Photoblog - Day 351 Mar 26, 2011

Boni Bacardi 2011:

This happens to be the latest in a supposedly monthly (if possible) get together of friends - with special mention to the Boni group, since it's normally easier to get a smaller group together... specially when they live near each other.

Case in point, we've been trying to organize the larger Bacardi group for the past two months, but for whatever reason, things just did not push through. So, I guess we in the Boni Bacardi group are lucky that we can do this.

Apparently, the concept has been going around - I know that Brian and Jingo have friends who call them Bacardi people, since they know that they, with the rest of the Bacardi or the Boni Bacardi people, do have Bacardi Nights - maybe from our pictures.

Hahahaha.... are we actually starting a trend? Who knows?

Thor Movie Poster Giveaway!

Thor Movie Poster Giveaway!

It may not say much... but it shows power in a minimalist manner.

Also, admit it... Mjolnir (Thor's hammer for all non-Thor fans) looks awesome!

Lastly - if you're part of the curious but uninformed regarding who Thor is (and naturally, by extension, what his capabilities are), might I suggest watching a few Avengers cartoons - even Ultimate Avengers will do. That way, you'll get a one hour update regarding who these heroes in the Avengers initiative that's been hinted in the Marvel movies of Iron Man and Hulk are.

Photoblog - Day 350 Mar 25, 2011

New Accessories:

With the help of my sister-in-law, Bea, I was able to purchase - at very reasonable prices, two particular accessories for my camera. Accessories, I might add, that I had not thought I could use... and in some case, one's I hadn't thought existed for my camera.

The first one (upper left black metal ring) is a macro lens adapter - let me explain. A photographer can, by way of removing the camera lens and placing it in reverse - come up with a makeshift macro lens that allows one to look at objects at very close range... much closer than possible when using the lens in the regular manner.

However, doing this means you have to manually hold the lens still while focusing and clicking the camera - a feat not easily done. Yet, I had done this at least twice within this very photoblog. This ring allows the attachment of the lens to the camera - so one need not hold the lens in place... thus releasing the other hand and helping hold the camera steady.

The other accessory is a set of diffusers - one white, plus a blue and yellow colored version - with it's camera attachment at the upper right of the picture. I thought diffusers were just for flash attachments (read as not built in) - but these ones were actually designed for use with built-in, pop-up flashes. Lucky me.

Photoblog - Day 349 Mar 24, 2011

Thirteen!

It's official, Bernice turns into a teenager! Congratulations!!!

She already had a chance to treat her school friends this lunchtime, and since we were all out (working), she did not think we would have a little private celebration at home for her.

But have that little celebration we did - complete with her favorite dishes ordered from Amici. We had pizza lasagna and seafood pasta for afternoon snacks cum early dinner... and boy, were we stuffed. The cookies and cream cake came from Cara Mia, which is Amici's dessert partner (at least, in Greenhills), but we were too stuffed to eat it.

Attendees to her little private celebration were of course us - her family with her uncle Ben and aunt Bea.

Photoblog - Day 348 Mar 23, 2011

Book Marker:

This book marker was a gift to me from Bryce for my recent birthday, and aside from the fact that it is (at least to me) a very practical gift, it also happens to be a very simple but powerful validating tool to me as a father.

See, the marker has a message for a Dad, and Hallmark moment it may read like - but the fact that it was given to me by Bryce gives me assurance that I'm doing something right, and more importantly, my efforts are being recognized and appreciated. Again, yes... it can be a generic message - but I'd like to think that Bryce chose it for a reason, and did not just pick up the first book marker he saw about a father.

So yeah... I'll definitely cherish this. If you look closely, this is not just an ordinary thick or glossy paper marker either - you seem it's metal; and the message is actually printed on a sticker. So yeah... though the message may fade with time (and use)m the marker will last long. Hmmm... on second thought, maybe I should just preserve the book marker?

As an addendum: since I'm talking about Bryce's gift, I felt the need to mention that Bernice also gave me a very personal gift... a letter letting me know how she also likes and appreciates me - and how amazed she is at realizing I was already 50... wow (as she put it).

Photoblog - Day 347 Mar 22, 2011

Training companions:

What does one do when done with their speaking parts in a training - yet said training is not yet officially over? Well I can't answer for everyone else, but as for me, I usually bring a novel that I can read while passing the time.

In this particular case, I've decided to start reading the Jesus Inquest. The book's premise is simple - the author (a barrister) will argue both for and against the Resurrection of Christ. Timely reading for Holy week, don't you think? I thought so... hence this was the next book I asked to read and review for Thomas Nelson.

