. Jessica Simpson, trip to Mexico, T.O. teary-eyed and dropping passes.
Whatever... I have irrefutable proof what happened.
I present to you.... the evidence.
Exhibit A. (or 1, whatever).
Our very own smug broadcaster Troy'boy was giving advice to Eli Manning before the game. No doubt jealous that his one-time relationship to Lori Morgan was barely even noticed by the national media.
Exhibit B.
Jason Witten played like a girl. At least, that's the second best I could come up with after snapping him standing like a girl on the field. I guess he was doing an imitation of the Dallas Cheerleaders.
Exhibit C.
Speaking of which... Tony Romo was distracted by all of the blonde hair twirling around the sidelines, thinking maybe Jessica Simpson actually DID come to the game. Not that it would have mattered one way or another. Maybe the offensive line was distracted by the blondes instead.
I think I've made my point....
Posted by Jason Palmer at 08:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
We now return to our regular show... already in progress
January 15, 2008So, I might have done something a bit stupid yesterday.
And because of it... I literally have not been able to completely straighten my arms yet today. I can get to about 20-degrees from flat, and blinding pain hits... on both arms.
It started last week when I decided to put together a dedicated workout plan and start one of my resolutions by getting in better shape.
I've put on a few pounds... and despite a few mediocre attempts last year, I didn't really get a hold of the situation. Having a wonderful girlfriend doesn't help the situation much.
But, we have both started to eat better, more salads, more healthy foods like grilled chicken and whatnot... but a real workout plan was missing from that equation.
Winter is hard anyways... so is football season. There just isn't a whole ton of time to get out on the bike, or hit the YMCA (where I have a membership). But now I'm going to take the reins and get it right.
So yesterday, I hit the YMCA with a dedicated plan of action. I borrowed a few ideas from the "Body for Life" campaign and have a plan.
Day 1 - Upper Body
Day 2 - Cardio 20 minutes
Day 3 - Lower Body
Day 4 - Cardio 20 minutes
Day 5 - Upper Body
Day 6 - Cardio
Day 7 - Rest
So on and so forth.
The plan will work... no doubt. I just have to stick with it and be patient. I know that the results won't happen overnight.
But you know what DID happen overnight..... Pain. Lots of Pain. Pain with a capital P(ain).
There is a key component to recovering from an intensive weight-training program. Healing. Now, I'm not saying that I over-worked it or anything. I only did a moderate set.
But, I worked out about 5 p.m. yesterday, and was in bed and sleeping by 10 p.m. or so. What I should have done was duct tape my arms to my side... because I like to sleep with my arms curled up by the pillow.
Big... freaking.... mistake.
Did you ever see the movie "The Rookie" where that kid breaks his arm and the tendons tighten up allowing him to pitch in the major leagues or something.... yeah, I kinda feel like that.
I literally cannot physically make my arms go straight out right now.
Putting on my socks and shoes this morning wasn't fun at all. I can't even reach across the desk for a pen. Pain pain pain pain.
But what's that old saying... No pain no gain right? Well, there is a lot of pain. So maybe there will be a lot of gain. I'm guessing that if the pain-to-gain ratio is about the same, I should have Hulk Hogan arms within the month.
I mean... it's not like I did something ridiculous like try to lift 50-lb. barbells or anything. And I know the process of muscle building. You have to destroy the muscles to get them to form larger. I guess I just didn't realize how bad it was going to hurt initially.
Don't get me wrong... I'd love to have "guns" to show off when I'm shooting an assignment, but this is the kind of pain that would have 90% of the population rethinking their desire to be fit.
Legs and abs tomorrow.... I may go get a wheelchair now.
Posted by Jason Palmer at 11:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Best of the Best
Usually, once a year, there is a story big enough to make national news around here. Usually weather related, but sometimes not.
This past year, it was the flooding in June/July.
Many of these next photos made the Associated Press wire and were seen around the country and world for that matter in newspaper and online.
I am proud to show what I witnessed.
Jason Palmer/Times Record News
Lacey Mitchell carries her sons Jaxxon, three months, and Dauntae, four years, as her husband Mikey Mitchell follows behind in high water on Duncan St. Floodwaters inundating the East Side and parts of downtown Wichita Falls Saturday morning as the Wichita River rose to record levels overnight.