Should I find the experience or the afternoon droll, then there's the bottled frapuchino by Starbucks. This should perk me up... should the need arise, that is... ans as you can see, the fact that it's open and in a cup means I do need the perker upper.

Photoblog - Day 346 Mar 21, 2011

New batch:

It's been a while since I've featured some comic books here, and that's also because of the fact that I've not had the time to actually get any new issues... that is until this weekend - and only now did I get to really enjoy reading them.

There weren't really a lot, but what I enjoyed most from this batch was the Avengers Academy issues (yup... plural - apparently this month released two of them), followed by the Young Avengers ons shot which is apparently connected to the ongoing mini series. From here, I'll have to say that the New Avengers issue was interesting - but only because it had Chaykin in it.

The Batman issues were, well, average... in fact, I'm beginning to think the Batman Inc is quickly losing steam. Thunderbolts had an interesting twist... the inclusion of Tana Hellstrom... it may be worth looking into a little bit more.

Photoblog - Day 345 Mar 20, 2011

Luna:

The 19th of March was supposed to present a 'super moon' in the sky - meaning a time when the moon would be the closest to the Earth... a situation that happens every 19 years (so they say). In line with this, I was hoping to set up the telescope and also have my camera ready - this way, I could study the moon and see just what's so special and different with this evening's lunar display to justify calling it a super moon.

Unfortunately, when evening came, we (that is, Bryce, Bernice and I) realized that the sky was overcast with clouds that prevented our seeing the moon. Not to mention that the place we stayed in hardly had any scenic view of the sky... so I had no view of the moon rising - which apparently would have been the best view to see.

Having set aside our plans to see the moon, we decided to continue just doing our usual thing (which was basically surfing the net), until I just decided to give viewing the moon just one more time - this time, around 11:30pm.

As the picture will show, I did see the the moon - tried taking a picture using my regular lens... but it looked too tiny - so I used my zoom lens instead. The result was a whole lot better picture, and I can only imagine if I was able to find a way to connect my camera to the telescope.

This shot was taken using a purely manual setting, and I even had to try using a tripod to avoid shakes. Unfortunately, since the moon was directly above me, it was hard to set the camera to a 90 degree angle... so I had to take it off the tripod and take the shot with as much support as I could find and hope the shakes did not spoil the picture. Looking at the shot (and this is a relatively enlarged version at that) it seems that I was able to take the shot, sans shakes.

Photoblog - Day 344 Mar 19, 2011

Best Friends:

Pepper finally meets his master - Linus (my brother-in-law). You see, this was the day I went to Batangas to visit my mom, celebrate my birthday with my sister and Bernice (we're all March celebrants) and more importantly - finally bring Pepper to his new permanent home... Cuenca, Batangas.

Can I say it was love at first sight? Possibly (just look at Li's expression). Linus and Pepper's story is a touching one... you see, Li always wanted a dog since he was 10 (he's now 40-something) but his folks were never dog (or pet) lovers - hence he never got a chance to enjoy having a dog as both pet and best friend, had he had the chance, he was partial to liking a Labrador... preferably, black.

Pepper was given at a very early age to his new owner - but she was too busy to care for him, so the person who gave Pepper had to get him back. I was asked if I knew anyone, and since Pepper was going to be given, I thought maybe Tizza might like a dog. I did not yet know about Li's background regarding dogs.

Pepper was brought to us - and despite his cuddly ways, I was reluctant to get too attached to him... as I had promised him to Tizza already. Meanwhile, Li heard of Pepper, adn hoped I could post pics. Though Pepper is basically part Lab and part Pit bull, as a pup his features are more distinctly Lab.

So I guess, you could even say that those two - Pepper and Li were really meant for each other... and somewhere, a little boy is finally happy that his wish came true, while a little puppy is finally getting the love and care he so richly deserves. fairy tales still come true after all.

Photoblog - Day 343 Mar 18, 2011

New Books:

Once again I fly in the face of near crazed uncontrollable spending. I swear, while many women may find shopping almost like a relentless calling... a siren song to a sailor, I find similar feelings with reading materials. That's why leaving me in a bookstore is a sure signal that I, more often than not, will walk out with a new book purchase.