The rest of them can be found here and here.
And with that... I conclude my Best of 2007 series. I hope you have enjoyed them, I know that it took a little longer to show everything, but I felt like it was a lot of stuff worth showing.
Posted by Jason Palmer at 11:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Best of Football
Today is the last day, I promise. I have other things to write about now.
But... here are my fave. football photos of the year.
Jason Palmer/Times Record News
Windthorst wideout Josh McCoy (22) is hit high and low by the Canadian defense during the first half of the Trojans game against the Wildcats Saturday afternoon in Windthorst. The Class 2A Wildcats beat the Trojans 49-21.
Jason Palmer/Times Record News
Holliday wideout Landrey Lemons (85) makes a leaping catch over Windthorst defenders Zach Hise (17) and Josh McCoy (22) during the first quarter of the Eagles game against the Trojans Thursday night during the Times Record News Kickoff Classic at Memorial Stadium.
Jason Palmer/Times Record News
Graham wideout John Wright (8) makes a leaping catch in the endzone over the Abilene Wylie defense for a touchdown during the second quarter of the Steers game against the Bulldogs Friday night in Graham.
Jason Palmer/Times Record News
Quanah running back Tevin Mitchell (20) tries to stay in bounds as City View safety Daulton Davidson (10) loses his helmet after pushing him towards the sideline during the Mustangs game against the Indians Friday night at Veterans' Field in City View.
Posted by Jason Palmer at 11:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Why I hate Winter.
January 11, 2008As I've mentioned before..... I hate winter because I hate Mountain Cedar.
I'm guessing the pollen count is up today, because my nose has literally not stopped running like a leaky faucet since I woke up this morning.
A steady supply of Kleenex tissues is just sitting on the desk next to me waiting to mop up. I've already taken all of the medicine I'm supposed to take this morning, and nothing has kicked in just yet... not even sure if it will.
Just going to be one of those days I think.
Posted by Jason Palmer at 09:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Sports Faves - Baseball
January 10, 2008Sports is by far and away my fave. thing to photograph. Kids are a close second... but Sports is where it's at for me emotionally.
I love it more than anything else.
Baseball has always been a sport very very close to my heart. I have so many fond memories of going to Texas Rangers games at the old Arlington Stadium with my dad when it was a mere $2 for a bleacher seat in the outfield.
It's no surprise that baseball is my fave. sport to shoot. It's the most challenging in my opinion.
Here are a few of my fave. baseball (and softball) shots of the year.
Jason Palmer/Times Record News
Iowa Park second baseman Savanna Braziel (8) sweeps a tag at Sanger runner Desiree Nordie (00) Thursday night in Windthorst. The Lady Indians beat the Lady Hawks 3-0 in the Area playoff game.
Jason Palmer/Photographer
Wichita Falls All-Star Russell Farabee takes a few cuts in the batting cage during a team practice Wednesday afternoon as they prepare for the upcoming state championship in Little League baseball.
Jason Palmer/Times Record News
Holliday center fielder Brayden Little leaps but cannot catch a fly ball hit over his head near the wall during the Eagles playoff game one against Peaster Thursday night in Windthorst.
Jason Palmer/Times Record News
Wichita Falls baserunner Jason Seefeld (Texas Tech) is picked off at second by Denton shortstop Thomas Field (Texas State) during the second game of the Roughnecks doubleheader against the Outlaws Saturday evening at Hoskins Field.
Jason Palmer/Times Record News
Wichita Falls pinch runner Tyler Lyons (Oklahoma State) slides into home ahead of the tag from Coppell catcher Jeff Nutt (Arkansas) for the game-winning run in the Roughnecks first game of two Friday night against the Coppell Copperheads. The Roughnecks won the first game 5-4 and took the second game 6-3.
Jason Palmer/Times Record News
Archer City right fielder Weldon Stallcup (7) makes a game-ending diving catch to give the Wildcats their first baseball state title at the UIL Class 1A baseball championship at Dell Diamond in Round Rock Thursday afternoon. The Wildcats beat the New Deal Lions 6-2.