In this case, I splurged a bit - though to be fair it was actually two books each from two different bookstores (big deal, right)... ah, but what purchases. I was surprised with the Stan Lee book. I opened it to peruse - you see, I had long ago read a similar tome by Stan (and John Buscema) entitled How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way. Well to mu surprise, this was an update... with more art examples at that... so I knew I had to get it (the older one was long gone - a victim to floodwaters). Accompanying this - and equally adhering to my artistic side, is the book on storyboard construction... I may not use it yet, but who knows... some day...

From the other bookstore, I discovered the Back of the Napkin book - a visual manner to problem solving. I knew this would be useful to me as a facilitator and manager - it was not a matter of 'if' but 'when'; besides... I had recently been reintroduced by a colleague (Mon) to mind mapping - which emphasized the importance of visualization, hence I saw some parallelism. The other - a Nat Geo magazine, is an experiment. I've always admired the pictures... now I wanted to try the articles - if like what I read, it might just start a new hobby (hoo-boy).

Photoblog - Day 342 Mar 17, 2011

Continuous Learning:

If I had a particular source for most of my learnings in photography, I would have to point to a lot of books (some I've featured here) and magazines as well - though amongst them all, the one constant that seems to be present in a moonthly manner is this particular mag - Digital Photographer Philippines.

This mag is filled with educational articles, how-to tips by people who are known for specific categories. In this issue, you can see they focussed on portraiture, and last issue was about cosplay (costume role-play) photography, and the previous one featured black and white photography tips - so how's that for diversity?

To think I started the habit of buying this issue just half a year ago (six months past, for the math challenged) and I'm really satisfied with it that I'm thinking of subscribing. What's more, the magazine has it's on-line community counterpart - and boy... I'll need at least two months to trawl the wisdom in said site. Sometimes, it can be daunting with the 'I'm not worthy' episodes - but that is quickly replaced with the 'how's they do that' phase... and the challenge to do something similar begins.

So yeah... I would highly recommend getting this mag. It's a treasure trove of ideas tips and inspiration.

Photoblog - Day 341 Mar 16, 2011

Stylized tables:

This shows a pair of tables (and there are more not seen) that I found interesting and stylish at the Ideas Exchange area of Cyber1. I really found them to look simplistic yet artistic, heck... if I had a really spacious living area, I'd like these kind of side tables to be part of said living area.

Why do I like them in particular? Well just look at the design... clean, yet different. It makes an artistic statement with seemingly well balanced and stylized designs. The table itself IS a conversation piece.

I wonder how many people going into this Ideas Exchange area, get distracted (at least, temporarily) by it's design? I know I did... distracted enough to take it's picture anyway, so I can preserve it as part of my blog project.

Oh yeah, one other thing that's cool about this place? It's got a cafe bar where you can order snacks, coffee or... like in my case, tea. This is the coolest Ideas Exchange I've seen - and believe me, I've seen several.

Photoblog - Day 340 Mar 15, 2011

My Golden Moment:

This is me with my family as we celebrate my 50th birthday. As Bernice wrote in her letter to me for this occasion, and I quote" '50... wow.', yeah... I know how it sometimes must feel.

Rest assured, I'm not the first person to turn half a century... and I' sure I'll live longer that this... maybe have more milestones. But how do I feel about this? Well, regarding my age - nothing much... I mean, sure... my body reminds me of it at times, but I'd like to think that I'm still the same person I was yesterday... and inadvertently, hopefully this means I'm still enjoying some semblance of youth.

Most importantly, I live a happy life because what I value as important is with me. I do value my family, and even if I did not have a lot of friends to share this occasion with me (we did have some sort of celebration during lunch), the ambiance, the surprise dinner in the Pen, the cake with the musicians in the lobby playing 'Happy Birthday' and even some people from other tables clapping - acknowledging me, and my little celebration. These were really great moment not captured in pictures... and most of these were planned (in an impromptu manner) by Barbie.

Thank you for the experience 'tart - and I'm glad we had this dinner as a family... yes, including Ben (who took the shot). I guess you can consider this my shot for the month that captured my golden moment.

Photoblog - Day 339 Mar 14, 2011

Stars:

I had thought that I had already showed these star knives a.k.a. shuriken in previous blog entries. In fact I was rather sure I had - so I first decided to look back at all my other photo-blog posts (yes... all 338 of them).

To my surprise, they were never a subject of any previous photo-blog. Well, aside from the fact that this afforded me an opportunity to blog about it (and take a cool picture of it as well), I also had time to reacquaint myself with my collection (I have four of them - two pairs of two types), and take a few cool shots of them.

One particular picture I plan to edit with Photoshop (an incentive for me to learn the software's intricacies) and come up with a CosPlay type of picture. When it's done, I'll post it here. Meanwhile, enjoy the deadly beauty of these blades. I wished I had a large backyard where I could practice with these.

Oh yeah, these for but a part of my blades and blunt weapons collection.

Photoblog - Day 338 Mar 13, 2011

New Lens:

I've been meaning to get this lens for a long time - in fact, I was contemplating on getting this this month - in time to use in Bryce's graduation. So when Barbie asked if I wanted it for my birthday present, she did not have to ask me twice.

So we went to the place she got the4 camera about the same time last year (yes, it was a birthday gift too), and got the lens. So here's my new toy (or accessory) and I already tried it out a few times - and realized a few things I have to think about - like shakes.

That said, I hope to master the use of this lens in time to really use it in Bryce's graduation (near the end of March) and it seems I'll have to consider using it with my mono-pod (a tripod may be too bulky with so many people around).

Photoblog - Day 337 Mar 12, 2011

Glasses:

Today was a very busy day, we had our blood typing done, and I even got a few pictures for the Red Cross Makati to put up in their website (and Facebook). After which, we went to the Shangi La mall in Mandaluyong to have our eyes checked by Alnette (fred's sister) - a move we've wanted to do for a while, but always could not find time to do... until today.

Apparently, we really needed to do this, as my reading glasses grade had changed; so did Barbie's. But the great surprise we had was Bryce having high grades for his glasses. Hence we had his glasses made - and viola! Bryce's new look.

The glasses look good (and thy should - they're Ray Bans) on Bryce - not too geeky or nerdy. In fact they look a bit cool. Hope he feels better now - and hope those glasses keep for a long time.

Photoblog - Day 336 Mar 11, 2011

Coaching the Doggy way?

In some instances, I have to figure out what to take that is worth adding to my daily photo blog... other times, the subject just shows up - in this case, two of them, and though it may be that these subjects are not entirely new, the situation they present (or create) is.

This is Buffy playing with the puppy, and yes... taking care not to hurt him. I guess, somewhere in her memory banks, Buffy would remember how Bubbles acted this way with her - allowing her to play some rough stuff, maybe some playful wrestling (dog style) and basically have a great exercise. Well this time, Buffy seems to be reciprocating with this pup.

Who'd a thought... coaching or mentoring - dog style?

Photoblog - Day 335 Mar 10, 2011

Down time:

It seems that I was still not fully recovered from my bout with the flu these past days - in fact, I am still under antibiotics, which means I'm still battling for my body's health, even if I need not have been hospitalized.

That said, it's fine to have some rest time in between training - and a partner to help with the load. In this case, it was Leader's Window - a course I have a great fondness for and one that I could easily conduct alone in my best time. Ah... but today is not my best time, hence the need for my down time.

Suffice it to say, I'll be glad when this is over, so I cna have the weekend to rest further.

As for the picture, it just shows me in a contemplative pose - and yes, I posed for this. I set my camera to timer mode, chose to sit near a very bright window - limited with shade, to capture my silhouette. Think of this as another experimentation with lights and shades.

Photoblog - Day 334 Mar 9, 2011

Pepper?

Technically, this one month old pup is a half black Labrador and half pit-bull, with obvious Lab features. A cute little bugger, with a lot of panache - and I say this after noticing him play with Buffy, with no fear at all.

I have not given him a name yet - you see, he's not going to stay here, as he's officially not our dog - though he seems adorable as pups go, he's been accepted by Tizza; and Linus is really eager to have him in Cuenca. They even asked me to post pictures of the pup in Facebook, so they could see him. Excited to have him there seems to be an understatement.

Anyway, as we await his Cuenca trip - we will have to contend with him. Not that hard to do; with exception to Ate Vicky, who has to clean up his mess. But I think it will be for the better. Tizza is used to caring for a big dog - and this pup will grow to be big (if the size of his paws are any indication), ands Li has always wanted a Black Lab it seems. I'm sure somewhere in the mix, Migs will want a dog to have around too... and with all the open spaces that Cuenca can offer, this dog will have a very great and active life there.

Yeah... as for a name, I've heard that LI had several to think of (including Batman), but Tizza put her foot down and said 'Pepper' (hence the title with a question mark), personally, I'd go for something a bit more masculine than Pepper - but as I said, he's not my dog.