Posted by Jason Palmer at 04:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Air to Air.
Here are a few of my fave. plane photos from the last year.
Almost done folks... just hold on.
Actually, I've already posted three of my faves. on my blog before.
You can go back and check them out. It was a lot of fun.
The other one that really stands out to me was back in June.
Jason Palmer/Times Record News
Old Iowa Park Road stretches into the distance beneath Brian Kissinger as he pilots a restored 1942 L4 Piper Cub over Wichita County Tuesday afternoon. Kissinger stopped at Wichita Valley Airport on a cross-country trip to raise at least $100,000 for brain tumor and cancer research. In 2003, Kissinger, 39, was an Air Force pilot stationed at Scott Air Base when he was
diagnosed with a stage II oligodendroglioma brain tumor the size of a baseball.
Just so's you know... air-to-air photography isn't easy. I have a great deal of respect for the professionals who shoot promo shots of other planes for a living.
It was one of the hardest things I've done in a while... mainly because I wasn't really in control. I gestured to the pilot sitting behind me where i wanted to be in relation to the other plane... but it was he who had to fly me there.
And it's not like I was in a Leerjet or anything... I was flying alongside in another 1942 Piper Cub. Not quite a passenger jet to say the least. But holy moly it was a freaking blast.
Posted by Jason Palmer at 04:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Sorry for the Delay
January 08, 2008Wow... I didn't realize it had been nearly a week since I posted something.
I'll wrap up my best of 2007 today and tomorrow and then resume regular blogging later in the week.
Here are a few shots that are completely unrelated.... but some of my faves. of the year.
Jason Palmer/Times Record News
DJ MF Maniac poses for a portrait.
Shots like these are a total crapshoot. I was told that in about 15 minutes, this DJ guy was going to come up to the office for a portrait shot. I was like "He's coming up here?!!?!"
There aren't exactly a bunch of great places for a surprise photo shoot. I remembered that the unused old film changing rooms had a dark blue tile all over the walls. That just might work. The room was tiny and there wasn't much room to spare to set up lights and whatnot.
Actually... I was crammed in a corner, holding the camera up over my head not even sure if I was getting the right shot or not....
Everything worked out just fine and the shot was the perfect mix of attitude and lighting.
Jason Palmer/Times Record News
Pastor Bill Jackson from Victory Baptist Church
I'll be the first to admit, I don't like doing religious stuff for the newspaper and presenting it as news. It's okay to have a religious section with profiles and features I guess...but it always comes across as just a little biased.
That feeling non-withstanding, this was one of my fave. portraits of the year, probably because of the religious themes going on. The fact that they have a lit cross made the perfect background for a portrait of the pastor.
All I had to do was figure out how I wanted to light up Bill Jackson to complement the light coming from the back. I ended up pointing my flash at the far wall and letting it bounce back toward him, providing the side-lit look of the shot.
Jason Palmer/Times Record News
Art Litteken climbs over a few large rocks near Hackberry Spring on his 2,950-acre ranch near Windthorst. Hackberry Spring is one of the natural springs on the Marcy Trail, an overland route from Ft. Smith, Arkansas to California that was mapped out as a way for gold miners to get to the gold rush in 1848. Litteken was awarded the regional Lone Star Land Stewards for the Cross Timbers and Prairies region by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. He is one of eight private landowners to be honored for their accomplishments in habitat management and wildlife.
This was one of my fave. assignments from the entire year.
Basically, a reporter and I walked, hiked and explored the Windthorst countryside with Art Litteken. He owns a huge ranch that has about as much variety of landscapes as you could want in this part of Texas.
This shot is from one of the natural springs on his land, and I walked a bit ahead to get a shot of Litteken as he walked up to it. He walked right past where I was standing on the other side of the spring and clamored over the rocks like he was my age (or younger). I wanted to show more of the landscape than just zooming in on him.
I had a lot of good shots from that trip, but this one stood out for me. He just happened to cross a shaft of sunlight shining through the trees and that makes all the difference in the world.