Photoblog - Day 333 Mar 8, 2011

Roots Afloat:

If my mystery aquarium plant was just recently featured, well... here's a differing view of the same plant - this time, from the bottom. What you see here are the roots of said plants (I refer to them as mini-water lilies... though I've not seen them come up with lily like flowers).

Anyway, I like this take better... it looks mysterious and other-worldly, at least, to most non-aquarists or marine biologists. This time, the balance I was getting was to make as much roots visible, without having the surface too bright. As it stands, the shot looks a bit blurry, but I let it stand - to add to the other-worldly look.

Consider this as another work in progress... after all, it's had to focus on any shot when recovering form the flu, and apparently, I've a lot to recover.

Photoblog - Day 332 Mar 7, 2011

Tuk tuk:

This picture continues my experimenting with lights and shadows - this time, my subject is a model of Vietnam's more famous ride called the Tuk tuk. As you can see by the silhouette, the tuk tuk is basically a converted bicycle... with the front being transformed into a two-wheeled passenger carriage built for one - or two. Hence it technically is now a tricycle.

This model is painted black, which further allowed me to play with shadows. I deliberately lessened the brightness, to capture just the tuk tuk's basic shape. The model is a souvenir courtesy of Barbie's latest work-related trip.

Photoblog - Day 331 Mar 6, 2011

Water Karma?

I took a picture of these water plants (I honestly don't know their name) that just appeared out of nowhere in my aquarium, and apparently, is alive and thriving (multiplying). Since they give the aquarium a nice and cozy feel, I just allow the plants to propagate.

In fact, I get a net-full of these things occasionally, to transfer them into my other, larger aquarium - with hopes of seeing them propagate there too. No such luck yet on the this particular item - guess it's the light or maybe it's the relative calmness of the water in one, and not the other.

Either way, I have at least a seemingly unlimited supply of these things, so I can continue to experiment between this and the other aquarium. I also noted (more like wondered) if these plants would be compatible with shrimps - as they love hanging around plants... and do want to somehow stay by plants near the surface (and lighting) as well. So yeah... maybe I'll try some shrimps here next.

As for the karma? Well the picture seemed to represent balance between the dark waters and the green plants. Regarding this, to properly show the leaves, I had to dramatically lessen the brightness. I'll try another shot at this at a later date - once I get the puzzle of too much brightness fixed.

Photoblog - Day 330 Mar 5, 2011

What used to be tissue:

This was, until last night, my roll of tissue paper. One that I had beside me as I was experiencing a runny nose due to my flu. Well it's not a stretch of the imagination figuring out what happened here - the culprit's name is Buffy.

Apparently, I had thought that Buffy's chewy days were behind us all... unfortunately, this was not so, she has of late, renewed her chewing tactics and as a result has claimed two slippers - both of them Ben's, and th3e bad part was, the second one was newly bought and had not even lasted a day before she got to it.

As of now, I'm at a loss on ow to curb this nasty habit - short of rubbing the possible items of her attention with pepper, that is.

Photoblog - Day 329 Mar 4, 2011

Bryce saluting:

This happened prior turnover ceremony that would be where Bryce and around a few hundred other select students from the other OBMC branches. See I had hoped to accompany Bryce so I could witness the ceremony, but due to schedule mix-ups, I had training that morning that I could not get away from... plus the fact that I wanted to end the course ASAP so I could rest, as I was already feeling bad... possible flu.

Luckily, Barbie and Ben would be able to stay with Bryce and I even had them bring the DSLR so they could take as much pictures as possible. I even set the DSLR settings so they need not worry about bad pictures. Based on what they took, I'd say they got the job done real well.

As for my finishing the class early, I got that too - though not as early as I hoped, but I grabbed a cab and was glad to get home so I could rest. As it was, mu voice was really going, and I was partially deaf to my participants due to the bad cold in my head.

So of all the pictures taken that day, why this? Simple, Before leaving I told Bryce to pose for the camera - I wanted to take his picture, should Barbie and Ben not be able to take pics, at least I'd have one... so there you have it. This one I took, and did not even ask Bryce to salute.

Photoblog - Day 328 Mar 3, 2011

Pigeon shot:

Remember that pigeon shot I had in Piazza showing other people feeding the pigeons? Well this time I came prepared to take pictures of them even in motion. I had some difficulty finding the right combination to capture birds in flight without them looking blurry. Well I think I found the right combination.

Setting my F number really high (at 2000) and compensating for that with a relatively mid ISO at 400, I was ready to try capturing these pigeons... ah but first, I needed to test my shot with something moving and while I was waiting for cars to pass to test my combination, I spotted the water fountain -perpetually moving water... if I could get a shot of this with no blur, that would be it. Well shoot it I did and it did capture the water perfectly. So now I was ready.

This particular shot came in the middle of all the shots I was able to take - almost all with pigeons frozen in flight, or eating at the hands. Anyway, as the pigeons came in to land for food, this particular bird was zooming in on me... probably mistaking my camera for an outstretched hand. Needless to say, I really got a tight shot of the bird, but it was only later that I realized how tight it was.

So cool... scratch one from my list of try and do with the camera. I'm really proud of this (and the other) pictures I took that day.

Photoblog - Day 327 Mar 2, 2011

Lamp between bars:

We, that is Ariel, Mon and I, opted to have lunch at Reyes Barbecue at the second floor of the Piazza in McKinley, and as they were lining up to order their meals, I took it upon myself to try and take a few shots of the place.

This one was from a distinctive position so as to give the picture viewer a different look of the place. After all, how many people bother looking at the lampshades form different angles? But what made it even more unique were the iron bars. To further make the picture different, we have an added dimension by way of the lamp's reflection on the glass wall of Reyes.

So yeah, this picture holds mundane things - but put together, they cease to be mundane and look decidedly different... and by angling my shot, it gives an otherwise ordinary picture, some perspective. Thus giving the picture a unique look with the light, the bars, the light's reflection off the glass and the bars. Yeah... that's me thinking profound.

Photoblog - Day 326 Mar 1, 2011

New Comics for March

Well technically this was for February, but I got to read them this first day of March - you see I would not have gotten these comics had I not been to Makati for the luch with the board yesterday, however, I did not have time to read them back then, so I brought them with me to my PM training.

I reasoned to myself that since Ariel (my partner for PM) would be handling a few modules, then I will have some free time to enjoy these - and enjoy them I did. I was relatively a good pull list with Cap and Secret Avengers - both Brubaker greats, but add to that the final issue of Fantastic Four? Wonderful... only wish the art was better though. Iron Man was great too - though where Iron Man 2.0 will go I don't know yet, but I got the first issue. Legion Annual was okay, I guess... aside from the fact that it was a reunion of sorts for Levitz and Giffen, and lastly the Teen Titans was likewise okay.

Like I said, overall... a good pile of reading.

Photoblog - Day 325 Feb 28, 2011

Lunch with Board:

It's a rare occasion when most of us have no training at a particular day - but such was this day. After all, it being a week where February meets March it was a bit of a slow week for planners, as they planned for March, but not the last day of February - go figure.

Still if not for these types of thinking, we'd have had little or no chance to meet the PheonixOne BOD, and in this particular case, their CEO (who happened to sit beside me). It was a surprise lunch treat at that - most of us were expecting a simple lunch elsewhere, when suddenly we're treated to a lauriat set.

Needless to say it was enjoyable - even if I was a bit careful with the amount of intake on my end. Afterwards, we - my colleagues and I, set out for coffee at Starbucks before we all called it a day.

Photoblog - Day 324 Feb 27, 2011

Last batch for February:

Whereas many people get their comics on a regular weekly basis, I usually get mine in bulk and normally, this happens at the month's end. The reason I do this is the fact that the store I get them from has shown me great respect and appreciation by way of allowing to keep the comics I collect several weeks after their release.

This means that even suddenly collectible issues, like the death of Johnny Storm, that everyone who did not collect Fantastic Four seemed to suddenly want to get, thus making it a first come first served basis as most limited commodity would go through - except for the place I get my comics from.

At times I do get some titles from other shops - but should that happen, and I see similar titles reserved for me by the ship I go to on a regular basis, well... I get the title nonetheless - it may be a useless gesture since I have it already, but it is, to me, a payment for loyalty. For taking care of my wants.

Photoblog - Day 323 Feb 26, 2011

Down time:

After a long week, its nice to hang back and share a few drinks with colleagues... in this case, it was with Gina, Mon and Brian. Aside from the fact that this was unplanned, it was still a great down time after a relatively busy week.

We had some time to compare notes, to assess situations and yes... even vent out a few things - albeit somewhat a bit circumstantial, but logical enough to need to have this get together.

Could this be that same news that places Brian in a seemingly pensive mode? Or is it just the lighting? Either way, it was a nice picture to take - and add to this collection. Not to emphasize the pensiveness, but to show the mood as contributed by the light, the shadows and the pose.