Jason Palmer/Times Record News
A colorful burst of fireworks explodes in the sky over the crowd behind the Kay Yeager Coliseum Sunday night during the Wichita Falls Family Fun and Fireworks Extravaganza. The event was originally scheduled for July 3rd, but the area flooding postponed the event.
As I've said before... shooting fireworks is easy. Getting something else in the photo that helps tell the story isn't.
I wanted to show some of the crowd that was in attendance at the Not July 4th fireworks show. It was postponed by the summer flooding.
All you really need to shoot good fireworks is a tripod and technical knowledge of how the exposures work. The rest is out of your hands and depends on what the exploding shell does in the sky.
Posted by Jason Palmer at 10:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Need for Speed
January 02, 2008These next few shots deal with transportation one way or another.
Jason Palmer/Times Record News
Two people are reflected in the chrome grill of the new 2007 Ford Edge crossover SUV. Despite the wintry weather, dozens of people came to see the latest in automobiles at the 2007 New Car Dealers Show hosted by the Wichita Falls New Car Dealers Association Saturday afternoon at MPEC.
Sometimes, I try to be really creative. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. This photo got mixed reviews from the folks at the paper, I guess they just didn't get it.
This was from the 2007 new car show, and i really wanted a unique image. Something other than just the normal people looking at cars shot. I couldn't help but notice the new chrome panel grill on the Ford Edge (a look that Ford is going with on many of their cars at the moment).
The light bulb went on and I realized that I could probably get a reflection of people walking past and/or looking at the new vehicle. All I had to do was stand in front of the car and wait for someone to walk past. It took about 15 minutes... but I made it work.
A pack of riders make their way over the Emanual Davis Overpass with the Wichita Falls downtown skyline in the background as they near the finish line of the Hotter'N Hell 100 Saturday, August 25, 2007. (AP Photo/Jason Palmer/Wichita Falls Times Record News)
As usual, the HH100 is one of those events that the Associated Press always asks us to send in a few photos from every year.
It had been a couple of years since there was a good downtown shot taken (other than the start line... which doesn't really show a good angle of the skyline) and sent in to the AP. This year, I decided to rectify that situation... not that we have the most impressive skyline in the world or anything. But I thought it would be nice to have a W.Falls city shot to go along with the countless sprawling countryside shots that we always seem to have.
It would have been nice to be in position for when a huge pack of the pro riders or the really good groups crossing the bridge, but that just wasn't going to work out for me and the route i was shooting all day.
Jason Palmer/Times Record News
A gas-powered radio controlled car screams around a corner at River City Raceway off Hwy. 287 and Hammon Road on Quincy Road.
Every now and then I get one of those great assignments that I genuinely have a blast shooting. It doesn't happen every day, but it certainly helps boost my moral at the paper. I've always been a RC car fan, I had a nice electric racer when I was a kid.
These are the really super fast gas powered ones... and I was like a kid in a candy store. Getting shots of these things was going to be easy... or so I thought. I soon realized how hard it was to keep these things in the frame as I was shooting.
They weren't exactly going in a perfectly straight line... and I was having a lot of trouble keeping up with them on the straightaways that ran perpendicular to where I was standing. I'm telling you folks, these things were quick.
I knew I wanted to show just how fast they were... and an easy way of doing that is to slow the shutter speed down and pan with the car. That will hopefully blur the background giving the sense of motion. When it works it works very well..... but it wasn't easy getting it to work.
The sun peeked out at the right time and gave me a bit of a shadow across the track, allowing me to shoot the car a bit loose and show more of the scene as I saw it.
Posted by Jason Palmer at 10:16 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Food for Thought
Here are a pair of food portraits from 2007 that rose above the rest.
Shooting food isn't easy at all, you have to make it look like it does in real life. Textures don't always translate well into photographs.
The Burk Burger.... that's a lot of meat folks.
Like... the artery clog burger but with a better taste. I actually ate about 80% of the thing before I had to tap out. It was for an ongoing series about big foods named after things in the small towns.
One thing I tried to do was emphasize just how big this thing was. Shooting from just at the table level, I think the point was made.
The flaming turkey (chicken). I had an entire blog entry about this one... and it's one of my fave. shots of the entire year.
More later.....
Posted by Jason Palmer at 10:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
